Fragrances -Gres - Cabochard
Booksniffer 5/7/2007 2:30:00 PM
If you ask me, this is more a smell than a fragrance, which is probably why I like it so much. Neither flowery nor spicy, it is definitely woody and smoky. And green too, although in a very quiet, even mysterious way. More mountain forest than English garden. The cedar brings back memories of primary school : wooden floors, ink, pencils... It has got citrus notes as well, and they kind of add life to this otherwise rather nostalgic, contemplative and introverted fragrance. This is a winter fragrance, great with tweeds and leather. Unfortunately, due to my wretched skin chemistry, it only smells nice on me between april and september.And it is difficlult to team this one with jeans and tank tops ! It is incredibly elegant ! I am sure most men would enjoy wearing it. I wish I knew the original formulation.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Weleda - Edelweiss Sun Cream SPF 20
Booksniffer 4/5/2007 7:45:00 AM
My skin is normal to dry and I can use this as a day cream. It feels really nice on the skin, not sticky like chemical sunscreens do.It lets your face breathe.Weleda products sometimes have a strong smell of essential oils, but this one doesn't. It leaves a white cast, but it is not that bad compared with other sunscreens.It is not the one I will rely on when I know I am going to spend several hours in the sun though. I will choose something with a higher SPF and a chemical sunscreen ( more effective protection against UVA).But on a daily basis, this is perfect. Natural ingredients and not tested on animals.It is alright as a make up base ( Most of the time I only wear concealer and powder).
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Concealers -Helena Rubinstein - Magic Concealer
Booksniffer 4/1/2007 5:43:00 AM
I bought this because the chamomile extract is supposed to fight puffiness, and I tend to have eyes that are half their normal size when I wake up!!! Well,though it doesn't help much from that point of view, I must say this is the best concealer I have tried so far.It covers dark shadows and redness, thread veins etc... perfectly without leaving any layer on the skin. Doesn't cake, doesn't crease, powdering is superfluous because the result is a matte yet luminous finish.Unless I exert myself or it is very warm I hardly need a touch up before mid afternoon.I like that it comes in a tube. I think it is more hygienic than stick concealers.Don't let the price tag stop you, even if you hate spending a lot on make up, because you need so little that the 15ml tube lasts for ever.One thing I would complain about is that the colour selection could be extended. There are only 3 shades available and I don't think darker skins will find a suitable one.It is very similar to La Roche Posay fine film concealer, and it is no surprise since LRP and HR are both branches of l'Oreal.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Unlisted Brand - Sugar
Booksniffer 3/30/2007 12:15:00 PM
One year ago I read somewhere that sea salt is a great body scrub. I tried it and have never looked back.Yet I have never been able to use it on my decollete. I find it painful there and it leaves me with unsightly scratches, no matter how careful I am.That is when I started to experiment with the 'sugar scrub'.So effective and so cheap ! No chemicals, not tested on animals, no plastic bottle or tube...In fact it is so cheap that I make sure I use real good quality sugar, like whole cane sugar ( mine is from fair trade).It is high in minerals and trace elements, plus it is much more gentle because it is finer.Sometimes I mix it with baby cleansing milk and use it on my face, neck and decollete. I follow wih a pink clay mask and then a few drops of natural oil.I have sensitive , normal to dry skin, so I do this only about once in a fortnight ( but I scrub my body with sea salt once a week).
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Nivea - Visage Sensitive Balance day care for sensitive skin [DISCONTINUED]
Booksniffer 3/29/2007 1:23:00 PM
I have tried many anti redness creams ( REALLY many), and have come to the conclusion that skin care alone can't actually cure rosacea.But I am aware that whereas some products don't help or even make things worse, others do help a little.Nivea sensitive balance moisturizer is one of them.And the best value for money ( under 9€).After only one week, my skin started to react much less to temperature changes. It contains licorice, just like the Eucerin anti redness range. In fact, Nivea and Eucerin are both branches of Beiersdorf, and some of their products are very similar ( The Q10 moisturizers ).Eucerin is only more expensive ( only available through chemists in this country).By the way, it happens to be the case with Roc and Evian as well ( both owned by johnson-Johnson).
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Maybelline - Cover Stick
Booksniffer 3/28/2007 7:26:00 AM
I couldn't find anything wrong with this until I realised that it causes irritation.It always happens when I use it, always where I use it...A pity 'cause it does a great job otherwise. I have been luckier with Nivea Stay on cover stick, which I recommend.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Avene - Tolerance Extreme Anti-irritating Soothing Cream
Booksniffer 3/26/2007 12:12:00 PM
I agree with the reviewers who rave about this.When you come to think of it, it is more than a little strange to see how a cream with a minimum of the simplest ingredients ends up been better than the others at rescuing your skin when it can't take anymore. Just goes to show that the skin only needs to be left alone sometimes so that it can look after itself and heal. Definitely useful.And a good make up base actually, not one of those terribly sticky medicated creams. They say you should chuck the little tube after 3 days (no presevatives), but I keep it for five days. A bit pricey, though, but you're not supposed to use this all year round.When your skin is better, just use the 'creme pour peaux intolerantes' from the same range.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Yves Rocher - Clea
Booksniffer 3/26/2007 11:18:00 AM
So beautiful and so affordable! Very feminine ( rose, jasmine, lily of the valley), sensual( amber, vanilla), but it is also modern and spontaneous thanks to the vetiver. Reminds me of the great aldehydic classics ( Chanel n°5, Hermes Caleche) but also of Brosseau Ombre rose ( the way the flowers kind of mix with the vanilla) and EL Intuition (the amber).If you like any of those, please try this one out. It is much less expensive, especially if you wait for their special offers ( half price sometimes!).Even the bottle is a pleasure to look at. I tell you there is nothing wrong with this one!!!!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Nivea - Creme
Booksniffer 3/25/2007 5:36:00 AM
I have never liked this one. It was the only cream we had at home when I was a child and even back then I thought it was useless.Of course it can prevent dehydration to some extent since it is so greasy, but if the skin is already dry it doesn't help much. I have always had painfully dry skin on my legs and hands. At first it feels rather soothing because it is so rich, but after a couple of hours, it looks like the stuff has been wiped away by my clothes and the skin is as dry as ever... I have the same issue with shea butter by the way. I have only used it a few times on my face and I can't comment on how good it is there because I gave it up, it makes my face oily and ruins my make up ( I have normal/dry skin). Many reviewers advise to wear it at night because of this. I guess it is because the greasy residue ends up on the pillow case ! Which says a lot about the skin not being able to 'digest' the stuff. When I feel like using something rich-and efficient- for my skin, I stick with natural organic oils ( avocado, musk rose, apricot kernel...). They work wonders.
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Concealers -Rimmel - Hide the Blemish
Booksniffer 3/22/2007 1:02:00 PM
This is cheap, easy and pleasant to use. It blends well, looks natural, doesn't drag or dry the skin since it is rather creamy. The coverage is good, too. What i would complain about is that it doesn't stay put, not even for a couple of hours ( and i don't have oily skin!). Plus it litterally melts, especially when it gets warm, and then collects in my lines. For this reason i don't use it around my eyes and keep it for winter days. I would never ever put this on before an evening out, because i think i would need a touch up every hour!
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Loose Powders -Caron - Poudre Peau Fine in *Translucent*
Booksniffer 3/22/2007 12:40:00 PM
This is such a 'cult' make up product in this country that i felt i had to try it and see for myself whether it lives up to the hype. Well it does in almost every way. It smells wonderful ( though some might call the rose scent old fashioned), it doesn't make my skin feel dry for some time like other powders do, it looks very natural, not chalky at all, yet it provides good coverage and is enough to even out my skin tone.And it stays put for hours ( I have normal/dry skin). There are many shades to choose from, which can be a downside if you don't have any skilled SA to help you. Of course, this is not on the cheap side, but powder is one of the make up products that i don't mind splurging on because it lasts such a long time. Nevertheless i don't think i will buy this again when i run out because it contains (maybe harmful) chemicals ( paraben or phenoxyethanol, i don't quite remember and i don't have the box anymore), whereas LeClerc powders don't.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Avene - Diroseal
Booksniffer 3/22/2007 12:18:00 PM
I am in two minds about products which are aimed at reducing rosacea. On the one hand, i have never come across an effective one ( although Yon-ka 54 cream did help a little bit), on the other, i have had the condition since my early teens and at almost 42 i have very few visible capillaries. My face still turns tomato red because of the heat/ alcohol/ stress, but not more severely than it would do 20 years ago, and when my complexion is 'at peace' it is just slightly pink or even pale. So it makes me think that all the anti-rosacea stuff i have used over the years actually prevented things from getting worse and strengthened the blood vessels. Let us go back to diroseal. I started using it every night in january and i gave up last week because 1) Couldn't see any results; 2) My skin ended up being red and itchy in the mornings. My skin is now back to normal, thanks to Nivea sensitive night cream plus a baby rash cream... It contains a retinol-like ingredient which gives it anti-aging properties, but it might well be at the root of my problem. I think I will stick to simple,though gentle skin care in the future ( the nivea sensitive range is awesome), and save for IPL treatment. My dad has had it, and it did make a huge difference.
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Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Y
Booksniffer 3/19/2007 8:55:00 AM
Buying this one was a mistake. I was actually looking for something that smells like the discontinued Givenchy III ( I still am, desperately) and came across Y.The delicate flowers,the green notes, the oakmoss... It reminded me so much of the Givenchy fragrance that I didn't even bother to sniff it on my skin, and boy do I regret it! Not that it turns out to stink on me, but the animalic notes ( the amber and the styrax probably) become quite overpowering when I wear it. Whenever I use it I feel uncomfortable, like I am asking for men's attention and its direct intimate consequences... And this is not like me at all. It has been described by reviewers as elegant, well it definitely is, but it is, in my opinion, also terribly sexually explicit. I could imagine a curvy, spontaneous (though classy) twentysomething sex kitten (Scarlet Johansson?)wearing this and it would be perfect.The fact is I am a petite, flat chested brunette in her early forties. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that only young, beautiful women are entitled to wear sexy fragrances, but this one is about spring,the blooming of flowers and sensuality. In a seductive mood, I would rather turn to something like Opium, Paloma Picasso or a sultry Guerlain, more suitable if your twenties are long gone. But it is VERY beautiful indeed.
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Concealers -Guerlain - Issima Precious Light Smoothing Illuminator [DISCONTINUED]
Booksniffer 3/15/2007 12:45:00 PM
I never thought a make up product could be this perfect !I hesitated quite a lot before buying it because YSL Touche eclat had done nothing for me except make my eyes cry and my lids itch... This manages to cover dark circles and make the skin around your eyes look smoother, feel moisturized and as velvety as a petal. Doesn't irritate at all, doesn't emphasize lines (on the contrary), has extremely good lasting power, looks neither greasy nor chalky. It is a two in one product : Make-up and treatment. It is only a pity it is so expensive that I can't afford to use it every day. I keep it for when I want to look my best. On workdays I turn to HR magic concealer, which is great too. Makes me want to try other Guerlain make up stuff !
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Weleda - Birch Cellulite Oil
Booksniffer 3/15/2007 12:32:00 PM
I bought this because it is supposed to fight water retention and poor circulation, which are problems i have been plagued with since my teens. Well it kept its promises. My legs felt 'happier' from the very first day ( I am on my feet all day long because of my job), and after 2 weeks I could clearly see that my ankles and calves were more defined.My bum, thighs and belly are slimmer too. On the other hand it hasn't done anything to make my skin less dimpled, but I don't mind because I didn't expect it to work against cellulite.Wealthy women, who have access to the pricest treatments have it, so I think you just have to accept the fact that it is part of a woman's life, just like most men go bald... The smell is refreshing and lifts my spirits in the morning. It is not exactly cheap, but you save on moisturizer, since this oil nourrishes the skin beautifully. I have heard one can find it for about 10€ on a german website.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No