Mascara -Cover Girl - Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara 
bluediva 3/13/2007 12:18:00 AM
I bought this based on MUA reviews and it's great for the price. I refuse to pay more than $8 for a product that I'll throw out after 4 months, so I stick with drugstore mascaras. This mascara goes on easily and looks quite natural, definitely adds volume (not so much length), stays on all day with minimal flaking, and then washes off with warm water and a mild cleanser. Don't forget to wash it off at the end of the day. I got irritation from leaving it on overnight. It gets tight and crunchy-feeling after 12 hours. But it's a good mascara. I've been using it 3-5 times a week for 2 months and it's showing no signs of drying out or getting clumpy.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Silver ring (veluxe pearl)
bluediva 12/29/2006 8:17:00 PM
Lovely steel-grey with a subtle, elegant shimmer. I have very fair skin and green eyes, and this shade works great for me. I like smoky dark eyeshadows, and this one works well as the main color for daytime looks (applied lightly) or as a knock-out midtone shade for more dramatic night make-up. I love how it blends over MAC's Fluidline liners. I'm just getting into MAC eye make-up, and I really like the little round snapcase. Intense pigmentation and smooth blending, so good value even though it's more than I'd usually spend on a single eye shaddow. -->>UPDATE - over 6 months later, this is still a daily go-to e/s for me and I'm still finding new ways to use it. Upgrading to 5 lippies rating.
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Lips -LORAC - Lorac lip/cheek sheer wash stain
bluediva 8/20/2006 4:05:00 AM
I love stains because I'm a clutz about wearing lipsticks. Got this from Sephora 2 months ago in Sheer Magic shade (a rich, slightly cherry red tone on my lips). It doesn't last quite as long as I'd like it to (needs reapplying after a meal or halfway through the day) but it doesn't smudge off, so I'm not complaining. I don't find it drying, and I like the finish it leaves naturally, with just a touch of lip balm over top. It looks awesome for a night out with clear gloss over top (my fave - MAC lipglass). One tip - you must keep your lips properly exfoliated and moisturized to wear this stuff because it turns up extra-dark on dry patches and can look very uneven and unattractive if your lips are in less-than-ideal condition. I don't like the roller-ball aplicator, would prefer something that could be cleaned when needed. I usually rub a lip brush over the roller ball and apply it to my lips with that. A little goes a very long way with this stuff, so I expect the tiny bottle will last a long time. It's good stain, but it doesn't quite replace the excellent (discontinued) Body Shop lip stain, so I will try Vincent Longo and Urban Decay lip stains when this runs out.
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Deodorants -Kiss My Face - Liquid Rock Deodorant
bluediva 6/29/2006 2:57:00 AM
Love the mild lavender scent, and yes, it really does last throughout the day. 14 hours after I applied it (and I worked today), and still no BO! It won't save you from heavy sweating, but for most days, this is a great one-time application natural deodorant, even in summer. I started using this recently, and I'm very pleased with the effectiveness. Also, lavender works very well to calm my sensitive skin (plus I love the smell), so that's an added bonus in a deoroant. I have a crystal rock, but I just find a roll-on to be easier to deal with in the morning.
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Cleansers -LUSH - Aqua Marina Cleansing Roll
bluediva 6/20/2006 4:26:00 AM
I'm trying this out for awhile, and so far (3wks) it's been quite good. I use this at night, rubbing into skin with fingers, then wiping away with a wet facecloth. The smell is so-so but I can live with it. The texture is unusual (clay-like but creamy, slippery but no bubbles) but it works well and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. When my nose piercing got bumped and was a bit red and tender, this was a great non-irritating cleanser.
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Masks -LUSH - Catastrophe Cosmetic
bluediva 6/20/2006 4:17:00 AM
Great mask to calm/purify sensitive skin! I've been using this every few nights for a couple of weeks and I am quite impressed. My skin has been stressed recently (summer heatwave, personal stress, ran out of my usual daily cleanser...) and this mask quickly cleared up blotchy red areas and a few pimples, and has kept my skin looking clean and smooth for 2weeks. Love the blueberry-clay smell, and it's very nice to apply cool from the fridge. I've tried a couple of other Lush masks, and this one is by far my favorite so far. I'm a PPP and most face masks trigger mild reactions and/or major redness and burning, but this one is very calming and soothing to my skin. It's not a jaw-dropping miracle, but I really like it, the price is reasonable, so I will definitely repurchase. FWIW, I have not found it leaves a blue cast or any residue, but my skin is really pale, so maybe it just didn't show on me.
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Scrubs -Dr. Brandt - Microdermabrasion in a Jar
bluediva 3/23/2006 3:32:00 AM
Got a sample of this in a swap and I love it! I have fair, sensitive skin, and most scrubs don't agree with me. This one felt strange, much harder and finer grit than anything else I've tried, but WOW did it make my skin feel smooth. Almost a latex-smooth feeling immediately after using it. Yes, as mentioned by in other reviews, rub GENTLY into your skin, and if you've got pimples lurking, this may bring them to the surface. 4 days after 1st use and my skin still feels softer and smoother. It's more than I can afford to buy, but I enjoyed the sample and I'm very impressed.
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Schnuggle Body Butter
bluediva 3/23/2006 3:21:00 AM
I love Lush bathmelts, especially Dreamtime, but I rarely have time for baths. This is like a bathmelt for the shower. It doesn't bubble or clean your skin, nor does it totally replace your favorite lotion, but rub this over your skin just before you hop out of a hot bedtime shower and it will leave you feeling satin-smooth and sleepy. Cocoa butter moisturizes and cornstarch makes skin powdery-soft, which is an odd combination of ingredients, but it works. Unfortunately, I left mine sitting in a web soap dish overnight (once!) and after that, the bar got crumbly and I was left with several smaller pieces that were hard to use. I respect Lush for not over-packaging products, but a label that warns about not keeping this shower bar in the shower would help. Lush needs to refine the texture of this stuff, but I'm still very happy with it.
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Paves Deep Conditioning Shine Milk
bluediva 3/23/2006 3:03:00 AM
Great quality conditioner at a fair price. Tried this based on reviews here, and I am so pleased! I'd never heard of this brand before, but it's up there with salon quality brands. Doesn't weigh down my short, fine hair, and adds visible shine and softness. Definitely helps my hair recover from the flattening iron. Lots of quality ingredients (avocado and olive oil) in a simple, practical bottle. Nice rich texture, but rinses away easily. The essential oils used to scent this are lavender, geranium, lemon, and clementine, with emphasis on the geranium. Thanks to MUAers for a great find!
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Eyeliner -Splash - Lid Splash Liquid Eyeliner in Glacier
bluediva 3/23/2006 2:50:00 AM
Liquid eyeliners are becoming so rare, so for $4.99 Cnd, I had to try this. Glacier is a cool silver that leans more towards white than grey. Lots of pigment compared to other drugstore brands. But it's impossible to apply properly. The applicator brush is long and has a real brush-tip, but the handle is too thick to hold precisely. This product is runny, which is not good for liners. And the 1st time I tried it, a little bit went into my eye and it hurt SO much! Any liquid liner takes a bit of practice to get the hang of, but this was entirely unworkable. After a a few applicaitons, it got blobby and now it won't give a smooth line, won't stay out of lashes. High pigmentaiton for cheap brand, but lousy consistency.
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Eye Shadow -Splash - Eye Sparkles - All
bluediva 3/23/2006 2:18:00 AM
Tried these after discovering the eyeliner and reading reviews here. These are a steal! Just as good as most prestige brand loose eye pigments but at a crazy cheap price that makes them way more fun and wearable. Want an eye color to match a shimmery top you only wear occasionally? Get this. (Yes, in Save-On-Foods. On display near the make-up and hair color.) Find a favorite color in these? Then maybe find it in MAC loose pigments b/c they are slightly better. Like any loose pigment, especially shimmer/sparkle stuff, avoid getting them IN your eyes. Oh heck, that's not fun.
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Lip Treatments -SoftLips - Lip Protectant
bluediva 3/10/2006 12:13:00 AM
Can't beleive I haven't written a review of this yet b/c I use it every day. I've been using this stuff for 10 years. I've tried every other drugstore brand, and quite a few more expensive ones, but I keep going back to this. Light, non-greasy, effective, and stays put. I noticed they've made all the flavors SPF20 now, which is nice. I like Vanilla, the minty ones, and just discovered Honeydew. Does anyone know what happened to the pretty tinted line of these? I liked them too, but can't find them anywhere now. Never mind, SoftLips is still my HG of lipbalms!
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Lips -SoftLips - Honeydew Melon
bluediva 3/10/2006 12:03:00 AM
I've been using SoftLips for 10yrs. I try other lip balms, but I always go back to this stuff! Just got honeydew today and it's a nice change from my usual, Vanilla. Light, effective, non-greasy, with SPF20. I've tried just about everything, and I still don't get why anyone uses other drugstore brands of lipbalm when this stuff is so good!
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Lip Treatments -Blistex - Medicated Lip Ointment
bluediva 3/8/2006 6:05:00 PM
First, I'm one of those people who is lipbalm-dependent, and I've tried many different lip treatments. This seems like an effective "medicated" treatments, but it's not a miricle in a tube. I prefer a plain, non-greasy stick formula over something that tingles. It feels light going on (I agree that it feels like a mint lotion), disappears into lips quickly, and leaves lips feeling cool. I will continue to put this on @ bedtime because it means I need to apply my usual lipbalm less frequently. But I'm not fond of the squeeze tube w/ the slanted applicator tip. I still find mysef going back to good old SoftLips, and after 10yrs, I still like it the best. ****UPDATE - after a week, I devleped a bad reaction to this stuff, tingling became burning and it made my lips cracked and tender. I have sensitive skin, but this is definitely NOT a good product for me. Down to 2 lippies!
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Styling Products -TiGi - Bed Head Headbanger
bluediva 2/24/2006 12:24:00 PM
Doesn't feel icky-waxy, but gives mega lift and volume. Nice grapefruit smell. I don't use this every day, but it works great for the rock hair look (pls forgive the bad cliche refrence) or mega-volume. Makes a great root-lifter if you spray onto fingers and apply. Try not to brush out your hair after putting this in - it's hard on fine hair and it produces super-mad-scientist volume. A bit of water run through hair w/ fingers helps if you get more volume than you wanted. I haven't had build-up problems since I started using it 3wks ago, but I don't use it every day. EDIT - it got clogged after a month of occasional use! My stylist swapped it for a similar product from KMS that works just as well, but doesn't smell like pink grapefruit.
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