Styling Products -Redken - Satinwear 02 ultimate blow-dry lotion
Diva99 2/11/2012 10:02:00 AM
Fantastic straightening lotion! What I love about it is it is a heat protectant and seems to speed up the blow-drying process while leaving my hair straight, soft and polished. I took one lippie off because it doesn't combat frizz completely (I dab on something like a light styling oil or product like Redken Extreme on the ends where my hair tends to frizz in addition to the lotion), but it helps control flyaways - another plus. Definitely one of the best straightening lotions out there!
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Pressed Powders -Cover Girl - CG Smoothers Pressed Powder
Diva99 11/30/2011 9:48:00 PM
This is a great drugstore powder that evenly matches the performance of MAC's Blot Powder (though I use a MAC powder puff to apply it). It's a great pick for shine control, though you will have to reapply every few hours. The one advantage with this is that it minimizes the look of pores better than most powders out there - without making your skin look too dry or cakey (though exfoliating once or twice a week is another part of the equation too!). It doesn't break me out either, so this is a definite bargain if you're looking for a powder that doesn't break the bank but yields great results!
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Lip Treatments -RoC - Enydrial Lip Balm
Diva99 11/27/2011 5:55:00 PM
Amazing product! This was recommended to me by a friend who uses it and the reviews on MUA convinced me even more that I had to try it out. I am also a fan of Lanolin for my lips, but it's not exactly something that fits into your purse nor is it a conventional lip balm! haha Other than that, drugstore lip balms only aggravate dryness and I've tried everything (all the Blistex products, Burt's Bees, Smith's Rosebud, Neutrogena, Aveeno, Carmex, Vaseline, Soft Lips, Nivea, Chapstick, natural products etc.), but with RoC's product, the dry, chapped areas have become replaced with soft, smooth moisture. I find that applying lipstick and gloss is now a breeze (especially with the lighter colours!) and my lips feel moisturized on the inside as well on the outside :) The consistency is quite natural and the balm doesn't leave a shiny or glossy finish, which I like. It is truly a miracle product and I'm hoping the results stay this way throughout the winter!! Update: I have been using this for a couple months now and the results are still the same. This is my HG lip balm and best of all, unlike other lip chapsticks, the results are long-lasting!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Christian Dior - Addict 2011 Collection
Diva99 5/22/2011 6:55:00 PM
In my experience, the print ad with Kate Moss is false advertising. I understand that celebrities are airbrushed to the max, but altering the lipstick shade to drive sales for 578 Diorkiss (the shade Moss is wearing) is just wrong. I bought the color without trying it first, so I'll admit it's my fault I didn't discover this sooner, but according to even product swatches for the colour, it appeared to be a classic, light pink (as it appeared in the print ads). Even at the Dior counter, I was told by the cosmetic advisor that the colour Moss wore was called "Diorkiss" so I took her word for it and decided to buy it without trying it first. In any case, on my red lips it shows up as a mature looking medium rose colour with more of a red undertone than pink. Moisturizing, yes, but not very long-lasting either. Since the product itself is good enough (or maybe it's just the fancy tube it comes in! haha) I will give it another chance and will most likely purchase another shade that is more of a match for the pink that appears in the ad, once I run out of the one I have.
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Lip Gloss -Annabelle - Le Gloss Lip Lacquer
Diva99 5/17/2011 1:43:00 AM
This is my absolute favourite lip gloss! I've been using this for a few years now (I wear Super Bon Bon)! It's a wonderful pinky fuchsia colour that complements my skin tone quite well. I agree the staying power isn't great but then again, what lip gloss is? (For the record, if you're careful while drinking or eating it won't come off completely so that's worth a mention!) In any case, the value you get for this drug store gloss is worthwhile and the colour selection is fantastic - I'm planning to buy another shade this week!
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Hair -Klorane - Dry shampoo
Diva99 4/17/2011 4:41:00 PM
Can a spray dry shampoo actually add volume to my fine-haired, limp second-day locks? I am happy to say it surpassed my expectations. Not only did it spray on dry as per the product claims, but it zapped the oil out of my roots AND added some volume. Just enough volume and shine added back so I could go another day or two without washing. I really prefer this dry shampoo to the Oscar Blandi one, which is great at absorbing oil but does not improve the look of hair's volume to the extent the Klorane one does. The Klorane dry shampoo leaves my hair looking "fresh", plus you're not dealing with the white powder that can leave a slightly grayish cast on blonde hair, as I've experienced with the Blandi shampoo. This is the one I'll be sticking with from now on.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17
Diva99 2/28/2011 9:12:00 PM
This was a disappointment for me. The shade I bought (W1) blends into my skin tone leaving no demarcation line, but created a pasty effect that required some serious blush to fix. It settled into my dry areas even after exfoliation, making my skin look a tad flaky after a few hours (mainly on the cheeks). I should note I have combination skin and most foundations won't accentuate dryness on me. I will not repurchase.
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Lip Treatments -Blistex - Lip Medex
Diva99 2/7/2011 11:24:00 PM
After not seeing results with this a few years ago while trying out the pot version, I was hesitant to try it again, but after seeing it consistently had won FASHION Magazine's Readers' Choice Award for lip balms, I decided to give Lip Medex another run - this time in the stick version. My chapped lips were becoming unresponsive to my fall/early winter standbys: Smith's Rosebud Salve and Aveeno Intense Relief Medicated Therapy Lip Protectant (which are both excellent in milder weather but my lips had become unresponsive to their moisturizing benefits by the time minus zero weather rolled around in January, so I had to try something new that my lips weren't used to) So I switched to Lip Medex and the Lip Massage (which I use before Medex to slough off any chapped bits). This has been my new winning combo and I am so happy I gave this product another chance, it works like a charm. EDIT: The effectiveness of this product wore off within a few weeks and it only provided moisture/relief from chapping that lasted less than an hour (which is not enough!) I also had problems applying lipstick over it and it didn't seem to alleviate any of the underlying problems. Sadly, the lippies had to be downgraded from 5 to 2 ;)
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Bronzers -Lancaster - INFINITE BRONZE CARROUSEL COMPACT POWDER
Diva99 2/7/2011 11:14:00 PM
Infinite glowy goodness! This was a welcome change to my usual EL Bronze Goddess (which is my HG day to day bronzer) but this Lancaster compact boasts shades of pink and peach, which add some flattering tones in addition to the bronze hues. Once I applied this, my fair skin took on a radiant, bronzed look (not orange or ruddy) - the shimmer is also quite minimal. Definitely recommend this for a skin pick me up!
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Treatments -Redken - Real Control Intense Renewal Super Moisturizing Mask
Diva99 2/7/2011 10:38:00 PM
This is a fantastic deep conditioner! Every time I use this my hair feels soft and manageable. It also doesn't leave build-up and helps prime the hair for a smooth blow-out. I use this once a week and leave it on for about 15-20 minutes, definitely one of the best nourishing conditioners out there!
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Moisturizers -Garnier - Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream
Diva99 11/28/2010 8:10:00 PM
This is a good moisturizer that distributes an even amount of moisture on my combination skin and does not leave the areas outside of my t-zone feeling too dry. It is also an excellent base for makeup. However, the product runs out too quickly (1.5-2 months) so for this reason I won't be repurchasing on a regular basis as there are other products that offer better moisture and more value for the amount of product you get.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Kerastase - Bain Satin 2 Shampoo
Diva99 11/18/2010 8:43:00 PM
This is my new HG shampoo! It is moisturizing without being greasy and my hair feels so soft when I use this. I am so happy this has lived up to my expectations, it is a lifesaver for my highlighted hair and gentle enough to use daily.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - Posh Kabuki - Traditional Size
Diva99 10/11/2010 10:58:00 PM
This is the best bronzer brush I have ever used! Posh brushes are inexpensive but excellent quality. It creates a very nice airbrushed look when used to apply bronzer onto my face and neck, or it can be used to blend in blush or powder. Love, love, love this product!
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Styling Products -Aveda - Volumizing Tonic
Diva99 10/6/2010 4:58:00 PM
I'm on my second bottle of Aveda Volumizing Tonic and I really recommend this product, which I use every time I style my hair. It provides a noticeable amount of volume throughout the first day my hair is styled (my hair goes flat the next day, but I wouldn't expect it to last that long anyways as my hair is quite fine). I also like how I can use this to add volume when I style my wavy hair with the diffuser attachment on my blow dryer. Overall, if you want to add volume to wavy, curly, or straight hair, this is a fantastic choice!
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Shampoo -Aveda - Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo
Diva99 10/6/2010 4:52:00 PM
This product deserves one lippie for doing what a shampoo is supposed to do - clean your hair! Unfortunately, it does not add any moisture or make my hair easier to manage. Whenever I shampooed with this product (which was usually once every one to two weeks), my hair felt like straw after I rinsed out the product and even when I rinsed out the conditioner afterwards, it still felt overly dry. There are definitely cheaper and better alternatives out there. I know Aveda products work very well on people with normal, healthy hair, but they don't seem to agree with me. In fact, I didn't even finish the bottle because it dried out my hair too much (temporarily of course, but there are other shampoos I have that don't dry out my hair, so I'll be using those.) Definitely a thumbs down.
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