Styling Products -Oscar Blandi - Seta Silk Polishing Cream
csk 7/2/2009 4:28:00 PM
I put down "Yes" for "buy again?" but I think it's more of a maybe. I like it - it's a really nice leave-in , very similar to Kiehl's silkening leave-in that comes in a tube, which I used for a long time. It smooths rough ends, detangles, makes my hair less frizzy, and has a pleasant scent. I don't know if I'd purchase it again because I find that, without fail, I still have to use a wax/pomade or a glossing serum after it. In other words, this product does not stand on it's own, and that's kinda what I was expecting in this. I would call this a good leave-in conditioner, but I find that it does not add much shine or increase manageability/hold. It works fairly well to fight frizz, but then again, it's been awful here in the Northeast for the past couple months, so it could be the weather's fault more than this product.
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Treatments -Rene Furterer - Myrrhea Silkening Mask
csk 7/2/2009 4:20:00 PM
I agree with the previous reviewers of it being a good, not at all great, conditioning treatment. I like that it leans towards natural ingredients (I'm trying to go more natural), and I didn't mind the smell - not overpowering at all. It definitely makes my hair feel stronger, which I like a lot. Yet I find I have to use A LOT of it. My hair seems to just drink it up, which I think is a good thing. I'm sure it's actually quite healthy for my hair as opposed to things that fight frizz by coating and drying out my hair in the long run. But, considering that it's called a silkening mask, it doesn't do that great a job making my hair any silkier or softer.
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Treatments -Kerastase - Concentre Vita Ciment
csk 7/2/2009 4:07:00 PM
Edit: So, almost two years later, I'm upping my rating from 3 to a solid 5 stars. I was initially underwhelmed because I was using this on almost "virgin" hair (I have my hair colored using a Redken semi-perm, which helps seal the cuticle). After I fried my hair this summer with a straightening/relaxing treatment, I went through my drawer of unused hair treatments and came across my last vial of this. I was desperate, as my hair was coarse, sensitized (my hair shafts were like the tail of an angry cat), and very dry even after an intensive post-treatment conditioning. This stuff absolutely saved my hair - and to think that it was a two year old vial! My hair was calmer, silkier, and avoided what could've been bad breakage. Nothing else I had used even came close - protein treatments (aphogee, etc), "natural" oil-based products (moroccanoil, kendi oil from alterna, and others (redken shot-phases (really overrated, I feel)). Nothing worked quite like this. So yes, this is live-saver if you chemically process. If you just color with a semi-perm every so often and blow-dry, you really don't need to spend the money on this. But if your hair is structurally altered (or maybe even stripped by intense bleaching/coloring), you need this product. Original review below: I'm writing this review after using it for the first time last night. After reading all the great reviews, I decided to fork over the money and try it out. I shampooed, rinsed, towel-dried, then sprayed it on section by section. Per the instructions I gently massaged it into my hair, then I put on a shower cap and left it in for about an hour, with periodic heating with a blow-dryer. My hair felt nice, and healthier, but I simply didn't experience a miracle product. To be honest, I've had better results with unrefined coconut oil, which is waaay cheaper, and also rebuilds the hair shaft. I've used many, many salon brand conditioners/treatments (my mom is a hair stylist, and I have awful, dry, brittle, hyper-frizzy hair), and this is pretty middling, esp., for the price per application. I bought 4 vials, so I will used them over the next few weeks, just to be sure that this wasn't a fluke, or something that takes multiple treatments.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Aubrey Organics - Rosa Mosqueta Nourishing Shampoo
csk 3/4/2009 10:35:00 PM
This is definitely not good for dry hair. It makes my hair completely matted when I wash it out, and I find I have to use a lot more conditioner just to be able to run my fingers through my hair and calm it down. I hate to be so wasteful, but I can't even finish the bottle, as it's just killing my hair and making me use a lot more conditioner. I didn't give it a "1" because it says it's for color-treated hair and mine is currently not, but I can assure you it's not "nourishing" in the least!
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Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - rosehip seed oil
csk 2/19/2009 12:32:00 PM
I found this oil a bit underwhelming, though not terrible. Pros: no irritation at all, no clogged pores, very cheap, all-natural, naturally contains retinol. Con: takes a long time to sink in , leaving intense shine. And surprisingly, it's not moisturizing enough for dry skin (even though it's an oil!!!) Maybe best for non-dry skin types, or perhaps in the humid summer months as a night cream.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Kiehls - Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment
csk 2/19/2009 12:24:00 PM
I actually prefer this to the Abyssine cream (I don't like the Abyssine line at all - I couldn't even finish using the face lotion), as I find it to be very moisturizing and very, very gentle. It has never caused me any irritation and, though it's thick, absorbs quite readily. I have very dry skin and have been thankful to have this around. But I must admit that, on the whole, Clarins has my favorite eye treatments.
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Styling Products -Aveda - Purefume Brilliant Humectant Pomade
csk 2/12/2009 8:34:00 PM
I had to check the label on my jar to make sure I was using the product that was getting such rave reviews here. It is a clear, thick gel in a blue jar that I find to be very sticky. I've tried to use it on my ends and flyaways, and well, it works like a very weak, diluted gel might. My hair is really coarse, thick, and wiry, and I am not afraid of stuff that "weighs hair down," but the stickiness of this clumps hair in an unflattering way and kills any natural movement. I've found many other ones, such as the Artec pomade, to be far superior - there are options out there that impart light control without stickiness and lack of movement. This is probably one of the more disappointing styling products I've tried, and this is the most negative review I've ever written. The only merit I see is that Aveda is an environmentally sound company that uses quality natural ingredients. Still, I feel like I wasted $23 on this.
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Styling Products -Frederic Fekkai - Glossing Cream with Olive Oil
csk 2/12/2009 7:43:00 PM
I was initially pleased with this, but then it just increasingly seemed more mediocre - this has been a trend for Fekkai products for me. It's not that great at humidity control and doesn't impart that much shine - the only plus is that it makes my hair softer/smoother, but not remarkable so. I get much better results with Paul Mitchell's Skinny Serum or Loma's Pearatin serum.
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Hair -Kiehls - Olive Fruit Oil Repairative Hair Pak
csk 2/10/2009 9:36:00 PM
I know I'm singing a solo on this one, but I was really underwhelmed by this. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I think this is really just decent, and I've used it 3x now in increasingly larger amounts (the last time was literally a cupped handful, and my hair is just should-length) just to be sure I'm not missing something. I actually find Kiehl's Intensive Reparateur Pak to be far superior to this for softening my straw-like ends and improving texture overall. This I find to be more akin to a good daily conditioner, nothing more. Almost done, and will not repurchase.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Orjene Organics CoQ10 OliveVitale Foaming Face Wash
csk 2/10/2009 8:58:00 PM
I won't buy this again because it's not a good fit for my very dry skin. However, I give it a high rating because I could see this being excellent for non-dry skin. It foams wonderfully, cleans very well, and has a pleasant scent. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's a great value (esp. if you find it for cheap online) since it'll last for a very, very long time. It washes away cleanly too. However, it left my skin feeling very tight. Perhaps I'll try it out again in the humid summer months and see if it works better for me then...
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Cleansers -Aubrey Organics - Sea Ware Facial Cleanser
csk 2/10/2009 8:53:00 PM
This is a solid all-natural facial cleanser for dry skin. I wouldn't say it's the best, but it's been good to me this winter. I use a separate eye make-up remover, as this isn't a heavy-duty cleanser. No foaming, no frills - it's more of a cleansing cream consistency, but it washes away cleanly on my very dry skin and doesn't leave tightness and flaking. For packaging quality, I gave it a 2 because it's annoying to squeeze a cream out of the bottle with a slot-like opening- it would've been much better to have a pump for something this thick.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Aubrey Organics - Honeysuckle Rose
csk 2/10/2009 8:43:00 PM
I'm trying to slowly phase out all hyper-chemicaled products, and conditioner really was one of the hardest things for me to switch out, since I hadn't found an all-natural product that can hold a candle to good salon brands. But this one actually works to tame and hydrate my wiry, puffy, lion's head. I won't say that it's as good as the Matrix or Redken ones that I've tried and loved, but it's pretty damn close. Basically, for an all-natural, organic conditioner, its the best I've found thus far. Also, it's really concentrated and thick (my boyfriend finds it too thick and difficult to spread!), so it's actually a great value. I find the scent to be a bit too sweet/floral, but I'm a kind of a perfume-phobe.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Weleda - Sea Buckthorn Body Oil
csk 2/10/2009 8:26:00 PM
Great body moisturizer - this is my first winter in an even colder part of the Northeast, and it's the only thing I've found that really hydrates and soothes my very dry, eczema-prone skin. I just wish it was less expensive, but I guess, considering its purity and quality, it's worth it. I'm definitely repurchasing it.
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Scrubs -Sabon - Body Scrub
csk 2/10/2009 8:20:00 PM
I seem to be addicted to this scrub. I have very dry, eczema-prone skin, and although I really shouldn't be using anything abrasive, I love this stuff and haven't had any problems so far. If anything, it seems to be helping my skin - I am so well moisturized after using it that I hardly need all my heavy-duty creams and oils! The scrub is all natural - dead sea salt, macadamia, almond, and soybean oils, and essential oils (I love the patchouli, lavender, vanilla one, which is surprising wonderful - even my boyfriend, who hates the smell of patchouli, likes the scent!), so it's not at all irritating for my sensitive skin. My only concern is that I will use it more than the recommended twice weekly.
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Blush -Kevyn Aucoin - The Creamy Moist Glow - Liquifuschia (Hot Pink)
csk 12/23/2008 8:12:00 PM
Edit: After discovering Tarte Cheek Stains, this product drops to a 1. First, a disclaimer - I'm very new to blush. I've only used a couple powder blushes before and this is my first cream one. I bought it due to the rave reviews here and because I have dry-ish skin, meaning blush powder seemed to dry out my already dry cheeks. I don't wear foundation or powder usually, so it made sense to try out a cream blush. I've been wearing it for about 2 weeks, and I still haven't gotten the hang of it. I make little dabs and blend, but because it's so concentrated, as other reviewers note, you have to blend it out A LOT. Yet the process of rubbing it around turns my cheeks red, so I don't get a sense of the color intensity or evenness. After a while, when I look in the mirror again, it seems to always not be on right - one cheek is darker, it's not blended properly, etc. Again, this may be my inability to understand how to put it on, but I feel I've watched enough youtube tutorials to get the hang of it. I'll edit if I have a breakthrough, but if not, it's on to another cream, perhaps one not so concentrated in pigmentation.
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