Scrubs -St. Ives - Apricot Scrub
jootje 4/16/2010 5:58:00 PM
I love this scrub. I have thick skin and this exfoliates really well, while not irritating my skin. My skin always feels so smooth after I've used this. It is not for sale where I live (the Netherlands) which totally sucks, so I always stock up on this when I visit my family in the Caribbean or ask them to bring me some when they come over here. Sure there are nice scrubs for sale over here too, but they don't beat St. Ives. I only use this on my body btw, it's too harsh for my face.
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Blush -Unlisted Brand - Rituals - Magic Blush 7016 (pink)
jootje 4/16/2010 5:51:00 PM
This is my first blush and I really like it. It's a pinkish shade with a little shimmer. The texture is very silky and it lasts a decent amount of time.The packaging looks luxurious and I like how the brush fits inside it so it's very travel friendly. At first I found the brush that comes with it a bit small for applying blush, but it does do the trick nicely. The brush is also surprisingly good quality. It's really soft. I was considering buying a seperate blush brush for it but I see no need to. Overall really nice product and price isn't too bad either.
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Sunscreen -Chanel - UV Essentiel Protective UV Care Anti Pollution SPF 50
jootje 4/16/2010 5:09:00 AM
I got a tester of this stuff in my search for the perfect daily sunscreen. I have an oily skin so I really want something that mattifies or at least doesn't make my skin more oily. This stuff did the trick. It didn't leave a white residue at all and it didn't make my face more oily. It worked great under make-up. Very good product. I didn't end up buying this product though because of the steep competition (Clarins UV plus, Lancome DNA guard face fluid). I put this one on one side of my face and Clarins UV plus on the other side and left it like that all day. I saw no difference between the two in regards of white residue and shine, but the Clarins did hide my pores a bit better (only in the beginning of the day, later there was no difference) and it felt a bit lighter on the skin. The difference was absolutely minimal though and I don't think it would have mattered which one I bought, but I had to choose one. The lighter feeling of Clarins was the deciding factor for me, but Chanel has a higher SPF so it really depends on what you think is important. I think the Chanel and the Lancome (which I was using for years before and which I looove aswell) are also really similar. For now I chose the Clarins, but who knows I might try the Chanel next time (or go back to lancome). They're all great.
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Conditioner -TiGi - Bedhead Some Like it Hot Conditioner
jootje 3/27/2010 6:36:00 AM
I got this product for free at my salon because they have this saving point system and I had a lot of those points. Otherwise I would never have bought this as I would never spend that much on conditioner. But I do like this stuff. I use this in combination with the shampoo and my hair feels really moisturized afterwards. It's also really lightweight, smells lovely and I love how it protects against heat and UV rays. It helps a little with the frizz in my hair but it's still there (unfortunately). I only need a small amount (compared to other shampoos) of this to cover my whole mid-back hair. I will not repurchase because even though it's a good product I don't think it's worth the pricetag. It's a nice product and I would be willing to pay more for it than for a drugstore brand, but not this much. Edit: I've just found out that you can get this online for much less than I (would have) paid at my salon. For that price I would repurchase actually.
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Shampoo -TiGi - Bed Head Some Like it Hot Shampoo
jootje 3/26/2010 6:34:00 PM
I got this product for free at my salon because they have this saving point system and I had a lot of those points. Otherwise I would never have bought this as I would never spend that much on shampoo. But I do love this stuff. I use this in combination with the conditioner and my hair feels really moisturized afterwards. It's also really lightweight, smells lovely and I love how it protects against heat and UV rays. It helps a little with the frizz in my hair but it's still there (unfortunately). I only need a very small amount of this compared to other shampoos. I will not repurchase because even though it's a good product I don't think it's worth the pricetag. It's a nice product and I would be willing to pay more for it than for a drugstore brand, but not this much. Edit: I just found out that you can get this online for a lot cheaper than I (would have) paid at my salon. For that price I would purchase it actually.
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Polishes -Bourjois - So Laque Nail Enamel
jootje 2/16/2010 5:59:00 PM
I have this in fuchsia and I absolutely loooove that color. The product applies very easily without streaking (such a blessing!) and the coverage is good. I find that one layer is in some cases enough if you apply slowly, but usually I prefer to do two thin layers. The finish is really shiny and for that you wouldn't have to use a topcoat. I still use a topcoat however, to improve the staying power. It doesn't chip at all but it does wear off at the tips rather fast. Overall nice product, amazing colors. I will buy again.
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Misc Beauty Tools -The Body Shop - Facial Brush
jootje 2/16/2010 5:34:00 PM
I bought this because I thought it looked cute, it seemed like fun and it was really cheap anyway. Now I still think it's cute and fun, but it also works. I use this every night with my face wash and it definitely makes my face feel a lot cleaner and smoother than when I use the same face wash on it's own. I like how it exfoliates gently and it massages my face at the same time. The bristles can be a bit harsh if you use this when it's dry, but I find that after I wet them with warm water they soften up a lot. After that I don't find them to be too harsh at all, but my skin is pretty thick. I have combination skin with normal cheeks and a slightly oily t-zone with enlarged pores/blackheads. I use this very gently in circular motions on my cheeks and then apply a little more pressure when I get to my t-zone. I can't say that my blackheads have disappeared (yet) but they have diminished. The tone of my skin seems to have improved a bit also and I notice a definite improvement in the few closed blackheads/whiteheads I get on my chin. They've now become regular blackheads, which are much easier to remove. I've only been using it for around two weeks, so I'm hoping the blackheads will diminish even more (update: they didn't). As for the annoying cap that other reviewers have referred to, I just put the brush in it upside down - with the handle down and the bristles up. This way you don't have to bother putting it back without bending the bristles (because that does indeed happen when you try to) and the bristles can dry to the air. Works fine for me. Update: I'm no longer using this as I just got lazy with it and I didn't really see results. I still like the idea of it though, so I purchased the clarisonic (which I like a lot better).
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Concealers -Bourjois - Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer
jootje 2/10/2010 5:26:00 PM
This product kind of surprised me, in a good way. I wouldn't normally have tried this product, but since there was a 50% off sale I figured I could at least give this a try since I have desperately dark circles under my eyes. I already use their other concealer (the one with the brush) which I love for covering up my scars, but not so much for my dark circles. It just doesn't really do anything for them. This new product does. It comes in a tube and in it the color looks kind of unnatural, lots of yellow undertones. But when applied to my under eye area it looks perfect and very natural -- you can't tell I'm wearing it. It's not cakey at all and the color is just right. I guess the yellow tones are necessary to cover the dark blue. Whatever it is, it works for me. The key is that you only need to apply a -seriously- small amount. If you apply this thickly then it will indeed look unnatural yellowish. But if you apply just a tad it just looks perfect. I apply this with my fingers. It doesn't make my dark circles magically disappear (which is indeed impossible), but it does brighten up the area under my eyes a lot. This makes a huge difference, for it takes the attention away from the dark area under my eyes and back to my actual eyes. The fact that you only need to use so little also makes this a very longlasting product. So I am very happy with this product. Edit: I have now also started to use this on other areas of my face, for covering up redness etc. It works really well for that too.
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Blush -The Body Shop - Lip & Cheek Stain - 01 Rose Pink
jootje 2/1/2010 4:59:00 PM
This product is genius. I use this as lip color. As a lip color it also gives a nice and subtle look. I absolutey love it for that, as I'm not a big fan of gloss or lipstick during the day. The best part is that it lasts a really long time. All it does is add color though, it's not moisturizing and it doesn't add shine (but it's not drying either, for me at least). So I always apply this, wait till it's dry, which doesn't take too long, and then apply a clear lipbalm on top of it. This works great. The color stays on my lips completely and it then has a nice subtle glow to it aswell. I like the idea of using it as a blush (and tried it, stayed on for a long time), but I just don't like the color with my skintone. It makes me look like I have irritated cheeks or something. I prefer peachy colors on my cheeks.
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Cleansers -The Body Shop - Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash
jootje 1/2/2010 8:43:00 PM
This product is nice. It removes dirt and make-up very well, even heavy eye make-up. It also makes my face feel very smooth. Other than that it doesn't work miracles on skin. It hasn't diminished the size of my pores or made my skin less oily (like the saleswoman claimed), but I don't really expect any face wash to do that. A pro is that you only need a very small amount of this product so a tube will last a long time. I've actually been trying to finish mine for weeks and it just won't go empty! Overall nice product. I would buy this product again, but I am not sure if I will, if you know what I mean.
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Lip Treatments -Alba Botanica - Terra Tints - Blaze SPF18
jootje 11/16/2009 1:10:00 PM
I am very happy with this stuff. I wanted a tinted lipbalm rather than a lipgloss or lipstick for everyday use. Something that adds a little color but still looks natural. This is just that. It is a very pretty red-brown-pinkish color that gives a nice and natural finish to my look during the day. This is the only color I like by the way, but it's perfect so I don't need more. It has a minty smell and feels cool when you apply. I'm not necessarily a fan of that but I don't mind it either. It is moisturizing but during winter I feel it is not always moisturizing enough for my uber-dry lips so sometimes I apply a normal lipbalm first before applying this. That works fine. Also, if I want a bit more color just another swipe will do that. In short, I'm really happy with this stuff.
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Polishes -Maybelline - Express Finish Nail Polish (any color)
jootje 10/5/2009 3:17:00 PM
I have this in Red Seduction (no.77). The main reason why I buy this is because I just -love- that color. Other than that the nail polish is nice too. It dries more quickly than regular nailpolish (I wouldn't say it's actually dry within one minute, but quicker than usual nonetheless). It has a nice shine and it stays on longer than any nailpolish I've used. It also chips a lot less than any nailpolish I've used. There's hardly ever any chipping now that I think of it. Edit: I'm taking off a lippy because my last bottle completely dried out after only a couple of uses! Not buying this again.
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Gels/Soaps -Nivea - Bath Care Pampering Shower Oil
jootje 10/5/2009 1:10:00 PM
This stuff is great! It looks like an oil but as soon as you mix it with water it turns into a light foam that feels very luxurious on your skin. It makes you feel clean and soft. It doesn't dry out my skin like most shower gels do (big plus), but it's not actively moisturizing so don't expect this to replace your body lotion or anything. The smell is nice and neutral and doesn't clash with anything. I also like to use this instead of shaving cream as it leaves my skin much softer afterwards. Pampering oil is a very appropriate name. I love it. I have repurchased this several times already and I will keep on doing that in the future. Update: unfortunately I found out this was causing break-outs on my body so I stopped using this. Bummer, since I really liked it. If your skin is not break-out prone (mine is very break-out prone) I'd really still recommend this.
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Tools -Sally Hansen - French Manicure Kit
jootje 10/5/2009 12:57:00 PM
I don't hate this but I don't love it either. I haven't tried the white strips that came with it because I always find those things a hassle anyway, I can do it much better without. I really just bought it for the polish. What bummed me out the most about that was the color of the pink polish. It was too purple-ish and glittery. It's pretty and pearly, but for my french manicure I prefer something more natural. The white was so-so. I like how the polish is thin and easy to work with, but it really does chip very easily. It usually doesn't even make it through one day. My 1 dollar homebrand tip whitener stays on a lot longer than this. That combined with me not liking the pink color means I will definately not repurchase this.
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Masks -LUSH - Catastrophe Cosmetic
jootje 6/17/2009 9:43:00 AM
I love this stuff! Besides the fact that it smells gorgeous, everytime I use it I am still amazed with the results. After using this my skin looks toned like I never knew it could. I don't usually suffer from redness or irritation, but still this makes a major difference on the tone of my skin. My skin just looks like porcelain! And feels very soft and smooth. When I rinse it off it always looks like there is still some residue, so I rinse it with a face wash. I have never gotten any break-outs from this. I pick this up every time I'm at a Lush store. Update: I've fallen out of love with most of lush's skincare, except for this product (and the other fresh face masks). I love this product and I've repurchased it many times.
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