Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Auric Blends- Night Queen Perfume Oil
Tovah 5/11/2012 4:28:00 PM
It's very hard to find a fragrance that truly smells like Arizona Night Blooming Cereus (peniocereus greggii). Night Blooming Cereus,or Arizona Queen of the Night, is a cactus which has gorgeous white flowers, which open at night. Each bloom lasts for just one night. Auric Blends Night Queen comes closer to the scent of the actual flower than the very expensive Cereus pour femme. If you like this Auric blend, you may want to try Once In A Bloom's "Queen of the Night" perfume. It's another accurate rendition of the exquisite fragrance of this unusual flower. Auric blends oils last and last, and only a drop is needed for great sillage and all-day scent. Night Queen is just lovely, and I like it better even than Auric Blends Egyptian Goddess (which is a stunning Egyptian Musk). You can't go wrong with Auric's oils, and their prices are unbelievably good.
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Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - CURLS Lavish Curls Moisturizer
Tovah 3/24/2012 11:44:00 PM
This is wonderful for refreshing hair either by spraying into palms and scrunching in, or, my favorite way: raking through soaking wet hair. When used beneath them, this enhances the definition and hold of any other styling product. When applied on dry hair, it reactivates styling products and adds shine. This smells nice - like fresh, cool peach white tea. This product is refreshing and it eliminates frizz. It's perfect for mid-high dew points, and humid weather. Ingredients: water, glycerin, polysorbate 80, methylheptyl isostearate, silk amino acids, certified organic anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, certified organic camelllia sinensis (tea) leaf extract, citric acid, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, disodium EDTA, potassium sorbate, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, fragrance
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - CURLS Coconut Curlada
Tovah 3/24/2012 11:32:00 PM
I think I'm slightly addicted to the smell of this conditioner. It smells like coconut, pineapple, and caramel, and it's amazing. I get this at Sally Beauty, and my only complaint is that an 8 oz. bottle is way too small. I use this as a co-wash or a rinse and it's good for adding a little slip and detangling. I apply As I Am Leave-In Conditioner after rinsing with Coconut Curlada, so at least I smell like a tropical dream when I head to bed wearing my pink sleep bonnet and a T-shirt.
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Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - As I Am Curling Jelly Coil and Curl Definer
Tovah 3/24/2012 11:10:00 PM
This is amazing for creating tight, well-defined curls. It dries a little crunchy (not as much if As I Am Leave-in is used), but after scrunching hair is bouncy, and curls are tight. If I use more Leave-In beneath the jelly, I can get more elongated curls. Overall, this jelly is in my top favorites along with Kinky-Curly Curling Custard and Coffee-Coco Curl Creme...and they are my platinum standards. This has too much glycerin to work as a "regular" for me during consistently low-dew points, but I just love this jelly when the weather is on my side. Ingredients: Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Extracts, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf and Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Pectin, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - As I Am - Leave-In Conditioner
Tovah 3/24/2012 11:02:00 PM
Fantastic product! It's moisturizing, detangling, softening, and a very little goes a long way. I'm so happy this is protein-free. I can use it all the time! I like this even more than Kinky-Curly Knot Today...and that's saying a lot. This leave-in is perfect for my hair.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - As I Am - Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner
Tovah 3/24/2012 10:57:00 PM
This is my favorite Deep Treatment conditioner. It's rich, smooth, moisturizing, and effective. There's no heaviness, greasiness, dryness, tangles or other DT side effects. I use it under a plastic cap, and only occasionally use it with heat.
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Styling Products -Kinky Curly - Curling Custard
Tovah 3/24/2012 10:40:00 PM
This is, hands down, my "go-to" product on dry days when the dew point is low. It gives my hair vitality, gets rid of frizz, and it has great hold. Curling Custard leaves a very hard cast, and it takes a long, long time to dry, but after scrunching with pomade or a little water, I have soft, bouncy spiral curls. I love the vanilla smell of this...it reminds me of Dairy Queen soft serve. I apply the custard over Kinky-Curly Knot Today as a leave-in. It helps the "crunch". My biggest "hint" about this product is that it works best when "raked" into soaking wet hair. It has to soak in the whole length of my hairs or I don't get good definition. If your hair is sensitive to glycerin and/or protein this may be one of the best products available for you.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Curl Junkie Coffee Coco Curl Cream
Tovah 3/24/2012 10:33:00 PM
I LOVE this! LOVE it! It makes my hair softer than it's ever felt in my life, and my hair stays bouncy and full of definition until it's time to re-style. I usually use this over a leave-in, and I occasionally use a little pomade on "escapees", but this works beautifully on its own for soft, elongated spirals. When used on soaking wet hair, under my sleep bonnet, I wake up to bouncy hair (that's usually almost dry...) I can't keep my own hands out of my hair, because I'm amazed at how silky it feels. I can't imagine that I'll ever use gel again. This smells delightful.
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Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Soft Sheen Carson Roots of Nature Mango Cupuacu Curl Reviving Spray
Tovah 2/12/2012 12:47:00 AM
This is a fabulous, wonderful refreshing spray and moisturizer. It sprays a light mist over my hair, and I bunch/scrunch it in. I use it during the days as a refresher, and in the mornings for second (sometimes third) day revival. It smells amazing; fresh and tropical, and it doesn't dull what ever shine my hair might have. It's never sticky or slimy either. This adds more moisture, shaping ability, and hold, than other "refresher" sprays that I use, yet it somehow feels lighter and softer. This is a top notch product, and I'm so glad I found it! The silicones are water-soluble, and I haven't yet had any drying or build-up issues. Ingredients:AQUA / WATER, GLYCERIN, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, OLETH-20, VP/VACOPOLYMER, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, PEG-12 DIMETHICONE, PARFUM /FRAGRANCE, PHENOXYETHANOL, POLYQUATERNIUM-4, CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, HEXYLCINNAMAL, PEG-70 MANGO GLYCERIDES, POLYQUATERNIUM-11, GERANIOL, LIMONENE,THEOBROMA GRANDIFLORUM / THEOBROMA GRANDIFLORUM SEED BUTTER†,METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE, LINALOOL, BENZYL ALCOHOL, 2-OLEAMIDO-1,3-OCTADECANEDIOL.F.I.L. D41339/1 U.S. PATENT: 5,618,523; 5,679,357; 5,700,456 - †CUPUACU BUTTER
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Frutique Berry Berry Purifying Gel Cleanser
Tovah 2/11/2012 11:49:00 PM
For the price, the formulation and performance of this product are outstanding. It's a light, clear gel cleanser that's perfect for every-day cleansing. It removes basic makeup (not waterproof), and refreshes skin without leaving behind any residue. My face feels soft and moisturized immediately, and my skin is smooth. This has caused 0 irritation (it's extremely gentle), and enjoy it's very slight, clean fragrance. The pump bottle is huge and a little goes a long way. I have no idea if antioxidants do anything when they're included in a cleanser, but this product contains antioxidants from acai and goji berries. I don't count on any miraculous effects from the use of fruit oils, of course, but this is a terrific, gentle, non-irritating, thorough cleanser. This is a definite bargain, and I will continue to use this cleanser. Ingredients:Water (Aqua, Eau), Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lauryldimoniumhydroxypropyl Laurylglucosides Chloride, Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl Laurylglucosides Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai Berry) Extract, Lycium Chinensis Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trideceth-9, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linaloo,l Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Cure Care Conditioner
Tovah 1/16/2012 4:04:00 PM
Cure Care is Sally's version of a product I used as a teenager called Unicure Hair and Skin Conditioner. Unicure (which, as it turns out, is still around), was always so kind to my dry, curly, frizzy hair, and Cure Care is as well. It's also excellent as a shave cream for my legs, an eyemakeup remover, and a moisturizer for dry hands. I like the fact that it's fragrance-free. I use this for conditioner my 4 year old daughter's hair, and it detangles and softens perfectly. It's extremely gentle...and my hands feel softer after I cleanse. This feels a little like "Cetaphil" for hair - you know how Cetaphil leaves behind softness but no stickiness? Unicure had cleansers and a gel to accompany the hypo-allergenic conditioner, and I wish Sally's would "dupe" these as well! In addition to the product's high quality and performance, it costs $2.99 for a 20 oz. bottle at Sally's. It does sound too good to be true, but, for once, this is a great deal.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -La Roche Posay - Thermal Spring Water
Tovah 1/14/2012 4:15:00 PM
This is great for refreshing skin/hair/makeup and for spritzing on skin right before moisturizer application. We have awful water here in Southern CA. It's loaded with chlorine and all kinds of treatments for purification and safety. It's drying to skin, so this soft, pure thermal water is a luxury! This is wonderful for spraying on legs after shaving. Regarding the N2 ingredient in Thermal Spring Water: N2, which is nitrogen in gas form used as a propellant for the spray, is chemically inert. N2 and Nitrogen are not related metabolically, and N2 does not produce free radicals, etc. You're not spraying liquid nitrogen (LN2) on your skin when you use this water. No cryogenics, just soothing refreshment. The "sources" provided in a previous review regarding "nitrogen as a propellant" are taken directly from one of Paula Begoun's publications, (either on CosmeticsCop or Beautypedia), and the quote itself is, at best, an attempt to simplify to extremes some information that may be inferred from a cursory glance of both cited articles (which are rather dated). At worst, it's a misunderstanding of the information provided in both articles; neither of which concentrates specifically on skin apoptosis. In order to review the Nitrogen Cycle, refer to any junior high science textbook.
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Lipstick -MAC - Ramblin Rose Lipstick
Tovah 1/12/2012 11:20:00 PM
Ramblin Rose is the lipstick I've been searching for my whole life. I'm not kidding...I've always looked for this color and finish, but no once else seems to produce it. The name makes it impossible to guess the color, and lucky for me, I grabbed a misplaced Tester of Ramblin Rose when I thought I was inspecting Costa Chic. It's the best mistake I've made in a long time. Based on pictures and reviews, I thought Ramblin Rose was a sheer, pink-brown nude. On some people, it may be, but on me it's peachy coral, and it has a gorgeous golden glow. I don't notice any "gritty" texture at all, but, luckily I don't have dry lips too often. Also, this doesn't seem to have "glitter" at all. It's not even strongly frosted; it has more of a glimmery-glow. Perhaps this glow is more apparent on very fair skin, but it melts right into my undertones. This lipstick lasts so long it amazes me; it's more of a stain than most of my lip stains. It lasts through eating, and drinking. I have to use makeup remover or cold cream to remove it from my lips before bed! This is the perfect color and the perfect formulation. I love love LOVE it! LOVE IT.
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Fragrances -Prada - Candy EDP
Tovah 1/12/2012 10:49:00 PM
I adore Candy! Yes, it reminds me of Paris Hilton Can Can, but I happily wear Candy in public. There are times when I just enjoy wearing a fragrance that's sweet and alluring. I have Hypnotic Poison, BLV Notte,Kilian Love, Amande Sucree, etc. but they aren't exactly "any time any where" perfumes. Prada Candy is fun, easy, attractive, and warm. It's a perfect vanilla cupcake in a display case of two-layered Double Chocolate cakes. It's musky benzoin with a shot of melted, buttery caramel, and it just blooms on my skin. Candy is exactly what I wanted it to be, and I'm thrilled with it. I find the lasting power to be excellent, and this scent gives me a little burst of joy whenever I catch whiffs of it throughout the day.
13 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead Degradé
Tovah 1/12/2012 10:24:00 PM
There are so many of you on Makeupalley who are experts with makeup, that my review is probably going to make you laugh. And you really ought to! I feel like I've recently had a "duh" discovery, and it's all because I haven't paid enough attention to makeup reviews. In all honesty, other than MAC Face and Body Foundation (C4), I don't think I've ever used, or even tried another MAC product. Their advertising seems to be aimed at artists, makeup professionals, and people who have the kinds of lives that give them opportunities to be creative and daring with makeup. I'm a former high school English teacher, and a suburban Mom of 3, so I'm regularly intimidated by MAC's ads, and their glamorous reputation. My most "brave" experiences with makeup have been buying Laura Geller kits from QVC, and using all the colors in the kit...together. Woo hoo! So when I see promotions for Gareth Pugh, and the MAC's Metal collection, all I can do is assume a world of fantasy exists beyond me, and enjoy it like I'm watching True Blood or something. MAC's recent collection, Naturally, caught my eye immediately. Not only did the colors appear to be relatively timid, the whole look appeared to be something I might be capable of creating on my own face. ...Let me say, I'm relieved I bought my products before the Iris Apfel ads, in all their HG glory, started showing up everywhere. They most certainly would have scared me away from Mac again. Something about Iris (maybe those glasses?) causes a childhood memory of a terrifying elderly aunt of my mother's, who, before she left to go home from a visit, used to demand that I take off her shoes and put her boots on her sweaty stockinged feet. To this day, when I think of her feet, I still get chills... Anyways, Naturally really attracted me. So I bought a blush in Early Morning, and I bought the Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead (and a couple lipsticks, which I'll review later). The Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead is astoundingly wonderful. It's one of the best makeup products I've ever owned. It goes on like butter, and it never cakes, flakes or looks dry. It illuminates my complexion, but it doesn't look silvery or greasy. The colors are perfect as an all-over finisher, plus I use them as eyeshadow, and as blush, if layered. The colors are so wonderful I swear they bring out highlights in my hair. They're so perfect for me, I don't think I've looked this good in years! Today I wore my Face & Body Foundation, Redhead Skinfinish, Early Morning blush, and mascara. I didn't even attempt to put on eyeliner (which is so rare I can count the times I've gone without eyeliner in the last 25 years on one hand), because I appeared to have such a "healthy" flush and overall brightness, I didn't want to ruin the natural effect. Plus, these colors brighten my eyes to the point where they don't need as much emphasis as usual. I've decided my for my New Year's Resolution (I know it's late, but I hadn't bothered to make one before this), I'm going to become obsessed with MAC makeup. I have a feeling I've been missing out, and I love discovering new stuff to play with! This Skinfinish is a joy to wear.
25 out of 25 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No