Fragrances -Bond No.9 - So New York
sweetsmell 7/29/2004 12:31:00 AM
I am terrible at reviewing fragrances because I never know how to adequately describe the wonderful notes and sensory experiences that add up to a great fragrance. However, I will say that I first encounted this sprayed on a card and stuffed into my purse; every time I opened it thereafter I was taken with the lovely scent wafting up at me. I acquired a sample, which only confirmed that this was a wonderful scent for me, and now I am the proud owner of a lovely full-sized bottle. I can see why people might call it Angel-like, but it lacks the strong punch that Angel packs (and I am an Angel fan). It smells like a well-crafted, beautiful mix of light chocolate, plums and musk, but that's really only scratching the surface of this lovely scent. It's never overpowering, yet it has a solid lasting power. I've never been one to call a scent 'comforting', but when I smell this I begin to understand a bit what people mean when they use the term. There's something warm and inviting about it. Do try a sample, and even if you find this isn't for you, do look at the entire Bond No. 9 line, for there is a myriad of lovely scents to choose from.
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Lipstick -Lancome - Juicy Wear
sweetsmell 7/29/2004 12:20:00 AM
Add me to the list of raves. This is a fantastic addition to the world of long-lasting lipsticks. What others have mentioned is true: it doesn't at all flake, chip, or peel off in an unflattering way. The color doesn't 'shrink' on your lips, either. Application is very easy, and within 60 seconds the color has set. The gloss that goes over it is fantastic: it's mostly silicones, so it's not sticky AT ALL, nor does it ever gunk up unpleasantly! You don't get nasty hair-in-the-lipgloss syndrome even though you're applying a clear gloss over the color. It's also infused with sparkle/shimmer, so it makes the color on your lips appear multi-dimensional and luscious. Re-application of the gloss never makes the color look any worse. Hours later, the color still looks freshly applied! Now, I did find that after 10+ hours of budgeproof, comfortable wear, numerous activities and reapplications of gloss, the color finally came off in one well-mannered wipe after eating dinner. But that's what's great, too -- even when it finally comes off (and believe me, prior to that it won't budge) it isn't in any kind of weird way. It came off like a normal lipstick. And never once while wearing it have my lips felt dry, flaky, or like they had a lot caked onto them. That's quite a feat, as most colors do that to me after a while. I highly recommend this if you are looking to venture into the world of long-lasting lipsticks (or if you're like me, always trying the new products on the block!) I do hope, though, that Lancome will consider selling replacement glosses separately in the near future. I could see the one that comes with the color stick running out before the lipcolor would.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Lancome - Juicy Tubes - Ultra-Light Kirsch
sweetsmell 7/29/2004 12:08:00 AM
This is gorgeous. In the tube, you think it's going to be a thick, dark brown-berry mess, but it's not! It applies as a sheer plum-berry tint. It's got just enough pigment to add color to your lips, but without being too much. Smells like fresh berries. An excellent new Juicy Tube color!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Lusture Eyeshadow - Goldbit
sweetsmell 6/17/2004 5:29:00 PM
Gorgeous color! Kind of like white gold in an eyeshadow. Very pigmented for a Lustre formula, and doesn't shed much glitter. Looks GREAT paired with Olive Groove (from the same collection)!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Olive Groove (Tantress lustre)
sweetsmell 6/17/2004 5:27:00 PM
Beautiful. Definitely on the sheerer side, but it's a lovely mossy olive gold color which can be layered depending on how much pigment you want. Looks GREAT with Goldbit (from the same collection).
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Watermelonny Lipglass Tasti
sweetsmell 6/17/2004 5:25:00 PM
I'm giving it 2 lipsticks because the color is truly gorgeous: a purely blue-based shimmery pink. Unfortunately, it is dominated by a horrendous fake melon scent which was flat-out rancid, not to mention overpowering. For me it was just too gross, and I would never have worn the gloss as a result. I exchanged it for another product which I love. (And it is a rare thing for me to return a MAC product.)
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Sorberry Lipglass Tasti
sweetsmell 6/17/2004 5:23:00 PM
This is lovely. It's a bronze-red that, if applied sheerly, is more red than bronze. The true beauty of it is the little golden flecks of shimmer infused. When you have this on and step into light, it just shines beautifully. And the smell is delightful; a true berry scent. Wears well too without disappearing too quickly.
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Polishes -MAC - Soda-Da
sweetsmell 6/17/2004 5:21:00 PM
A truly beautiful nail polish. Soda-Da is a bright and cheerful canary yellow. (Unlike this year's OPI yellow, Cabana Banana, Soda-Da has no orange undertone. It's pure yellow.) Coverage can be built, so you can either have sheer or all-out yellow nails. I got a ton of compliments on this beautiful yellow polish, and it also wore for over a week with minimal chipping. It's hard to find good true yellow nail polishes, but this is definitely my new favorite.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Cabana Banana
sweetsmell 6/17/2004 5:16:00 PM
Love this color! It is a bright canary yellow (think MAC eyeshadow in Chrome Yellow). It's very tough to find yellow nail polishes which aren't sheer, but this is one of them. Application is easy and dries quickly like all OPI colors. This is definitely not sheer; three coats will give you solid yellow nails!
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Lipstick -Vincent Longo - Gel-X
sweetsmell 6/17/2004 12:39:00 PM
Saw a shiny new display of these in Sephora (they must have seen me coming...I can't resist a new lipstick); picked one up in the color "Life" which is a medium-toned fuchsia (very pretty and flattering). I love the product. It glides on and never feels heavy, thick, or cakey, yet it gives some great coverage (unlike a lot of light-wear lipsticks which don't impart much pigment). Wear is excellent, too; I didn't feel like I needed to reapply a million times. And it didn't bleed! An all-around great new lipstick.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Lancome - Juicy Tubes Pop - Energizing Melon
sweetsmell 6/15/2004 4:29:00 PM
Kind of like the Juicy Tubes Pop version of Bolole; it's a bright orangey red with a fuchsia undertone and gold shimmer. Very pigmented and does indeed leave a slight stain behind (which I love, as my natural lips have zero pigment). Smells like bubble gum, and has a slight minty tingle which is fun but not bothersome.
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Lip Gloss -Lancome - Juicy Tubes Pop - Cool Fuchsia
sweetsmell 6/15/2004 4:27:00 PM
Fantastic color!! Intensely bright fuchsia with shimmer which applies as pigmented as it looks in the tube. You really get color from this! The minty tingle is nice and not bothersome, and the smell is good, too. The color lasts a long time which is a surprise for any gloss.
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Lip Gloss -Lancome - Juicy Tubes Pop
sweetsmell 6/15/2004 4:26:00 PM
These are great! They're still moisturizing and have the same texture of the original tubes, but some have a much stronger pigment; of course, all have a "minty tingle" with bubble gum flavoring. The tingle is nice, because it doesn't go on for ages, just a few minutes after application; the smell is lovely, and they wear well just like the regular tubes. These are great.
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Lipstick -Boots - Ultimate (Extra Stay) lipstick - Heather Haze
sweetsmell 6/15/2004 4:22:00 PM
I was shocked to walk into a CVS the other day and see a full Boots display! Don't know if this will be in all CVS, or just some, but it was fun to see all the goodies. The lipstick is a bright shimmery blue-based pink (seems to be something I'm gravitating towards lately) and the 'extra stay' term really does apply. I wore this on a very hot morning through breakfast and errands and it hadn't budged when I got home. Excellent!
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Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Wet Shine Diamonds Liquid - Loud & Clear Lilac
sweetsmell 6/15/2004 4:10:00 PM
This is definitely NOT lilac, but it's gorgeous nonetheless. It's a super-bright blue-based pink. Looks really great on and gets compliments, but not for those afraid of bright pinks!
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