Bronzers -Cover Girl - Trublend Bronzer in Golden Sunrise
qkellie 12/13/2008 4:21:00 PM
Hate this. I have had the same container of this for a while, hadn't used it in forever and tried it again recently, only to remember why I stopped using it in the first place. Very messy, very hard to control, and the included puff is awful. This bronzer is only reasonable if you use a brush with it, and even then, DO NOT use very much. Absolutely ridiculous.
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Shampoo -Suave - Professionals Sleek Look Shampoo
qkellie 12/13/2008 4:18:00 PM
I used to use the "real" Matrix sleek stuff that this product is trying to emulate, and I can say that for a fraction of the price, the good old "orange Suave" is just as good. The only thing I don't like is the smell, and I usually actually like a lot of the scent of products that other people don't (like self-tanner... for some reason, I think that smells good.. ANYway...). This, though, both the shampoo and conditioner don't smell fabulous. I use some styling products that smell better, however, and voilà! Much better! :) Oh, and whether I'm trying to straighten my hair on a particular day or wear it with big, smooth curls, this stuff preps great. The only thing it doesn't prep great is if I want to have wavy, tousled hair. This actually smooths it almost too much for that.
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Styling Products -Nexxus - sleek memory straightening smoothing spray
qkellie 12/13/2008 4:10:00 PM
I love this stuff. It does have a subtle cumulative effect (though I also use shampoo and conditioner designed for smoothing/straightening). Only downside for me is that I do still have to use other smoothing products, and I do still need a flat iron. I have very thick hair that is sort of wavy and tough to get 100% stick straight. However, if I use this every time I straighten my hair, I find that it seems to straighten better. Not more quickly, not without also using a styling creme, and not without flat ironing, but the overall effect is better than it is if I don't use it. I used to use Bed Head's straightening mousse-like product, and the benefit over that with the Nexxus is that it's MUCH easier to use, and it's a little bit cheaper (though not much). I spend about thirty minutes total straightening my hair, but as I said, I have massively thick, long hair. If you have chin length hair that's moderately difficult to straighten, I think you'd find this was your HG.
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Powder -Maybelline - Mineral Power Powder Foundation
qkellie 11/30/2008 8:53:00 AM
I'm on the fence about this foundation. I occasionally use mineral powder foundations, but because I like full coverage, I tend to use a lot more than the directions recommend (and for some mineral foundations, that's fine). With this one, however, the design of the container makes it impossible to dispense very much at a time, which is a big drawback for me. On the other hand, I do notice my skin is less oily on some days when I use this, which is good. Unlike other reviewers, my experience with the color has been pretty reasonable. Even the lightest shade is just a touch too dark for my very fair skin, but it's winter; I can tell that if I had a self-tanner base going right now, the color would be totally fine. It doesn't oxidize like some people have experienced. I guess YMMV on that point. The only other bad thing is that I do have to use quite a bit of concealer under this, because the coverage is just not adequate for much, IMHO. I guess if you had pretty even skintone to start with, this would be totally fine, but then I have to wonder why you're wearing foundation in that case anyway! LOL Will probably not repurchase but I'm going to finish up the container I have now. Still looking for that HG foundation!
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Lipstick -Maybelline - Superstay lipcolor
qkellie 12/19/2007 2:19:00 PM
I like long wearing lip colors a lot. Because I don't like to do a lot of touch-up to my makeup during the day, I like to be able to just sweep something glossy on in the morning and still have it on when I come home at night. I've tried a couple of different colors of the Maybelline Superstay, and unfortunately, none of them last. The product itself as a nice lipstick/lipgloss hybrid product with a very moisturizing lip balm is not bad at all. All the colors are fabulous and vivid... when you first put it on. By 5:30, I might as well have not put any lipstick on at all and have to retouch. I don't like the Cover Girl version of this product that much, but it DOES last longer.
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Concealers -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Concealer
qkellie 10/30/2007 4:02:00 PM
I've been using this concealer forever, but when I ran out recently, I "cheated" on it and tried Maybelline's Age Rewind double-wand concealer with highlighter. Not horrible, but when that stuff ran out, I came back to my old faithful. Everything about this concealer is simple, basic, and consistent. No, it's not super fancy and high end products probably work better, but it's a good, basic color that also works well if you don't feel like wearing a face full of foundation (which I don't usually). If you have just a few imperfections you want to hide, this is simple and effective. The vitamin E in it does soothe blemishes a little, though this is not an acne fighting product per se. Actually, I have a small scar on my forehead that I do think has gotten less prominent because of this stuff, though.
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Lotions/ Creams -Neutrogena - Visibly Firm Body Lotion with Active Copper
qkellie 9/23/2007 11:14:00 AM
I had a tube of this that I hadn't used in a while, but when I decided to start trying to do something about my saggy-looking lower-thigh area just above my knees, I decided to try it again. I should've remembered that the first time I tried it, it did nothing in terms of either firming, reducing cellulite, or even effectively moisturizing. Literally the only thing this stuff has going for it is the nice scent (kind of lavender-y but with a weirdly pleasant metallic hint in it... hard to describe, but nice). Actually, if they would market this as some kind of nighttime relaxation lotion with no real medicinal value at all, it might be effective and successful. As it is, I've been using it as directed for at least three weeks now and not only is my skin MORE dry, I see ZERO firming effects. Cellulite still omnipresent. Will not only not repurchase but am considering throwing away the rest of the tue.
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Shampoo -John Frieda - Sheer Blonde Highlighting Shampoo
qkellie 8/9/2007 10:46:00 AM
I don't know why I keep getting sucked into Sheer Blonde products. Just because I'm a blonde doesn't mean these are the best hair care products for me, and they're SO clearly not! The reformulated shampoo makes my hair very, very bright, but also waaaaay too dry! I have naturally frizzy hair, and my highlights make it even frizzier, so I really need something smoothing. Even the SB moisturizing line is not smoothing enough! If you have frizzies, you're better off with John Frieda's Frizz Ease line, either for straightening or defining curls. The color-specific stuff might be good for your color, but not your hair's overall condition. Plus, the tiny tubes are just so small. I feel like I go through a bottle a week.
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Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Illuminating Whip Moisturizer SPF 20
qkellie 8/8/2007 11:30:00 AM
I am in total love with this moisturizer! This is the first review I've ever written on here -- this product inspired me to delurk, it's that good! ;) I have very oily, mildly acne-prone skin, which doesn't tend to respond well to moisturizers at all, but I'm starting to get to the age where I notice that I need a little more moisture than I used to. I love the lightweight feel of this stuff, the cute little jar, and especially the fact that it's got SPF 20! Sunscreen is the biggest thing you can do to prevent wrinkles, and this product makes it even easier to integrate sunscreen into your skincare regime. The smell doesn't bother me at all, I don't even notice it, and the shimmer pretty much disappears as soon as you put makeup on. But the thing is, especially for summer, I find that the hint of shimmer actually helps oily skin look "glowy" instead of gross! No, you won't get a matte finish, but I've found that sweeping a hint of bronzer on and using this moisturizer means I can sometimes skip foundation in summer and have a glowing, summery complexion that's no-fuss and very fresh looking. Even when I use foundation with this moisturizer, I have found I use less. My husband thinks my skintone is more even, and I have noticed a lessened appearance of fine lines in several places. No, this isn't an anti-aging product, but I think it really helps to diffuse light, give you healthy moisture, and just give you that little bit of oomph to make my 32-year-old skin look a little more like it did when I was in my twenties. :) Oh, and this stuff is super soothing and nicely gentle if you have a sunburn or are very dried out for some reason. I slathered this stuff on like crazy after the yucky air quality of being in an airplane, and poof! I looked all glowy and had soft skin again in no time! HG moisturizer for me! Whee! UPDATE: Just repurchased this after not using it during the summer, and I had forgotten just how AMAZING it is on my skin! Totally perfect especially for winter/colder weather. Even just one application makes my skin feel less tight, more supple, and just happier!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No