Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Light Makeup [DISCONTINUED]
Cinnamon1 5/1/2008 2:00:00 PM
I really love this foundation, although I understand why a lot of girls wouldn't. The tube is small (1 ounce), but a little goes a long way. I've been on the same tube for a couple of months. The first time I used this, I put on waaay too much, which made my face look absolutely horrible. When I say a liitle goes a long way, I mean it. I find it works best if you use a foundation primer to smooth out your skin, which makes blending in the little bit of foundation a lot easier. The texture is quite thick, despite it being called Lite Makeup. Texture is identical to a mineral sunscreen, which is basically what this foundation is--mineral subscreen with a tint. I chose the lightest shade (I think it was called Ivory), and it's fine for me. Be aware that since this product contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (awesome UVA blockers!), it requires a good amount of blending. It also looks horribly white when you first apply it, but that's because of the minerals. Once you get it blended in, though, the whiteness disappears and the coverage is surprisingly light. I think it just evens you out and makes your skin look good! It doesn't dry immediately, so I give it a minute or so to set up before I dust on my loose powder. The foundation wears incredibly well throughout the day. I put it on at 6:30 in the morning, and when I get home at 8:30 that night, it still looks good. I usually blot my face once during the day and lightly reapply my loose powder. I find that this foundation also makes a really good base for eye shadow and blush. Mine wear great all day. About the sunscreens in here. The tube lists an SPF of 25. I always use a dedicated sunscreen on my face before I put on foundation. I don't like to use a LOT of foundation on my face, and I'm never sure if the light application I do would provide enough sun protection. Just my experience. To remove, I use cold cream or an oil-based cleanser, then wash. I haven't had any breakouts from foundation or sunscreens when I do this. The price is great, especially considering that you don't need to use much to get a nice look.
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Treatments -Ocean Potion - clear zinc oxide spf45
Cinnamon1 4/30/2008 8:53:00 PM
I really, really wanted to like this product. It's fragrance free, has a high SPF, it's water resistant, non irritating, not thick and greasy, and leaves your skin comfortable. All of that is the makings of an HG product. But what's going on with the company not specifying the percentages of actives??? I mean, who lists the minerals and chemicals in a sunscreen and doesn't tell you how much there is of each one?? It seems shady. The only active in here that provides good UVA protection is the zinc oxide, but I'm guessing that the percentage of ZO is pretty low since the cream blends right into your skin almost instantly. Products with an adequate amount of zinc or titanium require a lot more rubbing and blending. So this might be SPF 45, but my guess is that it covers mainly UVB and has a low PPD. So I'm not fnishing the jar or buying it again.
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Lips -Ocean Potion - Ocean Potion Lip Potion SPF45
Cinnamon1 4/30/2008 8:51:00 PM
I really, really wanted to like this product. It's fragrance free, has a high SPF, it's water resistant, non irritating, not thick and greasy, and leaves your skin comfortable. All of that is the makings of an HG product. But what's going on with the company not specifying the percentages of actives??? I mean, who lists the minerals and chemicals in a sunscreen and doesn't tell you how much there is of each one?? It seems shady. The only active in here that provides good UVA protection is the zinc oxide, but I'm guessing that the percentage of ZO is pretty low since the cream blends right into your skin almost instantly. Products with an adequate amount of zinc or titanium require a lot more rubbing and blending. So this might be SPF 45, but my guess is that it covers mainly UVB and has a low PPD. So I'm not fnishing the jar or buying it again.
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Sunscreen -Ocean Potion - FACE Potion Clear Zinc SPF 45
Cinnamon1 4/30/2008 8:50:00 PM
I really, really wanted to like this product. It's fragrance free, has a high SPF, it's water resistant, non irritating, not thick and greasy, and leaves your skin comfortable. All of that is the makings of an HG product. But what's going on with the company not specifying the percentages of actives??? I mean, who lists the minerals and chemicals in a sunscreen and doesn't tell you how much there is of each one?? It seems shady. The only active in here that provides good UVA protection is the zinc oxide, but I'm guessing that the percentage of ZO is pretty low since the cream blends right into your skin almost instantly. Products with an adequate amount of zinc or titanium require a lot more rubbing and blending. So this might be SPF 45, but my guess is that it covers mainly UVB and has a low PPD. So I'm not fnishing the jar or buying it again.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - Corn Huskers Lotion
Cinnamon1 4/26/2008 2:30:00 PM
Wow, I must be missing something. I tried this out based on the good reviews here, and I don't see the draw. The packaging sucks, and the product doesn't seem to moisturize at all. In fact, my skin feel drier after I use this. (??)
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Treatments -L'Oreal - Professional Ineral Hair Fixer
Cinnamon1 4/21/2008 6:37:00 PM
UPDATE 6/30/08: I used the product five times, and I'm not as sure now about repurchasing. Mostly I bought it because I wanted a protein treatment but I was afraid to use Aphogee. Well I used Aphogee this weekend and didn't break my hair off, so I'm converted. It works WAAY better, This review is for a L'Oreal Professional product I got (for less than $10 for six treatments) at Sally's called Ineral Hair Fixer. It's a reconstructor for damaged hair. The instructions are a lot simpler than the Aphogee reconstructor, which is why I started with this one. You wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo, DON'T condition, towel-dry, and comb out your hair. The product is a kit that contains a bottle of activator lotion, six treatment tablets, and a measuring bottle that you use to combine the ingredients and apply it to your hair. The activator is white in color, but when you add the tablet and shake it up, it turns blue. The entire application is about 1 oz., which might not sound like a lot, but it ends up being a lot of moisture you're adding to your hair. The first time I used this, I didn't towel-dry first (because my hair is damaged—duh—and I didn't want to break it). But the next time I just blotted as much of the water out of my hair as I could beforehand because my hair ended up VERY wet the first time. OK, I've used the product twice, and here's what I think so far: By the way, I have fine, color-treated hair that's always been breakage prone. I'm trying to reduce the breaking and grow it longer. First Trial: I used the product at night and let my hair air-dry because I didn't know what it would do. You apply it to shampooed hair and leave it in, by the way. After my hair had dried naturally, it was STIFF. You know when you use Infusium 23 and your hair gets hard? Imagine what it would be like if you dumped the whole bottle on your head and let it dry. Like that. I brushed it through and went to bed. Washed and conditioned as usual the next morning and didn't notice much difference in my hair. Second Trial: This time I was braver and used the treatment in the morning before work and styled as usual. It wasn't horrible, but my hair was definitely stiffer and not as soft as usual. In the future I'm going to use this at night and wash it out the next morning. BUT, since then after subsequent shampooings, my hair definitely feels softer, looks shinier and healthier, and doesn't tangle as much as it did before I started the treatments. I'm going to continue to use about two nights a week and keep you all posted on my experiment.
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Lotions/ Creams -Vaseline - Aloe and Naturals
Cinnamon1 4/19/2008 2:25:00 PM
I bought one of the small tubes to try out based on the good reviews here. I've been on the hunt for a cheap basic lotion. This one wasn't for me. The moisturizing is very light (as it claims, so I can't fault it there). But I don't know what's up with the scent. I know a lot of you loved it, but I just thought it was weird. And as is the case with all scents you don't like, this one lingered. I found it really annoying.
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Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55
Cinnamon1 4/18/2008 2:11:00 PM
I've been using the Coppertone Oli-Free SPF 45, and the Coppertone Oll-Free Faces SPF 30 on my face, but I bought this Neutrogena one because my derm specifically recommended it for me. Well, actually, he said, "One of the Neutrogena ones with Helioplex." The SPF 70 also has Helioplex, but man, does SPF 70 sound greasy! Here are my thoughts: Application: This is thicker and greasier going on that the Coppertone, and has a stronger scent. Spreads easily enough, but it takes a good while to dry. Felt fine on my arms, but made my face, neck, and chest a little pink and "warm" feeling. I learned my lesson the first time and now aviod my eye area. BTW, if ANYONE knows a good, high-protection sunscreen that you can use around your eyes, PLEASE mail me and let me know!! 30 Minutes Later: Pinkness and irritation subside. Still looks a bit shiny, and the scent is still discernable. 1 Hour Later: Skin looks fairly matte and the sunscreen smell is gone. Performance Under Makeup: Here's where I don't like this one. It made my foundation ball up and look streaky. Also (I don't know why!), but when I put on the same amount of foundation, it looks a lot "thicker." So I'm experimenting with using less foundation / different foundation / just concealer and powder. Performance All Day: For just standard daily wear, I feel like this stays on and protects me adequately. If it's a day where I'm outside, I'd reapply at least a couple of times. On a daily basis, my face doesn't look any oilier than usual or feel uncomfortable. I haven't noticed any burning/tanning or any new freckles or spots, so I'd say it's doing its job. Removal: I use cold cream or Lumene oil cleanser, and that seems to get it all off (plus makeup). I haven't had any breakout or rash problems with this. Overall Pros: High SPF and PPD Fairly cheap (compared with the Euro ones!) Lasts all day for daily wear Dries matte Scent disappears Feels comfortable Didn't break me out Overall Cons: Stings slightly on application Makeup application is a bitch Can't use in eye area
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Toners -Thayers - thayers lavender acohol free toner with vitamin e
Cinnamon1 4/12/2008 3:41:00 PM
I love anything lavender, so I picked this up and Whole Foods when I ran out of my Rachel Perry toner. It was a bit of a gamble, since I haven't always had the best luck with witch hazel based products before. Have been using this for a week now, and so far so good. It's alcohol-free, so that helps. As far as I can tell, it does what a basic toner should do, remove any last traces and residue that might be left over after you cleanse. It doesn't do anything special beyond that, but it doesn't claim to. But I have noticed that my face seems to feel "fresher" after this toner than some of the others I've used. And I enjoy the scent. It's closer to "real" lavender, which is used in men's fragrances... it smells herbal rather than floral.
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Gels/Soaps -Olay - Olay Calming bath bar
Cinnamon1 4/12/2008 3:32:00 PM
I've been using Dove soaps for a while, but they're starting to seem really boring to me, so I'm branching out and trying some of the Olay bars. And I have to say, they're pretty great and underrated. They have a really buttery lather that is MUCH better than Dove's, and I think the scents are more elegant. And they clean and moisturize just as well. So about the Calm Release bar: I bought the four-pack and I've used one so far. Performance is great. I really enjoy the scent! I'll try pretty much anything that claims to have a lavender scent, but the combination of lavender and violet here is genius. It's very nostalgic and old-fashioned, in a good way. It was a bold move on Olay's part. I mean, how many mainstream cosmetic brands do you see including VIOLET? It's wonderful, and I highly recommend it, especially for a product that's this cheap.
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Gels/Soaps -Dove - Dove Pro-Age bar
Cinnamon1 4/12/2008 3:24:00 PM
I don't know, I didn't LOVE this soap. I mean, it cleans well and moisturizes well, but the little exfoliating beads didn't do much, in my opinion, and I found the fragrance to be pretty blah. I've been using the Pro Age roll-on, and I think it's scent is OUTSTANDING. I was hoping the soap would have the same fragrance, so I was pretty disappointed when I found that it didn't. Overall, my opinion is... meh. I got the two-bar pack and I've used one so far. I will use the second bar, but won't purchase again.
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Cleansers -Kiss My Face - Shea Soy Facial Cleansing Bar
Cinnamon1 2/8/2008 4:18:00 PM
I wasn't impressed, either. If it's supposed to be for sensitive skin, why does it dry you out so bad?? It also didn't lather well. For the same $12 (yes, it's ridiculously overpriced), you could get bars and bars of Dove—which I prefer, as it doesn't leave my face feeling like it's 8 sizes too small. On the plus side, I did like the fact that the KMF bar is natural and without fragrance. And the fact that it comes with its own dish is pretty cool. Not cool enough to make me buy it again, tho.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Diamond Strength Fairy Tale Ivory
Cinnamon1 2/4/2008 7:24:00 PM
Beautiful color. It's a clear polish filled with very fine shimmers. There are so many particles and they're so small that the polish comes off looking shimmery, NOT glittery. The particles reflect white, not irridescent, so the overall effect is pale beige. I've only been wearing one coat, with base and top coats. Used this way, the polish looks clear from one direction and shimmery from the other. I imagine that if you used multiple coats, you'd achieve a more opaque look. It's a clean, everyday look, and I like that I can wear it all week without touchups. The polish naturally chips with wear, but since it's a forgiving shade, I let it go all week without feeling trashy. One caveat: It can be a little tough to remove. All those fine shimmer particles really like to stick to your nails. But it's not as hard to remove as some true glitter polishes I've used.
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Fragrances -Bath and Body Works - Seaspray
Cinnamon1 1/14/2008 2:59:00 PM
Not bad, but not my favorite either. I got the lotion recently along with a bunch of other BBW Classics for $4 a pop on their Website on sale. Seaspray is a combination of fresh and sweet. There's something fruity and generic sweet about it that strikes me as very "young" smelling. It's pleasant but nothing to gush over. Probably wouldn't buy again. The scent is similar to St. Ives FresH2O but not as nice IMO.
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Fragrances -Jessica McClintock - Jessica McClintock
Cinnamon1 1/7/2008 2:18:00 PM
I forgot how good this smells. I had a bottle of JMC about 15 years ago. Usually, once I use up a bottle of something, I'm done with it for a while, and that was the case with this fragrance. But I was at the movies a couple of weeks ago and smelled someone wearing this, and it completely took me back, so I repurchased. It's such a lovely, clean, feminine scent! Starts out fresh and citrusy and dries down to lily of the valley, maybe some rose and jasmine? I do remember that JMC can be strong once it dries down to the florals (it's an EDP), so I limit myself to *one squirt only*. So pretty.
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