Eyeliner -MAC - Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in Blacktrack
anniele 1/18/2007 2:37:00 PM
I LOVE this eyeliner - easy to apply, easy to take off, and will NOT budge, no matter what you do. However, as amazing it is as an eyeliner, it is just as good for your - wait for it - brows. Hold on, I know what you are thinking, but let me explain. I discovered its added bonus of being a great brow enhancer completely by accident - I had misplaced my adored LM Brow Duo and was TOTALLY desperate, because I do not have a brow pencil, and I do not leave the house without doing my brows, because I've been cursed with sparse Asian brows that neeeeed to be filled in. So after considering and rejecting several other alternatives, such as using a pencil eyeliner or using mascara to run over my brows, my eye alighted on the angled brush that I use for applying the Fluidline. I hadn't lined my eyes yet that day, so the brush was still dry, but had just a leeeeeeetle bit of dried Fluidline on it from the application the day before. So, I picked it up and began cautiously brushing over my eyebrow hairs with light strokes - and VOILA! I had great, natural looking brows, and they actually looked even BETTER than they did when I use my LM Brow Duo! With the LM (I have it in Ash), you could always see it on my brows and on the skin beneath my brows if you looked really closely at my face, but with the Fluidline, you can't even tell that I've done anything to my brows - they just look natural and full! I was so excited that it worked, and it's been working so well that when I ended up finding my LM Brow Duo a couple of days later, I just tossed it in my makeup bin and continued to use the dry Fluidline. I've got black eyebrows, so I'm sure this same method couldn't work on women with lighter eyebrow color, but I'm happy that it works for me :) But remember, if you try this, make sure your brush is COMPLETELY dry, and that you only use very very very light strokes to apply - if you press down with the brush at all, you will get a very unnatural look.
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Moisturizers -Dove - Energy Glow Brightening Moisturizer SPF 15
anniele 1/17/2007 4:57:00 AM
Good news - this is almost an exact formulation of Dove's discontinued Fresh Radiance Anti - Aging Lotion (which I LOVED - see my review for it), right down to the identical container. BAD news: for some reason, Dove decided to load this product up with shimmer. The Fresh Radiance did have SOME shimmer to it, but definitely not as noticeable as the shimmer is in the Energy Glow. When I wore Fresh Radiance, I could only see the shimmer if I wore the moisturizer alone - when I put makeup (foundation, powder, etc) over it, I could no longer make out any shimmer. However, when I put makeup on over the Energy Glow, I can still make out EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL PARTICLE OF SHIMMER. I'm still glad that they're making this formulation, but I wish they would rethink the shimmer.
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Blush -Tarte - Cheek Stain in Glitzed
anniele 1/17/2007 4:44:00 AM
What IS this crap? I received this with the Good Life mini cheekstain set, and Glitzed is a huge reason that this set is a ginormous waste of money. I do like the other two cheekstains that came in the set, but this one is totally worthless (since I'm only getting use out of two cheekstains, that's like $15 for each usable cheekstain - and they're freakin' TINY). The color looked beautiful when I opened it up, and it smells DIVINE, but once I got it on my cheeks, I couldn't see a thing. So I layered. And I layered. And I layered some more, until I could FINALLY see the color on my cheeks. Then I went out for a drive in the afternoon sun, and when I looked in the sunvisor mirror, I almost crashed my car (kidding, but I did get a shock), because there were HUGE speckles of gold glitter ALL OVER MY CHEEKS. It looked INSANE. I looked like a 14 year old teenybopper who got glammed up to go to a Jesse McCartney concert. And on top of that, because I had layered so much, there were POOLS of pink tinted oil on my cheeks. DISGUSTING. I hate this so much :( :( :( I'm really hoping I can swap it away, although I would not want to inflict this travesty of a blush on anyone.
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Concealers -MAC - select cover-up
anniele 1/15/2007 5:40:00 PM
LOVE this concealer, it is perfect for covering up old acne scars, which is the only thing I try to use it for. I don't use it up to cover up existing acne, because it will dry in a mottled pattern all over the spot, and I don't use it to cover undereye circles, because it doesn't make a bit of difference (hence the four lippies, instead of five). But it does a beautiful job of making those old acne scars disappear! Also, this stuff will last you FOREVER. Whenever I use this, I just dab a tiny, tiny, tiny amount on my finger and it is enough to cover up whatever I need to cover on my face. I have been working on my tube for three years, use it every day, and there's still more than half left, and this includes the several times I opened it after car trips and a ton of product came flying out. Does this concealer ever go bad?? You would think that having it for such a long time, it would do something weird to my skin, or at LEAST start smelling funky, but the only thing that has changed is that sometimes the product will separate slightly, but I just have to shake it up and it's back to normal (it will start separating again in like three weeks, but all I have to do is shake it up again). I really feel that after three years I should get a new one, though...but I still have so much product left!!! Oh well. I guess I'll just continue to use it :)
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Fragrances -Fresh - Hesperides
anniele 1/7/2007 10:20:00 PM
Love this fresh, uplifting scent! I adore anything citrus, and this smells divine. I have to agree, though, that it doesn't last long - if you spray it on your skin. However, if you spray perfume in your hair, it will last you ALL DAY! I guess the oils in your hair really grab onto the perfume and makes it last longer. By the way, this seems to lose its cap really easily - I've purchased it twice and lost the cap each time, making the whole bottle useless :(
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Lotions/ Creams -Queen Helene - Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion
anniele 12/29/2006 1:57:00 AM
There's not much I can say about this lotion that hasn't already been raved about - the great smell, the light consistency and great absorbing power as well as the AMAZING rock bottom price - but I do have some advice for those ladies out there who don't think that this lotion is quite moisturizing enough. Like many of the other women who have reviewed this product, I have found it to be a great summer moisturizer, but in winter, I definitely need something more emollient, so what I do is buy a small bottle of vitamin E oil and squeeze a ton of it into my bottle of lotion and shake it up! Totally simple solution that really does the trick! The Vitamin E oil doesn't smell like anything, so what you get is basically the same lotion that lasts longer and keeps you more moisturized in those cold, dry winter days :)
13 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Dove - Fresh Radiance Anti-aging Lotion
anniele 7/17/2006 3:52:00 PM
This is a fantastic moisturizer! I was chagrined to see the previous viewer say that this item has been discontinued! Surely it cannot have been out for more than a year! I went to the Dove site to see if it was still listed, and it is not :( However, I was just at my Target the other day and there were still several bottles sitting there with the rest of the Dove products. Perhaps it's time to stock up! Anyway, this is a great moisturizer. When I first put it on my face, I was shocked at how slippery it was, and I thought that it would never do for my oily skin. However, after a couple of seconds, this stuff sinks right in and my skin feels great! I also like that the Paula's Choice website gave this item such a great review - in fact, it was the reason that I purchased it in the first place. I'm devastated that they're discontinuing it!
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Treatments -Paula's Choice - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant
anniele 7/7/2006 12:54:00 PM
I must say that while this did a pretty good job of keeping my skin clear (which is a huge accomplishment, as I'm pretty acne-prone), I have to admit that I much prefer Olay's Total Effects Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish moisturizer with 1.5% BHA. Paula's Choice may have kept my skin clear, but the Olay moisturizer changed the entire feel and texture of my skin overnight (see my review on that for more info). Also, the Olay did a much better job of cutting down on the blackheads on and around my nose, where Paula's Choice made no difference at all, and it also dried out my skin somewhat. I'm returning it to the company, but before I give up on Paula's Choice, I think I'll try the 1% lotion or gel to see if that works better.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Total Effects Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish Moisturizer [DISCONTINUED]
anniele 5/6/2006 5:02:00 AM
Oh my GOD!!! This moisturizer is a GODSEND!!! I have struggled with bouts of acne since I was 18 (I'm 23 now) and I've tried all sorts of things - Retin-A, Differin, Plexion, masks, Pro-Activ (turns out I'm allergic to benzoyl peroxide), pills that I don't remember the names of - all with varying degrees of success, Plexion being the best of the lot, but still not taking care of occasional flare ups or the ever present blackheads. Then I was reading about BHAs on the Paula's Choice website when it hit me that I have never EVER tried salicylic acid on my skin. Coincidentally, on the same night that I decided to try a BHA product, I noticed that my sister had a tube of this sitting on her nightstand, and when I read on the bottle that it did indeed have 1.5% Salicylic acid, I knew it HAD to be a sign. So I smoothed on a layer before I went to bed and I SWEAR by the next morning my skin felt like different skin - it was smoother, somehow, but the change was so subtle that I thought perhaps I was just imagining it. However, over the next few days, I realized that this really WAS changing my skin - scars from recent acne flareups were drying out very quickly and I was able to slough them off easily, my skin was looking more even, and the blackheads on my nose virtually DISAPPEARED! Nothing I have tried has EVER had any effect on the blackheads on and around my nose, but within three days of use, I can barely detect any at all! AMAZING! I have only been using this for a few days and can already detect a marked change in the way my skin looks, and I'm so soooo happy about it. This moisturizer is a miracle, a godsend, a gift from angels. Thanks, Olay!!! You've made me a very happy girl.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dove - Beauty Bar - Sensitive Skin
anniele 5/3/2006 1:26:00 AM
I wrote another review a few months ago, but that review was regarding the softening properties of this soap, and I wanted to write another one to let people know that this soap will do wonders for oily, acne-prone skin as well. I have been a martyr to periodic breakouts ever since I was 18, and during the past two years, I finally got it under control with some medication. However, although I broke out less often, I still broke out. Then I tried this bar soap at the same time that I decided to change my acne-control regimen to treatments with salicylic acid, and I was extremely excited when I went for two months without a breakout and my skin texture improved dramatically. I assumed that my new clear skin was due to my salicylic acid treatment, and never ever considered that it was because of the Dove bar. However, about three weeks ago the bar ran out, and I was too lazy to repurchase it because I had lots of other cleansers sitting around in my bathroom. So after perhaps two or three days of using other cleansers, I suddenly started to break out. I was convinced that the reason was because my salicylic acid treatment had gotten too hot on a recent trip to the desert and perhaps that had adversely affected my skin. Finally, after two weeks of dealing with these new breakouts, I was at the drugstore and decided to repurchase the bar. To my amazement, I noticed the difference IMMEDIATELY. My skin was softer and smoother and my breakouts were retreating, FAST. I can now definitively conclude that this bar is the reason that my acne was kept at bay for those two months that I was acne-free. While the salicylic acid did wonders with my blackheads, this bar is what has made the difference when it comes to cystic acne. I would recommend this bar to anyone, with any type of skin.
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Powder -Chantecaille - Compact Makeup
anniele 4/29/2006 1:55:00 AM
Um.....no. I was so excited to get this and I thought the packaging was adorable, but the more I used it, the less excited I got. I never used it alone - just as a setting powder applied with a brush over tinted moisturizer, and you could just SEE it sitting on my face, especially my forehead and nose. I could almost make out the individual grains of powder!!! I'm an NC30 during the winter, so since I purchased this in November I chose Cashew - btw, why are there only five colors and all of them so light?? Anyway, I was determined to like this, because at $55, there must be SOMETHING to like, but there isn't. The amount of powder you get with this seems ridiculously small - I bought it in November and I started to see the bottom of the pan by the end of January!!! And I only use powder ONCE a day. The Laura Mercier that I used before this lasted seven or eight months before I began to see the bottom, so I was SHOCKED when only three months had passed and I saw that little glint of silver - I even thought for a minute that I was hallucinating. This was simply a waste of money.
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Cleansers -Dove - Essential Nutrients Cleansing Pillows
anniele 4/3/2006 6:55:00 PM
Meh - it's just ok, and I kind of wish it was bigger. One reviewer mentioned that the shape of the pillows makes it difficult to get around your nose area, and she's absolutely right. It was also a bit slippery to hold. It would probably be best to use this in the shower, because when I used it at my sink, there was water ALL OVER the counter after I was done, which is pretty annoying. The water dripped down my elbows while I was using the pillow and seeing puddles of tan colored water (from my makeup) all over the countertop was not pretty. I didn't notice any significant benefits that made it stand out from any other other scrub or washcloth, but I was decently satisfied with the exfoliating powder of the scrub by side - didn't find it too harsh, but just right. (I hate it when exfoliants are so gentle that it seems like it's not doing anything). I probably wouldn't repurchase again. p.s. I bought a 28 pack for $4 at Big Lots, so I gave it a decent price rating. However, I would not pay the regular price, which is over $4 for 14 - the are much better scrubs out there for your money. I noticed, however, that many reviewers only use these when traveling, and I do have to admit that they would be very convenient for that purpose, since you don't have to worry about the pillows drying out or anything.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Neutrogena - Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub
anniele 4/3/2006 6:25:00 PM
I had to edit my rave review of this after it became apparent that this was definitely causing my breakouts. I've always had acne prone skin, but I liked this cleanser because I loved the feel of it, and it really did FEEL like my skin was a lot fresher and cleaner after I used it. I never connected my breakouts with this cleanser, but I ran out of it once and had to use Dove soap for a while, and my skin almost instantly cleared up. I used the Dove soap until I ran out (and never had a single breakout while I used it) but decided to buy another tube of this cleanser instead of buying another bar of Dove. Within a matter of three days, I had broken out again, so I switched back to Dove and my skin cleared up. I'm pretty sad this didn't work out, because I really did love using it.
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Lip Gloss -Laura Mercier - Rose Glace Lip Gloss
anniele 4/3/2006 6:21:00 PM
This is my favorite lip gloss. Very pretty true pink with sparkly shimmer. I've started to grow out of my sparkly phase for lip glosses and I've been looking for glosses with a more subtle look, but every time I put on Rose Glace I can't help but LOVE it. I've probably purchased this gloss about 6 or more times!! Mostly because I keep losing them, but if I lost any of my other lip glosses I would probably just go buy something different. However, this is something that I always have to have. This is the only lip gloss that I've ever repurchased, and it's definitely a staple. Packaging is not great, as some of my tubes have been known to leak, bur I love the wand. Also, to keep it lasting longer, I will pump some MAC lipglass into the tube once it's about half empty. The color is still great, but it's less sparkly and just the tiniest bit sheerer, and I like the result even more than I do with pure Rose Glace by itself. I find myself very impatient to use it up to the point where I almost can't wait to be able to put some Lipglass in there! It can be a little messy for a beginner, but I've mastered the art :)
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Blush -Laura Mercier - Nectar Cheek Colour
anniele 4/3/2006 4:55:00 PM
What a great blush! I am an NC 30-40 and I've always used pinkish blushes - never went near peach blushes because I thought they probably wouldn't do anything on my darker skin, even though I've always loved the way peach colors looked on other people and desperately wished that I could wear them. Well, I shouldn't have waited so long! I knew I could trust Laura Mercier :) Nectar makes me look so fresh and glowy - I love it! I probably won't be able to use this during the summer when I'm much tanner, but if I can use this during winter and spring I am content :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No