Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Himalaya Herbals Kajal
Kalya 8/24/2012 8:18:00 AM
I like this kajal kohl. Purportedly all-natural ingredients and it does not cause allergic reactions on my skin or any eye irritation. One tip to make eyes look larger is to apply the kajal at the outer and inner corner lining of the eyes. If applied to the complete waterline, it actually causes a diminishing effect. Smudging some kajal lightly over the eyelids also results in a dramatic effect. I just hope they introduce this in brown or ash hues as the black kohl can produce a rather startling contrast effect. It is also slightly difficult to remove. A little goes a long way. I have had the kajal tube for 2 years now. I would definitely buy more of this kajal if the company makes brown and gray shades available.
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Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Lotus Herbals Natural Kajal
Kalya 8/22/2012 2:38:00 PM
This kajal kohl contains almond oil, liquorice and camphor and is safe to use on the waterline. I like this kajal brand as much as I liked the Himalaya Kajal. It does smudge, having natural ingredients. I am fine with the smudging. Creates a sort of dramatic look, as long as I do not over-apply the kajal on the lower eyelid to get that raccoon effect! I have always preferred natural kajal to kohl pencils or eyeliners, which seem to irritate my eyes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - Out of Africa - Organic Shea Butter
Kalya 8/22/2012 10:43:00 AM
The smell is sort of bad, burnt matter type, and I have bought the lavender scented butter! I have started mixing frankincense-myrrh essential oil with the butter and that has a pleasant scent. The raw shea butter quite hard in the winter, but it softens on contact with the palms. It does cause some blackheads when applied on the oily zones of the face, but I have been seeing good effects as well, such as softening of the skin and reduction of fine lines. The butter also works well for the hair, especially in smoothing the ends and thickening the hair shaft. Not sure if it does anything to reduce hair loss or soothe the scalp, though. In fact, it looks like it caused some hair loss. I bought a mid-size tin for $9 which is sort of expensive. Waiting for the next sale to happen on this product or any other brand '100% raw shea butter'.
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Moisturizers -Desert Essence - Daily Essential Moisturizer
Kalya 8/21/2012 7:58:00 AM
This product stinks, literally and otherwise. Inside the unhygenic jar, it looks sickly - like spoiled whipped cream or bad yogurt. The smell is gagging. I usually like the scent of geranium essential oil and this is definitely not the same scent. Like another user wrote, this smell is similar to smell of sweaty skin or some bodily secretion. Yuck.... Applied on the face - well, that's another story. I got small red itchy bumps on the side of the face I tested this on. I think it is the sodium hydroxide ingredient (lye) a.k.a caustic soda, which as the name implies, could be caustic to skin, especially sensitive skin and is used in detergents and heavy-duty *cleaners* !! Back to the store it goes. I am so done with Desert Essence products.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Physicians Formula - Mineral Wear Talc-Free Face Powder
Kalya 8/17/2012 8:25:00 AM
The shades in this product range are sort of 'sickly' looking. Applied on the face, with a moisturizer base, it still looks cakey and creases at the laugh lines. For my skin, it causes excessive dryness as well. Maybe it's the retinyl palmitate or the parabens....some ingredient in this powder was making my facial skin look dull and patchy, with a lot of 'bumps'. Once I stopped using the powder, the skin looked much better. To be honest, I do not know if this powder is good or bad for my skin. If the parabens can be removed, this would be a great product.
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Cleansers -Jergens - All-Purpose Face Cream
Kalya 8/17/2012 8:14:00 AM
This cream is very oily, even if it is used as a cold cream (wiped off). Yes, it does leave the skin soft and smooth but I prefer the Walgreens brand of cold cream as the latter brand seems hypoallergenic and not pore-clogging. The original formula has changed and it now has DMDM Hydantoin and aluminum! The packaging is okay, the large tub seems unhygienic. Another issue is the artificial pink colour and the fragrance, which is very strong. I think it was the fragrance of this cream that may have resulted in white-heads on my cheeks and blackheads on the t-zone. For me, blackheads occur due to clogged pores and whiteheads due to a possible allergic reaction.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Trader Joe's - Aloe Vera Gel
Kalya 8/15/2012 10:52:00 AM
Overall, I like the aloe vera gel as a cheap alternative to the 100% natural aloe gel. I usually mix an essential oil or attar (rose, kewra, sandalwood) with a generous dollop of the aloe gel and apply to my arms and legs after bathing. It helps keep the skin hydrated and soft. It did not do much for alleviating my sunburn, though. Just wish the gel did not have so many parabens and TEA/DEA chemicals in it! For the price, it is a good, generous quantity.
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Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme
Kalya 8/15/2012 10:47:00 AM
I don't have a problem with the moisturizing capability of this cream. It is good, in fact a light moisturizer as the name suggests. Definitely not as greasy as the Nivea brand cream available in the blue jar. The smell is hard to describe - metallic, ripe. Like some previous reviewers mentioned, it has a nauseating effect. I have also gotten headaches after using this cream. Additionally, this creme has all the possible parabens concoction, compared to the original Nivea creme. I prefer the thicker version which also smells nicer (floral scent) - the original 'Nivea moisturizing Creme'. Pros - light moisturizer. Not heavy or greasy. Cons - horrible smell, several parabens and other chemicals in the ingredients, too light a moisturizer to really do anything good for the skin.
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Fragrances -Kuumba Made - Frankincense/Myrrh
Kalya 8/15/2012 10:45:00 AM
I loved the frankincense myrrh combination perfume. The scent is musky, woodsy. I have found that it is relaxing when used before sleep-time. Once applied, it stays for 2-3 hours max. Sort of expensive at 10 dollars.
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Moisturizers -Garnier - Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream
Kalya 8/15/2012 10:37:00 AM
This is a super expensive cream for the quantity and the quality. After all, it is just a decoction of chemicals. One thing I noticed is this cream will create a 'moisture-craving'. I tested this by applying the cream in humid weather, while my face was already hydrated. Sure enough, it added some moisture to the skin. After some hours, my face dried out quite a lot than before applying the cream the first time, requiring the cream to be reapplied. In short, the cream has some chemical that results in a vicious 'normal-hydrated-super dry -hydrated-even more dry' cycle. Using aloe gel and rose water works just fine and it does not make my skin drier than it started with.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - Mineral Fusion body lotion
Kalya 8/14/2012 9:03:00 AM
I got this in the Sunstone scent. Had a hard time choosing between Sunstone, Earthstone and Waterstone, lol...Sunstone aroma is floral, Earthstone is herbal i believe. The lotion leaves a shimmering effect on the skin, probably because of all the semi-precious minerals in it. I quite love that! Yes, it does not have much of a moisturizing effect. It makes for a good summer moisturizer. I haven't / wouldn't try using it on the face, because of the retinyl palmitate ingredient! The Mineral Fusion website states that it partnered with some organizations for community help. That, and the product quality being good, I bought this lotion.
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Lotions/ Creams -Bath and Body Works - Savannah Bee Company Beeswax Hand Cream
Kalya 8/13/2012 5:42:00 PM
Really good cream for hands and even neck/face. BUT, the smell is a extremely cloying berry-ish. Update : removing one lippie because of the awful, 'rotting coconuts' smell. Made me very nauseous and it is impossible to use this cream even though the ingredients are very beneficial. The scent is very strong, even when masked with an essential oil. An unscented cream would have been preferable to this awful-smelling cream!
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Powder -Wet 'n' Wild - 100% Natural pressed powder
Kalya 8/13/2012 8:36:00 AM
I have ultra-sensitive skin and I am usually unhappy with face powders. This natural powder worked for me. PROS - ~ No breakouts at all. ~ Does not dry out the skin. The Physicians Formula mineral wear powder was super-drying for my skin and also caused some breakouts. ~ Does not cake up or crease. ~ Goes on smoothly. I use my fingers to apply it, after putting a moisturizing base on the face. ~ Decent price for the quantity. I have my eye on the Gabriel brand pressed powder available at Whole Foods, but it is too expensive and I'd rather wait for a sale. ~ Availability! Availability! Availability! With Physicians Formula acting up on their 'Organic Wear' powder availability (it is not in stores and while some drugstores do carry the organic wear powder, it is available in only one shade), WnW is a good alternative. I found it at the local drugstores. ~ Oh, and the WnW brand natural powder does not have that skunk-like smell that PF's organic wear powder has!! CONS - ~ The cheap sponge that comes with the compact is useless. ~ Yes, the 'warm beige' shade may look a bit orange after a few hours. It does not happen all the time, so I suspect there is some weather/hormone(?) dependency. I should have chosen the 'Golden' or 'beige' shade for my skin color.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Kuumba Made - Wildflower
Kalya 8/9/2012 8:21:00 AM
This is a delicate perfume/essential oil. Reminds me of spring cologne. There are several layers of scent, dominant ones being jasmine, clover, gardenia and honeysuckle. There is a complexity factor going on, for the scents. Each time I use this oil, it smells different (and pleasant too). Needs to be reapplied every 2-3 hours.
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Skincare - Body -Johnson & Johnson - Medicated Baby Powder Aloe & Vit. E
Kalya 8/3/2012 7:51:00 AM
This powder has many uses - dry shampoo, face, body dusting powder, feet, etc The scent is nice - just like a cuddly baby's. Aloe is an added bonus!
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