Treatments -Kerastase - Ciment Thermique
Cynthia7789 7/6/2009 9:35:00 AM
I have almost finished my first bottle of Ciment Thermique, and yes I say first because I will be buying this product again...over and over and over. It is truly miraculous what this does for your hair!! My hairdresser even asked me what I was doing differently because my hair was so much healthier, shinier, bouncier etc. I love everything about it--the smell (some people may not like as it is very "herbally" but I think it smells great), the fact that I can put it all over my hair from root to tip and it doesn't make it greasy as other products often do, and most importantly, that it does what it claims to! I agree with the other user who said to towel-dry hair, apply thermique, and blow dry right when you get out of the shower. It works with the heat of blow dryers and straighteners to not only improve the texture of your hair once you use it, it also seems to reverse previous damage. I can't imagine this product not working on any type of hair. WELL worth the money!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Almay - Liquid Eyeliner
Cynthia7789 3/2/2009 2:17:00 AM
Just love it. Great liquid liner in general. Color is black black black and very easy to apply (with a little practice, of course).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powders -Johnson & Johnson - Baby Powder
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 4:05:00 PM
Ahh..baby powder..a lifesaver! So many uses, but here are my 2 main ones: I am Italian and tend to get oily, I guess my skin is about average in that department but my HAIR (mainly the roots/bangs) is what gets extremely oily if I don't wash it for even one day. Which I hate to do, btw, because I damage it enough with a blow-dryer and straightener already. So to get 2 days out of 1 wash, it's baby powder in my roots all the way. It's as effective as hair powders and dry shampoos for a fraction of the price. Since I have dark hair, it does look gray right after I put it in (shake some in my hand, turn head upside down, finger thru roots) but simple fix: just blow-dry on cool or warm for a few seconds, brush, and voila. Grease be gone. Also, I use a small amount on a fluffy brush to set makeup. I do this during the day if I'm just running errands or something or if I'm out of powder eraser because I'm not a huge fan of the smell of J&J on my face. But once again, works just like a much more expensive option. Try some in your gym shoes to banish stinky foot smell :)
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Neutrogena - MoistureShine Lip Soother Cooling Hydragel SPF20
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 3:46:00 PM
I bought this in Sheen which is a glossy red in the tube. I loved the smell and zero shimmer, and rubbed a tiny bit on the back of my hand to check consistency/color. It was a bit sticky, but I figured I could deal because it was nice and thick, smooth, and not at all as red as it looks in the tube (which is what I was hoping for). My lips tend to get pretty dry, and because I only wear mascara, a little eyeliner and contour under my cheekbone for day, I usually put chapstick followed by a translucent red gloss just to have some color on my face. Well I decided I needed to find just one product to keep my lips hydrated and also provide that bit of red. Wrong choice. Great idea, Neutrogena almost pulled it off. Yet when I put it on my lips, this balm went from a clear red to an almost brownish orange color? Which makes no sense to me because naturally the tint of my lips is red. It was also more sticky than I expected. I may use it over a red stain, but defeats the purpose of me buying it in the first place.
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Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Shine Seduction [DISCONTINUED]
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 3:13:00 PM
Picture of product on me included!
Shine Seduction in Mauve Dream (#210) is my go-to lip gloss for evening. When going out I like to play up my eyes with smoky dark shadows, liquid liner, lots of mascara, and obviously have to play my lips down in a way that's still pretty and polished to counteract a dark eye. What looks best for me is a light mauve color. I HATE shimmer on my lips, and like a pretty thick consistency that will last through dancing, drinks, and still say shiny. This is it! I have medium/tan skin, dark hair and eyes, and the shade on me is tops. Wouldn't recommend highly for people with fair skin as it will probably wash you out...but I'm sure there are plenty of other great shades to try!
Sorry the pic is a little silly..only one I could find that was taken right after gloss was applied. And yes, I know, went a little heavy on the under eye concealer :) oops
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Christian Dior - j'adore
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 2:47:00 PM
I'm extremely picky about fragrances, and j'adore remains my absolute HG. Initially, this perfume did not do it for me. I thought it was just decent, nothing special. I have to shop around a lot and smell perfumes at stores many a time, in addition to testing them on myself a few more times before I will commit to buying one. I want to love my perfume. I want to have a special bond with it :) So I smelled j'adore in the bottle and sprayed some in the air while testing one day looking for a new scent. I smelled literally hundreds of fragrances within a weekend. For some reason, I kept thinking about the j'adore, so I went back the next day and this time, clean of any other fragrances, I squirted a few sprays on myself (I'll only test this way if it really peaks my interest--at times I've had to leave a store, go home and shower to get a headache-inducing scent off me!) I immediately regretted it. I thought this was terrible on me, way too strong and mature for my tastes (I am a sophomore in college, and before this my HG was Ralph's Cool, which I still wear from time to time even though pretty much everyone my age owns it). I was mad at myself for now not being able to test any other perfumes for the day. Here's what I did wrong: I used way too much to test. Within an hour or two, I couldn't stop smelling my wrists...I was enthralled!! While the scent is pretty intense at first, it fades into the most beautiful, deep, erotic and playful fragrance that every man I've ever met goes completely bonkers for. And to make sure it wasn't just some luck-of-the-draw insane chemical reaction with my skin in particular, I had a couple of my friends try it instead of their usual perfume before a date. The result? Every one of their boyfriends asked them what in God's name they were wearing because it was so incredible and delicious. Yes. The trick is to not over-do it--don't spray it on yourself while you're damp or right after applying a lotion because it will stick and you will smell like a French poodle. Use it sparingly and reapply as necessary throughout the day. Just a little spritz here and there! I can't live without this fragrance now and will probably continue to buy it for the next 80 years or so.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Smashbox - Photo Op Under Eye Brightener
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 2:14:00 PM
I just don't understand this product. Thankfully I got it in a LE kit because it is something I never use, nor would buy on its own. It is basically a thin, liquidy, brush-on "brightener" that doesn't do much of anything. Ok, maybe after the one and only time I tried it, my under eyes refracted light an almost unnoticeable bit more. IMO it's total crap. It doesn't conceal ANYTHING (does not claim to, but probably should if the goal is to make eyes brighter), seems to make skin more crepey, burns if it gets in your eye, and is way too shimmery. After using I had to put concealer over it anyways, and I don't think it made any difference whatsoever. I did use it a couple times under my brow bone to highlight, but once again found it too runny even for that. Still looking for the perfect under eye concealer + brightener...and this stuff? Not even close.
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Brows -Smashbox - Brow tech
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 1:39:00 PM
I cannot say enough good things about Brow Tech!! I naturally have very very dark brown hair (almost black) and this is a highly pigmented powder--good for me, though. I never bought a brow powder/wax before I wandered upon this magical little duo, I would just use the smudging end of my eyeliner to fill in gaps in my brows. After using this one time (I do apply the powder first, then the wax as instructions state) I was sold. I use it every day even if my MU is minimal otherwise. My problem was because of waxing and plucking my eyebrows do not extend as far, and my arch has not been as high as I want them to be. In combo with Smashbox's #12 angle brow brush, I can achieve brow perfection! I only use a tiny amount of the powder and squeeze the brush tip between my fingers before applying so the line is as thin as possible, you can always layer in areas you want to be thicker. Then I use a small amount of wax on the brush and kind of stipple it in so the color doesn't smear, and finish by lightly smoothing with a finger. My brows never look like they've been painted or drawn on with a sharpie (how I feel about a lot of brow pencils)--they're just almost-but-not-quite perfect looking and totally natural. Last all day too. Even if by some miracle my brows grow back in flawlessly after my last tragic wax, I will continue to use the amazing wax to keep stray hairs in place. Totally worth the money!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Caress - Caress Glowing Touch Body Wash
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 12:57:00 PM
Not sure if this wash comes in different packaging, but the one I use which is Caress Glowing Touch Silkening Body Wash (w/ Shea Cream & Gentle Skin Brighteners) did not look like the picture, therefore, I uploaded a pic of what mine looks like :) ANYHOW... I admit it, I like cheap cheap cheap body wash. I don't spend a lot of money on it because hey, it washes off, and I rely on more expensive lotions to keep my skin moisturized and perfume for smelling good (j'adore!). I think most bar soaps stink and hate how most moisturizing washes leave a filmy residue on my skin (keep in mind I cringe to pay more than $5 for any of this stuff). My HG used to be Dial body wash in Clean & Fresh or something of that nature, don't remember the true title because I WILL NEVER BUY ANYTHING ELSE AGAIN!! This body wash is SUPERB. For starters, it smells fantastic. Not too heavy or flowery (yuck)..it's warm, yummy and nothing short of Heaven. It washes off completely clean and the remaining scent is only the slightest bit noticeable, which my boyfriend happens to go crazy for. Really sparkles in the bottle but does not leave behind any kind of glitter, which IMO would be disgusting. After using my skin is sooo silky, not "drenched" in moisture, just soft. The color is a buttery gold with tiny flecks of illumination which I truly believe bring out the gold undertones in my skin and when I'm paler, keep me from getting that "ham and cheese" look that at times rears its' ugly head on my thighs and upper arms (nothing to do with weight, sun damage, etc. Just how my skin is). I ditched my shaving cream and now this wash does double-duty in the shower. It is quite rich but probably not moisturizing enough for very dry skin. In addition to a body scrub once or twice a week, this equals dewey, lit-from-within skin that you will just love. And even if you don't, guess what? You're only out like 6 bucks and you will probably end up using it as a shave gel, like i did :)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Garnier - Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller
Cynthia7789 2/20/2009 1:26:00 AM
I am, also, pretty shocked that this product has gotten such bad reviews. Now, I'm not saying it's a miracle for under-eyes or anything. It's a typical drugstore product (there are a few HG ones out there but in my experience, more bust than brilliance). And I noticed people talking about how this does nothing for dark circles under the eyes. TAKE NOTE: this is an anti-puff product, not for lightening circles. And based solely on the anti-puff properties, I think it's quite a deal! It's very light, cooling, and definitely makes my eyes look more awake in the morning (I don't have bags or darkness under my eyes but after a long night do tend to get a little puffiness). I wear concealer over it and my MU stays in place. Someone said this product leaked, I did not have that problem or I would have returned it, ew. I've had this roller for about 4 months and usually apply it once a day, sometimes at night too, and it's still 1/2 full. So again, not a treatment to pee your pants over, but definitely worth the price for the extra boost it gives eyes. P.S.--this is not a moisturizer for eyes, nor does it claim to be. It does make skin feel tighter under the eye...one of the reasons I like it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Revlon - Beyond Natural Concealer and Highlighters [DISCONTINUED]
Cynthia7789 2/19/2009 4:03:00 PM
This product is...Eh. Too oily and the highlighter does nothing. Seems to actually magnify fine lines..which is especially sad for me as I'm only 19 and don't have lines anyways (none that show up when not wearing this concealer, in any case).
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Shampoo -TiGi - Bed Head Moisture Maniac Shampoo & Conditioner
Cynthia7789 2/19/2009 2:22:00 AM
I buy in liters and almost always use Redken's All-Soft products on my wavy/damaged hair. The day I ran out, Moisture Maniac happened to be on sale and I was assured it was just as good as All-Soft which was, unfortunately, priced regularly at the time so I bought this instead. BIG MISTAKE! Go with what you know (not what the sales associate at Trade Secret supposedly knows). This is not a great moisturizing shampoo or conditioner, made my hair more prone to tangles, lifeless and extremely heavy. Not even worth the $20 I paid for the set of liters. Steer clear!
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Treatments -Redken - All Soft Velvet Whip
Cynthia7789 2/19/2009 2:10:00 AM
I love every single All-Soft product I have tried (Velvet Whip, Shampoo & Conditioner, and I also use a little Smooth Down before I flat iron--not part of All-Soft line). MY HAIR: long, semi-thick, kind of frizzy and dry, wavy, non-color treated. These products work for me b/c they soften, smooth, and almost flatten it out some. Makes it MUCH more manageable especially for a blow-out and fixes split ends. On the other hand, my best friend used my sh/cond one day--genuinely hated it. HER HAIR: fine/thin, straight, kind of greasy and All-Soft just made it extremely limp and sad-looking. End of story: Amazing products for thicker, curly hair. Wouldn't recommend if your hair is already fine and straight. Velvet Whip is a lifesaver for me, I apply a dime-sized dollop to the bottom portion of my damp hair (below ears) before blow-drying and it really does make it much more velvety and touchable.
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