Product Reviews by reikigoddess

Cleansers -Dermalogica - Age Smart Skin Resurfacing Cleanser
rated 3 of 5
reikigoddess 7/13/2010 6:27:00 PM

Smells incredible-like spicy carnations and does a good job of cleansing & exfoliating. Can only use 1xday though but since I love the Special Cleansing Gel I may just have to buy both. This exfoliates w/lactic acid which I find effective and not too irritating but too much is not good for my sensitive skin. Plus there's some pretty strong ess. oils in here like clove so start out slowly if you're sensitive. UPDATE: Had to stop using, just too irritating for my skin.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Conditioner -L'Occitane - Repairing Conditioner (Dry & Damaged Hair)
rated 1 of 5
reikigoddess 7/13/2010 6:18:00 PM

This is a review for the Aromachologie Repairing Conditioner that I got in a sample pkt. For my hair this was just horrible and the smell was a total turn-off. It smells like powder & almonds which sounds fine but it smelled foul. Anyway, although it doesn't specify, maybe this is geared more towards those w/ thick & coarse hair. Sample first!

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Rodin - Olio Lusso
rated 3 of 5
reikigoddess 6/19/2010 7:19:00 PM

Rodin offers small .9ml/.03 oz. samples of the face oil so I was able to try it out. For me and my skin it was just OK & I certainly wouldn't buy a bottle (even if it was cheaper than the $140 price tag). Apparently the body oil has the same ingredients just in lower concentration. It's also not as fragrant. I had no issues w/the scent though...just smelled like jasmine oil to me. No synthetic scent here. **Since testing this I've discovered sensitivities to chamomile-the daisy family-and that includes calendula which is in this oil. That may be why this didn't work for me. Jan. 2012: LOVE the new body creme (and no calendula!) Ingredients: Jasmine Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Jojoba Seed oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Arnica Montana Flower extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil, Orange Flower Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Argan Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Strange Invisible Perfumes - Epic Gardenia
rated 5 of 5
reikigoddess 6/8/2010 8:09:00 PM

Truly gorgeous scent. I was visiting L.A. last week & my mom placed gardenias in my room when I got there. I was so taken w/the incredible scent and realized that I miss those flowers. The next day I dragged her to SIP (as planned beforehand) and when I smelled this I just had to have it. It smells so much like those incredible gardenias but as most of you fragrance fanatics know, you can't distill scent from them. I don't know how Alexandra did it but she did a bang up job w/this one. I also love the other 2 in this floral line-Urban Lily & Aquarian Roses. I'm going to cherish my bottle of this...pretty spendy at $175 for 1.7 oz. EDP yet it really is beautiful & I feel good wearing it. I think SIP has become my fav for natural perfumes. Oh and if you've got the $ to buy 3 or more EDP's they have these beautiful koa wood trays from HI that are made just for SIP's EDP bottles-with circular openings for the bottles to nest in. Really nice! I think they come in 3, 5 & up sizes. Don't think they're listed on the website but they are pictured. UPDATE 10/10: Just to note, sometimes this smells like I described above & sometimes it's headier and almost reminiscent of Moon Garden w/o the gasoline type note (pikake?) Just fyi. Also, SIP did major price increases pretty much across the board. This went up $20 for the EDP but some other perfumes went up as much as $95!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -LUSH - Karma
rated 1 of 5
reikigoddess 5/25/2010 9:52:00 PM

This is just my opinion but I cannot stand this fragrance. Not the fragrance itself per se because it's ok in the soap and even the body cream but the spray itself is super strong, overwhelming & headache inducing. This is the kind of scent that I wouldn't want to wear even if I liked it because I seriously think it would turn people off. I'd recommend the body cream (used sparingly) if you like the smell or maybe the powder or solid, which I haven't tried.

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Serge Lutens - rahat loukoum
rated 4 of 5
reikigoddess 5/24/2010 8:53:00 PM

I tried this a couple of times before and didn't think much of it-thought it was too sweet actually. I'm so glad I gave it another go because I'm just loving it now. It's such a fun, youthful, whimsical scent and the sweetness really does pipe down after the first 10 or so minutes. After trying just about every SL scent (all the exports and most of the nons) I think I will finally have my own bell jar. I must say that the new non-ex. due out this fall sounds incredible also (another gourmand). Just for ref. I cannot stand KM's Louk. scent-just powdery and awful on me & I also tried SL's Louve. Louve is somewhat similar but not nearly as nice as this is.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - IUNX - L Ether EDP
rated 5 of 5
reikigoddess 5/24/2010 8:38:00 PM

Incredible! I'm a bit late to the IUNX party but I'm loving this. Apparently, this scent along w/Splash Forte, Blanche & Sento are available at Hotel Costes in Paris. The rest of the line is still discontinued. I like S.F. & Sento too but don't find them fbw. This one is just above & beyond gorgeous, imo. I don't even want to try to describe it or intellectualize it, I just want a bottle-now! Perfect amt. of sillage & longevity for me-softer on both counts but definitely present. I really want to try Blanche as well since it sounds perfect for spring/summer & this leans more fall/winter to me but I'll have to try it out when it warms up here just to see. Really unique & worth a try. Notes include myrrh, benzoin, rosewood, saffron, maple wood, white sandalwood.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Dawn Spencer Hurwitz - Cimabue
rated 4 of 5
reikigoddess 5/18/2010 8:35:00 PM

I agree w/the adjectives that others have used to describe this...creamy, comforting, addicting. It did take a few tries for me to fall for it & I'm glad I didn't write it off too quickly which I've been known to do. Others have described the notes so I won't go into that but I must say that while this is warm and a bit spicy, I don't think it's a fall/winter only scent. It's just perfectly balanced, not at all heavy or strong.

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Chanel - Chance Eau Tendre
rated 2 of 5
reikigoddess 3/28/2010 10:11:00 PM

The only things I like about this new flanker are the bottle color & the ad campaign. Actually, in person, I don't remember this looking very pink. Anyway, this fragrance gave me a big headache. It just smells a bit cheap and overpowering. Also, it doesn't smell a thing like Chance. That's just my take on it & I should say that all the SA's at Nordies really seemed to like it. I do think that this is the least Chanel of any of their scents. I know that Chance itself is a bit of a departure for the house but I think it still has that Chanel flaire. Personally, while I like Chance Eau Fraiche, I prefer the EDT as the EDP goes a bit sour on me. Here are the listed notes for Eau Tendre: Top: grapefuit, melon, quince Heart: hyacinth, jasmine Base: iris, white musk, Virginia cedar, amber

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Givenchy - Ysatis
rated 4 of 5
reikigoddess 3/28/2010 8:07:00 PM

A bit hard to find these days but one of our Macy's carries this so I don't think it's been discontinued. Just picked up a bottle for my mom who has worn Ysatis for years. This and Tiffany are her all time faves. It's beautiful on her, rich and womanly. I believe that Dominique Ropion of Carnal Flower fame crafted this.

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Esteban - Tonka
rated 4 of 5
reikigoddess 3/27/2010 1:29:00 AM

I'm really liking this scent. I find it soft, sexy and comforting. I definitely get some patchouli...in fact, it starts out smelling a bit like Angel minus the berry notes on me but this fades as it dries down. Not terribly complex but it smells really, really good! I would say it straddles the feminine/masculine line. I have a decant of the EDT and agree it's strong enough in this concentration. Plan on seeking out the EDP though to see how that wears before purchasing. I'm wondering if Esteban's home scent Teck & Tonka smells similiar. Hard to find in the US and online (Aedes has some of the home line) but Essenza in Seattle (awesome store but no online shopping) carries some of the fragrances.

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Parfums Delrae- Bois de Paradis
rated 4 of 5
reikigoddess 3/27/2010 1:15:00 AM

I find this scent complex and addictive & it's not too sweet at all w/my chemistry. A must try if you're a woods lover. This does not smell like anything else I've tried (and I've tried A LOT). Would love to try the body cream too. All Delrae's scents are really very nice but this is definitely my personal fave.

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Frederic Malle - Le Parfum de Therese
rated 4 of 5
reikigoddess 3/26/2010 8:18:00 PM

This is a beauty just not my type of scent personally. If you like this you have to try, imho, Parfum Delrae's Emotionelle. It's composed by Michel Roudnitska (the son of Edmond who composed this scent) and has the melon note figuring prominently. It's a refined fruity floral yet I find it a bit more relaxed & softer while I think of Therese as more mature and elegant. I find that these are similar scents though and they share quite a few notes.

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Parfums DelRae Èmotionnelle
rated 4 of 5
reikigoddess 3/26/2010 8:03:00 PM

Just rec'd my sample pack from Delrae which I ordered after falling for Bois de Paradis. This is not my kind of scent yet I think it's a well done, refined fruity floral. The melon note is def. present throughout yet I can smell some of the other notes which are listed as: melon, tangerine, bergamot, violet leaves, jasmine, rose, prune, cedar, vetyver, clove, amber. I would think lovers of Malle's Therese would love this as well. This is composed by Edmond Roudnitska's (Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese) son Michel.

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No


Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Sponge Skin Care - Krema Triantafillo: Rose and Sage Cream
rated 2 of 5
reikigoddess 3/4/2010 10:33:00 PM

I was so excited to finally try this line & just rec'd this, the jasmine mist and cleanser (along w/a sample of the avocado oil). I made sure to ask about roman chamomile as I'm allergic but didn't check out the ingredients otherwise. I was really sorry to see that this so called natural line has silicones & esp. BHA in their creams. BHT and BHA are a problem for me & I would not have bought this had I known it was an ingredient, even if it is 2nd from the last. Anyway, I decided to give it a go & will update this since it's only been a day but so far this is really irritating my skin. These products smell incredible imo but the cleanser is pretty useless & the spray just smells great-don't seem to get any other benfits from it. I'm going to just use the cream for awhile and see if it works for me or not but I have a feeling these are all going to be getting shipped back to Barneys. UPDATE: Cannot use this at all-it's irritating my skin & breaking me out badly. It also exacerbates redness. This a.m. I tried the olive/avocado oil & will write a review on that as time goes by-so far no irritation or breakouts. BTW, the night cream also broke me out badly but was less irritating than this cream which is for sensitive skin-go figure! INGREDIENTS: aqua, olea europaea oil (olive oil), glycerin, glyceryl stearate, peg-100 stearate, isopropyl myristate, ceteth-20, cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, allantoin, ceteareth-25, tilia cordata extract(linden extract), salvia officinalis extract(sage extract), rosa canina leaf extract (rose leaf extract) rosmarinus officinalis extract (rosmary extract), olea europaea leaf extract (olive leaf extract), phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin, tocopherol, triethyl citrate, disodium edta, bha, essential oil parfume

    Was this review helpful to you?   Yes     No