Lipstick -Bobbi Brown - Creamy Lip Color - Retro Pink
SaraLee2 12/30/2010 1:12:00 PM
I love everything about this. The texture is so smooth and creamy, I just love how it glides on and moisturizes my lips well. I love the light vanilla scent and mild taste, but neither lasts long at all. I have medium pigmented lips that have a brownish plum tint to them. While BB describes this as bright pink, it isn't. I can't pull off bright pink at all. This is very sheer, but still leaves behind a warm pink that isn't too girlie or too Barbie. Its the perfect, natural looking baby pink that makes my lips look full and plump. Lasts only about an hour, but I love putting it on so don't mind. Looks great with a touch of Pink Glitter lip gloss on top.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Blush in Pink Coral
SaraLee2 12/30/2010 12:13:00 PM
Finally...the perfect pink for my medium beige with yellow skin. It has just enough coral to warm it up, taking out any hints of lavender/purple, but leaving out any orange. Compared to Coral shimmer blush, Coral leans to orange with a hint of pink, while this is heavy on the pink with a hint of coral. BB's Pale Pink blush actually looks purple next to this, and Pink Sugar shimmer blush is a much lighter shade and a lot cooler. The shimmer is mild and doesn't accentuate my pores like most shimmers do. Its really pigmented and easily picked up with a brush. I apply with MAC's 188, which picks up just the right amount, and buff it into my cheekbones (which I think takes away a lot of the potential shimmer). It just warms and brightens my whole face. Very happy to be wearing pink!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Blistex - Five Star Lip Protection
SaraLee2 11/29/2010 12:58:00 PM
Looks like this is one of those YMMV items, but I love this stuff. Its smooth, glides on like silk yet is thick and creamy, and tastes sweet, not minty or fruity. Lasts a good long time, makes my lips super smooth, and totally wipes out dryness for me. Makes a great base for lipstick and over lip stains, although it does make them a bit lighter but that works for me. Used alone it makes my lips slightly paler, but they're fairly pigmented so it doesn't wash them out. SPF30 is a total bonus. Love the ingredients as well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Lubriderm - Advanced Therapy Triple Smoothing Lotion [DISCONTINUED]
SaraLee2 11/29/2010 11:50:00 AM
I've been using Aqua Glycolic's AHA lotion for years and loved it, but I always had to order it on line since my local drugstores never carried it, and it was pricey ($25 for 6 oz). When I saw this at Target, I thought I'd give it a shot since it was a fraction of the price of the AG ($8 for 13.5 oz), and it was available locally. Well I love it. It feels better than the AG...more cushy, thicker, softer, richer, although it takes a bit longer to soak it, but definitely does in about 5 minutes. Spreads easily, leaves no sticky residue at all, but still feels very protecting. Moisturizes better too. I couldn't use the AG daily as it would start to dry out my skin, making it feel a bit prickly. This I can use every day without the drying effect. Leaves my skin feeling just as smooth if not smoother. The scent is pleasant...a soft, mild floral that disappears quickly. I moved my home last week, and my hands were a complete wreck from packing/unpacking, cracked and dry, and they felt like sandpaper. This fixed all that almost instantly and there are no greasy fingerprints when I touch something. I also moved to a much harsher climate and my face was feeling so tight and dehydrated so I used this and it fixed all that too without greasing out my oily skin (which tends to get super greasy when its dehydrated). It also made the most amazing base for my tinted sunscreen (EmerginC). Pores look smaller, both creme and powder blush goes on so smooth and even, and skin feel like silk. Seriously a great, all around, multipurpose lotion thats now a staple.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Phytomer - Souffle Marine
SaraLee2 9/12/2010 10:13:00 AM
I wouldn't buy this again, but I would highly recommend for those with oily skin. I used to work mostly at home, where I have beach weather so AC is rarely needed. Recently I took another job, requiring me to be in the office all week. They keep it like a meat locker. Seriously, its 115 degrees outside and people are shivering in parkas at their desks. My skin was suffering so much...so tight, flakey, dull and uncomfortable. I was using Phytomer base, which works beautifully at home, but wasn't nearly enough in this environment. So I bought this after reading that it "contains marine active ingredients that neutralize pollutants and help the skin to defend and oxygenate itself for a fresher complexion and better toned skin", and contains Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride & shea butter. They classify it as a serum, but Its a very light, white lotion that comes in a little glass bottle with a pump. One pump is enough to cover my entire face and one for my neck. It goes on smooth, smells mild and fresh (a hint of ozone and ocean), soaks in immediately, and leaves an excellent base for my tinted SS (I'm sure it would also be a good base for any kind). It made my skin very matte, but was still moisturizing. The effect lasted all day. I usually have an oily T-zone and I had none of that all day. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough moisture for the office environment. The good news was my skin definitely appeared moisturized, flakiness gone, and dullness much improved, but it was still uncomfortably tight. Out of desperation I started using Dermalogica's Super Rich (thought it would be way to greasy for day use) during the day and that finally turned it all around and my skin is back to normal. This would be an excellent moisturizer for oily skin and I would highly recommend. $44 for 1 oz, but it would last quite a while. Ingredients are above.
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Lotions/ Creams -Olay - Regenerist Body Lotion
SaraLee2 7/26/2010 1:46:00 PM
I bought this because my face responds really well to niacinamide so when I saw this at Target for about $6 I grabbed it. While I love olay face stuff, I've never been impressed with their body lotions. They all have varying degrees of stickiness, and this is no exception. Its a medium thick white lotion with very subtle shimmer thats actually closer to sparkle on my skin, but you really have to look to see it. Definitely leaves a glowy sheen that I really like. I have no trouble at all getting it out of the squeeze bottle, and it has an average amount of slip and absorbs as much as its going to very quickly. What I don't like about this (and all olay's lotions) is its definitely sticky. Its on the low end of the sticky scale, but sticky nonetheless. It leaves sort of a glaze on your skin. If I don't touch my skin I don't really notice (clothes don't stick)...that is until I sit on the toilet and my azz sticks. At work I have to peel off the toilet seat cover or its comin' with me...eww eww eww. When I go to bed I can feel my legs stick together. The scent is a light bamboo-like scent that disappears immediately, and it definitely makes my skin smooth and soft, but no more so than the AHA lotion I use every other day (Aqua Glycolic...makes your skin feel like glass!). I don't notice any great moisturizing effects either...same as any average lotion. I've only used it for 1 week so really not enough time to judge skin tone yet, and thats really what I bought it for. I'm going to finish the bottle, then try mixing niacinamide & matrixyl from skinactives.com to a different non-sticky DS lotion (not sure which one yet) and see if that delivers. I'll update.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Unlisted Brand - Careprost~Generic Brand Latisse
SaraLee2 7/12/2010 5:22:00 PM
I've been using this for 3 months and am seriously impressed. My lashes are 3x's longer than they were and definitely darker. There is slight thickening, but mostly its the length thats been affected. What I really really love about this is the affect on my brows. I've had bald spots on both brows since high school when they were seriously over plucked for years. When I finally let them grow out...or at least tried to...about 20 years ago, certain spots never filled in so there were little bare spots throughout. I've always had to fill them in daily. Well no more. They have completely filled in. No more bald spots! I love it! I also think they darkened a bit, but its hard to tell 'cuz they were so thinned out they might have just looked lighter. Now that they are dense again, they appear darker. I haven't experienced any side affects at all (knock on wood). I already have dark brown eyes so this hasn't affected eye color at all, and I don't see any changes to my lids either, but I try to keep it as close to my lash line as possible. I still use this nightly, but will probably start cutting back to every other day soon for maintenance. I too get this at alldaychemist.com for $10 + $25 shipping. I also get Retin-A there as well so the shipping is totally worth it.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - BurnOut - Clean and Clear Zinc Oxide Sunblock
SaraLee2 7/9/2010 11:31:00 AM
good, but not great, so I probably wouldn't by again. I love the protection zinc provides, but not the white cast. this leaves barely a white cast on my medium skin that is easily disguised with a little bronzer. It is extremely thick and somewhat difficult to rub in and thats over my moisturizer (phytomer base). Its not greasy and leaves my oily skin matte all day and doesn't make my pores look huge like most zinc ss's do, but I do find it a bit dehydrating with daily use. What I'm not crazy about is the tackiness left behind (its only slight, but it never completely goes away), and the heavy, mask like feel. What I love is I can be out in the hot sun all day and not get color. purchased directly from the manufacturers website http://burnoutsun.com 3.4 oz for $18. they also carry other varieties (ocean tested: contains botanical oils so might be more moisturizing...same amount of zinc), kids version (no oils), and a chemical gel version with avobenzone & octocrylene although they don't mention the levels of either.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cerave - Facial Moisturizing Lotion - PM
SaraLee2 6/29/2010 9:44:00 AM
I would not recommend this to anyone who clogs easily or is prone to breakouts. There are several ingredients in this that rate high (4) on the comedogenic scale, including Ceteareth 20 & Cetearyl Alcohol. I'm very clog prone and while I usually don't break out if caught in time, this really clogged up my face and took me a while to clear. I also woke to greasy, dull skin, when I'm looking for rested, refreshed, plumped skin. I've been using it on my chest and hands with no problem, but also no notable results after using almost the entire bottle. Nia24, while much more pricey, is 10x's better than this with noticable results and no clogged pores.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Pretika Sonic Dermabrasion Facial Care System (Clarisonic dupe)
SaraLee2 6/25/2010 1:24:00 PM
I wanted to buy the Clarisonic, but it was so expensive I thought I'd try this first to see if it made any difference. I liked this well enough and thought it did do a decent job exfoliating between microdermabrasion sessions. The brush was very hard and scratchy, and the whole contraption would go on/off at random with loud beeping noises (love that in the middle of the night :P). After about 7 months it finally crapped out completely, refusing to recharge and beeping incessantly. This was about the time Clarisonic came out with the Mia version, so I bought that with a 20% off coupon so fairly reasonable. OMG what a difference! The brush is so much softer, it doesn't beep randomly in the middle of the night, the size is perfect, and it works twice as good as this, probably 'cuz you can use it the recommended amount of time without feeling like you're scratching your face off. If you want to try it out first to see if the whole vibrating brush thing works for you, this is a reasonable investment. If you know its something you want, I wouldn't waste my time with this and go straight for Clarisonic. I also wouldn't recommend this for sensitive skin, even the sensitive brush is much more harsh than the regular Clarisonic brush.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Tinted Eye Brightener 2012 Reformulation
SaraLee2 6/24/2010 9:48:00 AM
I too was a loyal user to the pot version. Best stuff on the market and I use it daily. When I saw it had been discontinued, I tried this. Totally useless. Thinner and more transparent (doesn't brighten anything), settles in fine lines, and you pay a lot more for a lot less. I felt robbed. I've tried just about every other 'eye brightening' product on the market and the pot version of this is still the best thing ever. I have some left and use it sparingly, trying to make it last as long as possible since I have no idea what I'm going to do when its gone. Bring back the old formula!!
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -NIA 24 - Skin Strengthening Complex
SaraLee2 6/5/2010 12:18:00 PM
UPDATE: I've now added the Nia24 exfoliating serum along with this and it has made a huge difference. The two together have given my skin clarity and has evened my skin tone considerably. The blotches on my neck are gone for the first time in years. Very impressive and highly recommended duo.
I'm on my 2nd tube of this and I think its really made a difference in my skin tone. At first it seemed to really dry out my oily dehydrated skin and I thought I wasn't going to be able to use it, but I after spending 85 bucks on this stuff I was determined so I powered through. after about 30 days my skin seemed to adjust and now I'm loving the results. I use it daily after my VitC serum, then Phytomer Hydracontinue Base over this. The two really work well together and make the perfect base for the tinted SS I use. My skin is so much more even toned and healthy looking. Really enjoying the results and will continue to use.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Phytomer - Hydracontinue moisturizing base
SaraLee2 6/4/2010 3:14:00 PM
UPDATE 9/10: I've had to switch to using Dermalogica's Super Rich Repair during the day since changing jobs, which forces me to be in the office 5 days/week. Its a meat locker in there and the AC was destroying my skin. This just couldn't counteract the effects as its not hydrating enough under those circumstances for my skin enough. I continue tp use on the weekends when I'm not under AC all day and I still think its a great product for those who don't have the dehydration problems I have.
Such a great product! I've been using this for about 3 months and I love it. My skin is oily/dehydrated. I can have a major oil slick going on, and yet my skin feels so uncomfortably tight. I've tried a ton of products and some definitely helped, but this is the only one that has completely taken away the tightness and decreased oily production at the same time. My skin is more 'normal' that its ever been. I use it daily over Vit C serum, Nia24, and before tinted sunscreen. The Nia24 & this combined makes a great base for the SS which is very thick. My pores look smaller and my skin more even than its been in a very long time. I love the gel consistency and the spa like scent (very mild). I only need a pea size to cover my face and another for my neck. It soaks in immediately and makes my skin glow.$35 for 1.6 oz and its lasted 3 months so far with about half a tube left. total bargain for the great things it does for my skin.
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Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Happy Sensation w/Bamboo Extract & Orange Blossom Scent
SaraLee2 5/30/2010 1:42:00 PM
I agree this stuff is very sticky and never smooths out. It feels like a coating on my skin and it never goes away. I felt hot and sticky all day and it wasn't even a warm day. The scent is very mild and I can barely detect the orange, but its pleasant enough. I wouldn't buy it again due to the tackiness factor and how uncomfortable I felt all day.
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Skincare - Body -Weleda - Birch Cellulite Oil
SaraLee2 2/25/2010 6:06:00 PM
I love the soft citrus scent and really wish it would last longer, but its gone in a matter of minutes. My skin is so incredibly soft, smooth, moisturized, and glowing after I use this. Surprisingly it is not greasy at all, but absorbs quickly, just leaving the benefits behind. It hydrates my itchy, prickly skin so well I can actually skip and day and still have hydrated skin. Its totally worth the slightly longer time it takes to massage it in after my shower. I use it all over my body, not just my flabby-prone parts 'cuz it makes my skin just look so good (although I haven't used it on my face...might have to try that). Cellulite? I don't know if it helps or not, but I totally agree that its great when used with self tanner, which helps to hide flaws, and theres no doubt it makes skin glow, so the 2 together just make my skin look really healthy. I hate the glass bottle since I'm clumsy especially with oily hands. I'm terrified I'm going to drop it, so I always use it in the shower so at least I won't have try and clean it up off the floor if I do. But its a dark, glass bottle and I do believe it keeps the oils fresher longer. Its also pricey for an oil...as high as $26 for 3.4oz. The cheapest I've found it is vitacost.com for almost 1/2 that.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No