Lipstick -Clinique - Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick - Berry Blush 415
stellina 2/26/2008 2:31:00 PM
What a lovely color! I've been a fan of the Butter Shines since the beginning & this may be my favorite one yet.I would say it's a neutral rosy shade - usually I associate "berry" in a lipstick shade with a stronger red/pink, but this is softer. Actually, a better name would have been Berry Sorbet since it's the shade of strawberry sorbet or better yet, the gelato I kept gobbling up in Italy. It has a soft, flattering shimmer. I can't imagine anyone not looking good in this shade, fair to dark & everyone in between.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Renewist Lipcolor in Heartwarming Pink [DISCONTINUED]
stellina 2/12/2008 11:28:00 AM
See my review of the Naturally Revealing shade for more details. This is a lovely natural dusty rose/pink that anyone could wear. For me (fair olive brunette), it works best with a neutral lipliner like W&W 712 or Jordana Natural. Again, easily the equal of fantastically expensive brands so it was an incredible bargain with a drugstore BOGO - heck, it's a bargain at the full price of $8.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Renewist in Naturally Revealing
stellina 2/12/2008 11:24:00 AM
I've been a longtime fan of Revlon l/s so thanks to the reviews, I snapped this up when the drugstore had a BOGO. I love the Super Lustrous & Moon Drops fromulas, but this one is definitely more moist thanks to the core. To me, it has full coverage & is not sheer. The shade is indeed a wearable nude beige for those of us with yellow-toned skin. I'm not crazy about the chintzy packaging but the L/S itself is as luxurious as the insanely overpriced one I got from Kanebo the last time I was in NY. Even at the full price of $8, this is a fantastic bargain.
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Powder -Everyday Minerals - Pressed Powder: Fair Yellow
stellina 1/29/2008 9:37:00 AM
See my review of the Fairly Light Golden shade, which I thought was a tad dark for winter & tried this. My only gripe is the shade, which is too pale for me even though it's winter. I'll probably go back to the other shade. However, if you have very light yellow/olive-toned skin, this will be perfect.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Everyday Minerals - Pressed Powder in Fairly Light Golden
stellina 1/25/2008 10:13:00 AM
In my ongoing quest for the perfect foundation, I came upon this and I must say that I'm liking it. I have refillable compacts, including those beautiful Stratton metal ones, so the packaging wasn't an issue. The pwoder itself is smooth and silky with that lovely slightly glowing finish typical of MMU and it covers very well. There's a faint earthy/plant-like scent but it fades right away. The shade might be a smidge dark for my pallid winter skin so I'm going to try the Fair Yellow next. The price was right, that's for sure. Hopefully EM will introduce more pressed products soon! Edit: I'm downgrading this for a couple of reasons. First, the color turned after a while & it became a very sickly yellow - I can't imagine anyone having that shade of skin. Second, it crumbled into pieces after a couple of uses. Perhaps the manufacturing wasn't up to snuff. I might try it in one of the Olive shades if they introduce more, but not the Yellow range.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Infusium 23 - Colorology
stellina 1/8/2008 11:07:00 AM
See my review on the conditioner - the shampoo is also great. You can feel it softening the hair as soon as you start lathering, but it rinses clean. Along with the conditioner, it left my hair wonderfully soft & smooth. In my opinion, it out-performs all the salon brands that I've tried over the years & it makes me wonder why I ever gave it up. It's a shame that older products that have stood the test of time don't get the same buzz as the fancy new things that may not even last a year. This line is well worth seeking out.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Infusium 23 - Colorology
stellina 1/8/2008 11:02:00 AM
After coloring my hair the other day, I was running out of shampoo & conditioner and thought I'd try something different. Infusium 23 is one of those straightforward "oldie but goodie" lines that doesn't get the attention of the new celebrity stylist lines although it sure deserves it. They tweaked the line a bit but the products are essentially the same, thank goodness. This conditioner still smoothes out all the tangles & slit ends and leaves the hair soft & silky. At about $7.50, it's not as dirt cheap as my beloved Sunsilk Brunette but more than worth it, and I'll be alternating them from now on. However, it's also not as expensive as the various salon/designer brans that I've tried and it performs better.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Garnier - Fructis Brilliantine Shine Cream-Gel
stellina 12/10/2007 10:05:00 AM
I might have found my HG styling product... I have coarse, thick hair in a mid-length layered cut that I iron almost every day, and I've tried a number of things to keep it under control. Recently I returned to Garnier's styling cream in the tube, but found that I had to be careful as it looked greasy & overly flat if I applied the slightest bit too much; then I tried the styling milk in the bottle but both products weren't giving me quite the control I was after. At Garnier's prices, it was worth it to experiment. It was very damp today & there was no evidence of frizz or kinks by the time I got to the office: I just brushed out my hair & it returned to the way it looked when I finished blow-drying. I should note that I used it on wet hair & then blow-dried it - can't comment on it for use on dry hair.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Luzier - Bornacein mask
stellina 12/5/2007 9:43:00 AM
Check my review of the Luzier Lumar massage creme - this is a recommended companion product. It's an unusual type of mask: you blend a separate powder into a spoonful of the cream & leave it on for 20 minutes. There's an immediate cooling, almost effervescent sensation (if that makes sense), & once that subsides, it's removed with a wam washcloth. Supposedly it oxygenates & exfoliates the skin & judging from the way it feels, it must improve circulation as well. I used the Lumar massage creme first & awoke the following morning with soft, smooth, almost poreless skin. It is indeed old-fashioned - it's a bit of a task to blend the powder into the cream, but it works. Once a week should keep my skin in fine condition during the long, cold winter we seem to be facing...
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Luzier - Lumar massage creme
stellina 12/5/2007 9:35:00 AM
Luzier is a small company that's been around since the 20s & until the advent of the internet, the only way to discover it was via their catalog. I got one in the mail several years ago & I've been trying their products here & there. Recently I tried their skincare treatment consisting of Lumar massage cream followed by Bornacein mask - the Lumar is applied first. It has a thick, paste-like consistency until it warms up as you massage it, when it turns into a smooth & comforting cream. It's important to remove it with a warm washcloth or you might have residue. I have the Normal formula which did the trick on my prematurely dried out winter skin - it's very soothing. I followed it with the Bornacein mask and the following morning, my skin was soft, smooth, and almost poreless. Yes, this is old-fashioned stuff but often that works better than all the new, overpriced concoctions that seem to come out on a daily basis.
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Lipstick -L'Oreal - Colour Riche Star Secrets Nude in Silk
stellina 11/29/2007 4:51:00 PM
I got this at the duty-free shop in Rome - in Europe, these shades are called Made for Me and seem to be a regular part of the line. Silk/Sepia is one of the most beautiful nude shades I've ever tried. While it is quite nude, not surprising since it was designed for dark brunettes like me, the shade has dimension: there appears to be a shimmer element that is so fine that it just provides a glow. The European products are made in France and the quality is a few notches higher than the U.S. ones, although I like them too: this feels more luxuriously moist and creamy, equal to any department store brand I've tried. It still has that bulky tube that I dislike but that's the only fault I can find. The only place I ever saw these shades here was in Ulta, and they were practically gone by the time I found them. L'Oreal should definitely make this a regular part of their American line.
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Crème -MAC - Studio Tech
stellina 11/2/2007 11:44:00 AM
My 40+ face has gotten too dry for the Studio Fix powder that I wore for years, so I thought I'd try Studio Tech. I haven't completely made up my mind yet, though: I love the texture, especially that cooling sensation, but I thought the coverage would be better based on the reviews. It's good, but I need to cover red blotches on my cheeks that never seem to fade. After some experimenting, I found that if I apply it over my entire face with the sponge and then pat extra on the red spots with my fingertip that it helps quite a bit, as does a dusting of the Natural Skinfinish. However, it's an extra step and therefore not the ideal all-in-one convenient compact that I'd hoped for. EDIT: Now that it's cold, I'm loving this - it's lasting very well with minimal touch-ups & I don't have to set it with powder. It still won't work for the milder weather, but since my skin is so dehydrated now, it feels very good. UPDATE: I'm back to my original thoughts - when my first compact ran out, I bought the next lighter shade which was better than the darker one the MA originally sold me. However, this just doesn't have the coverage or staying power that I need.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Mavala - Rouge A Levres
stellina 10/24/2007 10:44:00 AM
I picked this up on a recent trip to Las Vegas - Omni Chemists in Fashion Show Mall is perhaps the only place in the country that stocks all Mavala products. My shade is Vieux Rose and it's lovely! It's a medium tone dusty rose shade, rather neutral but definitely not a nude lip look. It's a fairly creamy lipstick, which I like. There's a good selection of pretty shades if you're into a more made-up mouth - several dark shades, reds, & corals. I'll be getting others.
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Lipstick -Cover Girl - TruShine Wine Shine
stellina 10/17/2007 10:38:00 AM
CG's TruShine lipsticks are perhaps the bargain of the century: high-quality gel based like Clinique's Butter Shine in a range of pretty colors at half the price or less. Wine is my 3rd, and like the others (Blushberry & Coral) it isn't super-sheer like a gloss but very smooth and shiny. It's a burgundy/berry/brown shade that's slightly on the warm side with a flattering bit of shimmer, the shade of the season. In recent years I got away from darker shades since I'm not as young as I used to be & they tend to bleed, but I haven't had that problem so far. Just a great product all the way around.
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Lipstick -Estee Lauder - Signature - Venetian Rose
stellina 10/15/2007 1:16:00 PM
I had to try the new Signature line of l/s even though it is quite obviously replacing the All-Day/Re-Nutriv and the shades I've been wearing for many a year. Anyway, this is such a good product that I'll get over it... It's a sinfully rich, creamy l/s with good lasting power and it comes in some beautiful shades (Venetian Rose is a light, soft peach-pink). The tube is a variation of the old one but more finely ribbed & with a signature E on the top. There is a slight fig scent but it isn't as noticeable as the Pure Color line. In the EL tradition, it has that classic well-heeled air about it: back in the day, in my circle you knew you had "arrived" as a grown-up woman when you had an EL lipstick. The only downside is the price, and while $19 is actually quite less than some of the designer lines out there, it's still a bit high for a tube of lipstick IMHO.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No