Treatments -Unlisted Brand - A & D - Original Ointment
Arenal 10/15/2011 9:55:00 PM
I wish I'd discovered this decades ago! This is the lip balm/cuticle cream/flaky spot treatment of the gods! I've been using the Safeway brand generic ($5 for 4 oz.), and one tube will probably last me for years. It must be the lanolin that makes it work so well for me. I'm a longtime fan of Vaseline, but the addition of lanolin in this ointment really brings the moisturization to a new level. I love Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream, but this is just a good, at a fraction of the price.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Clinique - All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage
Arenal 10/15/2011 8:23:00 PM
I used this product daily for several months, but never saw any results. I like the applicator, and the serum feels nice going on, but other than that, nothing, It also has something that irritated the outside corners of my eyes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -Unlisted Brand - Revlon Orofluido - Beauty Elixir
Arenal 10/15/2011 4:32:00 PM
I got a sample size in my latest Birchbox, and so far, I like it. I have thick and coarse hair, and used a single drop as a leave-in. Nothing else. Usually I use 2-4 products. It absorbed quickly, and left my hair feeling quite moisturized and manageable. Since so little is necessary, my sample size will last quite a while.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Burt's Bees - Sensitive Facial Cleanser with Cotton Extract
Arenal 10/9/2011 5:10:00 PM
Another BzzAgent here, testing the Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser with Cotton Extract. I've been using it at night for the past several days, and so far, so good. I like that it's gentle, and leaves my dry/rosacea skin feeling and moisturized. (I've used a plethora of cleansers, and some of the mild/sensitive ones still leave my skin feeling tight. I've been using a makeup remover before using this, so I can't tell how well it does at removing makeup on its own. It claims to do so, and the product is very thick and creamy. I'd prefer a pump bottle, but the tube is easy to use, and you get a large amount for your money.
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Blush -Cat Cosmetics - Beach Cheeks
Arenal 9/25/2011 1:11:00 PM
I come to defend Beach Cheeks, who deserves more than a 40% approval rate! I'm a fan of Cat's products, and that includes Beach Cheeks. I have dry skin, and I think this works best for dry to normal complexions. It's a subtle blush of color, and great for minimal makeup days. Works best set with finishing powder or a powder blush.
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Brows -Mally Beauty - 24/7 Professional Brow Defining System
Arenal 9/25/2011 1:06:00 PM
My review is for the setting powder only. I've used the brow color and it's fine, but I use the setting powder daily to set whichever brow pencil I use (I have lots, including IT, ybf, BeneFit, MAC, WetnWild, etc.) This works with all of them, and provides an excellent, colorless "seal" to my brow color. Expensive, but a single compact will last years, since so little is needed.
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Hair Color -SAMY - fat foam
Arenal 9/23/2011 7:21:00 PM
Should have read the reviews before using this. I haven't used box color in about five years, and have stuck to henna. For some inexplicable reason, I used this last week. It was iffy from the start. The foam was nothing like what's shown in commercials. It's much drippier. Like another reviewer has mentioned, it started to burn a bit after about 15 minutes. I should have rinsed it out then, but I left it on for the full 35. It was easy to rinse out, though I didn't find the shampoo and conditioner particularly effective. Even though I have dark brown hair and used Medium Brown, the end result was very dark. My greys were colored, but the condition of my hair for the last week has been terrible. No matter how much conditioner, leave-in, pomades, etc., I've used, my hair remains dried out and fuzzy. I attribute the dry hair to the peroxide. In any case, I don't know what possessed me to use this :< Off to try a coconut oil treatment. Don't use Samy! Learn from my mistakes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Skin79 - Super+ BB Cream Gold Label
Arenal 8/27/2011 3:28:00 PM
I'm planning to use every drop of this. Not because I like it. I don't. But I paid US$38 for it at an Asian cosmetics store that doesn't take returns. Too thick. Too hard to blend. Too sticky. Too grey. Why didn't I test this before purchasing?? Guess I wanted to join the BB train, and wasn't thinking clearly. I can make this work by combining it with other TM's or moisturizers, so it's not a total loss--just a dumb mistake.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -BeneFit Cosmetics - Hello Flawless!
Arenal 8/27/2011 3:06:00 PM
I've been wearing this for the past several days, since it's been extremely hot in Southern California, and I couldn't face any cream on my face. I've had this for a while, and as I recall, paid in high-20s for it. It's now US$34, which is ridiculously overpriced for the quality and amount of product. The powder's ok. The included brush is rubbish, and I usually use a flat-top kabuki to apply. It gives medium, matte coverage. Very basic. No way I'd repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Bio Oil - All Products
Arenal 8/21/2011 11:54:00 PM
Love, love, love. I wish I'd discovered this years ago. I am strictly using this as a night treatment, 4x/week. (The other three nights I use Retin-A.) I also use it nightly on my eyes. I started using this in mid-July, and have have noticed great results. My skin looks clear and fresh, much "plumper", and best of all, the sun spots on my cheeks are significantly reduced. I've tried a plethora of products on the sun spots, and Bio-Oil is the only thing that's produced results. I don't find it greasy or sticky at all. Two drops is enough for my face and neck, and it's fully absorbed within 8-10 minutes. At this rate, a single 2 oz. bottle will probably last me a year--which breaks down to less than a dollar a month. (I bough mine at CVS for $12.99). Judging from the reviews, this is one of those "love it or hate it" products. I'm so glad I decided to give it a try.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Too Faced - Absolutely Flawless Therapeutic Herbal Eye Base And Concealer With Apple Seed Enzyme
Arenal 8/19/2011 1:55:00 PM
Poverty is motivating me to "shop my stash," so I pulled this out of the bottom of my makeup bag, and have been using it for several days--as an eyeshadow base. It's an ok concealer (nothing special, but does the job), but it working very well as an eyeshadow base. It's smooth enough to blend easily (unlike many pot eyeshadow bases), sets quickly, and prevents creasing on my lid. Only a tiny amount is required, so this pot should last a long while. I've given it a "3" in packaging quality, since the container does not include a mirror--a pet peeve of mine with pricey products. (On the other hand, the flip-top is very convenient).
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Treatments (Eye) -Clarins - Sun Wrinkle Control Eye Contour Care SPF 30
Arenal 7/16/2011 12:05:00 PM
I'm generally a big fan of Clarins, but this wasn't a success for me. While it may be successful as a sunscreen, it fails as an eye cream. It's much too dry and didn't provide enough moisturization. I tried mixing it with eye cream, but could probably do that with most sunscreens, and save myself $28.
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Eyes -Cat Cosmetics - Smolder Eye Shadow-Liner
Arenal 7/9/2011 9:28:00 PM
Love it! It's extremely easy to apply, and the black line lasts until I take it off. It's not advertised as water-resistant, but I find it to be. Cat Cosmetics is one of my favorite lines, and they rarely disappoint me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Clinique - Bottom Lash Mascara
Arenal 5/27/2011 3:51:00 PM
I feel like a chump for buying this. It *sounds* like a good idea, but smudged all over my under-eye the first time I used it. I rarely use mascara on my lower lashes, but I thought I'd give this a try. I realized that if I want to use mascara there, I can simply use a waterproof product with a tiny brush, e.g., Maybelline Lash Discovery. Even though it's *only* $10, the markup on this tiny item (smaller than the testers received in bonus gifts) has to be considerable.
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Brows -Clinique - Instant lift for brows
Arenal 5/27/2011 3:45:00 PM
I'm apparently the odd woman out with this product, since I didn't like it at all. 1. The dark brown color is too light for people with black/deep brunette hair. 2. The lead is too soft (mine broke the first time) and too wide for penciling the thinner part of the brow. 3. No spoolie brush to blend the brow color. 4. The highlighter was difficult to blend and much too sparkly. I've already mailed mine back to Clinique.com, along with the other product I made a mistake on: lower lash mascara.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No