Polishes -Misa - Throw Me Something Purple Please
fivezero 7/12/2010 3:50:00 PM
This is an amazing "blurple", that is to say, a blue-purple. It's kind of a deep cornflower blue, maybe a bit more purple. The formula is fantastic: one coat will actually be enough! The finish is described by Misa as "matte", but it is really just a creme. It doesn't have that texturally matte finish (which I personally do not like to wear). I don't have another blurple, so I am really loving this one!
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Dormer 211 Oil Free Fluid Moisturizer
fivezero 7/12/2010 3:43:00 PM
I have sensitive, acne-prone, combination skin and I wanted a moisturizer that was light, oil-free and SPF-free (most sunscreens irritate my skin). Dormer's Oil Free Fluid Moisturizer fit the bill exactly, and it was available at a reasonable price (about C$16 online, and I haven't seen it at my local pharmacies). This moisturizer works for me just as it claims to: it is light but still reasonably moisturizing, doesn't break me out, has practically no scent at all, and has a smooth, non-greasy finish that works really well under makeup. I have been using this daily for a few months now, and I'm really happy with it. If I need to, I will use a sunscreen over this moisturizer, and I find that this makes my skin less likely to react to the sunscreen. This moisturizer comes in a stand-up tube with a flip-top cap, so it is easy to use.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Keiko Mecheri - Ume
fivezero 6/1/2010 1:22:00 PM
This was fairly one dimensional to me, just dried plums and a bit of syrupy headiness. I also discovered I am very allergic to something in it; my inside arm reacted very badly after I had this on for about three hours. I ended up washing it off then. I did end up with a "cute" heart-shaped rash due to the bend in my arm, haha. Regardless, Ume is not a scent I found especially interesting. (I am not rating the fragrance any less due to my allergy; it's hardly a normal thing that is likely to affect anyone else.)
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Emerald City
fivezero 6/1/2010 1:09:00 PM
Fun jewel-toned green shimmer, a little deeper than a medium green, but by no means a dark colour. Definitely one of the better greens you can get at the drugstore, and at a fantastic price, too.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Salon - Can't Bare to Know (280)
fivezero 6/1/2010 1:07:00 PM
This is from the original Salon Nail Lacquer line in the fabulous squared bottles with easy-grip rubberized caps. Can't Bare to Know is a pinked nude with an oyster/pearl finish. The consistency is a bit on the thin side, and the pearlized finish is a bit tricky to apply, so I used three coats. You can get away with fewer for a sheerer look, but I liked the evenness and the full opacity of three coats. It made my nails look like satin ribbons, and even though the finish is pearlized, it isn't frosty so it has a very smooth, fine look to it. It's a lovely neutral and although I don't often wear neutrals, it certainly has a place in my collection.
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Polishes -Zoya - Tallulah
fivezero 6/1/2010 1:01:00 PM
Prettiest, cleanest blue shimmer I have tried! It doesn't lean particularly green or purple, and it is a perfect medium tone. In the bottle, the shimmer appears a light, almost turquoise-ish blue with edges that flash purple, but on the nail, the shimmer is fine, subtle, and pure blue. Love love love!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Badgley Mischka
fivezero 5/31/2010 11:37:00 AM
This was a successful blind buy from Winners (the Canadian TJ Maxx/Marshalls). Rich, syrupy fruit with gourmand notes and white florals. It does sound like it would beat you over the head with heaviness, but somehow I think it works beautifully. The fruity and foody notes seem more luscious and rich than cloying and sweet. I like this a lot for a romantic night out. The lasting power is excellent, too -- you don't need to apply much at all.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Zoya - Midori
fivezero 5/31/2010 11:31:00 AM
This is just the perfect green for summer! It's a lush, Kermit the Frog kind of green with fine, light green Granny Smith apple shimmer. I absolutely loved it on my short tips (which is unlike me as I tend to keep the "wilder" colours on my toes) and thought it looked great on my medium-warm skintone. I am really thrilled about this one!
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Fragrances -Balenciaga - Balenciaga Paris
fivezero 5/31/2010 11:28:00 AM
I tested this over the weekend. It is so understated as to be completely yawn-inducing, a quiet flloral that is vaguely pleasant at best. Lasting power on me was not terribly long, about three hours.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - Style Wars
fivezero 5/31/2010 11:19:00 AM
I have been searching for the perfect medium orange creme for a few years now, with little success. I wanted an orange creme that was a) definitely orange, meaning not orange-red or orange-yellow, b) not neon, c) not pastel, and d) not matte (*shudder*). Unfortunately, nothing in a creme finish would tick all of those boxes. I found plenty of shimmers that were the right shade, and most all of the cremes were just the wrong shade or finish. But I have reached the end of my search! Step forward, China Glaze Style Wars! It is a little on the red side of orange but it is most definitely a medium ORANGE. Not coral, not yellow-y, not tomato. It is really a very clean shade of orange. The finish is superb: slightly jellied, creme finish, but opaque with three coats. The consistency is smooth and uniform, and it applies very well. Absolutely perfect for me!
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Fragrances -Chanel - Coco Mademoiselle
fivezero 5/31/2010 11:11:00 AM
The citrus opening is nice, but very fleeting. Within seconds of spraying this on myself, Coco Mademoiselle becomes a kind of powdery floral which, for some reason, immediately turns extremely plasticky and synthetic smelling. It really is simply awful and one-dimensional on me. To be frank, though, I don't particularly enjoy it on the card, either, so I would not have chosen it for myself even if it didn't turn into Mr. Hyde when I apply it.
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - With Love by Hilary Duff
fivezero 5/27/2010 9:34:00 AM
Oh yum, I really like this! It's supposed to have mangosteen as a note; I'm not sure I can smell exactly, that but Wrapped with Love is a soft fruity-floral (more fruit than floral, I think) that doesn't beat you over the head with syrupy sweetness. It's woody and amber-y in the drydown, and I definitely get a milkiness as well, which I love. It certainly suits girls in their teens and early-twenties--I assume this is the target market--but I feel it works well for me, too (early thirties). It's sweet but not in a cloying way. Lasting power is quite good, about 4-5 hours on me. I also adore the bottle and the box design, they're too pretty! Hilary Duff...who knew? I got the 50mL bottle for under CA$25--I would certainly buy it again even at twice that price.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Panoxyl Antibacterial Aquagel 2.5%
fivezero 5/26/2010 1:08:00 PM
This stuff is awesome. It really cleared up acne flares I was having (and I hardly had a zit as a teen, what can you do!). You have to be patient, it took a couple of months for mine to really clear up, but it worked in the end. I continue to use it and I still get the occasional small zit, but my skin is much, much better now. I didn't find it too drying but I did apply a light, oil-free moisturizer over it. I get the 60mL tube for about $11 at Well.ca (not affiliated). Well worth every penny.
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Fragrances -Boucheron - Jaipur Homme
fivezero 5/26/2010 12:31:00 AM
I realize this is completely subjective, but...sexiest men's fragrance ever. Warm, spicy, a little bit sweet, and utterly elegant. Adored by myself and DH, and a few other guys I've gifted this to. I think this could be worn by a woman, as well, but I personally find it just a bit too masculine.
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Polishes -China Glaze - lemon fizz
fivezero 5/25/2010 11:34:00 PM
To me, this applied like all pastel nail colours do: streaky as hell. You try applying a sheer layer in order to build up the colour evenly, but it just wants to glop. You try glopping and then removing the excess, but then you get the dreaded "bald" spots. Lemon Fizz's application is not quite as bad as most pastels are (to me, anyway!) but it still is a tricky one to get right. The pale colour with a creme finish (no shimmer) means it is also very unforgiving. As for the colour, Lemon Fizz is true to its fruity name: it is a light, clean, slightly bright yellow. It isn't fizzy, however :) Not sure if that suggests a shimmer, or a nail polish that bubbles annoyingly as you're applying it. It is not the ideal colour for a warm, yellow-toned person like me, but I find it is a (just) wearable shade of yellow. Makes me look pretty tan, which is nice. But, it's also very distracting when I wave my hands around, so I think this will be relegated to the pedicure box. I wouldn't repurchase this, as I can't see myself ever using up so much yellow nail polish...especially since I also just got American Apparel's Butter (a "dirtier" pale yellow) and Sally Hansen's HD Lite (vibrant yellow shimmer). I'm just a glutton for punishment.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No