Gels/Soaps -Tom's of Maine - Natural moisturizing body bar
lisa7788 9/14/2009 8:39:00 PM
This is a great natural soap that isn't drying and it doesn't cause breakouts if I use it on my face. It leaves my skin soft & smooth. Very nice; I'll buy again.
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Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Dickinson's Witch Hazel
lisa7788 9/10/2009 8:25:00 PM
Good stuff. I use a generic brand, it's a bit cheaper. It's great for removing any goop on your face on a hot day for a quick freshening up. Also great at removing dirt & makeup my cleanser may have missed. No sense buying any other toner!
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Lip Gloss -Everyday Minerals - Pink Lemonade Lip Gloss
lisa7788 9/8/2009 7:47:00 PM
I love EM, but I have to say, their lip gloss is terrible! I received two as free gifts on two separate occasions, Pink Lemonade & Coffee. They're great the first couple of times you use them, but then they dry out. I don't know how lip gloss does that, but this stuff does. They become unusable they're too hard & rough on my lips. I tossed them both. Don't waste your money!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -MAC - Sublime Nature Paint
lisa7788 9/5/2009 8:51:00 PM
I love this paint!! It goes on smoothly (a little goes a long way) and the color is perfect on it's own but it's a great base too. I've been using Untitled, but wanted something a little darker. This is the perfect nude beige to look natural, but better. I've been using a lash growth product & it's irritated my lids so they're a bit discolored. I wanted a paint that I could use alone to cover the discoloration but not make me look too made up. This is the perfect product to do just that! I hope they never stop making this! Highly, highly recommended! (The only downside is the tube. You have to be so careful about gently squeezing it so you don't get too much. The first use popped out a glob that's enough for all week!)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Accent Tissue Tightening
lisa7788 9/1/2009 7:46:00 PM
I've had Restylane a few times in my laugh lines. It worked pretty well, but didn't last as long as I liked. Last November I had my 1st Accent treatment at my Derm's office. Accent uses radio waves to regenerate collagen & firm your skin. They work up in intensity with each visit. The wand needs to glide over your skin, so schedule it at a time when you can go home & wash up after - they use baby oil at my derm's, and probably similar stuff elsewhere. You'll be a bit red after too, but fine in a couple of hours. Each lasts about an hour (on your face) but depends where it's done. It can be done anywhere on your body. The apt.s are 3-4 weeks apart. The treatments are cheaper if I signed up for 6, so I did. I can't believe how much younger my face looks! My laugh lines are GONE! Completely!! Restylane never did that! The bit of slacking I had in my cheek & jowl area (along my jawline) & under my chin is GONE! My face is taught and firm. Not unnaturally tight, but the firmness of a youthful 20 something face, not a 40 something face. I'm extremely pleased with the results and will go for maintenance sessions every 6-12 months. It's expensive but has made the most improvement in my face & antiaging of anything I've tried.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Joico - k-pak deep penetrating reconstructor
lisa7788 8/25/2009 9:45:00 PM
I bought this based on the recommendations from some members on the boards & the reviews here. My hair was fried during a coloring a while ago and I was hoping to get it back to feeling more like hair than straw. My problem was my hair felt like straw while wet, after shampooing. It was fine after conditioner & drying. This plus the hydrating conditioner hasn't done anything for my hair that my reg cond. doesn't do. Yes, it feels nice, it smells nice, but I guess I was hoping for something to help my hair feel less damaged. Anyway, this isn't a bad product, but it is pricey and I don't really see any benefit from using it.
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Treatments (Eye) -Promaxyl - Eyelash Renewal serum Rapidlash
lisa7788 8/24/2009 9:04:00 PM
This is a quick update as of 8/28/2010: I had stopped using this due to eye irritation. They must have changed the formula slightly or maybe the thinner applicator brush makes the difference, but I repurchased it on 7/8/10 from Amazon for under $30 (I can't get over how many people think this stuff is expensive! Other products are 2-4 times as much!!) Anyway, I've had very minimal irritation, nothing at all like before and yes, it still works great! I have my lashes back and will continue to use this. Great stuff!!!!!!! 10/10/09: Yup, it grows more lashes & they're thicker and longer! My bottom lashes have grown so long, I had to trim them! I dye them & they looked false, they were so long! My lashes are also much thicker; they used to be very flimsy now they aren't so wispy. They're like most other people's lashes :-) Actualy, no, they're longer and thicker than most other people's lashes! Yea!!!! I'm VERY happy & will continue to use this. Great stuff!! I can't stop looking at my lashes every time I pass a mirror! Update 9/29/09: I've upped my rating to 4. It's been a month of nightly use and my lashes are longer. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but last night I took a closer look and noticed that some of my lashes are markedly longer than they were. I'll update again after several more weeks. If this grows more lashes, I'll up my rating to a 5! (The irritation is still there, but less so.) Update 8/31/09: Since my initial bad reaction to this, things have improved. I make sure I apply a VERY fine line of this only along my lashline. Any that isn't actually touching lashes gets wiped off. My first use, I applied it like Talika, figuring a little on the surrounding skin is no big deal. Wrong! I guess itching is a side effect of most lash growth products including Latisse. The price we pay for vanity! LOL I'll update on growth at a later date. Original review: I bought this based on the positive reviews it got on the boards here and on essentialdayspa. I've seen some impressive before & after photos of people who used it. I used it for the first time on Thursday night. I was careful not to get any in my eyes. It comes with a thin nail polish type brush applicator. You're supposed to apply it along your lash line. The next morning my eyes were red, bloodshot and itchey like mad. I rinsed my eyes with cool water & used eye drops. No relief. As the day progressed, the skin around my eyes got more pink & tender from rubbing the awful itch. By the end of the day the skin was raw and my eyes felt like there was grit in them. I looked terrible! They were slightly better Sat. morning, but got bad again during the day & Sunday. It's Monday and they still itch and the skin is still tender but less red. I read on essentialdayspa that this is a common effect of these new lash growth products. Someone who went to the Dr. passed on that she was told the oil glands on your eyelids get clogged causing irritation. The Dr. said to wash a.m. & p.m. w/ baby shampoo & follow w/ warm compresses for about 4 minutes. This should unclog the pores and even get rid of milia. I'm trying it for a while before trying Rapidlash again. I find it hard to believe that one use has anything to do with clogged pores, given the extent of the irritation around my whole eye. If I get the same reaction, I'm writing the company and requesting a refund. For now, I'd say hold off on buying this. I'll update in a couple of weeks to let you know if I'm able to use this or not. Update 3/5/10: I've stopped using this for a while. My eyes are always red-rimmed & tired/burny feeling. I love my lashes, but my eyes are just too irritated & uncomfortable.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -1000HOUR - Eyelash & Brow Dye Tint
lisa7788 8/17/2009 8:39:00 PM
Update: I upped this to 5 lippies from 4. This works really well. I'd give it 6 if I could!! The color is beautiful & dark!! I used to get my lashes tinted at the salon, but at $45 a pop, it was a once in a while splurge to treat myself. I'm blond & have fine, light lashes (despite Talika Lipcils; it doesn't seem to be working anymore :-( After trying Swiss O'Par & being less than impressed, I decided to try this one based on the reviews here & essentialdayspa.com. It was about $25 online, shipped from Australia. Unlike the Swissopar, the color comes in a small tube w/ a bottle of developer (peroxide I think). You mix the color w/ the developer in the little tray that comes with it. I got the blue/black & at first I was bummed about the color that came out of the tube, (kind of a dull navy) but once it sat for a minute mixed w/ the developer, it turned the exact dark violet color I had been looking for! Like all tints, you have to apply vaseline under your lower lashes & upper eyelids. You use those little paper half moons under your eyes to prevent staining. The directions say to leave it on 10-12 minutes. I applied it with my trusty tiny Shu Lash Repair wand (I love that little wand!! I can get all those little outer lashes!) rather than the mixing wand. It was thick enough that it didn't run or get into my eyes. I was able to keep my eyes open the whole 10-15 minutes I left it on. I closed them after a while; I was afraid too much blinking would make it get in my eyes. I could still keep them open when it was time to take it off.) I made sure I coated my lashes well. I wiped off the extra w/ a cotton round & warm water. Mild soap & warm water to remove the Vaseline. My lashes look just as good as they do when I get them done at the salon! I can't wait to see how they look after I find a lash growth product that actually works!! :-) The color is VERY pretty! Don't try to tint your lashes at home unless you've had them done professionally first. Follow the directions! And if you get some in your eye, rinse thoroughly with water. I'll update after a few weeks regarding lasting power of the tinting. Also, the package says to use about 1" of color & 10 drops of developer. You don't need any where near that much to do your lashes. I used less than 1/2" of color & 5 drops of developer & had a bunch left over. The package says 12 applications, but this will make probably twice that! So far I'm very happy with the results! I'd recommend trying it.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Skin Biology - Folligen Lotion
lisa7788 8/15/2009 12:18:00 PM
Update 8/16/09: Had to stop using this. It stings & itches waay too much to be tolerable, even at night before bed (eyes closed, less irritation?). I'm returning it and on to trying Rapidlash. If I could give it zero lippies, I would. I found this product at: http://www.truthinaging.com/eyes/eyelash-growth-products-are-they-safe-and-do-they-work-2009-update/ I am hoping to find an eyelash growth product the works and is safe. Turning blue eyes to brown doesn't count as safe in my book ;-) I bought this at Folica.com and it arrived amazingly fast. It comes with no directions and no list of ingredients. Those you can find at the link above, I imagine. It's a bright turquoise color, not something for daytime use. Also, I've used it for only four nights and have yet to apply it and not have it creep into my eyes. I use an old (clean) applicator from Talika. A little in my eyes is tolerable, since I fall asleep shortly after anyway, but more than a little, and it's pretty darn uncomfortable. I use eye drops in the am to get rid of any irritation that might be left over. I'll update after a month or so. I'd love to try some of the other lash products out there but most either don't work or contain a prostaglandin analogue (see link above). I'm open to suggestions! :-)
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Eyes -Unlisted Brand - Swiss O' Par brow and lash tint kit
lisa7788 8/9/2009 10:54:00 AM
I used to get my lashes tinted at the salon, but at $45 a pop, it was a once in a while splurge to treat myself. I'm blond & have fine, light lashes (despite Talika Lipcils; it doesn't seem to be working anymore :-( I bought Swiss O'par based on the reviews here & essentialdayspa.com. I found it on ebay. Anyway, it is very quick, I'll give it that. That may be the problem though. You apply the color which is clear and then apply the developer which is a gel. The color is instant once the two meet. The directions say to rise it off right away. The whole prosess takes less than a minute. Well, at the salon, the dye is left on for about 10-15 minutes. I've actually had pretty good results with salon tints, given my less than lush lashes :-) The Swiss O'Par did very little. It does initially dye your lashes, but the lower ones lost their tint almost right away once I washed off the dye, and the upper ones were left very minimally tinted after washing them off. I tinted them two more times later that day hoping for a cumulative effect, but no such luck. If you have thicker lashes or more of them, this might work for you, I don't know. For me, it was a waste of money. I'm trying 1000hour lash tint next. It's also gotten good reviews on essentialdayspa. There is another tint made in Australia (I think) called Refectocil. It claims to be a vegetable dye, but I found an FDA site that says it contains coal tar, which is a banned ingredient in the US. I guess I'll pass on that one... Don't try to tint your lashes at home unless you've had them done professionally first. Follow the directions! And if you get some in your eye, rinse thoroughly with water. And if you think you can continue tinting that eye & rinse later, forget it! It stings like crazy! lol Also, it you get it on your hands, wash it off right away. Once the 2 chemicals come together on your hands, they'll be stain for a few days. It stays longer on your hands even w/ repeated washing & yard work than it does on your lashes. Go figure!
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Cleansers -Equate - Daily Face Wash
lisa7788 7/22/2009 6:25:00 PM
Update 10/21/09: They've fixed the cap opening issue. No problems w/ my new tube. I've used this for years; ever since Clearasil stopped making their blue facial (acne) bar a long time ago. The bar contained Triclosan and everyone always commented on what beautiful skin I had. This wash contains triclosan and does a good job of calming down little red bumps that pop up from time to time. It's less drying than my Purpose soap (that I also like very much). I alternate this w/ Purpose. My only complaint is that it comes in a tube (no problem) but the flip top closes like it's locked! You could seriously hurt yourself opening this! I'm not kidding- you could lose a fingernail trying to pry it open. I've just left it open so I don't have to wrestle with opening it. It's an awful design! But a great product.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Tazorac
lisa7788 6/21/2009 1:44:00 PM
Update 10/12/09: I don't know what the reviewer is talking about that this was "burning" her skin. She says it was 2 months of pain... A little dramatic I think or perhaps not knowing how to use this. You can do the short contact method, or what I do is mix it 50/50 with my moisturizer. No problems with irritation at all. Once, using 1% straight I had dry skin for a few days, but no burning. It really is a great acne remedy. I've been using this for a couple of months and it has cleared away most of my clogged pores on my nose & chin. I'd give it 5 lippies, but the oil slick it creates w/ continued use is gross. I started out w/ the .5% cream mixed with moisturizer, then a few weeks ago moved to 1% mixed w/ moisturizer alternating w/ the .5%. I had no problems with irritation or dryness at all. My skin is pretty clear. My only complaint is that it has turned my face into an oil slick. I mean a serious coating of oil when I wake up in the morning, midday, & after I get home from work. I have to wash my face several times a day to keep up with the oiliness. I guess it's better than clogged pores & acne though! Definitely worth a try. I'll keep using despite the oil. Update 9/17/09: I've backed off on using this for a while because of the oiliness of my skin. It got REALLY oily! I'm now searching for an AHA that won't do the same. Taz works great though!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Unlisted Brand - castor oil
lisa7788 5/20/2009 8:38:00 PM
Ok, I'm done. I fall for every "miracle" product touted on MUA, with high hopes of the wonderful results reported by other members. Once again, I've wasted mt time & money (thankfully it's cheap). I'm blond with below average lash length & density. How I wish I had lush lashes. Castor oil does nothing but make a good eye makeup remover. I've used it for 3 months with zero results. Save your $.
7 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Clarins - Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate
lisa7788 5/14/2009 9:17:00 PM
I finally broke down & bought this after trying a sample. This isn't a miracle cream; I haven't really noticed any reduction in my fine lines, but it is very moisturizing. It also doesn't creep into my eyes which is a huge plus! It's fine to use under makeup and isn't greasy. The best (although expensive) eye cream I've used yet. I'd repurchase and I hope it at least wards off any future lines :-)
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Sudocrem
lisa7788 5/5/2009 8:39:00 PM
I stupidly fell for all the stories of this "miracle cream" transforming acne prone skin almost overnight. Ha! Bex9 pretty much sums it up with her review. The only thing it's good for is irritated cuticles (apply before bed) and bikini line bumps. Very messy cream - alcohol dabbed after shaving is just as effective. If you live in the States, don't waste your $.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No