Cleansers -Christian Dior - Purifying Wash-Off Cleansing Foam
Absolutely 8/15/2008 6:06:00 PM
I have the newest version (the Magique Cleansing Foam) and I love it. It doesn`t leave a film on my face and it`s great for my oily skin. I use a cleansing oil to wash my makeup off first before using this as a follow-up cleanser. In the morning, I use this by itself and it makes me feel refreshed. The scent is so beautiful too, unlike my Avene face wash that changed its unscented scent to rotten eggs scent after a couple of months. I will try to gel version after I am done with this tube.
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Eyeliner -Lise Watier - Lise Watier Waterproof Eyeliner
Absolutely 7/12/2008 11:33:00 PM
I have this is Noir Intense and Raisin Noir. This eyeliner does not go on that smooth on the eyelids but because it is not creamy, it lasts way longer. This lasts longer than those overly hyped gel liners (Hi, Bobbi, I am talking about yours) and Laura Mercier's Cake liners. You can apply these to the waterline and they do last quite a while too. I will repurchase because the selection for colours is so big I can't wait to out try more colours. Edit: These flake during the day. Back to liquid liner.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Shiseido - Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42 PA+++
Absolutely 7/12/2008 11:30:00 PM
I love the coverage and lasting power of this foundation. This does not last all that long before I blot but compared to all of the liquid ones I've tried, this is the best. Too bad it causes some breakouts for me that seem to be on and off. I really wish this worked for me like it has for so many others. I still recommend it though.
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Liquid -Shu Uemura - Water Perfect Fluid Foundation
Absolutely 7/12/2008 11:27:00 PM
Excellent light coverage foundation. Does not cause breakouts!!! However, it does not hold up on oily skin (my t-zone) but it's not bad in terms when compared to some liquid foundations. It looks a lot more natural than the Face Architect but that may be due to the light coverage.
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Liquid -Shu Uemura - Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation
Absolutely 7/12/2008 11:24:00 PM
A nice foundation with a lot of shades. It looks natural but not as natural as the Water Perfect Foundation since Face Architect has higher coverage. I have to use powder on top because it will start looking shiny fast due to my very oily skin (especially my t-zone). I do use Sofina's sunscreen as a base for the t-zone but even that does not ensure 8 hour wear. I can go about 6 hours before I blot but the foundation comes off and can look blotchy if I wait too long to blot but that is a problem with every foundation I've tried except the Shiseido Sunscreen one but I cannot continue to use that due to breakouts. A problem I find with this foundation is that it can sink into fine lines after a long day. Otherwise, it is one of the best liquid foundations I have tried, but am still looking for something that holds longer in a liquid form. Try the water perfect if you are looking for a more light and natural coverage but both are quality foundations. Foundations I have tried: Shu Uemura - Water Perfect: Great for my better skin days YSL - Brush Foundation: Felt too greasy and contributed to some break outs Shiseido Sunscreen Foundation SPF 42: The colour matchd me so well and has the best lasting power and it actually looks pretty natural (tiny bit more natural than Shu's FA). However, it contributed to break outs but a lot of MuAers did not experience this. I used an oil-cleanser to remove it every night too. Guerlain Fleur de Teint Ultra Mat: Great coverage but the colour is off (the lightest yellow/neutral colour is way too dark for me) Shiseido White Lucent Powder Foundation: Medium-Full coverage but oddly, it did not help at all with oilies. Also settled into pores. Chanel Mat Lumiere Powder: Almost no coverage and the skin tones are too pinky for me. Chanel Double Perfection Powder: Colour was off and oxidized a bit after a while La Prairie Cellular Treatment Powder Foundation: Excellent but expensive. It does settle into large pores if I do not use this over a foundation. I do not use this alone because the colour looks off. This is great for a finishing powder and for touch-ups.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink 
Absolutely 7/11/2008 3:09:00 AM
It was too harsh on my eyes, being very dark but I could use this for nights out. However, it smudges after a few hours and does not stay well at all in when I tightline. The black-paint-under-your-eye look is not very flattering. Will not repurchase. Too bad this didn't work out for me like it did for so many others.
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Moisturizers -Dr. Brandt - Poreless Gel
Absolutely 5/25/2008 6:02:00 PM
I bought this in hopes of helping with my oily, acne-prone skin. It does leave a shiny finish but it is light and does not clog pores. However, it does not help with preventing pimples that well. It is an okay primer under makeup but not the best for that. I'll repurchase as a light moisturizer (for oily skin) but I hope to find something else that is more effective. RoC's emulsion lost its effectiveness after a while like most products I've tried. Update: This is sticky and doesn't do anything for my skin
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Brows -Yves Saint Laurent - Dessin Des Sourcils- Eyebrow Pencil
Absolutely 5/3/2008 4:38:00 AM
I have the #5 and I love how there's a grooming brush at the other end of this pencil. The colour also looks natural against my black-brown hair colour. However, I find that this flakes when applied to my eyebrows and there would be little bits of powder bits around my eyes. I find it to be annoying to wipe off everytime I use this pencil because my Shu Uemura pencil does not do this. I'm glad it worked for others and it does do its job but it just takes up more time in the morning.
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Powder -La Prairie - Cellular Treatment Foundation Powder
Absolutely 3/20/2008 2:36:00 AM
Update: Deducted a lippie because this contributed to breakouts and the colour is way too pink. This is the best foundation for controlling oilies so far. Beats Shiseido and Chanel hands down for coverage and oil-control. However, the shades are super limited. I'm using Ivoire and I find that it's a too light but Cameo is too pink and I haven't tried Beige Dore yet but it looks rather pinky too, so I'm not sure what I can use for summer. Texture is really fine and smooth, due to oil that's added into the powder. I was really suspicious of the amount of oil in the ingredients (no mineral oil of course) but oddly, this foundation controls much better than oil-free formulations. It hasn't broken me out so far but I usually get some breakouts regardless of what I use. I have the rectangular compact which I am sad to say that there is only 10g of product in it. I want to repurchase this but the lack of colour selection is looking rather unattractive for summer at the moment. I think they modified the ingredients slightly too (I got the old ingredients from someone): New Ingredients (Rectangular Compact): Talc, Mica, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Myristate、Polymethyl Methacrylate、Squalane、Methicone、Glycoproteins, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Beta-Glucan, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Rosa Canina (Dog Rose) Extract, Calluna Vulgaris (Heather) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Extract, Kaolin, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Silk (Serica) Powder, Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben、Propylparaben、Fragrance (Parfum)、Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Hexyl Cinnamal, Evernia Furfuracea (Treemoss) Extract, Benzyl Benzoate, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines Old Ingredients: Talc、Dimethicone、Nylon-12、Zinc Stearate、Sodium Myristate、Polymethyl Methacrylate、Squalane、Methicone、Methylparaben、Sodium Dehydroacetate、Propylparaben、Vitamin E 、Ascorbyl Palmitate、Silk Powder、Kaolin、Fragrance、Sunflower Oil 、Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract、Beta-Glucan、Glycoproteins、Water、Propylene Glycol、Rosa Canina Fruit Extract、Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract、Calluna Vulgaris Extract、Panax Ginseng Root Extract、Equisetum Arvense Extract、Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract、(+/-)Titanium Dioxide、Mica、Iron Oxides、Ultramarines
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Stila - #31 Retractable Powder Brush
Absolutely 2/14/2008 8:42:00 PM
It's very, very silky soft, but I wish the brush head was a bit bigger because I find that it does shed a little. Very nice for travel/everyday use though.
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Lip Treatments -Clinique - Superbalm Tinted Lip Treatment in Pink Grapefruit Tint
Absolutely 1/27/2008 2:28:00 AM
Clinique increased the size of this product and comes in more colours than before! (Old news to others but new to me) I love, love the Raspberry (deep pink that shows up more) and the Grapefruit (light pink that only gives a slight hint of colour). I had Mango but the colour didn't suit my pigmented lips but the moisturizing properties of this balm is superb. Much better than RoC's Endrial or RoC's Minesol lipchaps (They're good but they heal enough for the winter months). Carmex's taste is completely repulsive so I can't use that despite the fact that I've been told it works really well. These superbalms cost around 19 dollars after taxes CAD for a 15 mil tube. There is no weird aftertaste or no strong smell. In fact, it doesn't smell like or taste like anything to me despite the names of the shades. I love these and I will definitely repurchase.
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Lip Treatments -Clinique - Superbalm Tinted Lip Treatment - All Shades
Absolutely 1/27/2008 2:26:00 AM
Clinique increased the size of this product and comes in more colours than before! (Old news to others but new to me) I love, love the Raspberry (deep pink that shows up more) and the Grapefruit (light pink that only gives a slight hint of colour). I had Mango but the colour didn't suit my pigmented lips but the moisturizing properties of this balm is superb. Much better than RoC's Endrial or RoC's Minesol lipchaps (They're good but they heal enough for the winter months). Carmex's taste is completely repulsive so I can't use that despite the fact that I've been told it works really well. These superbalms cost around 19 dollars after taxes CAD for a 15 mil tube. There is no weird aftertaste or no strong smell. In fact, it doesn't smell like or taste like anything to me despite the names of the shades. I love these and I will definitely repurchase.
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Treatments -Clean & Clear - Persagel 5% Benzoyl Peroxide
Absolutely 1/18/2008 6:30:00 PM
Nice spot-gel that will dry out your skin if you do not use a moisturizer. I made a mistake of putting a thin layer over my face before going to bed on top of my moisturizer (after not using this product for a year then repurchasing it). At first it gives a nice matte finish but then when I woke up the next day, my face was stinging, red, itchy and irritated for the next two days. I definitely recommend getting used to it before putting a lot on your face at once (e.g., diluting it with lotion or creme for sensitive skin like my own). It is fairly inexpensive - 7.99 CAD before taxes at Shopper's. My pimples were dried up but the cost of it was irritated, inflamed skin for two days and I'm recovering. I am surprised that there is no listing for the 5% persagel but there's two listings for the 10% one. I will not be repurchasing unfortunately.
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Cleansers -Avene - Cold cream ultra-rich cleansing gel
Absolutely 1/18/2008 6:25:00 PM
Update: This stuff smells like rotten eggs after a couple of months. I still have about 1/3 of the bottle left. One lippie off. I love, love this stuff. I always hesitated to buy this because I thought that rougher scrubs and cleansers were the way to go for my oily, acne-prone skin. However, after using this gentle cold cream cleanser (I wouldn't personally categorize it as cold cream in the sense that it removes all my makeup), my complexion was instantly brighter and not red or ruddy. I use this after an oil cleanser to take off makeup and it doesn't dry out my skin or leave any film. It comes in a big 400 mL pump-top bottle which is my ideal type of packaging. The consistency is a liquidy gel that foams up really well if you add a lot of water, or you can not add much water to have a minimal to no foam gel-wash. It was 29 dollars CAD before taxes. I will repurchase. Edit: I stopped using this. This isn't that special anymore and I'm looking into more natural or organic brands.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Quo - Oil Blotting Papers
Absolutely 1/6/2008 2:37:00 AM
These are ok but they are too papery for my liking. I'd rather buy asian blotting papers (the thin ones).
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