Hair Color -Garnier - Olia
CherylR 2/24/2013 1:28:00 AM
I have used this in two different colors now. I have to say I am on the fence about it. My hair: naturally straight, each strand is baby fine but there are a gazillion strands, naturally very dark blonde / very light brown but I dye it medium blonde, some minor gray with one particular gray streak that does not take on dye very well, oily roots, current length down past my shoulders. I have a long, good history with Garnier dyes and I like to use what they call "medium golden blonde". So this is what I tried first in Olia. It came out much darker than this shade does in their other formulas. Did not lighten my roots as much as I would have liked and what I am used to. And the odd thing is that it did not come out golden at all but more of a caramel blonde. It's a nice dark caramel blonde if that's what you are going for, but calling it medium golden blonde is misleading and not in line with the result that you get using this shade in the other Garnier formulas. So today I tried light golden blonde in Olia. This did lighten my roots to my satisfaction. And made my hair maybe a tad lighter in color than what I am used to, and not quite as strawberry blonde looking as the result I usually get when I lighten my hair. The color is a little more drab and boring. What is disappointing though is that I have patches of dark roots in areas as though the dye applied very unevenly. The tiny tip of the applicator bottle may be partially to blame as it doesn't make it easy to distribute the cream over a wide area. Also, it seems like one box does not give you nearly enough product to be effective if your hair is long and / or thick. At a price of $8.97 at Walmart, it would cost $17.94 not including tax to purchase two boxes. Whereas when I purchase the Garnier foam-type haircolor I can get decent coverage of all my hair with just one box. I did not notice this product drying out my hair but neither did it seem to improve it. I have very healthy hair to begin with though. If your hair is already dry or dull the formula probably won't do it any favors in the dryness department. What I liked: *Good overall level of vibrancy of color even if it was not the exact shade I was anticipating. *Color seemed long-lasting over the few weeks' time I kept it until I dyed it again with the other color. *Almost non-existent odor, both while coloring and afterwards. No residual odor emanating from my hair for three days afterward like I usually get. No watering eyes from chemicals while dying. No haircolor smell on my pillowcase at night. *Accessibility and price point. It's a little cheaper than other advanced formula dyes such as John Frieda. What I did not like: *Wonky shade system compared to other Garnier dyes. *Not nearly enough product in one box if you have a lot of hair. *Applicator is awkward to grip while shaking the product to mix it and having to hold your finger over the hole. I had no problem during usage though. I just held it by the bulb at the end and squeezed to use. *Small applicator tip makes it difficult to distribute dye evenly, leaving lots of missed spots. *Gloves included are almost too small. *The after-color conditioner is very slimy and made even my textured shower floor extremely slippery. Seriously, hang onto something and be careful when rinsing it out. *My stubborn gray streak looked fine at first but the color seemed to wear off of it over a few weeks' time. Did not notice any break-through gray in my part area though where my grays are much more sparse. In summary, my main gripe is the missed areas where I have dark roots showing through where I was unable to get the product to distribute evenly at my scalp. This alone gives a poor visual result. I suppose if I bought two boxes and really flooded the root area it would help with this, but I shouldn't have to do that. If not for that, I'd probably re-buy this product. I think next time I may need to go back to Garnier's foaming dye in order to get a more even result with a more predictable color shade.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Scentology bliss booster 
CherylR 9/29/2008 9:22:00 PM
I picked this up on impulse in Target as I was browsing the clearance section. They had it marked down to $6.24 (75% off). It's still available at full retail ($24.99) on the Scentology site. This is purely a citrus scent. It smells exactly like when you peel a fragrant orange. If you want to save money and reap the benefits of consuming vitamin C, just go buy an orange and eat it and you will probably get the same effect. Or you could just clean your house with one of those orange oil based cleaning products that are so prevalent these days. I would buy this product again at the price I paid but not so sure I would do it at full retail. I would love to try the crave control formula which I think is vanilla-based, but they didn't have that one left. The bliss booster product is a nice addition to my arsenal of products that I turn to for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, such as Origins Peace of Mind. I will use this on days when I'm feeling more citrusy than minty.
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Mascara -100 Percent Pure - Fruit Pigmented ultra lengthening mascara
CherylR 6/19/2008 6:31:00 PM
I purchased a tube of this in the Blackberry color off of ebay. What's nice is that it comes with an overwrap over the whole tube so you know that it hasn't been opened or tested. I didn't want to purchase it directly from QVC since they only sell it in packs of two, plus their shipping is kind of high. Not that having two tubes of mascara is a bad thing, but I would have been upset if I had tried the first tube and didn't like it. It would be nice if the manufacturer would make this more accessible by selling it alongside their body products that they sell in Ulta and the Bath and Body Works flagship locations. As of right now, the mascara isn't available in store anywhere that I am aware of. It's a decent mascara but if you are looking for high-drama lashes this is probably not for you. It takes me 3 - 4 coats to get it looking the way I want it, but I do like the way it looks on me once I reach that point. With traditional mascaras I typically haven't used more than two coats at a time, if that gives you an idea of the level of "oompf" that I prefer. The 100% Percent Pure is definitely a better mascara than any I have tried from the health food store in the past. And it smells so good. It has a fruity berry smell. The Blackberry color looks like a darkened plum on the wand, but on my lashes it basically looks like a soft black. I personally haven't experienced any flaking or smudging but then I only wear mascara on my upper lashes, since I have extremely oily skin and *any* mascara will smudge on me if I wear it on my lower lashes. This mascara removes very easily with regular eye makeup remover without having to tug and pull at your sensitive eye area in order to get it all off. I haven't tried removing it with just facial cleanser and water but I imagine that would also work well. I have mixed feelings about the brush itself but I guess overall it's decent it just seems kinda old school. We've been spoiled these days by all the high-tech funky mascara brushes they they keep coming out with. Since this mascara is a little bit of a different consistency than usual, I would imagine they went with the brush type that works best with it. I will keep using this mascara for now and I look forward to trying the other colors that it comes in. I have been trying to cut down on the number of chemical-laden products that I use and this mascara is a nice new entry into the natural products arena. UPDATE: Now that I've had this particular tube in use for a little bit, the formula has thickened up somewhat and I only need to use two coats instead of 3 or 4 in order to get the oompf that I'm looking for.
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Cleansers -Boscia - Clear Complexion Cleanser with Botanical Blast
CherylR 5/16/2008 9:02:00 PM
I absolutely love this cleanser. I have just purchased the full size of it after using up the smaller one that came in my Clear Complexion kit. This is a very simple mild botanical cleanser that could probably be used even by people with sensitive skin. Normally products designated for acne-fighting can be harsh but not so with the Boscia stuff I've tried. It's hard to believe, but it really is true that one little pump of this is enough to clean your whole face and remove your makeup. It has a barely perceptable lather but spreads all over your face quickly and easily and rinses off well. The little bottle that came in the Clear Complexion kit lasted me well over 2 months using it once per day before bed. I was just thinking today that this is the best my skin has looked in a while. Since the Boscia products are gentle, you won't see dramatic and immediate results but over time the cumulative effect is well worth it.
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Lip Gloss -Sally Hansen - Natural Butter Lip Shine
CherylR 1/12/2008
I bought this in the shade called Flower. I love the texture, I like the color, and I like the brush applicator. However I find the scent/taste too strong and I am usually not one of those people who is bothered by scented products. The scent is an odd fruit smell -- I think I detect guava but it is a little plastic-y as already mentioned here. When licking my lips, I don't really notice a flavor per se but because the fragrance is so powerful you do taste it if that makes sense. The scent lingers for quite a while and does not wear off nearly as quickly as the scents of most lip products do. I took off one lipstick from the rating based just on the overwhelming scent.
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Primer/ Corrector -Philosophy - the supernatural poreless flawless spf 15
CherylR 6/28/2007 12:34:00 AM
In my mind, this is nothing more than a sunscreen that happens to have a disappearing slight orange tint. It smells and feels like a sunscreen. I used it as a primer under my Bare Escentuals mineral foundation. I will say it did seem to help the minerals stick to my face, but mainly because of the slick oily-feeling texture it left on me. Of course powder will stick to something like that. This is completely sheer and leaves no apparent color whatsoever. It did nothing to even out my skintone (how could it if it's completely sheer??) . My acne prone skin needs much more coverage in order to look decent, so the only way I could wear this is under a foundation. Unfortunately when I did so it left my face feeling sticky as if I had been out in 100% humidity all day. And it certainly did not make my pores disappear. I got this as part of a try-me set from QVC, so fortunately I did not pay too much for it all things considered. I think this is going up for swap in the near future.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Lycra Lash Extender
CherylR 9/30/2006 4:52:00 PM
This mascara gave me a teensy bit more length, but did nothing whatsoever in terms of thickening. I found I had to use about 3 coats of the black to get it to show up -- I have very straight blonde lashes and without the proper mascara my lashes just don't show up. The multiple coats were also a vain attempt to try to get some thickening. It didn't really help. This mascara dried very quickly on me. Which would normally be a good thing, but when I went to apply the 2nd and 3rd coats a few tiny pieces of the first and 2nd coats crumbled off and fell into my eyes. These pieces were very sharp and hurt my eyes. This stuff doesn't clump upon the first coat, but upon applying subsequent coats it does clump the lashes and turn them brittle and flakey. It would be nice if I could leave it at one coat, but again with no thickening qualities this mascara just doesn't make my lashes visible with only one coat. On the plus side, I did find that this mascara removes easily with regular eye makeup remover. It did not smudge or give me racoon eyes. I was fortunate enough to be able to try this free-after-rebate from Walgreens, but I wouldn't shell out my hard-earned money on a repurchase. I'm going back to CG Lash Exact.
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Liquid -BeneFit Cosmetics - Non-Fiction [DISCONTINUED]
CherylR 12/4/2005 12:22:00 AM
I too got one of the free bottles from the promotion that BeneFit had a while back. I had forgotten why I stopped using it, so this past week when I ran out of foundation and dug through my drawer I found this and started using it again. I am sorry to say that this product has given me horrible painful cystic acne. As I write this, I have a cystic acne lesion about the size of a dime on one of my cheeks and another slightly smaller one under my chin. Now I do have acne-prone skin but this current breakout is far and away one of the worst ones I have had in my life. As for the foundation itself, it goes on with a slimey feeling and has poor coverage and poor pigmentation. I have oily skin to begin with and this was just like sealing it with another layer of oil on top. Even with putting on powder over this product, I still had breakthrough shine much earlier in the day than I normally do. Within about 15 minutes actually. This foundation is not worth $6 much less the $26 retail that they sell it for. The only good thing I can say about it is that the color (Volume 1) was a decent match for my skintone, and that I did not have to pay $ for it.
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Lip Gloss -Burt's Bees - Burts Bees Lip Shimmers
CherylR 7/11/2004 12:22:00 AM
I have these in Nutmeg, Raisin, and Watermelon. The Raisin is my favorite. It is a really nice, wearable red. Perfect for a polished look at work but doesn't scream like some reds do. Nutmeg is a light-to-medium copperish-peach on me. Really pretty. Watermelon basically is the same color as my lips, so it doesn't really show up on me. But it's fine for days when you want a no-makeup look. These do have a lingering minty-tingly quality to them. I don't mind it but if that bothers you, you may want to steer clear of these. In summary, I feel that these are excellent for the price and I will definitely repurchase if I use them up. Especially the Raisin, which I expect I will reach for often.
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Lip Gloss -mark - Glossblossom Ripening Lip Tint
CherylR 7/3/2004 2:22:00 PM
I love this! This is my favorite makeup item that I have bought in a very long time. It gives just the right natural tint of pink to my lips. They are tinted enough to wear to work but not so tinted that I feel made-up. A great thing to throw on in the morning when you are in a hurry but still want to look polished. I love the texture of this. To me it feels more like a balm than a gloss. It is not sticky in the least. The watermelon scent is subtle and pleasant, not overwhelming and fake. I will definitely repurchase this item over and over, and will probably purchase extras to keep in my purse, my desk at work, the glove compartment, etc.
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Eye Shadow -Estee Lauder - Go Wink Eyeshadow in Pink Wink
CherylR 5/10/2004 1:25:00 AM
I never expected an Estee Lauder product to be this horridly glittery. Now I enjoy wearing shimmery eye shadows as much as the next MUA-er, but we are talking big chunks of glitter. When worn, this looks like a product that would come from a "teen" line such as Hard Candy. It's deceptively pretty and subtle in the tube. But when I put it on and was looking in the mirror, the words "trailer trash" came to mind. You could see me coming from a mile away just because of the glitter. The one positive thing I will say for this product is that it stays on, and stays on, and stays on....forever. So if you are looking for a gritty glitter eyeshadow that won't come off, this one's for you. I pitched it in the nearest trash can, as mine was a GWP size that I bought off ebay for like $3.
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Lip Gloss -mark - Tea Pots - Red Zing and Honey
CherylR 5/3/2004 6:44:00 PM
The scent of this is true to its name, but a little heavier on the honey side. To me, this gloss is more moisturizing as opposed to sticky. It gives my lips a very light natural tint. The donut-shaped compact is just too cute. Thankfully these do not contain mineral oil, which is often present in cheaper glosses and makes me break out along my lipline. I have also purchased a couple of the other flavors and I am very pleased with them as well.
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Eyeliner -Stila - Stila Smudge Pots in Gray
CherylR 4/19/2004 7:06:00 PM
This is just lovely! Very easy to use. What I really like is it's very easy to get this exactly in your lashline so that you have no gaps between your liner and mascara. This stays put all day on me and I have very oily lids. I love the shade -- being a blonde, black eyeliner looks too harsh on me and the gray gives me good definition without looking too over-the-top. And I am most impressed with Stila for not pricing this higher. I love their products but in the past few years I have not purchased too many items from this line due to the outrageous and ever-increasing prices. If this is an indication of things to come, I'll be back!
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Conditioner -TRESemme - Mango Sealant
CherylR 3/14/2004 1:56:00 PM
Wowwee MUAers! This stuff practically gave me brand new hair after one use. I have a lot of hair on my head, but each individual strand is very fine. With my hair type, I have a lot of trouble with conditioners weighing it down and zapping any hope for the appearance of body. I found this product to be nourishing and yet very lightweight. It was a breeze to detangle my wet hair with a wide-tooth comb. And it looks so shiny after blowing it dry. This product left my hair feeling soft and clean without feeling oily or waxy or coated, which is a bonus if you have oily hair & scalp like I do. This will be a definite repurchase.
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Polishes -Sinful - Nail Polish (all colors)
CherylR 12/2/2003 6:48:00 PM
I bought a Sinful polish in Burgundy Apple at Walgreens for $1.99. This is a deep, almost wine red with slight gold shimmer. Upon using it, I discovered that this polish is thin and runny and nowhere near as pigmented as the polishes I usually use, namely OPI, Essie, and Nicole. Whereas I usually only use one coat of OPI and still get the full color effect, I found I absolutely had to use 2 coats to get the Sinful one to show up anywhere near as dark as it is in the bottle. And even then it still wasn't quite as dark. My biggest disappointment was that the subtle gold shimmer didn't really show up -- you would have had to look through a magnifying glass to see it. Because of the thin, runny quality of this polish, you need to have a very skilled, steady hand when applying it to make it look decent. With all that said, I did find that the polish lasted better than I had expected and went several days without chipping. And when I went to remove it I had to really work at it since it had adhered to my nails so well. Sinful has so many funky colors that I feel it is a good low-end alternative to many of the colors by Nicole, which at $10 a pop are much more of an investment. If you get a desire to paint your nails bright turquoise or any other color you might not wear all that often, the Sinful at $1.99 is clearly the way to go. But for polish colors you are going to use often I would go ahead and shell out the extra $ for the quality of OPI or Essie. One thing I'd like to give big kudos to Sinful for is redesigning the bottle that their polish comes in. The newer bottles are so much more attractive and less bulky-looking than the older ones.
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