Moisturizers -Elizabeth Arden - Visible Difference Refining Moisture Cream Complex (Creme Complexe Hydratante)
freckleP 10/8/2009 5:06:00 AM
Overall a good product. Gives me good skin and very good hydration.. I guess because it's hydrating I don't see new wrinkles forming. I use day and night for New Zealand's dry winter... not sure about summer yet. It's quite expensive hence one less lippy (NZ$95). I bought it when it was giving a full size 8h hand cream away so good motivation. And I also wish it wasn't in a tub with such a bad design! I have to scoop the lotion on the sides to get the last 30% out... Lastly I want to comment on the scent. It's quite a 'grand ma' scent and at first it was almost too strong for me... but after a few months it's less noticeable now.
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Makeup Brushes -Jane Iredale - Handi Brush
freckleP 10/8/2009 4:54:00 AM
The hair is really soft so feels gentle on the face, 1000x better than the Loreal mineral powder brush. The hair on the brush forms into a flat surface, unlike other kabuki foundation brushes have round tip, so it's really easy to apply the JI pressed powder. I use cetaphil gentle cleanser to wash my brush once a couple months with cold water... it does the job well. I said YES to buying this product again but honestly i don't think you would ever need to cause I've never seen a hair fallen off my brush in 2 years.
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Powder -Jane Iredale - Pure Pressed Base
freckleP 10/8/2009 4:45:00 AM
This is the best foundation I've ever used (used Mac, Clinique, Loreal mineral etc). It's so easy to apply and the color matches me perfectly. I'm Asian, so Golden Glow works for me in summer and Warm Sienna in winter, and maybe use the former for concealer under the eyes. I love these because they're natural, versatile and buildable. In fact i started using my Indian's friends foundation... even though it was dark i could use a thin layer and still look natural!! The staying power is average (I'd say half a day) but it's relatively easy (with the brush) and clean (fingers are dirty) to touch up. The price is a bit high (NZ$84!!) but it lasts at least 6 months for me. Now they have the new re-fillable case so it might a bit cheaper to re-fill.
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Lip Treatments -Bloom - Aromatherapy Lip Balm (pot)
freckleP 10/30/2008 3:26:00 AM
Lip balm is a must in my bag so I have gone through many many brands. I think this is one of the best. I have the grapefruit flavor and it smell heavenly (yet subtle). It last very long, I only have to apply probably 3 times a day (with others prob 10 times). The tub packaging is the only downside. At first i thought it was hard to apply cos the melting temp is quite high... but now i just scrape a bit off with the tip of my nail so its alot easier to melt onto the lips!
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Powder -L'Oreal - Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation
freckleP 8/25/2008 7:46:00 PM
This is my first mineral foundation so I really can't compare except to compare it with my liquid foudation. It does have a really nice, natural finish without the dry/cakey look. It's really fun to apply and I dont really mind the brush (I wud love to try one of the better brushes). It is kinda hard to get the powder out. I always put the lid below to catch the powder if I accidentally tapped too much out, so that when I put the lid back on the powder wud jump back onto the brush. I think I will buy mineral foundation again. Not sure if it'll be L'Oreal... I'm using #460 nude beige, but its kinda pink, doesnt match my neck. But what do i expect, its loreal...
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Lip Treatments -Kiehls - Lip Balm #1
freckleP 8/21/2008 8:46:00 PM
I like this lip balm because it's not minty. When I have it on, my lips look smooth and glossy. Two things I don't like... First is the application: I can only apply when I have clean hands (i'm a bit paranoid about germs). And second, its pricey for 15 ml of petrolatum and 1% of octinoxate (sunscreen).
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Treatments (Eye) -Clinique - All About Eyes
freckleP 8/21/2008 7:49:00 PM
I have both the All About Eyes (gel) and the All About Eyes rich (cream) (got the latter one from the gift pack, I'm not that crazy :p). I really like the texture of this products, goes on smoothly under my eyes. It absorbs quickly and leaves just enough smoothness behind. Its pretty efficient at reducing puffiness (like it claims). Dark circles not as much but it could be that there is no cure for my dark circles... It's easier to find a good concealer than a good eye cream. CONS: (1) even though its only a gel hence much lighter than the All about eyes (rich), I still get lipid dots (what's the correct term?) under my eyes. (2) I don't like the tub packaging. (3) I dont like the little particles in the gel (light reflecting particles in a treatment gel? I dont get it).
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Toners -Kose - Medicated Sekkisei
freckleP 8/21/2008 7:35:00 PM
I have been through probably 4 big bottles of this, and if it was available in NZ I would buy again. It's a fail-proof product that I can always rely on. I use it as a toner and I buy those tablet masks (that soak up the toner and open up) to use it as a mask (when I get too much sun in summer). The reason I give it 4 lippies is because the price and the packaging. I think the 360 ml bottle is too big to stay fresh and the 200 ml one is too expensive. I think the smell is nice and the alcohol isnt' strong at all (much much less than Clinique). The whitening/brightening effect certainly wouldn't come overnight and it really depends on what products you use after this (eg. if you dont put SPF on then you def wont' get whiter/brighter). I believe in this product and there is a reason that it remains a popular choice for many many asian girls even though there is a fierce competition out there.
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Scrubs -Clinique - 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse Off Formula
freckleP 8/21/2008 2:45:00 AM
This product confuses me a little. On the direction it says to wash face before exfoliating. But the cream in the product makes me face greasy afterwards so I have to wash my face again (too much work! and I like a clean feel). So I dont really dig this thing. I prefer a natural sponge, this way I can exfoliate around my eyes without worrying the granules will get into them. Won't buy, Clinique always gives it away in the gift pack anyways. Update: I found a new use for this - lip scrub! I have really dry/chapped lips and the other day I used this on my lips and turns out my lips have been looking real good for the past 2 days! Just be careful that you don't get it into your mouth when you rinse ;) I will consider buying this when they have gift with purchase. I've also added another lippie for this product.
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Liquid -L'Oreal - infallible never fail makeup
freckleP 8/19/2008 11:08:00 PM
Overall I think this product is over-priced and doesnt do the wonderfuls things that it says on the label. It's dries too quickly and therefore is hard to blend. It's quite waxy (due to SPF) and it was a bit cakey. Like every relationship I have tried to work with it. For example, some people suggested to use it straight on dry, clean skin. Though skeptical, I tried it on one side of my face and the otherside with moisturiser underneath. I didn't see major difference except the second day I broke out a little. I have also tried to apply it with a sponge, but again didnt make any difference and the sponge soaked up so much foundation. The pump is a good idea but I've seen better ones (Clinique superfit squeezable bottle). Color selection seems pretty good (~10 shades?), I think I'm #608 but it wasnt in stock (in 2 places I went) so I ended up buying #612 (huge mistake... too pink for asian skin). Like some people have noticed, the color did become a bit yellow/orange after a few hrs. The coverage is >medium which covered my freckles to a good extent. BUT it quickly found its way to my laughing lines! One more thing, it surely aint resistant to rub-offs!! What a disappointment. I thought the technology would be advanced enough to make a really smart foundation but no. Definitely not at L'Oreal...
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Mascara -Chanel - Inimitable Mascara Multi-Dimensionnel
freckleP 8/19/2008 10:46:00 PM
The brush design is pretty cool with lots of flexible tiny spikes, making application precise and easy. It separates lashes well and doesnt form too many clumps. The lengthening ability is 4 out of 5 and volumn wise maybe 3. Downside: smudges and expensive. I got this as a free sample otherwise I won't buy.
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Treatments -Burt's Bees - Doctor Burt's Res-Q Ointment
freckleP 8/19/2008 10:31:00 PM
The girls in my family cannot leave the house without this thing. It smells nice and is made of natural ingredients. I use it as a lubricant before I put earrings on, or when I get a bug bite, and occasionally when I get an odd rash I would put this on to calm my skin. I also use it as a treatment for cuticles! It's just really handy and multifunctional, a must in every handbag.
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Lotions/ Creams -St. Ives - Vitamin E Advanced Therapy Lotion for Extra Dry Skin
freckleP 8/19/2008 10:25:00 PM
I don't like products that don't do what they claim. This is one of them, this lotion claims to protects against dry skin but I found it otherwise. I can't even use it in summer! My skin looked as if not moisturised after 2 hrs. Even though its dirt cheap and has a nice pump, I would not repurchase.
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Brown
freckleP 8/19/2008 10:16:00 PM
I have this in black, the color is pretty true not like some blueish black. It's really an impressive product. I have tried an Indian brand with a brush and also the Estee Lauder double wear zero smudge one with the brush and I find this out-competes the two. It is cheap, easy to find, easy to apply (with the felt it doesnt spilt), easy to remove, and does NOT smudge!!! Being Asian I have different eye lid anatomy and all the eyeshadow and pencil eyeliner would just end up in the crease. On the contrary, I can wear this for a night out without having to do any touch up. I definitely would rebuy, just hope the cat eye trend would stay.
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Liquid -Clinique - Superfit Foundation [DISCONTINUED]
freckleP 8/19/2008 9:50:00 PM
Clique had a promotion letting people bring 7-day supply of foundation home for testers. The first time I went the beautician gave me 5 shades but none suited by skin tone (asian = yellow tone). So I went to another counter and the lady gave me CREAM #17 and it suited perfectly. It's really hard to find shades for Asian skin in European countries and the beauticians rarely know what color would suit us. So the only reason I bought this was this range had my color. Superfit gives light-medium coverage and the lasting power is 3 out of 5 even though it claims long-wear (less one lippy). It does seem a bit cakey on my dry skin (maybe its suited for oily skin as it's oil-free?) and in summer I do get a bit of shine coming through in the early afternoon. The good thing about it is it doesnt really sink into lines and it's relatively blendable (mixed into hairline nicely). I also try to use it as a concealer by just dotting extra foundation under the eyes. It works well in the first ~4 hrs but then you know... The squeezable bottle is pretty nice, you have total control over how much you want. But as someone has pointed out, if you carry this around in makeup bag it would leak everywhere when you unscrew the lid. I've ticked YES for repurchasing the product, but that's if I dont find a better one in time. Recently I bought L'Oreal infallible it was kinda a disaster because (1) I bought Sand beige #612 which is too pink for me (I blame the bad lighting at pharmacy) and (2) the coverge is greater than Superfit and so it magnifies my laughing lines, like, 10 times. So at the moment, Superfit against Infallibl is 1 to nil.
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