Fragrances -Dragonfly Blue - Angel
LovelyNo5 8/26/2007 1:34:00 PM
Oh yuck. Plastic, sticky, sweet. Clings forever to my skin, despite scrubbing. I love quite of few of the wonderful and sweet Lysa's scents, but this one smells horrible to me. It's not even good in the bottle, so there's no chemistry clash going on. What a disappointment.
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Fragrances -Creed - Angelique Encens [DISCONTINUED]
LovelyNo5 8/20/2007 3:01:00 PM
I own a lot of fragrances and I've sampled more scents than I can count. Each time I try on a new scent I tell myself: "This might be it, the HG, the one I'd give up all other fragrances for...", but I always end up disappointed. Don't get me wrong here, I have a few favorites that I'd never trade, Ormonde Woman and L'Heure Bleue being two of them. But Angelique Encens... I don't know what this scent stirs in me, but it's something from deep within my soul. That sounds incredibly stupid, I know, but that's how I feel. I was sent a generous sample of AE by the lovely Jill in the UK, but I waited a long time before trying it out since it smelled kind of heavy from the vial. But the other day I brought it out and applied it to my wrists. At first I thought "Hm, nice", then "Quite smokey and heavy on the incense" – and THEN that soul thing happened. I can't describe it any better, it was like landing. No trumpets or fireworks, just a quiet landing. There were serene flowers – not the kind you find in fragrances for the younger crowd, no, dark long-stemmed roses. There was something soft and friendly, something yellow. Then there was powder, but not the loud Shalimar vanilla powder or the cloying sugary vanilla of many recent gourmand creations, no, a soft powder of iris. And floating back and forth an ever present caress of amber. AE has so many depths. I feel I've finally found the fragrance that reflects all my moods and yet represents the one woman I truly am.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Jardins De Bagatelle
LovelyNo5 8/13/2007 9:13:00 AM
Lovely. Just lovely. White flowers against a soft Monet background. Pastels in a bottle. Sunshine on spring's first daffodils. Exquisite and low key on a woman with the right chemistry.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Vol de Nuit
LovelyNo5 8/5/2007 10:40:00 AM
Thanks to the lovely lady, Jill, who made me a huge decant of this a swap, I got to try this fragrance once again. I could burst out into poetry over this, but I will spare you :). It's amazing. It makes me think of velvet, a heavy and incredibly soft fur coat, fresh pipe tobacco, dark red roses and old-fashioned face powder all in one. It conveys the same feeling as Guerlain's masculine masterpiece, Habit Rouge – softness, darkness, quietude. Even in EdT form VdN is quite tenacious on me, despite my dry skin. It's expensive, yes, but for the individualist who is looking for a perfume that stands out in a crowd of generic florals, VdN is worth every penny.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Weleda - Iris Cleansing Lotion
LovelyNo5 7/26/2007 10:51:00 AM
I love a lot of Weleda's products. In fact, Weleda is just about the only skincare brand I use. Favorites are Skin Food, the Almond skincare line, the Calendula creams and lotions for the kids and the Wildrose creams every now and then (I can't use them every day/night, because then they dry me out!). But this cleanser is another story. At first it smells good, but once on the face the alcoholic vapors are strong enough to make you choke. It takes most makeup off, but it leaves a thick, oily coating on the face that has to be wiped off with a towel or a tissue. Rinsing with water only is not an option. Also, I think this cleanser was the reason I developed loads of clogged pores and whiteheads, something I don't normally experience (I have enough skin issues as it is anyway). I will definitely not buy this again, in fact, the extra bottle I had bought will probably end up in the bin, unopened.
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Powder -Everyday Minerals - foundation semi-matte formula
LovelyNo5 6/13/2007 7:30:00 AM
I used this foundation for about 8 months, but got fed up with the mixing I had to do in order to find a good match. So I strayed to other brands, but now I'm back with EM, probably for good. I've had skin problems all my adult life, but when I started using EM I could chuck out all my numerous jars of treatments and moisturizers and only use Weleda Iris soap and a Weleda moisturizer of my choice, depending on the season. My skin stayed practically clear. But of course I had to try some other brands, and for the past 5 months I've been wearing only Alima's foundation. Well, curiosity almost killed this cat. Now my face is back where it started: huge pores, eczema, sagging skin and a dull appearance. Awful, in other words. So back to EM semi-matte it is. I love the soft glow of this foundation and the fact that it's weightless on and you don't feel like you're wearing tons of makeup. I'm pale with golden olive undertones, and right now I use a mix of Olive Fair and Olive Medium. Feels good to be back to EM again! EDITED to add: Olive Light is an even better color to use for mixing with Olive Fair for me. Right now I mix equal parts of the two and that gives me my exact skin tone. For fall and winter I'll probably have to increase the amount of Olive Fair in the mix. I'm okay with mixing now that I get the right olive undertone no matter what. When I tried mixing before the olives came out, I always ended up pink or orange. I don't have to worry about that anymore!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Alima - Foundation Brush 25
LovelyNo5 5/21/2007 1:27:00 PM
I really, really like this brush. It's incredibly soft, just like everybody says. But it's going to take some time for me to get used to the size of it, since it's quite a lot bigger than my usual brush (Kanebo face brush) and heavier! I haven't gotten the hang of it yet, I feel a bit clumsy with it, but I'll get there. A big plus is that the powder doesn't go all over the place with it. I'll just keep working on my technique and I'm sure this will be a favorite. :) UPDATE 2007/08/19: Well, I've been using this now for a few months and I absolutely adore it. No other brush compares! At first I felt it was so dense it almost tugged at my skin a bit, but the more times I've washed it, the softer it's become. I wash it almost every night with olive soap, tie a ribbon around the handle and hang it up on one of the bars of the towel dryer. That way it's clean, dry and soft the next morning! Best brush ever.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Madini Mirage
LovelyNo5 5/20/2007 10:44:00 AM
Imagine yourself in a flower shop with a big bowl of lemon sherbet in front of you. The soft and intoxicating smell of the flowers mixed with the cool crisp lemon taste is what Mirage smells like to me. It's an instant mood brightener, a sunny and playful scent. It lasts forever on my skin and gets gradually softer as it dries down. Lovely.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Chagrin Valley - Shampoo Bar
LovelyNo5 5/4/2007 9:53:00 AM
It's true what Ida says on her web site: everyone's hair is unique, therefore you have to try these shampoos out to find the perfect one for you. After having tried a bunch of these, my favorites are the Carrot Milk & Honey and the Chamomile & Citrus. When I wash my coarse, naturally curly hair with these, I almost look like I'm wearing a wig once my hair dries, since it gets lots of volume and lots of curl. I also shed a lot less using Ida's bars, plus my hair stays clean longer. Now, I've had some bad experiences also with some of my samples. The Babassu & Marshmallow left my hair really soft and curly but totally matte, and the Herbal Garden made my hair incredibly static, I couldn't even touch it. So trial and error is the way to go with these. Samples are really generous and cheap, so give them a go. I'm sure you'll find some you really love!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Chagrin Valley - All Products
LovelyNo5 5/3/2007 7:10:00 AM
I ordered a bunch of samples of these soaps and the shampoo bars a few months ago. They all smell so delicious you want to eat them, or at least taste them. My favorite soap bar is the Honey Butter. I have very sensitive skin that is both oily and dry and tends to get ruddy from just about anything. When I wash my face in the shower with the Honey Butter bar, even using really warm water, I come out with a fresh and rosy face instead of looking like a ripe tomato. I've also tried the Rose Clay, which I like a lot as well, and the Rhassoul Yoghurt (I can't remember what I thought of that one). As far as soaps go, these are excellent – very gentle on even the most sensitive of skins and with a nice and creamy lather. The price is good and shipping to Sweden was really fast. Highly recommended! EDITED TO ADD: I used the Rhassoul & Yoghurt soap last night. It's excellent, leaves my skin really clean but not stripped in any way. When I woke up this morning my face was a lot less oily and looked fresher, somehow. I just placed a new order...
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Everyday Minerals - New Flat Top Brush
LovelyNo5 4/27/2007 8:28:00 AM
Wow, this brush is amazing! It was actually the only thing in my new Everyday Kit that wasn't a disappointment (I didn't like the new jars, the Sunday Brunch blush was not the color I hoped it would be and the foundation colors have changed since I ordered them in mini-sizes in January. The silk powder was okay I guess, but not something I'd rave about. I guess that having found Alima nothing else will ever compare.) This brush soooooo soft, it's unbelievable. And in addition to being the softest brush I've ever used, it makes the minerals go on flawlessly, leaving me totally poreless and smooth. I'm waiting for Alima's #25 brush in the mail and I'm really looking forward to comparing the two. But for now this is my absolute favorite brush of all time for applying minerals.
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Fragrances -Chanel - Coco Mademoiselle
LovelyNo5 4/25/2007 11:30:00 AM
Something very strange has happened. I used to like Coco Mlle. I thought it was a bit mainstream, pretty sharp and orange-y, nothing spectacular but nice enough to wear every once in a while. But now... It's fast becoming my HG! Now this lovely, pink juice morphs into an orange-marzipan, creamy and very classy fragrance on my skin and it lasts for hours. It's actually quite delicious, something I would consider tasting, were it a dessert – yet not overly sweet in any way. Yes, I know, a lot of people think this is for the 20's crowd but as far as I'm concerned, a woman can wear any perfume as long as she wears it well, regardless of her age. That's the beauty of a fine fragrance, isn't it? :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Alima - Satin Matte Blush in Honey Rose
LovelyNo5 4/25/2007 7:59:00 AM
This blush is almost exactly the same color as my HG blush color, BE's Golden Gate, but without the shimmer. On my Olive-0 complexion it looks just fresh, youthful and very natual, giving me that warm glow. It works well on lips also – I just dip my lipgloss wand in the powder and voilà, beautiful blushing lips!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Bare Escentuals - Blush in Golden Gate
LovelyNo5 4/21/2007 11:21:00 AM
I swear, I would never have bothered to even look twice at this blush, had it not been for the SA. Having been told I'm a Winter and needing cool colors, this looked hideously peachy in the jar. But... I've totally fallen for this gorgeous blush! It instantly makes me look well-rested and it brightens up my complexion, giving a healthy color to my face, what the French call "bonne mine". It's actually exactly the color of the inside of my palms when my hands are warm, a salmon pink. And considering the fact that it makes my brown eyes look even browner, I'm seriously starting to question whether I really am a Winter or not, as this would be more of an Autumn color in my book. Beautiful.
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Blush -Bare Escentuals - Lovely
LovelyNo5 4/2/2007 10:54:00 AM
Very aptly named. I love this blush! The color is an adorable blushing rose that's neither warm nor cool. Its greatest advantage is that it doesn't turn orange after a few hours of wear. It looks great on top of my Fairly Light and stays fresh all day!
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