Hair -Pantene - Flat to Volume
rossjen 8/7/2010 11:04:00 PM
I find this shampoo to be pretty basic. It cleaned my hair very well. My hair is extremely oily, so it was nice that one lathering took care of the problem. If you have drier hair, I would imagine this could be a bit harsh. My ends were a bit frizzy, and my hair was difficult to comb through once it was completely dry. So I am hesitant to use it over the long run for fear of causing even more damage to my already fragile hair. Unfortunately, if you expect it to provide any sort of volume like the claims suggest, this won't cut it, which is a shame.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Acne.org - Cleanser
rossjen 7/19/2010 3:07:00 PM
This is one of the few foaming cleansers I've used that is truly non-drying. If you're looking for fancy packaging or fancy ingredients, this isn't it. In terms of appearance and performance, this is about as basic as you can get, but that is what I've come to really look for and like in my facewash. Just a small amount of this cleanser removes all the makeup at the end of the day, including mascara. My skin is left soft and smooth, without any tightness or dryness. If I would have to make a comparison, I would say it reminds me very much of Olay Sensitive Skin Foaming Face Wash in terms of feel and performance.The price is not bad either. Love the Acne.org line.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Acne.org - Moisturizer
rossjen 6/21/2010 12:11:00 AM
For me, this is another winner from the Acne.org line. I've probably pointed out in other reviews that I'm generally not a fan of heavy moisturizers, so I was really looking forward to trying this one. It definitely delivers on the promise of being non-greasy, provided you don't use a huge amount. Even if I do apply a smidge too much, it does absorb and lose its sheen after a short while. For the summer, this is ideal, and on the few occasions when it isn't enough moisture, I add a couple more drops of jojoba oil to it. Scent-wise, I catch the smallest whiff of jojoba oil, but it is by no means offensive in any way. If your skin does well with jojoba oil, I think you'd do well with this moisturizer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Acne.org - Treatment
rossjen 6/10/2010 9:29:00 AM
The best BP formula I have ever tried. I haven't used benzoyl peroxide for years, but since my skin has decided to revisit my teenage years and break out horrificly, I decided to give the Acne.org regimen a try. This formula is really impressive compared to most of the drugstore ones I remember slathering on my face. The formula is a lightweight gel-cream which absorbs faster, and best of all, there is no annoying filmy residue. Makeup and anything else just glides right over it. The price is also a deal. The service of Acne.org is really comendable, as is the website, which is very educational and straightforward. I have loved everything I've tried from the company so far.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Ulta - Ulta- whole store
rossjen 6/4/2010 12:52:00 AM
Since an Ulta opened roughly two years ago in my area, I have been going there pretty much exclusively to buy whatever I need beauty-wise (with the exception of Target and health food stores). It has been a great store in meeting most of my needs. Let me preface this by saying that I pretty much like to be left to my own devices when I am shopping for makeup or anything else. Stores like Sephora intimidate me to no end with the staff walking around, so I prefer Ulta's environment. For the most part, the sales associates have not bothered me or been exceptionally pushy, except on a couple of occasions. I have only been to one store in my area, so I don't know if experiences will differ. When I have needed help with finding something, the staff have been obliging. I really like the coupons they offer. It does save me money when I am buying the basics (I usually stick to the drugstore end of the store), and it is probably the one thing that keeps me coming back. I can understand the frustration that others have about not being able to use them on the higher-end brands, so that is something to be wary of. The major point of frustration for me has been the store website. I find it most frustrating to just check my information and update things such as my address. For whatever reason, it just seems incredibly hard to do. I have never ordered anything online because of this. Awhile back, I wanted to learn more about the rewards program connected to the Club Card, and asked a sales associate how you could check up on the points you had accumulated. The answer: There was no way to check your status on the website, but you had to call someone to do it for you. Really? Why so difficult? In the end, it is no great loss for me, since I do not spend a significant amount of money to probably even qualify for any gifts anyway. If you are someone who does accumulate a lot of points though, you may or may not like this aspect, depending. In summary, I will wind up frequenting the store solely for the coupon deals and the selection of brands that are difficult to find elsewhere, such as NYX.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Acne.org - Organic Jojoba Oil
rossjen 5/27/2010 9:03:00 AM
When I used jojoba oil initially over 5 years ago, I was not a fan. For whatever reason, it actually felt greasier than any other oil. Recently my skin has done a turnaround for the worse, and I've been getting some bad breakouts, which lead to my discovery of the Acne.org line. I mainly use this oil in conjunction with the Acne.org moisturizer; usually four or five drops mixed in does the trick and absorbs nicely without leaving a greasy sheen or feeling heavy. All I'm left with is smooth soft skin, and no new breakouts so far. I've also used it by itself without issue. Price-wise, I don't think you can get much better value. The 8 oz. bottle will easily last me years, and you will easily pay this price for less than half (or even a quarter) that amount in health food stores or elsewhere (at least that has been my observation). This seems to be a company that really cares about providing good value as well as excellent products.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Likas Papaya Soap
rossjen 5/6/2010 10:56:00 PM
I saw this in a Chinese supermarket, and kind of dismissed it as being just a run-of-the-mill detergent soap until I found all of the positive reviews on here. I decided to pick up a bar just to see what would happen. In terms of generally evening out my skintone, I would definitely say that this soap is effective. The results were not immediate, but using it once a day for two months, my skin has evened out overall and looks a lot brighter The lightening effect was minimal, but there was a noticeable difference. I have pretty light olive skin (I usually fall within the second lightest shades in foundation colors), but I always have a tendency to look a bit sallow. Another nice side effect was that it cleared up blemishes just as well as products marketed for acne.There are two cons for me with this product: It is drying (although not horribly), so a bit of moisturizer and only using it once a day is a must for me. I also wish that a complete listing of the ingredients that make up this soap was available. I have searched the Internet to no avail so far. I would definitely buy this again, as it is one of the few soaps that has improved my skin for the better.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Define A Lash
rossjen 5/6/2010 8:39:00 PM
While I liked this mascara initially, over time, little things about it started to bother me. As far as mascara goes, I don't really look for much beyond lengthening and non-clumping. While this mascara lengthens alright, I do find it has a tendency to clump up beyond one coat. I was drawn to this because of the eye-catching green tube and the flexible wand until I bent it within the first three weeks of use trying to get it back into the tube. Added little annoyance, and I don't really see the point of it. Overall, this isn't bad, but it is nothing spectacular. I think there are better mascaras in Maybelline's lineup (Full and Soft comes to mind) than this one.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Weleda - Almond Soothing Facial Cream
rossjen 4/24/2010 3:16:00 PM
I don't see much difference between this and Weleda's other almond cream, in my eyes they performed pretty much the same. Unless your skin is exceptionally dry, this will provide pretty long lasting moisture without being greasy or tacky. Generally, less than a pea-sized amount does the job for me. There are no fragrances or other ingredients that could cause any sort of reaction, which I like. The downsides: It is expensive for the 1 oz. tube, and depending on how much you use, will not last all that long. I still love it though, my skin and Weleda moisturizers tend to get along really well.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Unlisted Brand - Zinc
rossjen 4/16/2010 2:36:00 PM
I bought a cheap bottle of zinc supplements from Target to try. For the most part, I do not suffer from acne with the exception of hormonal breakouts along my jawline. Bottom line: These worked for me, but I have to preface that I am pretty bad about taking any sort of supplements. I'm not very consistent with them, and find them a hassle generally. Now if I could find a liquid formula, I'd be much more interested in taking supplements, but I digress. However, when I was consistent in taking one of these daily, there was literally no breakout in sight. Also, heed the warnings here about eating a full meal before taking zinc, or stomach cramping and nauseous feelings will ensue.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Chagrin Valley - Shampoo Bar
rossjen 3/5/2010 5:57:00 PM
Ida's shampoo bars are niiiice. It took a lot of trial and error in the beginning, but over time, these have started to work really well for my hair (straight, fine, extremely oily). Particularly the first two months of use, I had a lot of days where I dealt with a lot of residue (I do live in a hard water area), to the point where my hair felt like "crayon hair." I did throw in the towel for a month, but decided to persevere and try again. I really don't know what factors I can attribute it to, but as time went on, the residue lessened, and my hair just feels clean and soft now without the need for conditioner or any other treatments. I do have to say, the bars tend to work better when my hair is shorter as opposed to halfway down my back. I also haven't had the need to use any vinegar rinses after every wash (if anything, they make my hair feel too smooth and slippery. I love the extra body and slight wave that shampoo bars give me by themselves). Some bars work better than others for me. I have liked the Rosemary Lavender Aloe and Herb Garden bars. The Honey, Beer, and Egg bar left my hair on the drier side. It is a trial and error, so the trial bars are a great way to try various bars out. If you are considering trying these, have patience in the beginning, because these might not give you the results you want initially. But you might, like me, be surprised in the end.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Juice Organics Brightening cleanser
rossjen 2/4/2010 12:39:00 PM
After having an allergic reaction to the Juice Organics Nourishing Cleanser some years ago, I was really hesitant about trying anything from the line again. That is, until I couldn't pass up a trial set of the brightening line products for $4.50 at TJMaxx. For that price, I decided to take the risk. I gingerly applied a small bit of the orange cleansing gel to my face and lathered up, expecting the worst. To my surprise, nothing happened, and I was left with soft, clean skin, no dryness anywhere. It has a lot of juices and AHAs in it, which contribute a mildly exfoliating effect that I find quite nice (It saves me an extra exfoliating step). The ultimate test of this was a trip to severely dry Colorado this week, and I've been using it twice daily without stripping my skin. It even removes my thick zinc oxide sunscreen very well, which some of my other cleansers have not been able to do completely. I think this will wind up replacing my current holy grail cleanser (Garden of Wisdom's Green Tea Shea), because it performs about the same, is a better value, and easy to find in stores. I'm so glad I decided to give it a chance.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Juice Organics Brightening Moisturizer
rossjen 1/26/2010 8:59:00 PM
I'm one of those who loves a good hydrating moisturizer, but doesn't like anything too greasy or tacky. This is a very light lotion that doesn't feel tacky or sticky on the skin. I only have a small trial tube, so I haven't noticed anything in terms of skin brightening yet, but so far, no adverse effects like excessive oiliness, sensitivity, or breakouts. Yes, the smell is different, so if you don't like the fragrance of ylang ylang or overly earthy notes, you will not enjoy this product, or anything else in the Juice Organics Brightening line. I'm really very happy with this moisturizer so far, and might consider a full size.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Merlot - Grapeseed Oil
rossjen 1/22/2010 8:28:00 AM
While I love moisturizing my face with oils, this one is not the most ideal for me. I don't know if it is because my face is extremely temperamental right now, but even a small amount applied takes ages to absorb into my skin and just seems to sit on top of it for hours. I'm still experimenting with it for the moment (I might mix two drops with moisturizer to see how that works). It works much better as a body oil, so I will continue to use it that way.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Palmers - Skin Therapy Oil
rossjen 12/27/2009 11:21:00 AM
Even though it has a lot of claims on it about reducing stretchmarks and evening out skintone, I bought it primarily for moisturizing. I mostly used it on my body; it absorbs really well without greasyness, and a small amount goes a long way. I do have lots of stretchmarks from puberty that I never did anything about, but I figure that no product will help clear those up at this point. But if you love to use body oils, this is a really delicious cocoa-scented one that will soften your skin right up.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No