Polishes -China Glaze - Raspberry festival
8Lily8 6/10/2009 8:38:00 PM
I bought raspberry festival from sally's beauty supply for $3.25 with the membership card (5.99 without card). This also can be found at multiple etailers. It is part of the summer days collection. The color is a gorgeous raspberry color but bordering on a red. It is a jelly (a polish that isn't opaque but still has intense color, like jello) with glass flecks finish. I liked this color in the bottle but on I love it! So pretty. Jelly finishes often require a lot of coats but this looks good with only two. Typical of china glaze this is smooth and applies easily, although I do wish the brush was a touch larger. I love the glass flecks, it makes the polish sparkly but is much finer and more subtle than a glitter. Another plus to the glass flecks rather than glitter is that this is removed easily than glitter. This is one of my go to nail polishes, it is a great bright color with sparkle so it's fun for me but can be worn in a conservative work environment. Close enough to a red to be classic and not so glittery that the boss will frown. I also think that raspberry festival would look good on a lot of different skin tones. I have very cool toned skin but there are some sparse golden flecks in the polish that give it a hint of warmth, so I think it's very wearable for many. I would definitely recommend.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Pretika Sonic Dermabrasion Facial Care System (Clarisonic dupe)
8Lily8 6/4/2009 6:29:00 PM
I have been using the Pretika Sonic Dermabrasion Brush (not to be confused with the Pretika battery powered dermabrasion brush) for just over four weeks. I was unable to find it at Rite Aid but ordered it from drugstore.com The list price at drugstore is about 40 dollars. On the Pretika website it is listed at 50 retail. I received the model ST255. The box contains the brush handle, 2 brush heads, the base and power adapter. I didn't purchase the Pretika brand cleansers or anything like that. The packaging says that the brush heads are the micro fiber and they snap on so I am assuming that they are the softer ones. The brush has 2 settings high and low. It beeps at 20 second intervals on a minute cycle. I am loving the Pretika!!! Using it each night leaves my face deep cleaned with all the makeup and junk off my face. My skin feels really soft and smooth. It gets rid of the dry skin that I am prone to around my chin. This has REALLY cut down on breakouts for me. I do not have any new breakouts. I have been able to cut down on the number of products I use on my face, spot treatments, benzoyl peroxide etc. My skin is clearer healthier looking. Makeup goes on much smoother and nicely. It really encourages me to wash my face EVERY night because I know that it will literally take a minute :-) I have been using mine each evening with my usual cetaphil cleanser on my face and once a week on my neck. After each use I pop the brush head off wash it with antibacterial soap and give it a spray of alcohol. I haven't had any problems with the brush head being too harsh or anything. I use it on the low cycle and rinse the brush in warm water first. I wanted to mention that the brush head has a vibrating/ oscilating motion which feels nice and gentle like a massage and not at all violent, but it doesn't spin. This is really good because when cleaning close to my hair line wispy hairs don't get tangled and pulled out like they could with a spinning brush. I haven't used the Clarisonic so I can't compare the two however, I would recommend this, in fact I am getting one for my sister. I haven't had any problems with it not working or anything, I am careful to keep the handle as dry as possible (I don't use it in the shower) because others have reported it dying quickly. Like I said I have been using it for a little over a month and I will update after longer term use. So far, very happy.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sinful - Daddy's Girl
8Lily8 2/4/2009 1:14:00 AM
I found this polish at walgreens for 1.99. I agree with a previous reviewers description of this as a purple with micro glitter. The color in the bottle looks like a very rich dark purple. However, this being a jelly goes on much lighter and a truer purple. With multiple coats a deeper color can be achieved. I wore three coats and it still wasn't able to provide the bottle color. However the color that I ended up with, while much more on the purple tones than a deep eggplant of the bottle, was nice. My main dislike about this was the application. The polish was very gloppy and seemed to drag. The brush is very skinny and I found to be hard to work with. Drying time seemed to take forever. Thankfully a lot of the application issues can be made to look more smooth and even by my Seche Vite top coat. I have other Sinful colors that apply MUCH better so while I can recommend the brand I wouldn't necessarily recommend this particular color unless you absolutely have your heart set on the shade. But I won't repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Everyday Minerals - New Flat Top Brush
8Lily8 2/3/2009 4:10:00 PM
This is priced at $10 but is available in certain kits where it would be cheaper. The bristles are densely packed but are still pliable enough so that I can get a good swirl motion into the product. This brush provides me with just the right amount of resistance. The bristles feel like velvet and are very soft. Feels like a dream when applying on face! The brush come in a thin plastic sleeve. When I first took it out the brush didn't have any smell to it but the wood handle smelled faintly like a lacquer or sealant. This went away after washing it. I have had very minimal bristle fall out with only a couple coming out when I washed it the first time. I never have any problems with it leaving pieces on my face when applying makeup. The drying time after washing does take awhile especially during the winter when it is colder. I usually wash it once a week after doing my makeup in the morning and by the next morning it is completely dry and ready to use. This brush provides the best coverage I can find with mineral makeup, much better than any kabuki I have tried. However, I agree with a previous reviewer that if you are looking for a light coverage it would be a challenge to achieve that look with this brush. I prefer a little more coverage and this brush can do that and also blend the color in wonderfully leaving a flawless look. I would highly recommend.
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Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Aquelle Aqualust Marine Therapy System Lusterizer
8Lily8 1/23/2009 4:12:00 AM
This product is an excellent product for adding shine to hair with out making hair look oily or weighing it down. I have fine hair that can start to look flat and oily very quickly with shine products. However, I have used this for around 4 months and I do not have that problem with this. I have also used Fekkai glossing cream and in comparison I would say that Aquelle gives me just as much shine. Between the two I prefer the Aquelle because I feel that I have to be really careful in the application of Fekkai to avoid greasiness. With this, after a shower I take a pea size amount, put it on the ends of my hair and then brush it through. I can let my hair dry like normal for healthy shine and some protection against frizz or I use a flat iron. The product works well when I use a flat iron for a glossy finished look. The bottle is 4 oz. for $5.29 at Sally's. The squeeze tube has traveled with me and hasn't spilled any so I am happy enough with the packaging. This does have a scent, I find the smell to be a fresh scent that doesn't bother me and isn't overwhelming. The scent also dissipates and is not noticeable when my hair is dry. But if you are really sensitive to smells take this into consideration. I think it's worth the risk especially in comparison to the price of Fekkai ($9 for 1.6 oz.). And personally I hated the strong smell of the Fekkai. A little goes a long way so one tube lasts a long time. I would repurchase. Update (6-5-09)- Still using this product and I really like it. I have even gotten my mom using this and she really likes it. Her hair is very different from mine, very thick and more oily than mine. She also likes it because it feels light and doesn't make her hair greasy either.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No