Concealers -Club Monaco Beauty - Concealer
KillerTofu 5/13/2003 11:50:00 AM
I got this for free as part of some ridiculous promotion Club Monaco had going a while back (buy a 5-colour eye shadow palette with a brush for $30 CDN, and receive a concealer, a liquid foundation, and a blending sponge - which I didn't get because they had run out - free. I know. Crazy.), so luckily I wasn't out any money, but I really disliked this stuff. It didn't cover blemishes very well, and what's more, it had a greenish cast to it, so instead of having no visible blemish, I had an obviously covered-up blemish that looked a little ill.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Frost Lipstick in FETISH
KillerTofu 5/13/2003 11:41:00 AM
Every time I use this, I'm surprised by how brown it is. I guess in my mind it's more red. But that's inconsequential. I love Fetish. I'm a MAC NC43 and the SA declared Fetish the best lipstick for me when I told her I was looking for a dark colour. It's a nice rich copper with a rosy gold shimmer.
Maybe the best thing about Fetish is how versatile it is. By simply using different colour liners, it can stretch to a rainbow of beautiful colours.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Aveeno - Skin Relief Body Wash Fragrance Free
KillerTofu 5/13/2003 10:44:00 AM
This has always been a staple body wash for me. I use it first and then I wash with a scented shower gel (because I like to smell good). While this body wash is fragrance-free, it has a strange smell to it that isn't bad, but not good either - but don't worry, it doesn't linger. It makes a lovely lather and gently cleanses my skin. However, it's not so wonderful that it's the only thing I'll use. In fact, I'm thinking of trying something else - simply because I find this wash nice, but incredibly boring.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Burt's Bees - Wild Lettuce Toner
KillerTofu 5/5/2003 4:22:00 AM
I'm sure this is a good toner for some people. I'm not one of them. Even though it contains alcohol, I didn't find it irritatingly drying. Sadly, I won't be using it long enough to tell if it's beneficial because of the smell. Ugh! In the bottle it smells like wet grass, which is kind of nice. But then when you put it on it turns slightly floral, before becoming a foul, 'old lady' smell. If they're going to sacrifice their ability to call something 'fragrance-free', you'd think they would at least make it smell good. And boy, does it linger. I can still smell it on my hand. Ew.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Revlon - High Dimension Mascara
KillerTofu 5/1/2003 12:46:00 PM
First of all, the square brush? WTF? I bought this in Black Garnet, thinking it would be awesome with a red or burgundy outfit. Well, it would be, if you could even see the darn stuff. It went on nice and smooth, and is a decent mascara, but it didn't do what it was supposed to do, which is why I bought it! Garnet? Barely. "Radiance and subtle glints of colour"? Bwa!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Clinique - Take The Day Off Eye Makeup Remover
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 2:15:00 PM
This is a decent eye-makeup remover. I don't mind the oily residue, because I wash my face after I remove my make-up (you really should). Plus, the oil helps to moisturize my dry skin. It's fragrance free, and never stings.
The reason I'm not going to repurchase is because 60% of the time it leaves mascara or liner right below my lower lash line (you know what I'm talking about) that makes me question it's effectiveness. Plus, I'm going to try Almay's wipes, which are way cheaper, not to mention the money you'll save by not having to use cotton balls/pads.
Update: I know I said I won't buy this again, but I've changed my mind. Again. It turns out I was kind of neglecting the underside of my upper lashes when I removed my mascara (I know, it's dumb, that's where most of the mascara gets applied). Remover is way more effective when you use it right :p I've decided that this will be my staple to remove waterproof mascara. My Almay wipes don't cut it, but this does. And since I wear waterproof so rarely, I don't mind paying so much for this because one bottle should last forever.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sephora - Eyebrow Brush/Eyelash comb
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 2:09:00 PM
I love how cheap it is, and I love the way it folds up to the tiniest pocket-size, but the brow brush is really stiff and hard, and eyelash comb is less than effective. The metal teeth are too far apart to really do anything. You can comb all you want, but you'll never eliminate the clumps. I think I'll give this to my sister and try Tweezerman.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Exuviance - Essential Multi-Protective Lip Balm SPF 15
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 2:04:00 PM
Where do I begin...first of all, lip balms should be smooth, right? Well, this one is not. It's not quite gritty, not quite grainy, but definitely not smooth. It's supposed to exfoliate, which I can feel it doing (stings if you've got a cut), but it didn't make my lips all that smooth. It's got a light mint scent, but it tastes nasty. Plus, the package says 'for external use only'. That seems to imply that you should not ingest it. Is it even possible to wear a lip balm or gloss that you don't ingest?
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Bloom - Aluminium Lip Brush
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 1:56:00 PM
Great brush! The bristles are soft, yet firm enough to effectively deposit colour. The cap stays on, and is made so you can put it on the end of the brush as you apply, creating a long handle for better control. The Bloom Girl is too cute! It's got a nice rubber grip too, but I think it may also be the reason for my only complaint about this brush. The grip is functional, but I find that I can smell it. The whole brush smells like strange rubber, but it's not that big of a deal. It's a wonderful brush!
Update: Did I forget to mention the price? At $9 USD, it's a steal!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sephora - Retractable Powder Brush
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 1:50:00 PM
I love this brush!! It's so precious. Super-soft, retractable, and $6 less than the one I was considering buying (from Bloom)? What more could you ask for? The only whinge I have is that I bought mine in silver, and I wish I'd gotten it in black, because that would match my MAC Studio Fix powder casing. But that's not Sephora's fault! Lovely product!
***EDIT: I had to dock a point because I washed my brush for the first time and it's definitely not the same. Some of its original incredible softness and shape is off. :(
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Urban Decay - XXX Shine Lip Gloss
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 1:30:00 PM
I got this as a GWP and I really like it, although I don't think I'll buy it when my sample runs out. It's very cooling, and the mint scent/taste is different. It's not like all the other minty glosses out there, which are usually spearmint. This stuff is the ultimate "candy cane" scent/taste. It's wonderfully shiny, but then again, so is MAC's Lipglass, which offers the same effect for less money.
Note: My sample was "Ozone" (clear). A tube of "Ozone" is $15 USD, a tube of clear Lipglass is $11.50. Here's something interesting: Urban Decay uses mineral oil (a cheap oil), but they charge you more. MAC uses jojoba oil (a more expensive oil), but they still charge you less. Hmmm.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Urban Decay - S&M Lipgunk
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 1:25:00 PM
This is great lip gloss, but the trick is you have to know when it's appropriate. It's perfect for a club, but maybe not so perfect for a nice dinner date or the office. It's a nice transparent cream colour with holographic glitter, and it smells and tastes like sugar cookies. Yum!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Clinique - Clarifying Lotion #2
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 1:34:00 AM
I took the skin type test at Clinique's Skin Type Guide and they recommended this for my dry skin. Imagine my dismay when I actually looked at the back of the bottle and saw that it's for "normal (partly oily, partly dry) skin". First of all, the fact that they would suggest the wrong toner annoys me to no end. Plus, this stuff is nearly pure alcohol! It's the first ingredient. They should know better, with their 'dermatologist recommended' selves.
Here's the thing. Whatever toner they recommend for you, use the next one down. So what about #4? Exactly. No one should use that. I'll be giving the #1 a try, but I'll probably end up abandoning this crap all together.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Clinique - Total Turnaround Visible Skin Renewer
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 1:17:00 AM
I got this as a GWP with my 3-Step. At first, I wasn't really sure what it did, but I used it every night. Then I noticed that whenever I got a spot of hyperpigmentation (I'm a CCC/MAC NC43 and my skin hyperpigments at the drop of a hat), that it seemed to fade alot faster than it did before. After using it for 4 months, I can definitely see where my overall skin tone has improved. Although it's pricey, I'll repurchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
KillerTofu 4/29/2003 12:54:00 AM
This is a decent basic moisturizer, the only problem is that for the price, it should be more than decent, and more than basic. It contains mineral oil, which has gotten a bad rap for being pore-clogging. This is not true, but mineral oil is cheap. For the amount of money they charge you for DDML, they should be using non-fragrant plant oils (the fragrant ones are skin irritants). It does contain sesame oil, which is a good non-fragrant plant oil, but it's listed after mineral oil, which cheapens the product - cheapens the quality, not the price.
Besides, I met and fell in love with Paula's Choice Hydrating Treatment Cream, which is now my HG moisturizer. It is a godsend for people with dry skin. HTC's main ingredient - after water - is jojoba oil (one of those non-fragrant plant oils), and it's got heaps of antioxidants and water-binding agents, all for a few bucks and some change more than DDML.
Note: if you have oily skin or are prone to breakouts, avoid DDML like the plague. It contains lanolin alcohol, which is a derivative of lanolin, which is an emollient closely resembles sebum (the oil your skin produces), so using this lotion would be like putting more of the oil that causes you problems onto your face. (If you have dry skin that's not prone to breakouts, lanolin is not an issue, it can actually help.)
Also, if you're concerned about animal rights/kosher/hilal/etc., you should know that lanolin comes from sheep.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No