Styling Products -Shu Uemura - Art of Hair Volume Maker Invisible Texturizing Powder
ALBA 5/25/2013 7:45:00 PM
I could not agree more with Seattlemama, this is an awful disappointment. It is sticky, gummy and very white. If you were to use this well under your hair at the crown of your head, it might be good but quite frankly that sticky feeling has driven me half mad wherever it is applied. Don't use this, as I made the mistake of doing, at the hairline especially if your hair is thin there, all that happens is the scalp skin that is showing through looks all the more apparent because the powder is very white! Also, if your hair is fine and delicate, the stickiness of this product makes it feel brittle and very vulnerable if you then attempt to drag a brush through it. Worse still, my scalp felt itchy the next day after using this. The applicator however IS a good idea, it's just a shame that the product isn't tinted and without stickiness - a powder like Jurlique's rose powder in an applicator like this would be excellent and I would buy it a hundred times over. This isn't a criticism of Shu' hair products per se because some of the others are very effective and smell wonderful.
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Shampoo -John Frieda - Luxurious Volume Full Clarity Purifying Shampoo
ALBA 4/23/2013 5:39:00 PM
This is for the volumising shampoo in the green packaging in the UK. It has been reformulated (used to be in blue packaging) with some different ingredients. This is not as good as the old volumising shampoo. With the new formula the roots get greasier quicker and it makes the hair a little more slippery (I suppose to provide shine). I don't think that it is possible to have a shampoo that provides ample volume and shine. Volume has to be sacrificed for shine in a shampoo or vice versa. That is my experience anyway! You can always add a shine serum later on. Conclusion: the old formula was better but the new conditioner may be an improvement. Hair Type: My hair is medium to long, uncoloured, fine in texture but abundant in mass. I prefer to ensure I have the added volume, apply conditioner on the mid-lengths to ends and THEN add more leave-in conditioner, if I need it if it looks as though I need it as I'm drying it. It's harder to remove limpness from a heavy shampoo than it is just add a little oil or serum at the end.
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Eyeliner -Guerlain - Divinora Liquid Eyeliner
ALBA 3/19/2013 10:48:00 AM
13th April: UPDATE This makes my eyes itch terribly by the end of the day which is unusual for me as I wear many make-up brands. I have downgraded my rating for it accordingly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would like to agree with the reviewer izzeee who said that it is not how she remembers it. Twenty years ago, my mother had this on her dressing table and occasionally I would apply it and be so impressed with the depth of pigment and the appearance of my eyes after application. I promised myself when I was older I would buy it too and Lancome sufficed in the meantime. Well now I have bought it, the consistency seems to have changed. When I unscrew the top there is an almost rubbery gunk that is attached to the top where the liquid has emerged. Does it contain latex or rubber or some form of plastic? As other have said it does peel, which I'm sure it never used to in such a way. Although it looks black through the glass and on a piece of tissue paper, on the eyes, it isn't a dense, opaque black more of a slightly metallic one. The design of the bottle is still lovely, that at least remains unchanged.
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Eyeliner -Christian Dior - Diorliner
ALBA 3/19/2013 10:36:00 AM
I am so glad that I am not the only one to be find this product to be lacking the qualities I look for in a liquid eye liner. Although the liner has a dense shade of black, it is just too watery for my liking. Although the fact that the liquid is well contained and only comes out when the user twists the body of it, when it does come out, there is quite a lot of it. I find it mediocre and it was not cheap.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Lancome - Effet Miracle Primer
ALBA 3/19/2013 10:30:00 AM
I didn't find this to be a 'miracle' primer in any way. As others have said it is very similar to Clarins Instant Smooth, both are in a little pot and have a slightly mousse-like silicony, balm texture. Lancome's is more mousse-like. Both of them have a light pink shade to them. If you have combo skin, this will still leave you some oil that will need to be blotted/powdered. I didn't find that it filled in pores very well and I thought that it would give more of a rosy lift to my complexion given the shade of it. If anything, I think it made it look a little flat and dull. Will not be buying this again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfumerie Generale - Psychotrope
ALBA 3/19/2013 10:12:00 AM
I had to wash this off. As another reviewer said, it has notes of 'bandaids' and I'll add disinfectant to that. What an immense disappointment, good job it was just a sample.
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Shampoo -Kerastase - Cristalliste Bain Cristal (Fine Hair)
ALBA 12/16/2012 12:32:00 PM
I found this made the ends flyaway and dry with a lot of static while the roots were coated and slippery with a lack of bounce. I don't feel that this was a good investment and it will now sit unused in my bathroom cabinet. My hair type is fine although there is quite a lot of it, it is long with a tendency to oily roots and dry ends and it is uncoloured.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Suqqu - Brow Pen in 02 Brown
ALBA 8/23/2012 6:55:00 PM
This product is rather over hyped. The colour is very good, a neutral ashy shade that works on my dark brown eyebrows. I cannot apply this to areas where there is just skin to give the illusion of thicker eyebrows, it just doesn't work - it looks like what it is - a light brown felt tip pen that has been applied to the skin. Having said that, I don't any shadow or brow product can do this. They work within the eyebrow hairs but above or below and it begins looking odd. This product would be even better if it was even lighter and it was much harder, the problem is that it can all merge together and what originally looked very light, ends up looking dark when the lines are too close together. The packaging is elegant, it is a small black plastic pen with no branding and small enough to fit in a clutch bag or jacket pocket. In summary - if you want more eyebrow hair on bare bits of skin the only item that will look natural is HAIR! It is a pity that the Talika pen with eyebrow fibres is so liquidy and uncontrollable.
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Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios XL SPF50+, Creme Fondante, PPD 42
ALBA 8/8/2012 4:30:00 AM
This is for the Melt In Cream that is spf50 bought in the UK. The texture is surprisingly good despite the word 'cream' in the title, it sinks in and provides a fine base for makeup. That is where the praise ends. As others have said this is SO WHITE that it made me look awful. It was so occlusive that when I put on my normally light makeup, I couldn't even see where the usual bits of pigmentations and broken veins were. The deathly palour meant that I had to apply more bronzer than normal (it made little difference) and I always worry that when the white eventually wears off that I will be left with a very orange face! Yesterday I was in a very public place and had to spend all day outside with sunglasses on, when I went to the bathroom and saw how oddly white/silvery my face look I felt self conscious. I also had MAC primer very lightly applied between the sunscreeen and my makeup. Did it protect me? I think it did however the sunspot on my cheek was a little larger but no sunburn at all. If the price to pay for protection is looking odd all day then more research needs to be done. Avoid this for public occasions as you will look bizarre in photos! What a pity because the 'melt in' texture delivers well.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Cremeblend Blush - Brit Wit
ALBA 6/16/2012 9:06:00 AM
The texture of this is rubbish compared with before. They have truly messed it up.
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Conditioner -Kerastase - Reflection Lait Chroma Reflect
ALBA 5/14/2012 1:56:00 PM
This is for the Chroma Reflect Enhancing Milk - same range but in a squeezy bottle. It almost conditions my hair too well. The smoothness rapidly spreads up my hair when it is dry despite only applying it to the ends. It may be because my hair is fine and doesn't have much colour in it. It makes it quite limp and lacking in volume - really not good with pieces of hair around the face - who wants rats' tails? Is it too much to ask for hair that is conditioned and simultaneously has volume?? The packaging could be in a thinner plastic bottle so that it can be cut with scissors to get the last of it out.
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Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios XL 50+ Fluide Teinte
ALBA 4/7/2012 9:33:00 AM
This is a review for the new formula. The new one claims to have a reduced amount of chemical ingredients and more physical ones - this usually means it will look white on the face and despite it being tinted, it does look odd for a while. I wish they could just leave formulas alone. The morning after using it, my skin feels very dry around my eyes and lips which is probably connected with the alcohol content and I have quite greasy skin! The bottle is small which should make it convenient for carrying in a handbag however it leaks so it has to be put in a plastic bag before doing so. Despite the fact that it is tinted, ensure that your hands are thoroughly clean before touching leather as it will stain it white.
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Deodorants -Weleda - Weleda Citrus Deodorant
ALBA 1/22/2012 8:38:00 PM
The scent of this is invigorating, just like spraying a spritz of gin and tonic at my arm pits! Sadly it does nothing to keep even the faintest odour at bay, Pit Rok is far better, I always remain fresh smelling with that. I should think that the alcohol content might be irratating after a while of using it as well. Such a shame. Back to Pit Rock.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Louise Galvin Sacred Locks shampoo for fine hair
ALBA 12/4/2011 5:14:00 PM
I wash my hair every other day as I tend to have a greasy scalp, the ends of my hair are quite dry and require a light conditioner that doesn't weigh the hair down. I am always on the search for the perfect shampoo and conditioner. The packaging is attractive and the citrus fragrance is lovely however that is where the praise ends in my case. My hair looked limp after I had washed it with this and the front of my hairline looked greasy with the hair strands looking separated. I like a volumising shampoo that creates a lift and bounce and makes the hair quite fluffy as you can always moisturise the ends with conditioner - this certainly doesn't do that. After I had washed my hair with this, the roots didn't feel adequately clean and ... this is terrible but I scraped my nail across my scalp and there was sebum under it when I looked. There is no way that should occur with a decent shampoo straight after washing. It obviously was not strong enough to clean the scalp properly and the fragrance despite being very good whilst washing was non existant afterwards. Having a shampoo without this and that additive is not worthwhile if it cannot match the shampoos with the additives that do the job well. I would not buy this again.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - LesNez L Antimatiere
ALBA 11/15/2011 8:08:00 PM
The scent is certainly there, though one is unsure intially and then it's all you can smell. I can only sense the salt note if I am a few mms from my wrist, otherwise it reminds me of a drawer liner/deodorant spray sort of odour. Not great and I had high expectations of what it might be.
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