Eyeliner -Marcelle - Marcelle Hypo-Allergenic Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil
primflower 6/30/2005 11:04:00 AM
These are just fab eyeliners! I am so pleased with them. I think naming them "waterproof" is pushing it just a little - but they certainly do last all day. Just the right amount of "give" in the pencil that it applies really easily, but doesnt smear all over your eye. I have it in Deep Charcoal, Mulberry, Taupe and Espresso. I love them cant you tell? The best eyeliner I have ever tried, hands down. Even tops my BB Eye liner gel - which I thought was HG.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Frederic Malle - En Passant
primflower 6/19/2005 10:39:00 AM
Eau de concombre. This reminds me of Boots Cucumber Facial Toner that used to be on sale in the mid 70's and cost about 25p for 2 litres. I have no clue if they still make it, but if they do, this is very similar. I'm reading about lilac - I dont smell any. All I get is cucumber and frankly this is the worst fragrance I have ever had the misfortune to smell. On me this has no depth, no character, its not pretty, nor sensual, its just bleckkk!The top note is cucumber, and the drydown?Yes, cucumber. Just a sample size thank goodness.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Fendi - Fendi Theorema EDP
primflower 6/18/2005 5:08:00 PM
Bergamot,cinnamon,vanilla and a teeny touch of cumin. I truly adore Theorema, another that is being discontinued. Normally if a fragrance contains cumin it takes over.It kicks the other notes to one side and screams "here I am" and I smell rather like the curry houses we Brits have on every High Street. Curry House is not how I wish to smell, despite being very fond of curry. So the bergamot and the vanilla keep the cumin under control. This is a warm,welcoming fragrance. Its not quiet and coy, its feisty and even a little pushy. For me this Autumn/Winter fragrance - to be worn day or night. A light spritz only for the office. Gorgeous stuff!
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Fragrances -Diptyque - Tam Dao
primflower 6/18/2005 2:42:00 PM
Tam Dao top notes - fabulous, evocative of my trips to Hong Kong and Japan. A mix of temples and rain forest in Borneo. After 3 minutes.Total disappointment. I'm getting a very faint cedar smell.That is all. Nothing else. I love sandalwood (Samsara mmmmm) and was hoping for something more. I smell like the cedar hangers in my wardrobe, those wooden ones I bought to deter moths. Or like the last reviewer said, sauna smell. This is thin on me. It has no depth. It stays too close to the skin.No sillage unless you place your nose right on my wrist. I would like this on a man. I would love it in a candle - yes one of those expensive Diptyque candles.But its not how I want to smell. Thankfully this was just a sample.
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Fragrances -Lea St. Barth - Lea
primflower 6/18/2005 8:15:00 AM
Well I love almond, vanilla and musc so I was bound to like this very much. I'm getting almond more than anything else, the vanilla is there, giving it a warm, comforting slightly sugary feel, but almond most. It is yummy. Now, Lea reminds me very much of two of my favourite fragrances. Hypnotic Poison and Angel. In fact on me, its almost as if I layered both of those two - that's the result I get from the drydown of Lea. Its a very uplifting and warm fragrance. It's very comforting. So that description would suggest it's best suited to winter wear. Well, it would be lovely in the winter, but I'm sampling it on a hot, humid June day. And it smells great. It reminds me of holidays in the Caribbean - hardly suprising given the St Barthomely connection. Its lovely. I'm not totally convinced that I would buy it again, I'm not sure if there is room for yet another vanilla/almond/musc on my dressing table (along with my Organza Indecence, Hypnotic Poison and Angel). I may buy a bottle of this when I've finished those others. And the downside to this is that it doesnt last too long. Some people dont mind that, but if I spray a fragrance in the morning, I want it to last until my evening shower. This one doesnt.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - 10 Corso Como
primflower 6/16/2005 10:20:00 AM
Awful on me. I have the strangest body chemistry and this one does not work for me at all. The sniff-it-in-the-bottle test proves that its my skin and not the fragrance that is the problem here. Smells lovely in the bottle, all deep and complex and divine and mysterious :) And I can see why it gets great reviews here. On me...the top note is liquorice. UK ladies will remember Bassetts Sherbert Dip. I smell just like the liquorice stick in that. Not too attractive. The next note I get is cumin. Now I've written about my experience with cumin previously - and once I get a cumin note, nothing else seems to develop and I just smell like a curry house. So disappointed. I really wanted this one to work.
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Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Eau D ete
primflower 6/16/2005 9:24:00 AM
Oh dear, oh dear. This was my first experience of the Parfums de Nicolai line and I had high expectations. Unfortunately this one just does not work with my skin chemistry. It smelled like salad on me - not how I want a fragrance to be and not something thats ever happened before with other frags. Also it didnt last (thankfully). I used a lot of it, and it lasted maybe an hour. Not for me at all.
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Primer/ Corrector -Jane Iredale - Absence
primflower 6/9/2005 6:52:00 PM
I love Absence.This product has made it possible for me to finally wear minerals and look great. I'd tried the JI Pure Pressed base and had fairly ok results with it - application was a challenge and I still got the shiny T-zone even after a couple of hours. As for the JI Amazing Base - that was a total no-no for me. It just enlarged my pores, sat in my fine lines , gave me shine, and looked hideous. Thanks to this fab primer I can now wear amazing base and it applies and wears beautifully. This is the best primer I have ever tried. I too pick it up on ebay for around $26. Easy and quick to apply, and truly fabulous results which make my skin look great! UPDATE: I am still loving this product. This is HG. I am ready to throw away all my others including Smashbox PF. This works with every single foundation that I own, not just minerals/powders. Its made some of them (and I have a lot!) absolutely workable for me now,whereas previously I couldnt get more than an hour from them. Definitely cuts shine and oil, and I dont think its making my blackheads on my nose any worse. FAB!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Frederic Fekkai - Glossing Cream with Olive Oil
primflower 3/19/2005 5:15:00 AM
FANTASTIC!! I have dry, curly, frizzy, puffy, coarse, colour treated hair. I find this works best for me when I use it on my hair when I've dried my hair - use it just like a finishing cream. This is by far the best hair product I have ever used, it makes my hair shiny, it flattens it down, and makes it feel fabulous. Yes its pricey, but you dont need to use a lot of it - a little really does go a long way even on parched hair like mine. I dont care for the smell much - it does smell like olive oil - but I can live with that for such fabulous results. I hope they never stop making this!
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Lipstick -Chantecaille - Lipstick
primflower 3/18/2005 9:40:00 AM
I decided to try the Chantecaille lipsticks after reading the reviews here. My biggest problem with lippy's is that nearly all brands dry my lips out. I've been wearing my Chantecaille in Lotus for 2 days now, and so far, no dryness, which is great. The lippy is very lightweight on, the colour is beautiful, a true rose with a slightly cool undertone - its probably a tad too cool for me, but it still looks good. My lips feel soft and moisturised. The staying power is interesting, I just ate a salad for lunch, with an oil dressing, and yet the colour is still on my lips. It has left a very pretty stain, and its wearing evenly - no patches of colour. Overall, I am totally loving this lipstick, and if my lips dont react to it, I will buy many more. UPDATE: Now been wearing these lipsticks for 2 weeks - no other brand has been near my lips since I found these! No drying, colour stays true,just totally gorgeous. EDITED TO UPDATE: Its now been 3 months, and I am STILL not wearing any other lipstick brand. I still wear other glosses, but for lippy, my heart belongs to Chantecaille :). What a pity I never found a £2 drug store lippy I like so much1 FURTHER EDIT - April 13 2006. Been wearing these for a year now. Still can find nothing to compare in wear and comfort. These are so expensive but I will continue to buy them. I now own Lotus, Rosewood,Nebula, Flax, and Amande.
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Liquid -NARS - Oilfree foundation
primflower 2/16/2005 9:57:00 AM
I have this in "Deauville". This is a weird product for me. I have neutral PPP skin, and when I first apply this, it looks way too yellow for me.But then it seems to settle to my skin tone better and by the time I have finished applying all my MU, this base looks fine on my skin. The biggest problem I have with this is it does not give a lot of coverage. Its way too sheer for me, I can only wear it on the (increasingly rare) days that my skin looks good. If I want sheer coverage I reach for this, but most days I prefer better coverage. Good staying power though.
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Fragrances -Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue
primflower 2/13/2005 10:14:00 AM
I tend to reach for Light Blue when I cant decide which fragrance to wear. I wear it during the Spring and Summer, but rarely in Winter. The top citrussy, apple notes just dont seem appropriate for me in the Winter time. This always draws lots of compliments whenever I wear it - and yes, men do seem to love it. A great no-brainer.
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Fragrances -Hermes - Caleche
primflower 1/23/2005 8:02:00 AM
Caleche is one of the all time greats in the fragrance world. It does not work for me at all. I get bitter soap, overpowering aldehydes,and a totally synthetic overall from this fragrance. I wanted to like this. I thought it may make me smell elegant, classy, rich, and sophisticated. It doesnt do that at all, absolutely a no no with my chemistry.
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Lipstick -NARS - lipstick
primflower 1/16/2005 3:04:00 PM
I am loving NARS lippy's! I find that they last quite well, and when they do wear off,they leave a very pretty stain. Some lippy's on me fade and go patchy, not these. I like the sheer type formula ones best, as I do have very dry lips. I have the Rapture Palette and love Gypsy and Dolce Vita. I will definitely purchase these two. The texture and colours are just great. The Pigalle one in the palette is more matte, and therefore a tad drying on me. But it still fades to a very pretty and natural looking stain. Great lipsticks. Probably the best ones I have tried. EDIT: Updated to say, unfortunately they did dry out my lips - after I had worn them for a day or so, I had the usual problem, dry, peeling lips. Such a pity b/c I really love the colours especially Gypsy and Dolce Vita.
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Palettes -NARS - Rapture
primflower 1/16/2005 2:04:00 PM
How I love my Rapture palette! I feel as possessive about this as I do my BB Kabuki Brush. If anyone approaches to touch it, I start to hyper-ventilate! Its MINE - dont touch it! I am a redheaded, green eyed PPP. I was not convinced that this palette would flatter me - wrong! Sin blush is just gorgeous, it makes my eyes pop and used with a very light hand it gives me a pretty and very healthy glow.It suits me better even than Orgasm. I use the other blus as a bronzer, and am liking it even more than my HG Giorgio Armani bronzer. The e/s shades all make my eyes look more green, and all work well with any look I want to achieve. The lipstick shades are fabulous -unlike the reviewer below, I dont see any shimmers in these?? I love Gypsy - a red I can wear at last, and Dolce Vita is a stunning YLBB colour that just looks so pretty. Pigalle is a little browner than the other lippy shades, and suits me for a more formal daytime face - say for office wear. Belle de jour will look better on me in the summer,its a very nude light peachy tone. I have very pale unpigmented lips, and generally I need more colour than this gives. Great palette!
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