Sunscreen -Clinique - City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 25 SPF
joey_s 5/18/2008 11:05:00 PM
I'm 41 and have sensitive, breakout prone combo skin (oily t-zone, dry ashy cheeks - I'm an OSPW). This is by far my favorite (cosmetically elegant) all-mineral sunscreen. Non-greasy and non-drying. Contains more active ingredient (ZO and TD) than DDF Organic SPF 30 and you get 3.4 oz for $16.50 vs. the DDF 4 oz. for $28. P.S. Only gets (4) stars for the 25 SPF rating -- would prefer higher.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Uriage - Creme Extreme sans Parfum SPF 50+
joey_s 4/11/2008 2:34:00 PM
Out of all the European chemical sunscreens I've tried (LRP Dermo Peds SPF 40 spray, LRP Dermo Peds SPF60, LPR Fluide Extreme SPF 40, Avene Kids SPF 40, Bioderma SPF 40 spray) I will say that this is my favorite. The texture is like a lait -- I imagine this is Uriage's attempt to compete w/ LRP Fluide Extreme. It does leave a trace of a white cast which is easily covered with makeup, but overall it seems very effective and not quite as greasy as the others. Fragrance-free which I like and also water resistant. No noticeable breakouts after using nearly a tube. I am tempted to try other Uriage products now!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Aveeno - Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream
joey_s 1/15/2008 1:08:00 PM
I'm 40. I have acne-prone, combination skin. I don't have any other skin conditions (besides breaking out) to deal with, but my facial skin does get dry and irritated with Tazorac use. I can slather as much of this on my face at night as I want and it does it exactly what I need it to do -- moisturizes and soothes. No irritations or clogged pores or breakouts from this whatsoever, absolutely none. Don't let the heavy texture or any of the ingredients scare you off if you are acne-prone. This simple, inexpensive, fragrance-free (and admittedly not a very exciting or glamorous beauty purchase!) cream is genius.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Neutrogena - Body Clear Body wash
joey_s 1/3/2008 4:57:00 AM
I have used this for the past five years and now my teenage son is hooked as well. This and a Buf-Puf back scrubber are what keep my oily chest and back clear and blackhead free. It's fairly cheap, easy to find, and it just plain works! A tip: I know this may sound weird, but this works great after heavy activity and perspiring to completely remove the odor from under arms and lower, uhmmm...regions. :P
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Warren-Tricomi Pure Strength 3 Step System For All Hair Types
joey_s 12/13/2007 1:18:00 AM
I used the conditioner (after another line's shampoo) for very damaged, dry hair and let me tell you, I lovelovelove it! It definitely is over-perfumed and overpriced, but my dry and over processed hair was so incredibly soft and shiny after one use that I'm willing over look those minor details :). The clincher was later that day when my mom commented on how healthy my hair was "finally" looking. I only needed to use a tad since it was so rich and I have a ton of hair, so I imagine the 8 oz. bottle will last me awhile. I used to love Goldwell Definition Intensive MoistureTreatment for thick hair (before they reformulated and replaced the line) and finally I feel as if I have found a suitable replacement.
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Powder -Everyday Minerals - Foundation Original Glo Formula
joey_s 8/24/2007 8:24:00 PM
I am a newbie to this product, but so far I have to say that I'm very pleased with the performance and color selection! I love that EM offers us olive-skinned gals (I am close to a C25) some beautiful color options as it so hard for us to find foundations that match -- shades are typically too pink, too orange or too yellow (w/o any green undertones). I find the prices to be very fair compared to other brands of mineral makeup, and as long as they stay that way, I will continue to give EM my business and recommend them to others!
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Treatments -Brocato - Blonde Fusion Treatment
joey_s 7/8/2007 8:34:00 PM
I'm not even really blonde anymore, but I've been looking for a super moisturizing hair treatment without a lot of silicones (or protein) to use on my heavily processed, dried-out hair. I'm definitely not a cone phobe as I always use styling products heavy on cones, but I'm finding out I get nice results when I alternate lower cone content treatments with higher cone content treatments like Kerastase. Anyhow, this has a miniscule amount of cyclomethicone way, way down on the list of ingredients. It mostly consists of highly moisturizing ingredients including honey and a honey derivitive that's supposed to be twice as good of a humectant as glycerin is. It felt very rich but a tad gritty as well when I applied it to my towel-dried hair. I think that's the heat-activated crystals it's supposed to contain. I left it on under a cap as I showered and rinsed about 10 minutes later. I've got to be honest, I wasn't expecting to be too impressed as I've been trying a lot of different new treatments lately and am typically disappointed with the results. Well, ends up this really did moisturize my hair quite well! I used a dab of Nexxus Humectress as a leave-in and L'Oreal's Nature's Therapy Unfrizz Taming Cream as a styler and I love the results! My hair looks and feels softer than it has for a long time. Wow, I'm going to keep using this stuff! I will definitely update after going thru a tube. Extra info: the pH of this is 4.
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Treatments (Eye) -La Roche Posay - Redermic for Eyes
joey_s 6/1/2007 10:43:00 PM
I'm not a teenager anymore (darn!), so I need an eye cream that really performs. This is the most effective eye wrinkle cream I've found to date for my 40 year old eyes and I've tried a bunch....Shiseido Benefiance, La Prairie, La Mer, Clinique Repairwear and All About Eyes Rich (which is great for moisture but not wrinkles), Obagi, Cellex-C, Skinceuaticals Eye Balm, Clarins Extra Firming Serum and Cream, Rodan and Fields, Olay Regenerist, Nivea Co-Q 10, Neutrogena, Caudalie, Chanel, Prescriptives, Christian Dior and Origins. Well, I'm throwing all of them in the garbage can. This outshines them all, seriously.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Philosophy - Shear Splendor Age Defying Conditioning Mask
joey_s 5/31/2007 11:48:00 PM
This conditioning mask has a lot of great things to offer someone with damaged or dehydrated hair. First off, I think it smells scrumptuous, like a piece of lemon creme pie, which makes it a luxiously dreamy treat to use. Secondly, for those who are freaked out by silicones (I'm not personally), the only one this contains is phenyl trimethicone which is water-soluble and the 10th ingredient down on the list, so there's not a ton of it. Lastly, this contains some really superb, highly moisturizing ingredients such as glycerin, shea butter, ceteryl and cetyl alcohols, panthenyl ethyl ester (Vit B-5), macadamia oil and behentrimonium methosulfate just to name a few. Is it my very favorite? Not quite yet, but the test of time will tell. :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Burt's Bees - Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet Shampoo
joey_s 5/26/2007 8:11:00 PM
I wanted to give this a try since I saw it had won a CEW Beauty Finalist Award. After using it, I honestly don't understand how. I never have a problem with my hair knotting and this stuff left it a coated, gnarled, tangled mess. I absolutely did not like this product and will never use again. Also, I have no problem whatsoever with sulfates. These days the sulfates used in shampoos are the gentlest and most effective cleansers around. They do not strip and damage hair. I've looked for the studies on modern-day sulfates doing this and can't find 'em! It's such propaganda and I can't believe how many people buy into it without doing the research. The following statement was even made by the president of Mill Creek Botanicals -- a well-known and widely distributed natural cosmetics company: "There's nothing wrong with sodium lauryl sulfate in the amounts used in bath products. It's mostly just bad publicity," says Panch Prasad, president of Mill Creek Botanicals. "And most natural products use sodium laureth sulfate, which is an even gentler byproduct of sodium lauryl sulfate."
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Treatments -Brocato - Constructor
joey_s 5/8/2007 9:12:00 PM
I'm thinking that perhaps the reviewers below did not use this product properly. This is a protein reconstructor (not an every day conditioner), so you HAVE to use a moisturizing treatment immediately after use or just like any other protein treatment, you are not going to like the way your hair feels (it will feel dry). I used this liquidy, foaming treatment for 5 minutes and then followed with Joico K-Pak Intensive Moisturizing Treatment for about 10. It works as well as Redken CAT but even better, I like that it contains keratin protein (just like your hair) rather than wheat protein. Also, just like CAT and unlike a lot of other protein reconstructors, it contains magnesium sulfate which is another restorative ingredient you need to replenish when your hair is damaged from chemical use. All in all, I think this is a well formulated product which does a very good job!
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Shampoo -Brocato - Saturate
joey_s 4/28/2007 9:45:00 PM
I like this shampoo. I wouldn't say it's super or overly moisturizing, it's more like a "gently" moisturizing shampoo. Brocato's Cloud 9 shampoo is sulfate-free but actually has a higher pH than Saturate shampoo. I did a bit of research and found out that sulfate-free shampoos can actually be harsher than detergent shampoos. I also couldn't find anything to support the notion that the most common sulfates used in products today are any more stripping or damaging than sulfate-free products. I believe the whole sulfate-free thing is a marketing ploy, and if you do your research you may well come to the same conclusion. ***I found it highly interesting to read that the president of Mill Creek Botanicals, a well-known and widely distributed natural cosmetics company, recently was quoted as saying: "There's nothing wrong with sodium lauryl sulfate in the amounts used in bath products. It's mostly just bad publicity," says Panch Prasad, president of Mill Creek Botanicals. "And most natural products use sodium laureth sulfate, which is an even gentler byproduct of sodium lauryl sulfate."***
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Styling Products -Nexxus - SleekStyle Calming Smoothing Creme
joey_s 4/23/2007 11:42:00 AM
I am truly loving this product! Has a thick cream-balm consistancy. Smoothes and moisturizes my thick, damaged hair. I apply the majority of it to my ravaged, very parched ends. I pair this with Nexxus Heat Protexx spray and love the effect I get with the combination. Much healthier-looking, soft and silky feeling hair!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neutrogena - one-step gentle cleanser
joey_s 4/21/2007 11:17:00 PM
I'm 40 and have combo/acne-prone skin that is sensitized from Taz. I am amazed at how much I like this as I haven't been too impressed with any Neutrogena cleansers (except their Acne Body Wash) for years. This stuff is wonderful! It really does remove my makeup (waterproof sunscreen and all!) and it doesn't dry out or irritate my face! This is exactly what I wanted Philosophy's Purity Made Simple to be (this blows that away performance wise!) and it costs a lot less -- definitely a new staple for me!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Laura Mercier - Mineral Powder SPF 15
joey_s 4/18/2007 8:28:00 PM
Love the colors, love the texture and finish, love the jar with an adjustable sifter and large, deep lid for mixing -- my favorite MMU ever! I have light-med olive/yellow toned skin (C25-C30) and I mix the Warm Sand and Rich Vanilla. Unlike the poster below, this is the only MMU that HAS NOT made my face itch!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No