Concealers -Lancome - Effacernes
ickdragon 9/26/2008 4:07:00 AM
**UPDATE - 3/24/09** I've been using this product for a good 6 months now. I've knocked off one lippie because this concealer doesn't have great staying power on me. It goes on smoothly and seemingly covers my dark under eye circles well. I look rested for about an hour or two and that's when I notice the product starts creeping away. I hate having to reapply this over and over again throughout the day. I'm going to try and finish the tube I have, but I definitely won't be repurchasing again. ******* I love this concealer and is different than most It covers my dark circles perfectly. It lasts through most of the day without creasing. The area closest to my tear duct will sometimes wear off mid-day if I've been rubbing my eyes a lot, but luckily, this concealer layers really well and blends like a dream. Even though it's waterproof, the skin around my eyes never feels taut or dry. It almost feels like it has a moisturizing element to it because my new little tiny lines seem to disappear when I put this on. Overall, this is seriously one of the BEST under-eye concealers I have ever used. Thanks MUA reviewers for introducing me to my new makeup bag staple!
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Iconic High Definition Lash Curler Mascara 
ickdragon 9/26/2008 3:55:00 AM
So funny story.... I just posted a scathing review of Dior Show the original mascara and here I am about to give glowing reviews to another Dior mascara. Perhaps a few months away from a product can change one's heart? When I tried the original Dior Show, I swore up and down I would never in my life purchase another CD mascara. I went to Sephora about 3 weeks ago and spent way too much money. Among other things, I went to find a new mascara. I studied all of their brands, compared brushes and then wandered around the store while I pondered my decision. I happened to walk by the Christian Dior section. I saw this brush, with weird looking spirals, that looked really soft. I started thinking that a soft brush would be nice on the eyelashes since the typical "hard spoolie" brush hurts if you accidentally poke yourself. I tried to talk myself out of it since I remembered my other experience. Still, my little makeup voice inside of me kept saying "I think you should get. There's something about that brush..." I left with Lancome's Hypnose and the CD DIorshow Iconic. I returned the Lancome mascara a week later. The Iconic brush is really, truly a dream mascara brush. It's bigger than normal, but not too big. It's nice and soft, with even separator grooves that make your lashes nice and lush when you apply. It's easy to layer a few coats, but best to do so when it's still wet. Once the application dries, it's on there until you take it off. The only down fall is that this mascara is a bitch to take off. However, the upside of that is it wears really really well. I'm talking all day wear, without flakes and without curl drooping. I've even slept with it on and don't wake up with raccoon eyes the next morning. Get yourself some good eye makeup remover and buy yourself some of this mascara!! Your lashes will be longer, larger and fake lash looking (in a good way!) than ever before!!
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Mascara
ickdragon 9/26/2008 3:46:00 AM
Not a fan. I know the hype, I know the claims, but really, I just don't get it. I'm a mascara expert and this mascara did nothing for me. First of all, it reeks of roses. Who wants their lashes to smell like flowers?? I've very scent-sensitive, so the scent was an initial turn-off. The mascara itself was almost impossible to put on without making a mess thanks in large part (ha, I'm making a pun) to the gigantic brush. I get that the larger the brush, supposedly the better the application. However, that doesn't apply to every user. I have long,thin lashes and they were overwhelmed by this behemoth of a brush. Lastly, and most importantly, this mascara did not wear very well. My lashes drooped half-way through the night. I got some mascara crumbs in my eye and my lashes just didn't feel pretty. For an expensive mascara ($24), it should move mountains. Or at least make you feel like better woman. I know this mascara has been voted "best-of" too many times to count, but this one scored a zero with me.
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Brows -Anastasia Of Beverly Hills - Perfect Brow Pencil in Brunette
ickdragon 9/26/2008 3:41:00 AM
I love this product. In fact, I generally like all of Anastasia's products, but this 2-in-1 eyeliner/spoolie combo is awesome. The colors make it easy to match up to your eyebrow and the line of the pencil isn't very harsh. It blends easily if you put it on heavy-handed by accident. Even with my oily skin, the product lasts a long time. I usually touch up when I get home in the evening, but that's after being on the go since 7 in the morning. Somewhere between childhood and my teens, I tweezered my brows into oblivion. They grew back, but they were never the same. I've used regular eyeliners, little eyebrow kits and nothing else has really looked as natural. So long as this product is available, I will keep on buying it!
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Clear Mascara
ickdragon 9/26/2008 3:36:00 AM
This product is one of my secret makeup tools. I'm a self-professed mascara whore and my eyelashes have be just "so" or else I'm not happy. I know you're supposed to put on your mascara after you've done everything, but I'm just not that kind of gal. Before doing anything else, I curl my lashes, apply mascara and then go over that first layer with my CG clear mascara. Yes, it makes a huge mess. Every morning, I look like a little raccoon, but you see my dear readers, combing the clear mascara through the regular mascara - and using your eyelids as a base - creates the smoothest, clump free lashes you could ever imagine. And the separation! Let's just say I get asked all the time if I'm wearing fake lashes or if those are really my lashes. I promise you, it really works. I go through a lot of Q-tips in my quest for perfect lashes, but there's nothing worse than heavy feeling crunchy lashes. (Gross.) Try it sometime and you'll see. It may take a couple of tries to develop your expertise, but the clear mascara trick works. Oh, and another thing, once your lashes dry and you've done your other eye makeup, you can go over the first layer of mascara another couple hundred times without any dreaded buildup. (So long as your actual mascara is a quality one.) Hope it works for you!
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24-7 Glide on eyeliner in bourbon
ickdragon 9/26/2008 3:28:00 AM
Hands down the best eyeliner on the planet. I love UD's 24-7 eyeliners. I can't wear all of the colors, but even the basics aren't so "basic" thanks to tiny shimmer particles. They are creamy, easy to swipe on, layer well and last a long, long time - pretty much the entire day really. A little trick - you have 30 seconds from the time you put it on before it sets to "waterproof." After that, even if you rub a q-tip really hard, only a little color will come off. That being said, it removes very easily with makeup remover or even soap and water. I bought bourbon on a whim and now it's my daily staple. I also love the color Lust which is a bright purple that really accentuates green eyes. $16 is a little much considering how quickly I go through the product, but I'm willing to shell out the money since the eyeliner is worth every penny in my book.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Eucerin PLUS Intensive Repair Hand Creme
ickdragon 9/10/2008 2:07:00 PM
I tried this product over the course of 2 weeks and in the end, I pawned it off to my Mom. I purchased Eucerin's PLUS Intensive Repair Hand Creme after reading user review and thought *hopefully* that finally, I may have found a lotion that can help my chronically dry hands. , but also because I'm running out of drug store options for hand cream. The tube snaps shut tightly and travels well in purses. The lotion sinks in quickly, but not completely. There was a weird residue left on my hands that I can only equate to a slightly greasy/slightly "cotton ball" feeling. Whatever it was, it was weird. I found myself having to reapply literally after every hand washing, even though the packaging promised it would last through a few rounds. After the lotion being on my skin for a short while, my hands would feel like they needed a new application even though I could still feel the weird residue left behind. I guess just not the right product for me.
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Styling Products -Jonathan - Create Smooth Anti-Frizz Volumizing Serum
ickdragon 9/8/2008 7:06:00 PM
Average, okay product. Better than Pantene or another drugstore anti frizz serum, but still not great. First of all, the price is WAY too high. Almost $30!! The smell is light and kind of lemony, but it disappears almost upon application. It was difficult finding the right amount of pumps to use. One pump was too little. Three pumps were way too much. Two pumps didn't quite do it. So what's a girl to do? Overall, I just didn't have great success. For the amount of money spent, the product should have worked miracles and it just didn't. PS - I think this product might be discontinued now? I was in the Jonathan section of Sephora and Ulta a few months ago and I couldn't find this particular product. Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter, but FYI to anyone trying to search it out.
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Shampoo -Burt's Bees - More Moisture Raspberry and Brazil Nut Shampoo
ickdragon 9/8/2008 6:50:00 PM
Probably one of the stinkiest shampoos I have ever tried. I'll be kind and say that it seemed to moisturize okay. I also liked that the product was almost 100% natural and had some certified organic ingredients. Bottom line, the smell distracted me from whatever this shampoo was supposed to do.
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Moisturizers -Sukí - Suki Naturals - Velvet Facial Creme
ickdragon 9/2/2008 2:32:00 AM
I absolutely LOVED the smell of Suki's Velvet Facial Creme. (Now called Balancing Day Lotion, by the way.) Every time I use it, the smell is so good that it feels like a deep breath of fresh, calming air. My finicky skin started out liking this product - it moisturizes well, sinks in quickly, works well under make-up. I think, in the end, this product was just too heavy for my already oily skin. After a few weeks of trying it out, my skin would becomes very oily within the first hour. (Normally, I get a 2-3 hour break before the oilies become a massive problem.) Maybe I can give this product another try during the more drying winter months, but for summer time, I definitely won't be using this again!! (*sobbing*)
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Toners -Sukí - Suki concentrated facial toner
ickdragon 9/2/2008 2:27:00 AM
Another Suki product, another no for me. Although not touted as the main ingredient, tea tree oil was the very first scent my nose picked up on when I opened my new bottle at home. I tried it for a few days and yes, of course, new pimples arrived on my face. A long, long time ago, I discovered that tea tree and my skin do not mix. I have hoped over time that my skin might change it's mind, and every once in a while, I try a new tea tree oil product because I want the benefit of it's anti-bacterial properties. It seems my skin is not ready to give in. Alas, a no go for me.
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Cleansers -Sukí - Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser
ickdragon 9/2/2008 2:23:00 AM
I really really REALLY wanted to like this product. Great premise: all natural cleanser plus exfoliater, oil-remover and all without drying of the skin. This product worked great for the first 2 weeks. Angel soft skin, luminous glow, heavenly lemon smell when you opened the jar. Week 3, my face erupted. Not with joy, but with pimples. Lots and lots of pimples. Along the hairline, in the t-zone, everywhere. I kept using it for another week thinking "it's okay, this is part of the purging process when you switch to a natural cleanser." But then the oilies started. Those of us oil-afflicted ladies know when to say enough is enough. So in the end, while I liked the gentle exfoliation of the product, I had to admit that my skin never really felt clean after using it. There were a few times I got a really good lather going, but most of the time there was hardly a "suds" to be found, even though I rubbed the product first in my hands before applying to my face (as instructed by the package and sales gal). The glass jar also became somewhat of a liability for me, especially in the shower. Sadly, this was not the product for me after all.
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Treatments -Sukí - Transformative Facial Clay
ickdragon 9/2/2008 2:10:00 AM
This is one Suki product that I actually really like. It comes in a glass bottle which I understand from an environmental stand-point is a good thing, but for my butterfingers is a bad thing. Considering the price ($43.95), this is not something you want to drop! I really like the smell - it doesn't have the usual obnoxious "dirt clay" smell. While it's meant to be used over the entire face either as a face wash or a mask, I prefer it for spot treatment. It promises to reduce redness in as little as 5 minutes, and my friends, this product does not lie. If you leave it on over night, you can consider that unsightly blemish all but gone.
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Concealers -Sukí - SukiColor - Liquid Formula Concealer
ickdragon 9/2/2008 2:06:00 AM
This is a good, but not great under-eye concealer. Doesn’t crease (!!!), but doesn’t offer the thickest of coverage. Layers easily, buildable color, no “tell-tale” signs of concealer by the end of the day. Best to pat on, not rub. My eyes seemed to have a glow about them, but unfortunately, the darker my circles get, the less covered they seem to be. I would have to say this concealer is best for when you miss only a few hours of sleep (as opposed to a few days).
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