Concealers -Smashbox - Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer
Danamollin 1/14/2011 1:48:00 PM
I think the problem is that people are trying to use this product on places other than their undereye area. It's for dark circles and blotchy skin, not acne. It's made to be emollient and to offer really dense coverage for pigment problems. If you want a great ance concealer, head over to MUFE and try their Full Cover. It's amazing if you can get the right color match. Anyway, I have extremely pale skin and genuinely dark, large undereye circles. The discoloration is also uneven and super-dark in one spot under my right eye...it's a pain. This is a great concealer for undereyes for several reasons: 1) it's emollient but not insanely emollient like Bobbi Brown's, 2) the color when dry is basically the same color as when just applied, and 3) the appearance of the product when fully dry is not cakey or crackly looking. These are really hard things to achieve. You hardly need to blends this, except for the edges if there's a noticeable "line". In fact, I would suggest using the stick and applying it directly to the undereye area - don't mess around with your finger or an applicator, it just makes the product thinner and doesn't give you the solid coverage you're looking for. I'm giving it a 4/5 overall because it doesn't achieve a flawless look under my right eye, the problem child. It might be that this is the best I can expect and still look (relatively) "natural." Also, the price is better than most high end brands, but still, $18 is good chunck of change.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Christian Dior - Diorskin Forever Compact 
Danamollin 12/23/2010 12:47:00 PM
I just bought this compact because I had to admit that the lightest shade of Laura Mercier's powder foundation was too dark for my skin tone. Plus, it doesn't have an SPF. I'm trying to avoid adding a separate sunscreen because I'm extremely acne prone. This Dior compact is sort of amazing. it has an SPF 25, mattes my really oily T-zone, doesn't make my dry cheeks drier, and wears like IRON. Really, it stays on all day and it actually controls my T-zone oil better than LM. (I need to blot once every 1-2 hours without any makeup on.) But the really amazing thing is that it makes your skin look silky and glowy without looking like you're wearing much of anything. It covers well but you need coverup to deal with real acne. I use it dry with the enclosed sponge and the results are really flawless. *Edit - this makes my T-zone really shiny. I'm not prone to acne on my T-zone, but I shine tons. If it gave me acne I'd stop using it, but I'm fine with blotting every 2 hours. I've really never found a product that controls oil in the T-zone and doesn't cause my cheeks to dry out terribly, so blotting is fine by me. Its good for the winter but I'll have to find something less "moist" for the summer months.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal
Danamollin 8/16/2010 1:58:00 PM
I used this product for a couple years because it worked really well. I have spare lashes and it did a better job than most in thickening them up - however - the tube broke on me last week for the third and final time. Meaning that the ring inside the cap broke and all the mascara came flooding out on the wand. I also happened to get a sample of Sephora's lash plumper mascara and found it to be really good if not better than Colossal, without the chemical smell. And for $12 it's not gonna sink my budget.
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Powder -Laura Mercier - Foundation Powder
Danamollin 7/2/2010 8:13:00 PM
I have to say that this is the best foundation I've ever used on my skin. I'm only giving it a 4 because you have to be sure to moisturize any dry spots to prevent them from getting worse--the powder has an ingredient to control oil. It's annoying because when I spot treat a pimple the skin will peel a little and therefore needs extra attention. But aside from that, after years of putting up with liquid & mineral foundations that run off my T-zone almost immediately no matter the weather, look hideous in sunlight, provide too little or too much coverage and give me acne -- I finally found a foundation that mattes my skin no matter the temperature, creates a completely even and flawless complexion without the look of heavy makeup, isn't "glowy" or "radiant", and doesn't give me acne. At nearly 40, it took me a lot of years and a lot of money to find this product. I stopped using it because it cost $40, but I couldn't find anything that matched my extremely pale skin with slight yellow undertones the way this does. It doesn't make me look outright yellow like so many other warm-toned products. I have a ton of pink in my cheeks and "gold" based foundations look ridiculous on me. I also realize that the right product can actually solve some skin problems and the wrong product just makes things worse. An added bonus is how quick and easy this is to apply & blend. Look no further if you can find your color match.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Frederic Fekkai - Salon Glaze
Danamollin 2/5/2009 1:38:00 PM
Had to review this product for those of us with chemically damaged hair. From a series of badly done highlights -- my hair is dead and won't look "good" until it gets cut off. That said, certain products make a difference and this is one of them. I have fine wavy hair, fried pretty badly in the back. This product only helped my hair when I stopped highlighting altogether. Then, I put it on BEFORE conditioning and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then I conditioned, and then I used my silicone serum. Too much product. But the point is that it WORKED to seal the cutilcle enough so that I could see and feel the difference. I actually use it every day and use far less product now. Keep it away from your roots! The stylist at Ricky's told me that it also serves as a filler so that when you color your hair the color absorbs more evenly, which is an added beenfit for those of us who have highly porous hair as a result of overprocessing. I am currently using a lot of this product, but as time passes and the damages is cut away I can see using far less. It absorbs very quickly into the hair.
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Foundations -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Foundation
Danamollin 8/13/2008 2:46:00 PM
I bought this becuase it looked amazing on my skin in the store. Even the cashier was impressed by the color match -- 117 (marble), and with how it made my skin look completely natural yet flawless. I have a very pale complexion that's ruddy on my face and needs to be toned down to match my neck, so a yellow based foundation works really well. The color match here is the best I've ever had in my life. Unfortunately, 2 hours after application it had greased up my t-zone and left me looking super shiny. I should have read the product description more carefully -- it says it boosts skin moisture by 46%. I don't need more moisture, thank you. If you have dry skin this could be it for you. They have tons of colors to choose from.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Pureology - Super Straight 
Danamollin 7/12/2008 1:28:00 PM
I just bought this conditioner yesterday in hopes of finding something that could replace the amazing job that Pureology's Nanoworks conditioner does on my fine, way, highlighted hair. Tyring so save some $$$, you know. Not only didn't I get lucky but I think this conditioner actually damaged my hair. My hair felt like hay, which was very upsetting. I used Frederick Fekkai's Color Technician conditioner to try and salvage it, but no luck. Even the nanoworks conditioner couldn't repair this dryness (yes, I have all these conditioners in my shower, sad but true). What's strange is how think this conditioner is, yet it actually achieved the exact opposite result. Some Bumble & Bumble curl creme softened it enough to help me make it through the day.
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