Fragrances -Bulgari - Omnia Amethyste 
rosarita 7/18/2008 3:07:00 PM
I like the Omnia bottle design, and think it's prettiest in Omnia Amethyste. The opening is wonderful, green and sappy and kind of *tingly* smelling. If this would continue, I'd give OA 5 lippies and go buy a big bottle, but unfortunately the promising topnotes give way to plain old soap and water within minutes. After 30 minutes, it's gone without a trace. Big disappointment.
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Fragrances -Gucci - Gucci Rush
rosarita 7/5/2008 11:17:00 AM
I don't recall trying this when it was first released, and the reviews are so spotty that I was not sure I even wanted to try it. Fruity and sweet isn't my thing at all. But I've taken the plunge and fallen in love. Strong, sweet, delicious and sultry, Rush application is the key to success imo. One light spritz is perfect, lasts for hours, dries down to an earthy patchoulli/woods/vanilla finish that is irresistible. My husband, who is pretty jaded as to fragrance, absolutely loves this one. I wouldn't wear it everyday. As for the plastic box/bottle, well, you have to admit that it's unique and memorable, which is more than I can say for both bottles and scents in department stores right now.
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Skincare - Body -The Healing Garden - Jasminetheraphy
rosarita 7/4/2008 8:46:00 PM
Well, I like this scent. I bought it in the lotion, and it has a nice stemmy green edge that tempers the sweetness of the jasmine on application. The jasmine smell is pretty and not offensive at all, imo. This lotion makes an excellent base for jasmine scents, but it doesn't last forever when worn alone. Not a problem for me. I think it moisturizes well, but does require some work to really massage it into the skin. I like the fact that it comes in a tube and I would repurchase, because it's a great price.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Lemon Bay Soap - Body Sprays (Various)
rosarita 6/15/2008 8:24:00 PM
I purchased a scent spray dupe of Black Cashmere. It is very close. I'm testing the real thing on one arm and the Lemon Bay on the other and it's close.......but the real thing just smells better. BUT. The LB version layers beautifully and adds a bit of woodsy-incense toughness to sweet scents, it's very inexpensive and since the real BC is discontinued, I can see this version being a viable option. Note: the Black Cashmere scent in the LB body lotion is wonderful. In this same order (my first from LB) I also got several soaps in different scents, my favorite being the scent of the original Herbal Essences shampoo from the 70. It smells exactly as I remember. I can't wait to order again and try more of the body sprays - their scent list is awesome.
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Fragrances -Estee Lauder - Tom Ford - Black Orchid Voile de Fleur
rosarita 6/11/2008 8:19:00 AM
I am not a fan of gardenia as a main player in a fragrance, but I'll make an exception for Voile d'Fleur. This is a deliciously complex white floral fragrance with a darker edge, but it's still not too heavy for a daytime scent. The black bottle is streamlined and sophisticated. It has nice sillage, but the lasting power isn't what it should be, imo. While I'm enjoying it, I wouldn't repurchase simply because there are too many other scents I want to try.
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Polishes -Sinful - Nail Polish (all colors)
rosarita 6/11/2008 8:11:00 AM
I'm sold on the Sinful line of polishes at Walgreen's. I find the colors to be fresh and the wear is overall excellent. Currently my favorite color is Dancing Nails, a bronzed pinky red, not too bright. It's gotten me several compliments. Highly recommend!
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Polishes -Sinful - Fiji
rosarita 6/11/2008 8:02:00 AM
This is a beautiful deep violet blue, the true color of wild violets that bloom in the spring. I'm a big fan of Sinful polishes - great price & color selection with a nice texture.
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Fragrances -Les Parfums de Rosine - Zeste de Rose
rosarita 5/29/2008 8:10:00 PM
Une Zeste de Rose is a perfect summer rose scent. It opens with a bright, sparkling citrus that's smooth, not sharp, and mellows nicely over time into a perfect tea rose. Lasting power is about average or a bit above; cute bottle. Now that perfumeport & parfum 1 are carrying some Rosines, they are nicely affordable! I can see Une Zeste becoming a summer staple for me. It would be perfect for any occasion, it's so pretty and inoffensive without being boring.
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Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - vanille tonka
rosarita 5/4/2008 7:19:00 AM
This is one of those scents that I fell head over heels in love with at the first whiff. The best vanilla scent I have ever experienced, it is mixed with incense, which I love, and has a quirky lime note in the opening that elevates this scent to a new level of interesting. I wear it year round, although a little goes a long way. Every time I let some time pass between wearings, I'll spray it on and wonder why on earth I don't wear it all the time. Lasting power is excellent, too.
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Fragrances -Les Nereides - Patchouli Antique
rosarita 5/4/2008 7:09:00 AM
I received a decant of this as an extra from a generous swapper, and a new lemming is born. The opening is straight patchouli, quite sharp, but after a few minutes on skin the patch softens into the vanilla underneath. I don't really smell the vanilla, just a softening of the patchouli, with a hint of spice. A little of this goes a long way, but it is beautiful. Probably best in cool weather, but I could see this on sultry summer evenings, too. So far, I have really liked everything I've tried from Les Nereides; not your average scents, yet very reasonably priced.
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Powder -Neutrogena - Mineral Pressed Powder Foundation
rosarita 4/28/2008 5:47:00 PM
I find this foundation to do everything that I need a mineral foundation to do, with none of the drawbacks of loose mineral powder (ie BE). The Neutrogena compact gives me full coverage (which I need) with the enclosed sponge applicator, used dry. The compact keeps the sponge seperate from the foundation powder, and includes a big mirror, which is nice; very portable without mess, too. The coverage is pretty matte, not shiny at all. Do use a good moisturizer underneath, and I use Smashbox primer as well. I work in a hot & sweaty enviroment, and this stays put all day. I don't know as my skin has dramatically improved since using this, but I'm really sensitive (L'Oreal Bare Minerals made me break out in an itchy rash) and the Neutrogena hasn't caused any problems; in fact, I can't even tell I'm wearing it. I've already repurchased once and will again.
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Fragrances -Kiehls - Original Musk EDT
rosarita 3/17/2008 7:25:00 PM
I haven't worn a straight up musk scent for years, but I've been craving the right one for a while now. I've swapped for samples and have a few decants of some very high end musks that I really like, but I have to say, Kiehl's smells better than any other I've tried. I had never smelled it until I tried it at Nordstrom recently, and honestly, fell in love. It's amazing how diverse all these reviews are! I get a beautiful, powder light musk that's not too floral or sweet, but has some depth that's almost resin-y. The lasting power is excellent, too. Now, as to whether or not I'd buy it again, I find it hard to believe I'll ever get through the 3.4oz bottle I've got, considering how seldom I'm in the mood to wear straight musk. But if I had a bottle small enough to run out, yeah, I'd buy more.
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Lip Gloss -E.L.F. - Luscious Liquid Lipstick - ALL
rosarita 3/17/2008 7:02:00 PM
This is one of those no brainer products that you use all the time and don't really think to review. I've been using these for over a year and I love them - no mirror needed for application, great moisturization, just enough color. I'm on my second tube of Pink Lemonade and like some of the other colors, too. Worth more than $1 imo, but how nice that they're such a deal!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Jacomo Silences
rosarita 3/17/2008 6:21:00 PM
This was given to me in a RAOK by a lovely fragrance board member. I had wanted to try Silences for years as I love Chanel #19 and I'd heard they were similar. I did a side by side test of the two and honestly, they are almost exactly the same all the way through. The difference is that Silences has a mossier base while #19's is softer. I prefer #19, but I really like Silences, too. It smells a bit sexier to me, with that chypre kick. As other reviewers have said, both frags are fine for everyday and every occasion. Silences gets a 4.5, not a five, bcs compared to #19 it's just not as smooth imo, but for a classic and elegant green chypre, Silences is hard to beat. Great price, too. I would purchase a bottle when mine is gone because this genre is an important one in my collection.
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Eye Shadow -E.L.F. - Non-Stop Eye Color - Silver Lining
rosarita 3/2/2008 8:44:00 PM
I've been wanting to do a violet eye for spring & have been checking out different shadows online. Today I was really wishing I already had the shadow I needed, bcs. I really wanted to do a violet eye! Scrabbling through my bag, I found this ELF quad in Silver Lining. I remember when I bought it, I gave it a quick try, saw how crumbly the shadows were and tossed it in my bag, quickly forgetting all about it. Today, on a whim, I dug it out and used a better brush with it, starting with the periwinkel color closest to my lashes and smoking it out toward the brow. Honestly, I was shocked at how great the pigment is in this quad. Each color did just what I needed it to, and my brown eyes popped. The color lasted all day without creasing, too (I prepped my lids w/ Monostat Anti Chafing gel, similar to Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.) A couple coats of CG Lashblast finished the look. The secret is using good brushes, and even then these little shadow pans crumble like crazy, but I'm impressed with the color depth, smooth application, blendability and wear. Now I want some more colors!
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