Gels/Soaps -Boscia - Jujube Rejuvenist Amino Body Wash
ventanabluesky 1/25/2009 8:07:00 PM
Expensive, but worth every penny if chemical ingredients bother your skin, or if you are exceptionally dry. I have both issues, particularly in the winter, when I develop patches of dermatitis. This body wash has a mild, barely-there scent, is calming to my skin, and non-drying. It's a bit pricey, but one pump is enough to lather over your entire body. I have tried other "natural" body washes, many of which still have irritating ingredients, leave my skin feeling stripped, or refuse to foam up. This is really an HG product for those with sensitive and/or dry skin. I will repurchase again and again!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Alima - Nourishing Lipbalm
ventanabluesky 12/4/2008 1:58:00 AM
This is a great product, if you accept it for what it is--lipbalm. It's true that they impart a very sheer color, and the pigment isn't very rich, but it's a lipbalm, not a lipstick. I love these balms because they really do moisturize my perpetually chapped lips and keep them soft, and the added hint of color is a great bonus. The color is really natural and subtle, perfect for everyday. Rhubarb and Pomegranate are my favorites. This is a great makeup staple that I will definitely be purchasing in more colors.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Boscia - Clear Complexion Cleanser with Botanical Blast
ventanabluesky 11/30/2008 1:14:00 AM
I use this cleanser with the Clarisonic face brush. This is a very nice, mild cleanser for those of us with acne and oily skin. It has a very light, mild scent, creates a good lather, and leaves my skin completely clean but not stripped or dry. I love that there are no unnecessary or dangerous chemical ingredients in this cleanser. The packaging is very hygienic and I love the pump design on this bottle, which makes it easy to adjust the amount of product that comes out. I have moderate acne and while I think that it would be unrealistic to expect a cleanser alone to dramatically improve my acne, this one does a nice job getting my face completely clean and prepped for other treatments.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Boscia - Willowbark Breakout Treatment
ventanabluesky 11/30/2008 12:59:00 AM
I really wish this product had helped my moderate adult acne because I prefer to put natural products on my skin, but this just wasn't strong enough to help with my breakouts. This is a good product in that it has a nice, light texture that works well under makeup and isn't drying or irritating to the skin. I suspect that this would work decently for someone with more mild acne, but still the only otc thing that seems to work for my more severe acne is a high concentration benzoyl peroxide. Bummer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Alima - Satin Matte Mineral Foundation
ventanabluesky 11/30/2008 12:30:00 AM
I have been using Alima's Satin Matte Foundation for about 2 weeks now, and the longer I wear it, the more I really love it. Alima offers a huge range of shades for all skin colorings--this is the first mmu I've found where I've been able to find an exact match to my skin (olive 1). In the past I tried Everyday Minerals olive shades as well, but found them much too green and drab for my skin. Alima's olives don't appear green at all, and seem to just brighten and smooth out my natural coloring. Another plus is that I no longer have any of the itching I experienced with BE, as Alima doesn't contain bismuth oxychloride. I have very oily skin and huge pores, and the matte finish of this foundation is great, as I don't need or want any extra shine. My pores and imperfections are hidden quite well under a light-moderate application of Alima. With my very oily skin, I do have to blot and apply more finishing powder throughout the day, but my face never turns into its usual oil slick, and the foundation seems to stay put even with minimal touch-ups (I have just ordered Alima's balancing primer powder to see if it will extend the time between blots/touchups). I recommend that anyone who is trying Alima read the application tips on their website, as their mmu doesn't need to be "buffed" into the skin like many other brands. All the Alima products I've tried so far have been lovely, as has the customer service. I'll continue to use Alima because it's an all around great product and company. **EDIT: after using this product for 6 months, I decided to switch to another brand. While Alima went on beautifully, I found myself turning into an oil slick within an hour of application and needed to blot continuously all day. I also noticed that in pictures my skin appeared sallow and almost transparent, and this effect remained no matter what foundation shade I used. I suspect I need something that diffuses the light a bit more, as well as something that doesn't react as much with my oily skin.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Alima - Mineral Bronzer
ventanabluesky 11/29/2008 10:00:00 PM
This is by far the best bronzer I have ever used. I tried maraciabo (lightest) and Mauna Loa (medium) shades on my light olive skin (Alima Olive-1 foundation), and Mauna Loa seems to be the best for me. It imparts a light, sunkissed look that is is very natural, not orange-y or dirty looking like some other bronzers. I seem to glow from the inside when I wear this. The matte formula is a godsend for girls like me with very oily skin--I love that I can use this without adding any extra sparkle or shine, which I definitely don't need. Love love love it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Perricone - Acne Treatment Gel Cream
ventanabluesky 11/22/2008 10:40:00 PM
I love this product and will continue to use it because it's given me my face back. I've used this product off and on for the past three years due to persistent, moderate-severe adult acne. It's recently been reformulated and is quite different than the older $55 version in the white tube (I think most of these reviews refer to the old formula). Now the tube is smaller and gray, and it goes for $30 at Sephora rather than $55. It's a bit runnier than the old formula, but it does absorb completely into the skin and it doesn't seem to bleach any of my sheets, towels or clothing. I also like it because it doesn't contain any paraben ingredients, which make my acne worse and is usually very difficult to avoid in any benzoyl peroxide formula. I've found that this is really the only OTC thing I've tried that keeps my acne under control--I don't have flawless skin now, but I don't get nearly as many painful cysts when using this product, and the ones I do get tend to heal more quickly. I have oily skin and this product does dry it out a bit with 2x/day use, but it's nothing a little light moisturizer (I use FANCL basic milky lotion on top of the Perricone acne treatment) can't fix. I highly recommend giving this a try for persistent adult acne!
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Makeup Brushes -Bare Escentuals - Flawless Application Face Brush
ventanabluesky 10/25/2008 7:24:00 PM
I'm not so happy with this brush. It sheds incessantly, which means I end up picking stray bristles out off my eyelashes and off my face as I'm trying to apply my makeup. In addition, it seemed to lose its shape after a few washings--now the bristles stick out crazily and it doesn't seem very effective at providing the light-to-moderate coverage for foundation that it's supposed to.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Sukí - SukiColor - Tinted Active Moisturizer
ventanabluesky 10/25/2008 7:10:00 PM
I liked the idea of a liquid mineral make up, so I bought the natural shade. Although it does seem to be a bit lighter upon application than it does in the jar, I still needed to mix it with a bit of the Suki concealer (in flax) to get a match to my skin color. As others have mentioned, the pump on this product is quite tricky, and no matter how lightly you try to press, you always end up with the same amount of product--too much. Upon application and for about an hour after, my skin looked beautiful--not flawless, but it definitely evened my skin tone and made me look like a more radiant version of myself. However, with my oily skin, it didn't wear well at all, and after about an hour this stuff started pooling up and my face just looked like a nasty oil slick. This might be a great product if your skin tends toward normal or dry, but with my oily skin, it seems sticking with dry MMU foundation is a better choice.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Sukí - Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser
ventanabluesky 10/25/2008 7:01:00 PM
I liked this product because it was all-natural, and it definitely had a nice fresh scent to it, and although the lather it made was a bit strange, it did seem to lather effectively. However, despite these positives, it never quite rinsed off all my make up, didn't leave my face feeling completely clean, and I think the exfoliating bits in this cleanser were too harsh for my skin. After several weeks, I broke out in painful acne on my cheeks and chin, and developed little hard bumps all around my hairline and forehead. It also caused a bit of itching. I stuck it out for three months thinking that it was possibly a "purging" period, but in the end I stopped using this product and have now switched to the Boscia clear complexion line, which so far seems to be more gentle and does a better job getting my face clean after a make-up-wearing day.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Sukí - Suki Pure Facial Moisture - Balancing
ventanabluesky 10/25/2008 6:50:00 PM
My oily, very acne-prone skin seems to do well with straight jojoba oil (less redness, better tone, and reduced oiliness), so I thought that this would work even better, since it is jojoba-oil based. No such luck. No matter how little I applied (I followed the directions and gently patted a drop or two over my face while it was still slightly damp from Suki toner), this stuff turned my face into an oil slick that was a breeding ground for big nasty cystic pimples. Plus, as others have mentioned, the scent is quite strong. Straight jojoba oil not only works better to normalize oil, but smells better, and is WAY cheaper. Save your money on this one!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Sukí - Eye Tissue Repair
ventanabluesky 10/12/2008 1:37:00 AM
This stuff has the consistency of chapstick/beeswax. As a result, it doesn't "glide" over the under-eye area at all. You must tug and pull it across the skin to apply it. Once you've pulled at your skin to spread it (thereby giving yourself MORE lines and wrinkles), it just sits on the skin looking greasy. Yuck. I gave it 2 lippies because I was able to use the remainder of the jar I'd bought as a lip treatment, but I certainly won't be repurchasing.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Aveda - Purefume Brilliant Humectant Pomade
ventanabluesky 1/4/2007 11:58:00 PM
This product is a lifesaver for my dry, very coarse and thick hair. It smoothes flyaways and tames frizzy hair. I used this on a summer trip to Japan and even in the extremely humid weather, my hair didn't frizz as it usually does. It's expensive, but as others have mentioned, a little goes a long way. I can get one bottle to last about 8 months. I imagine if you have fine hair this product might be too heavy or greasy, but with my type of hair, this is definitely an HG product for me.
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Treatments (Eye) -Boscia - Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment
ventanabluesky 1/4/2007 10:10:00 PM
I am in my early 30s and tried this product because I am beginning to think about minimizing fine lines (and potential fine lines) and being kinder to my skin as it ages. I have tried several eye treatments in my quest to find one I feel hydrates and protects, as well as reduces any puffiness or circles on days when I don't get enough sleep or had a bit too much fun the night before. The Boscia Amino AG treatment is by far the best I have tried. I would say it is halfway between a cream and a gel. It goes on very smoothly and has an almost silky feel about it. It takes a moment or two to sink into the skin fully, yet hours later I can still feel it working to make the skin soft if I touch my finger to the area under my eye. It also has a pleasant light, fresh smell. For $35, it is one of the cheaper eye treatments out there, yet I think works just as well. Plus, you get quite a bit (a little goes a long way) and the packaging is very sterile. I love it and will continue to use until the aging process requires something more powerful (hopefully that day is still a long way off!!) ;)
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Moisturizers -Boscia - Oil Free Daily Hydration SPF 15
ventanabluesky 1/4/2007 9:57:00 PM
I really wanted to like this moisturizer. I have combination/acne-prone/thirty-something skin so I was hoping that this would moisturize, protect, and calm my skin. While it did a great job of mattifying my skin (I went for about 6 hours without having to use powder or blotting paper), it just wasn't moisturizing enough for me. It made my drier areas feel a bit itchy and the product seemed to flake off as well (I suspect due to the SPF ingredients). I was also disappointed to learn that it contained a form of aluminum as well as hydrogenated ingredients. Disappointing for a company that claims its products are safe for sensitive skin and with natural ingredients. On the plus side, the packaging is very hygenic and it has a nonoffensive light smell. I love some of the other Boscia products, but this one just wasn't for me. :(
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No