Stick -Vichy - Dermablend Ultra Corrective Cream Stick
Argogirl 4/30/2013 11:29:00 PM
This is definitely my HG. Last year I gave my review on Vichy Dermablend concealer (which was my previous HG and was livid when it was discontinued.) When the beautician introduced me to it's replacement (Vichy Corrective Cream Stick) I was skeptical and raised and eyebrow. However, I gave it a chance. And I love it. I didn't think I could love something more than the concealer. But this really, really covers up my acne scars. I have now cleared my skin up with medication and hormonal treatments and I need less and less of this, but this kept me sane during the difficult months. My scars are very dark and this was the only thing that would cover it. It also has not triggered any more breakouts. My beauty routine is Maybelline BB Cream, then this to touch up under the eyes and any old scar areas, then cover with bronzer. I use it as a concealer but it can definitely be used as foundation in a pinch. The fact that it is easy to carry and apply is a bonus. For me, applying it directly to my face works. If I'm the only one using it, I'm not overly concerned with hygiene issues. It also truly is water-resistant. I can go in and out of the ocean and my makeup stays in place. However, it will fade with excessive sweating or towel rubbing...but it won't slide away at the first drop of water. It IS quite expensive. But it lasts quite a bit (depending on how much you use). In Canada one can purchase this at Shoppers Drug Mart so I usually wait until I get a $10 coupon or save up some points...but if none of those are available than I just cave and pick one up. I literally feel disjointed if I leave the house without this. Vichy I cursed you when you discontinued the concealer. But I take it all back because this is so awesome!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Maybelline - Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream
Argogirl 10/28/2012 9:49:00 PM
I really like this product. I put Neutrogena sunscreen lotion on my face every morning after I wash it so I thought why not substitute that with something with more coverage? I was skeptical about it matching my skin tone but Medium-Deep was perfect for me! (I am somewhere between J.Lo and Halle Barry in skin colour)...it doesn't cover a lot, but it does 'blur' inperfections, and I still use coverup and bronzer as I've always done, except starting with this instead of a plain ol' sunscreen just gives me a nice 'base'. Upon reading everyones' reviews however, I'm curious to try out other bb creams as this is my first time using one. Maybe the other ones are better. But I never expected a miracle product...I didn't expect it to replace foundation, I just expected it to be a glorified moisterizer with a bit of skin help (which it is). I didn't break out with this (and I have skin issues) and since using it I have gotten many compliments on my skin...from "you're glowing" to "have you had sex today?"...it made me look that radiant! Works for me! But I'll try others after I'm done this batch just to see what else is out there as I'm new to this whole BB cream world...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Clean - Summer Escape
Argogirl 7/16/2012 6:32:00 PM
I ordered this product from ebay on blind faith that I would like it since I enjoy many of the CLEAN products. The bottle was really pretty and the reviews favourable so I bit the bullet and went on blind faith. I figured I liked CLEAN smelling fragrances, and if you add the summer element, it could only get better, right? Mistake! I basically got Clinique Happy 2.0. Or Heart Happy. I dunno, it smells like one of those Clinique Happy scents...which I used to like but just outgrew a decade ago. So I'm a little irritated with myself for now having this full bottle that I will not use. However, I only have myself to blame. At least it was cheap on ebay! Anyways, if you like the CLEAN products you probably won't like this and vice versa...if you don't like CLEAN stuff, you'll probably like this. It really isn't an awful smell, it's just not what I was expecting. Bottle's cute though.
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Fragrances -Prada - Candy EDP
Argogirl 7/12/2012 12:52:00 AM
Weirdly addicted to this scent. Can't walk by the bottle without spraying it on my hand just for random sniffing (which is bad because I will be out before I know it and this stuff is EX-PEN-SIVE!!!) Like a grown up Pink Sugar. Prada Candy = Pink Sugar for grown folks. Not to turn off those people who don't like Pink Sugar -- just smell it and see. Sweet but not overbearing IMO. Sexy sweet. Bottle is very glamourous. I gave it low points on packaging because although the spray nozzle is unique and fab I CANNOT take it off to use my beloved Travalo!!!! Therefore, I cannot take this scent with me to touch up throughout the day...tis a crying shame. Lotion helps with staying power. Very expensive (even the samples are blasted expensive!) but -- worth it.:)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Revlon - Extra Life Top Coat
Argogirl 1/29/2012
Funny story -- my husband and I exchanged wish lists for stocking stuffers for Christmas. I made sure to include my HG nail treatment Rejuvacote on the list. Especially since I hate paying up to $18 dollars for it. Well, I found this Revlon top coat in my stocking instead. He said he couldn't find the other one. I acted grateful of course but inside I was so disappointed...great, another product I have to work my way through that will fail me and never live up to my expensive, elusive Rejuvacote. I tried it just to 'get it over with' expecting it to not work at all. Well, it wasn't until a week later that I looked down at my nails that I put through grief every day (I'm a primary school teacher) and noticed that there was not even one chip! In fact, I noticed that there was even a 'grow out' part at my nails that made it look like I had on Shellac!!!! Normally I have to re-do my nails every 2-3 days but I had this on for a week! I don't know if it was the other products I had on (I started with OPI Nail Strengthener, then Essie Nail Polish, then Revlon Extra Life No Chip Top Coat) that helped but they lasted incredibly long! I was very impressed! I mean, if this continues, I will never get Shellac again! Anyways, that's my story! My husband's mistake might have just introduced me to my new HG -- which is much cheaper and easier to apply! Hopefully it lasts with every other colour and continues to keep me chip-free!
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lolita Lempicka - Lolita Lempicka
Argogirl 1/20/2012 8:41:00 PM
I just tried this at Shoppers cuz it was on for $19.99 and people were making a big deal about that. Someone told me it had vanilla in it and being the gourmand lover that I am, thought I'd give it a whirl. Well, the one word for this fragrance is "complex". There are tons of notes in it...sometimes they feel like they are competing with one another. The vanilla, the licorice -- it's all a bit overwhelming. I didn't like it as the first thing I thought about was by the time I got in the car was "this is what people are talking about when they say they can't stand perfume"...like when places make the collective decision to become "fragrance free" I bet someone was wearing Lolita Lempicka. It's not that it smells 'bad' necessarily -- like a picture or person, some angle are good, some not so much...some whiffs are delicious, and some are overwhelming...there's just a lot going on here. I like clean fresh or gourmand fragrances -- this has the gourmand element but sort of overbearing. Be careful with this one.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Clean - Clean
Argogirl 11/2/2011 7:19:00 PM
I really don't understand all the hateration with this scent - yes it's going to smell CLEAN and to some people that is lemony and some people that is dryer sheet and some people that is soap. Since when was smelling simply clean a crime? Since when is the smell of soap 'offensive'? Why would people want to smell like soap you ask? When they don't want to smell like sexy musk or girlie flowers or sweet cupcake vanilla. In essence, this is IMO the perfect "career" perfume. You want to smell professional yet 'good' but not offend or seduce or entice or make hungry - you want to stand alone and not let your perfume speak for you. I'm a teacher and it's just perfect. I usually wear Clean Ultimate or Pure Grace and sometimes just CLEAN original, esp. on Interview Night. I can see a real estate agent in NYC wearing Clean, I can see dental hygienists, teachers, receptionists, accountants, etc. all wearing CLEAN, as when you work with people day to day you don't want to turn off and offend -- and I can't imagine who would be turned off by a clean smell. (??) Girls night, date night, parties, social affairs I wear something else -- but not because CLEAN would be inappropriate -- there are just more exciting choices I would rather rock on those occasions. Formal affairs, clubbing, is the time you bust out the sexy and sweet. But CLEAN would absolutely be ok as well. If CLEAN is too strong for you, CLEAN Ultimate has a little more depth, character, musk and sexiness -- but still smells clean. That may be the one for you if Original comes on too strong...and for the love of God, in both cases wait for the dry down!!! Geesh! It's also great for lazy days and cuddling.:) But it's the quissential work fragrance. I just don't understand why an attorney would want to smell like she is fist-pumping -- or why a doctor would want to smell like flowers. Or why at a funeral you would want to smell like vanillas and candy. All I'm saying is, there is a time and place for everything, and trust me, CLEAN (or clean smelling fragrances -- like Pure Grace, Sea Island Cotton from B&BW, etc.) all have a relevant place in a woman's fragrance collection, as it is not always appropriate to "make a statement" with your cologne but rather, you make the statement while you simply just smell clean and fresh. Period.
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Vichy - Dermablend Skin Concealer
Argogirl 8/12/2011 9:11:00 PM
Okay, because this stuff lasts forever, which is awesome (and I use it every day) only now am I starting to run out, only to find out it's discontinued??? WTF? I'm traumatized. This is the only concealor to work on my hyperpigmented skin (due to acne breakouts). And I'm not talking little red marks -- I have tan skin somewhere between J.Lo's and Halle Berry's skin colour, so when I scar I scar DARK. Dark brown marks. Like I have chocolate smears on my face. Bad. This stuff lasts forever and yes does last all day! I think I was at a pool party and while I didn't dunk my head in, I did get splashed and the coverage remained! So I was used to 30 Medium and what aggravates me is that the people at Vichy completely changed the number system for the new 'stick' concealor. I had to guess and sample and ended up buying 16 Bronze (in the stick). Found the phone number on the box and called, asked what the equivalent was to 30 Medium only to find out it is No.15 (Sand?). Just as an FYI to those of you who need a replacement for 30 Medium. If you are unsure call the customer service line. So now I'm stuck with 16 Bronze but so far it looks good. It's only been a day and the coverage has been the same -- and while I love the stick idea I am a little uncertain as to the hygenic issue -- if I use a stick to cover a blemish, with I be spreading the bacteria around when I use the stick on another side of my face? Vichy claims it won't be an issue but -- we'll see. Stay tuned. If you find this concealor anywhere, snag it. It is the only thing that really worked, regained my confidence, covered for a long time and will cover dark marks well. Yes it's expensive but it lasts forever so it's more than worth it. Stay tuned for a review of the stick cover up -- hope it doesn't let me down. I will never understand why companies get rid of things that *work*. Le sigh.
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Nails -Unlisted Brand - Duri-Rejuvacote
Argogirl 4/20/2011 5:46:00 PM
I was an avid nail biter all my life--nothing could stop me except acrylics. I wore those for about 15 years until I started getting tired of going to get a 'fill' all the time--2 hours of my life every two weeks. My friend recommended Rejuvacote to help me transition from fake to real nails. I dismissed her until she bought me a bottle. I applied as directed and my nails were so smooth and firm I had no urge to bite and had nice looking natural nails for the first time in my life! However, I went on a cruise and forgot to bring my rejuvacote--didn't really think I needed it since my nails were looking so good. After the cruise I couldn't find it when I got home and just started using Sally Hansen Instant Nail Hardner as a (poor) substitute. Little by little, one by one over the coming weeks my nail started chipping and peeling, and getting snagged on things...If I didn't have a nail file nearby guess how I would eliminate this irritation...biting! Next thing you know I was in the vicious cycle of biting again. The snagging, peeling and hangnails just wouldn't stop, regardless of what type of "topcoat" or "hardeners" I used. I began to co-relate that the one and only time that my nails looked good and were strong enough to grow out was when I was using Rejuvacote. I began to tear the house upside down trying to find the damn thing. When I found it I remembered it was almost finished (which is why I didn't make it a priority to bring it on the cruise). I then had to stand there and wait for it to "fall" onto the nail brush so I could put it on my nails until the new batch I ordered from eBay arrived. Moral of the story: I'm officially an addict. This stuff works great, but unfortunately you are dependent on using it for like, basically forever because a) when you stop using it your nails go back to their regular state which may or may not be crap and b) every other nail product will pale in comparison, so don't even think of building your nails up to a healthy strong place and trying to "maintain" with something cheaper and/or of less quality. So this stuff works, but I feel like I might as well buy stocks in this stuff since it seems like I'm going to be a lifelong user. As for the cost, I got two bottles for the price of one on eBay. Yes I said two. This stuff now has to always have a surplus in my house like toilet paper and dishwashing soap.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Victoria's Secret - Island Escape Daily Moisture Body Lotion
Argogirl 4/7/2011 1:13:00 AM
A great layer-er with Lollia's Wish Sugared Pastille!!! Their lotion is way too expensive for everyday use and is in this silly metal tube...buy this instead and save your money. Feels good and smells good!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Lollia Wish
Argogirl 4/7/2011 1:07:00 AM
Wow, I love reading how everybody interprets this product...everything from bananas to pepper to creamsicles to aquatic? That should tell you something about how special this scent is... This scent makes me feel good, but it might be a matter of association that influences me as well...you see, I was in Miami for a bachelorette and staying at a boutique upscale hotel...while browsing around and trying out the perfumes, Lollia "Wish" caught my eye since it said "Sugared Pastille " (what is that anyways) and being the gourmand that I am, I was naturally drawn to it. Well, everytime I went in or out of the hotel I ended up sampling it (wanted to make sure it wasn't a one-time thing)...I ended up dousing myself with it our last night. One of the girls in the party with us who is lets say, exposed to the finer things, wouldn't stop smelling my hand all night...she kept asking me if it was a "French" perfume as they have better quality scents (???) and she was just going bananas for it. That sealed the deal for me. I bought it the next day (along with the lotion) as she had great style and if she liked it, then I knew I was on to something! So when I smell this I smile because it reminds me of nights partying in Miami...but that's just me. I don't have any specific or wacky 'notes' to mention, all i can say is that it smells sweet and soft. There is something beachy about it...and on that note I would like to introduce you to it's dupe, Victoria's Secret Island Escape Beachy Coconut and Sugarcane. They both have a beachy-sweet quality to them (an odd combination on paper, but it seems to work!). I mention this because I alternate between this lotion and the Lollia one (what is with that tube?) just because the lotion is so expensive. Provides a great base for this perfume. Before I discovered the Travel-O I would start out wearing Wish during the day and touch up with a travel size Island Escape throughout the day. In any case, try out Island Escape and if you like it, Wish is like a higher-end smelling version of it, so give it a whirl...because it's nice to wear something that a) not everyone and their dog is wearing (hello Marc Jacobs Daisy!) b) something sweet and soft and non-intrusive and c) sweet enough for those who like gourmand, but not in an overbearing way like Pink Sugar, and d) there are many dimensions to this scent, which adds to it's sophistication. I paid $57 + tax for this so I don't know where everyone is getting $40 something dollars from...so more power to ya. I just found that to be expensive. And as lovely as the bottle is, I'm not a fan of the squat glass bottle style...I find it very cumbersome to use, and takes up a lot of space on the vanity. And with the bottle being so pretty with it's ice blue design and cute little bees, I would love for it to be taller so it could be more visible :) Just try it and see...but if you don't like it, that's fine...just means it's more exclusive for the rest of us who do!! ;)
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sally Hansen - Diamond Strength - Nude Shimmer
Argogirl 3/9/2011 7:29:00 PM
This is a nice neutral shimmer that has a slight pink undertone--very nice!! Unfortunately the chipproofness is inconsistent--sometimes I get a couple days without chips, sometimes I will get a chip the next day...I think that might depend on how active I am. Still, a very nice look that compliments almost every look and outfit--perfect for work. So I will repurchase again.
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Fragrances -Victoria's Secret - Breathless
Argogirl 3/8/2011 10:28:00 PM
I got this in a gift set--just a mini. I do NOT, absolutely do NOT get anything 'soapy' from this...or creme. Or powder. Which is surprising because most people mention those notes. I get florals and musk--and ok, I guess 'beachy'...I can get that. I'm more into gourmand and clean fragrances which is why I said I would not purchase again (and also because it's discontinued). I find this to be a very sexy fragrance--like I can't imagine it smelling appropriate on someone under 21. Something about it smells 'mature' . Reminds me a teeny tiny bit of Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess. Anyways, what I do like about it is that it is unique smelling (to me at least) so it's a good choice if you want to smell sophisticated and sexy without smelling like everyone else out there. It just doesn't excite me for some reason, but I like to keep it around as it breaks up the monotany of my other fragrances...but that's it.
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Fragrances -Versace - BRIGHT CRYSTAL
Argogirl 3/8/2011 1:56:00 AM
Really wanted to love this ...loves Versace, anything "bright" and anything "crystal". Bottle and perfume colour is gorgeous. After reading the reviews here, seemed like a no brainer...wrong! There something about this that literally burns the back of my throat...like literally. Almost makes me gag. Smells old, un-interesting and CHEAP...like something trashy people would wear...BUT to each their own...I am clearly in the minority here...so maybe it's just my taste or my body chemistry. But now I have a mini-bottle of this that looks GREAT with my perfume collection but has a scent that I am literally embarrassed to wear!! But to each their own. Just try it before you buy it--just because it wasn't a love connection for me doesn't mean it won't be a love connection for you.
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Mascara -Clinique - High Impact Mascara
Argogirl 2/1/2011 1:14:00 PM
I got this mascara as a gift along with some other makeup and I'm so glad I didn't pay money for it!!! I find the applicator cumbersome and this is the only mascara that every time I use it I manage to get some on my eyelids!!!! I don't find any difference in lengthening, maybe a touch thicker...but nothing worth writing to home to mom about. My lashes just stick together and it's a pain in the rear to get a clean application. I perused the reviews and it seems like many people like it...maybe I got a bad one? All I know is I can't stand it...does nothing for me. I do agree with the reviewer who said it's good if you don't want a lot of 'drama'...I'd use the Maybelline "Falsies" for that...
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