Styling Products -Sexy Hair Concepts - Big Sexy Hair - Volumizing Gel
LizWords 9/15/2012 4:55:00 PM
At first I loved this product, it does produce very good body while helping lock in styling. However, after several months of using this as directed, I noticed that my hair was looking far more damaged than usual, it didn't look smooth anymore, split-ends were out of control, and it was much dryer than ever before. Since this is the only thing I changed in my hair routine, I decided this product must be the culprit, and upon further investigation I realized it was probably due to its very high alcohol content. I should have read the ingredients more carefully, most gels have alcohol, but up until I started using this stuff I was using a minimal amount of hair gel in the front of my part only to keep it straight. It was when I started running this product through my hair everyday that the damage started. Well, I learned my lesson, and after six months of babying my hair it is back to where it was before I used this product. I'm now relying on conditioners to give me body and only use gel on my part like I had done in the past.
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Blush -MAC - Pink Tea (Satin finish) (LE)
LizWords 9/14/2012 5:52:00 PM
I'm very happy with this blush purchase, I was debating between this color, dame, and well dressed. I was concerned well dressed wasn't going to be pigmented enough. I wanted something nice and light that would create a natural flush in a couple swipes and had no glitter or sparkle. I had heard well dressed barely showed on even the palest people, I like light blushes but don't want it to be so light as to be unnoticeable. Dame also looked pretty, but I really wanted something more baby doll pink and dame looked a bit on the red side of pink. I ended up choosing this one and do not regret it. It takes a couple swipes to create the most natural looking flush I've ever been able to get from a blush. It has a subtle sheen to it if put on a bit heavier, no sparkles or glitter though. The staying power is OK, works best if I don't touch up with powder but I need to touch up most days so I lose a bit of pigment throughout the day. Overall I am very happy, may bump up a lippie in another month or so when I've had more time to use it.
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Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Opium
LizWords 9/11/2012 6:12:00 PM
I always keep a mini of this around for when I'm in the mood to put some on and cozy down on the couch with this scent floating around me, but I don't wear it that often and I almost never wear this out of the house. I like the scent of this very much, it's lovely, but I don't really like to wear it. I love incensey woody orientals, but for whatever reason, this is not one of my favorites in this genre. I don't really have any complaints about it, it's well formulated, it has all the notes I like in a oriental, musk, incense, amber, and various woods and spices, and it has amazing lasting power and silage. But, I prefer Obsession and Aromatics Elixir to this, I wear these often in cool weather. I have stopped women on the street to ask them what they're wearing and they say "opium" and I think "jeez, it smells so lovely on them, why don't I wear it." Then I go home and put some on and snuggle down on the couch and enjoy it for a night and don't touch it again for quite a while. I wish I could explain why I reach for other, similar frags more, but I can't, I guess this one just isn't really me. But it is a beautiful fragrance.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cerave - Facial Moisturizing Lotion - AM SPF 30
LizWords 9/11/2012 4:55:00 PM
First let me say that I like most Cerave products very much. Conceptually this lotion is wonderful but it doesn't work for my combo skin at all. When I bought it I was hoping to wear it under makeup daily, but it's too heavy for that on me. If I apply it under makeup my face looks like an oil slick within hours. I used this up while swimming this summer, worked well for that purpose but I would not repurchase as I think Neutrogena's dry touch works good as well and I get way more for $. For daily wear under make up I now either rely on my foundation or I use a more mattifying sunscreen over my regular face lotion. I manage to get a good dose of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and ceramides in my day and night face lotions so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything that this lotion offers.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Paint Pot in Painterly
LizWords 9/9/2012 10:33:00 PM
I am just now discovering MAC paint pots and I am just loving them. I got this as a primer initially since I'm trying to get better at eye makeup, but I think it's a nice shade alone as well. I like to prime my whole eye with it and put some liner on my lid and a crease color and leave this as the rest of the pigment. It looks great and it stays all day and helps my eyeliner stay much longer as well. Given how little of this product you have to use, I'm imagining this little pot will last me a very long time.
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Fragrances -The Body Shop - Cozy Cashmere Perfume Oil
LizWords 9/9/2012 8:10:00 PM
I got a full oz of this perfume oil on ebay for $8.50 plus a couple bucks shipping. I am loving it. I see why people think it smells like Angel, there is some patchouli and gourmand notes that are reminiscent of it. But, IMO, this is actually more linear and therefore more wearable than Angel. Angel has SO much going on, so many notes, this oil has much less going on, it's a lightly musky, sweet, yummy scent. There's definitely some type of citrus note as well, grapefruit maybe? Its name fits, it makes you want to snuggle down in a big warm sweater by a fire during cold weather. Stinks that its discontinued, I really don't understand why TBS only currently makes white musk perfume oil.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Paint Pot in Girl Friendly
LizWords 9/9/2012 7:11:00 PM
I love this MAC paint pot, it's the perfect light rosy matte pink color for regular wear. It looks great with my dark eyes. And best of all, it stays all day. I know it is discontinued but I found some on ebay for less than original retail price. The amount in the pot will last forever, so it is worth the price.
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel Sunessence
LizWords 9/9/2012 9:38:00 AM
This review is for Sunessence edt legere, there seems to be several sunessence versions so just want to be clear. I purchased an 8ML mini of this on ebay because it was dirt cheap. Now I know why. This is supposed to be an angel flanker, but just from the scent you would never know that. Looking at the published notes I would have thought it would be much more reminiscent of the original, but the only notes my nose detects that are the same is the patchouli and bergamot and a bit of berries. The tasty sugary gourmand notes that its namesake is known for are nowhere to be found, the published notes indicate they are included but I sure can't smell them. I agree with the reviewer below, this is very masculine, smells much like a cologne, which is probably a result of the androgynous and powerful patchouli and the medicinal bergamot. It also has a very synthetic feeling to it that never fades even as the fragrance develops, which of course is never desirable in a perfume. I'm quite baffled by the choice of name for this as well, as there does not seem to be anything sun-like in it at all, I certainly wouldn't wear this during the summer if I were to wear it out at all. I've tried many of the Angel flankers searching for a simpler and more wearable version, unfortunately this does not fit the bill. Angel innocent and angel le lys are much better for that purpose.
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel Innocent
LizWords 9/8/2012 12:32:00 PM
I think this is a very good Angel flanker for those of us who can't take the myriad notes in the original. This is a toned down, simpler version of angel minus the patchouli. I like the scent of this very much, the first blast is less than desirable in my opinion, it smells a bit watery and as the reviewer below mentioned, cool and musky with the lime and bergamot dominating, almost nothing like the original at first. But after a few minutes it warms up a lot and you start to detect the sweet gourmand notes of the original, the berry and praline notes emerge, and then the amber and musk blend with the sweetness to create a very nice, light, very wearable scent. Unlike its namesake it is not oober powerful, in fact I wish it's lasting power was a bit better, but then I also think its weakness keeps it from having that all-invasive loudness of the original, the notes are simply lighter and IMO that is a good thing. The silage is decent while the scent lasts, again, not really comparable to the original but I think that is really it's selling point. The original is a powerhouse, complex perfume that absolutely does not work on everyone, while this flanker is a more demure, mainstream scent. At a much more affordable price this can be reapplied throughout the day as needed, and the bottle design certainly lends itself to be carried in a purse. In fact, the bottle design is a bit cheap looking compared to its predecessors, especially the plastic cap (very body splash bottle design), but then that is the type of packaging you need for a travel spray so perhaps that's what they were going for. Overall I would repurchase. I'm not usually into gourmand notes but there is something about the Angel line that I really like. The original is just too much for me, but I appreciate it nonetheless, and I find myself craving its sweet yummy goodness but not wanting the massive patchouli and many other notes, and this flanker fits that bill.
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Moisturizers -Cerave - Renewing Lotion
LizWords 9/4/2012 6:23:00 PM
I would have given this product 5 stars if it weren't for the ridiculous price. Cerave products are generally more expensive than most other body lotions for the amount you get, but this one really takes the cake. 8oz of product for $15 compared to cerave's other lotion, 12oz for $12. The only real difference between this lotion and cerave's regular lotion is some additional mineral oil and bha (salicylic acid) neither of which justifies the drastic price jump nor the container shrinkage. While I do think this works well in terms of keeping my body smooth, I can buy straight up BHA gel and mix it with any regular lotion and get the same effect for a whole lot less, so that's what I will do when this bottle runs out. Hopefully they will come to see the error of their ways and put a realistic pricing on it. If you're using this only for your face, then I see the value of it, but if you want this as a body lotion you better be ready to shell out at least $45 per month, probably more like $60-75 as I can easily go through a bottle a week using this on my body daily.
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Fragrances -Chanel - No.19 Poudre
LizWords 9/3/2012 2:44:00 PM
I am somewhat surprised by all the negative reviews here. I actually like the poudre more than the original no. 19, but it appears I am the minority with that opinion. I have tried the no. 19 parfum as well and couldn't stand it, seemed primarily like light citrus to me. There is a note in both the original no. 19 and the poudre version that comes off as sour to me, maybe it's the lily mixed with the citrus, I don't know, but in the poudre version the omnipresent powdery iris offsets that sourness within the first minute or two of spraying and helps it settle down into a nice wearable floral. There is definitely something sharp about both no. 19s, it's not really a warm fragrance, even the iris in the poudre version doesn't entirely tone down the sharpness. The amount of iris in this is just enough for a hint of powdery floral, there is no overwhelming baby powder like smell. I find its florals and citrus and powder appropriate for spring and summer, and it seems fresh and airy when the weather is nice, I find myself wearing it to work a lot. When the weather is cooler I find this more of a formal scent, icy and elegant, so I don't wear it as often, as I like warmer, deeper fragrances when the weather is cold. I think the lasting power of this EDP is phenomenal, the lightest spraying on skin lasts for most of the day, on clothes it lasts even longer.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Syrup
LizWords 9/3/2012 2:21:00 PM
Unfortunately I'm not too impressed with this lippie. I like the color very much, my issue with this product is that the color goes on so thin, more like a light stain than a lipstick. The stain like color looks nice enough, I'll keep this in my arsenal, but I won't be repurchasing as I like a bit more opaqueness in my lipsticks. The lasting power is OK, not good, not bad, about average. It is not oober moisturizing, but it's slicker than I would prefer and therefore does not stay very long. I have tried layering it with a solid pink underneath and this does come out quite pretty, but the only time I layer lippies is before I leave the house, it's too much of a pain to do while out and about.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Rosewater by Heritage Products
LizWords 9/3/2012 10:53:00 AM
I love this rose water, I've been using it for years. Unlike a lot of common drugstore or indian food store rosewaters, this is certified and 100% pesticide free. Like other reviewer below, I use it for many different purposes, I use it as a body spray when I want to smell like a rose garden (it smells SO fresh and lovely, but doesn't last long when used as a perfume). I spray it on my face when I'm hot or want to add a bit of moisture to my makeup. I put some in my bathwater for a lovely scent. I use it for as a spot treatment on my face when I have red irritated patches of skin. I put a bit of it into my home made facials. And it is extremely affordable at about 6$ for 8oz at vitacost.com. I usually go through about 1 bottle a year.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Jean-Charles Brosseau Ombre Rose
LizWords 9/2/2012 11:39:00 PM
I've been on the fence as to how many stars to give this perfume, because I do like it quite a bit. Ultimately I decided on 3 stars, though I personally like it enough for a 4 star rating, but this comes off to many other people as very powdery. I've even had people tell me I smell like baby powder when wearing this. I don't really want to smell like baby powder to other people, I mean baby powder isn't a bad scent but I'd like to smell a bit more sophisticated than that. Outside of the baby powder issue, I really like this perfume and think there is more to it than roses and powder. When I pay attention I can smell the different notes through the dry down. I can definitely detect some cinnamon, musk, vanilla, and of course the ever powdery iris. I also get a hint of peach at the very beginning but it doesn't last long, and a bit of woodiness. Like I said, there is more to this perfume than just powder and florals, so I do enjoy it, but I don't find myself wearing it outside of the house much.
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Lipstick -MAC - Cremesheen Creme Cup
LizWords 9/2/2012 5:33:00 PM
This is my most recent lippie purchase and I'm very happy with it. A couple weeks ago I purchased Mac's Cremme de la Femme and thought it was pretty good, love the color, but didn't really like how slippery it was or how shiny, and it's staying power is not good at all because of how moisturizing it is. Well Creme Cup seems to be basically the same color, a rosey nude pure pink, just with a lot less shine and it's much thicker and drier so it stays a lot longer. This is one of my new favorite lippies.
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