Liquid -Christian Dior - Diorskin Nude Hydrating Makeup SPF 10 [DISCONTINUED]
Anda 3/12/2013 5:36:00 AM
To be honest, this wasn’t what I was expecting when I read “natural glow hydrating makeup”. On my normal/combination skin, it’s definitely medium coverage and more matte than I imagined. It sets quite fast as well, so you need to work fast or use your hands in order for it to not look heavy and streaky. Based on this, I would have given it a 3, but then I did find a way to work with it. I add a bit of silicone oil or lotion to a pump of foundation, and that gives the product a bit of slip so I have more time to spread and blend it. It also sheers the product slightly and allows me that “natural glow”. Despite the hassle, the perfect color match (I am about NC25 and use 021, a light yellow tone) and the final results are good enough for me to stick with a 4. Just a light layer masks uneven skin tones and it has never clogged my pores or caused reactions. Aside from this, the packaging feels really nice and luxurious, and it's nice that it has a pump, but I’m not sure if I will repurchase since I have other foundations that can give a similar finish without the extra work.
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Tiny Hands
Anda 1/10/2013 4:18:00 AM
LOVE this little massage bar for the hands. At first I thought it was way too pricey for the amount of product, but after using it for awhile I realized a teeny tiny bit goes a long way and works a real treat on my very dry hands, elbows, and shins. It does go on slightly greasy but sinks in after awhile so I don't find it inconvenient to use. I'm one of those people that loves the feel of solid cocoa butter but always finds the oily carob-like smell nauseating. Tiny Hands is not only de-odorized so it doesn't have that smell, but also contains a light sweet-floral perfume that smells great (to me) yet doesn't interfere with any fragrance I'm wearing. In colder environments it can harden up and take awhile to soften, but I find the process of slowly warming it in my hands to soften and release the oils rather therapeutic and relaxing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Porridge Soap
Anda 1/10/2013 4:01:00 AM
Was first attracted to the delicious malt-like smell and because I thought it might be more beneficial for the skin than most of the other Lush soaps. Like the other Lush soaps, this is quite creamy to the touch and lathers well (in soft-water zones). One problem is that after you use it a few times, more of the soap washes off than the oats, and you're left with a rougher bar that becomes an effective body soap, but possibly too rough for some faces. It also has a tendency to crumble into smaller pieces and fall off as the soap "erodes" off the oats. Definitely recommend cutting into smaller chunks and keeping unused portions cool and dry to minimize unnecessary product waste. I keep them in the fridge with a "Soap! Do Not Eat!" label because - well, you never know. All in all, pretty nice concept but too costly for a soap that I can't conveniently use on the face, so I probably won't repurchase while I'm working my way through other Lush products. I can't help thinking it would work better tubbed in a loose form like Herbalism.
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Fragrances -Aquolina - Pink Sugar Sensual
Anda 12/21/2012 8:33:00 AM
Sensual is more restrained and refined than Pink Sugar (which while delicious, occasionally makes me think of a cheerful young thing who doesn't notice she is talking too much and too loud). It's still sweet and cozy, but the sugary notes are subtler so the scent is more nuanced. I was delighted to detect a soft spritz of juicy fruits at the top and the absence of that burnt, bitter licorice note in Pink Sugar. There's also a noticeable soft brown-sugar note in the baked-goods heart that I absolutely adore. I do see a resemblance to Fantasy (which I also love) in how the fruits are interlaced with an intense candied sweetness and a hint of florals, woods and musk. But Sensual's juicier topnotes don't stick around as long as the quince-kiwi-lychee opening of Fantasy. It cuts quickly to the darker vanilla-sugar heart and is also a touch less sweet and rich. On me, this lasts a good 7-8 hours, but it wears much closer to the skin than Pink Sugar so it's not going to attract as many compliments (or complaints) unless you reapply often. I love that it's a sweet scent that works in hot weather, and never feels inappropriate even in a professional setting. I've received multiple compliments on this from both genders. One minor criticism is they didn't put as much effort into the presentation despite the price being the same as original Pink Sugar. The box design is cheap-looking black lace print topped with a plain black lid, as opposed to the adorable textured pink swirls, cuter canister lid and bottle cap on original Pink Sugar.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums de Coeur - Sugar Vanilla Fantasy Body Spray
Anda 12/21/2012 12:56:00 AM
My cheapie, quickie fix for hot days when Serge Lutens' Un Bois Vanille is a little too thick and rich! Sugar Vanilla Fantasy contains vanilla, coconut milk, sugar cane, cedar and sandalwood. Despite the name, it's less sugary than the signature Vanilla Fantasy. This is warm and complex, and the vanilla doesn't overpower the milky coconut and the woods. I do wish it was a bit stronger because this can hardly be smelt unless you hold your nose to your skin. I own quite a few other Body Fantasies sprays so I know they are usually quite a bit stronger than this, but I guess the good point is it's not going to offend anyone if you reapply throughout the day. Besides, for such a cheap price, I feel almost bad talking about lack of projection.
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Fragrances -Parfums de Coeur - Raspberry Fantasy Body Spray
Anda 12/21/2012 12:46:00 AM
Juicy-sweet! I don't really pick out the individual notes (raspberry, apple, peach) and I'm not going to lie; it does smell vaguely synthetic, but in a Raspberry candy or sweet fruity shampoo kinda way. Not "plastic" and icky. Scent only lasts about 2 hours for me but - heck, at under $7 for a huge 8 oz bottle, I'm not exactly expecting Jo Malone, so I'll gladly give this a 4 since it delivers what it says it will. It's refreshing and comforting, and pretty nice for layering over any other scent when I want to "juice it up" a bit. Just 1 lippie off just because it's nice, but a pretty standard body splash. (And I prefer the old bottle.)
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - PAMELA ANDERSON MALIBU NIGHT PINK
Anda 12/19/2012 3:08:00 AM
Pretty darned good for something that costs about $30 online! I hate to say this but it DOES resemble Coco Mademoiselle, although it's a little less intense, and the drydown doesn't last as long. In and of itself, it's a sparkling fruit-and-champagne scent with a bite of patchouli to keep things from being overly girly. You can't really get any distinct cocoa or florals, and there isn't too much development as it dries down; everything just sort of amalgamates into one scent. I would have preferred it to have more of its own character instead of being a Coco M dupe. Still, this definitely smells far more chic than it might look. I don't love Coco M to begin with, so I obviously can't consider myself a huge fan of Malibu Night, but on the rare occasion when I just want a quickie sniff of a classy fruity/floral/patchouli, Pam Anderson's Malibu Night is all pleasure and no guilt, compared to plonking lots more cash on a bottle of Chanel that I will rarely touch.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Mariah Carey - 'M'
Anda 12/18/2012 11:44:00 PM
Very respectable and fresh take on a gourmand-floral scent, and I really don't find this generic-smelling AT all, although for some reason it does remind me of other amber-white-florals like Alien. Notes include: sea breeze, marshmallow, tiare flower, gardenia, amber, patchouli, Morrocan incense. The sea isn't so much salt as it is a soft ozonic freshness, and that disappears quickly. I personally find the marshmallow and fleshy tiare quite prominent, and these 2 notes stay throughout the scent's life on my skin. I think it's misleading for people to say this is a vanilla scent because it's not. There's a warmth and sweetness from the amber and marshmallow, but it's NOT vanilla. I also dislike heavy incense and patchouli, but surprisingly these notes are very soft here. As it dries down, soft wisps of these notes turn M into a plump, powdery, minty marshmallow. Girly, but smart!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Fantasy Britney spears
Anda 12/18/2012 10:52:00 PM
I am officially addicted to Fantasy despite being a past-30-year-old non girly-girl, and owning about 80 fragrances, most of which are niche and designer. -- Fantasy in a nutshell is tart fruits dipped in white chocolate frosting, paired with wispy florals and a low hum of sensual musk. I bought it on a whim as a cheap thrill and the combination initially smelt way too sweet and heady for me, so imagine my surprise when I started reaching past the Lutens and Malles and grabbing this over-the-top, crystal-studded magenta bottle daily. There's a strange waxy, fleshy butteriness (probably the orris) underpinning the intense sweetness, which I adore and haven't found in any other scent. Most scents wear close to the skin and don't last on my dry skin, but I'd say Fantasy is definitely better than average. My nose did adjust to the sweetness over time, and I no longer find it heavy or sugary although I try to remind myself that others still might. -- [Update] Pink Sugar Sensual is similar, but a touch less fruity and sweet, with a warmer brown-sugar note. I like both, but if you want something a little "quieter" and less girly than Fantasy, give PSS a try.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lolita Lempicka - Lolita Lempicka
Anda 12/13/2012 4:29:00 AM
I first bought and reviewed this almost 10 years ago. (Where has the time gone?!) It might be a foody comfort scent to many of you, but for an Asian born and bred in tropical Asia, you have to appreciate that Lolita Lempicka is completely exotic, almost overwhelmingly-rich, and stands miles apart from the countless watery aquatics and tiresome l’Eaus and Eaus and Legeres designed to make everyone in East Asia smell like we sleep in washing machines every night. I am obviously an anomaly, so of course I HAD to have a bottle of this. Along with Angel, Hypnotic Poison, Pink Sugar, Un Bois Vanille and all other manner of toothache-inducing scents. Lolita Lempicka is not something I wear often. The scents of licorice, ivy, violets, cherry liqueur, and almond liqueur are very much acquired tastes, so I only pull it out once in a long while like a fantastical gown that you wouldn’t wear every day. I can’t say I love this (else I’d wear it all the time), but there’s an alluring, macabre beauty to it, and I never want to be without a bottle. -- P.S. I don't quite love the bottle as much as everyone else seems to, simply because the spritzer is so finicky.
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Fragrances -Paco Rabanne - Black XS for Her
Anda 12/13/2012 3:01:00 AM
Tart, sweet and fun, but in no way immature. Black XS wasn’t marketed in Asia, so I’m not even sure what made me decide to pick it up but I’m glad I did. There’s a mix of the new (fruit, cocoa, patchouli) with some old school elements that seldom crop up in fragrances targeted at the younger set (violet, pepper). The result is an interesting blend of fresh, spicy, powdery and sweet. Black XS is sensual but neither a girly-girl scent, nor a bad-girl one. I always feel like I should put my hair up in a high ponytail and wear skin-tight jeans with stilettos when I smell this. I won’t say it’s ground-breaking or the most sophisticated thing in the world, but it’s a step up from the generic sugary scents, and I don’t really associate it with any age group in particular. (I find it quite strange to label types of smells as “young” or “old” when these stereotypes don’t translate across cultures at all. Wear it if you like it and just use a light hand when you’re in company!) Projection and and lasting power are both average compared to most of my other scents. Not a holy grail scent, but I’ll keep it on hand as long as I can keep finding it at good prices!
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Fragrances -Aquolina - Pink Sugar
Anda 12/11/2012 9:14:00 PM
Fun and a little naughty to wear but MOST definitely something you want to sample before buying, because the licorice and intense sweetness will turn a lot of people off. Notes: Bergamot, Sicilian orange, fig leaves, lily, liquorice blossom, red fruits, vanilla, caramel, woodsy and musky notes. Pink Sugar opens like a plump pillowy piece of sugary-sweet toasted marshmallow with all the brown and caramelized bits thrown in (courtesy of the dark tarriness of liquorice). Then it slowly softens into a cotton candy and bakery scent, with faint traces of fruit flavoring. In the far drydown, I detect a light powdered-sugar musk on my skin. -- Surprisingly good lasting power and great projection/sillage for an EDT. This outlasted other sweet scents like Fantasy, Can Can, and Comptoir Sud Pacifique vanillas. I’d resist the urge to spray on too much because it seems some peoples’ noses get used to it and they don't notice how strong it can be to others. P.S. Labeling a scent and its lovers "juvenile" or "old-lady" based on its smell is culturally-subjective and more than a bit close-minded, not to mention nonconstructive for the people trying to decide if they should try a product. It's either your taste or not. -- Alternatives: Body Fantasies Cotton Candy Fantasy - brighter, stronger strawberry Gale Hayman Delicious Cotton Candy - a little strong on the bergamot/citrus. Resembles a more plasticky Eau de Shalimar. L de Lolita Lempicka - emphasizes the orange, sugary-vanilla and slight spice tones of Pink Sugar; no cotton candy or burnt notes.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Britney Spears In Control
Anda 12/10/2012 4:23:00 AM
I have to say I like most of Britney’s fragrances, and this one was just ok. It’s pleasant but not distinctive enough for me to give it a high score or say it’s a must-buy. It also isn’t strong and doesn’t last, which I suppose makes it better for those with oilier skins who like soft skin-scents that won’t invade anyone’s space. I find the soft fruits apparent at the start, and hardly any flowers; then it’s replaced with a faint whisper of creamy vanilla, but underpinning everything is just that very dominant note of powdery musk, made even more powdery by the addition of tonka. I’m surprised so few people commented on it because this powdery note is extremely strong to me, and overpowers the darker, creamier vanilla facets that I’d been so looking forward to. I don’t dislike it but I won’t repurchase either, considering it disappears on me within a couple of hours.
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Fragrances -Chopard - Casmir by Chopard
Anda 12/10/2012 1:12:00 AM
If you like voluptuous sweet-oriental scents like Jessica Simpson Fancy, Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot or even Pink Sugar, but want to upgrade to something a little more classic and classy, Casmir is the grown-up cousin to those scents; familiar and sweet but with an edge of exoticism and animalic spice. On paper, this can smell cloying as all the notes hit you at once. It's only on the skin that Casmir unfurls in soft layers like a luscious dessert. The initial fruity burst is very syrupy and sweet with undertones of caramel-ey toasted marshmallows and an oud-like rubbery note that can turn some people off. If you get past the treacly sweetness in the opening, you get a gauzy, enveloping veil that's not JUST vanilla. The musky amber adds some smokiness and depth, but I find the tonka to stand out most of all, creating a soft powderiness that's almost chocolate-y. If you like rich, ambery vanillas with a pinch of spice and complexity, give this a sniff. If you can't take sweet, voluptuous scents, don't bother reading any further down the page. Lasting power is outstanding on my dry skin. Most scents weaken and disappear in about 2-3 hours for me but this has no problems lasting about 6-7 at a good scent strength before dying down to a soft sweet skin-musk for another couple of hours.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums de Coeur - Body Fantasies Cotton Candy
Anda 12/5/2012 9:08:00 PM
Body Fantasies Cotton Candy has official notes of cotton candy, vanilla, cane sugar, strawberry, raspberry, and musk. It isn't as complex or warm as Pink Sugar but this is a likeable and rather realistic candy scent. It's fruity and doesn't really have that heated-sugar feel to me, so I find it more like strawberry rock candy than cotton candy. After you let the alcohol diffuse a bit, you get a puff of powdered-sugar sweetness with strawberry flavoring. As it settles, the fruitiness dies down slightly but the scent doesn't evolve too much. Doesn't last a long time for me (maybe 2 hours before it becomes very faint on my dry skin) but the good news is it costs $6+ for 8oz so it's practically begging to be reapplied. I only just got into super-sweet fragrances and was surprised by just how much I liked this cheap little gem after all those expensive niche perfumes. Lasting power is better than other body splashes (Victoria's Secret, for one), scent stays true and doesn't turn on me or become plasticky. Sure it's not the most sophisticated thing in the world, but it's so fun to wear, FANTASTIC for the price, and smells delicious as long as you are light on the trigger. (It goes on strong at the start.) And what the heck; sometimes I need a mental and nasal break from the hoity-toity self-importance of all those Chanels and Frederic Malles, you know?
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No