Moisturizers -Aveeno - Calming Comfort Baby Lotion
Aiko_Aiko 2/23/2004 10:40:00 PM
After having luck with the body wash and Stress Relief lotion for adults, I gave this a try in hopes of finding a similar product with better packaging. Aveeno lotions typically come in a pump bottle, which becomes useless once the bottle is about 3/4 empty, while the baby lotion is in a squeeze tube. The tube packaging takes care of the dispensing problem for me - I wish they offered the rest of their lotions in this format. The lotion itself is like a slightly lighter feeling version of the adult formula, which absorbs even more quickly, is not greasy, but does leave a slightly powdery residue. The scent is soft and sweet, very unobtrusive and pleasant. And it moisturizes very well, one application keeps my skin comfortable for the entire day. It lacks some of the creaminess of the adult formula (which I prefer because it feels a bit richer yet leaves no residue) but the tube packaging definitely scores points with me. I would buy this again, although the scent and texture of the adult Stress Relief formula remain my favourite.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Dove - Moisturizing Body Wash - "Deep Moisture" 
Aiko_Aiko 2/19/2004 12:55:00 AM
I have had great luck with other Dove items, but this is one I won't repurchase. The body wash itself is very thick and rich, produces a nice lather, and has a light clean smell. But I honestly found it was no better at moisturizing than a standard body wash. I was looking for something to help with my horrible dry winter skin, and this made no noticeable difference. It made an awful greasy mess of my tub though, which was a huge pain. Not sure I'd recommend this (at least not for the winter-challenged like me!), but it is an inexpensive, pleasant-to-use option for those with mildly dry skin.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Aveeno - Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion
Aiko_Aiko 2/18/2004 1:55:00 PM
I bought this to use as a follow up to my Skin Relief Body wash, mainly due to the lovely scent. I am not a huge fan of the original Aveeno lotion because it contains menthol - if I can't even use lip balms with menthol, I sure as heck don't want it in my body lotion! It wasn't the greatest at moisturizing either; I had to reapply it often, or my skin would feel tight and itchy throughout the day. But after carefully scanning the bottle to be 100% sure this lotion contained no trace of menthol, I decided to give the Stress Relief variety a chance. I'm really happy with it. It's the same texture as the original Aveeno; light, easily absorbed and not at all greasy. But this does a far better job than the original. I can use this once a day and never need to reapply. My skin is soft to the touch, and has no visible signs of dryness, it's healthy looking! The scent is lovely and calming, but doesn't compete with my perfume. My only beef with it is the pump bottle. After a while, it becomes almost impossible to get any lotion to dispense, even though there is a substantial amount left. It just won't go through the pump. I had the same problem with my other Aveeno lotion and had to resort to unscrewing the cap and taking the lotion out myself. Quite annoying, but at least with this product, forgiveable. I can't say that it relieves my stress, but it does everything else I'd like it to. I think I'll continue to purchase, I just wish they'd fix the stupid non-pumping pump problem!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Aveeno - Skin Relief Body Wash
Aiko_Aiko 2/18/2004 1:34:00 PM
This really is as great as everyone says! I was a little skeptical about a shower gel making any real difference to my chronically dry, itchy winter skin, but after a few uses I was sold. I've tried all kinds of moisturizing body washes, and found that their moisture was usually more apparent on the floor of my tub than on my skin. This is different. It's not greasy or heavy, so it rinses clean. It's truly gentle, lathers beautifully, and the lack of scent is not something I really mind. But the best thing about it is that my skin loves this stuff! I could not believe the difference it made in just a matter of days. No need for heavy moisturizers, no itching or flaking - my skin was normal again. I've almost finished my first bottle and the results are still amazing me. All thanks to the recs here! I love it. It will definitely be a staple of mine from now on!!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -La Roche Posay - Antherpos Ceralip Sunscreen SPF 50
Aiko_Aiko 2/5/2004 6:13:00 PM
I think this is just a fantastic product, exactly what I've been looking for. It's the best sun protection I've ever encountered in a lipbalm (includes Mexoryl SX and Titanium Dioxide), and it has NONE of the negative qualities of similar products I've tried. It comes in a 15 ml squeeze tube, with a screw-on cap and slanted applicator tip. The great packaging means this travels well, and makes application easy. The balm itself is creamy and fairly moisturizing (this contains shea butter among other things). It has a pink tint, which doesn't really add much color to the lips, but definitely rules out any 'whitish cast' that other products can leave behind. This has no real taste (or after-taste), a faint 'sweet' fragrance, causes no tingling or other sensations when applied, and even claims to be water resistant! I don't see this becoming my all-around favourite (not quite moisturizing enough for nighttime, extreme weather etc.) but this is my new favourite daytime balm for sure. The only negative I can think of is the price, which was around $18 CDN. This is not something I can happily misplace or lose, the way I would a Blistex! But for the time being, I am very, very pleased with this purchase. Well worth the money if this line is available to you!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Aveda - Peppymint breath refresher
Aiko_Aiko 2/3/2004 10:41:00 PM
I picked this up during my last visit to the salon, thinking it might be nice to carry with me to work. I meet with a lot of people in the course of a day, and certainly can't chew gum or mints in those situations. This is a sweet, minty liquid (I can taste peppermint and a hint of anise) that comes in a dropper style bottle. A few drops are enough to disguise any coffee or food I've had, and the 'freshness' lasts for quite a while. It's also tiny enough to hide in any pocket or purse. I've had mine for several weeks and it's still nearly full, so I consider this to be worth the $6 I spent on it. I definitely recommend this - it's very discreet, tastes lovely (not too strong) and it does the job!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Diamancel - The Smoothie nail buffer
Aiko_Aiko 1/23/2004 4:21:00 PM
Although the product I purchased is simply called "File #5", I'm quite certain that the original reviewer and I are talking about the same thing! The official description : "Flexible diamond file for finger calluses". Having no 'finger calluses' to speak of, I can tell you that this nevertheless works wonders on the rough or dry skin I always seem to get along the sides of my nails. The filing surface on mine is practically flush with the edges, so I find it to be quite precise - no nicks or scrapes just yet! However, you do have to be careful not to overuse it and to keep your hands well moisturized. It definitely thins the skin, making it require a little extra protection. But this gives the skin around my nails a smooth healthy look that no cuticle nipper or cream can do alone. It does for my hands, what the #10 does for my feet! The #5 even looks like a miniature version of the #10 in terms of shape - no heavy plastic backing or rubberized handle on the #5 though, it's very light, thin and flexible. And I of course love that it's washable, and extremely durable. Diamancel products aren't cheap (this was about $33 CDN) but are worth every penny, as they are of superb quality. I haven't been disappointed in a single product I've purchased from this line. A very welcome addition to my at-home-manicure kit, and something I can't see myself without in the future. It might even be 'back-up worthy'! A must try for ladies who like to have picture perfect hands!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -MAC - Fibre Rich Lash Mascara
Aiko_Aiko 1/23/2004 3:37:00 PM
Well, this definitely wins the prize for having the ugliest, most frightening applicator brush of any mascara I've tried. I was horrified when I opened up the tube and saw that fuzzy looking brush with globs of products stuck to it. It looks like a sooty little pipe cleaner. But it actually works quite well at seperating and coating my lashes, so I forgive it for looking so funny. I do need to scrape/blot this before I can use it; too much product comes out on the brush, and it's a fairly wet formula. And if thickening is what this is meant to do, this has to be the best thickening mascara I've used in a long time. The fibers can look a little obvious, so I always comb through my lashes after applying, and find that this really does make them seem more full, without robbing them of their length. Although I wear contacts, and have extremely sensitive eyes, this has caused no problems for me at all. It hardly ever flakes on me, hasn't smudged (I have fairly dry skin these days) and holds a so-so curl. It's not that expensive either. I'd give this three and a half lipsticks if I could. However, I can't say whether I'd repurchase at this point. As far as thickening mascaras go, this is a natural looking and effective formula. Worth a look!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Weleda - Everon lip balm
Aiko_Aiko 1/21/2004 1:06:00 AM
I bought this during my 'adjusting-to-winter' phase last year, when my skin and lips are just a dry, flaky mess. I believe it was around $5 US on sephora.com. Very sturdy little tube, with a longer cap (more like a lipstick cover, than a lip balm top), which seals the product entirely and does not come off easily in purses or pockets. I didn't like this initially, because it was quite thick and waxy, and just seemed to sit on my lips without doing enough in the way of comfort or healing. I also wasn't fond of the rose/vanilla smell. So I immediately stopped using it and returned to my little pot of Eucerin cream, which was the only thing that seemed to help my lips at the time. Now that I've had some time to recover from the change of seasons (and lost the little pot of Eucerin somewhere in my house!) I find this is working quite well for me. Its most major pro is the fact that its heavier feel does leave my now moderately dry lips feeling protected, and lasts forever on - hence the name, I suppose. I also really appreciate that there is nothing even remotely 'minty' or 'tingly' in it, and the convenience of the tube. The cons would definitely have to be the scent, lack of SPF, and the slightly pale cast it can give my lips. Not my favorite lip balm, but definitely something I find myself using often enough. If it were easier for me to find I'd buy another, but I'm still searching for something comparable close to home, and probably wouldn't repurchase at this point. Still, worth trying out for its excellent lasting protection! ****UPDATE**** I finally came back to up this balm to a four. It seems that the more you use it, the creamier it becomes, and the easier it is to apply. I recently found that little pot of Eucerin, and have been passing it up to use this instead! I must agree with the reviewer above, it's the perfect nighttime lip treatment. It's really grown on me, and now I'm even more upset it's not available locally...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Poshe - Super-Fast Drying Top Coat
Aiko_Aiko 1/6/2004 4:57:00 PM
Absolutely the best top coat I have ever used! It does everything it needs to - it dries my polish within minutes, and leaves behind a great shine and a very tough finish. The texture of this product is much thicker than I expected, but it glides onto the nail easily and really does protect my manicure. After a week of wear and several intense housecleaning 'fits' (without gloves) only a thin line near the tips of my nails had worn off, which I found incredible. And during application it won't stupidly dissolve away a layer of polish, like some other top coats I've used, which made me love it even more. I know that there are places in Canada that carry this, but I was too lazy to hunt them down, and purchased this online. However when it comes time to repurchase, I'll be more than happy to hunt for it, because it's just amazing. Very highly recommended!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Aveda - Be Curly Curl Enhancer
Aiko_Aiko 1/5/2004 4:44:00 PM
For me, this is definitely something worth raving over! My hair is now naturally wavy, but in high school and university my hair was very curly (it was just wavy when I was a child too, so I blame the curls on hormones!). My SO loved my curly hair when we met, and to this day he complains that he misses it. I really don't, as they were a lot of work and I'm not into fussing with my hair. Once in a while I've tried to coax the curls back just to surprise him, but no matter what I used on my hair, they were always very loose and disappeared in about half an hour. Then my hairdresser introduced me to this product, and I was simply amazed at the results. My hair just exploded into curls and they lasted the entire day. The product itself has a nice light smell and doesn't leave my hair heavy or greasy (it actually makes it bouncy). I apply it to clean damp hair, and use a diffuser to dry and scrunch my hair until it's only slightly damp. At that point I apply a liquid gel (another Aveda product called Confixor) and continue to diffuse my hair until it's dry. I use a bit of spray gel (Flax Seed Aloe 'something') to set the curls, and I'm ready to go. The lasting power is probably due to the gels (which are also great, they leave the hair soft and aren't sticky) but no other curl enhancer I've tried has been able to produce the tight bouncy curls this one has. It definitely has my SO's seal of approval - he aked me if I'd had my hair permed the first time I used it! When I said no, he asked me if I'd bought whatever it was the hairdresser used. I had, and I will continue to buy this. $26 CDN gets you quite a lot though, so I won't need to for a while. If your hair sounds at all like mine, this is very highly recommended!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous mascara 
Aiko_Aiko 1/4/2004 10:44:00 PM
I have to say that I agree with the recent reviews below! I bought this after seeing the raves for it here and I was alright with it at first. But the more I used it, the more I had to resist the urge to throw it out. Although I had to scrape the wand on the mouth of the tube for about a minute to remove the ridiculous amount of product that was present, I found it added lots of length, nice definition, and a bit of thickness. It didn't smudge, and held a nice curl, but I did notice a fair bit of flaking. And as with all L'Oreal mascaras I've tried, this irritated my eyes (I wear contacts) more and more as the days went by. I tried my best to use the tube up, but I had to chuck it out after a couple of weeks. I guess I just prefer a much drier mascara formula - they look more natural, clump less, and take a lot less work! But if you like a very wet mascara, don't have sensitive eyes, and don't mind the minutes of extra work it takes to apply this, the results can be nice. Otherwise, pass this one up!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -LORAC - Oil-Free Luminizer
Aiko_Aiko 12/15/2003 5:18:00 PM
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate winter. It murders my skin. It leaves it dry, lifeless, and dull. I have been eyeballing this product for some time, but never bought it because I was convinced it would make me look greasy and that the shimmer or 'pearl' effect would be way too obvious. Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong! The luminizer comes in a small pump bottle, that unfortunately dispenses the same amount of product with each pump (read: a tiny bit too much). I've tried 'tricking' it into dispensing less by applying various amounts of pressure, going slowly - but once it reaches the dispensing point, it doesn't matter. So I've learned to live with that, and realized that it's not a gross or wasteful amount if applied properly (I sometimes use the excess to highlight my collarbone etc. depending on what I'm wearing). For $28 USD, you do get a fair amount of product though, so a few sloppy first attempts won't really make a dent in things! The shade I own is Pearl L1, and this seems to be a nice complement to my fair C2/20 watts skin. It's surprisingly subtle, especially when mixed with moisturizer, and really does give my skin a nice 'glow'. In the evenings, I find I'm able to use a heavier hand, and I LOVE the effect in softer lighting. My skin is on the dry side these days, so I'm not sure how this works on oilier skin - my guess is that a light application would be enough for most people to see results. I really prefer this to powder highlighters (which I can never get to look this subtle) and highly recommend this if you're tired of matte, lifeless skin. Use it with a cream or gel blush, and you'll be sold!!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Original Moisturizing Creme
Aiko_Aiko 12/10/2003 12:54:00 AM
This cream is an honest-to-God miracle worker! My skin is just naturally on the dry side - no matter how hot and muggy it is outside, or how much water I drink, I must still slather myself from head to toe in some kind of moisturizer. Through much trial and error I've found some that work, but never the whole day through. My skin inevitably returns to feeling itchy and dry, and even worse, it starts looking like it feels. Now top this little tendency of mine off with a prescription medicine that's known for causing dry skin, and some freezing temperatures, and you'll have some idea of how bad things can get. The cream comes in an enormous tub, which costs about $22 CDN. The ingredients in this formula are pretty basic, but effective. From what I can tell, this might be quite similar to the Aquaphor that is often raved about here (the ingredients are almost identical). The cream itself is extremely thick, completely odorless, and definitely heavy. It's not something I consider 'greasy' though. And while it can take some work to spread this over the skin, it is absolutely worth the effort. It protects and softens my stubbornly dry skin like nothing else. I have also taken to using this as a lip balm, and have found it to be equally amazing for that purpose. It can leave a white cast if applied too thickly, but it's become such a favorite that I've scooped some into a small tin to keep in my purse. It has no taste, and works well under lipsticks and glosses. I honestly cannot rave enough about this product. It's by no means glamorous, but it is far superior to my more expensive, exotic and pretty smelling moisturizers. A must-have if your skin is really, truly dry!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Frederic Fekkai - Glossing Cream with Olive Oil
Aiko_Aiko 12/9/2003 2:38:00 PM
Another great Fekkai product! I use this mainly on dry hair, before flat ironing, or to calm frizz and add shine if I've left my hair wavy. It's not heavy or excessively greasy, but adds terrific moisture, softness and shine. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the smell, which always strikes me as being a little 'off'. It's thankfully not something that lingers in my hair! This might seem pricey, but as a little goes such a long way, the tube lasts forever. I have yet to repurchase, but I'm quite sure I will once mine runs out! ****Editing this to add that I've finally figured out what the scent of this product reminds me of. Strangely enough -- walnuts. With a tiny hint of perfume. So you can see why I'm glad the scent dissipates quickly...it's still great at what it does though!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No