Fragrances -Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue
mmmmary 8/15/2006 6:01:00 PM
I really love this in lotion form. Light and clean and non-perfumey smelling. Smells like a woman should, IMO. For some reason when I have tried the EDT in the past, however, I have been left with a certain lingering note of tobacco on the drydown, which I guess might be okay if you are a smoker and like that smell, but I'm not and I don't. I'd still give it a 5 for the lotion's sake but the lasting power could be a bit better.
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Fragrances -L'Occitane - eau de miel (honey gentle water) [DISCONTINUED]
mmmmary 8/15/2006 5:57:00 PM
When will I learn to stop buying L'Occitane scents? There is something about them that I fall in love with, buy, and then deeply regret about two weeks later. And L'Occitane's return policy, which used to be poor, is now non-existant:-( No returns on anything opened. It seems to me that a company should stand by its products and want customers to be happy with their purchases, no? I have now experienced buyer's remorse about their Green Tea, Almond, Mimosa, Verbena and, now most recently, Honey Water fragrances. I either really like the smell of the Honey Harvest products, or I really don't. The shower gel and body balm are great. The face cream and this stuff are definitely not so great IMHO. EDIT 9/08: I've upped this from two lippies to three. Since I couldn't return it, I use it occasionally and it's not horrible. Oddly enough, I like it best when sprayed on my stomach! It's not wafting around my face like it would be if it was on my neck or hands, but filters upward very subtly.
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Treatments (Eye) -La Roche Posay - Active C Eye Cream
mmmmary 8/1/2006 6:02:00 PM
Awhile ago I discovered that my previous HG eye product, Zia Ultimate Eye Cream, was causing puffiness, which is not at all good because my eyes are rather too prominent to begin with. I stopped using eye creams but definitely noticed some dryness, especially since I use a cleanser with salicyclic acid. Got a sample of this and gave it a try. I have to say that I am really liking it. It wasn't an immediate "Wow" sort of thing, but I notice that it really does help with dark circles and does a decent job of hydrating with no puffiness. Seems like I either really like LRP products or I really don't, and this is one that thankfully I do like. UPDATE: I'm downgrading this a bit. It is not hydrating enough for my 44-year-old eye area. I've moved on to Skinceuticals Eye Cream.
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Treatments -La Roche Posay - Effaclar K
mmmmary 8/1/2006 5:57:00 PM
This feels really gentle going on, and I kind of like the smell, but it ends up leaving my skin red and irritated-looking, while not showing any significant improvement in acne. UPDATED 8/07: I have discovered that in the right place in the right amount, this works very well for me. On my cheeks it really doesn't do much (and I have to use plenty of moisturizer on top when I do try it), but on my chin and around my nose every night, it helps to keep me clear. Up from two to five lippies. It is now another HG from LRP.
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Lip Treatments -La Roche Posay - ceralip
mmmmary 7/18/2006 5:48:00 PM
This has replaced pure shea butter as my favorite lip balm. Unlike other reviewers, I find it to be glossy going on, though it does eventually sink in. My only gripe is a REALLY bad smell when it's coming out of the tube. Luckily it fades away immediately because what it smells like to me is stinky feet! UPDATE 3/09: Knocked it down one lippie just because LRP's Nutritic balm is even better.
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Cleansers -La Roche Posay - Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser
mmmmary 6/27/2006 6:13:00 PM
I ordered a sample size of this from Skin-Etc since I'm liking a couple of other LRP products but, like the Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser, this is NOT for me. I used it once and my skin was so tight that it hurt to smile and within a day I had two zits cropping up on my chin -- the first ones in months, thanks to Mychelle Cranberry Cleanser, which I have now happily gone back to. Incidentally, it gets me that they advertise this as soap-free but one of the main ingredients is Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a harsh detergent.
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Cleansers -MyChelle - Cranberry Cleanser
mmmmary 5/24/2006 5:10:00 PM
For years I used Mir Cleansing Gel on my face and my skin just got worse and worse. I couldn't believe it was from the Mir, which is a lovely, natural product. I finally realized that my skin has been gradually getting more and more oily (hormones, I suspect -- I'm 42) and the Mir, which is great for drier skin, was just not enough for me. I had zits everywhere:-( Decided to give this a try a month or so ago and I am very pleased with the results. It dries my skin out considerably in spots, which was rather disconcerting at first, until I discovered that my very sensitive skin can tolerate LaRoche Posay Toleriane Fluid, even in places I'd been afraid to try it before. I've been using this twice a day but would prefer to eventually move to something else for at least part of the time if the condition of my skin allows, because I'm not crazy about that much use of AHAs. MyChelle uses AHA in all of her products, which is too much, IMO, but I am very thankful for what this product has done for me!!!
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Treatments -Skinceuticals - C E Ferulic
mmmmary 5/24/2006 4:54:00 PM
Why the heck does this have to be so expensive???!!!! Especially when it works so well for me that I think I'm going to have to keep buying it? I guess that's the good news and the bad news rolled into one:-) I do not find this irritating in the least, and I have very sensitive, acne-prone freaky hormonal skin. (The one place I cannot use it is just under my nose, due to perioral dermatitis issues, but that is true of EVERYTHING else in the world I've tried except for MyChelle Cranberry Cleanser and Avene Thermal Water.) This actually very gently moisturizes my skin and seems to calm it down as well. My chin, which for years has caused me grief, especially in the summer, is doing very nicely with the MyChelle cleanser, C E Ferulic, LaRoche Posay Tolieriane Fluid and the Skinceuticals Physical UV Defense. Yea for Skinceuticals!:-)
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Gels/Soaps -L'Occitane - Honey Harvest with Royal Jelly and Propolis Foaming Jelly for Body and Hair
mmmmary 5/17/2006 10:17:00 AM
I've had this for awhile but had stopped using it because I kinda got sick of the smell but now I'm back to it after getting sick of the smell of Kiehl's (what can I say -- I get burned out) and loving this more and more all the time. I have only used it as a body wash but may try it as a shampoo and face wash. It is very moisturizing and the smell is great for the warmer weather. I may also try the Honey Water as the scent of this is not lasting enough.
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Masks -Skinceuticals - SkinCeuticals - Clarifying Clay Mask
mmmmary 5/5/2006 5:18:00 PM
Luckily I got a sample of this and did not purchase the full size. I have had good luck with other Skinceuticals products but this broke me out -- badly. I have never used a product with glycolic acid in it before, so maybe that is the culprit. From what I read in various reviews, G.A. may cause some people's skin to "purge." That may be the case for me. I'm definitely not going to keep on using it to see if it gets better, though, because we're talking huge red welts on my otherwise pale cheeks so that I look rather diseased:-(
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Lip Treatments -Kiehls - Baby Lip Balm
mmmmary 5/5/2006 4:14:00 PM
While shea butter is my lip balm of choice, I love using this as a gloss over my Vincent Longo lipstains.
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Sunscreen -Skinceuticals - Physical UV Defense SPF 30
mmmmary 5/3/2006 4:00:00 PM
I have to give this a five because it is the ONLY sunscreen that I have ever found that does not break out my chin, which is also very sensitive to the sun so wearing a sunscreen in the warmer months is essential. As you can imagine, this dilemma has provided me with countless hours of frustrating obsession and grief in the past. I don't find that it is greasy or gives any more of a white cast than the mixed physical/chemical SC SPF30. During the time I was using it on the rest of my face, however, I did experience some breakouts in other places, but they may be due to other products I was experimenting with at the same time. In any case, in my book it's worth a five because of my joy at looking in the mirror every day and seeing a clear chin:-) If I end up having to use two different sunscreens, so be it. UPDATE 3/07: Still loving this. For my chin in the warmer half of the year, CE Ferulic and this sunscreen are a prescription for calm, happy, spot-free skin.
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Cleansers -Zia - Fresh Cleansing Gel
mmmmary 4/18/2006 5:54:00 PM
I've used this as a face cleanser but don't anymore. In my opinion where it really shines is as a shaving gel! I read that it can be used for that on the Zia website and I'm so glad I tried it because it's perfect. Goes on quickly and easily, does not clog up the razor, razor burn is never a problem, and it leaves my legs so smooth and soft! I wouldn't mind if it was a little cheaper, but the container's going to last me forever. EDIT 6/21/2006: Nope, L'Occitane Honey Shower Gel works better, and I don't need a separate product, which is especially nice now that it's vacation time:-)
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Shave Products -Kiehls - Close Shavers Squadron Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream - White Eagle
mmmmary 1/13/2006 6:23:00 PM
I think maybe what I have is actually the Blue Eagle version, but I really like it. I had about come to the conclusion that all shave products were pretty much worthless and I should save my money and just stick with using shower gel until I decided to give this a try. That said, it's quite expensive considering how quickly I go through it. I won't feel much loyalty if I find something else that works as well.
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Cleansers -La Roche Posay - Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser
mmmmary 1/13/2006 6:12:00 PM
For a couple of weeks I thought this was going to work for me, but I noticed more and more clogged pores on my cheeks as time passed, and that was even with rinsing it off. As my cheeks are generally the only problem-free part of my face, that was not a good thing! EDIT 6/21/2006 HATE HATE HATE this stuff:-( I'm still dealing with the results of the clogged pores seven months after I stopped using it.
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