Cleansers -Caudalie - Instant Foaming Cleanser
LittleBear23 2/25/2010 6:11:00 PM
Meh... Not exited about this. It strips my skin a bit too much and the smell is really strong and unpleasant. It's a strong chemically smell. I do really like the foamy thing though. That's cool. I think this would work well for someone with oily skin or for normal skin in mid-summer. It seems to clean really well. I think if I had oily skin I could get over the smell but since I don't I probably would not buy this again.
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Mascara -Korres - Provitamin B5 & Rice Bran Mascara
LittleBear23 2/25/2010 6:08:00 PM
I'd like to say that I'd "maybe" buy this again. It's fine mascara. It's black but not super black. It lengthens well but doesn't really thicken very much. It isn't clumpy at all. It dries fairly quickly and doesn't smudge at all. It doesn't sting or itch my eyes. It's not super easy to get off but with eye-makeup remover it does come off. It's a bit crunchier/stiffer than I had hoped. I can't say that it's nourishing. It's fine, just fine.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Bare Naturale Mascara - Blackest Black
LittleBear23 2/2/2010 3:42:00 PM
I bought this because I was looking for a gentle mascara, well, really I was looking for a moisturizing mascara and couldn't find one for a reasonable price. So, I thought, natural, that's good, right? It is if it's Korres or Dr. Haushka, but apparently not if it's L'Oreal. This is the clumpiest mascara I have ever tried. Maybe the packaging is bad too. You pull the wand out and it has mascara piled on it like a mudpie. I spent at least 30 seconds wiping off the brush every time I pulled the wand out. So, basically that more than doubled the time it took to put my mascara on. You could not possibly pull the wand out and then put on the mascara. You'd look horrible. Honestly, it was so bad I threw the tube away after about 5 days. So, I marked it as very expensive because it only lasted 5 days. What a waste. Other than the mudpie issue the mascara was fine. That's why it got too lippies instead of one. It's dark, it isn't crunchy or itchy, didn't smudge and was reasonably easy to remove with eyemakeup remover. Don't waste your money on this.
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Lotions/ Creams -Gold Bond - Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion
LittleBear23 1/20/2010 5:04:00 PM
I've known about this product for years but I never considered trying it. The name turned me off. It reminded me of something someone would use for jock itch or foot fungus. Gross. Why would I put that on my hands? LOL! Anyway, they had little purse-size tubes of this at Walgreens for 99 cents and it just happens that my little purse tube of lotion had run out the day before. I chastised myself for thinking this stuff was gross just based on the name and bought one. I'm so glad I did. I LOVE it. My super-dry winter hands are very soft and the moisture lasts all day, even after I wash. This stuff sinks in really well, is not oily or greasy, moisturizes like crazy, doesn't have any kind of smell, and is very reasonably priced. Now if we could just do something about that name...
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Gels/Soaps -Bliss Labs - Vanilla and Bergamot Bubbling Bath and Shower Gel
LittleBear23 1/11/2010 7:42:00 PM
I got a very large pump bottle of this at Sephora. The price was amazing. Per ounce it was cheaper than any other body wash at Sephora. I like that it is fairly natural. I doesn't really foam or lather at all. I know I don't need lather to get clean. I know this is making me clean, but I just really LIKE lather. Also, the smell is very faint. I have to concentrate on smelling it to smell anything. I do like that it is quite gentle. My skin gets really dry and tight in the winter and this doesn't add to that at all. So, overall, meh...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Ojon - tawaka tribal rejuvenating cream [DISCONTINUED]
LittleBear23 1/5/2010 6:55:00 PM
I got this cream in a Tawaka starter package at Sephora. I used it all up in about a week. It is a nice cream that smells good, like Ojon restorative hair treatment but lighter, earthy and chocolatey. It sinks in well and moisturizes fairly well. Unfortunately, it does not moisturize nearly as well as Olay Quench (my gold standard for body lotion and cream) and costs a lot more.So, I will not re-purchase but would gladly use this product again if it was given to me.
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Shampoo -Ojon - Tawaka Rejuvenating Shampoo [DISCONTINUED]
LittleBear23 12/29/2009 7:59:00 PM
This is probably really excellent shampoo if you have course or curly hair. I have a couple of friends who LOVE this stuff but one has curly hair and one has course, grey, damaged hair. My hair is very fine and very straight. I thought since I have some damage that this shampoo would be great for me, but, no. It is totally fine if I wanted to wash my hair every day, but I don't. Normally I go 2-3 days between washings. This time, on the morning of day 2 my hair feels and looks yucky and greasy. Not for fine hair, even if it is a bit damaged.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Lancome - berry noir
LittleBear23 12/14/2009 6:04:00 PM
I marked that I would not buy this again, not because it's bad but because I just don't think it's worth the $29 plus tax that I paid for it at Sephora. It was an impulse purchase because I was thinking that I wanted a "berry" shade. The color is a lovely darkish berry, but definitely berry, not too gothic. It looks great on me when I have makeup on but is a bit too dark for me when I don't have makeup on. My skin tone is medium/light beige, usually a level 3, and always neutral (not warm or cool). This lipstick has a lot of pigment and lasts fairly well for a regular (not long wearing) lipstick. But, Besame lipstick has MUCH better pigment and lasts even longer and is only $15. This lipstick has a thick-ish, smooth feel on my lips. But, Dr. Hauschka lipstick has a smoother, better feel, plus a nice scent, and is biodynamic and organic for only $23.50. Finally, Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick is about 80% as good as any of the above and only costs $5.49. Obviously, I'm not saying you should only buy cheap lipstick and I do think this is a good lipstick on every measure but I just don't think it's $29 good.
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Lotions/ Creams -Olay - Quench Body Lotion-normal to dry skin
LittleBear23 12/10/2009 4:39:00 PM
Dang, this stuff is good! I've tried a gazillion types of lotion, cream and oil and 1/2 a gazillion combinations of those and I still had uncomfortable skin in the winter. I did not think for one second that this stuff would work, but it does. It almost instantly makes my skin feel better. I don't think it quite lasts for 24 hours. I do end up putting it on my feet, hands, calves, and arms again about 16 hours later, but, really, that's fine. It works better than anything else I've tried. It soaks in quickly, it smells fine, and the price is great.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Lancome - Genifique
LittleBear23 12/9/2009 4:04:00 PM
I got a large sample size of this serum from Sephora and I've been using it for a couple of weeks. At first I was only using it in the morning and I thought my skin felt and looked better. Then a couple of days ago I began using it morning and night- wow. My skin looks like baby skin. For real. I'm 38 and my skin is soft, supple, smooth, and even rosy! The only thing different I am doing is this product. I love it. I'm SO scared of how much this is going to cost me when I actually have to buy it. About the product- it is very thin and clear, like water. I need about a dime size to cover both my face and neck. It absorbs pretty much immediately and doesn't interfere with any other product I have put over it including: day lotion, day cream, night treatment, night cream, liquid foundation, mineral/powder foundation, tinted primers, and squalene oil (not all at once, of course!). I have sensitive skin that does tend to freak out and get little bumps, or acne or itching and this stuff doesn't bother my skin. However, all sensitive skin is different and based on the reviews it looks like it does bother some.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Jamila Henna
LittleBear23 11/19/2009 6:12:00 PM
I've been using BAQ henna on my hair off and on for years. I usually mix 2 boxes (200 g) of Jamila with 100g of another henna that I choose on the spot. I order from hennaforhair. I mix a little of another henna in because I think Jamila is very coppery. I definitely want coppery but no too orange. So, this is perfect. I mix with lemon juice, orange juice, grapeseed oil (for softness), dextrose (to make the mix smooth), cardamom powder, ginger powder and lavendar oil (for scent). I let the mix sit overnight and then usually leave it on my hair for 4 hours. I get a gorgeous coppery red. It's a lovelier color than any salon color I've ever had, lasts longer, is less expensive, and makes my hair feel better (vs. worse for salon colors). I haven't had any problems with skin staining but I'm pretty diligent about putting some oil on my skin around my hairline, using gloves, and wiping up any drippings. I agree with the other reviewer who said that Jamila is finely sifted. I don't get any clumps and have never had a bathtub drain issue. The only downside I can see is that my hair and scalp smell of the henna for more than a week after my coloring no matter what I do. I find the scent pleasant and earthy but it is notable that it will last for more than a week. If you're going to color your hair red I think BAQ henna is the way to go and Jamila is an excellent choice in BAQ henna.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Pretika Sonic Dermabrasion Facial Care System (Clarisonic dupe)
LittleBear23 11/6/2009 10:51:00 PM
I love my Pretika! It's great. I've had it for probably 7 months now and I noticed a significant improvement in my skin texture, number of pimples, and number of blackheads within one week. I started out using the gentle setting once a day. Now I use the regular setting, probably 3 times a week. I used to have tiny subdermal blackheads all over my nose and chin and now I don't, not at all, none. Of course, if I go 3 days without using it they come back but, hey, it's still great. I was really close to buying a Clarisonic but I thought since this was SO much cheaper, like 33% of the price of a Clarisonic I would try it and if it didn't work I'd splurge on the Clarisonic, but no need. I saved over $100! Oh, I don't use this with cleanser. I use it on my skin, wet, in the shower, then afterwards I use cleanser. I don't know if that makes a difference in sensitivity or not, that's just how I use it in case that makes a difference to you.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Dove - Beauty Bar
LittleBear23 10/29/2009 6:18:00 PM
I was really disappointed in the soap. This is a case where my memory failed me and I was swayed by marketing. I really thought I remembered this being moisturizing and since it SAYS it has all this moisturizer in it... So, disappointing. This soap doesn't feel moisturizing at all. Perhaps it's just because I'm used to more expensive soaps now? I really wanted to like this because I'm tired of paying $8 or so for one bar of soap. Unfortunately this soap is the bare minimum of what I would put on my skin. The smell is nice though. I marked that I would buy it again because if I am stuck somewhere with no soap and only a supermarket to buy it at, then this is what I would buy.
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Caramel Apple 3-in-1
LittleBear23 10/29/2009 6:13:00 PM
I think they got the name wrong on this one. The color is the color of candy apples and the scent, to me, smells like candy apples. I don't smell any caramel or anything buttery at all. Still, I really like it. It smells nice. As I've said in other reviews I don't think these products are as moisturizing as I'd like and I really wish the sizes were smaller because I get bored of the scent long before the bottle is empty.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Pumpkin Spice Muffin 3-in-1
LittleBear23 10/29/2009 6:10:00 PM
Smells great, just like pumpkin bread. Overall I think the Philosophy body washes are not as moisturizing as I'd like and fairly expensive. However, I just keep buying them anyway because I love the way they smell. This one does not disappoint. I do wish they would make these in smaller sizes though because I tend to get bored of the scent LONG before I run out of the product.
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