Misc Beauty Tools -Paula's Choice - Makeup Application Sponges
bobsy 9/28/2006 6:33:00 AM
These stink. Even after washing them. I can't use them because of that. I threw them out.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Paula's Choice - Oil-Blotting Papers
bobsy 9/28/2006 6:31:00 AM
Diabolical packaging, makes them inconvenient to use. These do no more than an ordinary tissue does, so they're pointless. Would not repurchase. May as well use baking paper as these.
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Bronzers -Clinique - True Bronze Bronzing Gel for Face
bobsy 9/28/2006 5:04:00 AM
Lovely sheer bronzing gel. I've been wearing it as a blush, I have quite a thing for non-powder cheek products. I'm quite fair, I'm not sure how much this would show up on darker skins. But for paleys looking for a nice golden bronzer, this is a goodun. It has the merest hint of shimmer, but it's almost imperceptible - creates a subtle 'sheen' as a reviewer below noted. Truly lacks staying-power though, and I like products that stick around, otherwise I'd give it 5 lippies.
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Mascara -Clinique - high definition lashes
bobsy 9/16/2006 3:55:00 AM
This is weird stuff that is potentially good. It's hard to apply because you only have half a wand, and it goes on a bit clumpily, and when you try to fix it with the comb on the other half of the wand, it becomes even MORE clumpy. I strongly advise avoiding the comb bit - it will just give you thick clumpy lashes. If you just use the brush however, you get nice pretty lashes. If Clinique ditched the comb this would be a decent mascara, as it is the comb is a hindrance.
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Liquid -Clinique - Repairwear foundation [DISCONTINUED]
bobsy 9/15/2006 11:52:00 PM
THIS FORMULATION HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED - I'M DEVASTATED! NEW VERSION BEING RELEASED. HOPE IT'S JUST AS GOOD.
*Brief Summary*
Pros: Fragrance free, long wearing, nice texture, little goes a long way, good pigment levels provide excellent coverage - better coverage than any Clinique concealer, wearable for dry/mature skin though would suit any skin type, added beneficial skincare ingredients.
Cons: As always with Clinique, the shade range. The lightest shade is too dark for most PPPs, and too pink for anyone with yellow undertones. If your skin doesn't tolerate silicones, check out the ingredient list below because there seem to be plenty in this formulation. Allegedly oil-free but it lists squalane as an ingredient.
*Full Review*
This is a polarising product. There's lovers and haters. I love it. It's my HG foundation. You only need to apply with a *very* light hand though, I can see how too heavy a layer could look diabolical. As usual with Clinique I can't find a perfect shade match. 01 (Alabaster) is too pink on my MAC NC15 skin - I have quite strong yellow undertones so I wear Benefit Bluff Dust over this as a setting powder to make the shade wearable for me. That aside, this is very nice stuff particularly if you have dry or mature skin and are looking for natural looking, full coverage. (It has far better coverage than their Line Smoothing concealer.) If you don't specifically want full coverage, I'm not sure why you'd try this. It seems to work well on other skin types too, but if you want a sheer - medium finish, this is not the foundation for you. I have incredibly dry, sensitive skin brought on by a medical condition and the treatment I have to have for it. As well as being so dry, my skin is prone to flakiness and it also breaks out. Nightmare! This foundation has a lovely natural finish (I'm not into the mask look), but still provides excellent medium-full coverage. A little goes a long way - a full pump is far too much for one face IMO. I apply a VERY light layer with a slightly damp sponge (the beautyblender is perfect) for medium coverage, and layer more if I want full coverage in some areas. Unlike other foundations with good coverage, it feels weightless on, and looks very natural. The finish is just the right balance between dewy and matte. I can still notice some of my flaky bits, but this formula definitely doesn't accentuate them to the degree that some foundations do. It's not actively moisturising but it's not drying either. The thing I really appreciate about it is that it lasts far better on me than many moisturising foundations, which usually disappear after a very short time. It needs no powder over it but looks more matte and finished if you do use some. I also like to use this foundation just where I need it as a concealer, and pair it with Stila Illuminating Powder Foundation in 10 watts for long-lasting, matte finish.
*Ingredients*
{note this is advertised as oil free but does contain squalane}
dimethicone, purified water, octyldodecyl neopentanoate, titanium dioxide, butylene glycol, lauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, silica, lauric acid, trimethylsiloxysilicate, yeast extract (faex), astrocaryum murumuru butter, hordeum vulgare (barley) extract, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ extract, phenyl trimethicone, polygonum cuspidatum root extract, betula alba (birch) bark extract, artemia extract, saccharomyces lysate extract, thermus thermophillus ferment, ascorbyl tocopheryl maleate, potassium sulfate, glycerin, mimosa tenuiflora bark extract, tocopheryl acetate, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate, caffeine, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract, sodium rna, linoleic acid, glucine soja (soybean) protein, cholesterol squalane, linolenic acid, phospholipids, zinc stearate, anthemis nobilis (chamomile), sodium hyaluronate, polyethylene, disteardimonium hectorite, sorbitan olivate, triethyoxycaprylylsilane, sucrose, caprylyl glycol, maltodextrin, sodium chloride, lecithin, alumina, laureth-7, xanthan gum, magnesium aluminium silicate, betaine, disodium edta, phenoxyethanol, [+/- (may contain) titanium dioxide (ci 11891), mica, zinc oxide (ci 77947), iron oxides (ci 77491), ci 77492, ci 77499] [iln28579]
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Yves Saint Laurent - Touche Eclat No 2
bobsy 9/9/2006 6:27:00 AM
Love this stuff. Such a light texture, never accentuates fine lines, I have very dry skin and everything seems to make it look drier, but not this. I use it under my eyes. Insufficient coverage for my dark circles on its own, but over another concealer or my foundation it's just lovely. I wear the shade 02.
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Bronzers -Everyday Minerals - Soft Bronzer
bobsy 9/7/2006 3:53:00 AM
I really like this. It's a nice shade for fair skin tones (I'm about a Golden Fair in EM shades). Something about this goes with my skin tone perfectly - it's very neutral. It's sheer, non-shimmery, and very natural looking, with no orange or red undertones. The EM foundations don't work for me, my skin's just too dry, but I like this bronzer. I probably wouldn't repurchase unless it became available in a pressed formulation though, just for ease of use. There are also reviews for this shade under the 'Everyday Bronzer' heading (the Everyday Bronzer is just one shade though). There are three separate EM bronzers: Everyday, Soft and Sparkle.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Everyday Minerals - Premium Kabuki Brush [DISCONTINUED]
bobsy 9/4/2006 5:52:00 AM
This is OK. I'd like softer bristles before I gave it more than 3. It did shed a teeny little bit the first couple of times I used it. It's stopped that now, which is good, I can't stand brushes that shed. I would not repurchase.
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Mascara -Clarins - Double Fix
bobsy 8/5/2006 10:32:00 PM
Pros: Makes any mascara water-resistant and doesn't alter the finish of the mascara.
Con: It's fragranced and can irritate sensitive eyes. Me and fragrance don't mix. Why does mascara need fragrance? I still use it when I wear mascara though, which luckily is rarely.
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Styling Products -TiGi - Catwalk Curls Rock Curl Amplifier
bobsy 5/11/2006 11:58:00 PM
I have thick wavy hair about bra length. I apply this on just-washed damp hair. I distribute a small amount (a little goes a long way) through hair evenly, then either twist it into sections OR scrunch madly, and leave it to dry naturally. It's a very handy product for when I just want to use one product to style my hair and don't want to blow dry.
Pros: Great hold, fab for creating a natural wavy look with just one product. Will create defined, frizz-free waves or curls. Having used this for a couple of months now I realise how great it is, my styling routine has become so simple and easy.
Cons: Very strong fragrance (hence it can't get 5 lippies even though the smell doesn't linger too much), not cheap, hair can feel crunchy because of the hold effect, if you use too much it'll look strange. Can't use close to scalp or would look greasy. Need to wash hands with soap after applying.
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Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex SPF 15 Normal/Dry Skin
bobsy 5/11/2006 10:37:00 PM
PROS: Fragrance free, light & natural finish, good SPF, lasts well.
CONS: Coverage is sheerer than I expected, it's barely even medium. Despite the fact it's marketed at drier skin it does not flatter dry skin at all, accentuates flakies and fine lines. Shades tend towards the pink - I couldn't find a good match for me.
If you can find a shade that matches, want sheer - just less than medium coverage, and have normal (not dry) skin, it could be a goer.
Otherwise, steer clear.
Overall I was disappointed - it didn't suit dry skin and it didn't have good coverage. I was hoping for a foundation that suited dry skin, had good coverage, and lasted well - which it was marketed as. 1 out of 3 isn't good enough.
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Blush -Paula's Choice - Paula's Select Soft Matte Blush [DISCONTINUED]
bobsy 2/24/2006 12:07:00 AM
I've been critical of most of Paula's cosmetic items, but this blush is OK. Pros: Long-lasting, very pigmented, matte finish if that's the finish you're after. Cons: In Australia samples aren't available, making shade selection difficult. You also can't return them, so if you make a boo boo, you're stuck with it.
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Shampoo -Modern Organic Products (MOP) - C-System Clean Shampoo
bobsy 2/17/2006 5:07:00 AM
Pros: I like this because it doesn't irritate my sensitive scalp (SLS free) and it's unfragranced. I like that it cleans my hair thoroughly without stripping it. A little goes a long way so a bottle lasts a long time.
Cons: It's overpriced, as is the whole MOP brand. Also in cold weather you need to hold the bottle under the hot water to get it out easily.
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Concealers -Paula's Choice - Soft Cream Concealer
bobsy 2/17/2006 4:39:00 AM
Pros: Fragrance free.
Cons: Only three shades - I think shade match is essential for concealer. Not pigmented enough for my liking (I like concealers to actually *conceal*), it's a hard waxy texture and is cakey on my very dry skin, settles into fine lines. Probably more suitable for normal - oily skin that doesn't need much concealing. Would not repurchase.
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Treatments -Advanced Skin Technology - Green Cream by AST - Level 3
bobsy 2/2/2006 4:49:00 AM
I switched to this after trying Level 6 for about six months (see my Level 6 review for comments on that). I have very dry, very sensitive breakout prone skin. I have a theory that if your skin is naturally oily, the oils act as a buffer to the retinol so you can tolerate higher levels of GC more easily. My skin is very dry, and if Level 3 was available when I purchased Level 6, I would have got that instead, but it wasn't. I could only ever use the Level 6 several times a week or it became irritated. I still loved the results, but I did want to be able to use it everyday. Since switching to Level 3 I haven't looked back! I can use it daily - around the delicate eye area too. I've had to have the odd day off due to mild irritation since starting it, but that's no trouble. I'll stick with it for a goodly while before trying Level 6 again. I'm loving how much the GC has simplified my skincare routine.
Update: Still love it, but due to medical issues my skin is even drier than ever before (I didn't even know that was possible), and I'm having ongoing issues with flakiness which is problematic and reduces the rave level a bit.
Update Oct 07: This is a good product but it is too drying for my very dry skin, esp with the alcohol content. I wanted a more emollient retinoid so that I don't have to layer so many products at night - I used to really slather the moisturiser on after this and I worried I was decreasing its effectiveness by doing so, and perhaps inadvertently buffering it. I also peeled constantly while on it. I've now switched to Renova 0.025% and love it though I'm yet to review it.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No