Liquid -Giorgio Armani - Luminous Silk Foundation
Brunettegirl 10/22/2008 6:32:00 PM
I have been curious about this foundation after reading all the raves in the mags, so I went to my local Saks and received a generous 7 day supply to test out. I was matched with #5, which I feel is a very good choice for my NC20-25 skintone. To get straight to the point, this stuff makes me look as though I have coated vasoline all over my face in lieu of foundation. The first day I tried this it was very hot and humid so I assumed the weather was the culprit of the greasy-ness. I wanted to give this an honest and fair chance so I have been wearing my sample in different weather conditions and checking it out in various lighting. My sister was initially the one to point out the grease factor, but again I thought I'd still need to test drive a little further to decide. I even went so far as to take a close up picture of myself wearing this just to make sure. The picture was all I needed to see to determine there is no way I could ever buy this and am so happy I have learned to sample before I buy. I am giving this 1 lippie for the lovely color selection, and another for blendability and ease of application. I have normal to combo skin, and almost always buy dewy, luminous foundations that provide sheer to light coverage to even out skintone and give a radiant look, but this was just too over the top for my liking...By the way, the grease factor for me does not set in until later in the day. When I first put this on it's a dream, but after a few hours is when the vasoline look comes on and when it does it looks like pure grease.(I am in no way an oily girl, except very slighty T-zone)...I once again will stick to my Teint Innocence Chanel foundation. (I guess I gave it HG status for a reason)...Now if only CHANEL would learn from the others they'd add a few more shades to their limited selection of color choices, but other than that I have no reason to look for another, as they still have enough to work with...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Chanel - Gommage Eclat Express
Brunettegirl 10/21/2008 2:43:00 PM
As much as I adore Chanel make-up (foundation, blush, lipsticks, glosses), I am not a fan of their skincare. The items I have tried have left me wanting to run to my nearest sink and wash, scrub, rinse and do it all over again. I find most of their cleansers, toners, and scrubs to be loaded with perfume and irritating ingredients and this is no exception. As the reviewer below me mentioned, this stuff makes you feel like residue is still left on your skin after rinsing well. I also did not see any improvement on the flakies around my nose, nor did my skin look any better afterwards. I actually felt as though my skin was irritated and looked a bit red in spots, which was the case when I received a facial from the Chanel rep ages ago also. By the time I drove home I wanted to take just about anything to wipe off the unpleasant feeling left on my skin. Trust me, I do not scrub too harshly as I make sure I am messaging my face as gently as possible. I'd like to see Chanel and many other HE cosmetic companies concentrate on skin beneficial ingredients and leave out some of the heavy perfume and irritating ingredients so many of their skin care items contain. Ironically, the truly great products get discontinued or re-invented... (especially the Precision age delay line). I will not be buying again...
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Blush -Giorgio Armani - Sheer Blush #2
Brunettegirl 10/14/2008 3:55:00 PM
I have been looking for a blush to replace my NARS Orgasm blush (still HG material) for the winter months. I literally have been searching high and low for a natural pinky-peach blush that perks me up, but doesn't quite have the shimmer and gold tones of Orgasm...This is it....It looks so light in the pan, but it is buildable. What I like is that it is sheer, it is not matte and its not totally shimmery...It looks so lovely with my NC20-25 skintone. This is the blush that makes you feel pretty, not heavily made-up. It is soft and feminine and reminds me of a magazine ad, where the models cheek bones are softly highlighted, almost etheral for lack of a better discription...I really love this one. I have never tried GA until now and I am really impressed. I will be buying other things in this line. Very stunning make up....
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - #116 Blush Brush
Brunettegirl 10/10/2008 7:23:00 PM
OK ladies...I must admit that for years I have been using cheap brushes...You know the kind you get FREE from GWP...(I know, shame on me)...While I am a make up and skin care addict, I just never had a reason to spend a ton on blush brushes, until I took a really good look at my Lancome brush and saw the little bristles going in a million different directions...I headed straight for my nearest MAC counter and bought this awesome brush and will never look back. I had no trouble picking up the correct amount of powder blush with this and also love the contour it gives my cheeks. Now, I don't know if this is coincedental, but my DH and several co-workers told me how great my face/complexion looked today :) This was the only thing different about my routine. I like the soft bristles and the way they despense just the perfect amount of blush on my cheek bones. I have never been a fan of the really thick blush lines as I have a smaller face that can not support wide swipes of blush...You will not have that problem with this brush, as it is not that huge to begin with....This is simply perfect and will last for years....
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Scrubs -Dr. Brandt - Microdermabrasion in a Jar
Brunettegirl 10/9/2008 5:59:00 PM
I had some extra time on my hands today and headed out to my local book store. While shopping I picked up the latest addition of Lucky magazine. As I was flipping through the pages, one ad caught my eye in particular, a woman who has beautiful, but severely dry skin, (my skin is normal-combo just for the record). She shared her secrets in keeping her skin so beautiful and clear and this product was among a few of them. I have been on the hunt for a really good exfoliator as I have some flakies by my nose that cause constant maintainence. I have normal to slighly dry cheeks and can go "dull" real quick if I don't exfoliate. I was inspired by the article and headed straight home to try my sample from Sephora. I must say this stuff is probably about the most effective I have tried to date!!! I feared that my skin would look like and inflammed lobster afterwards, as the tiny little particles are abrasive (at least they feel that way as your messgaing them into skin), but I was pleasantly surprised by baby smooth skin afterwards...No redness at all... I think what keeps this from totally ripping your skin to shreds is the lovely cream base. I will certainly buy this when my samples run out...Took 1 lippie off for the high price tag...
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Eye Makeup Remover -Neutrogena - Oil Free eye makeup remover
Brunettegirl 10/8/2008 6:06:00 AM
I agree with all the great reviews on this product...At first I did not care for the sorta greasy feeling left behind, but it takes only a matter of minutes and that is gone completely. I also follow up with a cotton pad filled with only plain water to rinse away anything left behind. I can't bring myself to pay for Lancome anymore when this does the job quite effectively and it's 1/3 the price. This does wonders over the Almay pads I have also used in the past. This really does dissolve your eye make up quickly. I have noticed that I save cotton pads with this stuff too. I use one side for one eye and then flip it over and use the other side for my other eye, and finally follow up with one more cotton pad filled w/ water only to wipe away and excess...I am happy my MUA friends led me to this great stuff...
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Fragrances -Bath and Body Works - Exotic Coconut body splash
Brunettegirl 10/2/2008 3:12:00 PM
My shipment just arrived today from BBW, and I loved it immediately....Fabulous toasted coconut scent, mixed with musk and a hint of berries. I find this utterly sexy and pefect for any time of the year. Great pick me up fragrance, and not a grossly sweet scent either like so many other coconut concoctions out these days. I usually would have a headache by now with many of the other coconut fragrances I have worn, but this one is staying pleasant on me. I feel like I have just spent a day baking in the sun on some exotic tropical island. This is lovely and I will wear on days that I don't need a "real perfume". As a matter of fact I can't wear a lot of perfumes, so this will probably be what I reach for until Escada comes out with their newest limited edition...Really beachy, really coconutty, and really sexy...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Bumble & Bumble - Defrizz
Brunettegirl 10/2/2008 7:16:00 AM
I have had this product sitting under my cabinet for several years. For some reason I just don't reach for this one as often as I do my Aveda gloss drops. I find this does work very well when mixed with Avedas' hang straight though (otherwise I don't like either product on their own). I find this is just OK in comaprison to some of my other styling products. This product seems like it's missing something in terms of an all- in- one product. I tend to like products that keep frizz at bay, protect agianst heat styling, don't look greasy, and still manage to create a healthy, glossy head of hair. This one is lacking and I can't quite put my finger on it, but I like other de-frizzers much better. It just doesn't seem to give the same results that my Aveda shine/de-frizz products give me. For reference I have long, thick hair, coarse, and wavy hair. This product may be better suited for other hair types...
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Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Advanced Hard as Nails Polish (Clear)
Brunettegirl 9/30/2008 8:40:00 AM
I would catergorize this as a treatment because this is supposed to help condition dry/brittle nails, in order to make them stronger and less cracked. I have not had this peel on me nor has it slipped off my nails. I apply 2 very liberal coats on my toes and typically leave it on overnight. By the next day my nails are ready for their polish and top coat. I have noticed significant less peeling on my toe nails....Not exactly sure of the science behind brittle nails, but for some reason prior to me using this my big toe nails were becoming peely and brittle/cracked...I have not experienced this with any other nails on my hands or feet. This treatment has reduced this problem to only slight and minor peeling now. This is a major improvement to how they were before...I absolutely would recommend this product as I personally find it's doing something to help, like it claims...By the way, mine says it contains retinol and Nylon...There may be several similar products in this line.
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Liquid -Chanel - Teint Innocence [DISCONTINUED]
Brunettegirl 9/25/2008 7:13:00 AM
Update: I am raising the lippie rating to a full 5 (from 4) as I have been wearing this frequently and I love this as much now as the cream formula...When I wear this people tell me my skin looks flawless...I find this is not too greasy looking nor is it too matte....Great stuff!!! Ist Review: I wear the cream to powder version of this (HG material for me) and have always been curious about this formula so my local Chanel SA gave me two generous sized packets in my shade to try. (I now wear the shade ivory). Anyway, like the compact this gives a lovely light natural look, meaning your natural skin still shows through. I applied this with my Sonia Kushak foundation brush and found this very easy to blend, allowing me to go lighter or heavier with application...By the way, a little goes a long way with this formula, therefore it would last a long time. I would have to say for me the subtle difference was that the liquid version may be a bit more dewy and therefore I prefer the cream. I would certainly buy this if my beloved compact ever gets d/c, but let's hope that does not happen. I think this a wonderful product for individuals not looking for heavy or matte coverage, but a dewy, smooth, fresh face instead! I used this in conjunction with my Chanel pressed powder in translucent #1 and they worked well together. I like the teint innocent foundations a lot. I think the cream or liquid are both great options.
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Scrubs -Origins - Paradise Found Balinese Body Glow [DISCONTINUED]
Brunettegirl 9/20/2008 7:17:00 PM
OMG...This stuff is fabulous. I recently ran out of my coconut scrub from TBS and figured I'd give this a try based on all the great reviews here and I am so happy I did. I have been transported from my home to somewhere quite exotic in a matter of minutes. I was a bit skeptical at first because I noticed it did not have as much of the coconut scent that I usually like in my bath products, but trust me, one trip to my tub and this scrub has made me a believer. The beautiful tropical smells seem to evolve as you massage this into your skin. I think one of the coolest things about this scrub is the gummy like texture. As others mentioned it does foam a bit, does a wonderful job of exfoliating, and makes you feel super soft afterwards.... I'd swear I had just been to a high end spa for a treatment like this, and I did not even have to leave my home...Love it!
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Moisturizers -Chanel - Beaute Initiale Energizing Multi-Protection Cream SPF 15
Brunettegirl 9/19/2008 1:22:00 PM
It's funny, but my initial opinion of this product after applying the samples the SA so generously gave me was, "this would make a good hand cream". I just noticed one of the reviewers below me said the same thing. For me I did not experience any dryness, in fact quite the opposite. I am not oily and this made me feel like a grease ball. I can't wait til tonight to remove this off my face. There is entirely too much fragrance combined with the very un pleasant greasy feeling in this product for my liking. I will not be buying this or even finishing my samples. I do however feel the rectifiance is a decent product, also by Chanel.
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Cleansers -Estee Lauder - Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser
Brunettegirl 9/19/2008 7:20:00 AM
I used to use this product for quite some time and each time I'd say to myself, I am not buying this again because it is drying". I have normal-combo skin, which is neither too oily nor too dry, (Slightly oily T-zone, slightly dry cheeks, and quite dry around my eyes). This cleanser does an excellent job of cleaning off your make up and dirt, but it's far too drying for most skin types, imo. If you follow the Cosmetics Cop at all, she also says this is too drying for most, other than more oilier types...The end result is I will not re purchase, even though I gave it a 3 for it's ability to clean pretty well. Overall EL makes some really great products but for me this is not one of them...
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Shampoo -Aveda - Detoxifier [DISCONTINUED]
Brunettegirl 9/19/2008 6:59:00 AM
I really was impressed by the results this gave me, followed by Redkens' Real Control Moisturizing mask. I would have to say my hair looked very shiny and felt so clean afterwards...I never really paid attention to it before because I expected it to be way too drying for my already dry/thick/coarse hair, but to my delight the results were wonderful. I would absolutely only use this once or so a month when you need to really get product build up out of your hair. I am not sure what the results would be used more frequently. I am one that loves Aveda herbal scents therefore this was no exception. On a side note, this s a lot less expensive than some of their other shampoos...I only paid about $9.50US.
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Lipstick -Chanel - Aqualumiere#47- Barbados
Brunettegirl 9/17/2008 4:31:00 PM
Great everyday lippie with my nc20-25 skin tone. I was looking for an everyday, goes with everything l/s, but nothing too heavy or thick. I like the texture a lot as it is sheer but also has enough color and oomph to it to give you a nice natural, but polished look. Really think this is a pretty rosey, pinky, brown-ish undertone color....Probably would look good on a variety of skin tones, but I especially think it compliments us fairer girls quite nicely...
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