Fragrances -mark - Pure
used2Baileendq 5/27/2010 6:12:00 PM
IVORY SOAP! Yay! I love, love, love the scent of Ivory soap, and have been searching seemingly forever for a perfume that mimics it. Pure, upon the initial spray, is a dead ringer for Ivory soap. It stays pretty true, adding a hint of baby powder. I will be hoarding this stuff- seriously- especially given the price point.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Styling Tools -Goody - Spin Pin
used2Baileendq 5/22/2010 11:11:00 PM
I scoured the greater Boston area for 2 weeks looking for these. Yup- they absolutely do what the marketing tell you they will. Normally, it takes about 15 bobby pins, in varying sizes, to hold my bun in place. Now, all I have to do is twist my hair in a bun, screw one pin in horizontally (making sure my ends are tucked in) and screw the other in vertically, and I'm set for the DAY. Normally, I'd be re-bunning throughout the day, but not with these puppies. I try to to protective styles (wearing my hair up so that the ends are protected) as much as possible, and with spin pins, I will save myself a solid 10 minutes of pinning every day. I bought a back up set, and it's likely I will get several more.
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Conditioner -Aussie - Moist Conditioner
used2Baileendq 5/22/2010 9:00:00 PM
Having spent upwards of $50 for a bottle of high-end salon conditioner and having spent an untold amount of money in the search for the perfect conditioner, I NEVER in a million years would have thought that my HG everyday (read: NOT a protein and NOT a deep conditioner) conditioner would end up being a drugstore brand. My hair is relaxed, colored (no lift) coarse 3c hair. I blowdry and flat iron about 2x per week. This conditioner not only leaves my hair SUPER moist, it also functions as a leave-in, and when mixed with the Aussie Sydney Smooth anti-frizz gel (1/2 & 1/2) functions as a FANTASTIC scrunching product (for my curly days). I typically leave about half a tablespoon in my hair and then follow with No Frizz Straightening Treatment for Coarse hair and a dime sized dollop of Moroccan oil. I will also add that there is no buildup, despite the fact that I use it as a leave in and don't use sulfates to cleanse my hair. I tell you, people, this stuff is hands down THE BEST every day conditioner there is. The consistency is great and the smell is wonderful (wish it would linger, though). If Aussie decides to make a sulfate and sodium chloride free shampoo, I'm all over it! *Here's hoping they NEVER DC it!!!!*
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Fragrances -Chanel - Chance Eau Tendre
used2Baileendq 5/15/2010 11:56:00 AM
Chance was my go-to fragrance back in the day. Then my nose and/or chemistry changed and I could not longer wear it. Patchouli became an enemy, and Chance's strident opening notes gave me an instant headache. None of the flankers worked, either. Yesterday on a whim (while killing time at Macy's), I decided to spray myself liberally with Eau Tendre. This had the potential to be disastrous, of course. While there was no disaster, it was a non-event. Chance has a VERY strong resemblance to my bottle of Burberry Summer from a few years ago (which I still have and use). I guess it's the grapefruit and cedar. The rest of the experience didn't do anything to impress me, and the scent was gone rather quickly. I would not purchase this fragrance. In fact, I wasn't even interested in getting a sample for an extended test run. While I have many fragrances that resemble each other (variations on musk/sandalwood and floral notes, for example) this category just isn't something I need more than one of. I will say this: I have had bad experiences with grapefruit going "B.O." on my skin, and this grapefruit did not.
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Fragrances -Marc Jacobs - Biscotti
used2Baileendq 5/11/2010 9:37:00 PM
I don't normally like an overtly gourmand fragrance (with one or two exceptions that are worn ONLY in the winter when I go to bed!), so the name threw me a bit, but this one is NOT foody in any way, at least not to my nose. The opening notes remind me, of all things, of the original Caress soap, but this is a GOOD thing, imo, because I like clean smells for daytime. The top notes are: bergamot, freesia, orange blossom; heart notes: pistachio blossom, iris, muguet; base notes: soft vanilla, creamy musk, vetiver. I will say that although I am a huge fan of orange blossom, it doesn't really stand out in this one. Instead, the orange blossom, freesia, and pistachio blossom blend very nicely into a soapy/floral scent. There is the vaguest hint of powder (the white musk, I presume) and a faint, clean, vanilla. Although I normally have issues with vanilla or tonka bean being amplified on my skin, this never happened. Also, this scent is light (sheer) enough for a hot day- any stronger and it would be unwearable in warmer weather. It doesn't last terribly long on me (but then again, on my dry skin, nothing does) so I also test-drove it on my clothes, where the vanilla was a bit more prominent. A lot has been said about the unwieldy bottle. The lovely SA at Saks offered me an empty MJ Splash bottle- it looks to be about 1 oz- with a cap, spray top, and funnel for free. The SA at Sephora told me that they had an purse spray (atomizer) I could buy. Needless to say, I went with Saks. I will revisit this review after a few more wearings. EDIT: Here is the promised revisit. I REALLY like this stuff! I discovered that splashing it on first then spraying (I carry the 1 oz spray to refresh - I always carry my perfume o'the day with me). It's clean, a bit floral and slightly sweet. A winner!
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Eye Shadow -Almay - Intense i-Color powder shadow Trio for Browns
used2Baileendq 5/9/2010 7:11:00 PM
Awful stuff. Did absolutely NOTHING for my medium brown eyes. Since when does putting neutral browns/tans do anything for us brown eyed girls? Also, the lavender shade made me look ashy. Ugh. Try again, Almay.
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Shampoo -TRESemme - Naturals Radiant Volume Shampoo
used2Baileendq 3/11/2010 5:00:00 PM
Picked this up without reading the ingredients first. BIG MISTAKE. How is it that they can say it has "low sulfates: when therenot one, but TWO harsh sulfates in the top three ingredients? Talk about false advertising.
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Fragrances -Narciso Rodriguez - Musc For Her Oil
used2Baileendq 2/19/2010 1:20:00 PM
Sampled this one today. I have a love/hate affair with the edt. There are days when it is overwhelmingly strident and unwearable, and others when it is a clean just-showered musk with a light floral overlay. This oil *feels* great. The scent? Well, it leaves something to be desired. Firstly, this is NOT sharp on me at all. It is vaguely powdery/soapy but in a good way. This is NOT a "sexy" scent and not a warm scent. Clean is apt. HOWEVER: This fragrance is too light (even just after applying, it gives the term "sheer" a new level) and WAAAAY too fleeting to even consider shelling out the money for 1.6 ounces. Twenty minutes into wearing it was nothing but a memory. So glad it was the scent that was a memory and not the money spent to buy it!
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