Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara
Blubird23 2/6/2013 7:14:00 PM
This is currently my favorite mascara. My lashes are not the longest or thickest and they grow straight out so I absolutely have to curl them and use a mascara that holds curl and adds volume and length. This mascara is the best I have found so far for keeping the curl in my lashes, adding volume and lengthening. It doesn't clump or flake or cause racoon eyes. It also washes off easily and completely (with oil cleanser or makeup remover) unlike some waterproof mascaras which don't seem to budge.
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Sunscreen -Eucerin - Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion - Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen - 4.0 FL. OZ. 118mL
Blubird23 6/27/2012 5:18:00 PM
Honestly, I'm torn on how to review this product. This is a good everyday moisturizer with sunscreen. The PPD isn't terribly high so I use it as an everyday product rather than depend on it for prolonged sun exposure (I live in Seattle so I don't get much sun on a daily basis.) My main issue is the same that I have had with every sunscreen product I've ever tried. 1/4 teaspoon is just a ton of product to slather on your face especially if you expect to put makeup over it. One pump of this would be the perfect amount but it takes 3 pumps to get 1/4 tsp (which is the amount required for your face to get the labelled SPF.) with this much product, every moisturizing/ SPF product I've tried becomes too heavy and does not play well with makeup so I don't think its fair to mark this down too much because of that. Pros: doesn't break me out, doesn't dry out skin or require extra moisture, SPF 30, convenient pump bottle, inexpensive Cons: greasy and non-absorbent when required amount is applied, UVA protection could be better I love Eucerin everyday for being the only sunscreen that doesn't break me out and for keeping me protected from incidental exposure, I just wish they could find a way to make it absorb better.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Honey
Blubird23 6/27/2012 4:51:00 PM
I got this in Honey which seemed like a nice MLBB shade and the balm stain idea was appealing because I'm pretty lazy about reapplying lip products. When I first put it on it looked lovely. It subtly enhanced my lips without being too shiny, a nice peachy nude color with my NW 20ish skin (this is a rough guess for reference.) When my boyfriend got home about an hour later the first thing he said was "whoa I like your bright pink lipstick!" I checked the mirror and realized that the nude/brown tones had dissapeared as the creamy part had worn off leaving behind a bright salmon pink stain. It's not terrible but it kind of defeats the purpose of a long wearing product if it only looks good when first applied. I might try one of these in a color that stains more berry because I like the product I just wouldn't repurchase it in Honey. Also, while I like the long wearing stain part, the moisture doesn't last so if my lips are feeling really dry, I have to apply some more balm over it, again kind of defeating the purpose.
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Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
Blubird23 6/27/2012 4:16:00 PM
I have used the Colorstay liquid foundation (normal/oily) for years but I'm not 100% in love with it so every once in a while I go searching for something else. I'm mostly limited by being very acne prone, almost everything breaks me out. What I like about the CS lquid: does not break me out, stays put all day, and doesn't rub off on clothing. What I hoped the mousse would improve upon: better finish (liquid can make skin a little dull looking), and less drying. I also hoped it would feel a bit less heavy and mask- like on the skin. While I do think this felt less heavy on, it felt stickier than the liquid and it seemed to take more product to get as much coverage. It's decently long wearing but got a little patchy by the end of the day. This broke me out within a day so it's definitely not safe to assume that if the liquid works for you the whipped will too. This didn't agree with my skin so I would not repurchase for that reason, but overall it just didn't wow me enough to consider buying it again even if I had not broken out from it. The color range is limited, even more limited than the CS liquid and I got 150 Buff which is the closest to my skin but still seems a bit grey in both formulations. The packaging of the CS whipped is even more ridiculous than the much hated pump-less bottle of the liquid foundation. A huge, heavy glass jar with only 0.8 oz. of product (compared to 1 oz. of the liquid.) I get what Revlon is going for here, the jar makes it seem higher end and people like dipping into a bouncy, mousse-y, nice feeling product but realistically, I am not going to carry that thing around in my makeup bag.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Clinique - Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Black Honey
Blubird23 3/1/2012 6:49:00 PM
I tried the black honey almost lipstick years ago and didn't really like the color on me. Well, either my taste has changed or I just look better with a sheerer version but I love this gloss! The color is a pretty, sheer reddish brown and it's great for everyday. About a year ago I had a terrible reaction to a face wash I am now prone to eczema ON my lips. It's very hard to treat and I can't use most of my old glosses (RIP NARS collection.) Luckily, I can use this with no problems and as a bonus it actually does soften my lips unlike other moisturizing glosses I've tried.
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Lip Treatments -Clinique - Superbalm Lip Treatment
Blubird23 3/1/2012 6:32:00 PM
I got this when aquaphor, my old HG lip balm started giving me gross lip breakouts. I was looking for something similar without lanolin or lanolin alcohol both of which my skin seems to hate. This is a decent lip balm, it is thicker and stickier and doesn't moisturize quite as well as aquaphor but it does help with very chapped lips. It seems better as an occlusive layer than a moisturizer so sometimes at night I rub Cerave cream on my lips and seal it with superbalm. It is also very shiny for a balm and a little goes a long way. My main complaint is the tiny tube. For $14 I expect more than 0.25 oz. It looks like it belongs in one of Cliniques's bonus packages. I got the black honey tinted superbalm a few weeks after I tried this one and I was surprised that its twice as big and for only $1 more! It also seems a little more moisturizing than the plain one. I will repurchase but I'll stick with the tinted gloss versions
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Sunscreen -Clarins - (New Formula) UV Plus Day Screen SPF 40 High Protection with E3P
Blubird23 11/29/2011 9:07:00 PM
An SA at sephora insisted I try this when I went in looking for some Shiseido samples. I've never been interested in Clarins products, they just seemed too fragranced and potentially irritating and pore clogging for my picky skin but I will try any potential sunscreen candidate so I got some samples. First off it is very fragranced, I know this doesn't bother some people, but I hate feeling like I am rubbing perfume on my face and knowing there is a good chance my skin won't like it. The finish was very nice, it felt light on my skin, and left a bit of a white cast but nothing that isn't manageable. I broke out after a few test runs using this so it goes onto my (long) "no" list of sunscreens. This is a physical sunscreen with titanium dioxide as the only filter so it probably doesn't have the best UVA protection but TiO2 is also the only filter I know for sure my skin tolerates so I would probably have used this if it hadn't caused breakouts.
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Moisturizers -Aveeno - Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
Blubird23 11/29/2011 8:44:00 PM
I did not think this was a terrible product. Yes it smells and feels like sunscreen but it has SPF 30 and chemical sunscreens so I don't think that's surprising. It is a little greasy and has a fairly shiny finish that can be toned down with powder. Overall I could have tolerated using this everyday if it didn't break me out but like every sunscreen I've tried it did.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Plus Smoothing Essentials Fast Absorbing Lotion
Blubird23 11/29/2011 8:37:00 PM
I love this lotion! My legs get so itchy and dry in the winter and the only thing that keeps gross, scaly eczema patches away is a good moisturizer. I have tried a TON of lotions and creams and currently this is my favorite (I say currently because product formulations and my skin's preferences both tend to change too often for me to have an HG for very long.) This is very moisturizing and not at all greasy. It sinks in easily, and leaves my extremely soft all day long. Most important my itching is minimal and my skin tone looks better after using this for a few weeks (I think there is some light exfoliation from the lactic acid in the product.) This lotion is unscented and I don't love the smell but it's very faint and doesn't linger on the skin.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Dry Skin Therapy Calming Creme
Blubird23 11/29/2011 8:22:00 PM
I use this as a hand cream because I hate the greasy feeling of most hand creams. This cream could be a little more moisturizing but it sinks right in and is very soothing on my knuckles which can get dry, itchy and cracked. Also, you can find the travel sizes in almost every drugstore so it's convenient. I have about 4 or 5 little tubes in my bags and around the house and a big tube I use sometimes for a body moisturizer although I have other lotions and creams I like better. Also it's unscented which is nice for sensitive skin types.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Blubird23 11/29/2011 8:07:00 PM
I always have this on hand, it's an absolute staple. Yes, it is just souped up vaseline but the extra ingredients seem to give it a boost and make it stand on it's own as a great moisturizing product whereas Vaseline is best as an occlusive to layer over another moisturizer. This is the only thing I can use when my lips get very dry, irritated and chapped, it's hard to find a lip treatment with no flavor, SPF, scent or other irritants (I prefer regular aquaphor over the lip specific version.) This also makes a great night time eye treatment, I always wake up looking very refreshed when I use this on my eyes. What makes me love aquaphor the most though is that it is so effective in treating little facial eczema patches that pop up occasionally when my skin doesn't like a new product. I have had the big tube but I prefer the two pack of smaller tubes because I use this mainly for lips.
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Sunscreen -Shiseido - Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 PA+++ [DISCONTINUED]
Blubird23 11/29/2011 6:04:00 PM
I hate to admit it, but I don't wear sunscreen every day. I have not been able to find ONE sunscreen that does not break me out. I had high hopes for this one because it's easy to find at Sephora, Nordstom, etc., a little pricier than I'd prefer (but still much cheaper than paying for procedures to get rid of sun damage in the future.) Other advantages are no -benzones, partly physical and it has good protection. I am usually good about patch testing but I got excited and slathered this all over my face as soon as I got a sample. I thought the finish was okay (although someone told me I was missing my usual glow,) it felt a little heavy on but tolerable and it wasn't too whitening. Unfortunately it only took about two uses and I got a horrible cystic breakout that lasted over a month (my skin was mostly clear before that.) When my skin cleared, I patch tested on my forehead again just to be sure and I got a cyst on my temple where I never normally break out. My search continues, I would definitely recommend this sunscreen to someone with less crazy skin though, everyone's skin tolerates different things, and I would be wearing this if I could!
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Treatments -DDF - Benzoyl Peroxide Gel 5% with Tea Tree Oil
Blubird23 11/26/2011 3:49:00 AM
So far, I really like this product. My skin has always responded best to BP out of all of the topical acne treatments but I have to be careful not to use it too often or it seems to either lose effectiveness after a while or cause irritation and then more breakouts. I use this only to treat spots or small areas (not to prevent, too drying) and on top of a good moisturizer to help minimize irritation. I've noticed better healing times while using this and also the red marks seem to fade a little faster. I think it's odd that this product comes in such a big tube- 2 oz of product is a lot for what is essentially a spot treatment (the directions say "affected areas" so I am assuming that it's meant for spot treating and not slathering over your entire face.) The price ($34) seems high compared to other similar products, but it's the big tube that drives the price up so it ends up costing about the same per oz. as similar products from Murad, Clinique etc.
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Cleansers -Aveeno - Moisturizing Bar
Blubird23 11/26/2011 2:47:00 AM
I didn't like this for my face, it felt too drying and scratchy but I do like this for a body soap. This soap doesn't really add any moisture (especially if you're used to body washes that double as lotions) but it doesn't dry you out either and it's kind of grainy so it gives a little exfoliation. Mostly I like that it's mild and unscented, seems to help the dreaded body breakouts and it doesn't flare my eczema. Plus it's cheap and easy to find in most drugstores. My one complaint is that it doesn't seem to last very long compared to most bar soaps, maybe because it doesn't lather much so it seems like you end up using more product.
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Cleansers -Aveeno - Clear Complexion Cleansing Bar
Blubird23 11/26/2011 2:11:00 AM
I'm glad I didn't try this on my face, I bought it for my back and chest which sometimes break out a little. When I got this I had been using Neutrogena body clear washes which were very drying and ineffective and I was hoping this would be more gentle. Unfortunately, I found this very harsh, drying and irritating and I had to stop using it after only a couple of days. It did not help breakouts at all. I would not repurchase or recommend this, there are much better products out there for acne prone skin.
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