Skincare - Body -Banana Boat - After Sun Lotion with Aloe
Belladonna 4/25/2012 5:41:00 AM
After reading rave reviews here (85%? really?) and getting the worst sunburn I've had in a really long time, I picked this up and I cant even comment on its efficacy because I can't get past the smell. It is a horrible, dated, stale and overpowering perfume-y smell that has no relation to: Bananas, Boats, Beaches, Water, Aloe, Sunshine, Summer, Cocoa Butter, Coconuts, Suntan Lotion or anything even remotely what you would expect. It's awful and it lingers. If I wasn't exhausted, I would have showered it off just to get away from the smell, it's making me nauseous:( So even if this works amazingly well for sunburn, I'd rather suffer without.
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Mascara -Tarte - Lights Camera Lashes
Belladonna 1/2/2012 11:31:00 PM
I received a mini of this in a Glam Bag so maybe it was old or a different formula but this is pretty much the worst mascara I have ever tried. After about 4-6 hours it all flakes off, as in obvious flakes of mascara..on your face! It irritated my eyes too which was very unexpected. There are *plenty* of drugstore mascaras that easily out perform this so don't waste your time of your $$.
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Concealers -Milani - HD Advance Concealer
Belladonna 8/3/2011 5:00:00 AM
I was a loyal YSL Touche Eclat / Radiant Touch user for many years but have tried to be more "thrifty" lately. Fortunately this is identical to YSL, honestly if you covered the logo I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, at all. The shades, consistency, packing etc, all identical only the Milani is about 1/3 the cost. If there was a noticeable quality difference I would probably still splurge on the YSL but since there isn't, I don't have to. Yay!
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Double Extend Waterproof
Belladonna 6/4/2011 3:07:00 AM
I love this mascara and here's why: I started surfing and was desperately searching for a waterproof mascara that was actually waterproof so when I get out of the water I don't look freakishly pale. Everything else I'd tried left smudges under my eyes and tubing mascaras left horrible black "tubes" hanging off of my lashes, which actually looks much worse than a smudge. I have blonde lashes so for me to look normal and not scary pale I HAVE TO wear mascara, seriously. I get my lashes tinted which helps but its not the same as wearing mascara. I asked my aesthetician for recs and her client, who is a swim teacher, uses this and it works!!!!!!! Also it gives you pretty glam-y huge lashes. So while its not the best mascara out there, a bit clumpy, tiny amount of product for the price and impossible to remove, it works for me. Also a tube lasts 1-2 months tops, it goes bad quick. I would only rec this to someone like me who needs a mascara that really, really stays put.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Dr. Brandt - Pores No More
Belladonna 4/8/2011 11:24:00 PM
This really should be in the "Primer/Corrector" category because in no way is this a treatment, it's a primer. So if you are looking for a primer, keep reading. This is an amazing holy grail life changing product (ok maybe life changing is a stretch). I have good skin but some larger noticeable pores on my nose which drive me nuts. I have tried so many primers: Cargo Blu Ray, Clinique Pore Refiner, L'Oreal Studio Secrets, Too Faced, Smashbox, Mac Prep & Prime, MUFE, YSL Top Secrets and even Monistat chafing gel. Did I miss anything? You get the point, I've tried them all and this is the only one that has held up. I adore this. Its just a great mattifying primer, with a slight tea tree scent, It is slightly drying but that works for me. The only other primer that has even come close is Cargo Blu Ray. If they ever decide to discontinue this I will buy a closet full.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
Belladonna 4/7/2010 3:55:00 PM
So far this is wonderful and might I say 100x better than Clinique Pore Minimizer. The consistency is very thick and fluffy so I only use it where I really need it which is the sides of my nose. It covers my ginormo pores perfectly. I really cant see using this on my entire face, it seems much to heavy but for smaller "problem areas" it's perfect. AND it wears very well. I am not sure if this is HG yet, need to give it another week or so.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -NARS - Lip Stain Gloss in Indian Red
Belladonna 2/17/2010 3:06:00 PM
I LOVE THIS!! I have been searching for the perfect red lip for forever and the perfect red lipstain? Thats pretty much impossible to find. This is my holy grail lip product. Somehow they were able to create a lipstain that is the perfect consistency, wears well and is the perfect shade of red (not too dark, not too bright, not too pink and not too orange). Don't let the name fool you either, I hate lipgloss but this is not glossy at all. It gives me the perfect matte red lip. I bought two but am planning on buying *at least* a couple more just in case. Also it is very difficult to find and if they ever discontinue this I will be heartbroken.
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Hair -Bumble & Bumble - Hair Powder
Belladonna 10/23/2009 3:15:00 PM
My stylist sells Bumble & Bumble, and she has shown me how to use it to get the results that I want. I purchase this solely as a styling product, not as an alternative to washing or hair refresher (I am loyal to Oscar Blandi Hair Powder for that). This product is perfect for lots of volume! If you tease your hair or need some oompf, this is the product. It gives your hair grip and texture. You need to go easy on it though or it turns into a mess. I have the white powder and don't have any problems with transfer *but* I also have the red powder and it gets all over the bathroom, your collar, pretty much everything. Even if you have darker hair, I would still recommend the white powder. Yes it's pricey but you only need a little bit and it's not the kind of product I need to use often.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - One n' Only - Argan Oil Treatment
Belladonna 10/13/2009 1:15:00 PM
This was advertised in the Sally's flyer as "Compare to Moroccan Oil" and since I've been meaning to try Moroccan Oil anyway, I decided to give this a try. The ingredients are almost identical, Moroccan Oil contains as many synthetic ingredients as this knock off. I actually loved this. It made my hair smoother and softer (as 'cones are prone to do) and smelled nice. So if you have been thinking about trying the real deal, this is a much cheaper way to test drive it. I can't imagine the real Moroccan Oil being that much different but since I like fancy hair products, I will be checking out the real thing too. Ingredients:
Moroccan Oil:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Butylphenyl, MethylPropional, Argania Spinoza Kernal Oil (Aragan Oil), Linseed (Linum Usitatissimum) Extract, Fragrance Supplement, D&C Yellow-11, D&C Red-17, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
One n' Only:
Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Fragrance (Parfum), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Yellow 11 (CI 47000), Red 17 (CI 26100)
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara in Black
Belladonna 3/31/2009 5:24:00 PM
I love, love, love tubing mascara and feel compelled to try every single one of them. I was hesitant based on the reviews here but then realized that it seems like a lot of people are not familar with tubing mascara, how they work and what the end result will be.
That said, this stuff is great. It's definitely on par with Blinc Kiss Me mascara (my HG) and much, much better than Clinique Lash Power. A major bonus is that it was only around $10 compared to $24 for Kiss Me.
Pros:
Stays put, no flaking or smudging. Super easy to remove. Creates more length.
Cons:
Small tube, not a huge amount of product. Two step application process which is time consuming. Not ideal if you need a lot of volume.
I'm really happy with this so far and will definitely repurchase. If you are like me and love Kiss Me, I'm pretty sure you will love this.
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Concealers -L'Oreal - Infallible Concealer
Belladonna 3/27/2009 7:54:00 PM
I love this concealer. Its definitely in my top 2 and I go back and forth between this an Physician Formula Conceal Rx. The lightest shade has a slightly yellowish cast that cancels out any redness, which is my main issue. It also blends incredibly well and makes my skin appear flawless. Also used over a tiny bit of primer this makes my pores invisible. The packaging is super crappy though and the tube that contains the actual product came loose from the outer package:( This doesn't hold quite as well as the conceal Rx but it looks *so* much better. I really hope this isn't discontinued because I haven't been able to find it anywhere.
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Lipstick -New York Color - Ultra Moist Lip Wear Retro Red 308B
Belladonna 3/27/2009 6:31:00 PM
Love it!! I'm already hooked on Sheer Red (thanks to MUA) and after reading the glowing reviews here and on the Makeup board I decided to give this one a try too. I mean for $1.99 even if it didn't work it wouldn't be a big deal. But it's wonderful! A gorgeous, glamorous retro style RED red. I wasn't sure I could pull it off but for going out or rockin' certain outfits Retro Red is perfect. For reference I'm a PPP, freckled with strawberry blonde hair.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Bumble & Bumble - color support for true reds
Belladonna 2/28/2009 1:25:00 PM
I hated this conditioner. It's hard to keep dyed red hair fresh so I was hoping this might give it a bit of "oomph" in between. Well no actually, I noticed no color change whatsoever. It also really weighed my hair down, in a dirty, mangy way. But the worst thing was the smell, truly disgusting. I couldn't stand to be around myself after using it. And the scent is so strong it didn't really dissipate. I strongly, strongly do NOT recommend this conditioner.
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Foundations -L'Oreal - Quickstick Foundation [DISCONTINUED]
Belladonna 2/25/2009 4:16:00 PM
I think this might be discontinued which is very unfortunate, I'm going to have to hunt it down on ebay. So this is just another amazing product I randomly found while surfing on MUA. Typically I wear concealer and powder foundation only but something about the reviews for this made me think it might be something I should try. I have combo skin with a shiny T-zone and some redness on my nose and chin. This works amazingly well. I can actually skip concealer and just use this with a tiny bit of power (or not!) and I'm good to go. It makes my skin look great! Love it!! Also I'm a PPP and use the second lightest shade, I bought both and the lightest is way too light for me.
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Concealers -Physicians Formula - Conceal RX
Belladonna 2/25/2009 4:08:00 PM
Pretty much the best concealer ever. It has great coverage and more importantly for me, it has grip and does not slide off halfway though the day. I just love this:)
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