Self Tanners -mark - Bronzing Self Tanner in Medium Dark
lb2569 5/16/2007 5:15:00 PM
Honestly, this has got to be one of the worst self-tanners I've ever used. This gel is tinted so that you're supposed to be able to see where you've applied it & help you to get the application even, at least in theory. However, it's so thick, sticky, & difficult to spread that it's still impossible for me to get it even. I ended up being way too dark in some spots & not enough in others. It looked terrible! I even exfoliated & moisturized beforehand too, so I really don't think that was the issue at all. I even tried it again to try to give it a 2nd chance, but it did the same thing. The only thing decent & that I like about this is the scent, which smells very much like the Instant Vacation Greek Isles fragrance. I ended up getting a refund from mark. for this. I didn't even want to swap it away!
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Addicted to Red
lb2569 5/8/2007 4:13:00 PM
I do agree that this is a gorgeous deep wine/almost blackened red creme shade. I also definitely love the new SH nail polish packaging with a square bottle & rubberized cap. However, that being said, the only reason I'm going to return this to the store is because on my nails it looks almost exactly like Milani's Bella Berry shade. Granted, I like SH packaging better, but I find Milani's nail polish to be equal in quality, AND (the clincher) it's almost half the price of this one, plus Milani's isn't an LE color. So while I do think it's a beautiful color, it's not different enough from Bella Berry for me to warrant shelling over $6 instead of $3.29.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Neutrogena - MoistureShine Soothing Lipsheers [DISCONTINUED]
lb2569 5/6/2007 7:05:00 PM
I have this in 6 colors: Ruby Bliss, Peach Sorbet, Sparkling Nude, Pink Splash, Honey Breeze, & Sunny Berry. These are very nice, although for the most part I really prefer actual lip gloss when I'm at home with my full "arsenal" of makeup. I mainly bought these for out-of-town weekends away and vacation or travel. When I'm not at home I usually prefer a more natural & minimal makeup look. These moisturize, give you a nice sheer lip color, not sticky, & have fairly decent SPF to boot. The packaging on these is also very nice in a sleek silver tube. My main gripe with these though would be the price. For me, $9 is fairly pricey for a drugstore lip balm/lipstick, especially considering the very small amount you get -- nearly 3 times smaller than an average-sized lipstick. Really, I only bought these because I got such a great price on them -- BOGOF plus a $10 rebate for buying $20 or more of Neutrogena products at Walgreens. These are great for the price I paid. If I ran out I would repurchase, but only if I could find a good price again. These are very nice, but IMHO they're not worth the full retail price tag. **EDIT** After using these a good number of times now, I've lowered my rating & decided I would not repurchase these. I still like the natural look of these for when I travel, & I'll finish the ones I have, but they're just not moisturizing enough for me. I definitely have to apply an additional lip balm underneath these, otherwise my lips are parched & dried out in no time. Even my lip gloss stays on longer & moisturizes better than these. I was really hoping for an all-in-one product.
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Polishes -Sinful - Whats Your Name
lb2569 4/26/2007 8:01:00 PM
So far it looks like I'm the only one who really likes this! I like the bluish/teal glitter in this. It's enough to be noticible & look more interesting than just plain black creme. It's also more noticible than the micro-shimmer in black polish that's very popular now. You can see it in in indoor lighting, but not so much that it looks ridiculous or cheap. For me, it has enough "bling" without being garish. The formula does seem a little bit thicker, but I have soooo many bottles of nail polish that I keep a bottle of OPI nail polish thinner on hand. Just a couple drops takes care of that problem. Personally, I haven't had any problem with it drying or looking dull with a top coat. I already have way too much nail polish, but if I ever ran out of this I would repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Orly - Take Him to the Cleaners
lb2569 4/13/2007 4:33:00 PM
I really like this, & I'm so glad I bought it! I originally thought this would just be like Orly's Naughty but with a bit of shimmer, but IMO it's a little bit darker. As far as I can tell, I believe it is an actual black polish (as opposed to a blackened red like Naughty), but it has a fine red/burgundy shimmer over it, which gives it more dimension & interest. Looks really cool, especially when the light hits it! Anyone who loves dark, vampy nails: this is one for you!
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Lotions/ Creams -DHC - UR Cream
lb2569 4/6/2007 12:44:00 AM
On me there are no "lotion balls" when I use this, only dry/dead skin rolling off. I find this an effective exfoliant & use it at least a few times a week. My only mild gripe is that DHC claims that it moisturizes as well as exfoliates. The box packaging says something like the urea helps the skin hold moisture. I'm no chemist or dermatologist (and someone correct me if I'm wrong here), but it's my understanding that urea mainly is an exfoliant that helps promote the formation of new skin. My skin is exfoliated & feels softer because of that, but it doesn't feel moisturized. After I use this I definitely need an additional moisturizer. I would repurchase until or unless I can find a comparable or better product for a similar price. ** UPDATE ** I have discovered a lotion called Pretty Feet & Hands at my local drugstore stocked near the hand & body lotions. I think the ingredients are different, but it acts exactly like DHC's exfoliating my skin. The price is comparable & I don't have to pay shipping. While I am able to easily buy Pretty Feet & Hands at the drug store I probably won't be ordering the UR Cream from DHC.
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Primer/ Corrector -DHC - Q10 Moist Color Base
lb2569 4/1/2007 1:05:00 PM
I have very pale combo/oily skin, & I have this product in apricot. (I tried a sample of the beige, but on my skin they were almost identical. Apricot makes my skin just a little brighter looking, so it like it better than the beige.) I find that I really can only use this under powder foundation, which I use only once in a while when I'm in a super hurry, since I find it's faster & easier for me to blend. That being said, I do find this to be an additional timesaver for me because it's a light, anti-aging (Q10) moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, & color corrector all in one. Under liquid or stick foundation I don't like it at all, as it seems to cause the foundation to sink into my pores horribly, & it's very difficult to blend it out. But as a timesaver under my powder foundation I do find it convenient & a good product. Unless I found a better product that works under ALL my foundations I probably would repurchase.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - salon nail lacquer in black orchid
lb2569 2/19/2007 6:19:00 PM
I agree with the review below that says this is an excellent dupe of Chanel's Black Satin polish. It's a dead ringer! Two coats covers perfectly, the formula's not too thin or too thick, & the micro-shimmer (a very subtle silvery blue) adds a hint of dimension to it -- not too shimmery & not too flat. I find the finish to be very glossy (I always touch up the top coat every other day or so with any nail color I wear), & the lasting power very good. I love the classy square bottle too & the rubbery handle. All this for only about $6. What is there not to like here? If you're ready to take the plunge into a pure black nail polish, go get yourself a bottle of this, & laugh at the fools who pay outrageous prices for Chanel! **Edit** This is also a dupe of Zoya's Raven. I have both, & side by side I can't tell any difference between the two at all. Both Zoya & SH are cheaper than Chanel, of course, but if you don't want to order Zoya through the internet & can't find it in a salon, you might be able to pick this up at the drugstore.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -mark - Juice Gems - Snow Peach
lb2569 2/15/2007 4:10:00 PM
I was actually rather disappointed in this. The smell of this is delicious, I do like the thicker texture, & the slanted flocked tip isn't bad IMO. The color of this, however, is nonexistent. In the magalog it looks like a pretty coral-type shade. In person it's not nearly as pigmented in the tube as it looks in the magalog, & it goes on with no color at all on my average-pigmented lips. Even when I wipe it off my lips with a white tissue, you can barely even see on the tissue itself where I wiped the gloss. Personally, with my huge stash of glosses I don't need another clear one. I had hoped to add a pretty & unique shade to my collection. I'm thinking of returning this for a refund.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums de Coeur - Body Fantasies Iced Cupcake
lb2569 2/9/2007 5:49:00 PM
I found this new scent at my local Walgreens. I took one smell & had to have it despite my already-large collection of body sprays. This smells so creamy & delicious to me, just like a box of cupcakes with buttercream frosting from the bakery. Maybe it smells a little heavier on the vanilla note than even the Sugar Vanilla spray, but they have somehow managed to capture that buttercream note IMO. When I smell this I feel like I can almost taste a frosted cupcake or just had a bite of one! Maybe it's a good thing they don't have a lotion in this scent -- I might try to eat it if they did! This is probably a scent I'll grab for most when the weather is really cold & nasty out, & I'll want something smelling sweet & comforting (without gaining five pounds). Obviously, if you hate sweet scents this would totally not be for you. But if you do like them, dig into this one. I would repurchase when I run out -- also available online at www.parfumsdecoeur.com.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Milani - Glossy Tubes in SHIMMERING GLOW
lb2569 1/23/2007 5:45:00 PM
Great gloss! Very pretty pinky-peach color that's not too sheer or too pigmented & goes with a lot of different makeup looks. I love the carmel smell too! The texture is sticky enough to make it last a good amount of time, but it's not SO sticky that I feel like there's glue on my lips -- very nice. It was actually a little hard to find because the stores around here that do stock it kept being sold out of this color for the longest time. Definitely worth the wait!
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Polishes -Color Club - Haute Couture
lb2569 1/21/2007 11:16:00 AM
Excellent color for those who love deep, vampy shades. It is a deep, chocolate brown cream color, but I agree that it definitely has a slight reddish or plummy tone to it. IMO this makes it more interesting than just a plain, old, boring "brown", which it's not. It's so dark that it's almost a blackish/brownish/slightly plummy shade. I also have Orly's Naughty, which is a blackened red color. Right next to each other on my nails, to my eyes Haute Couture is very close to it. I can really only see a difference in bright direct light, & then I have to study them closely. The texture of the polish is a bit thicker than Orly's, but I have a bottle of OPI's nail polish thinner, so all I have to do if it ends up getting too thick & unmanagable is put in a few drops of that, no big deal.
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Treatments -Yves Rocher - Dermo Deep Line Eliminator
lb2569 1/20/2007 4:51:00 PM
I think the directions recommend using this during the day, but I really only use it before bed & apply it over my usual night cream. Like the reviewer below, I also find that this is very effective on some of my more noticable lines like the furrows across my forehead & small lines around my eyes. I it does take about 3-4 weeks to see the full effect of this, but I think it's worth it. I like the sponge tip applicator to make it easier to put the cream right in the areas you most want without wasting any. I'm very happy with this, & I've repurchased it a few of times already.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Curious by Britney Spears
lb2569 1/20/2007 11:03:00 AM
I have to admit I'm no fan of Britney Spears. Yes, life is no longer one big commercial for your Fantasy perfume once you get real responsibilities like children. That being said, I was quite surprised (and a little embarrassed too) that I kind of like this. It's kind of sweet & flowery at the same time, but with a little vanilla or something thrown in. It's not my favorite, but it's nice. It does fade quickly, but the lotion helps it quite a bit with the staying power. After the holidays, I bought a whole gift set for myself that includes a 1oz. EDP, the shimmer fragrance stick, plus a small tube of the lotion & shower gel all for only $17.50. I would never pay full price for this, but I might repurchase if I could find a cheap deal again.
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Foundations -Yves Rocher - Couleurs Nature Extreme Velvet Foundation
lb2569 1/4/2007 12:40:00 AM
I had resisted buying this for so long because I thought it would be like L'Oreal's Cashmere Perfect foundation, which I really didn't like at all. My curiosity got the better of me though, so I went ahead & ordered it anyway & figured I could just return it if I didn't like it. I'm rather sorry I waited so long to buy it. This seems totally different from any other type of foundation I've ever tried, & there have been soooo many I've tried on my combo/oily skin. I thought this would be a liquid-to-powder, but while it definitely does turn powdery, it also definitely doesn't come out a liquid. This has got to be the most unique texture I've ever felt in a makeup foundation. It comes in a lightweight plastic tube, & when you gently squeeze the foundation out it almost seems to me like a combination of a mousse & a thicker but also somehow airy cream. It's hard for me to describe (obviously). I tap a few dots around my face, blend it in, & it turns to a practically perfect powder finish. It covers my pores without settling into them, & gives me a matte finish that doesn't look cakey or fake. The scent of it in the tube reminds me of baby powder, but personally I don't find it offensive or overwhelming. To me the scent fades quickly right after I smooth it over my face. My skin is very pale, & the Velvet Nude shade seems to blend into my skin tone very well.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No