Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow - Suede
mrak 7/28/2007 10:38:00 AM
Love this shadow. A light matte brown eyeshadow that truly does not crease, melt or disappear. Looks exactly the same at the end of the day as when I put it on. I have dark brown hair and eyes with fair, yellow under-toned skin. This shadow is subtle and gives a polished and professional look, looks better than just bare lids, more ´finished' but not in a overly done way. It is my new everyday shadow. I use my finger to apply with great results, would never bother with a brush for a cream eyeshadow. It comes in a small, heavy, square glass container with a black plastic lid. While on one hand it seems a little unhygienic, on the other hand you always get exactly how much shadow you need, whereas with a tube sometimes too much comes out. Overall a great shadow and a great color.
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Treatments (Eye) -Clarins - Sun Wrinkle Control Eye Contour Care SPF 30
mrak 6/2/2006 6:00:00 AM
My new day time HG eyecream. I have been wishing for a high-quality eyecream with a high spf for a long time now. this is similar to the Shiseido spf 15 sun protection cream, which was unfortunately discontinued. I had tried Kiehls spf 15 eye gel, but experienced terrible stinging, so it was with great relief i discovered Clarins new SPF 30 eyecream. The hygenic tube is a generous 0.7 ounces (compared with 0.5 for Kiehls). It is a thick white cream (looks like most mineral filter ss) but as you smooth it onto the eye area the whiteness disappears, though perhaps not 100%, as it seems to have a slighly ´brightening' effect. Totally non-greasy, concealer applies easily and totally non-irritating.
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Treatments (Eye) -Christian Dior - No-Age Essentiel Yeux
mrak 12/9/2005 6:21:00 PM
Despite the price (48 USD) I bought this on a whim. This is one of the best eye creams I have ever used. I generally only use it at night, because I prefer to use an eyecream with an SPF during the day, but even though I only use it at night, the puffiness under my eyes is completely gone! I never thought that would happen, but I am so pleased with that. I have never had very dark under eye circles but I feel like the area under my eyes is brighter. The product is peach-colored and rather thin (one draw-back is the pump which shoots out product--be very careful!)but it is quite moisturizing without being heavy. It absorbs quickly to a matte finish. Eye make-up goes on very smooth over it. I hope the age-prevention promises are true, but I guess I'll find out in a couple of years. There is a noticible perfume if you sniff it, though I have not been bothered by it, though if you get the cream in or too close to the eyes it may be irritating. Though it is pricey, it moisturizes wonderfully and its capacity to eliminate my puffiness is worth it!
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Shampoo -LUSH - Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo
mrak 11/11/2005 2:54:00 PM
I think that this shampoo smells wonderful, and I love the scent it gives my hair. i have thick long hair that is very straight, so while i can't say if this product calms frizzy hair, it does a very nice job on my hair. my hair feels clean but not stripped, lovely herbal smell (not at all yeasty like beer) and it is very concentrated so a little goes a long way.
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Toners -Pro Activ - Revitalizing Toner
mrak 11/10/2005 4:03:00 PM
This product destroys my skin, and my skin is not at all sensitive. I was using it as part of the ProActiv system, but it was very drying and my face started to become flaky and irritated. I cut out the toner and the wash and lotion work very well. I use instead DDF 10% glycolic toner, which is effective and not at all irritating for me.
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Toners -DDF - Glycolic Toner 10%
mrak 4/10/2005 8:29:00 PM
What a great product. I bought this toner on the strength of the positive reviews on MUA. I have oily skin and have always struggled with acne. I recently purchased proactive but it was drying my skin too much to use twice a day, so i cut back to using it in te evenings. I bought this toner to use in the morning and my skin has been transformed. My skin appears smoother and clearer than it has ever been and I am getting virtually no new clogged pores. there is a serious tingle as the product dries but it is not a burning sensation. I also used this on my brother who struggles with acne and even though he uses differin at night it did not irritate his skin when used once in the morning. after a few days there was a noticible difference in the clarity and evenness of his skin. This is a fantastic product, very effective against acne and clogged pores. Though it seems expensive at $29 for a bottle, it should last for a while.
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Cleansers -DHC - Deep Cleansing Oil
mrak 1/22/2005 1:39:00 AM
Due to the positive reviews, I recently purchased this cleanser and i am very pleased. as othershave noted, the deep cleansing oil truly dissolves and removes all traces of makeup; in fact, i no longer use a separate eye-makeup remover, even if i am wearing coats of mascara. though it is indicated for the removal of makeup, i enjoy massaging my skin with the cleansing oil in the morning as well, to get the blood flowing and whatnot. i have oily, acne-prone skin and i think the cleansing oil contributes to keeping it clear. it is also totally non-irritating. A bonus use is as an exfoliator-- i recently started using retin-a again and experienced a lot of peeling and flakiness, so i really thoroughly massaged my face with the oil and the flaky skin rinsed away. This is now a staple product for me.
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Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Restorative Night Hand Creme
mrak 11/17/2004 6:52:00 PM
I recently purchased this hand creme and I think it is a good product. I started using it before I go to bed but I enjoy the way it makes my hands feel and the scent so much that now I use it during the day as well. (Unless I am leaving the house, in which case I use Zia ultimate hand moisture with SPF 15). I am young so my hands are still smooth and supple, I have no particular problem with dryness/roughness, so I can not say whether this creme will effectively treat those problems. Even so, the overall texture of the skin on my hands has improved (softer).
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Chai lipglass
mrak 11/12/2004 11:02:00 PM
I love love love Chai Lipglass. I was looking all over for a nude lipgloss, and this is it. What I love about chai is that while it is very glossy (as are all Lipglass colors) it is NOT shimmery. Too many glosses these days contain shimmering particles, which for me might be ok on the occasional night out, but in general I think look a bit tacky during the day. The color of Chai is such that your natural lip color shows through a bit; in other words, Chai is going to look different on different people depending on what color their lips are (brown, rosy pink, pale pink, etc. I think this is what accounts for the fact that some people find the color to be 'milky-gray'- the type of light your are looking at yourself in might also affect the color. I have naturally reddish-pink lips which are full, and the color and shine give me a polished but low-key look. As some other reviewers noted, paired with dark eye make-up Chai will give you that J-Lo look. The texture is sticky, so it does stay on better than most glosses. Very pleased and will probably repurchase. **UPDATE** Probably won't repurchase as I have not worn it often and it is not an easy color to wear. I rarely do a nude lip these days because I really can't do a proper smoky eye .
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Cleansers -Olay - Daily Facials Intensives Lathering Pillows
mrak 11/8/2004 2:01:00 AM
I bought this product because when I visited the store to repurchase Dove Cleansing Pillows they were out. I thought this would be a comparable product, but it is not. My skin is not at all sensitive, but the texture of the pillows is far too rough, not appropriate for the face at all. The cleanser inside the pillow is terrible as well, in addition to stinging my eyes, my skin felt stripped and irritated. This product is a complete disappointment. The Dove version of the cleansing pillow is much better; Dove's pillows puff up nicely in water, the texture is nice, and the cleanser leaves my skin feeling very clean. If you are looking for a product to exfoliate or deeply clean skin, go for the Dove version.
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Treatments (Eye) -Shiseido - Sun Protection Eye Cream spf 15
mrak 10/26/2004 3:35:00 PM
I highly recommend this product. I have been using the Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 15 as my AM eye cream for about 2 years, and I have been very pleased with it. It is hard to find a product with SPF made specifically for the eye area. This cream has never caused any irritation or watery eyes. It smoothes on easily, with no whitish cast. I find that it is sufficiently moisturizing. Concealer goes on top with no problem. It is important to note that this eye cream makes no promises about reducing puffiness or dark circles, therefore people with severe puffiness/dark circles should probably look for another product, or use another eye cream for PM (as I do) to treat those problems. Because most of the signs of aging are caused by sun damage, I highly recommend using this eye cream as a preventative measure. It is so sad that this is discontinued (at least in the US). I am using Kiehl's now but it is not the same.
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Lip Gloss -Face Stockholm - Pot Lip Gloss
mrak 4/6/2004 8:05:00 PM
I have this gloss in a deep, true red called Wicked. This is a great gloss because you can layer for either sheer or intense color, the more you apply, the glossier it appears. This color is really bold, what I like about it is that unlike many red glosses, it doesn't look pinky if you apply only a little. What really impressed my was the staying power of the color-- the glossiness diminishes over time, but the color stains your lips and remains, unlike most glosses which come off quickly. Looking forward to trying other colors.
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Blush -Shu Uemura - Glow On Pearl Red 19D
mrak 1/22/2004 11:33:00 AM
I was intrigued by all of the positive reviews of the Shu Glow On blushes, and Red Pearl 19D is the first that I have tried. I really love this blush, it goes on as a very pretty flush, more red than pink (that may sound scary but it's beautiful). This is a strong color (very highly pigmented) that demands a very light hand. The first few times I applied it I was upset because i had bright red streaks on my cheeks. Then with practice I learned that a little goes a long way. My advice is to very lightly tap your blush brush against the blush, then gently blow excess powder off the brush, then apply. This is just such a gorgeous color, I can't wait to try more colors in this line.
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Skincare - Face -Dove - Dove Cleansing Pillows
mrak 12/15/2003 10:49:00 AM
I have acne-prone skin which is not sensitive, and I like this product a lot. In the mornings I use Neutrogena acne wash, because the pillows are a little expensive to use twice a day. So I use the pillows at night, using the exfoliating side all over my face but avoiding the eye area. I feel like the texture, tone and clarity of my skin has improved. It is winter where I live now, and the little random patches of dryness are diminishing. (Though I still use a moisturizer in some spots). I am very pleased with this product, I feel like my skin is clearer and healthier. I just wish the packaging were not so wasteful.
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Conditioner -Paul Mitchell - Super Skinny Daily Treatment Conditioner
mrak 12/5/2003 1:00:00 PM
I just bought this conditioner and have only used it once, and I am amazed by the results. I did not use the Super Skinny Shampoo, just my regular shampoo with the super skinny conditioner. I have thick should-length hair which is relatively straight, but I am growing out a shag hair cut and the layers tend to wisp out and my hair has a lot of volume. I prefer a sleek look but I save my flat-iron for special occasions in order to spare my hair. So I was very pleased with the super skinny conditioner because with no additional styling or products, it left my hair dramatically straighter and cut out the volume and flips. I will still need to use a flat-iron for a super straight look, but this conditioner performed much better than I thought it would. Some other users have complained about dryness after repeated use, so I suppose you might have to alternate with a more hydrating conditioner. But I am very pleased and the price is very reasonable at $8 (USD) for a 300 mL bottle. Plus the bottle is a cute slim cylinder.
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