Lip Treatments -Chapstick - All Natural lip balm
beetee 10/7/2007 6:39:00 AM
My husband came home with this the other day. We both get dry lips in the winter and I think he is trying to wean me off my expensive Dr. Hanushka Lip Balm habit. I grew up with the old skool Chapstick but this new one is in a different class. It does the job..so..Top marks for the (mainly) natural ingredients and you can't beat the price, either!
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Concealers -Clinique - Airbrush Concealer
beetee 10/4/2007 7:00:00 AM
I bought this last spring because I ran out of my usual and my neighbour swears by this product. Given that she is considerably younger and less wrinkly I should have known better but I thought I'd try it out. I've probably bought every concealer ever made at one time or another and none of them live up to their promises. This one is rubbish on its own BUT! I've started to mix it with another misguided purchase, Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum, and whaddayaknow? it looks absolutley fine. The gold sparkly bits that I loathe in the serum blends in with the iridescence of the concealer plus the extra emollientcy that the serum gives it works well and it doesn't ( I repeat) doesn't lay in the creases. It brightens up the eye area without looking made up...and thats all I really want out of a concealer.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
beetee 9/18/2007 6:56:00 AM
Well, this summer I have loved the DDMG. My skin has been terribly oily for some reason and this is the only moisturiser I can use that doesn't clog me up or make me shinier. I don't know if I'll continue using this in the winter months but I'm hoping I can. I'm really impressed with the newer Clinique products. This gel and the liquid soaps are a great improvement on the original cleansing bar / DDML of my youth. Nothing makes my face feel (and stay) cleaner.
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Skincare - Face -Clinique - 3 Step System
beetee 9/13/2007 7:03:00 AM
I suppose in a way I'm using the 3 Step. It never dawned on me until the other day. I started out by buying the number 3 clarifying lotion and ended up with generous samples of the other 2 parts of the system. My skin has been very oily for some reason this summer and the number 3 has really helped normalise it. I have a sample of both the bar soap for oily skin and the Mild Liquid soap. I use one or the other depending on how oily I am BUT I follow up with a second wash using my Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel which for some reason seems to sort out the PH of my skin and keeps it from feeling stripped or tight. I don't mind the DDMgel at the moment. Especially with a top up of the Moisture Surge when I need it. ( I love how you can put the MS on top of makeup...that is magic!) I'm not sure I'll be able to keep this up once the warm weather is over and the central heating kicks in. I may have to go back to Dermalogica but for this summer I've really liked the Clinique products. They've changed quite a bit since I last used them and for a basic skincare system its not bad at all. Like a lot of the other Alley-ers I think that you have to customise and invent your own 3-step...but thats easy enough to do by just trying samples of the different products. I'm glad I put aside my cosmetic snobberies long enough to try the Clinque range out again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Olay - Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum
beetee 9/12/2007 6:42:00 AM
Probably the worst eye treatment I've ever used. It has done nothing for my eyes but irritate them and the skin around them. Don't like the texture or the gold flecks either. Save your money.
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Lip Gloss -Clinique - Glosswear in Shy Beige
beetee 9/6/2007 4:52:00 AM
I've lost count of how many times I've bought this gloss. I wear it just about every day and I never tire of it. It's just the right neutral colour and not too shimmery for me. But I mainly use it under other lipsticks, in particulary Creamy Nude and Perfect Beige (both Clinque as well), because it I like the effect it gives. I'm not keen on a too shimmery lipstick nor do I like one that's flat. By layering the 2 together if comes off just right.
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Moisturizers -Clinique - Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
beetee 8/28/2007 7:20:00 AM
I got this in a free gift recently and I really like it. Say for instance you've applied your foundation/TM and you notice a few flakies on your dry bits. A quick dab with this magic gel and they are gone. It leaves a nice matt-ish finish and doesn't break me out. A winner.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Clinique - Superbalm Lip Treatment
beetee 8/28/2007 7:08:00 AM
I have to admit that I only bought this lip balm because I need a second product to qualify for the nifty promotional gift I wanted to try out. I'm a devotee of the Dr. Hanushka lip balm and nothing will change that but this stuff is great for using under lipstick. It can turn any shade you have lying around into a super lipgloss and makes even my 60 year old lips looks smooth and suitably pouty. Not bad. Not bad at all.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Clinique - Quickliner for eyes- smoky brown
beetee 8/21/2007 11:31:00 AM
As you age it gets harder and harder to find eye makeup that makes your eyes look good. Sometimes the effect is too glittery...sometimes the product drags on your lids...a lot of things can go wrong. But this is possibly the best eyeliner I've ever used. The colour is superb and it floats on like a dream. Stays put too. When I was last in the states I bought the Physician Formula Canyon eyeshadow quad. I found that I was using all of the shadows except for the taupe one. Well..this eyeliner and the inexpensive PF taupe shadow makes my eyes look a million bux. Handy smudger too..no more digging around in the makeup bag looking for my BB one. Perfection!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Mehaz Rubis-Two-tip Tweezers
beetee 7/11/2007 4:58:00 AM
I've been tweezing for a long, long time and this is my HG brand of tweezers. I bought by first pair over ten years ago and they served me well until I dropped them on my bathroom ceramic floor. I had a hard time finding a replacement pair over here. I even had to contact Rubis in Switzerland who put me onto their UK distributer. For me they work better than any other type or brand. The tips are so thin and sharp that it's impossible to miss a hair...any hair no matter how fine or how short. As these were first made for beauty professionals they do take some getting used to tho, but once you have mastered them you won't look back. I have another style of Rubiz/Mehaz. as well. A slant tipped type with little holes punched in one side for better grip. ( I bought these to use while I was tracking down the hard to find "Evolution"-slant/tip). They're very good for general tweezing but not for anything tricky. The Evolutions win hands down.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Clinique - Clarifying Lotion #3
beetee 7/9/2007 2:29:00 PM
I used to love this product 30 years ago which goes to show that I'm one of the oldest MUAers around. Back then the Clinque 3 step program was the "in" thing and everyone was at it. I've used countless other products since and was never tempted to go back to it. This summer on the way back to London from visiting my family I had a 2 hour layover at the Philadelphia airport. In the Duty Free they had a huge Clinque display with trials of most of the range. My skin had been awfully oily during my stay and even broke out a bit so I soaked a cotton ball with the Lotion Number 3 and wiped the filth off my face. That brought it all back to me...how this stuff would get every bit of makeup and residue off your skin without leaving a sticky film like most toners do. For some reason I didn't buy it then but as soon as I was back in the UK I went out and got myself the small bottle to try it out. I've been using it for a month now and I want to say that this is the best my skin has looked for quite awhile. It is a tremendous exfoliator and my skin is now blemish free and glowing. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think this toner doesnt get the praise it deserves. It might not be for some but for others it can literally turn your skin around. It has mine.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Phyto - Phyto 9
beetee 7/2/2007 8:46:00 AM
My hair is over 50% grey, thick, coarse-ish and shoulderlength. I flatiron it and wear it straight. Phyto 9 is a terrific product to silken and control the wirey greys. So far I've only used it on my hair after it's dried and styled...like a grooming cream...but the results are pretty nice. It doesn't shine it up like a brilliantine or seperate it like a styling cream it just makes it silkier and gets rid of the strawiness and flyaways. I think its great that it only contains natural ingredients. That's what sold me. I really like it!
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Eye Shadow -Physicians Formula - Matte Collection Quad Eye Shadow in Canyon Classic
beetee 6/1/2007 3:47:00 PM
I was in the USA recently and came across this range. If it's sold in London I've never seen it before but this particular quad of shadows could have been made just for me. I'm older, you see, and I don't want a lot of shimmer or glitter on my eyelids so these subtle, natural looking shades do it for me. I use a smear of Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm eye and lip first (of course)...and then I layer them on. I admit I'm partial to the soft tan up at the top left but I love that smokey grey one and the rest of them as well. In my (considerable) years I've bought many (much, much) higher priced shadows that don't touch this lot. Truly a bargain at any price and I'm kicking myself for not stocking up. EDIT!... I just bought another one of these quads when I was back home visiting my family. This is certainly my favorite eyeshadow for everyday and each colour has its purpose. I use the light bone colour all over and often under my eye (over my bobbi brown eye brightener). I use the darker of the taupe shades for filling in my brows and the other two as lid shadows. I love them all. They last as well! I still haven't used my first quad up yet. In fact I reckon it has a few more months to go before I come close to wearing it out. Unbelievable bargain and terrific product!!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Occitane - Cherry Blossom EDT
beetee 5/1/2007 9:24:00 AM
I only have it in the Eau De Toilette but I love this scent. I agree that it doesn't really smell anything like cherry blossoms but never mind. Think of the cleanest smell possible. The one when you just hop out of the shower with freshly washed hair....THAT's what it smells like and that's what made me buy it. Well...that plus the beautiful bottle it comes in. Perfect!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Clarins - Beauty Flash Balm
beetee 11/23/2006 8:02:00 AM
I've been using this stuff for years when I need to look fresh in an instant and it does the job well. Recently I read a make up artist's tip that said to mix half BF Balm and half foundation to create your own personal tinted version. I normally use Bobbi Browns tinted moisturiser but mixed the half and half as directed and it works amazingly well. The BF Balm tightens and glows up the skin and the added colour looks as natural as can be. Try it.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No