Polishes -Sally Hansen - Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Rockstar Pink
felgoj 12/29/2009 10:38:00 PM
I probably won't buy this color again, but as a glitter nailpolish it pleasantly surprised me! I LOVE glitter nailpolish, but I hate glitter nailpolishes that appear loaded with glitter in the bottle yet barely any of it sticks to the nail when I try to apply it! In literally 1-2 coats of Rockstar Pink I get FULL opaque coverage of a wonderful mix of glitter in magenta, fuchsia, purple, blue, silver. Exactly how you see it in the picture above is what you'll get. The 2nd uploaded picture is my hand. The sparkle is lovely. Photos do no justice to its real-time glitz. Some glitter polishes look flat once they're dry, but this one stays sparkly, especially after a shiny clear topcoat. For me, after the 2 days of wearing it (BTW it is long-wearing! really clings to the nail) I get tired of the purple color & want to change it to something else. I find glitter polish exasperating to remove, so I just keep adding fresh layers of polish (usually clear topcoat) over the next 1-2 wks until it becomes thick enough to just peel off. :) Yeah a manicure with this polish lasts 2 weeks. Price for this polish was decent, I got in on 2-for-1 sale. I think it was 2 for $3.50. (Sally Hansen's metallic silver shade in this nailpolish line is also fantastic! Forgot the name of the shade, but you'll know liquid silver when you see it.) The polish dries fast & the bottle lasts a long time. I get compliments on the intense glitter effect of this shade every time I wear it. Sometimes I punch up the color by adding other glitter shades on top (you know, those lousy glitter polishes that force you have to pile on gobs of layers just to get a fairly decent amount of glitter on your nails) & it gives Rockstar Pink an updated look. I would love to see Sally Hansen offer this intensely rich glitter polish in other cheery shades like hot pink & bright red. That's the only reason I'm giving this polish 4 lippies instead of the 5. Purple isn't my favorite color in the world, but it's worth buying & wearing. Purple is huge in fashion this year, so it's very fitting to wear. And I'd like to know why it's called Rockstar PINK when it really isn't pink. Maybe call it Rockstar PLUM or Purple Pizzaz instead. lol
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Clothes -H & M - H&M clothing in general
felgoj 12/29/2009 10:05:00 PM
My favorite place to shop. Chic fun city fashion, for me I can mix & match from business to casual (I work in a medical office), new inventory every could of weeks... can't keep up with it all, but I try best as I can. It helps that there are H&M stores peppered all over the city where I live. I'm never very far away from one. I love the accessories, tops, jackets, sometimes the outerwear, ...but especially all the different accessories (sorry for being repetitive). Prices have upped a little from previous years, but so have quality & updated style, and H&M's prices are still appreciably reasonable. I love shopping here & seeing what's new a couple times a month. The individual pieces I buy are so mix-and-match-able. There have been times when my whole outfit was comprised of H&M pieces, from hat to earrings to pants to purse, barring shoes (which H&M now sells as well).
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Styling Products -John Frieda - Sheer Blonde Funky Chunky [DISCONTINUED]
felgoj 12/26/2009 12:18:00 AM
Loved this product. Mourn it deeply. It should not have been discontinued. Great lightweight liquid for chunking & creating piecy styles. Really bad idea to have removed it from the market. Really bad idea.
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Styling Products -John Frieda - Sheer Blonde Tousled Tresses Fine Mist Wax [DISCONTINUED]
felgoj 12/25/2009 11:54:00 PM
Excellent stuff! Let's hope this product doesn't get discontinued like all my other favorites. I like the size of the bottle - it's smallish & slender, fitting in the hand comfortably. The fine fine fine mist spray applies lightly & evenly and the nozzle never clogs or spurts. Ever. I don't use it every day, but it's a GREAT product for edgy tousling to create a yummy bedhead look. Very sexy. Smells nice too, subtle. Dries quickly. Doesn't weigh hair down. Aside from tousling, it provides grip when hair is too slippery to hold a style. Never stiff. Always soft & pliable. A little goes a really long way. My one bottle has lasted me 3 years now & there's still plenty more (remember I don't use it every day). Low price, especially considering other designer brands I've paid $18+ for their crappier versons of spray wax that smell overwhelmingly sweet. Tousled Tresses is only $6 in drugstores. A must-have product. When I ever run out (if this product is still on the market) I will repurchase.
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Conditioner -Aussie - Moist Conditioner
felgoj 12/22/2009 10:20:00 PM
Mmmm, I'm still on the fence with this one. Been using it for only a week, so it's probably too soon to tell. I have bleached blonde chunky highlights that have made my bob-length hair dry, fried, a bit too crispy. Wella Regenal sadly is discontinued, so I am on the hunt for a replacement hydrating, moisturizing, replenishing conditioner. Read some good reviews about Aussie Moist but one reviewer was right, it doesn't provide enough slip to detangle the knots in my hair after shampooing. It also doesn't hydrate my hair or live up to its Moist name. My hair is still dry, parched & thirsty after it air-dries. It's difficult to style with a blowdryer & brush. So the search for an effective Regenal substitute will continue. I continue to prefer using this conditioner, however, because of the scent. I love how the fruity-candy-sweet scent lingers in my hair after a shower. But so far, after I finish this bottle, I don't think I'll buy it again. Got it on sale for $2.50, so it was worth trying out. I wish it worked better. UPDATE 1/28/10 - So it turns out this conditioner doesn't moisturize my hair enough. The products that work better for me are John Frieda & Aveeno Nourish + Revitalize. Sadly this conditioner will go on the shelf & maybe I'll try it again sometime, perhaps in the summer (if my hair's any healthier by then). I feel bad.. but at least it didn't cost me all that much.
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Hair -Aveeno - Nourish + Revitalize
felgoj 12/22/2009 12:16:00 PM
I hope I'm not premature here, but I used this shampoo only once & am VERY impressed. Someone mentioned it's loaded with silicone, which is true - dimethicone is the 3rd ingredient after water & ammonium lauryl sulfate. I'm not keen on the possible silicone buildup (which further dries my already burned-out bleached hair) but was willing to give it a try based on the previous reviews here (despite the $7+ pricetag for a drugstore brand). But I trust Aveeno's reputation. I've been using Aussie Moist conditioner to try to quench my parched locks but it didn't seem to be doing the trick. I didn't know what to try next so I picked up this shampoo & gave it a shot yesterday. My crispy dry hair came out SOFT! :D I'm into chunky blonde highlights, so I haven't had soft hair in 6 months. I didn't buy the matching conditioner, figuring I should try the shampoo alone first because I didn't want silicone overload. The conditioner also has dimethicone listed as the 3rd ingredient. I still followed up my shampoo with Aussie Moist conditioner (I love its candy fragrance lingering in my hair), knowing that it won't moisturize my hair & any difference in hair texture & quality would be the result of the new shampoo. Well the shampoo made a lovely difference! I hope to have no problems with the high silicone drying out my hair over time or causing bumps on my neck & forehead. Time will tell. So far I love it & am satisfied with this purchase. Worth $7 at the drugstore. Pureology NanoWorks for $50 was not better. UPDATE 1/18/10 - I added the conditioner & it is even more amazing! My fried, burned, damaged, abused, chemical-treated hair comes out SOFT and feels strong & healthy. I got the conditioner on sale for $5.50 from Drugstore.com ($2 less than I paid for the shampoo at a local Rite Aid). The smell is refreshing & the results are wonderful. So far, the high silicone in this set has not been a threat to beautiful hair. It's been the opposite.
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Powder -Revlon - PhotoReady Translucent Finisher
felgoj 12/22/2009 11:31:00 AM
I didn't want to spend $13 for this common drugstore brand, but I wanted to try this new powder anyway - it looked & sounded very tempting. I agree with the reviewer before me, this powder does give a luminiscence that isn't obvious or garish (it's extremely subtle IMO) & fuzzes away pores, minimizing their appearance & making the face appear illuminated. It's true, it gives little coverage (which is fine with me as I no longer wear heavy makeup), it just gives overall appearance improvement (which is what I'm looking for). Packaging too clunky to carry around in my purse, although it is slim (rectangular case - more packaging than product), but I find I only need to apply this at home in the morning & I'm good for the rest of the day. Doesn't make my skin greasy over time. Nylon 12 actually works to absorb oil & keep skin matte. It doesn't break out my skin. I also bought the Light/Medium shade (the darkest of the 3 powders for my medium-fair complexion) which blends perfectly with my skintone & I like it just as much. Gives a little more coverage than Translucent & doesn't shimmer but still gives the face a photographic glow. Comes with a small brush applicator, but I use my own powder brush to apply it. I haven't tried it with a powder puff yet for greater coverage. I think I would purchase this again. Hopefully the price will drop in the future. When it does, I'll stock up, because I know at some point in the not so distant future this product will get discontinued like all my other favorites. And this powder is reaching favorite status with me. UPDT 11/17/10 -- Well I don't use this product daily (in fact I've pretty much stopped wearing makeup most of the time, although I still love makeup products & am interested in what's new out there), so I haven't even put a dent in my product supply of this powder but I still love it. I wear it on those occasions when I want to make a special impression with a subtle glow. Although I don't use the included brush, I find that I haven't thrown it away, it's still there -- that makes me laugh. A high-quality soft fluffy brush is what's recommended for this powder. If you use what's included, you'll always have a bad result & an unpleasant experience using it. In person and especially in photographs, I love the luminescence this powder brings to my face. Just always use a light touch -- going powder-happy will defeat the purpose. And since I have to use so little of it, thankfully it lasts longer than expected (seeing as the tin reservoir really is very shallow).
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Brows -Jordana - Easybrow
felgoj 12/21/2009 12:45:00 PM
Perfect product! Only $4 & so easy to use! It lastes such a long time that by the time I ran out I couldn't find it in stores anymore, but I see it's available on the Jordana website for $4 plus shipping. Several colors available (Brunette, Dark Brown, Medium Brown, Natural Taupe, & Black). My personal favorite is Brunette, which is a rich brown. The spool brush at the other end of this user-friendly creamy automatic pencil is so convenient & helpful. Website is JordanaCosmetics.com.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Aquafina Flavor Splash Lip Balm
felgoj 12/21/2009 11:26:00 AM
I love this very wet & moist feeling lipbalm to pieces.. it's unlike any other lipbalm I've ever tried before in my life (with the exception of Dr Pepper LipSmacker, which I adore) & it is absolutely perfect at keeping lips moist & comfortable... but the one thing I don't like about it is the mintyness... Most ppl like mint in their lipbalms but I'm not a fan of minty lips. Too cold, brrrrr.
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Polishes -Unlisted Brand - Pure Ice Don't You Wish
felgoj 9/15/2009 6:35:00 PM
Yes, any glitter polish is difficult to remove, but the sparkly bling effect is totally worth the added elbow grease. I borrowed this glitter polish from a friend & piled it on top of another color (gold frost, but any other color will do too). Looked magnificent! Got lots of compliments all around. One friend even copied my look, she liked it so much. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That's when I know I have a good product. Will buy this shade myself when I can get my hands on it.
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Conditioner -Nexxus - Ensure Conditioner
felgoj 8/21/2009 11:24:00 PM
This is a great conditioner. Its best properties are instant detangling, smoothing the cuticle & rinsing out easily. I guess it's the grapefuit ingredient in there that does the job, giving it a pH 3. I had a little trouble finding the bottle I bought today... Ensure (the original one that smells like grapefruit & has a touch of peach color to it, not the new Color Ensure one which is creamy white) is not as easy to come by anymore.. It's been out on the market for years, so it's an 'old' product. I haven't used it for a couple of years & decided to finally plunk down my $27 for a large pump-dispenser-type bottle today... used this conditioner in the shower, then let my hair air-dry (it's sweltering summer right now in NYC).. it's been a LONG time since my hair felt this light, clean, soft, airy, & bouncy-curly (my mildly-wavy hair has been having some difficulty curling up.. something must have been drooping it down.. metal/chemical water buildup?) ..I know it's this conditioner that revived it b/c I haven't changed anything else (cleaning methods or shampoo brand or drying method) & this is the same result I always used to get whenever I used Ensure. Why in the world did I ever stop using it for a while?? Now I wonder...
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Lipstick -Sally Hansen - Sculpt and Shape
felgoj 8/20/2009 11:38:00 AM
I agree with the reviewer before me.. I bought Classic, which is a nude-plummy-mauve, hard to describe but it's a flattering, subtle shade. Very moisturizing. A light hand is needed for good coverage. This stick will probably last for a long time, especially as the application is very longwearing & doesn't disappear quickly like most regular lipsticks. Yummy vanilla-icecream scent. Looking forward to trying the other shades.. pink & red.. I just don't like the $10 price, but I guess that what technology costs.. It's worth it.
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Lip Treatments -Chapstick - True Shimmer
felgoj 6/11/2009 4:50:00 PM
I've tried many kinds of lipbalms, including pots of balm & organic balms, & Chapstick True Shimmer is one of the few (if not the only one) lipbalms I actually like. Because it contains no sunscreen (which is drying to lips), this balm is really moisturizing. I use it in the winter & at night when I go to bed. But it's not for use in the sun. You'll need to add sunscreen or use an SPF lipbalm. The shimmer is subtle & mild. There's no need to pile on layers upon layers of balm the way most people are accustomed to doing. Just a couple of swipes across the lips & that's it. I love the scent - Tropical smells like coconut but Botanical Berry is my favorite, smells like sweet berries. This is a balm I'd buy again.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - EXTRA VIRGIN Coconut Oil (All brands)
felgoj 6/2/2009 10:47:00 AM
I call coconut oil a healing panacea. It's amazing what it's done for me so far & I've only been using it for a short time (about 2 wks). I use organic unrefined virgin coconut oil from local healthfood stores. So far I've tried Nutiva brand but I like La Tourangelle brand much better. Nutiva feels greasier & takes much longer to absorb. It also has a stronger coconut scent, which smells great, but for me lingering smells become annoying. La Tourangelle absorbs into my skin way more quickly like a cream & feels divinely soft. I don't know why the difference. Coconut oil on my face has transformed my hyper-oily, irritable, ruddy, acne-prone skin into normal, glowing, soft skin. Now that my pores have a break from putting out so much sebum, they actually look smaller. My complexion is clear & smooth & it doesn't break out. I haven't had fresh problem-free skin like this since before puberty (I'm 37 now). Frankly, it's really remarkable how adding healthy oil on top of oily skin causes it to normalize its oil production. My face is no longer oily & it's also not dry. I spent a small fortune on tons of skincare products over the years trying to control the oil. Now all it takes is a $5 jar from the healthfood store that will likey last a year if not more. My skincare is now pared down to 4 products: organic foaming cleanser, an anti-aging serum, a little coconut oil, & a strong glycolic acid cream or lotion (exfoliation is still required). I also use coconut oil on my feet at night before bed (sometimes covered with socks, but not always) & all over my body after showering & shaving. In the morning my legs & arms feel moisturized & baby soft. For haircare, I apply coconut oil to dry hair under a shower cap for 1-2 hrs before showering. My hair is bleach highlighted & chemical-processed, but the coconut oil has strengthened my compromised hair & softened all the crunch out of it. I do this oil pre-treatment only once a week because the softening effects are durable & longterm through multiple showers. My hair feels like healthy virgin hair that's never been damaged. Again, I've spend small fortunes on haircare products to repair chemical-damaged hair, including $100 on Pureology Nanoworks shampoo&conditioner. And none of them worked like this. I discovered coconut oil to begin with because I burned out & got sick, so I use the oil in my diet for internal nutrition. The lauric acid in it is anti-microbial, the caprylic acid in it kills fungus (like yeast overgrowth), & the medium chain fatty acids it contains provide energy & promote fat loss. I read books about all the kinds of ways this stuff feeds & protects the body's cells. The only single ONE regret I have about coconut oil is that I didn't learn about it sooner. This product could have enhanced so many years of my life. Now I'm doing coconut-everything - soaps, cleansers, lipbalm, coconut milk, & coconut flour (I'm currently eating low-carb). I'm happy to at least know about it now rather than never. Just a short time using this oil has produced an amazing WOW. It promotes health & helps the body heal itself inside & out.
44 out of 46 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Redken - WOOL SHAKE COTTON-INFUSED GEL SLUSH
felgoj 5/20/2009 12:17:00 PM
May 2009 This product is great for shorter length hair. On my long bob it made my hair only feel dirty & look like I needed a shower. Now that I have a short bob it's really great for softly tousled texture & definition. This is a super-expensive texturizing spray (I paid almost $30 for it in a salon after not being able to find it anywhere else) I use only occasionally, so I would not buy it again. I don't like the unpleasant smell, but fortunately it dissipates quickly. I just have to hold my breath while I spray it then walk away from the area! A little bit of spray goes a long way & while it's annoying to have to shake it into a liquid state every time, it's quite an innovative product. And it does a good job of masking greasy hair for another day when you don't have time to wash it. Dec 2009 I've upped my rating from 4 to 5 lippies. This is a really great product to have for edgy hair texture & a little goes a very long way. I guess the product costs so much because it lasts so long. The packaging is a typical spray bottle but the nozzle mist is very fine & sprays consistently even & light. No clogged-up spurts to deal with (what a relief). I'm not a fan of the scent (it's mild & not offensive but not initially appealing) but it's a must-have nonetheless. I just don't like very much the gritty, dirty feeling it leaves in the hair.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No