Blush -Illuminare - Amalfi Alabaster 
empresslilah 8/1/2003 8:07:00 PM
This product has turned me from a powder-blush-only user into a cream blush devotee. I read great things about this blush on MUA, and ordered a small sample from Who's The Fairest. It's a perfect peachy-pink flush on my very pale skin, and I usually can't wear anything that's even close to peachy. The tiny sample has lasted forever, but I'll be more than happy to pay $18 for a full-size tube.
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Fragrances -Fresh - Tangerine Lychee
empresslilah 8/1/2003 8:04:00 PM
I seem to be the only one so far that actually likes this fragrance. It's definitely got a sweet note to it, but the lychee dries down beautifully. I also found that it layers very nicely with Jo Malone's Nutmeg and Ginger. It turns into a sexy, spicy-sweet scent that I just love.
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Moisturizers -Jason Natural Cosmetics - 98% Aloe Vera Super Gel
empresslilah 6/9/2003 8:18:00 PM
I'm surprised at how much I'm liking this moisturizer. I can literally feel my skin drinking it up. I was reading on Sage's site about how people with oily/combo skin should use a gel moisturizer, and decided to try this instead of paying Sage prices. I've noticed that I'm a lot less oily during the day as well. There's no crap in this stuff, just Aloe Gel and some really great skin food (spirulina, chlorella). Jason also makes a small tube version that's perfect for throwing in the purse in case you need a refresher during the day. I may have converted from my high-end ways!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Baby Pink - Lipgloss in Strawberry
empresslilah 5/18/2003 9:49:00 AM
What on earth is the big hype about this gloss? I've heard people compare it to MAC Lipglass, but this stuff didn't hold up through a trip from my house to my office. Also, the package leaks into the cap (thankfully I noticed before it leaked into my makeup bag). This stuff can stay in Japan.
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Lip Liners -Paula's Choice - Longlasting Lipliner - Anti-Feather Clear
empresslilah 5/16/2003 2:08:00 PM
LOVE this! I wear a lot of lipgloss and sheer lipcolors which can't really be worn with colored liner, so this is an HG product for me. You can't beat the price and the quality of the product is well worth having to order it online.
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Other -Garden Botanika - Oil Control Blotting Paper
empresslilah 4/29/2003 9:38:00 AM
These are without a doubt the best oil blotting papers I have tried. I've gone through MAC and Clean & Clear, but am about to return to these. Put simply - they work, the packaging is easy to negotiate, they come in a 3-pack with 65 sheets per pack for $10, and they contain tea tree oil which is great for fighting bacteria (we all touch our faces subconciously throughout the day). I don't even care that they can only be ordered online, because they are more than worth it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Liners -Prescriptives - Deluxe Lip Liner- Umber
empresslilah 4/23/2003 2:41:00 PM
As a surprise twist, this lip liner is actually the greatest EYE liner I've ever used! A few years back I was looking for a reddish-brown eyeliner, and almost by accident I decided to try Umber, which I owned but was way too dark for me as a lip liner (PPP w/ yellow undertones). Lo and behold... perfect! Great color, great consistency for an eyeliner (applies just like a soft kohl), stays put all day long, and goes wonderfully with a whole bunch of colors. How cool to find a better use for a good product! I just bought the Deluxe Lip Liner in Fig, for the same use. Highly recommended as an eyeliner!
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Lip Treatments -Kiehls - Lip Balm SPF 15 in Hue 58B
empresslilah 4/21/2003 11:05:00 AM
Holy cow, this stuff is great. I went down to Kiehls in NYC over the weekend, and discovered this new product. The SA said it had just been introduced two days prior. It's a less slippery version of Kiehls' Lip Balm #1, but with SPF 15 and PIGMENT! Enough pigment to last all day. So basically it makes you look like you have angelic, raspberry-colored moisturized lips... all for $7.50 USD. The packaging is great too - sorta like Juicy Tubes but not a clear package and the dispensing hole is larger. I hope they made enough of this stuff, because once word gets out it's gonna fly. It also comes in Hue No. 30G, which is more of a strawberry or rose color. They're both pretty sheer, but there's a definite difference in color. LOVE these!
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Eye Primer -Garden Botanika - Eye Primer
empresslilah 4/17/2003 6:23:00 PM
This is one of the only products that I have purchased and finished multiple times. It's a small hassle to have to buy it online, but well worth it. I recently tried Benefit FY..Eye, and it cannot hold a candle to this product. Even in the worst humidity of an NYC summer, my eyeshadow is on until I take it off.
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Highlighters -Prescriptives - Magic Illuminating Liquid Potion [DISCONTINUED]
empresslilah 4/10/2003 2:52:00 PM
I received a tiny size of this product as an extra in a swap, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it at first. I'm not a fan of the dewy look - I've spent my life trying to control an oily t-zone, so I'm not about to go making my entire face appear oily. However, this morning I put my MAC concealer under my eyes and was lamenting how I can always still see my dark circles, when the tiny tube of Illuminating Potion caught my eye. I blended in a small bit of it over the concealer, looked in the mirror, and BAM! Bright-eyed, with almost no sign of the circles. It totally opened up my eye area. I would recommend trying it!
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Fragrances -Jo Malone - Orange Blossom
empresslilah 4/9/2003 12:36:00 PM
When I first smelled this fragrance, it was a little spray from a tester because it wasn't available yet in the store. I liked it, but felt I needed to experience it again to be sure. Now that it's in, I went in to try it on myself. I'm not sure if they made adjustments to the scent or what, but it is VILE. I wish I had never sprayed it on myself, because I spent the next two hours before I got home trying to get it off of me. I'll stick with my Nutmeg and Ginger in the colder months.
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Blush -NARS - Sin
empresslilah 3/22/2003 7:20:00 PM
I actually bought this one specifically to wear as an eyeshadow. I'm extremely fair skinned with slight yellow and pink undertones, so this wouldn't work for me as a blush. As an eyeshadow, I bet that it would work on just about any complexion out there. Try it!
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Lotions/ Creams -Herbacin - Kamille + Silicone Glycerin hand cream
empresslilah 3/22/2003 7:06:00 PM
This is bar-none the best hand lotion I've ever used. I found it in a slim tube that fits easily in a purse, and it costs about $3.50 USD. I'm a high-end junkie, but I'm done with my Aveda and my Kiehl's after finding this. My hands usually feel paper-dry in the mornings, but not since I began using this at night. The only place I've found it is at Beauty Supply stores. A must-have! UPDATE 1/12/04 - I actually stopped using this a while back. I was experiencing breakouts on my face, and while trying to figure out what could be causing it I realized that this lotion has Octyl Palmitate in it, which is one of the most comedogenic substances there is. Touching my face while wearing the lotion was what was causing the breakouts. Stopped using it, and stopped breaking out. What a shame!!
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Lipglass- Pop Mode
empresslilah 3/21/2003 9:17:00 PM
This product is excellent. I used to think that Lipglass was too sticky, but it feels like they changed the consistency. The color is gorgeous. It looks a little scary in the tube, especially to someone like me with pale, pale skin, but it's much sheerer than it looks. I wear it almost every day, either layered over lipstick or alone.
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