Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Paris
Anda 4/19/2004 11:53:00 AM
Ahh... the sent of luxury and indulgence. But I personally prefer the eau de primtemps version, which is more wearable but no less distinctive in my opinion. (Actually, I just mean BOTH don't smell all that distinctive as rose scents go, to my perhaps undiscerning nose... I can imagine all the Paris fans waiting to bash me up haha!) What I DO like is how lush and expansive a floral it is. It's take-no-prisoners, kick-em-in-the-head rose. It's also not as expensive as some high-end scents can be. I like to spray it on in the shops when I'm window-shopping alone and don't have anyone else with me. For the simple reason that they all feel it's WAY too heady, or that it gives me a throbbing headache on hot days. Sigh. Nowadays, I just look at it in on the racks, and then reach for something else.
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Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Baby Doll
Anda 4/19/2004 11:45:00 AM
Beautiful packaging, but the juice was such an undistinctive fresh-fruity that I couldn't justify ever buying it. It was pleasant, no doubt. But not that great. The kind that doesn't offend people but only your good friends will remember after you leave. Responses I've got while test-trying it included "Meh" and "Smells like the usual teen scent." Nobody disliked it so it's not a bad thing. But I wouldn't pay so much for a YSL.
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Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Rive Gauche
Anda 4/19/2004 11:33:00 AM
I don't own a bottle. Yet. I will one day, but I have too many scents to work my way through at the moment. As spicy musky florientals go, I find this more pleasant than shalimar or Opium. I was very wary at first as I only smelt it from the tester bottle. All I could smell was aldehydes and stale vetiver. Then one day I got adventurous and sprayed it on. Musky, spicy, but not so in-your-face powdery that it masks the sweetness of the florals. It's actually not that heady and lighter than you would expect. Like Anais Anais, it might take a few tries but if u are patient, u might be rewarded with the soft, myserious whiffs of clean florals blooming quietly over the musks. Like the decked out and well-bred, quiet courtesan. U think of sex, but sex with class. She makes you wait, and she's sitting in her boudoir wrapped up in the most expensive lace and silk gowns, flashing u an enigmatic look rather than her cleavage. The closest I've ever come to finding a "brainy-sexpot" scent.
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Fragrances -Cacharel - Gloria
Anda 4/17/2004 2:28:00 PM
I don't know what it is but I'm one of those who actually likes the bottle! Minimalist but exotic, nostalgic and sleek to me. Like Shiseido's red serum bottle. Still, I find this one the most overpriced of all the Cacharel scents even though it does last quite well for an EDT. It's creamier than Stella but I can't smell the pepper. And I found Tanya Sarne's Ghost to be somewhat similar, but more complex and with a soft fruity-dessert (peaches'n'cream) strain. Also more reasonably priced than Gloria. If you want an amber-rose that's not as simplistic as Stella but without a sweet-fruit hint like Ghost, then get Gloria.
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Fragrances -Gucci - Eau de Parfum
Anda 4/17/2004 12:38:00 PM
I started out hating this because it's quite a "medicinal", tonic scent. Not many changes as it dries down. But the more I tried it on at fragrance counters, the more it started to creep up on me. It got to the point where I was spritzing it on each time I passed a tester, just for a Gucci "fix". For me, it's such a fine play between floral and vanilla that it's neither. I wouldn't call it floral, but neither can I describe it as foody cos the florals pull it back. It's syrupy and sensual like some delicious smoked nectar, but not sugary or cloyingly foody. It's also not the overtly heady-floral type that all my guy friends seem to dislike. I caved in and bought it after close to 2yrs of spraying it on, as hate turned to tolerance turned to craving. When I met friends for dinner one night recently and started recieving compliments on "that vanilla" I was wearing (sprayed it on at store as usual), I decided it was time to throw down the cash for a bottle of my own. I did get the huge 75ml at a discount price of less than UD$42 so I'm over the moon and can't stop spraying it on to smell myself. It also happens to last pretty well. 4hrs in humid heat with traces left after a shower.
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Concealers -Shu Uemura - Pro Spots Concealer
Anda 4/3/2004 12:46:00 AM
This takes a quick, quick hand to blend! But like some other users, I use it on special occasions as an undereye concealer after applying cream. This is the only concealer I've ever tried that is TRULY opaque. Most others have to be slowly built up layer by layer. The problem with this of cs, is that it can be TOO opaque and I ended up with the inverse-raccoon-eye effect in a photo once. My shade is neither darker/lighter than my foundation shade so I don't know if it's the texture of the thing itself. If anyone uses it for zits and gets a similar problem, I'd like to know! Still, all in all, I keep the precious little tube in my drawer for emergencies though I don't use it usually. I can see it lasting FOREVER, given the amt u use each time. Definitely worth the price when u think of the concentration this product comes in.
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Fragrances -Kenzo - Flower by Kenzo Le Parfum
Anda 3/12/2004 2:26:00 PM
OUCH! the crazy price for the o.5oz bottle!!! Still, I have to say I fell in love with this quite unexpectedly and HAD to get it. I never liked the original Flower as it was too gaggingly spicy and powdery for me. Surprising, Le Parfum is darker and sweeter, while retaining just a trace of the exotic spiciness. I'm not sure if I can justify the price I paid but then it lasts. I first tried on the medium parfum spray bottle but that faded in about 15-20mins like most EDTs. I couldn't even smell the satin spray well on a scent strip. The oil however, is divine and lasts a few hours. It reminds me somewhat of my usual staple Hypnotic Poison. The musky vanilla-almond body. Still, the Dior is about as expensive and doesn't come in such a concentration. I tested it in the store, waved my wrist in front of a guy friend, and got an instant positive response.
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Fragrances -Ghost - Ghost EDP
Anda 3/3/2004 4:58:00 AM
i don't like rose scents in general since they usually gimme a headache, but when they are done soft and sweet, and there's only the gentlest, most delicate whiff of it, it can be divine. One of the ones i like is Cacharel's Gloria, and then while searching for it in a discount store, I found ghost, which is slightly fruitier (peach), but shares a similar soft, creamy and comforting vanilla base. Sort of like a cross between Gloria and Burberry EDP. It's sweet and warm and I don't find it as sugary as other faves like Angel and Lolita Lempicka, but it also lasts longer than the typical "fresh" white floral scents around. I haven't worn it long enough to see if it can stand the test of my perennial fickleness but will report back. My 1st love is Hypnotic Poison, so I won't hurry to give this 5pts until I've tested it longer.
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Foundations -Covermark - Extra Formula
Anda 2/27/2004 12:11:00 AM
I love this thick creme as concealer, but it's one of those opaque textures that blends out flawlessly too if u need to wear it on the rest of the face. Seamless, smooth, a breeze to blend, and while it's not matte unless u powder over it, it REALLY looks like real skin. And it's not dry so it's perfect for dark circles. I've been using it for almost a year as concealer and I've only used up a small surface amt. Holds up under heat, doesn't clog pores. This might look like a tiny jar, but it's real value for money, especially if you need pictures taken or want to look flawless but "real". BUY!
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Fragrances -Christian Dior - Diorissimo
Anda 2/5/2004 3:42:00 AM
I decided to wear it awhile before reviewing to see how it wld hold up under my fickle "luv-it-n-leave-it" nature. I must say I see what the fuss is about now. Besides Hypnotic Poison, this is the most beautiful Dior IMO, although it veers all the way to the other end of the spectrum as a clean white floral. It's a lily scent with a hint of citrus that wears off and broadens out into a softer, sweeter body underscored with a touch of woods. There is also the barest touch of green kissing its edges. Yes, you get the lily. The whole lily, leaves n stalk, in all its effervescent, glorious complexity. This isn't a "just-out-of-the-shower" kinda generic fresh scent. The bad part is that I can only get a hold of the EDT and it seems to last about 10mins. On the plus side, I've yet to come across anyone who doesn't find it pleasant when I jam my wrist under their noses. It's not a scent that "reaches out" but it leaves the faintest veil around you and makes people beside you want to draw closer and get a better sniff. I never thought I'd ever say this of a soft floral like Diorissimo, but this seems to contain a delicate ladylike sensuality that is no less sexy than musky vanilla scents. It's a quiet scent that doesn't try to be sexy but somehow just IS.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Christian Lacroix - Eau De Parfum
Anda 1/29/2004 4:35:00 AM
I'm not sure I would buy this cos while I think the scent is very pleasant, a soft ambery-floral that doesn't smell loud or obnoxious to my nose, as it seems to for some other MUAers, it's not really distinctive enough for me to want to own, beautiful shell bottle notwithstanding. Still, if you like soft warm florals, give this a try. It might turn out just right for you.
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Fragrances -Annick Goutal - Grand Amour
Anda 1/29/2004 4:23:00 AM
While I'm not one who goes for heady floral compositions, this was the one that appealed to me while testing scents at the Goutal counter. It's not immediately appealing, but the green-tinged honeysuckle smell really started to grow on me after awhile. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough, but it seemed to smell solely of honeysuckle. In fact, I was surprised to learn that there was a vanilla and musk base, which is what I usually go for in fragrances, but couldn't detect here. I didn't wait for it to develop long enough tho, so that's an unfair comment and I'll report back next time. While I wouldn't shell out the kind of money they're charging for a scent like this, I'd have to say this is not an unpleasant scent if u like a white floral "with shoulders" but not too much muscle (a la tuberose).
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Fragrances -Stella McCartney - Stella- Eau de Parfum
Anda 1/4/2004 11:48:00 AM
i'm writing this opinion as one who doesn't go for rose perfumes. I can't do comparisons becos of this since most give me a splitting headache and I avoid them. The only one I could use was Anna Sui, which also contains tea rose. This is a stronger and clearer, more womanly scent compared to that, as there is no powderiness. I wasn't expecting to like it at all, but on 1st whiff, it made me think of one of those rose-scented dolls I used to own, in a mildly-artificial but nostalgically-pleasant way, and isn't cloying or heavy for an amber scent. I love the honey-consistency of the dry-down as it's rich and warm but not overly sweet to me, and I have no problem detecting the rose in this. In fact, it's the most consistent thing abt the scent according to this nose! I'd describe it as a med-intensity scent. Not as musky or sexy as Hypnotic Poison/Angel, but fuller-bodied than something like Premier Jour/Gucci EDP II. My main gripe is that it does seem to fade out to nothing in awhile. Are they sure it's an Eau de Parfum?? I really want to get a bottle, but I'm not sure I like it QUITE enuf to pay so much for it since I have other staples.
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Blush -Stila - Rose Convertible Color
Anda 12/3/2003 1:03:00 PM
I luv the handy mirrored compact. Makes touchups doubly fun cos it's gorgeous too. I use this as both blush and lipcolor, but find u have to be rather careful on the cheeks as the color tends to go on much stronger than you'd expect (altho I haven't had any problems with streaks or uneven application. One more plus for Stila). I'd intended to buy orchid or peony, but they both turned out too red when I tested em. Don't be fooled by the color of the compacts! I'd thought rose looked a little too muted to stand in for one of those benetint-type stains, but the color of the product inside is just right. Not too red and not too nude. Rose is the perfect color for a natural flush if you're lighthanded. It's also a nice neutral that should be flattering if you're porcelain to olive. My only gripe is the price, and I'm not sure I shouldn't use the amt of cash for 2 gd lipsticks in a similar color to use on my cheeks too, but it IS perfect for those days when I go out with minimal makeup and just need a handy mirrored compact to touchup lip and cheek color.
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Concealers -Urban Decay - Jungle Cover Camouflage
Anda 11/29/2003 2:40:00 AM
I liked the silky texture and the color happened to match me well. But what's with the green section?? I thought it was dead cool when I bought it a few years back (I was 17 and thought color-correcting concealer was the height of cool. Nevermind all the comments by makeup artists that it doesn't really work). Now after trying for myself, I'd rather it was all skin-colored and they put whatever zit-fighting ingredient in there instead. The green turned out to be dry, cakey and didn't so much cover zits as COLOR them. You're going to cover it anyway, so just ditch the whole "neutralizing" bit and COVER it! Why turn your red spot into an ashy-brown-green spot if you can hide it all with a good skin-tone concealer??? I ended up leaving the green area unused. It DOES tend to crease just slightly under the eyes, over the course of the day, if not as badly as Mac StudioFinish. It's soft, creamy, not overly greasy or hard and dry. All in all, an effective and blendable concealer with medium-to-full coverage, but overpriced for the amount you get. I'd buy it again, but for the fact that I don't want to be paying so much for a section of redundant green cakey cream, whatever anti-bacterial properties it claims to have, that I won't use. I'd rather apply good blemish gel under my makeup.
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