Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Healthy Hoof
LizWords 1/21/2012 8:11:00 AM
This stuff rocks, seriously, it really works really well. I am a major nail and cuticle picker, I have been for years, and using this cream has finally gotten my nails and cuticle to a point where there strong and smooth enough for me to not to really be able to pick. My nails look better than they have in over a decade. I definitely recommend it, it's also quite affordable, although somewhat hard to find.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -The Body Shop - White Musk Perfume Oil
LizWords 1/17/2012 3:44:00 PM
Thank you to MUA folks who reviewed the Serge Lutens Clair de Musc and compared it to this. I liked the Serge Lutens frag a lot, but as I noted in my review of it, I didn't really think it was unique enough to warrant the high price tag. I snagged a bottle of this new 1oz bottle off ebay for 20$, and it's great. The staying power is AMAZING, you need so little of it and it stays all day, unlike the serge lutens perfume that faded quick even after dowsing myself in it. I guess it's discontinued or being discontinued, so I will probably stock up on another bottle soon. I expect it to last a very long time though. I bought some decanting supplies and will transfer some of this to one of the roller ball bottles so I can keep it in my purse. Yay.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Calvin Klein - Obsession
LizWords 1/16/2012 3:41:00 PM
I'm honestly surprised by the crappy reviews for this. I don't recall the pre-reformulation juice, so I can't comment on it being better or worse. Although I admit the reformulations seem to be done to help "bottom line", meaning they cheapen the ingredients, so yeah i can see why it would ruin it for people who smelled the original version. I own the current formulation and I like it a lot, it's an androgynous scent, for sure, if you dislike musky scents stay far away. But, I do like this MORE than opium and tabu, which are very similar. Obsession is lighter, has less incense and spice and more floral, so to me, or on me, it smells more feminine than the other two I just mentioned. I do like opium and tabu, I own them both, but I reach for this far more, it's just much easier to wear. I can also see why people would find this "steely", I get a bit of that at first, but the dry down is very nice on me and the lasting power is amazing. A little goes a long way and for the amount you get, it is very affordable.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Christian Dior - Midnight Poison
LizWords 1/15/2012 7:50:00 PM
I got a couple of samples of this and splurged on a 1.7oz tester bottle of the EDP for 47$. It was definitely worth it. I like this very much, it has a similar strong top note to Chanel's Coco (which I don't like), maybe it's just really strong patchouli since that seems to be the only note the two frags share, but I'm not sure, it could be something else not listed. At any rate, I don't particularly care for the first 1/2 hour of this perfume, but I do like most of the dry down and it has incredible staying power. Once the patchouli? finally stops screaming in my face it starts to mix with the floral, I definitely get a nice rose, and some musky amber. It smells wonderful after about an hour or so and continues to smell wonderful for the rest of the day. It stays strong enough to please me, I have perfume eating skin so if by 5pm I am still getting the occasional lovely whiff of myself I'm a happy camper. It's definitely a fall/winter fragrance, too masculine for spring/summer IMO. And I would definitely suggest you try a sample before you buy, I have one up for swap if you're interested!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Calvin Klein - Obsession Night for women
LizWords 1/14/2012 12:53:00 PM
Run of the mill, synthetic sweet floral, very "basic drugstore" type fragrance. Very disappointing, really, no similarity with the original Obsession.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Fleurs de Citronnier
LizWords 1/8/2012 7:04:00 PM
Got a sample of this a while ago and wore it today, it's a very light scent, nice, lightly sweet floral with some citrus and perhaps a slight hint of muskiness. It actually smells, IMO, a lot like bath and body works aromatherapy ylang-ylang myrrh, though I don't think there's any ylang-ylang or myrrh in it at all. I applied a generous amount around 10:30AM and by 3pm I could barely detect it, I don't think it had any sillage at all, much more of a skin scent. I do like it, it's nice, but it just seems a bit too un-special to shell out 80$+ for under 2oz, especially when I have a very similar smelling scent in my bathroom that cost me 15$ for 4oz (smoothing oil from b&bw, very nice.). If I were rich and could purchase every scent I liked I would splurge, but alas, I am not, so I will not be purchasing this full size.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Clair De Musc
LizWords 1/7/2012 11:55:00 AM
UPDATE 2/20/2012: I bumped this up a lippie. I used up the sample I had over several different wearings and started to really like it. It no longer reminds me of eau premiere. I have tried tbc white musk and alyssa ashley white musk looking for an exact dup, but neither are. TBC white musk is really nice, don't get me wrong, I love it, it's lasts forever, but it's more animalic than lutens, lutens is softer and more complex. I am ashamed to say that after a month of pining over it I finally ordered a bottle. tonight I paid 85$ (which is pretty good considering it retails for about 110$, but I still think it's outrageously expensive for the meager 1.7oz bottle you get. I will update again when I have been wearing it consistently for a while to see if I develop buyers remorse. I got a sample of this and have been test driving it the last few days. Despite the mediocre lippie raiting I actually really really like this scent, and if it weren't for the high price tag and the crappy staying power I would happily add it to my repertoire. It is a light musk perfume WITHOUT any chemical/synthetic notes, which is hard to find. It does have notes reminiscent of no.5, there is the aldehydes, neroli and jasmine that is light and musky and lovely. It's actually even more similar to no. 5 eau premiere, it has that effervescence that eau premiere has in addition to light aldehydes and neroli and jasmine. I like it VERY much. But alas, I am not made of money, and I can't afford to spend 90$ on 1.7oz of a fragrance that smells almost exactly like another scent I already own and DOESN'T LAST nearly as well. I pay 80$ for a 5oz tester of eau premiere which has better staying power and offers a far better per ounce cost. So sad, wish I was rich and had the money to own every scent that I like. My skin eats musky scents like no other, so really, for them to last on me they have to start out really strong, and this one doesn't, it starts how I'd like it to stay, and instead fades w/in a couple hours to a barely discernable musk.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - Chance Eau Fraiche
LizWords 1/3/2012 10:26:00 PM
So I got a sample of this along with the original chance, I didn't expect much out of either and I wasn't surprised when I didn't like either. But, I gave the eau fraiche to my boyfriend after I tried it because I was convinced it was for men. Well, I was just cruising the chanel website and realized they did in fact have it listed under the women's fragrances. So now my poor boyfriend is wearing a woman's perfume. HEHEHE. I swear this smells like men's cologne, I swear...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Shalimar Parfum Initial
LizWords 1/2/2012 9:58:00 AM
I'm really loving the shalimar flankers lately. This is probably the least like the original shalimar of all the flankers, it only vaguely reminds me of the original with the base notes of vanilla. The vanilla is very subtle, its sweetness is balanced out by the vetiver. The fruity notes, which I usually dislike if too strong, combine with some of the soft florals to create a soft sweetness with a bit of powder that balances out the musky, masculiness of the vetiver and musk. At first blast this scent is a bit too much, but after a few minutes it settles into my skin very nicely. It has pretty good staying power, better than the original shalimar on my skin. I will definitely be repurchasing this after I run out my giant 3oz bottle.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - No 5 Eau Premiere
LizWords 12/29/2011 9:54:00 PM
Oh yes, yes yes yes. This is a wonderful, sweeter,, lighter, more playful but still classy,- less aldehyde-full no. 5. If you like no. 5 original, you will probably like this, if you don't like no. 5 original you may very well like this anyway, it's similar enough and different enough to appeal well to both crowds. I actually think this has better staying than no. 5 original on me, even thought initially original is stronger. Maybe it's the sweetness that lingers in a way that original's muskiness doesn't, my skin eats musky perfumes like nothing other. I'm really loving the no. 5 flankers lately. This is really wonderful, as is the sensual elixir. I found my new 5oz eau premiere bottle as a tester on ebay for undre 80$ with shipping. I've become a pro at telling between fake and real chanels on the net, so feel free to message me if you want some advice, there are some great bargains to be had out there.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - TRIA Laser Hair Removal System
LizWords 12/28/2011 9:21:00 AM
I've been using this for about two months now, and I plan on returning it for a refund within the next couple weeks after I do another treatment. It does work, kind of. I've definitely seen results, but my issue is that the results aren't consistent for me. At best, the results are patchy, meaning some spots are bare, some are growing normally. I still have to shave regularly if I want the areas to look clean, which really defeats the purpose. I know I used it right, so it's not my fault, I supposedly am the optimal patien, light skin, dark hair. It also hurts too much on my bikini line to use at level 5, and this is the area I really wanted it to work on. Level 3 is the only one I can tolerate on that area, and I have a pretty high threshold for pain, I've used 5% lidocaine gel and it doesn't even take the edge off. It does NOT feel like rubber band snapping in those areas, it feels like it's burning your pores, which essentially it is.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Insolence
LizWords 12/24/2011 11:25:00 AM
UPDATE 1/15/12: So I read a review after I posted my initial review that mentioned the drastic difference between the EDT and EDP version of this fragrance so i added a 1ml decant of the EDP to my latest TPC order. I wore it all day yesterday and wasn't nearly as repulsed as I was with the EDT version. The EDP is much much better than EDT, it actually develops as you wear it, and that synthetic chemical floral note that I refer to as lysol below fades much quicker and the candy sweetness and musky patchouli mix to make it far more pleasant and wearable. Overall, still not my cup of tea, I still strongly dislike the lysol floral note even at its weakest, but I bumped it up a lippie for being better crafted than I initially thought. I would definitely suggest that if you want to try this you get a sample of the EDP version, I believe I paid 3$ for a 1ml decant from the perfumed court. I agree mostly with the review directly below mine, for me, chemical cleaner abounds. It's very hard to put my finger on, maybe a bit of floral lysol? Then there's the cotton candy that isn't bad but doesn't mix well with the chemical floral smell. I really wanted to like this, but alas, I just can't. I've tried letting it develop for hours (great staying power), but it stays equally gross as it starts out on my skin, very little development. I always eventually wash it off since I just hate it. So sad really, I love Guerlain, they make some of my favorite frags of all time. I've got some samples up for swap if anyone is interested, this is definitely a try before you buy scent...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - Allure for women
LizWords 12/23/2011 10:00:00 AM
I like allure EDP a lot, the EDT is OK as well, but the EDP develops more, is more complex, and lasts longer. I am a fan of most of Chanel's legacy perfumes, and I know Allure is a modern one that ticks a lot of people off, but I still like it very much. It's definitely strong, but I love seriously strong EDPs, my skin eats perfume like no other so the stronger the better IMO. It's definitely a largely floral scent, but it's grounded with a decent muskiness and warmth, which is how I prefer my florals. The EDT smells mostly the same at first spray, but it doesn't really go through the stages that the EDP does, I know some people prefer it because it's a tad weaker (thought it still has incredible staying power). Allure Sensuelle is basically super musky Allure, I like that as well, again, it lasts FOREVER, definitely a powerhouse perfume.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Christian Dior - Hypnotic Poison
LizWords 12/20/2011 6:26:00 PM
If you like vanilla, you will probably like this perfume. Actually, I think it smells very similar to bath and body works warm vanilla sugar, which I do like but don't wear. It opens with a small blast of licorice along with the dominant vanilla, but thankfully that disappears quick. My main problem with this is the price, for what it is, a basic vanilla scent, it's quiet pricey. I haven't actually found a dior perfume I like, but still, I expect more from a high end fragrance and designer, more depth, more character, more development. I can find this same scent at the drug store for a fraction of this price.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Hard Candy - Glamoflauge Concealer
LizWords 12/15/2011 7:06:00 PM
This is a very good concealer. It is definitely heavy duty, so I can see why it may get cakey on some people, but it covers great. I use it under my eyes and it works like a charm hiding my bad dark circles. A little goes a very long way. It seems very similar to illuminare extra coverage concealer, just 1/5 the price, easily available, and it doesn't dry quite so matte. The color selection is pretty limited, fortunately the medium works good for me. I started with the light because I do have pale skin with yellow undertones, but it was like almost pure white. I am pale but I don't have alabaster or porcelain skin, so I gave the light color to a red-headed friend and it works great on her. Overall I'm very pleased with its performance, I will definitely be keeping it in my arsenal.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No