Lip Treatments -Alba Botanica - Terra Tints - Blaze SPF18
zernelle 10/17/2012 8:06:00 PM
I picked this up on a whim when I saw it on clearance at a grocery store, and I quite like it. Blaze is a sheer, shimmery warm berry red. It offers some mineral sun protection, moisturizes my lips, and adds a bit of color. Because of the sheerness, the color is easy to wear, though I wish it was a bit less shimmery. Overall, though, I'm glad I bought it.
Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 5.1%. Other Ingredients: Coconut Oil*, Olive Fruit Oil*, Candelilla Wax, Beeswax*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Peppermint Oil*, Castor Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Iron Oxides, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Limonene*, Linalool*.
*Certified Organic Ingredient
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Lip Gloss -Alba Botanica - Terra Tint - Bloom
zernelle 10/17/2012 8:05:00 PM
I picked this up on a whim when I saw it on clearance at a grocery store, and I quite like it. Bloom is a sheer, shimmery mauve-pink. It offers some mineral sun protection, moisturizes my lips, and adds a bit of color. Because of the sheerness, the color is easy to wear, though I wish it was a bit less shimmery. Overall, though, I'm glad I bought it.
Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 5.1%. Other Ingredients: Coconut Oil*, Olive Fruit Oil*, Candelilla Wax, Beeswax*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Peppermint Oil*, Castor Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Iron Oxides, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Limonene*, Linalool*.
*Certified Organic Ingredient
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Lip Treatments -Alba Botanica - Terra Tints
zernelle 10/17/2012 8:00:00 PM
I picked these up on a whim when I saw them on clearance at a grocery store, and I quite like them. They offer some mineral sun protection, moisturize my lips, and add a bit of color. I have Bloom (a sheer, shimmery mauve-pink) and Blaze (a sheer, shimmery, warm berry red). Because of the sheerness, the colors are easy to wear, though I wish they were a bit less shimmery. Overall, though, I'm glad I bought these.
Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 5.1%. Other Ingredients: Coconut Oil*, Olive Fruit Oil*, Candelilla Wax, Beeswax*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Peppermint Oil*, Castor Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Iron Oxides, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Limonene*, Linalool*.
*Certified Organic Ingredient
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Dawn Spencer Hurwitz - Pamplemousse(Beaux Arts)
zernelle 10/1/2012 8:30:00 PM
I love grapefruit scents--until they get on my skin. Then they turn sharp and weird. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Pamplemousse is better in this regard. It's wearable, but it still turns a little sharp, and it definitely smells better before it gets on my skin. But if it works with your body chemistry, it's a great grapefruit fragrance that doesn't generally become unpleasant.
Top notes: Bergamot, Green Mandarin, Mandarin, Pink Grapefruit, White Grapefruit
Middle notes: Italian Neroli, Lemon, Neroli, Pomelo
Base notes: Australian Sandalwood, Green Tea
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Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - Canus-goat's milk bar soap
zernelle 9/27/2012 11:16:00 AM
I picked up the fragrance-free version of this bar soap at my local grocery store on a whim. I had no idea I would love it so much! It lathers well on my washcloth, gets me clean, rinses easily, and doesn't leave my skin dry or irritated. Yet it also isn't so moisturizing that it contributes to body acne (a problem I have with many moisturizing body washes). Next time I repurchase, though, I'll order it from Vitacost for a lot less than the price at my local grocery store.
Ingredients (for the fragrance-free bar): Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water, Fresh Goat's Milk, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, DMDM Hydantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Titanium Dioxide.
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Moisturizers -Avene - skin recovery cream (US name: cream for intolerant skin)
zernelle 9/20/2012 9:19:00 PM
After reading tons of rave reviews of Avene Cream for Intolerant Skin, I was really hoping that this basic moisturizer would be the solution to my sensitive, clog-prone skin woes. I love that it never, ever irritates my skin, but alas, it also clogs it quite badly. I had read the ingredients carefully to make sure there were no ingredients that I thought would clog, but once I realized this product was clogging my pores, I reexamined the label even more carefully, and by researching the ingredients and cross-referencing the ingredients lists of other moisturizers that have clogged me, I finally came to the conclusion that I need to add glyceryl stearate to my list of pore-clogging ingredients to avoid. I've given up on this moisturizer now, and I'm using the bit that remains in the tube as a hand cream. It does make a very nice (but too pricy) hand cream that heals rather than exacerbates the dermatitis that sometimes develops on my hands.
Ingredients: Water, Mineral Oil, Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, Benzoic Acid, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Triethanolamine.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Sebamed - Children's Shampoo
zernelle 8/11/2012 5:03:00 PM
This is a fine baby shampoo. It gets my son's hair clean and leaves it soft. It does the job, but I really prefer to use fragrance free products on his sensitive skin and scalp (though I must admit that this product does have a nice soft fragrance that I find pleasant). Plus, to repurchase, I would have to order from a web site I don't normally order from, and I'm not impressed enough by this product to go through the hassle.
Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Disodium Cocamphodiacetate, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Sodium Lactate, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG 3 Distearate, PEG-150 Distearate, Laureth-2, Alcohol, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate.
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Eyeliner -Laura Mercier - Tightline Cake Eye Liner in Charcoal Grey
zernelle 8/4/2012 9:19:00 PM
I love the way gel eye liners stay put while most eye liners smudge terribly on me, but I hate the way gel eye liners dry out. Lately, I've been using dark eye shadow and a damp liner brush to tightline my eyes, but the end result usually is quite smudged under my eyes by the end of the day (even though I apply it only to my top lashes). The rave reviews of Laura Mercier's Tightline Cake Eye Liner convinced me to try it, and it is by far my most favorite eye liner to date. I use it with water instead of the activator, and I do get some slight smudging under my eyes by the end of the day, but it's so subtle that it's more like the soft smudged liner I wish I could manage to apply on purpose (and using the activator would probably eliminate this issue). And I love the gray color, which is softer than black on my pale skin without being brown (which is too warm for my cool-toned skin). Overall, I'm quite pleased with this product. Ingredients: Talc, Propylene Glycol, C9-15 Fluoroalcohol Phosphate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Magnesium Myristate, Polyethylene, VP/VA Copolymer, Alcohol Denat., Mineral Oil, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Zinc Stearate, Alumina, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Soybean Oil, Tocopherol. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarines.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Dove - Style+Care Nourishing Amplifier Mousse
zernelle 7/19/2012 10:35:00 AM
I generally find little difference between styling mousses, so when Wal-Mart stopped carrying my last favorite, Tresemme Naturals Mousse, I grabbed this Dove mousse without fuss. All I ask of a mousse is that it add body and control to my fine, straight hair without weighing it down or making it feel stiff. This Dove product is one of the few mousses to disappoint me. It works well enough at adding body and control, but it leaves my hair feeling weighed down, coated, and rough. The one thing I really like about it is the super subtle scent--so subtle that it is almost fragrance free. However, performance is more important than scent, and this product just doesn't measure up.
Ingredients: Water, Isobutane, Propane, Polyquaternium-4, Polyquaternium-11, Fragrance, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Steareth-2, DMDM Hydantoin, Butane, Folic Acid, Collagen, Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Cetrimonium Chloride.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Alima - Balancing Primer Powder
zernelle 7/17/2012 3:59:00 PM
I was interested in mineral makeup, so I ordered a bunch of samples from Alima. Alas, I found that the eyeliners, eyeshadows, and blushes had absolutely no staying power. I also ordered a sample of the Balancing Primer Powder to use as an oil control powder (in place of my usual MAC Blot). The Balancing Primer Powder is definitely the best of the Alima products I tried. It works as well as MAC Blot at giving my face a matte, finished look over my concealer (I don't use foundation). And the light blends invisibly onto my pale skin. However, the Alima powder is any better, and I prefer MAC Blot because, as a pressed powder, it's less messy.
Ingredients: Kaolin, Mica, Zinc Oxide. May contain: Iron Oxides.
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Fragrances -Dawn Spencer Hurwitz - Guimauve de Soie
zernelle 7/16/2012 2:03:00 PM
When I attended a conference in Boulder, Colorado, recently, I made sure I snuck away for a few hours to search out the Essence Studio. I like perfume, but I have some sensitivities that make it difficult to find a fragrance that really works for me. I loved being able to spend some time in the shop smelling everything available. I was surprised that I liked so few scents. Most were too old fashioned or too one-note for my taste. But I fell in love with one of Dawn's new fragrances: Guimauve de Soie (marshmallow silk). It is a complex blend of floral, fruity, and slightly powdery scents. It is very soft, and yet it really lasts on my skin, making it perfect for me, since I prefer subtle fragrances, but I'm not interesting in reapplying during the day. It's sweet, soft, and smooth, just as I would imagine marshmallow silk to be, if there were such a thing. And it doesn't make me sneeze or give me a headache.
Top notes: Anise (Aniseed), Bergamot, Bitter Almond, Lemon, Ozone
Middle notes: Ambrette Seed, Bulgarian Rose Otto, Mimosa Absolute, Orris Concrete, Parma Violet, Violet Leaf Absolute, Wood Violet
Base notes: Australian Sandalwood, Civet, Cocoa Beans, Green Oakmoss, Heliotrope, Musk, Tonka Bean, Vanilla
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Sebamed - Clear Face Care Gel
zernelle 7/13/2012 2:10:00 PM
I thought that this was going to be the perfect basic moisturizer for my combination, sensitive, acne-prone skin, but I was sadly mistaken. It did provide nice lightweight moisture, but it made my skin flush. I kept using it for about a week, to see if the flushing would stop, but then I broke out, and I had to give up on this product. It was too much trouble to send it back to Pharmamundi, so I just used it up on my arms.
Ingredients: Water, Aloe barbadensis leaf gel, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Sodium Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Boots - Expert Anti-Blemish Serum
zernelle 7/10/2012 2:30:00 PM
I bought this serum when I forgot to pack my usual serum while traveling. I generally don't need anything more moisturizing than a serum on my combination skin, but this product actually makes my face feel dry and tight, so I have to follow with a more moisturizing product. It doesn't irritate my skin or cause breakouts, but it also doesn't seem to do anything to prevent acne either. Overall, I'm unimpressed.
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Salix Nigra (Willow Bark) Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Sodium Citrate, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Tetrasodium EDTA, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide 7, Isobutylparaben.
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Shampoo -Neutrogena - T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo, Scalp Build-up Control
zernelle 7/6/2012 6:59:00 AM
This is my new favorite dandruff shampoo, and I don't expect to switch to anything else in the near future. I use it three times a week, and it keeps my dandruff under control without irritating my sensitive scalp. It also cleans my fine straight hair well and leaves it manageable--sometimes I don't even use a conditioner afterward. Since I have a sensitive scalp, I love that it's dye free and fragrance free, even though it has kind of a mild burnt smell that isn't very pleasant. Overall, it's a great staple for me to have on hand and use regularly.
Active Ingredients: Salicylic Acid (3%). Inactive Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Linoleamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Polyquaternium 22, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
zernelle 7/5/2012 10:42:00 AM
I bought this in Charcoal, hoping that it would be a cheaper version of Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner in Granite, which is very pricy, considering the pot always dries out before I use it up. Alas, this Maybelline product was essentially a waste of the $8 I spent on it. When I first got it, it smudged and gave me raccoon eyes. Then it dried out within a couple of weeks, much faster than the BB gel eyeliner does, even though I kept it upside down with the lid on tightly. I think I'm going to give up on gel eyeliners.
Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Ceresin, Isododecane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Caprylyl Methicone, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Propylene Carbonate, Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifolia Wax) (Candelilla Wax), Caprylyl Glycol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Tin Oxide. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarines, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Chromium Oxide Greens, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Manganese Violet, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide.
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