Eye Makeup Remover -Garnier - Fresh gentle eye makeup remover for sensitive eyes
Ancatje 5/16/2013 8:13:00 PM
This review is for the Simply Essential Soothing eye make-up remover, that looks similar to the picture but it's in a light blue bottle. Now, I find this to be very similar to the Bioderma, in the sense that it's a water-like makeup remover with no perfume, alcohol or colourants, and can be just wiped away instead of washed off (I wash it off!). It feels almost the same on my skin (the Bioderma is a little bit lighter), and doesn't irritate my eyes which is very important to me as I have super sensitive eyes that start stinging and watering from anything. Performance-wise, again it is similar to the Bioderma. It removes face makeup very well (I use both sides of a cotton pad), however eye makeup it doesn't do such a great job at removing. Thus the lower rating. I find it has a hard time with mascara, and I'm not talking waterproof one, just regular old mascara. Whatever mascara I use, if I try to take it off with this, I'll have to use about 2 cotton pads, and after cleansing afterwards with a cleanser I'll still have mascara smears under my eyes. So no, I will not repurchase this again. I wish I found a water-like remover that actually took off mascara properly. The search continues.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara
Ancatje 5/15/2013 4:01:00 PM
Wanna know why makeup artists like this? Well it's because they usually use disposable mascara wands to apply mascara, so the wand of the mascara they buy is not important to them, just the formulation! And the formulation of the Great Lash is actually not bad, and it's the cheapest mascara around, so makes sense to get that when you're gonna go through tubes of it like crazy. Of course for regular people like us, the wand is very important, and the wand of the Great Lash is pretty pathetic. I have fairly long lashes, but they are poker straight. This Maybelline mascara actually does a decent job on them, so I'm giving it a 3 out of 5. It lengthens them a bit, gives a bit of natural-looking volume, makes them nice and dark, and holds a curl through the day. However, it does not separate them that well, takes ages to get the decent aforementioned effect because of the crappy small brush, and worst of all, it flakes a through the day (just a bit, but still, everyone hates flaking!). The formulation is a bit wet, but I actually like that. Personally I won't be repurchasing this, but I think for the price it is actually not bad.
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Eyes -NYX - Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils- All
Ancatje 3/25/2013 7:12:00 AM
These are not easily available in the UK (you can order them online but I prefer actually seeing and feeling products before buying them) so when I was on holiday in Holland and saw them in a shop, I bought about 7 of them at once! WHAT A MISTAKE. The colours are absolutely beautiful but on my hooded oily lids these crease like mad! How I tried using them: 1. As an allover cream eyeshadow, on top of a primer like UDPP, Too Faced primer, ELF mineral primer, even face primers like Smashbox or Clarins flash balm. With no powder eyeshadow on top, these crease within TWO HOURS!! 2. As above but with a powder eyeshadow on top, staying power improves by an hour or two. 3. As a regular eyeliner - again a bit better staying power but still creases within 3-4 hours. With a powder eyeshadow on top, lasts maybe 5 hours. 4. As eyeliners for te waterline or inner corner highlighters (the appropriate shades), staying power is acceptable and I can use them fine for work or a casual occasion. OVERALL, I bought these to use on their own all over my lids, because the colours are so beautiful, and as such they are very disappointing.
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Scrubs -Original Source - Cranberry and Honey Scrub
Ancatje 3/23/2013 11:21:00 PM
MMmmm this smells so so nice! I know it's meant to be cranberry and honey, but it really smells a bit like strawberry mousse to me :) It's a gentle scrub, but it does a good job. It's just not as harsh as some people may need. I find this fine on a daily basis, and every once in a while when I feel my skin needs it, I use a... scrubbier one. I do find that on my sensitive legs, especially during the 24 hours after shaving, a lot of scrubs can make my skin sting a bit, and this doesn't do that. It's so cheap and doesn't dry my skin out. Will keep repurchasing!
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Gels/Soaps -Original Source - Mint & Tea Tree Shower Gel
Ancatje 3/23/2013 11:08:00 PM
The good bits: - smells refreshing and helps wake you up in the morning. - natural ingredients so kinder to your skin (mine is quite sensitive). The bad bits: - I don't always feel like smelling of toothpaste when I finish showering (and my bf HATES the smell - weird since I thought as a guy he'd like it). - people say it's tingly, but the only area that I feel the tingles is exactly where I don't want them, which is my private area! It feels uncomforable and I wouldn't repurchase for this reason alone. - I have to use twice as much of this shower gel than I do with most other ones I've ever used to be able to wash properly. It's not that it doesn't lather, because it does, but it just washes off quickly. Not sure if this is because it's a farly natural products, since I noticed with other natural shower gels, shampoos and conditioners that I have to use more than I would with "chemically" ones.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Purity Organic Skincare - Conditioning Cleansing Lotion
Ancatje 3/22/2013 9:50:00 PM
I bought this randomly maybe a year and a half ago in Superdrug for about £5, but sadly I haven't seen it there since. I did repurchase it online from the Purity Organic website though, since I loved it so much. Now, I don't use this every day, because I am a hardcore fan of the Cetaphil cleanser and that is my main day-to-day morning and evening cleanser. However, when I feel like using something that's more pampering and soothing, I use the Purity cleanser. The smell is just so nice and feels so luxurious on my skin! It's fragrance-free so the smell comes from the ingredients, almond oil, aloe vera, rose water. It also smells a bit coconutty to me, but it does not contain any coconut. This is a creamy cleanser that does not foam up, that can also be used to take makeup off, but not on your eyes (as per their instructions, although I always use it around my eyes as well and even though my eyes are VERY sensitive, I've never had any problems. Mind you, I don't ever get it IN my eyes, just on the skin itself.). It can either be washed off or left on and just the residue removed with a muslin cloth. I have a separate makeup remover, so just use this as a cleanser, massage it in and then rinse it off. It feels very conditioning, more than the Cetaphil, and my skin is left so soft and smooth. Unlike the reviewer below, I can't imagine experiencing dryness from this since it is really so moisturising (doesn't leave a residue/ film on your skin though!). Love love love this and would highly recommend it!
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Concealers -Pixi - Correction Concentrate- Brightening Peach
Ancatje 3/22/2013 12:24:00 PM
I'm NC15 with dark purply/red circles under my eyes. This colour is perfect for them and really brightens them up. "Brightening" is the perfect term for what this does, but I think the "peach" is deceiving as it's not so much orangy but a pinky salmony colour. It's doesn't cover my circles 100% but about 90-95% definitely and it gives better results than say the Bobbi Brown one that's much more expensive and in my opinion looks cakey and doesn't cover as well. The formulation is less creamy than other similar products, but I would not call it dry and it definitely doesn't feel dry under my eyes. If I only put one layer on and buff it in well, or two thin layers built up, this does not crease - and I have some deeper fine lines under my eyes. I don't even set it with powder because it looks better in its own and it just does not need setting in my opinion. If you put too much on it does cake up and crease, like any other concealer on this planet. I use this on its own, on top of a light moisturiser, and do not put a concealer under or over it. I apply it either with my fingers or a small buffing brush, and it works great with both but I prefer a brush generally. I haven't noticed this fading through the day - whatever I put on in the morning is still there 10+ hours later. I did notice it can start to crease a tiny tiny bit after 8 hours, but if I take a concealer brush or Q-tip/ cotton bud and get rid of the excess that creased, it's fine for the next however many hours. I also noticed if I feel like I need more, I can add another layer to this later in the evening, say before going out, and it will not look cakey. Overall this is absolutely great for the price, but I don't think it's for medium or dark skins, just for fair ones. Don't get why they don't come out with more colours.
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Liquid -Bourjois - Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation
Ancatje 3/17/2013 11:28:00 PM
Compared to the regular Healthy Mix, this is a bit lighter in coverage (can be built to a good medium without being cakey) and a bit more dewy. I'd think it's a bit better for dry skins. My skin is combination and it gives a beautiful natural finish for me, but I do need to powder my T-zone. Lasts well through the day. I'm shade 51 and it matches my NC15 skin perfectly, which is great because most drugstore foundations are off shades for me, and high end are often too dark or pink as well. This is a great everyday foundation!
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Liquid -Bourjois - Healthy Mix Foundation
Ancatje 3/17/2013 11:05:00 PM
Dupe for Chanel Pro Lumiere which is now discontinued, but better colour range for pale skins. I am NC15 and their shade 51 matches me perfectly, whereas Chanel's lighest shade was too dark for me, apart from in the summer when I get a bit darker. Coverage is medium, satin finish, can cling a bit to dry patches but depends how well you moisturise unerneath. Lasts well through the day on my combination skin, and doesn't make me oily. I like the no SPF as well because I use an SPF moisturiser and don't want my foundation to interfere with that. Very happy with this and have been using it on and off for a couple of years now!
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BB Cream -Dr. Jart+ - Platinum Beauty Balm
Ancatje 3/17/2013 12:59:00 AM
I've been trying all 4 Dr Jart BB creams available in the UK for a while now (couldn't choose between them so just got all of them! makes sense...) The Platinum I am not a massive fan of. It's not bad, but it's not quite what I wanted. It's a bit thick and tricky to spread on your face. It's easiest with fingers, to warm the product up. But in my case the result is always a bit cakey! (I have combi skin with dry-ish cheeks and very oily T-zone) It does cover well though, medium coverage so you can just use this on its own. For me though, to get the finish to be a bit less cakey, I do put a bit of moisturiser under and spray with a mist on top (setting spray, Fix+, toner...). Wish I didn't have to! The other negative is that the colour match is off for me! I am an NC15 and as pale as I am, this is paler and makes me look ghostly. Might be good for NC10/NW10, but for me this doesn't get better as for the reviewer below. It looks ok when I add blush on top but really, I'd like it to match me. Conclusion: I don't like using this and would not recommend it to anyone with dry skin/ patches and darker than NC/ NW 10.
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BB Cream -Dr. Jart+ - Regenerating BB Beauty Balm
Ancatje 3/16/2013 8:47:00 AM
I've got all 4 of the Dr Jart BB creams available in the UK and have been testing them all out for a while now. The regenerist one is absolutely amazing and has saved me so much time in the morning! I use this on its own, without putting a primer or moisturiser on first. You'll be glad to hear it gives very good coverage (almost medium, and can be built to medium!) - woohoo! I have redness and acne marks and other bits but with this, I can even skip concealer. I also put it under my eyes and skip concealer there as well, even though my dark circles are... well, dark. My dry-ish cheeks don't feel like they need more moisture after applying this on its own. So this one product becomes my moisturiser, SPF (30 - perfect!), foundation, concealer and undereye concealer! So 5 in 1 !!! Not bad for a £20 product :) Not to say that that is cheap, but it's very good value for money. The texture of this is a bit... sticky (for lack of a better word), as in, it's not runny like a foundation, but rather a bit thicker, almost like a primer. But if applied with your fingers (my preferred method), they'll warm up the product and ensure a smooth, even and non-cakey application. The finish is very natural and satiny, and even with the good coverage lets your natural skin shine through which means sometimes I even skip blush when I wear this and it still looks fine :) It lasts all day on me, and while it doesn't control oil on my T-zone, it doesn't make it more oily than it is. I'm glad to report the one shade they have matches my NC15 skin perfectly! (unlike their Water Fuse which is too dark) All in all I'd buy this again and again!
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Lip Treatments -Burt's Bees - Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm Tin
Ancatje 3/13/2013 7:19:00 PM
I was so excited to try this because of the cute packaging. But as other reviewers have noted, this lip balm is rock hard, resulting in it being useless. You can be rubbing at the bloody thing for ages, and still won't be able to get the product out the tub and on your lips properly. It feels like frozen wax to me. The few times that I persisted and managed to put some on my lips, it just was not moisturising. Probably the worst lip "balm" I have ever tried.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Dr. Jart+ - Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++
Ancatje 3/13/2013 1:06:00 PM
I bought all 4 Dr Jart BB creams available in the UK and have been testing all of them for a few months now. I have to say this one is my least favourite/ I don't really like it. It's a bit sticky and hard to spread around and when using my hands to apply it it's just rather unpleasant. Once it's on it feels nice and comfortable on the skin though. I use this without moisturiser underneath, and even though my cheeks are a bit dry, this was enough and did not make them feel tight. The coverage is very very sheer. With this, even on my good skin days I'd still need concealer on top or something with more coverage on my nose/ chin/ redness areas. It has a natural skin-like finish - but that's the least I'd expect from something so sheer! The only thing that it does do is give a bit of sheer colour to my skin, which brings me to my next issue: the only shade they have is too dark for me! I'm an NC15 for reference and I think this would be fine for an NC 20/25. Maybe if you have good skin but that is oily, this would work for you, but I for one will not be buying this again.
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Lipstick -Maybelline - Super Stay 14 Hr
Ancatje 3/12/2013 12:20:00 PM
Longest lasting lipstick I have ever tried! Sadly the colour range isn't that great and I wasn't immediately attracted to all the shades. I did like the look of 430 Stay With Me Coral so I picked it up and boy am I glad I did! As a long wearing lipstick, this is a tiny bit drying (not too much), but don't make the mistake of putting this on top of lip balm, or it won't last as long! If you do want to use lip balm, make sure it sinks in completely before applying this. Your lips do need to be in nice condition otherwise the lipstick can cling a bit to dry patches. Because my lips are slightly dry, after the lipstick has set I put a little lip balm on top, and then also reapply about 2-3 times a day and I feel that also helps it wear out better and evenly. If I put this on in the morning at 8:30, after breakfast, tea, water and lunch, it is still there when I get home at 6 in the evening!! A bit faded of course, but still there. I obviously rushed out to buy 2 more shades.
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Concealers -Unlisted Brand - Une-Skin Glow Pencil
Ancatje 3/12/2013 11:30:00 AM
Well I've been using this pencil for about 2 years now and never realised people think it's a concealer before reading the reviews below! In fact I have serious doubts it is meant to be used as such, as there is no mentioning of its "concealing" properties anywhere on the Une packaging or description of this product. Personally I bought it and use it as a brightening pencil for my waterline and for that it works brilliantly. It's creamy and easy to use, the colour is a light cream/beige (I have this in shade G02) and brightens like no other, more so than the nude MAC Chromographic or Rimmel Scandaleyes which I find are darker and peachier. For me it stays more or less put during the day. Even if I don't reapply during the day, after putting this on at say 8:30 in the morning, I still have a lot of it on by 8 in the evening! It tends to just wear off at the inner and outer corners but stays on the middle of the waterline. The only annoying thing is the square, rather than round shape of the pencil. Makes it a bit trickier to sharpen, but it works fine with the regular small slot of any eyepencil sharpener - just secure it in and twist. Big thumbs up from me!
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