Sunscreen -Vichy - Capital Soleil Ultra-Fluid Sun Protection Fast Drying Formula SPF 60
sullivan 8/18/2005 12:49:00 PM
The French name for this formula is "Ecran Ultra-Fluide Sechage Express". I bought this from a Euro website. I was hesitant at first because I had used LRP SPF 40 Fluid Extreme, and I did not like it due to it's greasy texture. I went ahaid and took the plunge with this one. I'm really glad I did. This is similar to the LRP FE in several ways. It comes in a flat bottle with a ball inside to help mix the fluid during shaking. It is fragrance-free. It is white and thin in consistency. The similarities end there. While the LRP FE was greasy and did not absorb well on me, this product is different. It absorbs well, dries quickly, and is matte. I wore it yesterday without powder and it remained matte. I have experienced no irritation or breakouts with this product. I am very happy with this product and will purchase again. This has a PPD rating of 20. It is 40 ml.
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Sunscreen -Vichy - Capital Soleil Creme Ecran IP60
sullivan 8/18/2005 12:24:00 PM
This comes in a 50 ml tube with a flip-top cap. It has a nice creamy, smooth consistency which spreads well. On my oily skin it takes a while to absorb--probably twenty minutes, and it becomes dewy. With a little powder it is almost matte. I have experienced no irritation or breakouts from this. This has a rating of SPF 60/PPD 20. Overall I like this sunscreen and would purchase again. I am impressed with all of the Vichy sunscreens I have purchased so far. I ordered this online from Europe.
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Sunscreen -RoC - Minesol Protect SPF 60 Ultra High Protection Sun Lotion
sullivan 8/5/2005 12:58:00 PM
I purchased this product from beautynet1.com. It cost 38USD for 200ml, and that included shipping. It comes in a bottle with a pump and a small cap on top. It is now rated SPF 50+ due to the new EU regulation on SPF labelling. I was very disappointed when I received this and noted the UVA*** on the bottle. I thought I would be getting a better UVA-protective sunscreen than that. The consistency of this procuct is like heavy cream. On my face it is shiny, greasy, and leaves a white cast. I don't care about shiny and a white cast, but greasy is hard to deal with. My oily facial skin just doesn't like this one. It didn't absosrb well. However, on my arms and hands, I like it. I have dry body skin, and this absorbs well and has a nice finish. It feels only a slight bit sticky-- just enough to know it's there. I have used this on my hands and arms for a number of days now. I have noticed some new large freckles appearing on my arms. I use this liberally, so I think if PPD testing were done on this sunscreen, it would not be very high. I won't purchase this again, as I know there are more protective sunscreen products out there.
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Makeup Brushes -Smashbox - Powder #1
sullivan 7/5/2005 2:17:00 AM
I don't know why it took me so long to purchase this brush. I have other Smashbox brushes and find them first rate. I finally bought this powder brush after struggling so long with the ones I had, and never being happy. My search for the perfect powder brush is over. This brush has a big fluffy head but is firm enough to maintain its shape. It shed only a couple of hairs in the beginning, and now no hairs come out. It feels soft against my face, and distributes the powder evenly on my skin. The brush head cleans well and looks the same as it did when it was new. As with all Smashbox brushes, I love the long red handle.
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Shampoo -Paula's Choice - All Over Hair & Body Shampoo
sullivan 7/5/2005 2:08:00 AM
I am on my umteenth bottle of this product. I usually don't use it as a shampoo. I use it daily as a body wash. It is unfragranced, and moisturizes my dry arms and legs without oiliness. My skin washes clean without a film left on it. It foams a little, but not very much. It comes in a tall plastic bottle with a cap that flips open. The bottle is not beautiful, but is utilitarian and does what I want it to--dispense the product. I get anxious when I only have one bottle of this left. I always like to have two on hand. That's how much I like this product. I have a tiny bottle of this that I refill from the large bottle to use on trips. On trips one can use this as a body, face and hair wash. I hope Paula never stops making this product, because I have never found a body wash that is as good as this one.
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Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios Spray Spf 30
sullivan 7/3/2005 10:18:00 PM
I love this sunscreen. It comes in a hard platic bottle with a small sprayer on top covered with a small plastic cap. It is a thin white liquid. It is not nearly as greasy as the LRP Fluid Extreme SPF 40 is. It absorbs well and leaves a fairly matte finish on my oily skin. I have experimented with this before and applied two layers, waiting about ten minutes between layers. It does not cause any more oiliness or change the finish as compared to just one layer. My only complaint is that this is not a high PPD sunscreen. There is no actual PPD on the bottle, so it can only be estimated. The PPD is estimated at about 10 on the sunscreens notepad. I have had no irritation or breakouts from this sunscreen. I ordered online from Canada.
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Blush -Cargo - Tonga
sullivan 6/18/2005 10:13:00 PM
This blush is my new favorite of the Cargo blushes I own. It looks unimpressive and kind of boring in the pan. On the skin it looks devine. I am a PPP and on me it gives a very natural muted rosey glow. There is no shimmer whatsoever. I find that kind of refreshing, because so many blushes are shimmery and fake-looking on the skin. This comes in the signature round metal Cargo tin. I like the packaging. I don't have any trouble opening the tin as some have mentioned. It is finely-milled and feels soft on the skin.
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Cleansers -DHC - Make Off Sheet
sullivan 6/7/2005 2:55:00 PM
These make-up remover sheets are a staple for me. I have been through numerous boxes of these and will continue to buy them. They remove make-up and sunscreen well when I am too tired or lazy to get the washcloth and cleanser out. I do not detect any fragrance. They come in a nice little plastic box with a flip-top and you can purchase just a refill so you can keep using the plastic box over and over. I love these wipes.
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Skincare - Face -Avene - Thermal Water
sullivan 5/24/2005 11:38:00 AM
I consider this product to be top-notch. I know some would think paying money for water in a can is silly, but this is not any old water. This water contains trace elements and is in a sterile metal container that when sprayed, emits a fine mist. It feels great on my skin and provides a soothing, non-oily hydration. I have oily skin that is not particularly sensitive except to fragrances. I could see where a person with sensitive skin would really benefit from this product. I do, and as I said my skin is not very sensitive. I use it as a toner after cleansing, spray it on my face, then I walk around and let it air-dry. You can dry it off after a minute or two, but I think I get the most benefit from leaving it on as long as possible. I can't imagine life without this product. That shows you how much I appreciate Avene thermal water.
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Lip Gloss -NARS - Orgasm
sullivan 4/22/2005 12:12:00 PM
I am very conflicted about this product. I love the consistency. It is a little sticky, but not overly so. It is smooth in application. The container is a standard tube lipgloss with a wand which does not leak and looks nice. My real problem with this product is the color. It looks like Orgasm blush in the container, but when I put it on it just looks frosty and has very little color. If you are a frosty lipgloss gal, this is probably for you. This would look good with strong eye makeup. I will not purchase this color again because it just lacks oomph for me. However, I will purchase other Nars lipglosses.
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Tools -Smashbox - Brush Cleaner
sullivan 3/25/2005 9:42:00 PM
I have been using this product for several years. It is the only brush cleaner I have ever used so I cannot compare it to others. This is a clear fluid that comes in a spray bottle. I spray this on a paper towel or tissue, then wipe the bristles over the dampened area until the bristles come clean. Then I lay the brush flat to dry. Every couple of weeks I wash the bristles in gentle soap/water. This routine keeps all my brushes looking just like new. I highly recommend this brush cleaner.
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Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios Fluide Extreme SPF 40
sullivan 1/21/2005 12:50:00 PM
This was my first Euro sunscreen purchase. I bought it from Zitomer.com. With shipping it cost forty-five USD for 50 ml, which is pretty outlandish for a sunscreen. It comes in a flat tube-like bottle with a screw top. It has to be shaken well because it is a very thin liquid. It has excellent protection--SPF 40, PPD 17. It is fragrance-free, and is easy to apply evenly. I don't like the greasy silicone feel of it at all. It requires powder to tone it down, and then on my oily skin it just turns to grease. I think the heavy silicone content caused me to develop whiteheads. I wasn't using anything different and a couple of days after starting this I developed a crop on my chin. I don't use this on my face anymore, just on my hands, etc. All in all, this was a disappointing purchase.
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Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios "L" Total Block for Sun Reactive Skin
sullivan 1/21/2005 12:39:00 PM
This was my first foray into the world of Canadian sunscreens. Before buying this, I had been wearing Coppertone Oil-free Faces SPF 30 exclusively. I wanted something with better UVA protection, so I ordered this from feelbest.com. The packaging is good enough--a tube with a screw-top. The protection is very good--SPF 60, PPD 15. It has a somewhat shiny and sticky finish, which I can cover with a dusting of powder. However, I just can't get over the fragrance. It smells like grandma's perfume that has been sitting on her dresser for twenty years. I just don't understand why they had to add a fragrance at all, and why they had to add a horrible one at that.
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Cleansers -Purpose - Gentle Cleansing Wash
sullivan 1/21/2005 12:26:00 PM
I bought this product due to all the good reviews on MUA, and because it was on closeout at my local Dierbergs grocery store for 3.99 USD. I used it for a few days and liked it so much I went back and bought another one. Apparently this can be a difficult product to find. I have never looked elsewhere for it, so I don't know where I will buy it when Dierbergs sells the rest of their inventory. I know that I will buy it though, even at full price. It comes in a nice 180 ml pump bottle, which I find easy to use and sanitary. The bottle is clear, so I know when I'm running low. It cleans my oily skin without stripping it dry, and it removes makeup well. My only complaint is that it is fragranced. If it were fragrance-free, I would have rated it five lippies.
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Makeup Brushes -Smashbox - Eyeshadow Blending #3
sullivan 8/20/2004 2:53:00 AM
I have had this brush for a couple of years now. Whenever I wear eyeshadow, I use this brush. I use it to put an all-over wash of color on my lids, and I use it for blending when using several colors on my lids. The bristles are dense, but not scratchy. This brush washes very well, looks like new, and does not shed. As with all Smashbox brushes, I love the long red handle. This is a fantastic brush.
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