Lip Gloss -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear Superfruit Lip Gloss in Super Rose
synergena 4/7/2009 8:29:00 PM
Here are some of the things I like about this gloss:
+slant-tip plastic applicator squeeze tube
+natural ingredients: no parabens!
+drugstore prices, I got mine for about $7 and it was packaged with a bonus lipgloss
+Color is a sheer glossy dark raspberry/mauve and is great for daytime and casual looks
+It isn't tacky and my hair doesn't get caught in it as badly as other glosses
+It's moisturizing
What I don't like..
-The color is *too* sheer. The color looks beautiful in the tube but I was really disappointed to see that it's almost clear on application. You will definitely need a lipliner underneath this one if you want anything more than gloss.
-very slight grittiness
Overall, I like this product for daytime and will continue to buy it. After realizing how much gloss gets licked off, absorbed into the skin or injested with food, having a gloss with natural ingredients was very important to me! The staying power is average -- you have to reapply regularly like just about any other gloss (within an hour or two). Hopefully PF will add more pigmented versions to their organic wear line in the future.
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Lip Gloss -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear SuperFruit lip gloss in Super Ginger
synergena 4/7/2009 8:16:00 PM
If I was just grading this product on the color, I would give it 1 lippie. I only bumped it up to 2 because of the slant tip tube applicator and better-for-you ingredients. The staying power is average for a lipgloss. In the tube I assumed this would apply like a somewhat clear nude gloss. In fact, it is very frosty. Even a light application over a darker lipcolor produces a frosty light beige that I have trouble imagining looking good on any skin tone. This is not a flattering color!
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Haken Cuticle Oil
synergena 2/8/2009 8:24:00 PM
Great find at Sally's! I've been using this 1-2 times per day since my hands and nails were so dry from the winter and lotion alone wasn't enough. This will soften up rough cuticles and make them easy to push back. My nails have been breaking less often, probably because they're not as brittle. This stuff smells great too :) I got the Vanilla Almond scent. This is a must have for manicures for me now! Makes my nails look so much better. INGREDIENTS: Oils of safflower, apricot kernel, canola, sweet almond, vitamin A & E, essential oils, jojoba.
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Gels/Soaps -Alba Botanica - Sparkling Mint Bath & Shower Gel
synergena 1/31/2009 11:31:00 AM
I LOVE this body wash! I love minty shower gels and this one has a very nice scent :) Non drying & natural ingredients. I got a big pump bottle, which is very convenient in the shower.
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Lotions/ Creams -Alba Botanica - Original Body Lotion
synergena 1/31/2009 11:28:00 AM
I am switching permanently to this lotion because of the natural ingredients and effectiveness in moisturizing and relieving itchiness. Here's a summary of the points that are important to me in a lotion.. Fragrance: Very light, no noticeable fragrance. A very clean lotion smell and not at all overpowering Absorption: Absorbs in a few minutes for me. Not greasy at all. The consistency is medium -- not runny and not thick. Moisturizing: Every time I use this before I go to sleep, I wake up with the softest skin ever. My legs also haven't been itchy anymore since using this. Price: I bought a huge 32oz bottle of this with a pump at ediblenature.com for $14. I noticed they have it on amazon for cheaper and will buy it there next time Ingredients: paraben-free and does not use animal testing or ingredients. Love this stuff and love that it comes in a pump bottle.
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Self Tanners -Alba Botanica - Very Emollient Body Lotion Medium Bronzing Formula
synergena 1/18/2009 1:08:00 PM
Alba Botanica has a new "natural" body lotion with self-tanner. On the back of the bottle it says
"100% Vegetarian Ingredients,
No Animal Testing,
Paraben Free,
EU Cosmetics Directive Ingredient Compliant."
It also says that you must apply the lotion a few days in order for the tan to develop.
The reasons I love this self-tanner are 1) it smells wonderful (a little flowery/almondy, but not too strong) and free of that chemical self-tanner smell; 2) it blends very well and doesn't streak; 3) the tan itself looks very natural and not orange at all; 4) the pump bottle makes using it easy and; 5) absorbs fairly quickly (in a couple minutes).
The only reason I didn't give this 5 lippies is that Alba needs to make the tanning ingredients darker. I bought the bottle for "medium skin" when I have very fair skin.. and even then the tanning is not incredibly noticeable. So, I would probably only recommend this ST for those with fair-skin.. it will provide a very slight tan, not at all unnatural -- more like a glow or a bronze.. which is what the bottle suggests anyways. A great overall bronzer for fair-skinned ladies (especially in the winter!). Cost is usually $12 at most places.. I got it for sale for about $10. You can also buy it online cheaply at www.ediblenature.com, which is where I will restock when I'm done with this bottle.
**Ingredients: Purified Water, Glycerl Stearate SE, Cyclomethicone, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dihydroxyacetone, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Erythrulose, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chemomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Tocopherol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Reinyl Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Linalool
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lancome - Maquiriche in Burnt Sand
synergena 12/17/2008 3:13:00 AM
This is an overall great quality e/s.. nice simple and compact design on the case. Is a brown/bronze with a slightly metallic finish, but not over the top, and it wears well. For these reasons I gave it a 4. I would have given it a 5 except that I have noticed that this color looks better on me when I'm slightly more tan (self-tanner)... when I am very pale it is not the most flattering on me.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Eyelash and Brow Wand
synergena 9/19/2008 11:47:00 PM
I would have rated this a 2, but the low price bumps it up to a 3. First: I *do* like the wand. It does a GREAT job fixing what bad mascara wands botch up and generally makes mascara look much more natural but feathery on me. (I've only used this for lashes). The bristles are a bit longer than a typical mascara wand and thus great for grabbing long lashes. However.. after washing it only about twice, the wand part fell out of the handle. :( elf must use a really cheap glue, because this has happened to 1 or 2 of my other brushes by them.. so if you want to try this out, you may as well by 2 or 3 in case they break .. and even then you would only be out $3. I'm going to skip on that though and hunt for something more sturdy.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sinful - Cetus
synergena 5/29/2008 1:06:00 PM
this is my go-to color when i am in a hurry and need to do something to my nails. lots of micro-glitter cover up minor mistakes, and the natural peachy nude color goes with anything and i would guess any skin tone. applies very easily, streak free and thick. i can brush on one coat, it dries pretty fast and i am out of the door. even a smudge doesn't show up much on this stuff because of all the microglitter. love it
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Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Heel to Toe - Refreshing Foot Spray
synergena 5/29/2008 1:00:00 PM
after walking in confining shoes all day, this is the perfect pick-me-up for feet. the back of the bottle says "Instantly invigorate feet with a quick spray anytime. Deodorizes foot odor. Blends of tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and spearmint leaf oil cools feet while leaving them feeling clean & smelling fresh." Does it do this? yes. my feet instantly feel clean and cooled.. although i do wish it came with a more "tingly" feeling. i have even sprayed this on legs/arms when it was humid, with the same "clean feeling" results. :D love the minty scent. got it at sally's in the pedicure/foot care section
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Self Tanners -Banana Boat - Everyday Glow-Daily Moisturizer in Medium Skin
synergena 5/29/2008 12:49:00 PM
this is replacing my VS self tanner since it is cheaper and also gets decent results (the victoria's secret one is still my first choice though, for color and smell).
i gave this a 4 because it does have a tendency to streak on me a little bit.. mostly on the underside of my arms and around my feet. i can usually control this by pre-applying a thick lotion on those areas (similar to a barrier cream) to make the self-tanner lotion go on more smoothly.
for a self-tanner, the smell is some of the best you will find. it is not too strong the next day. also unlike many others, it is not loaded with shimmer. for this reason, i also use it on my face and no it does NOT break me out.
the color on me (i am pale, yellow undertones) is slightly orange, but not too fake-orange so it works ok. i can use this regularly (every day) and it looks pretty natural. sometimes i forget how much color it is actually giving me until i stop using it and notice how incredibly pale i get!
go ahead and try it out, this stuff beats that jergens natural glow stuff by far..
+it is very thick and creamy, easy to apply and very moisturizing
+i notice color development by the next day. if i keep applying i get better color, but it does tend to fade after a couple days so it's better to apply 2 days in a row, then wait a day, then apply again..
+i have never gotten orange from this stuff, but do be careful around your toes
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Misc Beauty Tools -Earth Therapeutics - Anti-Bacterial Complexion Pad
synergena 5/29/2008 12:40:00 PM
i absolutely love the results from this. the earth therapeutics website says there are anti-bacterial agents working in the pad for 3 months (when it needs to be replaced), so no need to wash or sterilize. i just wring it out and let it dry. i've been using and so far after several weeks have been experiencing: -no breakouts -clearer pores, even blackheads which i have never been able to get rid of have reduced -glowing, fresh skin from the regular exfoliation this pad gives along with regularly using a self tanner on my face.. i am experiencing the best looking skin i've ever had. i will definitely keep buying this.. i got this on ulta (which was running a special at the time). this is a must-have for my skin care now
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Cleansers -Purpose - Gentle Cleansing Wash
synergena 5/29/2008 12:35:00 PM
if you have fairly normal skin with occasional breakouts give this a try. it's a nice, basic face wash for me.. very gentle and as it says "100% soap free" which means it does not dry you out. honestly, it truly does not dry me out. i can regularly go without moisturizer even and not dry out my skin. when i use this *regularly*, i also have consistently clear skin. i get the best results using this with my earth therapeutics face cleansing pad
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Fragrances -Demeter - Angel Food Pick Me Up Spray
synergena 5/29/2008 12:31:00 PM
if you like sweet vanilla-y scents you will love this. it comes in a bottle just large enough to be used up :) this is a nice replacement for a weak vanilla body spray.. it smells very natural, not too strong, and indulgent.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Ped Egg
synergena 5/29/2008 12:25:00 PM
I LOVE this product!! I absolutely hate scrubbing my feet in the shower, often with mediocre results. I used this twice and with a little body butter, have the softest/smoothest feet ever. This is so easy to use, you do not have to press very hard to get the job done, and takes maybe 10 minutes for both feet if you really want to be thorough. The emory boards the pedegg comes with also help the final results. it's easy to hold in your hand and does not slip. it doesn't catch all the *shavings* though so you should put some newspaper under where you work or be prepared to sweep. seriously, this makes having nice smooth pedicured feet so easy. i got this in the made for tv section at walgreens. they also sell replacement blades & emory sheets there.
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