Treatments -Biotherm - Acnopur Emergency Anti-Spot
thirdstrokelucky 8/26/2007 1:05:00 PM
The Acnopur Emergency Acne Treatment works wonders on my blemishes! The spots don't disappear overnight, but they do look less inflamed the next day. After about a week, they're either gone or almost gone. The gel is also great because I'm left without any scars from the spots. The only thing I don't like is the price ($21 CAN) and the fact that it's available as a 15 ml tube. I can easily use it up in a couple of months. Also, the tube will give out way too much gel when it's about half full and it gets very hard to squeeze out the last bit when it's about to run out. Still, I have repurchased in the past and will continue to do so. This gel is so much better in giving results than Clinique's overnight acne gel. It's a pity that a lot of the reviews on MUA are negative. Active Ingredient: SALICYLIC ACID: 2% Others: AQUA, ALCOHOL DENAT., GLYCERIN, TRIETHANOLAMINE, CARBOMER, COPPER GLUCONATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, KAOLIN, VITREOSCILLA FERMENT, MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) OIL, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, PARFUM.
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Treatments (Eye) -Biotherm - Hydra-detox Yeux
thirdstrokelucky 8/26/2007 12:32:00 PM
I've discovered that this "detoxifying" gel is good for puffy eyes, but not for dark circles. So if you've been doing a lot of crying, you might want to consider buying it. The only thing I like about this product is the packaging. There's a pump and the bottle is in a pretty shade of blue. I definitely won't be spending $39.50 CAN for this thing again. Ingredients: AQUA/WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, GLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, TERMINALIA SERICEA/TERMINALIA SERICEA EXTRACT, TRITICUM VULGARE/WHEAT GERM EXTRACT, PERFLUOROPERHYDROPHENANTHRENE, GINKGO BILOBA/GINKGO BILOBA LEAF EXTRACT, CAFFEINE, MAGNESIUM GLUCONATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, GUANOSINE, PANTHENOL, VITREOSCILLA FERMENT, METHYLSILANOL MANNURONATE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, PRUNUS ARMENIACA/APRICOT KERNEL OIL, SILICA, SODIUM CHLORIDE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, DIMETHICONOL, DIMETHICONE, C-13-14 ISOPARAFFIN, POLYACRYLAMIDE, LAURETH-7, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, TRIETHANOLAMINE, METHYLPARABEN, SODIUM BENZOATE, PHENOXYETHANOL.
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Shampoo -Nature's Gate - Tea Tree Oil Shampoo
thirdstrokelucky 8/10/2007 8:16:00 PM
Just about every reviewer is calling this product the tea tree shampoo, but I need to be specific here and call it the Tea Tree Oil and Blue Cypress Shampoo from the Nature's Gate Organics line, just so that there will be no confusion. This shampoo claims to reduce oily build-up, and help with the flaking and drying of the scalp. I had high hopes it would live up to its claim, but I was disappointed. My head was still sometimes itchy, and it went back to being oily within two days. Unfortunately, tea tree oil seems to never work for me. Ingredients: CERTIFIED ORGANIC ROSEMARY HYDROSOL, BOTANICAL INFUSION OF CERTIFIED ORGANIC NETTLE, ROSE HIPS, PEPPERMINT, THYME, YUCCA, WITCH HAZEL, HOPS; OLEFIN SULFONATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, SODIUM MYRETH, COCAMIDE MEA, METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE, CERTIFIED ORGANIC ALOE VERA, CERTIFIED ORGANIC TEA TREE OIL, WILDCRAFTED BLUE CYPRESS OIL, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED WHEAT STARCH, SOYAMIDOPROPALKONIUM, PANTHENOL (VIT. B-5), DISODIUM EDTA, GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT, PURE ESSENTIAL OIL OF PEPPERMINT.
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Sunscreen -Clinique - Super City Block SPF 25
thirdstrokelucky 7/27/2007 11:21:00 AM
I haven't used this sunscreen in a while, but when I did it looked like I had applied foundation. My skin was more paler, and I guess more even, but kind of greasy too. Don't believe Clinique's claim that Super City Block SPF 25 is "extremely lightweight" and "sheer." It's not. There are only two good things about this sunscreen: (1) I never got a sunburn when I had this on. Even when I didn't reapply. (2) $21.50 CAD for 40 mL may seem expensive, but the tube lasts a long long time. The expiration date has passed, and I have a huge amount left. I won't repurchase because this product is like a thick foundation, and I want something lighter.
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Scrubs -St. Ives - Apricot Scrub
thirdstrokelucky 7/27/2007 10:53:00 AM
I use this scrub everyday. It's definitely better than the St. Ives apricot scrub for sensitive skin. If I skip using it for one day, I find that parts of my face start peeling. St. Ives changed the fragrance of this scrub a couple of months ago, which means the ingredients have also changed. The chemicals and preservatives now outnumber the amount of natural ingredients (e.g., chamomile). The new fragrance smells more refreshing and is typical of what a shampoo smells like IMHO. But with what other reviewers are saying about the toxic chemicals of this product, I'm starting to get scared about using St. Ives on a frequent basis. Still, I give this scrub a five because it's readily available in stores, is cheap ($5 CAD at most), and it doesn't irritate my skin (at least for now). St. Ives apricot scrub is my current HG but if I find something that uses more natural ingredients and is just as cheap, then that would truly be my holiest of the HG. Ingredients for the PREVIOUS formula: AQUA, JUGLANS REGIA (WALNUT/NOYER), GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, ZEA MAYS, COAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, CETYL ALCOHOL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, PRUNUS ARMENIACA, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS, PRIMULA VERIS, SAMBUCUS NIGRA, CETYL ACETATE, CETEARETH-20, POLYSORBATE 60, SODIUM CHLORIDE, CARBOMER, TRIETHANOLAMINE, ACETYLATED LANOLIN ALCOHOL, SORBITOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891). Ingredients for the CURRENT formula w/ new scent: WATER (AQUA/EAU), JUGLANS REGIA (WALNUT) SHELL POWDER, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, ZEA MAYS (CORN) KERNEL MEAL, COAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, CETYL ALCOHOL, PEG-100 STEARATE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, CETYL ACETATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CETEARETH-20, POLYSORBATE 60, ACETYLATED LANOLIN ALCOHOL, TRIETHANOLAMINE, METHYLPARABEN, CARBOMER, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, SORBITOL, SAMBUCUS NIGRA FLOWER EXTRACT, PRIMULA VERIS EXTRACT, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) EXTRACT, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER EXTRACT, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) FRUIT EXTRACT, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891).
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Moisturizers -Jamieson - Vitamin E 30 000 IU Rich Moisturizing Cream
thirdstrokelucky 7/26/2007 1:16:00 PM
This Jamieson moisturizer is for dry to very dry skin. And I fully agree with that because my combination skin makes it kind of difficult to use it. I only need very little of it, but when I put on more than is needed my skin looks shiny. The cream just sits on my face. Because of that, I only use this moisturizer during winter. Occasionally I will also use it as an eye cream. I think it would work well to reduce or prevent wrinkles since the texture is very thick. Aside from the shiny spots I get on my face, I really like this product because my sensitive skin does not react to it. I highly recommend it to people with EXTREMELY DRY SKIN who may also have SENSITIVE SKIN. I would gladly repurchase this product, but I don't know when that will happen because it's taking me a long time to finish the huge 120 mL jar. Active Ingredients: VITAMIN E, FENNEL EXTRACT, HOPS, CHAMOMILE EXTRACT, MISTLETOE EXTRACT, YARROW EXTRACT, BALM MINT EXTRACT, ELASTIN.
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Moisturizers -Jamieson - Vitamin E Cream
thirdstrokelucky 7/26/2007 12:44:00 PM
I love how MUA has finally added Jamieson to the list of products and given it some dignity, but I thought they would also clean up the reviews by moving them into the right categories. Too much work for MUA I suppose. This is a review for Jamieson's Vitamin E 2000 IU Hydrating Day Cream. They may call it a cream, but the texture is more like a lotion--it's light. People with oily to combination skin (like me) could use it even though it's technically for normal to dry skin. It doesn't make me break out. This was my very first Jamieson moisturizer, and I'm so glad I tried it! My skin does not react to it at all unlike what happened with the Jamieson Vitamin A Retinol Night Renewal Treatment. I'm not left with any redness or itchy spots. It is truly my HG. But since this moisturizer is light, I need to switch to something else in winter. I highly recommend this product to everyone, especially those with sensitive skin. The packaging may be unhygienic (it's a jar, not a bottle with pump) and the smell of the cream may seem kind of plastic-y, but it's a small price to pay. Literally too! It regularly sells for about $13 CAD at Shoppers Drug Mart, but it goes for $10 when it's on sale. I love this moisturizer! I have repurchased several times and will continue to do so. Active Ingredients: VITAMIN E TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, SESAME OIL, FENNEL EXTRACT, CHAMOMILE EXTRACT, MISTLETOE EXTRACT, YARROW EXTRACT, BALM MINT EXTRACT, ELASTIN.
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Moisturizers -Jamieson - Vitamin A Night Renewal Treatment
thirdstrokelucky 7/26/2007 12:06:00 PM
The Jamieson Vitamin A Retinol Night Renewal Treatment is meant for people with normal to dry skin and who have fine lines and wrinkles. I have combination skin, but luckily I don't have wrinkles. For a night moisturizer, its texture is light. In fact, it's just like the Jamieson Vitamin E 2000 IU Hydrating Day Cream (texture-wise!). Some reviewers have said that this moisturizer has cleared up their acne, but that hasn't happened to me. What it has done is not make me break out any further. A few others have said that it is fragrance free. Nowhere on the packaging does it say fragrance free, and I find that this product gives off a strong smell of CARROTS!! This isn't hard to comprehend when Vitamin A is the first active ingredient listed. When I first used this "hypoallergenic" moisturizer, my skin reacted with some redness. Currently I don't have this problem, but I'm still very wary. That's why I'm not going to repurchase this, and also because I don't like the overpowering smell of carrots. This product can be found at Shoppers Drug Mart for about $16-17 CAD (what I paid). But they often have their 25% off sales on Jamieson products so then it's about $12-13. I've also seen it at Wal-mart. Active Ingredients: VITAMIN A, VITAMIN E, ALOE VERA, FENNEL EXTRACT, HOPS, CHAMOMILE EXTRACT, BALM MINT EXTRACT, MISTLETOE EXTRACT, VITAMIN C, SESAME OIL, WHEAT GERM OIL, JOJOBA OIL.
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Toners -Jamieson - Purifying Elixir Facial Toner
thirdstrokelucky 7/26/2007 11:15:00 AM
This is an alcohol-free, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free toner for all skin types that claims to eliminate traces of cleanser and residue, tighten pores, and tone your skin. It worked well in refreshing my sensitive skin, but I don't think it shrunk my pores. I've bought the Jamieson toner about three or four times so far, but the places where I usually go to purchase it (i.e., Shoppers Drug Mart and Wal-mart) don't stock this product anymore. It usually sold for about $12 CAD for 250 mL. I know it's not been discontinued since Jamieson's website still lists it among its skin care products, but I'm not going to make the effort to find it in other locations because I've found some other toner that works just as well. On another note, I've been holding on to my last Jamieson toner for about a year now and when I take off the top and look inside the bottle I can see that the toner has turned into a dark shade of orangey brown (think apple cidar). There's also some dark particles at the bottom that cling onto the side. I don't think it was like this when I first bought it and FYI the toner expires in summer 2008. What I've typed is not meant to scare people away from buying this toner, but just to let them know they should use it up within six months or so. Note: Jamieson does not give a complete listing of their ingredients. Active Ingredients: ROSEMARY LEAF EXTRACT, ANTIOXIDANT GRAPE LEAF EXTRACT, SOOTHING CUCUMBER EXTRACT, COOLING WITCH HAZEL EXTRACT, ALOE VERA JUICES, MILK PROTEIN.
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Styling Products -L'Oreal - Studio FX Architect Wax
thirdstrokelucky 6/24/2007 5:25:00 PM
I bought this about two years ago when I wanted to add some texture to my short hair. The wax is really a gel, which makes it easy to spread on my hair. It's true that it "shampoos out easily." I also like the colour of the wax, which is a soft and sparkly purple. And now the bad stuff. This product claims to give "long lasting manageable hold," but this is a lie. My hair had no texture (another lie!), but instead had that just-got-out-of-the-shower look. The other thing I hate about this wax is the fragrance. It smells like Dial shower gel. I don't want to smell like shower gel all day long! I definitely won't repurchase. I wasted about $7-8 CAN for nothing. Ingredients: WATER, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, PPG-5-CETETH-20, STEARETH-20, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, OLETH-10 PHOSPHATE, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, OCTYLDODECYL NEO PENTANOATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, METHYLPARABEN, DISODIUM EDTA, ETHYLPARABEN, MICA, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, EXT. VIOLET 2, BLUE 1.
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Scrubs -St. Ives - St. Ives Gentle Apricot Scrub
thirdstrokelucky 6/24/2007 4:54:00 PM
I have sensitive skin, but I found that this scrub doesn't exfoliate at all. It's more like a cleanser. This product claims to give a "deep clean," but I get that from the original St. Ives Apricot Scrub. THAT one is my HG. Ingredients: WATER (AQUA), GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, GLYCERIN, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, CETYL ALCOHOL, ZEA MAYS, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, GLYCOL STEARATE, HYDROGENATED JOJOBA OIL, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, CAPRYLIC /CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, JUGLANS REGIA, PRUNUS ARMENIACA, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS, PRIMULA VERIS, SAMBUCUS NIGRA, ACETYLATED LANOLIN ALCOHOL, CARBOMER, CETEARETH-20, CETYL ACETATE, DIMETHICONE, DISODIUM EDTA, PEG-12 DIMETHICONE, PETROLATUM, POLYSORBATE 60, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, SORBITOL, STEARAMIDOPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE, STEARIC ACID, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, TRIETHANOLAMINE, UREA, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), RED 30 LAKE (CI 73360), YELLOW 5 LAKE (CI 19140), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), IRON OXIDES (CI 77499).
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Alberto Balsam - Volumizing Shampoo
thirdstrokelucky 6/24/2007 4:24:00 PM
If you can remember how the old Alberto VO5 shampoo from the early '90s smelled like, then you can imagine the scent of this Alberto Balsam shampoo. It is delicious and relaxing, and that's what prompted me to purchase this for $2 CAN. Unfortunately, it disappointed me. I was left with residue on my scalp, which of course made me all itchy. This brand is under Alberto-Culver, which also produces Alberto VO5, St. Ives, TREsemme, and Nexxus. I'm guessing Alberto Balsam has been discontinued since it's not listed on Alberto-Culver's website, and I don't see it being sold elsewhere. I still love the classic balsam scent! That's why I'm going to give this shampoo 2 lippies instead of 1. Ingredients: WATER (AQUA/EAU), SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, HYDROLYZED COLLAGEN, DMDM HYDANTOIN, CITRIC ACID, TETRASODIUM EDTA, POLYSORBATE 20, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, PANTHENOL, ASCORBIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, BIOTIN, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), BENZYL SALICYLATE, BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL, LINALOOL, YELLOW 5 (CI 19140), RED 40 (CI 16035), BLUE 1 (CI 42090). (Maybe it was all the chemicals that were bothering me.)
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Conditioner -LUSH - Veganese conditioner
thirdstrokelucky 6/19/2007 10:17:00 PM
My intention on MUA is not to give a negative review to every single LUSH product. It just so happens that I am finding many of their items that do not perform satisfactorily, and which I would not repurchase. In the case of Veganese, I cannot say if it moisturized my hair well or if it left some residue since it's been a while since I used this product. What turns me off is its stench of vomit. I went inside a LUSH store to see if the tester bottle smelled like the one I have at home, and yes, it did smell of acidic puke.
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Shampoo -LUSH - I Love Juicy
thirdstrokelucky 6/19/2007 9:54:00 PM
I wanted to like this shampoo, but it made my scalp greasy. Very unfortunate since it works for almost everybody.
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Shampoo -LUSH - The Blonde
thirdstrokelucky 6/19/2007 9:44:00 PM
I did not enjoy using this solid shampoo. The scent of chamomile proved to be extremely strong. I had no idea I hated chamomile that much. I wasn't expecting it to lighten my hair since it's naturally dark, but I was hoping for some shine. Result? Nothing special. And for $14.95 CAD per 100g, that's highway robbery!
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