Gels/Soaps -St. Ives - Soy Milk and Lotus Blossom Moisturizing Body Wash
sharopooks 3/26/2009 3:35:00 PM
I ADORE St. Ives' body washes for their moisturizing qualities & super-low prices! That being said, this is not my fave wash from them. The fragrance is a bit perfume-y in the midst of the creaminess. Plus this is supposed to be formulated for extra dry skin, yet I believe both the Collagen/Elastin & Mineral Therapy washes are more moisturizing than this wash (in addition to better-smelling). However, this ain't bad at all - it cleanses gently & effectively, does have some skin softening purposes & it's CHEAP. I'd maybe buy this again but it wouldn't be my first choice from St. Ives. UPDATE: I'm docking a lippie & changing this to say I would NOT buy this again. Though I am fine w/ finishing what I have left of this product, the fragrance is just too perfumey for me. I don't look forward to using this the way I do w/ St. Ives' other washes. But I AM looking forward to using this up, just so I can buy a different St. Ives wash!
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Lotions/ Creams -Vera Wang - Truly Pink Truly Soft Body Lotion
sharopooks 3/19/2009 2:28:00 PM
For the record, I'd give this a 4.5 if I could, as the moisturizing is ok but could be better. But I feel that way w/ most scented lotions (unless they specifically have the word "cream" in the product title). The fragrance of this is beautiful & true to the perfume without any odd "lotion-y" alternations that sometimes happen w/ lotion versions of scents. So pampering to wear this & the spray. I mix this w/ my drugstore lotion for extra moisturizing; the lotion combo sometimes balls up upon application but I'm finding that happens w/ a few scented-lotion/drugstore-lotion combos so it's all good. Nice stuff!
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Lips -Smashbox - Lip Brilliance in LightBox
sharopooks 3/18/2009 2:06:00 PM
Pardons but I gotta bring the ratings down on this product. For the record, I give the Lip Brilliance formula overall 5 lippies - I love the "pigmented like lipstick, in a non-sticky gloss" concept & the cute packaging. But I cannot rave about these colors. I absolutely fell in LOVE w/ the cool-hued Skybox trio & was hoping this, or the Transparencies palette, would be the warm-shades equivalent. Not so. The Smashbox site says this trio consists of "shimmery champagne/ creamy reddish brown/ creamy rose." The champagne is decent, probably best used on me to top another color (I'm an Asian GGG/MMM so I prefer more color). The "reddish brown" is a big disappointment, it's a chocolatey brown, soft & not dark, but w/ no red at all. So it gives that cocoa l/s dead look when on me (a bit of red would've redeemed it as I ADORE red/browns usually). The rose is an okay neutral peach on me ("my lips but not necessarily better"). Overall, these are neutrals that just don't work on me, esp for the price, & had I not discarded the packaging material, I'd have returned this (Smashbox's site requests original packaging for returns). But if I combine the deep shade w/ the medium, I get a passably good warm rose shade - nice enough for day/office but certainly not something I'd wear if I was aiming to be especially attractive on a given day, haha! That's the only way I can get some use outta this. Glad it worked for so many other MUAers but it's a "no" fer me. Am hoping Transparencies works better for me!
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Bronzers -Cargo - Cargo Bronzer in Medium
sharopooks 3/18/2009 1:51:00 PM
Been using a sample of this & it's rather nice. I'm a GGG/MMM so maybe I'd go for "dark" if I bought the full-size, not sure. But this medium shade is lovely, giving a hint of color that isn't too sparkly or orange. Nice as a blush on me too. Doesn't last very long & isn't cheap but overall, a pretty good bronzer!
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Fragrances -Vera Wang - Truly Pink
sharopooks 3/17/2009 7:22:00 AM
Wow - this is lovely. It starts out as a sweet predominantly-rose floral - sophisticated yet light enough to keep it from veering into "overly-matronly" (like some sophisticated florals can for me, LOL). Then, it dries down to a less-sweet multi-floral w/ woodsy notes, very reminiscent to me of White Linen Breeze but a little sweeter & juicier. Terrific staying power. At first, I thought this was great to check out but wasn't sure about buying again due to the dry down ('cause I'd prefer it if the initial sweetness remained). Now, after a few days of wearing, I'm really glad to have this in rotation & would purchase again (though it wasn't an instant HG fragrance for me). The big price tag is a bummer - $127 on Sephora for the spray & lotion - so I got both on fragrancex.com for $80. People have mentioned the bottle being bulky, which is I guess true, but it doesn't bug me. Overall, two thumbs up, this is wonderful! :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Smashbox - Lip Brilliance in SkyBox
sharopooks 3/13/2009 11:24:00 AM
I was in the market for some new cooler tones lippies from Smashbox, saw the rave reviews & decided to check this out - wow this is wonderful!! The Smashbox site describes this trio as "shimmer rose/creamy fuchsia/creamy deep red" which is rather accurate though on MMM me, the "deep red" is more of a deeper rose/berry shade. The medium & dark shades are AWESOME on me - the medium fuchsia is pretty without being garish like such a color can be on me sometimes, while the deep rose/berry has already established itself as an HG cool lippie for me, works well both for day & night & I absolutely ADORE it! Admittedly due to my darker skintone, I don't turn to the lightest shade much on its own, but it does impart a lovely pinky highlighting shine when used over the 2 darker shades (I like it just on the center of the bottom lip as someone said earlier). The formula feels very nice - moist & definitely a cross between a gloss & a lipstick. As a previous review said, not TOO-too shiny like you just bit into a pork chop (I LOL'd on that!). Definitely wears longer & has more pigment than a typical gloss. Now I DO like the concept of having the mini-brush in there but I don't really like the application this particular brush gives so I usually use my finger. And the packaging is so cute - portable & slim like a credit card. I have already purchased 2 other Lip Brilliances due to my love for this product! Rave rave rave.... :)
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Gels/Soaps -St. Ives - Mineral Therapy Body Wash
sharopooks 3/13/2009 11:04:00 AM
St. Ives & Dove make my HG body washes, hands down. This is no exception - it cleans gently yet effectively, lathers & rinses nicely (doesn't strip & doesn't leave a film), moisturizes softly, has a pleasant scent (a subtle creamy floral but as a previous reviewer said, a hint of minerally "rockiness" if you can imagine) & doesn't break the bank. Would definitely purchase this again!!
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Lipstick -Clinique - Different Lipstick - A Different Grape
sharopooks 3/11/2009 4:39:00 PM
This is fast becoming my go-to MLBB cool/neutral lipstick fave (edging out Smashbox's A List). It's a dusty pink/rose/plum shade, making it a nice daytime choice for MMM me. Re: formula, this stuff goes on lovely - smooth & weightless. Decent wear - not very long lasting but okay. Not something I'd reach for at night - it's too light a shade - but it's perfect for the office. Great color & feel - would purchase again!
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Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Age Perfect Pro Calcium Day Cream
sharopooks 3/4/2009 2:15:00 PM
This says it's for "mature" skin; I'm in my mid 30s & have combination skin. But when winter hits New York, my cheeks get really dry & need special attention. I've relied on the regular Age Perfect day cream as my cold-weather go-to for many years now, thought I'd give this version a try. It has all the qualities I love in the regular Age Perfect - great & nourishing moisturization without greasiness or heaviness, SPF, pleasant fragrance. Not sure if the calcium was a big factor or not - my face did get wondrously even MORE touchably soft than normal for the 1st couple weeks, then it was just regular soft & moisturized. But then again, the regular non-calcium stuff does that too. This product is often on sale at my drugstore for about $12 or $13 so I have no problem alternating this w/ the regular Age Perfect, just to change things 'round fer fun... Overall, I recommend for those who need extra moisturizing & don't wanna spend $50 for a comparable high-end cream... I adore finding options that feel this luxurious at my drugstore!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Mary Kay - TimeWise Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 25
sharopooks 3/3/2009 11:05:00 AM
I was so in love w/ this product for a week - it protected my skin against the sun smoothly & non-greasily... I loved the soft weightlessness it had! Alas, after a week I started to break out. I have true combo skin - dry cheeks, oily t-zone. I'm not throwing out my bottle of this product... I figure during super-sunny days I can revisit this for a spell, temporarily. But for extended daily use, thumbs down for me. Disappointed... it WAS so wonderful at first!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Revlon - ColorStay Under Eye Concealer
sharopooks 6/18/2008 12:38:00 PM
Though flawed, this is arguably the best drugstore concealer I've tried to date, edging out L'Oreal's Infallible for me. L'Oreal's medium/deep shade is a better match for Asian GGG-me - this product's medium/deep is a bit light - but this makes up for it by having far more staying power. Still, the coverage is very good, not perfect, & it doesn't have AMAZING lasting power, just better than any drugstore concealer I've used. I'm halting my search for my HG concealer for now (am returning to Covermark's Face Magic as a concealer) but if I needed a concealer in a pinch, I would definitely purchase this drugstore find again!
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Lotions/ Creams -Mary Kay - Satin Hands
sharopooks 6/17/2008 12:10:00 PM
I'm torn about this product. I LOVE the formula - moisturizes well without greasiness, spreads & absorbs quickly, WONDERFUL stuff! That being said, I very much dislike the smell...it smells like that vaguely waxy scent things that are supposed to be "unscented" sometimes smell like, or maybe a really old fashioned (or just old!) face powder or lipstick. It is hard to describe. Would absolutely love it if this had a more pleasant light fragrance (how 'bout MK's marvelous Lotus & Bamboo scent??) or no true scent at all. Otherwise, this is a great product, the moisturizing effects, quick absorption & non-greasiness of this hand cream are marvelous.
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Lip Gloss -Mary Kay - Gold Rush
sharopooks 6/17/2008 12:00:00 PM
Got a set of these glosses as a gift with purchase. First off, the formula is lovely - nice shine (more shimmery than shiny actually), pleasant vanilla fragrance, moisturizing feel. That being said, this shade looks terrible on MMM/GGG me - so light & gold, almost a garish pale orangey peachy 70s DISCO shade, I immediately wiped it off! Oh well, as least I got to try on other shades that worked better for me & at least it was free... Glad this works on you paler MUAers but for those of you with a little more color, you are warned...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Mary Kay - Sweet Raisin
sharopooks 6/17/2008 11:55:00 AM
Got a set of these glosses as a gift with purchase. First off, the formula is lovely - nice shine (more shimmery than shiny actually), pleasant vanilla fragrance, moisturizing feel. This is a pretty copper that looks absolutely lovely over other colors, though I wish it was a little more pigmented so I could wear it solo (I'm an MMM/GGG). Feels pleasant & looks nice when on. Not a must-have purchase but great to try it out!
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Lip Gloss -Mary Kay - Starry
sharopooks 6/17/2008 11:50:00 AM
I received this as a gift with purchase & just love it. First off, the formula is lovely - nice shine (more shimmery than shiny actually), pleasant vanilla fragrance, moisturizing feel. While this isn't as glass-shiny as my HG Pout lipgloss, it's still very pretty & feels great on. It's a bit steep at $13 a tube, but overall, I'm pleasantly surprised by this product!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No