Scrubs -L'Occitane - Ruban D'Orange Soft Skin Scrub
FleurDefendue 1/10/2010 6:49:00 PM
I always have great expectations from this brand and it always disappoints me. Reviewers below describe the formula, the ingredients and the scent very accurately. For me this scrub is just a cute container to sit in my bathroom. I don't understand why the majority of body scrubs have to be SO OILY. All I want from a scrub is to exfoliate well, to give me the feeling of crystal clear skin. If I want hydration, I can use my beloved Johnson's Baby Oil, but AFTERWARDS. Anyway, I find it too oily, and my skin (body) is normal to dry. In addition, I felt that the grains did nothing to exfoliate and I kept adding more and more (maybe it was due to the oily consistency). Well, I don't expect miracles from products like that, but I expect one thing for sure: the pleasure of use; and that was not the case with this scrub. The only things I liked about it was the smell, the color and the container.
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Mascara -Guerlain - Le 2 de Guerlain
FleurDefendue 1/10/2010 6:35:00 PM
I have this in limited edition "Butterfly Sparkle" from the 2008 Holiday Collection and I simply adore it! I am on my second backup. The large one is a true black and the small one is a shimmery purple. It makes my lashes look really fake, providing volume and length at the same time, without smudging. It also holds the curl really well. I only need two or three coats. Compared to other HE mascaras, which are really nice (Diorshow, Helena Rubinstein, Lancome Design Pro, YSL Faux Cils), this is the only one that makes my lashes so thick and long at the same time and, most important, so good-looking. I was also surprised when I used the small brush on my lower lashes, which, although not invisible, they aren't particularly dense or long either. Well, I can't describe it, the small brush was like it was "designing/drawing" lashes on me, it was incredible. The purple shimmer color was also beautiful as a top coat. I will definitely repurchase it in other colors.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Yves Saint Laurent - Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in Sublime Grey (8)
FleurDefendue 1/10/2010 6:17:00 PM
I have used and loved Faux Cils for years. This color is no exception. On me is lighter than charcoal, it is rather a "mouse" grey. The quality is superb. It separates my lashes well and it makes them look very dramatic and thick. What I like the most is that this particular color looks very glossy on my lashes. It makes them look like I have been crying or I just got out of the sea, but it keeps them separated at the same time. It is m favorite color to use with Chanel Smokey Eye quad, it compliments the eyeshadows really well. I would give it 5 lippies, but I must save perfect rating for Guerlain Le 2. Otherwise, I would surely repurchase this color, is the most true grey I have found in a mascara.
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Polishes -Chanel - Le Vernis - Cassis
FleurDefendue 1/10/2010 6:06:00 PM
This is my favorite nail polish. I think it is a limited edition from a four nail-polish collection released in late summer of 2007, but I have seen it since in several Chanel counters here. The quality is the usual Chanel (on my toes it lasts for weeks, on my tips it tends to chip after 4-5 days, but I think it is because of the keyboard, the dishes etc). Anyway, the color is an opaque creamy cool purplish mauvey fuchsia (don't think fuchsia from the '80s, it has nothing to do with that). It is like all Chanel colors, modern and sexy but in a classic and elegant way. It has no shimmer, but it is very very glossy! You can do one coat or two for a more glossy finish. Even if it was promoted as a summer color, you can use it all year round. I haven't been able to find a dupe in any other brand, I think it is really unique.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Chanel - Quatuor Boutons De Chanel Les Folies Noires
FleurDefendue 1/10/2010 5:32:00 PM
I am not a fan of Chanel quads in general, due to the lack of pigmentation, but I wanted this one very much. I am happy I got it (expensive, around 60 euros) and I have used it nearly everyday since. It is one of the most versatile quads. When I do smokey eyes, I usually don't have the time or the technique to blend more than two colors or use a light shade under the brow etc. So, four dark colors were exactly what I needed. At first I tried to use them dry but they were like a gray shade. I use them wet with a sponge brush. The colors are amazing (eggplant, green, blue, mauvy brown, all blackened), I like all of them but I love the blue one. They show up definitely different on me without any primer. They aren't pearly or shimmery, they are rather matte, but not flat, I can see a slight shimmer. I find the quality superb, the consistency doesn't change because I use them wet neither the container has become a powdery mess. I love the fact that everyday I can do a different colored smokey eye according to my clothes or my mood with just one pallete. Definitely great value for money! It's one of the rare times that I would TRULY want to repurchase a limited edition item.
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Highlighters -Yves Saint Laurent - Teint Parfait - Complexion Enhancer in Champagne 3
FleurDefendue 1/10/2010 5:16:00 PM
I love #2 (Rose Pearl) and lately I tried this one also, #3. It is a dark champagne color, a sand beige I would say, with gold shimmer. It has the usual melon/cucumber YSL smell. It does everything #2 does, whereas #2 is cool (rose-silver shimmer) and this one is warm (beige-gold shimmer). It is a great primer (evens out skin, makeup applied more easily etc), but I can also use it alone with a little concealer and just powder over it. It has no actual color (I am NC15 and it is not dark, although in the tube it seems so), but due to the shimmer it has an amazing ability to blur imperfections and make them less visible, especially if you don't blend too much! Nevertheless, I consider it a summer/evening product, the shimmer is too much for me to wear in the morning (I mean without foundation over). When I use it as a foundation base, it gives me a subtle overall glow which is totally acceptable for morning/office. It costs approximately 25 euros here and it is more than reasonable, because I know that these Teint Parfait last for a long time.
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Lipstick -Guerlain - Rouge G de Guerlain 66 Gracia
FleurDefendue 1/4/2010 9:54:00 AM
When Rouge G's first came out, I didn't care about them, I love Chanel lipsticks and glosses and I didn't have even the curiosity to try the G's. I was at the Guerlain's counter the other day and I was just trying everything, I tried the color 66 on my hand and I liked it, so I bought it. When I tried it on my lips at home, I was astonished! Such a nice plummy mauve color with slight shimmer. The best part was the feeling of this lipstick on my lips, like cocoa butter. Very creamy and pigmented. As for the color -and this goes to all G's maybe- it is not unique, it is grown-up, but I found out that I needed that, I missed that in a lipstick, to be a REAL LIPSTICK, a woman's classic lipstick, both sexy and classy without screaming, the best choice for the office. Lasting power is also amazing, I have never experienced this with a lipstick, it lasted on me for 4-5 hours. I will definitely try other colors too. Overall, the quality of the lipstick is so exquisite, that I don't care for the packaging at all!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Yves Saint Laurent - Top Secrets Pore Refiner Skincare Brush
FleurDefendue 1/4/2010 9:42:00 AM
I couldn't agree more with PanPan. I also tried a sample. I could feel the alcohol (yes, just like Clinique Toner #2 from the eighties, the 3-step etc...) and the tingling feeling was not tolerated well by my combination but sensitive skin. No pore minimizing at all neither any good result as a primer (it didn't make my skin softer or helped with the foundation/makeup). Worst of all, it broke me out.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Yves Saint Laurent - Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation
FleurDefendue 1/4/2010 9:35:00 AM
I have this in #1, which is an ivory with a touch of pink (#1 in YSL Teint Resist is the perfect ivory, not yellow or pink). The color is a nice match for my NC15 skin. The product is very nice. On me, the coverage is definitely better that Teint Resist. The reason that I write the review is because I have tried Teint Resist with high expectations and I didn't like it, and I found out that Perfect Touch, compared to Teint Resist, deserves a positive review! Well, the foundation is lightweight, coverage is light (not too light) but definitely buildable, it doesn't look cakey or oily and at this time it would be maybe the best choice to wear under powder foundations (I can't stand the feel of the powder directly over moisturizer, so I need a very light layer of liquid foundation which doesn't feel or look cakey, and this product does this well), I said it would be the best choice if it wasn't for the packaging... I really hate it! I can feel that it is not at all hygienic, it causes the liquid after a while to smell like a slightly rotten melon, instead of the fresh watermelon scent that it has at first.Too bad, due to the packaging I will not buy it again (I don't want to use a scissor or anything, I find this brush disgusting), and this is unfair for the actual product, which is really nice and, in my opinion, MUCH better than the newer Teint Resist!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Guerlain - Parure SPF 20 Powder Foundation
FleurDefendue 1/4/2010 9:08:00 AM
A very nice foundation indeed. It is fine and silky on the skin and it has a very good even coverage when used with the sponge. It looks very natural on the skin, never powdery or cakey, it has good lasting power and -very important for me- it does not become oily afterwards (it does not have amazing oil control, but it does not look shiny either). The packaging is beautiful and very classy, although I would prefer the sponge to be near and not under the foundation, it is more convenient for me, even though the container has to be larger in this case. My problem with this foundation is that it is too powdery, not on my face as a finish, but as a consistency in the container. I like to apply powder foundation by buffing with a kabuki rather than using a sponge. If I try to use a brush on it, the container, the sink, my clothes become a powdery mess. It is a bit expensive (normal for Guerlain considering the packaging and the amount), but the amount lasts for a long time. I would buy again, even though I would prefer a lighter color. I am NC15 and I use the lightest available color here, 02 Beige Exquis.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Chanel - Rouge Allure Laque Dragon no 75 [DISCONTINUED]
FleurDefendue 12/12/2009 4:48:00 PM
I always envy red lipstick on other women,because I had never found one that was not orange or fuchsia on me... until now! This is a true RED, blue-based but red, not fuchsia. It is exactly what I was looking for, a 50's red, a femme-fatale red, what Demi Moore was wearing in "Flawless" and Gwyneth Paltrow in "Talented Mr. Ripley". The formula is extremely pigmented, the finish is glossy and luscious, lasting power is great. I tried also without a lip liner and it didn't bleed at all! Even my SO, who barely notices anything, after I experimenting so much with new colors and looks, said: "Wow, you look like Gilda!". I am NC15 with dark brown/violet hair and this is absolutely stunning.
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Primer/ Corrector -Guerlain - Meteorites Perles Light Diffusing Perfecting Primer
FleurDefendue 12/1/2009 4:31:00 PM
This is one of those products, which I always go out to buy, but in the end I purchase something else instead for no particular reason... finally I got it a week ago. The packaging and the formula have been described, so I will focus on the results -at least on me: glowing, radiant, soft, even skin, like never before... My foundation and makeup lasted all day long. I used YSL Teint Resist over it (if you read my review, you will see that this foundation has not impressed me...) and the blending and the appearance of the foundation itself were so much better! It also had amazing oil control, which was something I didn't expect from this primer. The application is the ultimate pleasure for me; the smell is not so intense as in other Guerlain products (it is roses rather than violets) and it dries immediately, within 5 seconds. I use maybe half to one pump to achieve the results. It is expensive, but when I find something "perfect" (which happens rarely), I always repurchase it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Givenchy - Mister Light
FleurDefendue 11/26/2009 4:17:00 PM
I have tried several pen concealers, looking for radiance and to cover a spot from time to time. YSL TE was my first one and it was great until I tried Chanel and Lancome, which were wonderful (compared to them, TE was just OK...). Guerlain's one accentuated fine lines and had zero coverage. Dior's was nothing special and Estee Lauder's was heavy and cakey. Last time I decided to try Mister Light. This product is really DIVINE! I find the formula a little bit strange. It looks dry and cakey when I try it on my hand, but it is not! It also seems that it has no coverage, but a tiny amount makes spots disappear! It is very blendable and lightweight, it does not accentuate fine lines -it makes them invisible instead- and it has a very radiant and luminous effect. Any sign of fatigue in the area around the eyes is literally gone. It contains tiny sparkling particles, which are not visible on skin, though. With Mister Light I need less amount, and it is cheaper than other HE pens, as well! (25 euros here). It is my new HG highlighter. I am NC15 and I use #2 Mister Milk, a very light ivory color.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Chanel - Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF 10
FleurDefendue 11/13/2009 12:58:00 PM
I wonder what took me so long to try this fabulous foundation. I have been using La Prairie powder foundation but I wanted to try something else also (mainly because I run out too fast with La Prairie and there are no refills available). The lighter colors I could find here were 30 Aurore, 40 Sable and 50 Poudre. They look almost the same, whereas Aurore is more pink, Sable is more yellow and Poudre is neutral. I got Poudre. The color is nice on me, although I would prefer a lighter shade. I used a kabuki to apply it in the morning and it went on so smoothly, just like cream (actually the formula is more creamy than powdery). I applied it over a thin layer of YSL Perfect Touch liquid and they worked really well together. It didn't have that powdery finish I get with La Prairie, immediately upon application it looked very natural, yet the coverage was pretty good. It was also long lasting and the color stayed true without oxidizing. But the best thing was that, as day went on, it didn't cross that fine line between dewy and shiny... I mean that, even though I re-applied (using the sponge and it was not a mess!), I could see that I didn't need to. I felt my skin a little bit oily/shiny, but when I looked in the mirror, it was not! It looked dewy and healthy. I don't know if I will run out quickly with this one like I do with La Prairie, but considering that there are refills, I will definitely repurchase.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Yves Saint Laurent - TEINT RESIST Long Wear Transfer Resistant Foundation 
FleurDefendue 10/29/2009 4:27:00 PM
Having read the reviews I had such great expectations, but unfortunately the product did not live up to them... It is just an ordinary foundation on me, nothing special about it. I used the lightest shade (I love YSL because of this, there is always a shade which is as light as I want it to be). The consistency is like pure silk indeed and the smell is the usual YSL fresh melon-like smell. The finish on me is definitely powdery, without being totally matte though (in a way it reminds me of those creme foundations that turn into powder upon application, although Teint Resist is not creamy, but fluid). I find the coverage to be very light to light, and medium when layered. If I want full coverage, I will have to apply several layers and it will look quite powdery (I am really surprised by the reviews talking about even full coverage). I would say that it is a more blendable version of YSL Hydrafeel compact foundation, although it did not control oil so well (so I don't see the "Resist" factor here...). After a couple of hours I felt my skin oily (I had used powder to set it) and from then on I had the same problem that I have with many other fluid foundations; after the first touch-up, I need another one almost every hour. Nevertheless, the color stayed true and, regardless of the touch-ups in between, in the end of the day my face was quite decent. So, I give it 3 lippies because of that and also because I paid only 35 euros for it here, which is really a bargain for a HE foundation. The packaging is wonderful (rectangular semi-transparent matte glass pump bottle with a golden lid). UPDATE: I continued using it to finish it and give it a second chance, due to the reviews here. I was even more disappointed. This month, due to lack of sleep, during the PMS days my skin was feeling a little bit harsh. Well, I was unable to blend this foundation. It felt too dry, it sat around my nose and accentuated my pores. It was totally visible that I was wearing a heavy foundation, although I don't find the formula heavy at all. I was frustrated, so I cleaned my face and I applied the only liquid foundation that I had available, Parure Extreme. What a difference! It went on like a dream with coverage that was invisible! ( But I can't stand the color unfortunately, the lightest here is 02 and I am asked if I have been sunbathing... ).
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