Liquid -Chanel - Mat Lumiere Long Lasting Luminous Matte Fluid Makeup SPF 15 
Jessiebanana 4/18/2011 3:59:00 AM
Okay, so I have dry skin, but I love this product. I like to look soft and glowy, but not the moist/dewy way that so popular right now. I can't wear a lot of powder though because they look bad on dry skin. I needed my foundation to do all of the work and I was having the hardest time finding a satin finish foundation I liked until I tried this one. It's amazing. It doesn't dry out my skin over time and it doesn't look flat like ELDW or Clinique Acne Solutions. It just looks like my skin is soft and bare and skin like, more of an inner radiance than a shine. It doesn't break me out. It has a fragrance, but thankfully the fragrance is generally mild and pleasant. It goes away after applying all together. I moisturize well and I find this product doesn't make any dry patches or flakes look worse, it doesn't mask them, but it doesn't emphasize them. It has a thicker moussey consistency, but it's lightweight and it isn't heavy at all on the skin. It spreads like a dream. The coverage is medium buildable. I'm a NW43, I lean more neutral though, and I mix Walnut and Chestnut. I love that I have a perfect undertone match. That never happens, so it's worth it to mix for depth. It's my HG and I just hope they don't DC it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - rosehip seed oil
Jessiebanana 4/17/2011 11:39:00 PM
I use NOW Foods Rosehip Seed Oil that I purchase from my local supplement/health food store. I like this brand because it's the cheapest I've seen at $6/oz, but other than price I don't think brand matters. Rosehip oil lightens my scars and the skin without scars just looks really good and even. I wouldn't say I had problems with redness, but my skin tone is just uber even, kind of like your skin gets when you have a tan, but without the tan. On top of that it's moisturizing and my dry skin can always use the extra moisture. I'm hesitant to call any product a miracle worker, but the proof is in the pudding. It's done more for my skin, especially my acne scars, than any AHA product out there. Without all the sensitivity, irritation, and flaking. I absolutely love this stuff.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Skin Cleansing System
Jessiebanana 4/17/2011 11:13:00 PM
So I have this product and like many people here I love it, but I think I love it for strange reasons. I have very dry sensitive skin (I use the Delicate head on the lowest setting) and I find when I use this product about 2-3x a week it helps my skin care products sink in better. Everything works better, my moisturizers and serums and ultimately I have softer more "normal" looking skin. Every other day is good for me on my face. I use the body head on the rare occasions I take baths and it's nice because then I don't have to have purchase body scrubs =).
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Treatments -Oxy - Clinical Clearing Treatment
Jessiebanana 4/17/2011 10:50:00 PM
Okay I will say the down side of this product is that it smells medicinal, but I won't take a star off for it because it *IS* medicinal and how can any reasonable person expect a product with 5% BP to not smell like BP, okay. I recently discovered that my skin responds well to BP and I wanted to find something I could use everyday that wasn't as strong as the 10% Zapzyt spot treatment I like. I looked everywhere and everything was either low in BP or attached to kits! It was annoying cause salicylic acid does nothing but irritate my dry sensitive skin. I thank Oxy for making this cheap and available individually. I like to use this at night right after I cleanse when my face is still damp so I get the thinnest easy to spread layer. Once it dries I find the medicinal smell fades to almost nothing. I use it every night before I go to bed. I have dry skin and 10% BP spot treatments generally dry my skin, but I am having no problems with this. Maybe it's the shea butter in it? The bottom line though is that it's keeping my skin clear. Bye bye adult acne.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Carol's Daughter - Hair Milk Curl Perfecting Condtioner
Jessiebanana 4/17/2011 10:31:00 PM
Let's start by saying I have some rules about conditioner. I have very curly AA hair that I flat iron. I don't use relaxer nor do I get my hair professionally done, but I do expect my hair to straighten nicely and be soft and bouncy and hydrated. On the on other hand because I don't relax my hair if I choose to wear my hair natural I want a conditioner that won't weigh don't my curls. I want a conditioner that defines them and provides light, but good moisture to my hair. This product meets all my demands. It does take a bit of time to reach it's full potential, but it does work and it provides real moisture. It does have a slightly soapy smell, like the shampoo, it smells like a nice bar of soap. It's a bit different than the natural products I have been using, but it's not a big deal, just different. I might still keep looking for conditioners that provide a bit more moisture, but I do like this one and would consider repurchasing. FYI I wasn't a fan of the original Hair Milk product, but like this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Carol's Daughter - Hair Milk Curl Perfecting Shampoo
Jessiebanana 4/17/2011 10:16:00 PM
This product has been an absolute savior for my scalp and hair. I have very curly AA hair and I have trouble finding shampoos that won't dry my hair out or leave my scalp itchy and full of dandruff. It's that delicate balance of clean, but not too clean. I can go a week between washings with this shampoo. I'm finding myself happiest though washing every five days. It does have a traditional soap smell, like a nice smelling bar soap. Not bad, but I've gotten used to earthier more natural scents so it was something new. I highly recommend it. It's HG and I don't intend to change my shampoo any time soon. FYI I wasn't a fan of the original Hair Milk product, but I still love this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Healthy Defense Liquid Moisturizer SPF 50
Jessiebanana 4/5/2011 9:14:00 PM
So, this is an amazing SS and it's a shame there are two odd reviews bringing down it's rating, but don't let them put you off! It's very thin and runny (you have to shake it). It's kind of like the Asian SS's minus all the alcohol. I have dark skin and since it's a purely chemical SS it doesn't leave any white film. It is chemical though so if you're sensitive to that type of SS you're probably going to want to skip it. It's great to wear under mu because it's light and doesn't change the finish of your foundation and it's great to wear without mu because it doesn't make you shiny. Your skin pretty much looks and feels the same way it did before you applied. I have dry skin and I wouldn't consider this a heavy moisturizer. It has more moisturizing properties than the Ultra Sheer Sunscreen only version of this product. The price is also right!
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Conditioner -LUSH - R&B Revive & Balance Hair Moisturizer
Jessiebanana 4/5/2011 1:58:00 AM
Changing my review. I like this as a styling product. A nicer, non hardening or sticky alternative to hair spray or gel. I don't really like this as a moisturizer because the amount required to do the job leaves your hair gunky. But like I said it's a great styling product for people who like movement to their hair and don't want the drying ingredients found in many styling products. Since it doesn't do what it's advertised as doing I'm going to score it lower though. The smell is a bit intense at first so if you hate it you may want to skip it, but I think it smells lovely. Coconutty and citrusy with jasmine. It's great if you don't wash your hair often, because you still get that nice smell when the wind hits your hair. If you don't use a lot, and you shouldn't, it isn't overpowering.
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Cleansers -Korres - Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser
Jessiebanana 2/12/2011 10:39:00 PM
I really like the Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser. I wasn't quite happy with the First Aid Beauty Cleanser, I didn't know why, but now I think it's the aloe I was dumb enough not to check and see that's in there. It wasn't enough aloe I think to make my skin flip out, just enough to make it more sensitive. It's also really really drying (to dry skin) and that got worse the longer I used it. Fresh Soy Cleanser left me with clogged pores. It wasn't drying, but I also don't think it cleaned well enough. Once again aloe is an ingredient. The Korres is like an aloe-free mix of the two. It makes me quite happy because there were things I really liked about both of those cleansers and I still see why people like them. If you have combo to oily sensitive or acne prone skin I think the FAB is great. If you have normal to dry less reactive skin the Fresh is great. The Korres is also closer in $ to FAB at $21 instead of the $38 of Fresh. Quite a bit of savings! The Korres does have fragrance added which did freak me out at first because I generally avoid fragrance, but I put my paranoia away and judged solely off of my face and there hasn't been a bad reaction. The Korres doesn't really moisturize, but it doesn't strip and that all that I ask really...for my cleanser to just be neutral. And Clarisonic friendly! It's quite thick and foams enough for a bit of slip so it's ideal to use with the Clarisonic. When my skin is very very dry I do think it is a bit too harsh to use twice a day, so I limit it to once a day when I take my mu off and use something different in the morning.
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Blush -NARS - Super Orgasm
Jessiebanana 11/15/2010 3:54:00 PM
So I had to write a review on this blush since it gets such a bad rap. Super Orgasm is so much better than Orgasm, especially if you have darker, cooler skin. SO is pinker, while still being peachy-pink, and the actual shimmer is finer. NARS put these huge pieces of glitter in it, but they are purely decorative. One tap of your brush and they're gone or better yet I prefer using the 187 brush, which doesn't really pick up the glitter in the first place. I was kind of biased against SO until I tried it myself, but once I did I was very shocked and pleased. I am a NW43 and Orgasm doesn't really show, it's only the gold shimmer and R&R Call Me had too much gold sheen for my cooler skin. I looked like a gold plated statue. I'm very happy I gave this blush a chance and if you're interested in this color I think you should too. I'm taking a point off simply because I don't need decorative glitter, it just doesn't need to be there, even if it easy to tap off.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Unlisted Brand - Aztec - Indian Healing Clay
Jessiebanana 11/22/2009 1:06:00 PM
I've absolutely never had anything work well on my cystic pimples that was easy. This is a good mask, but it's also a great spot treatment. I mean put it on a spot for 20-30 min, wash it off and the next day there a huge reduction and couple more days of it and it's gone. I'm super happy. I had no clue it would be that effective. I mix mine with ACV as per instructions. Also the price is unbeatable.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -NARS - 9950 Modern Love Palette
Jessiebanana 9/29/2009 4:34:00 PM
So I've wanted this palette since it came out for the Nordstrom Anniversary, but I resisted. I was saving for my trip to Germany at the time. But when I got back and two months later the sight of it had me drooling, I knew I had to have it. With all that expectation I didn't think it could live up to it, but it did and I love. I think Jezebel is the prettiest shimmery color of all time and neutral never really blow me away or anything. I almost never buy palettes with black, because the black is usually shimmery and weak and how many not so dark shimmery blacks do you need? NARS made a good choice putting a matte black in there. It's super dark, so it will be great for travel when you want it to double as a liner. The color combo is just on point. I got this palette and the Pleasures of Paris palette and i love both. I highly recommend them (ahem...so skip that Essential palette, ok =p). FYI: These individual shadows are the same size as MAC individual shadows, but they are so much better quality. Smooth and pigmented on my NW43 skin.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -NARS - 9951 Pleasures of Paris Palette
Jessiebanana 9/29/2009 4:05:00 PM
I just want to start by saying this palette *LOVE*. Okay so I'm another victim of Lollipop26. I had no intention on buying this palette, but I saw and fell in love and caved. I thought I was already caving on Modern Love, so why not. Anyways I'm glad I did. I'm an NW43 so I was very concerned about Violetta...turned out to be for nothing. Even without a base each shadow swatches creamy, pigmented and true to pan. I won't describe the colors, since many people already have, but all the colors do go together beautifully. I'm not a fan of neutral, but I love this palette. Best impulse buy ever! I don't know what the person below is talking about, but the staying power and overall quality is great. In fact I can't wait for more palettes so I can buy them...seriously. Oh yes, the palette shadows are the same size as MAC individual ones, so despite the price, you are getting a deal.
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Polishes -Sephora - Sephora by OPI Dark Room
Jessiebanana 9/20/2009 2:41:00 AM
I can't put on np to save my life and I only needed two coats, which I believe is fairly common for dark np. I was scared cause the first coat was streaky, but alas the second coat was perfectly even and like I said I don't put on np well. It is a super dark, almost gray-black, forest green but it looks that way in the bottle. Anyways I love it. If you have any pink/red to your skin it just pops. I think it's a lot "classier" and wearable than straight black...not that I'm against straight black np. It's just a really pretty subtle dark color that looks great against your skin and Fall clothing. Obviously you have to be into dark colors because it will appear almost black in most lighting.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -The Body Shop - Shimmer Waves in Bronze
Jessiebanana 4/19/2009 12:51:00 PM
There are so many excellent reviews for this and I'm happy other people love this product as much as I do the only thing I can think to add is, I'm a MUFE 175/180 (MAC NW 43-45) and this is the perfect highlighter for me (HG Status). Swirled together it's dark enough and peachy enough for me to be a natural looking highlighter. This truly shimmers, there is no chunky glitter and the consistency is divine, a lot better than some of the MAC highlighting MSF's. It has better color payoff than the BB shimmer bricks. I would say this would be the equivalent of NARS Albatross, as far as highlighting is concerned, for darker complexions. You'll really glow from within. Also as everyone else has said the colors can be used individually, so this is definitely a multipurpose product.
8 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No