Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Allure- Romantic
jootje 12/20/2010 7:24:00 AM
This is my HG lipstick. It's a warm raspberry pink that goes with everything, day and night. I really agree with the reviewer below me who said that it is great for daytime wear because it is a few shades deeper than a natural lip color but that it's great for nighttime too because it has a very nice brightness/intensity. It's a great all-round lipstick and it's a pretty unique color. Everytime I apply it I realize how fantastic this color is. I've been wearing it daily for nearly a year and it still doesn't bore me. The lipstick itself is very pigmented and opaque. During the day I use a lighter hand, sometimes applying a lipbalm underneath. For nighttime I just apply more, sometimes with a lipliner underneath. Both ways it looks great. Because it's so pigmented you only need to apply a little. I also like that it is a creamy lipstick and it doesn't have any shimmers. It doesn't have a noticable smell. I guess when I smell very closely it smells a bit like roses, but I never noticed this before I just tried it. The staying power is great. I do have to touch up during the day but it is never really gone. Even if I don't touch up there will always be a stain left of this and even faded the color still looks amazing. Because I practically always wear this lipstick I have a lot of pictures of me wearing it, here's a few in a collage so you can see it in different lightning (and in better quality than the one I uploaded onto MUA): http://oi54.tinypic.com/1237hu9.jpg Sorry there are none of me with my mouth closed, I like smiling. The packaging is hands down the prettiest I've ever seen. I usually do not want to be seen applying make-up in public, but with this I don't mind. It makes me feel chique instead of vain. I guess that's the power of the Chanel brand. Also, I've been carrying mine with me for nearly a year and the packaging still looks neat. I'm not someone who only buys high end products and I don't like spending more money when I can get something similar for less, but I do appreciate true quality and I'm willing to spend more for it. This is definitely something I would repurchase in a heartbeat, regardless of the price. I've looked for dupes or colors that are similar and I haven't found anything that compares. Most berry like colors are too cool and/or not as intense. I am so thankful for the lovely SA who recommended this. I probably wouldn't have tried it on myself. The SA had olive skin and black hair and it looked great on her too. I have already bought a back-up (it's number 28 btw). Update: over a year later this is still my absolute favourite lipstick. I will cry if they ever discontinue it.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Essence - Long Lasting Eye Pencil - Almost Famous
jootje 12/7/2010 8:16:00 AM
I love this, mainly for the color. I had been searching for a flesh colored eyeliner for a while and thought I'd have to buy an expensive one as the usual drugstore brands over here (netherlands) did not have any. But then I saw this, for just 1 euro. It is a flesh color with a bit of shimmer. I love the shimmer, it really brightens up my eyes. The formula itself is a bit creamy. It isn't very long lasting but I don't really mind, especially for this price. I used to wear nothing on my waterline before this so I don't mind when there's nothing on there, but I do like this to add that little extra freshness to my look. The packaging is nice. I like how it's a twist up pencil. Overall, nice product and even better price. I will buy this again. Update: the shimmer unfortunately irritated my eyes (I wear contacts).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Hydraphase XL SPF 15 UVA 12
jootje 11/29/2010 12:15:00 PM
After a long search I have finally found a moisturizer that has everything I want. First some information about me: very clog prone combination (normal cheeks, oily t-zone) skin that is slighty sensitive and slightly dehydrated. What I want: daily moisturizer with SPF that hydrates my skin without clogging my pores or making my face oily. What I like about this product: - it sinks in fast and does not make my face any greasier than usual - it has spf with decent UVA protection but does not leave a white cast - it does not clog my pores! (This is very YMMV) - quite moisturizing for the light texture - the packaging (pump bottle) is very hygienic and travel friendly - very nice fresh smell I was afraid this product would ball up like some reviewers have described so I got a sample first. I was relieved that on me this product does not ball up whatsoever. I even rubbed my faced vigorously to test - nothing. In my experience products can ball up when layered over another product that has a different base (like an oil based product over a water based product). I do not layer anything over (or under) this. I am not sure if other reviewers layer this product, but if you don't then it should probably be fine and if you do I'd get a sample first to see if it works out in your routine. I was a bit surprised that a pharmacy product designed for sensitive skin contains perfume. It is last on the ingredientlist but it's still there. If your skin is sensitive to perfume then definitely get a sample first. Luckily, my skin can handle it. And I must say I quite like the scent. It's cucumbery and fresh. Update: I now don't even notice the scent anymore. The sunscreen in this has a SPF of 15 and a PPD of 12. It's a chemical sunscreen, so if your skin can't handle that stay away. I have no problems with this whatsoever. This product is hydrating enough for me to use during winter, but my skin is only slightly dehydrated (I could get away with nothing on my face in summer if it were not for SPF). Moisturizing-wise one pump is enough to cover my face, but I usually apply more for SPF reasons. I must say I can't use the recommended 1/4 teaspoon of product of this without looking shiney, but my skin is so oily that I can never get away with that with ANY product, even products without spf. The price is reasonable. I think it cost me 18 euros, which is less than the moisturizer (without spf) that I had been using before. I think it's a decent price for such a good product and I will gladly pay it. This is one of the few products I gave a 5 lippy rating for packaging. I love moisturizers that come in pumps, jars can be so unsanitary. One last thing: I have the Euro version which only comes in one texture (not a light and rich version as in the US) and they have now changed the name of this from Hydraphase XL to Hydraphase UV (SPF 15 PPD 12). But it said on the packaging that the formula was not changed. Update: I've used it up and repurchased. It now has HG status for me. :) The only con I noticed is that you can't tell how much is left because the packaging is opaque. So I was quite unprepared when one morning just nothing came out anymore. This is easily fixed by buying a back-up though, which I have done now. Update: This product is now impossible to obtain in the Netherlands. It has been replaced by LRP Hydraphase Intense UV Riche SPF15/PPD 8. On their website it says that there should be two other versions as well: the regular one (vs. the 'intense') in both a rich and a light texture. However, these are not sold in any (web)shops and I emailed LRP about it, who could not help me either. Here a short comparion between the old and the new version: - texture: the new one is richer and less easy to spread out, but it is not too rich for my oily dehydrated skin (contrary to what I expected). It did sink in like the old version and it did not make my skin more oily. It also did not clog my pores. - smell: the smell is very different. It smells very soapy. I preferred the old smell 100x better, but it's not a dealbreaker for me. - spf: the UVB protection is the same but they lowered the UVA protection from 12 to 8. This really bothers me, as the high PPD was one of the main reasons I was using it. It's not terrible and it's probaby still more than most moisturizers with SPF, and if I hadn't found anything better I would probably keep using this. But because they chagned it I decided to look around a bit and I did find something better: Vichy Aqualia Thermal UV spf15/ppd18(!) - like other reviewers below me recommended. I actually like it more than the old version of this. I will put up a review of that one soon.
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Fragrances -Burberry - Burberry London
jootje 11/22/2010 1:21:00 PM
I will be very short about this as I am not good at describing scents and scents are soooo subjective. All I can say that this is my favourite perfume. As soon as I got a tester I had to have it. I've finished up a 50ml bottle and purchased another one. Enough said.
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Mascara -Max Factor - False lash effect
jootje 11/22/2010 12:43:00 PM
This is my favourite mascara of all times and I have re-purchased this many times. I used to try new mascara's all the time, including high end, but since I've discovered Max Factor mascara's I've never bought any other brand. Info about me: long, full, naturally curled lashes. So I don't need much other than to blacken them and maybe add some volume. Still I'm a mascara perfectionist and I will not tolerate ANY clumping, flaking or spider lashes. Pro's: - amazing seperation of lashes - no clumps - no flakes - stays where you put it - lasts all day Con's: - the packaging is so thick it's not very travel friendly It does not give you the same effect as false lashes, but I do not expect it to. Honestly, no mascara can do that. But whereas I used to apply multiple coats with other mascaras, I only need one coat of this and I'm good to go. Here's some pics of me wearing this: http://img.makeupalley.com/5/9/3/3/1909839.JPG http://img.makeupalley.com/5/9/3/3/1724876.JPG The wand is rather big and it is a silicone kind of brush. I personally love those way better than the old fashioned mascara wands because they seperate like no other, but I know some people really don't like these kinds of wands. This mascara is very comparable to the Masterpiece Max, which has a smaller wand, in case you don't like big wands. I prefer the False Lash Effect. It is not cheap. It's somewhere in between a drugstore and a high end mascara. But its definitely worth it for me. I gladly repurchase every three months (I can't use any mascara for longer than 3 months or my eyes will start to itch). When I see it on sale I always stock up. Yes, for me this is HG status. Will repurchase until the end of time. Update; for people in the US, it's the same as CoverGirl Lash Blast in the orange tube. The packaging and brush are exactly the same (cept for the color). I've been using the MF for years so I know it very well and when I used the CG I couldn't find a difference. I applied CG to one eye and MF to the other once and I saw no difference. I only feel that the CG dries out quicker than the MF one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Louis Widmer - Moisture Fluid UV 6
jootje 11/7/2010 3:54:00 PM
I've searched very long for a moisturizer my oily, sensitive and very clog-prone skin could stand and I have finally found it in this. This is a very lightweight moisturizer that sinks in minutes after application. It does not mattify but it also does not make my skin more greasy than it would have been without it (rare for me!). For such a lightweight texture it is surprisingly moisturizing. It contains: Biostimulants (Amino acid complex) (2 %), Hyaluronic acid (0,03 %), NMF/Urea (1 %), Vitamin E (1 %), Panthenol (1 %). It also has a UVA filter (Tinosorb S) and a UVB filter (cinnamic acid derivative). I am happy to report that this not clog my pores in the slightest. I am also very happy that this does not contain alcohol, as my skin can't stand that. The packaging is a tube, which I love, as jars can be unsanitary. I have the perfumed version of this, but they also do an unperfumed version. Overall I am very happy with this moisturizer as it does a good job at moisturizing my skin (though I must say my skin only needs a little extra) without clogging my pores. I also love that it has SPF, though I reaaallly wish it would be higher! So that's why I am giving it 4 lippies instead of 5. But still, this is a great product. Update: found the perfect replacement with higher SPF: Vichy aqualia thermal UV spf15/ppd18.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise
jootje 10/9/2010 8:59:00 AM
Meh, I'm not really crazy about this. I found this hard to remove with my shampoo. I had to wash it three times to get rid of the icky feel this stuff left on my hair. It didn't make a visible difference in my hair either. I used it a couple of times to try and finish the jar but I just couldn't stand the icky feel so I threw it away. I'll just stick with my coconut oil - sooo much better. It's not terrible, it just didn't work out for me.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -GOSH - Mattifying Finish Pressed Powder
jootje 10/9/2010 7:12:00 AM
Let me start off with the good things. The packaging is nice. It feels sturdy, it has a mirror and it comes with a pretty and usefull applicator. The product itself is translucent (on me anyway). I used this on bare skin and only on my T-zone because that's the only part of my face that gets shiny and my cheeks are VERY clog prone to powders, but you could not tell the difference (colorwise) from my t-zone to the cheeks. It gives a very nice satin finish and it takes away oiliness right away. The blotting powers of this didn't last that long though, but no powder really lasts long on me anyway. Another big plus is that this does not contain ANY perfume. It's just odourless. So far so good, I loved it. But unfortunately after only 3 days of use I noticed it clogged my pores. My t-zone is full off sebacious filaments but I hardly ever get any closed clogged pores in that area (always get those on my cheeks). But now I suddenly had multiple clogged pores in my t-zone, the area where I had been applying this. Bummer. ): I knew it contains comedogenic ingredients, but as my t-zone is not as clog prone as my cheeks and I was only going to apply this on my t-zone I thought it would be ok. Guess not. Bottom line, if your skin is clog prone then watch out with this. If your skin is not clog prone then this is a wonderful powder! But I am forced to put I would not buy it again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -LUSH - Colour Supplement
jootje 10/7/2010 7:42:00 PM
I wanted to like this soooo badly. I took a special trip to Amsterdam to go and get it because there's not Lush store where I live and I just had to have it right away. It sounded so promising. I love the idea of mixing a bit of color with your own moisturizer of preference as I can never find a tinted moisturizer that I like. My skin tolerates very few moisturizers. Anyway, I have this in light yellow which was a perfect match for me. When I applied this directly to my skin it looked terrible. It accentuated my pores bigtime and it looked very uneven. But when I mixed it with my moisturizer it was lovely. It evened out my skintone nicely and it looked very natural. It didn't accentuate my pores anymore. However, I found that it was too rich for my combination skin. It made my skin more greasy than it would have been without it. I could have dealt with a bit of extra shine (noting a blotting paper couldn't fix), but the worst part is that it clogged my pores. Story of my life. I guess it's the soybean oil. It's comedogenic. I must say that my skin is very clog prone and oily, so if your skin is normal to dry and not clog-prone then this would be a wonderful product for you. It really gave a nice finish. But unfortunately for me, this is a big no.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -LUSH - Serum - Saving Face [DISCONTINUED]
jootje 10/7/2010 7:32:00 PM
When I first tried this product I was disappointed. It would just sit on my skin and not sink in, even after an hour. I also tried using it underneath a facemask (love lettuce) and that didn't work well either, because my face was too oily for the mask to stick. I then didn't use this bar for weeks, but recently gave it another shot. This time I apply it differently. Instead of rubbing the bar on my face, I now just put my fingers on the bar for a few seconds untill I can feel it melting a little, then apply this miniscule amount to my face. I can feel/see which areas I've covered but there is no visible oil on my face. This does the trick. It sinks in perfectly fine and the next morning my face is incredibly soft and toned. I store it in a Lush shampoo bar tin. The serum bar is a teeny bit too large for this but I just forced it in there and used the excess on my face as a mask. I don't take it out, just press my (clean!) fingers on it. Overall nice product, but only if you don't use too much! A little goes a very long way, just like most Lush products. Edit: not using this much anymore, putting it on is just too much of a hassle. I just use this as a mask sometimes now. Edit2: my bar developed a weird mold looking stuff :s ? Not sure if I still want to put this on my face now...
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Moisturizers -Olay - Double Action Day Cream Sensitive skin
jootje 10/7/2010 12:27:00 PM
I can be very short about this. This is not for you if your skin is oily and clog prone. It made me look like an oil slick and it clogged my pores bigtime. I must say my skin is oily and very clog prone though, so if your skin isn't then this might be fine. But for me this is a big no-no.
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Shampoo -Burt's Bees - Burts Bees Baby Bee No Tear Shampoo and Wash
jootje 9/11/2010 3:04:00 PM
Let my start off by saying that I bought this product for myself, not a baby. I really wanted to like this product because it's completely sulfate free. The good news is that it lathers up quite nicely, especially for a sulfate free shampoo. Also good is that it does a great job at cleaning my hair. It feels absolutely squeeky clean. These two factors earned this another lippy. The bad news is that this stuff makes my hair tangle up sooo badly. My hair just feels like rope after washing with this, especially at the roots of my hair. This surprised me as this is supposed to be such a gentle shampoo & looking at the ingredientslist it really should be. But this makes my hair feel worse than after washing with a sulfate shampoo. Putting in a lot of conditioner does help with the tangles, but I don't like to put conditioner at my roots (where the most tangles are) because it makes my hair greasy. Also, I just flat out don't want to put up with it because my hair normally doesn't tangle at all. So I had high expectations for this, but I was let down. I will be using this as a body wash from now on. I wouldn't want to use this on my baby either. Maybe just as a body wash, but not as a shampoo. I would not buy again. Edit: I just noticed that the ingredients listed on my bottle are not the same as the ones listed here. So I guess I have the new formula.
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Masks -LUSH - BB Seaweed Face Mask
jootje 9/10/2010 7:01:00 PM
This is a nice mask. I have it on right now! I'd say this is one of the more moisturizing Lush masks I've tried so far (haven't tried them all though). After using this my face feels smooth and moisturized. My face doesn't feel as clean as it does with some other Lush masks though. So if you just feel like pampering your skin this is a nice mask, but if you're looking for a deep cleanse then I'd pick another mask. The consistency is a thick paste with big chunks of seaweed in it. I like how this makes the mask look even fresher, but they can sometimes be a bit annoying. Nothing too bad though, I wouldn't let that stop me from using this. The smell is a bit odd, but not bad. Overall this is a nice pampering mask that would be appropriate for all skin types (I have oily skin and I still like it). It is above the average mask that's why it gets 4 lippies. But it's not my favourite mask from Lush. Like I said, if you want to pamper your skin then this is great! If you want to cleanse your skin I'd suggest cosmetic warrior, cupcake, brazened honey or mask of magnaminty. If you want to even out your skintone I'd suggest catastrophe cosmetic (my fav).
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Eye Primer -GOSH - Velvet Touch Eye Primer
jootje 9/10/2010 10:33:00 AM
As a primer this is very good. The product is a clear gel-like substance. A little goes a loooong way. I think the name velvet touch is very appropriate, it does feel velvety smooth upon application. It doesn't accentuate pores/lines and it's very easy to blend eyeshadow over it (unlike many eyeshadow bases I've tried). The reason I bought this is because I have a deep scar next to my eye that also goes up into my 'outer V'-area. It isn't that visible normally but everytime I applied eyeshadow that went beyond just my eyelid it would look so bad. The eyeshadow would accentuate the scar and the eyeshadow would look blotchy and uneven. But when I wear this underneath my eyeshadow this problem just disappears. The scar is still slightly visible and obviously it's never going to look like it's not there, but it looks soo much better! The eyeshadow doesn't accentuate the scar anymore and my eyeshadow doesn't look uneven. I'm really happy with this, now I can finally do smokey eye looks etc. (: I don't have wrinkles (yet) so I can't say from experience that it will smooth them out, but if it can smooth out my scar then it certainly should be able to smooth out wrinkles aswell. For preventing creasing it isn't as good. When I wear this my eyeshadow doesn't crease more (Iike some eyeshadow bases did for me), but it also didn't crease less. It's just neutral. But as this is a primer and not an eyeshadow base (GOSH make a seperate eyeshadow base) I'm still going to give it 5 lippys, because as a primer it's really good. I've also heard you can use this on your face underneath your concealer, but I haven't tried that yet. When I do I will update. The packaging is nice aswell. It's a tube with a twist off cap and a very small opening. This makes it easy to squeeze out the right amount (very little). Seeing as you need so little of one tube will last a long time. Therefore it isn't very expensive. I paid around 12 euros. Overall I'd say that if you need something to smooth out your eye area this is very good. If you want something to prevent creasing I think it would be better to try an actual eyeshadow base.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Dream Mousse Shadow [DISCONTINUED]
jootje 9/10/2010 9:00:00 AM
I have this in Caramel and I like it. I have actually hit pan on this. Caramel is a nice peachy caramel color with lot of shimmer. It complements my green eyes very nicely, but I think it would look good on pretty much any eye color, especially blue. The consistency is obviously a mousse. I apply this with my fingers. I pretty much always apply this as an all over lid wash of color. It's not the best shadow for blending and such (though I guess adding some shadow to the crease would still work). The staying power is fine. I don't use a base as shadows don't crease that much on me. This creases no more than powder shadows do on me. The packaging is okay aswell. It's just a little jar. I guess it's a little unhygeniec as you have to dip your fingers into it but I just sanitize it with alcohol every once in a while. This works fine and it doesn't affect the consistency/color. For me this is easy & quick for during the day. I use it at least a couple of days a week when I'm in a hurry or I don't want to put too much thought into my make-up but still look nice. It gives me a nice neutral and finished look without much effort. The main thing I love about it is the color though. I'm not interested in buying this in other colors. Powder eyeshadows are more versatile in my opinion. So I'm not interested in buying this in other shades, but if I saw this color somewhere I'd buy it again. I'm also on the lookout for a powder dupe of this color.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No