Treatments -Biotherm - Source Therapie
lucenaa 8/17/2008 11:18:00 PM
Overall rating: 4
Price: 4
Packaging Quality: 4
Would you buy this product again?: Unfortunately, no
I have to say I really do love this product. I got it as a gift from my work, in the tester size. It makes my skin so gorgeously soft when I use it, and it's slightly moisturizing too. It will not be good for those with drier skin - you would need to put on moisturizer on top - but if you have normal to oily then it could double as a moisturizer as well.
However, I really can't be able to bring myself to actually buy a full size bottle. I would if I could, but I just can't afford the $66.00 CAN price for just 50mL. I would have to buy a bottle every couple of months, the way I use this stuff, and I really can't do that.
But overall a good product! Another way to say it is: It would be worth the money, if I HAD the money!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -GOSH - Extreme Art Eyeliner
lucenaa 8/14/2008 5:30:00 PM
Overall rating: 4
Price: 3
Packaging Quality: 3
Would you buy this product again?: Yes
I recently just bought this in the colour 09, which is this very pretty true blue, at my local Shoppers Drug Mart for $16.00 CAN.
It's a bit pricey for an eyeliner. I wouldn't buy it again for that price, since I don't really NEED waterproof eyeliner, but I would definitely buy it on sale.
I find the staying power is absolutely FANTASTIC; in fact, I tested it on my hand, used soap, plus all THREE of my oil-free eye makeup removers and the stuff just wouldn't budge. I had to buy a new eye makeup remover for it (the Neutrogena dual-phase in the purple bottle), but I think it was worth it!
However, this stuff didn't get the five rating because of the brush. I think it's horrible. It globs badly, and I find it hard to make a non-globby thin line; I find I have to swipe off most of the liner on the brush and then add more from there. You can also end up with liner in the most random places, and it's annoying to clean up.
Also, a small gripe is that if you glob on too much or make it too thick, it feels really heavy and dry. I usually use UDPP before any eye makeup, but with this it's really unnecessary and it has the potential to dry up your lid area like crazy - especially with the UDPP, and especially if you put on a lot. But it IS waterproof stuff, so I won't be taking points off for that.
EDIT: I just bought this in black.... at full price! I didn't think I would, but I did again! I do not regret it! =]
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Cleansers -Dove - Dove Cool Moisture Cleansing Cloths
lucenaa 8/12/2008 3:17:00 PM
Overall rating: 2
Price: 3
Packaging Quality: 4
Would you buy this product again?: No
I honestly don't understand what all the fuss about this is all about. I bought this because of all the great reviews on here, and happily snatched up the last box in my local Shoppers Drug Mart for $10 CAN.
At first I thought this was a good cleanser, but I was VERY surprised how rough the cloth actually is - it feels like I'm rubbing my face with sandpaper. I know people have said this is exfoliating, which is also a reason in why I bought it, but this stuff is just WAY too abrasive. I don't even have particularly sensitive skin at all. Even if I try to be gentle, it still feels way too rough.
It DID take most of my makeup off, and I did like the lather and the fresh scent. However, it also made my combo skin ridiculously dry, and even after lots of moisturizer my face still felt very tight. That's an absolute NO-NO for me.
I would only recommend this for travel, since you can take out the cloths and put them in a little baggie, so it's easy to travel with, plus don't have to worry about your liquid cleanser spilling everywhere.... But that's about it.
My box now sits on my dresser table - I use it about once a week because I feel guilty if I don't use it, especially since it cost a bit for what it is. But would I buy it again? Does it do any good to my skin? Definitely not.
Two lippies for ease of use and it DIDN'T break me out, but I'm overall very disappointed with this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Garnier - Fresh Cleansing Gel
lucenaa 8/10/2008 1:49:00 AM
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Price: 2/5
Packaging Quality: 3/5
Would you buy this product again?: Yes/most likely
I used to use the Garnier Pure gel cleanser, but switched to this when I found out the tingly menthol was bad for your skin. I like the gel consistency and I like Garnier. But anyways, I'm glad I have this instead! =]
I have pretty normal, almost combo skin, and this stuff helps it keep that way and better. It doesn't dry out me out, it smells great (kind of like cucumbers and salad), and makes my face feel clean and refreshed. Unlike what other people have said, I find it foams quite well and I love the gel consistency. It feels very.... fresh! I use this every morning in the shower, and I use a very gentle cleanser at night to remove makeup. My skin loves it.
I haven't broken out at all since I've used this, but if I ever do, it'll probably be a hormonal thing and no cleanser can do anything about that. Right now, I just love it. I'll use if for a little bit longer, but I think it'll probably end up being my HG [=
It only lost out on the five rating because of the packaging, but only a 0.5 (I had to round!). Mine has a flip-top, not a screw one, like previous reviewers, though I still don't like it. I don't understand why they don't use a pump for this, like the Garnier Pure gel, since they're the same consistency and they're made by the same company. It's small gripe though - I'd still buy it again!
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Makeup Brushes -Cover FX - cover fx concealer brush
lucenaa 8/9/2008 1:49:00 AM
Overall rating: 4
Price: 3
Packaging Quality: 3
Buy this again?: No
Well, to get it straight, I actually don't use this as a concealer brush. I was specifically looking for an eyeshadow brush when I got this, and I picked it up not knowing it was a concealer brush. It doesn't really matter, since I think this works quite well.
I use it all the time to apply wet powder shadows, and sometimes cream shadows, and it picks up just a lovely amount of pigment and cleans very easily. The bristles are super soft, yet tight and dense and close together; they also look as good as new, and I'm not very nice to my brushes! xDD
I can use the flat side to put shadow all over my crease (I have a small Asian crease!), or I could use the tip to do some lining and detail. It find it quite versatile brush, and of excellent quality, especially for the price. I paid 12 bucks for this at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada [=. I don't think I would ever buy this again because I honestly think this will last me forever, but if I could advise my past self to buy this or not, then I would say yes!
Plus, if I ever needed a concealer brush, I'd know what to use [=
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Moisturizers -Marcelle - Aquarelle Aqua-Matte Hydrating Fluid
lucenaa 8/9/2008 1:27:00 AM
Overall rating: 4
Price: 3
Packaging Quality: 4
Would you buy this product again?: Maybe, but for MUA I said "no".
I don't think this moisturizer makes your skin "matte", as it claims, and I found the consistency a bit weird - it's very liquidy. If I put a little bit on, then my skin is fine, but on the dry side. If I put more, I find that it actually breaks me out a bit. I don't know why. Not exactly zits, but weird bumps under my skin. I can't seem to find an inbetween, either. Also, I found it gave off this weird sour smell after a while. It fades quickly, and though it's not pleasant, I don't think it's a bad thing. I'd still take that over adding irritating fragrances (coughLaRochePosaycough).....
I know this works well for a lot of people, and I can see why. I just don't think this is right for my combo skin. So, while still a good product, I probably won't buy it again.
My HG search goes on!
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Makeup Brushes -Quo - Blush Brush
lucenaa 8/9/2008 1:13:00 AM
Overall rating: 2/5
Price: 2/5
Packaging Quality: 4/5
Would you buy this product again?: NO
At first, I liked this brush. It was a good price - 30% discount, so I got it for 12 bucks. It picked up a good bit of product and did well with my mineral blush. I found there were some stray hairs and the bristles were a bit scratchy, but nothing too bad.
However, after I washed this for the first time with regular soap, it started to smell HORRIBLE. I don't know if anyone else has had this problem, but it smelled like it was dipped in piss and paint thinner - it absolutely REEKED. Plus, while I was drying it with a towel, some weird black colour started leaking from the bristles. Like, wtf? I guess the paint or ink on the bristles were coming off because I washed it. I think that is just horrible quality from Quo. I usually like their brushes.
Either way, I am NOT letting anything that smells this horrible to be anywhere NEAR my face. I'm definitely returning this to Shoppers tomorrow ........... Sorry Quo - the brush might have been a fluke or a something, but I am just way too disgusted to care. I'm investing my money somewhere else.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous mascara 
lucenaa 7/22/2008 5:10:00 PM
I do love this mascara - it's one of the best I've tried.
It's true, when I first used it, I wasn't too crazy about it - I found it gave me spider lashes and flaked and clumped like crazy. But the more I used it, the better it got. After a week, I got zero clumps, no flakes and my lashes looked gorgeously thick. It makes you look like you have a full fringe, if you don't naturally have one (like me - I have pretty sparse, straight Asian lashes).
I also find it's better at lengthening than volumizing, especially with the small, short lashes. I've never had any problems with any smudging or any sort of "panda" eye, but then again, I never do with any mascara (phew!).
The brush is good at what it does, average size, comfortable, though not as good as the Maybelline Full n' Soft's for volumizing (but that's become harder to find in Canada for some reason - it was my godsend for my Asian lashes, but these are the closest I can get). I do find that's there a weird clump of mascara at the end of the brush when you first pull it out, but I just swipe it on the top of the tube to get it off and it works fine. Really no big deal - I don't know why some complain about it so much.
I got these 2 for 1 at Zellers Canada, in Carbon Black, so it was a good deal - but I would repurchase even in full price.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - HiP Concentrated Duo - Devious #336
lucenaa 6/29/2008 12:02:00 AM
EDIT: I was initially unimpressed by the duo together, and still am, but I found that the brown side to be a go-to HG brown for me. It has just the right amount of shimmer and pigment to go with an "everyday" smokey eye. Just pair with some mascara and dark liner and you're good to go. Upping a lippie for this! ***************************** I think this would work better with people with lighter skin tones. I have darker, tanned Filipino skin, and while I do love the brown side, the green is a bit dull and greyish. I can't really use both the colours together in one eye, because they end up looking too much alike, and it just ends up looking like a weird, dark mess. I just can't get the duo to work, well, as a duo. Separately though, they're pretty good. The green is a bit sheer, and it looks too dark when applied wet. This is good for a DS product, but isn't mid-blowing. It's SLIGHTLY chalky and the pigment in the pan just isn't really too visible once it gets on your skin. I do like the packaging though, unlike the others. The bottom sponge-container thing is weird, but I think it looks cute.
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Eye Makeup Remover -La Roche Posay - Physiological Eye Make-Up Remover
lucenaa 6/19/2008 12:14:00 AM
I got this in a little sample bottle from Shoppers Drug Mart (Canada), along with the Physiological Gel and Toner,
I have to say this has to be the WORST eye makeup remover I've tried. It's so bad that I think I might actually be using it wrong - but how on earth can you use eyemakeup remover in a bottle wrong? I think water just might actually be a better remover than this. With this, I literally had to scrub scrub scrub at my eye area to get the stuff out, and I was ONLY using a little bit of eyeliner, eyeshadow (used as a liner) and some regular mascara. All LRP Physiological did was spread the stuff around my eye area until I looked bruised (I wasn't even using that much makeup!), and then I had to scrub it off HARD afterwards to actually get the stuff off. Afterwards, my whole eye area felt dry and I had to moisturize like mad. So not good. Also, I was wearing that makeup for a good ten hours already, after a hot day in the sun sweating. There was absolutely no reason for the makeup to not come off. This is advertised for sensitive and contact-wearing eyes, and apparently "gently cleanses", but this is just so gentle that it's absolutely ridiculous.
The pros that I did find about this product though, was that I liked the smell; it was pleasant but not overpowering. Also, the makeup DID eventually come off well and everything was gone - but I also was scrubbing pretty hard and was using more liquid than I usually use with other regular drugstore removers. I have to admit I was using Urban Decay's Primer Potion on my whole lid area - but that shouldn't be an excuse for the horrible eye makeup removing ability. All other removers I've tried can remove the exact same eye makeup I was wearing in a couple of swipes - I'm not exaggerating. There is definitely not enough reason to buy this product, and I'm so glad I only got this as a sample. I currently use Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover - the cheapest stuff I can find - and its fifty times better than this. I can't even imagine buying this at full price
I still can't get over how bad this product is, and I'm going to give LRP a benefit of a doubt, since this is a relatively reliable company. I have another sample bottle that I could use, and I also know other people who have gotten samples, just in case this one's a bad dud. Will definitely update if something different comes up.
INGREDIENTS
Poloxamer 184, Aqua, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Diglycolate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Edta, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Poloxamer 124, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate.
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Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Shiny-Licious - ALL colors
lucenaa 6/18/2008 11:42:00 PM
Horrible gloss. I had the clear stuff. While the flavour was okay, the texture was runny (yet sticky!) and did not stay on my lips at all. It also dried them out badly. Also, the doe-foot applicator is horribly unhygienic, since it never does completely dry and makes it a breeding ground for bacteria. It started to smell HORRIBLE after a couple of months, so I had to throw the tube out even though there was still a lot of it left. Oh well, I'm not missing it.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Sky High Curves Extreme Length and Curl [DISCONTINUED]
lucenaa 6/18/2008 11:38:00 PM
This is probably one of the worst mascara that I've tried. It doesn't hold a curl, as it advertises (though really, not a lot of mascara can do that for me), and it clumps like CRAZY. I have medium-length, black, straight Asian lashes, and I must say by the end of this I have about four for five clumps of lashes. It's disgusting, and I really don't want to bother with an eyelash comb. I have found better mascaras at the same price that work better (eg Maybelline Full n' Soft). I really tried with this product, I really did. I tried using it for a month, but it would just end up looking ugh.
However, I did give this three stars because a friend of mine uses this product too, and she has gorgeous lashes. Mascara really IS a personal thing.
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Concealers -Maybelline - Pure Concealer ] [DISCONTINUED]
lucenaa 6/18/2008 11:28:00 PM
This doesn't work too well as a concealer, but it does work relatively well for acne treatment. I have repurchased this product twice already, and I'm honestly not sure why. However, I really find no major issues with this product. The medium does well to cover dark blemishes and acne marks on my yellow-tan Filipino skin; the key is just less is more and to dab it on. It's convenient in the morning when I'm in a rush, though it definitely doesn't have a lot of staying power. The packaging is really handy as well, though you really don't get a lot of product. It's a bit disappointing, really. It almost feels like a rip-off.
Overall, an okay product at an okay price.
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Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Nivea Hand Intensive Nourishing Care
lucenaa 6/18/2008 11:24:00 PM
A good basic hand cream. The scent is pleasant but not overpowering, and it's not greasy at the very least - it's a little creamy, even. A light cream
I give this four stars though, because while it does work well with keeping hands non-flaky and soft, I find that I have to reapply it often, sometimes even two or three hours later, However, I would still repurchase.
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Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
lucenaa 6/18/2008 11:10:00 PM
PROS: keeps shadow in place for 12+ hours, invisible on lids CONS: wasteful packaging, awkward applicator, dries out lids, harder to blend, hard to remove While there are cons than pros, I think this product is worth the price. It really is amazing how I can have perfect shadow at 8 PM that looks the same as it was at 8 AM. It's absolutely worth it. However, as EVERYONE has said, the packaging is horrible and wasteful. It's ridiculous how much product is actually in the weird contorted bottle when you think you've run out. I haven't been using it long enough to have to "remove the little plastic ring" or even cut that damned bottle open, but I don't think I would want to. I think I'll go for Too-Faced's Shadow Insurance instead. Look it up. Just my two cents.
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