Other -Crest - 3D Professional Effects White Strips
Abrial 12/28/2010 9:27:00 PM
I absolutely love this new formula. After about 4 strips I had my friends commenting on how great my smile was because my teeth looked so incredibly white. I will admit this did make my teeth a bit sensitive one day when I left it on too long by accident...but hey my teeth were sparkly white afterwards so it didn't make me too upset. You really do need to pay attention to how long you keep these on, however if you want whitening faster you can leave them on longer but I wouldn't suggest it because it will make your teeth a bit sensitive I would say more annoying than I would say painful. I absolutely love the size and the grip of these strips. Before I tried these everything else kind of slipped and slid on my teeth and was a pain to keep on. These stick on pretty tight, and are actually difficult to get off, I have had some friends say that they do not like it because they have so much trouble getting it off but I think it is a good aspect of this product. Also the size of these are perfect, they are just big enough to get completely around the teeth. I especially love the bottom strips because they are by far longer than any other brand. Honestly I'm going to stop using these once I get to the 7th strip because I don't think my teeth need more whitening at this point. That is how effective these strips are, even against a person who is a constant coffee drinker like I am.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Morrocan Oil Styling Creme
Abrial 11/22/2010 5:11:00 PM
Although I understand many complain about Moroccan Oil products because they do contain silicons in with the oil, I don't really care because my hair has never been this soft and damage free. I have used products that are almost double the price, and more 'natural' and yet they don't have even near the same type of effect that this product achieves. I would not be surprised if I have spent hundreds of dollars trying to get the frizz out of my hair. I've used drugstore up to really high end, and some products would not work at all and others would only keep the frizz away for maybe a couple hours. My hair is of the extremely thick variety, and the bottom layer of hair is very kinky and tends to feel dry and stiff, which I find odd since the rest of my hair is straight and silky smooth. I put this in my hair right after I get to the shower, and then let it air dry. It has an amazing smell that I cannot even begin to explain, it reminds me of an expensive smelling shampoo with a slight man's cologne smell that is not overpowering at all and doesn't deposit a heavy scent on your hair. Before my hair was damaged because I had to straighten or curl my hair every single time I washed it, because otherwise the frizz underneath would make it look bushy. Now this product has not only softened my hair but has eliminated the need to use heat on my hair, that in itself causing less damage. Now this product is a bit pricey for me I found it at a salon for $28, which I found to be the cheapest in the area, some sold the same Hydrating Style Cream for up to $40 I suggest looking around and finding the best deal. But even if you pay the $40 this product is totally worth it, coming with 10.2 fl oz. My very thick and long hair only needs to use about a dime sized amount, about half a pump. I have used this product consistently for over 3 months and I have barely made a dent. So it does seem like a lot of money for a hair product, but in reality a bottle of this will last you well over a year, maybe even two. I will buy this product forever, because nothing works at all like this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in High Tea
Abrial 11/21/2010 3:28:00 AM
I have never been a fan of nude lipsticks on myself, mainly because of the fact that I am so pale that anything close to being nude makes me look dead. So there is definitely no Myth in the cards for me. I decided on this color as a nice neutral because I wouldn't say that this is low pigmentation, but compared to one's lips it just adds a hint of color. In the tube this definitely looks very light, almost to the point that I was scared to try it on. It looks like a very light nude with subtle hints of a soft pink pearl embedded in. When in the sun this just gives off a nude pink that looks natural but with a slight golden sheen that makes one's lips look as if they are glowing within. Indoors this lipstick transforms into a slightly more nude, sounds unflattering but it actually works. I am not normally a fan of the Lustre formula and I usually stick more towards the Creamsheens and Amplifieds because they tend to be more moisturizing and just last longer. But with this lippy I had no problem with the color sticking, it lasted about 4 hours, which is a very long time on me since I tend to bite my lip when I'm studying...which is almost all of the time. This is the first nude in a long time that comes across very flattering, without giving the impression of concealer lips...a trend I never really understood. I would have to say High Tea is probably one of the best nudes from MAC, this lipstick really shows what a really nude lip is supposed to look like.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Revlon - Colorstay Eyeliner
Abrial 11/20/2010 8:09:00 PM
I'm kind of shocked that this has such amazing reviews. Now I love Revlon products just in general, but I thought this product was a major fail. I got this in Charcoal and Black, and in both cases the eyeliner was not pigmented at all and needed several coats before getting a normal line. It felt like I had to go over my line 20 times before getting decent pigmentation. Now I can work with that, putting darker eyeshadow on over to set it up and make it generally darker, but even with MAC's Carbon or Typographic on top this eyeliner just melted on my eyes till it was gone. I've never had a problem with eyeliner staying ever, so that in itself was a major negative. Also applying this was a pain, I don't know if it was just the eyeliners that I bought, but they were incredibly dried out. I used these until they were empty, trying several different ways of application and it just did not work. I have always been much more of a gel liner person, but I like the ease of being able to just take a pencil with me. I'm going to try another couple brands, but to me this was just not worth the trouble.
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Cleansers -Yes To Carrots - Yes To Cucumbers Face Cleanser Towelettes
Abrial 11/20/2010 6:38:00 PM
I absolutely adore these wipes. I've tried everything from MAC, neutrogena, ponds, clean & clear, and the list goes on. Traveling a lot, its nice to be able to just use a makeup wipe to get all of the dirt and grime off, because honestly I don't want to take the time after a long business meeting or a day out exploring when I'm on vacation to wash my face. I know that majority of wipes are really not meant to be used in lieu of washing your face. But when you are in a crunch you take what you can get. The yes to cucumber wipes have a fresh clean cucumber scent that is really light and refreshing, kind of reminds me of Bath & Body Work's cucumber melon, holding off on the melon. These wipes are so completely soaked with product, I've never had a problem with needing to use more than one wipe ahem clean & clear. Although the size of the clothes are standard to other wipes on the market it seems like you are getting much more for your buck, since in honestly it only takes half of a wipe to get off my makeup. I don't know what is in this product but I don't have to rub and scrub to get off the most stubborn eyeliners and mascaras. I've also accidentally gotten a little of the solution into my eyes, and no reaction or stinging what so ever. That was a nice surprise since Clean & Clear stung every time it came near to the eye area. Unlike most of the other wipes I've tried, most especially with MAC and Neutrogena I felt like I had a film on my face, and I didn't feel quite clean until I had washed my face after the fact. Rendering those wipes definitely useless to me. This left my face soft, and not starved for moisture, which is saying something for someone who has severely dry skin year round. Surprisingly this also helped with my acne, I used a Neutrogena face product (Redness clearing facial cleanser) that broke out my normally clear skin. Nothing helped return my face to its normal clear state, and as soon as I started using this 1-2 times a week, my face suddenly started clearing up. The price isn't too high, and ended up being $6 at my local Ulta. Which is not too bad since that was the same price as basically every other brand of wipe, yet this came with 30 instead of the usual 25 per pack. This usually lasts me quite a while since I don't use them every night, and I'm on my second pack and there was no dried out clothes when I reached the end of the package.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Acne Wash redness soothing cream cleanser
Abrial 11/1/2010 11:57:00 PM
At first I loved this, the smell is so nice in an odd way and it made my skin so soft and smooth. But that is where the likes ran out. Well then about a week later I started breaking out, I'm not really one who has acne a lot, almost never actually. Waiting it out since I like to give products time to work, my skin was not getting any better, so I switched up my cleanser and wow the spots started going away. At first I couldn't be sure because I had changed several skin products at once, but one of my friends saw this in my bathroom and said that it too horribly broke her out and is probably the cause for irritation of my skin. So I quit using this and temporarily used Queen Helene's Gentle Scrub (because it was all I had under my sink), about two days after acne did not keep appearing. Its been about a week since I have used this product and my skin is going back to blemish free. I have used Neutrogena for a very long time and I've never had one of their products break me out like this. Another problem I also had with this, was the fact that I never quite felt like my face got clean, if I did not use a makeup wipe to get majority of the makeup off, there was still makeup residue after cleaning my skin. This also was not gentle at all, in fact the product has mild irritants like menthol in it which could really inflame sensitive skin. Instead of getting rid of redness in my skin it actually caused more of it. I'm planning on either throwing this away or giving it to someone else since the bottle is still 3/4 full. Never thought I would get a Neutrogena skincare product such a bad review.
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Styling Products -Aussie - Instant Freeze spray
Abrial 10/23/2010 2:27:00 AM
Now there is one thing that this spray is good at, and that is instantly freezing your hairstyle. If you are going for a look that you want some movement, I would say don't even bother. This is was one of my favorite hairsprays for when I want an amazingly styled updo that shouldn't move an inch. For that this hairspray works wonders, but I have to admit if you spray a little too much your hair will most definitely come out crunchy, which I have to admit is attractive on no one. The problem that I have with this is I feel as if this is the reason behind the breakage in my hair. Before using this no matter how long I went between periods of cutting my hair I never got split ends and pieces breaking off. As soon as I stopped using this hairspray my hair started looking a quite bit better, although it is much needed for the haircut coming up next week. This is the only thing that could have caused the breakage in such a short period of time because I have faith in my high end shampoos and conditioners that I rotate in quite a while. The spray really does suck the moisture from your hair, and tends to make it look quite dull. Was this product horrible? No, it was not at the beginning...until I realized how much harm this was actually doing to my hair. I really do think now that maybe the price is cheap for a reason. I am glad that I threw away the rest because now that I'm using my Paul Mitchell hairspray my hair is back to being soft and shiny.
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Lipstick -MAC - Cremesheen Creme in your coffee
Abrial 10/8/2010 4:44:00 PM
My mom ended up getting into my love of MAC makeup, and went and bought this lipstick. The beautiful pink with a slight brown, mocha like undertone makes this lipstick an absolute show stopper. I've never before had so many compliments on a lipstick, all of my friends said it look natural with a little bit of a kick. Not only is the name fitting, but it kind of just looks like your natural lips with a slight hint of coffee coloration on your lips. It is truly a beautiful color that I now plan on buying, since she finally figured out why she was running out of the color so fast. I'm glad this is not a limited edition, because this color is absolutely gorgeous, and really doesn't get enough hype for how awesome it really is.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Lemony Flutter
Abrial 10/8/2010 4:17:00 PM
I absolutely adore this product, before I got this as a sample, I constantly was getting hang nails and scraped cuticles because of working with my hands all day. Lemony flutter immediately takes away the pain when the skin becomes raw, and I've found that it heals my hands so much faster than any other option. The one con about this is the smell, I think it smells absolutely terrible. Yes it is lemony, but the smell reminds me of those thick white sunscreens that smell like cod oil somewhat. Hard to explain, but it isn't enough to deter me from buying it because the smell goes away almost instantly. I have to admit for a balm the price is a bit steep, but for how long this product lasts, I can't really complain.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -LUSH - Oatifix Fresh Mask
Abrial 8/25/2010 10:58:00 PM
I bought this on a whim because I needed a new hydrating facial mask. Majority of the masks out on the market are targeted towards drying out the skin for the sake of getting rid of pimples. Oatfix however is aimed more towards moisturizing your skin, and is quite soothing after a long day. Wow the smell, is really amazing. I put this on, and although I'm pretty sure I scared my nephew by looking zombie like with this mask, everyone commented on how this smelled like oatmeal cookies. I don't know if its just the store that I get it at consistently, but I have never once gotten a hint of bananas. The scent usually does stay on my skin for a day or two, but my friends said it smelled good, and they kept getting odd hankering for oatmeal cookies. I definitely would not suggest this mask for those of whom have oily skin, because this is meant to bring moisture into your skin it would probably make you end up looking like a grease slick. For those of us who do have dry skin, it happens to make my skin smooth as a baby's butt, and that type of feeling lasts for a couple days. It is a slight pain that this does have to be put in the refrigerator, but its all natural ingredients so how could I really complain? Also the fact that you actually have to go into the store to get your hands on this, which is no easy feat since the closest one to me is over an hour away. Well worth the trouble though, because when I used this consistently I had the best skin I've had in years.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Mario Badescu - Hyaluronic Eye Cream
Abrial 4/23/2010 5:24:00 PM
I really don't hate, nor do I love this product. I don't see any differences actually. I have extremely dry skin, and I don't feel like for an eye cream that this moisturizes enough. Also I'm obviously very young so I don't have any fine lines or crows feet, but I do have really dark under eye circles. Dark circles and dry skin are the reason why I need eye cream, and for that I really don't feel like this works.
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Deodorants -Tom's of Maine - Natural Deodorant
Abrial 4/22/2010 1:34:00 AM
Honestly these really are a waste of space, they didn't smell good, and heck they didn't work good. I really wanted to go for something natural, but I guess that's really isn't an option when it comes to deodorant. I got one for my brother and one for myself when shopping, and I didn't feel like it actually did anything. Did not stop me from sweating and it did not hide the smell what so ever. The feeling of it wasn't all that nice and quite sticky whenever I started sweating, which is quite often in Southern California. Not only that but I felt sorry for the people around me when I did sweat because honestly wearing this deodorant was basically worse than nothing at all.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Abrial 4/20/2010 9:10:00 PM
I cannot help but love this product, that although yes it does slightly seem to be almost identical to vaseline, it most definitely is a product, better in its own right. When I was doing the makeup of a client who had skin almost so dry it was cracking (because of eczema) I basically slathered this on her face and let it sit for about 10 minutes and wiped it off, then put on a light moisturizer, her skin looked so nice and refreshed. This is also basically the only thing that I will continue to use on my lips, and I almost always have a tube of it by my bed. I put it on once at night and my lips still feel good by the time I wake up the next morning.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -LUSH - Shimmy Shimmy Massage Bar
Abrial 4/20/2010 6:56:00 PM
This massage bar is definitely a bundle of fun, and something that really is not meant to be used as an every day moisturizer. Rather this is meant to give you a nice sparkling glow for those nights out on the town when you want that added bit of glitter. The smell is a soft vanilla, that I would love to be put in a larger massage bar without the glitter. But for the amount of money that Shimmy Shimmy costs, you only get the small heart in return. Although I will admit it does last forever, because you only need one simple slide across the chest to glow like Edward Cullen. One warning I do have is that this glitter will not come off easily, and I still saw glitter glowing against my skin after I took a shower and completely scrubbed down my body. Overall the effects are most definitely worth it for a special night out on the town, but this will be very much over the top to use during the daylight, because you will look like a glitter ball exploded on your skin.
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Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Godmother
Abrial 4/20/2010 6:28:00 PM
I have to admit that the scent of this is way too sweet for me, when I was a teenager this probably would have been amazing but as I'm getting older it just seems sickly sweet . Yes there is the scent of Swedish Fish mixed in there, but my mother smelled it and thought it smelled like an extremely strong scent of gummy bears and Swedish fish, but after smelling for a minute she thought it so strong to the point of where it became gross. I just don't like how incredibly overpowering the scent really was and how it does last on your skin, and the fact is LUSH is expensive, to pay that much for a soap that I don't like the smell of, and does not lather really well is ridiculous.
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