BB Cream -Clarins - BB Skin Perfecting Cream SPF 25
Cara_M 5/11/2013 2:15:00 PM
I have a few sachets of this that came with magazines, and was so excited to try it, as it's had a lot of positive press. I'm sorry to say that I really am not a fan - it went on very dark and orangey and made my face look flat and lifeless. The formula itself didn't blend well and felt heavy on my face for such a sheer coverage. This is not the BB for me at all - I expected much more from Clarins.
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Cleansers -Bioderma - Sensibio H2O (aka Crealine H20 Solution micellaire)
Cara_M 5/10/2013 9:24:00 AM
I like this but don't love it - it's a decent, reasonably priced (vs Lancome, Dior, Caudalie) water based makeup remover for those who don't wear a ton of makeup. I like it best for a quick sweep before bed on low/no makeup days. It doesn't remove my mascara very well, i had to rub my lashes a little, which I massively resent. There is no way I'd try to remove waterproof mascara with this. I MUCH prefer an oil over this for days when I'm wearing smokey black eyes and false lashes as this would never get the glue off. It's decent for a quick cleanse but I prefer to use it before a wash off gel cleanser as a pre cleanse.
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Liquid -Giorgio Armani - Designer Lift Smoothing Firming Foundation
Cara_M 5/8/2013 12:42:00 PM
Sorry to ruin the good ratings for this foundation, but I totally regret buying it! PROS - Elegant bottle - Armani makeup is great quality CONS - Colour match wasn't great - though I blame my SA for this. - The formulation was quite watery and the coverage is too sheer on me (and I normally wear Chanel Teint Innocent/Guerlain Parure Aqua/Mac Face and body which are all sheer!) - Did not provide the glow I was looking for, my skin looked dull and sallow (and I have pink toned skin!) - The formula highlighted dry flaky skin patches that were not visible to the naked eye, so up close my skin actually looked WORSE with this on than without :( which is totally the opposite of what a good foundation should do - unforgivable in my book. Wish I could return this - so sad it didn't work for me like it seems to have for many of the other reviewers.
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Moisturizers -Clinique - Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
Cara_M 3/22/2013 6:46:00 AM
I received a generous sample of this product a few months back, and have been using this daily under moisturiser as a replacement for serum (as I think using this, a serum and a moisturiser would be overkill). It's a decent product - I like the light texture and it does appear to have a rapid quenching effect on drier areas eg. my neck. I'm glad to have this around as a boost as I'm currently midway through a series of light chemical peels, and whereas my skin does peel, it doesn't get too crazy, thanks in part to this. That said, I think I'd rather spend my money on a serum as I think it's a better investment now I'm 30+ so I've just purchased Clarins Double Serum rather than this. I'm also not a Clinique fan at all usually, I find the brand dated and the 3 step system is truly hideous, so I'm loathe to purchase from their range. Plus, some of the suggested uses for this are a bit ridiculous - I wouldn't recommend anyone applied this over makeup as in a big polluted city, grime is definitely present, so I don't want to be touching my skin and applying gels on top of dirt and makeup, seems like a recipe for acne disaster! Also, applying as a 5 min mask seems very wasteful to me vs just applying less and letting it sink in!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -Kerastase - Sublimateur Jour
Cara_M 2/11/2013 5:26:00 PM
Sorry to spoil the good reviews, but this is a 'meh' product for me. I'm generally underwhelmed by the Kerastase brand in general (apart from the Oleo Relax range which is great) - Redken products work much better for me. I use this on my long, thick wavy, colored hair before letting it air dry or before rough drying and curling with a waver. I don't notice any great results to be honest. My dry hair is still dryish. Applying it to dry hair adds a bit of moisture, but I wouldn't dare use it on days when I've straightened my hair as it makes it a bit too wet/sticky when first applied and I'd be worried that it would cause kinks. I might start using it on dry hair more often when I wear it wavy though, as I don't feel I've really given it a good enough trial for this use. But like Ciment Thermique, I feel there are better leave ins out there, so I'm definitely going to keep looking.
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Lipstick -MAC - Candy Yum-Yum
Cara_M 2/9/2013 10:04:00 PM
I've been wearing MAC lipsticks for years, but my lips hate this one. My lips aren't even particularly dry, but this shade makes them look in terrible condition, and applies streaky. It's almost impossible for me to obtain and maintain the smooth, even finish I manage with all my other MAC lipsticks (even mattes like Russian Red, Ruby Woo & Moxie). The color is interesting, but the overall effect of this on my lips is not flattering. If I want a pink lip, I'd reach for Moxie or Girl About Town instead.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -BeneFit Cosmetics - Eye Bright
Cara_M 1/27/2013 2:23:00 PM
I'm sad to see how little love this pencil gets! I received this as a freebie with a magazine, so this might be giving me a rose tinted view, but I really like this! I'd never have chosen to buy it as I prefer to use a shadow as highlight on my brow, but I started using this to highlight the V at the inner corner of my eye, and it does the job perfectly. It's super quick, I love that it's in a pencil so there's no brush required and the highlight it offers blends well with my pale cool toned skin and isn't too harsh. Staying power is OK, could be a bit better, but I mostly just pop it on before client meetings or to go out at night, so it doesn't need to last more than 4 hours or so. It's a keeper for me!
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Fragrances -Agent Provocateur - Agent Provocateur EDP
Cara_M 1/22/2013 5:06:00 PM
I have such a love/hate relationship with this perfume! I'm a massive Agent Provocateur fan and have a ton of their lingerie, so I couldn't wait to try this when it was launched. My first impressions were not good - it was too musky, too overpowering, had too much rose, and it felt kind of old ladyish. I thought it was trying to be retro for the sake of it -and was a bit try hard (in that 'i wear a 50s conical bra' kind of way). However, after many visits to the boutiques, I began to crave the smell and succumbed to buying a small bottle. Gradually my opinion had changed and I began to see the appeal - it reminds me of something a glamourous and wealthy burlesque dancer in Paris might wear in the 40s for an assignation with her lover. And who woudn't like a bit of that magic?! I only wear this when I'm dressing in a vintage style, but strangely, I never wear it when meeting a new lover, as it's a perfume that I think the modern man might find disorientating and overwhelming (at first) but I think over time he just might become addicted to it...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Liz Earle - Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
Cara_M 1/16/2013 5:36:00 PM
This probably gets a 2.5 from me. I just don't think it's quite right for my skin which is prone to clogged pores and hormonal breakouts - I feel the buttery texture might be contributing to an excess of congestion, and if not making my breakouts worse, it's obviously doing nothing to help them. It might be worth a try for those with dry skin - though I must note that it did nothing for my occasional dehydration/flaking. I do like the cloth method of cleansing though - I think I will keep using my cloth, but definitely with a different cleanser! Can't wait to finish this - it seems to be everlasting!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Kiehls - Olive Fruit Oil Shampoo
Cara_M 1/16/2013 5:18:00 PM
This is just ok for me - it cleanses fairly well and doesn't dry out my hair, but it doesn't seem to add any of the moisturising benefits promised on pack, nor does it help tremendously with softness or shine. It works better in areas with soft water also, the first time I used it in a hard water area my hair felt somewhat coated with greasy roots but dry ends. It was fine when I used it on holiday, and a subsequent time in my home city, so maybe that was a one time bad experience, but I don't trust it to perform consistently well, and it's certainly not one of the better shampoos in my rotation. For the price, there is better!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -TiGi - S Factor Serious Conditioner
Cara_M 1/12/2013 10:22:00 AM
Believe the hype on this one ladies! I love trying new deep conditioners as my hair is long, thick and a bit dry and damaged from heat styling. This was a MUA recommendation, and I'm so glad that I gave it a try! After one use, my hair is softer, smoother, more manageable and I think it dried quicker too! Not to mention it works within 3-5 minutes (unlike some which ask you to leave them on 20 minutes!) This is a definite keeper and wins a place in my conditioner Hall of Fame (with Oleo Relax, Redken Smooth Down & Redken All Soft - though sadly the Redken isn't great now I live in a hard water area). I'm keen to keep using this to see if there are any cumulative benefits after a few treatments...
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Mascara -Giorgio Armani - Eyes to Kill - Excess Mascara
Cara_M 1/7/2013 7:20:00 PM
This mascara is a 3.5 for me - I LOVE the packaging, and the mascara is a deep glossy black, but the effects are less stellar than Diorshow, Diorshow Exces and Clinique High Impact, so I wouldn't rebuy. At first I was impressed, but after using a few times I've realised that this doesn't actually do much for lengthening and doesn't build amazing volume either. I'm actually using it up for work and it's ok but it's definitely not HG material for me. Having said that, a friend tried this and loves it so each to their own!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Schwarzkopf - Bonacure colour freeze
Cara_M 11/21/2012 10:35:00 AM
This may be the worst shampoo I've ever used - and what's worse, I paid £12 for the privilege! It's really incompatible with hard water - my hair is left feeling dirty, dull, greasy and matted at the roots, and it doesn't seem to dry properly. I hate using this - only the fact that I paid so much for it forces me to use it on days when I don;t care what my hair looks like and my natural waves disguise the hair nightmare somewhat. I definitely couldn't wear this then straighten my hair - it would look disgusting. This has really put me off using sulphate free shampoos, this was recommended to extend the life of my Brazilian blow dry, but it's honestly one of the worst products I've ever had the misfortune to try. I won't risk buying anything else from Schwartzkopf again - I'll stick to Redken and Kerastase from now on!
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Moisturizers -Weleda - Wild Rose Night Cream
Cara_M 11/19/2012 4:24:00 PM
I received a 5ml sample of this with my Glossybox and have just started using it. First impressions aren't great - I'm not a huge fan of the rose scent and it's quite sticky. It sank in a bit better than expected after a few minutes, but it reminds me too much of Burt's Bees facial skincare range which I also don't really get on with. I'm a bit worried this will block my pores and break me out, but time will tell...
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Cleansers -Caudalie - Cleansing Water
Cara_M 9/10/2012 10:36:00 AM
This is an ok cleanser for a quick skin refresh in the morning or if you aren't wearing any makeup, but it wasn't at all effective for removing my cream shadow, mascara and the glue from my lashes. I used 4 cotton pads and still wasn't 100% clear! I only have a small bottle of this as part of a kit and can already see I will finish this way before everything else, so I'm saving it for the no makeup days only! I much prefer an oil to remove makeup anyway and this cleanser only reinforces my opinion on that!
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