Moisturizers -Sephora - 8 HR Mattifying Moisturizer Sunscreen
glrsims 5/13/2013 3:59:00 PM
I purchased this last week at our new in-store JCPenny Sephora and so far I'm very pleased. I have used Bobbi Brown Oil Control lotion with spf for years and it appears they've finally discontinued it for good and I was in a little bit of a panic. I need one product that lightly moisturizes, absorbs oil and has sunscreen and they're not easy to find! This appears to be an excellent replacement and it's less than half the price. It goes on smoothly, absorbs quickly leaving no residue and keeps my skin matte for hours. It doesn't cause breakouts for me, perhaps because I don't have a problem with dimethicone, perhaps because I'm in my 50's :). I'm a fan!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Huitieme Art - Poudre de Riz
glrsims 12/7/2012 5:27:00 PM
This is currently my favorite perfume. I won't reiterate the notes as they've been listed previously, to me this is the ultimate skin scent. It's slightly sweet, slightly spicy, but not overwhelmingly anything. It's like I just smell really, really good all by myself :) It has minimal sillage so would be office-friendly.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Andy Tauer - Pentachord Verdant
glrsims 10/10/2011 9:55:00 PM
I appreciate Andy Tauer's perfume line and love to support independent perfumers whenever possible, but I really just can't handle this one at all. It evokes a very strong scent memory for me, and unfortunately, not all scent memories are pleasant. Way back when, I was a girl scout and went to summer camp every year. One summer, we were housed in large tents set up on wooden platforms that could sleep eight girls. I believe this was the summer between 6th and 7th grade. One girl in my tent had a bed-wetting problem. After a long, hot West Texas summer day in the sun, her bedding had a very distinctive aroma. Urinous of course, but with a bit of a sweetish, "green" tinge to it. I had forgotten all about this until I sampled Mr. Tauer's Pentachord Verdant. Very evocative :) I'm afraid I will not be purchasing a bottle of this fragrance.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Sarah Horowitz Belle Route
glrsims 6/27/2011 7:24:00 PM
I received a spray sample of this perfume from Indiescents with a fragrance purchase and disliked it so much that I feel compelled to share :) They list notes for it of: tuberose, fig, sea moss and oceanic musk. At first spray, it's not bad, mostly just tuberose. But then (ohhhhhh.....and then!) it turns into a cheap white musk horror. At first, it reminds me a bit of Kai, which I'm not overly fond of but it doesn't make me shudder. But then (...shudder....) it smells like that co-worker who doesn't really wear perfume, but inexplicably picks something up at the dollar store and then comes to have you sniff her since she knows you love perfume. And because your mother raised you right, you pretend she smells lovely? Yep, that's what it smells like. And it has fantastic staying power :(
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Bobbi Brown - Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer (Spring 2011)
glrsims 6/18/2011 3:33:00 PM
I'm fairly new to the world of tinted moisturizers because my skin is VERY oily and I tend to need extra oil-absorbing power in my facial products. But I gave this a try and overall am pretty pleased, enough that I would consider repurchasing. It gives excellent coverage and controls oil quite well, much better than I expected. My nose gets a bit shiny after 3-4 hours but that's true for almost any product. It provides a very good base for applying powder. I do have two issues: it needs to be applied quickly because it really is very mattifying and it has a medicinal smell which I don't particularly enjoy (the reason I only gave it a 4 instead of a 5). UPDATE: I no longer notice the smell. I wear this every day now in place of regular foundation and have just repurchased.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Honore des Pres Vamp a NY
glrsims 3/5/2011 2:07:00 AM
Would I buy this product again? YES! In a heartbeat! And seriously, this is the first review? C'mon ya'll, I'm not that good at reviewing and readers need better reviews than I can provide :) So I'll start off by saying that I don't care much for tuberose scents. Something in the sillage of these perfumes really bothers me, no matter how much I'd like to love them. But this.....oh my goodness.....I cannot get enough of it! It's like an edible dessert tuberose and it's gorgeous. There's notes of tuberose, rum, vanilla, and benzoin. Carnation is not listed, but my nose thinks it's there, maybe it's just the combination of notes? This is a certified organic line which would lead one to think it wouldn't have good lasting power. But it does - I can spray it on at 8 a.m. and still smell it clearly at 9:30 p.m. My skin is oily so it tends to hold scent longer than some, but that's still pretty impressive. And the packaging is adorable!! I've always been a sucker for cute packaging/bottles and luckily this time the scent it contains is every bit as wonderful (if not more so) as the outside would suggest.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Eau des Artes [DISCONTINUED]
glrsims 3/5/2011 12:56:00 AM
I'm adding this review so that I can list the notes for myself for future reference. It has apparently been discontinued for quite a while and after much searching, I found precisely one listing of possible notes. They are: Geranium, violet, jasmine, LOTV, heliotrope and sandalwood. I primarily smell the violet and heliotrope, it's a bright, somewhat sharp yet powdery floral that is fairly unique and I wish it was still available. I'm starting to smell the alcohol upon first sniff and it doesn't appear possible to replace it.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - CherryBlossomDiva Foxy
glrsims 1/10/2011 8:25:00 PM
This is CBD's dupe of Lush's Flying Fox. I wouldn't say that it's a particularly good duplicate of Flying Fox, but I do like it all the same and would consider repurchasing. The jasmine note in both is similar, where they differ significantly is the honey note. Flying Fox has a really pungent honey note, probably why it's such a love-it-or-hate-it kind of scent. The honey in CBD Foxy is more on the sweet side, like these honey bees were pollinating some vanilla beans (don't flame me, I know they're not really pollinated!). And, since Flying Fox is not available in a liquid perfume, I'll take what I can get :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -NIA 24 - Sun Damage Repair for Hands
glrsims 8/31/2008 3:31:00 PM
The full name of this product is Nia 24 Sun Damage Repair for Decolletage and Hands, but that wouldn't fit :) This is absolutely my favorite hand cream for these hands that are beginning to show my age. A description of the product (from Dermstore) follows: "A proven lightening complexion of licorice, mulberry, bearberry and Luna-B White visibly reduces discoloration, restoring youthful evenness and clarity. The skin barrier is fortified and hyperpigmentation is even further diminished with the continuous release of Niacin, which is expertly delivered into the skin with the clinically proven molecule Pro-Niacin. Plus, antioxidant white tea, squalane, olive and borage oils and vitamin B5 protect, strengthen, hydrate, condition and replenish for noticeably healthier skin." For the first couple of weeks after I started using it, I obsessively checked my hands for any minute changes from the day before. I asked people at work to look at them from day to day. I asked my Mom. I asked my daughter. LOL!!! Finally, after it became clear that I was annoying everyone around me, I stopped. After a while, I didn't even really notice either. It suddenly occurred to me a couple of days ago that the reason I don't notice them anymore is that they look and feel really nice. Much more like they used to, the skin doesn't appear dry, texture is smoother, even freckles are lightened. I use it once a day at bedtime and this stuff really has improved the appearance of my hands. It's quite expensive at full retail, but you can find it considerably cheaper on the 'bay from a reputable seller. It lasts quite a long time since it doesn't take much. Definitely will be repurchasing this!
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Tribu by Benetton
glrsims 8/27/2008 9:15:00 AM
This perfume is an oldie but goody that I decided to spray on today from the stash at the back :) Now I remember why I liked this, it makes me think of a cool autumn evening sitting in front of a fire which is fueled by sweet fruitwoods. The hint of smoke is very faint, which is good for me because I'm not a huge fan of smoky notes. However the overall impression of a fruitwood fire is strong and it's really pretty and comforting. The following description is taken from Fragrantica: The nose behind this fragrance is Bernard Ellena. Top notes are black currant, violet leaf and italian mandarin; middle notes are moroccan jasmine, ylang-ylang, geranium, chamomile and bulgarian rose; base notes are tahitian vetiver, sandalwood, oakmoss and benzoin. I can definitely pick up on the chamomile and black currant, but not the benzoin at all. You can find this dirt cheap at many perfume discounters and I find it well worth it! I'm so glad I went digging this morning :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Eau d Italie Sienne L Hiver
glrsims 6/25/2008 7:59:00 AM
I'll start off by saying that for me, at least, this is not an everyday fragrance. That said, when I'm in the mood, it's perfect. The listed notes (from Luckyscent) are: Violet leaf, geranium, black olive, white truffle, smoke, woods, coal roasted chestnuts, Autumn leaves, French straw, iris root, and white musk. I definitely pick up on the leaves, the iris and the woods. It starts off a bit masculine and sharp but that phase only lasts for 5 to 10 minutes (maybe the geranium?) and then we get into my favorite bits. This smells like a walk in the woods in late fall, early winter, crunching dead leaves under your shoes and crushing a few still-living plants here and there. Somewhere way off in the distance, someone has a fire lit in the fireplace and you can just barely smell the woodsmoke. Lest you think I'm overly influenced by other descriptions, I wore this to work one night and one of my co-workers was talking to me and offered up that I smelled like the ski trip to Idaho that she took a couple of years ago. I chose to interpret that as a compliment :) My only caveat is that Sienne l'Hiver is not terribly long-lasting. My skin tends to prolong scent and it lasts about three hours on me. Spraying on clothing does help a bit though.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne de Bois
glrsims 6/23/2008 7:24:00 PM
I believe the scent I am about to review is the second version of Champagne de Bois. When the perfumer, Laurie Erickson, first released this scent it sounded perfect for me so I ordered a small bottle. That was a mistake. This is a perfume that hinges on aldehydes and apparently there are a number of different types of aldehydes. The original turned sour on my skin and I quickly swapped it away. Since that time, I have struck up an e-mail friendship of sorts with Laurie and in the course of this, she recently sent me a sample of her re-worked version of Champagne de Bois. Now this is what I'm talking about!!!! This is the aldehydes of Chanel fame, No.5, No.22!!! This I won't be swapping away! Copied from her website: **Perfumer's Comments:: When making Champagne de Bois, I started with an accord I’d created that I loved and wanted to flesh out into a full perfume. It was woodsy and a little sweet and spicy. I found that blending it with several aldehydes really made it sparkle and thus the idea for Champagne de Bois was born. My initial version had cedar, but I eliminated the cedar and reduced one of the aldehydes to create this later version; I think it's smoother and prettier this way. Fragrance Notes: aldehydes, jasmine, clove, sandalwood, labdanum absolute, vetiver, amber, musk ** If you're a fan of Chanel No.22 you should absolutely give this a try. It's not a dupe by any means, but it has the same kind of "feel" to me and it's much easier to find as well as much more affordable. I like it even more from my bottle that I can spray on than I did from the sample she sent me. Sprayed, I pick up the clove and sandalwood better so it's spicy yet soft, sparkly yet subtle. Really, really lovely!!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Potter & Moore Lavender & Italian Lemon EDT
glrsims 4/11/2008 12:51:00 PM
Again, no listing of the notes other than lavender and lemon :( I'm afraid that this one doesn't work for me. I absolutely love lavender, but this one is done more in the style of some of the classic "eaux de colognes" that are traditionally worn by men and unfortunately, I feel like I'm wearing a man's cologne in this. At first spray, I like it just fine because the lavender is dominant, but it becomes more bracing and somewhat harsh as time goes on. It doesn't make me feel pretty, LOL!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Potter & Moore Orange Flower & Amber
glrsims 4/11/2008 12:45:00 PM
Much to my dismay, I cannot find a listing of the notes for this perfume (other than the obvious ones!). It's not terribly complicated, but bright and fresh and perfect for spring and summer. Now I have a second orange flower perfume to love in addition to Annick Goutal's Neroli. So...the orange flower is there, citrusy rather than indolic, maybe just a hint of the amber, some sort of other citrus (maybe the ever-present bergamot?). The lasting power is decent considering it's an EDT. I am definitely putting this into the current rotation!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Innocent Illusion
glrsims 2/17/2008 7:50:00 AM
I can't believe I like this....but I do. Go figure! It's been some time since I was thrilled by fruity-florals, but I seriously can't stop sniffing myself when I'm wearing this. Both my daughter (20yo) and I had the same reaction upon first sniff - "Ooooh, pretty!" The notes don't seem to be readily available as I could only find them one place and that was unofficial, but here's what I found: red currant, lime blossom, bergamot, mandarin, sweet almond, praline, white musk. Now generally red currant would be the kiss of death for me and here it's the first note listed! Huh....I just don't get why I like this! I do like bergamot, mandarin and almond (when it's not overly powdery), white musk is usually iffy. Nope, this just shouldn't work at all. But here I am sniffing myself repeatedly :) It's not overly fruity or sweet on me. Perhaps it's just how it's all blended together that makes it just so downright......pretty. Dangit, I smell pretty!!!! Oh!!! Almost forgot, the bottle is precious! I love the texturized glass, the pretty (that word again!) pink color, the star on the top.....really nice presentation:)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No