Crème -Dr. Hauschka - Translucent Make-up
drvogue 2/26/2008 4:33:00 PM
I agree with the other reviewers about the lack of matching. There are only 3 colors available and none of them were an exact match for me. I ended up choosing #2 and using it more like a moisturizing bronzer rather than a foundation (I have fair dry skin). I don't think it's too orange and it does have good staying power. It also didn't oil up like some other foundations tend to. It smells wonderful, kind of minty. I dislike the plastic tube it comes in.
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Moisturizers -Dr. Hauschka - Rose Day Cream
drvogue 2/26/2008 4:29:00 PM
This is one of the best organic moisturizers out there. It's rich and it smells just like roses. I waited a month to write the review, just to make sure my skin was not allergic to this as many other reviewers have reported. It is not allergic but I do feel the slightest bit of tingling when I put it on. I actually like that. I have 2 minor complaints: 1) It takes a long time for my skin to absorb this so I can't really put it on and then do my make-up. I have to remember to put this on in advance 2) I really dislike the metal tube it comes in.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Frederic Malle - Une Fleur de Cassie
drvogue 2/25/2008 5:55:00 PM
To me, this is a more complex version of Joy, which also gets a lot of urine/diaper/fecal comparisons. Honestly, I would never knowingly wear something that reeks of the unsvaory things mentioned above so I don't quite get the analogy. I'm sure it exists as many people have picked up on it but my skin doesn't react that way. On the other hand, there is something which smells "dirty" but I am assuming it's the cumin. For once, I can actually pull it off and that makes Cassie very special.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - La Chasse aux Papillons Extreme
drvogue 2/21/2008 10:18:00 PM
I agree with everyone else who said it smelled woody. I literally smell something akin to pencil shavings. I do not have the original so I cannot compare but this hardly qualifies as a "floral" perfume. If you can't handle floral in the traditional sense, this might work well. I love the packaging, the new cap is great.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bond No.9 - New Haarlem
drvogue 2/17/2008 4:05:00 PM
This is the best of the Bond No9s that I have tried so far. At least, it has some character. It does smell masculine but I cannot imagine any man wearing it and looking *manly* at the same time. It's a bit too caramelized sweet for my taste. If you think this one smells like Angel, wait until you try Nuits de Noho. Now, that's an Angel clone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bond No.9 - Nuits de Noho
drvogue 2/17/2008 4:02:00 PM
Angel at top notes, Angel in heart notes, Angel in the drydown. Do you get the picture? This is a watered-down version of Angel. It didn't give me as strong a headache (and gag reflex) as Angel does. My husband loves this (and Angel) on me, which is why it gets three starts (sorry lippies, hate that word).
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Fragrances -Bond No.9 - Eau de Noho
drvogue 2/16/2008 5:52:00 PM
I love the *idea* of what this company is doing but most of their juices are too similar and bland. For example, to me, Fashion Avenue and Eau de Noho are almost indistinguishable from one another with Madison Soiree following by closely. They all smell clean, soapy, with a touch of flower. That's it. Other reviewers seem to agree, see OcPunk below. On the plus side, I really like their bonbon packaging for the samples. Although I don't have the bottle for this one, I also like their bottles in general. I agree with the other posters who said these were overpriced. Way overpriced...
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Fragrances -Bond No.9 - Fashion Avenue
drvogue 2/16/2008 5:50:00 PM
I love the *idea* of what this company is doing but most of their juices are too similar and bland. For example, to me, Fashion Avenue and Eau de Noho are almost indistinguishable from one another with Madison Soiree following by closely. They all smell clean, soapy, with a touch of flower. That's it. On the plsu side, I really like their bonbon packaging for the samples. Although I don't have the bottle for this one, I also like their bottles in general. I agree with the other posters who said these were overpriced. Way overpriced...
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Fragrances -Rochas - Femme
drvogue 2/4/2008 10:35:00 PM
I love it... on someone else. On me, the cumin is way too strong for my nose to handle. Too bad since it is often compared to Frederic Malle's Parfum de Therese and that one is far more expensive. To address the ever present "old lady" accusations: yes, it is rather grand-dameish. But it is also rather sexy and flirtatious.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Yves Saint Laurent - Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils
drvogue 1/28/2008 4:02:00 AM
I'm not much of a makeup person (despite what you may see on my swaplist). I rarely use any on a daily basis. One exception is mascara. That's the first thing my mum let me play with when I was 12 and I guess the habit just stuck. Back to the review: this product ROCKS! Both the black and the vivid colors. I never use Waterproof so I cannot comment on that but the regular version is the best. So is Dior Show. As a matter of fact, they're extremely similar. They're both kind of chubby and intense. Except this one has better packaging and is easier to wash off. But Dior lasts longer so it's a draw. They both clump and streak a bit but no one is perfect, right? Give it a go if you like dramatic eyes and don't mind the cleaning up afterwards. If you travel to Europe a lot, they have great deals at the Duty Free store often. Usually you can get this product paired up with Touche Eclat (another one of my faves) for a decent price. Bonus plus: I am fairly sensitive around the eye area and this one does not make me itch (Dior Show makes me itch big time, so does Estee Lauder).
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel
drvogue 1/15/2008 2:12:00 PM
This is one scent that does loads of horrible stuff with my chemistry. On me and some others I've noticed, this smells like some drugstore body mist (doesn't matter which one) applied very heavy-handedly and mixed with a lot of body odor. As a matter of fact, until I applied this on myself, I was wrongly (and silently) accusing my coworker of not taking enough showers. It turns out, she was only using Angel. On my mother-in-law however, it smells like a hint of chocolate and patchouli. She also does well with Coco Mademoiselle, Chance, and Flowerbomb whereas I do not. The fact that some people can wear it well and the beautiful bottle are the two reasons for the rating. Otherwise, it would be a ZERO if they had it.
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Lipstick -Estee Lauder - Pure Color Lipstick- Beige
drvogue 1/15/2008 3:48:00 AM
This is my everyday lipstick when I'm in a hurry and can't worry about applying properly or whether it matches the rest of my make-up. It's perfect for someone with fair skin, thin lips and who prefers eye make-up to lip make-up. It's very creamy so it doesn't stay put for too long but reapplying is a cinch so no worries. As a downer, it is rather expensive, compared to Revlon's Nude Velvet (I may be making the shade name up because I haven't used this one in a while) which I find to be just as effective in the aspects mentioned above.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -BeneFit Cosmetics - HOOLA
drvogue 1/15/2008 3:40:00 AM
This just did not work at all. I must have been out of my mind when I bought this. It was too dark and too matte for my skin, which is fair. It also didn't blend at all. No matter how light a hand I used, it looked like I had just rubbed my face in dirt. On the upside: I love Benefit's packaging. Also, the brush it comes with is actually useable, which is a rarity, even with more expensive products.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Clair De Musc
drvogue 1/14/2008 7:53:00 PM
As a lover of musk, I completely agree with previous reviewers about the muskness of this one. It's almost identical to the Body Shop White Musk. Yes, this one IS better: smells more natural and stays on longer. Is it 5 times better than Body Shop to be worth the price tag? Absolutely not! I would only consider buying a full bottle if I a) hated every other musk in the world b) was a Serge Lutens worshipper who had to have every scent he ever made Packaging: I'm not crazy about their bottle design which is too narrow for my taste and I hate the way the cap feels.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Mascara
drvogue 1/14/2008 7:46:00 PM
I'm a mascara junkie. I've tried Chanel, YSL, Estee Lauder, Kevyn Aucoin and the supposedly legendary Maybelline Great Lash among many others that I cannot even remember. This one IS the best if you like dramatic eyes and don't mind a thorough cleaning afterwards. I have long lashes to begin with but this thing makes them stand out beyond belief. My one complaint is that it smudges as time goes on, which I don't mind by itself but it irritates my eyes when it does that. Still, since it is the best I've tried, it gets 5 stars until I find something better.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No