Mascara -Yves Saint Laurent - Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils
katinaboo 7/8/2007 2:09:00 PM
I did not like this at all! Bought it to replace Lancome hypnose (I always buy a different mascara every time because I haven't found my HG yet!) and not at all impressed. It is clumpy - weird brush and it dries too quickly leading to clumps if you try to layer it - and smudged very easily. By the end of the day I was left with panda eyes. It is also scented - YUCK!! - a strange fruity flora smell which imo is completely unnecessary for a mascara! I bought Chanel Inimitible to replace this and it's much better.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -LUSH - Ultrabland
katinaboo 10/1/2006 5:03:00 AM
This is a great, completely natural cleanser. I used to use Eve Lom but wasn't keen on the mineral oil base so stopped. This stuff has a peanut oil base which is very soothing and toning. I have acne prone oily skin and have abused my skin with medicated washes and the like over the year. They do not work - they just irritate and dry out my skin. As this is completely natural and with gentle antiseptic and calming ingredients (honey, benzoin, rose water) it will not irritate your skin if you use it right! I only use it at night (great for getting make up off and too heavy for mornings) and purity made simple in the morning. Use a very small amount and massage into skin. DO NOT use with cotton wool (will not work at all!!) but use a face cloth or muslin cloth (I much prefer muslin) soaked in warm water. A few strokes and and spalsh of cold water and it all comes off and leaves your skin feeling smooth and soft and absolutely glowing. I then follow with a rosewater spritz and Clarins Lotus Oil. Yes, despite having oily skin, all this oil really does normalise my skin and leave it clean and healthy looking. Give this a try - it works and is really cheap!! Update: I have recently become more aware of toxic chemicals added to cosmetics and have been sticking to mineral makeup and organic products. Ultrabland has parabens in it which are used as a preservative but are estrogenic and have been linked to breast cancer. They are also unnecessary chemicals added to what purports to be a natural product, not on IMO! Have switched to a similar wipe off product made by Green People without parabens which works just as well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Clinique - Total Turnaround Visible Skin Renewer
katinaboo 7/4/2005 5:32:00 AM
I like this so far. I had a sample of this that I had put away, but discovered a while ago and started uf a using at night. It made my skin feel very smooth in the morning but had a little bit of flakiness as it is quite exfoliating. I decided to by a full size as in over here in England the 30ml size is only £19 which is pretty good! (the 50ml size is £29). They seem to have changed the formula slightly as the sample size had a little bit of a sparkle to it, which left my skin nice and glowy, but was a bit pointless as I only used it at night (due to the BHA). The big size does not have any sparkle at all, but does the same job. ALthough I've got oily skin I use the cream (designed for skin types I & II). Neither versions have oil in them and my skin seems to like this one. In the morning my skin is oh-so-soft and looks glowy, it even seems to minimise oil production as my skin is matte in the morning where it used to be a bit of an oil slick. However, the best thing about this product is it's ability to control breakouts. I assume this is because of the Salycilic (sp?) acid in it, but I have a lot fewer breakouts and my existing acne scars and spots are getting noticably lighter and smaller.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Chanel - Double Perfection Compact
katinaboo 8/17/2004 4:41:00 PM
This is my everyday foundation and I'm very particular abiout foundations! I'm paranoid about my skin since experiencing some acne in my teens and this is wonderful. It goes on very matt, but the trick I find is to dry my hair and the heat and humidity sets it beautifully. I have lost count of the number of times people tell me I have beautiful skin! And believe me, my ski is still far from great, and I Get lots of breakouts. THis is the perfect blend of coverage and natural looking foundation. I don't get other people moaning about the mattness of this foundation! Come on!!! News flash... Double Perfection is designed to be mattifying - it is for oily skins!!!! If you have dry skin, it's probably not for you!!! I am PPP and use the palest shade (Lumier in the UK) which matches my skin tone perfectly, and it keeps my skin oil free until around lunchtime. After that the oil breakthrough is nothing that a little tissue blotting doesn't sort out. Sorry for ranting on, but those MUAers who don't like this, you have dry skin and try a more moisturising foundation!! It's not rocket science!!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Smashbox - Brow tech
katinaboo 5/20/2004 2:19:00 PM
Oooh, this is great stuff! I'm a bit obsessed with my brows and after going through every pencil out there was converted to powder a few years ago. Having tried Clinique and Benefit brow powders I can safely say this beats them hands down. I use Brunette which is an amazing match for my brow colour (not too red as were Benefit's and Chanel's pencil). I am really pale with medium to dark brown hair and this looks so natural, not at all over the top. The packaging is nifty, although I suspect I'll run out of the wax way before the powder, and very easy to carry around with you as it's so neat and small. I have neat brows so only need the wax to set but have sparse bits to fill in, use this with a Lola brow brush and I look so polished and completely natural! Bought on a recent trip to the States and i'm now worried that it will be difficult to get hold of in the UK. Sephora, please, please open up more stores over here!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -BeneFit Cosmetics - Brow-Zing in Medium
katinaboo 2/7/2004 5:51:00 PM
I can't decide whether I like this or Clinique's Brow sculpting duo which i previously use. With Benefit's Brow-Zing you use the wax to shape brows and then the powder to set. clinique is the other way round. Brow-zing definitely has cuter packaging. On the downside the brushes and tweezers are terrible. I agree completely with some of the reviewers that the wax just gunks up the brushes making them unusable. I have neat eyebrows that just need gentle setting and a filling in but this works much better if you use the supplied angle brush just for wax then a better quality angle brow brush for the powder - I use on from Sephora's professional range. Lasts all day and is a good colour, but so did/was the Clinique product and it was much cheaper. Either product is loads better than brow pencils anyway as give a much more natural and controllable effect - brow powder rocks!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -TiGi - Bed Head Control Freak Shampoo
katinaboo 1/1/2004 2:55:00 PM
Packaging is cool and smells OK, but does absolutely nothing for my hair. Philosophy's it's all in your head is miles better than this. Not impressed.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -TiGi - Bed Head Control Freak Conditioner
katinaboo 1/1/2004 2:52:00 PM
Not impressed with this at all. I brought this because I wanted to treat myself to an expensive shampoo and conditioner after having my haircut but I find cheaper brands do a better job. The texture is really weird! Slimy and doesn't spread well, it actually foamed up which I thought was very strange for a conditioner!! Aso, it didn't make any difference whatsoever to the straightness of my hair. I was persuaded into bying the control freak serum by a sales assitant along with the shampoo and conditioner and still see no difference in straightness or condition of my hair. Philosophy's shear splendor is a miles better conditioner.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Philosophy - Shear Splendor
katinaboo 1/1/2004 2:45:00 PM
I love this! I wash my hair every day and usually find conditioners either leave my thick-ish good condition hair either lank and flyaway or unruly and underconditioned. I got a sample of this in their miracle worker set and used in conjunction with it's all in your head shampoo it works wonders. Smells lovely and it has a really amazing texture. Sinks into my hair like a great moisturizer would on your skin and I only need to use a little bit as it spreads beutifully and goes a long way. My hair looks the best it has in ages - Soft, shiny, full of volume but not unmanageable or flyaway. I'm going to by a full size bottle of this and the shampoo next shopping trip!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Eve Lom - Cleanser
katinaboo 12/31/2003 3:31:00 PM
I was recommended this cleanser by a friend who is a product junkie and really loves it. It does a fab job of getting rid of makeup and other gunk (great if you live in London like me with all the pollution and crap that gets in your skin) and the routine of pressing to stimulate lymph drainage is really relaxing. I agree with other reviewers that the best thing about this product is the muslin cloth, which is fantastic - much better than the Liz Earle ones which I have also tried. Not sure if this made a massive difference to my skin though it does feel smoother and softer after use. I do however still get occasional breakouts. Biggest downside is the ridiculous price!! I was told by a Space NK sales woman that the 100 ml pot should last 5 months!!!!! I was getting through one in a month so have tried to use a lot smaller amount and it still seems to clean as well. To sum up, this a great cleanser but not a HG for my sensitive oily skin pron to breakouts.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Stephane Marais - Blush Creme
katinaboo 12/31/2003 3:20:00 PM
I love this blush in # 5. It's a lovely irridescent plumy-pink colour that really suits my pale complexion. Blends well and lasts on my oily skin. Doesn't make me break out. I also have this in # 1 which is more ballerina pink but it turns a little orangey on my skin. Really expensive in the UK for such a small amount, but it does last for ages. much cheaper in Sephora in Paris.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No