Mascara -Elizabeth Arden - Beautiful Color Maximum Volume Mascara
Elena1981 5/9/2013 7:09:00 AM
This is my favorite mascara. From time to time I try new products on the market but always come back to Elizabeth Arden “Beautiful color. Maximum Volume Mascara”. I have it in black 01 I like it for the following reasons: 1) Color. In spite there is a huge amount of black mascaras on the market nowadays, black colors always vary from pale black to very dark black. As for this particular mascara, the color is universal. If one layer is applied it looks natural (it’s far from pale black, but not very dramatic black either). If 2 layers are applied, the color starts to look more intensive and perfect (there are many mascaras that no matter how many layers you apply you can never achieve the necessary intensity of black color). 2) Volume. It incredibly increases the volume of my lashes and makes a striking difference! I think it could not have been increased more than this. 3) It contains 10.25 ml. While many others may contain a bit less. 4) It does not dry out for 6 months! I don’t make makeup every day and that’s why for me it is extremely important when mascara lasts and does not dry out before it finishes. And this mascara rocks! 5) Brush. I wish it was a little bit smaller but anyway it separates the eyelashes very well. And the result is - thick defined eyelashes. 6) Smudge-proof. It conquered my heart when I happened to be under the rain without an umbrella. In spite it was not raining cats and dogs, I was still sure I had black circles under the eyes because this mascara was not waterproof. How much I was surprised to see in the mirror that mascara stayed on the place! But what is also important it can be EASILY rinsed off with a makeup remover. There are some mascaras, that in spite being not waterproof, are quite hard to remove. And I think there is nothing worse than that for your delicate skin around the eyes. I love it and highly recommend!
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Misc Beauty Tools -beautyblender - Solid Cleanser
Elena1981 5/3/2013 3:40:00 PM
I bought Beauty Blender Pure Kit that includes white Beauty Blender for sensitive skin, Blender cleanser solid and the Air.Port Mesh bag. Money wise is to buy all these products as a kit rather than separately, it becomes a bit cheaper. As for a Blender Cleanser solid, it cleans very well, but not 100% perfect. I even left the sponge for some time with the cleanser’s lather on, hoping it will absorb it better...but no, it worked the same, my sponge still had foundation stains on one side. Probably I should try to wash it with a normal gentle soap and compare the results. If they are the same, I would never spend 17 euro for a tiny piece of solid cleanser again. They say it has a soothing lavender fragrance... the first time I smelled it I could not stop sneezing. I was really afraid that I might be allergic to it. But thankfully, I did not have any allergy. The scent reminds me more of a white Marseille soap, rather than anything of lavender. But what I like about this cleanser is the cute and hygienic packaging, it is very well-thought of. And secondly, I have to admit it is really a good choice for travelling, solid and compact.
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Misc Beauty Tools -beautyblender - Pure Beauty Blender
Elena1981 5/3/2013 2:59:00 PM
I bought Beauty Blender Pure Kit that includes white Beauty Blender for sensitive skin, Blender cleanser solid and the Air.Port Mesh bag. Money wise is to buy all these products as a kit rather than separately, as it becomes a bit cheaper. I bought it because it is really a comfortable kit for travelling; you have everything you need in one set. As for a white Beauty Blender for sensitive skin, it is an amazing sponge! Since I’ve got it I stopped to use my foundation brush (blending with a patting motion will never leave you any streaks, like a classic flat foundation brush might leave). The Sponge gives an exceptionally good flawless coverage, absolutely perfect, even an inexpensive foundation starts to look a bit better if I apply it with this sponge. And the shape is genius! It allows you to apply a very thin even layer on every area of a face (thin layer = makeup stays longer during the day) It also has such a pleasant suede texture... This blender is for sensitive skin, as it is color, latex and scent free (though pink and black sponges are also latex and scent free but just colored). The only disadvantage of it - hard to clean, even the Blender cleanser solid doesn’t clean it 100% perfect. Another thing, it absorbs foundation, so the amount you need to apply increases. But in spite of it, it is still my favorite way to apply foundation now.
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Lip Treatments -Korres - Lip Butter -Quince
Elena1981 4/30/2013 2:36:00 AM
This balm is a saver for: 1) Lipsticks that do not moisturize lips enough 2) For chapped lips during cold months In both cases I always apply the balm with a lip brush, never ever with my fingers. It works VERY quickly; no matter how dry my lips are, they become very well moisturized and soft just in a minute. As for the consistency, it corresponds to its’ name – butter, truly feels like butter on the lips but with a delicious fragrance and a subtle pink tint that looks very much like the natural colour of the lips. It gives shiny, “healthy lips” finish. It stays on the lips for few hours or until you drink or eat something. As for the ingredients, most of them are just chemicals. However, it contains tocopherol (vitamin E-antioxidant) that is good. Also, there are some natural ingredients like sunflower oil, rice wax and shea butter extract, but they are almost in the end of the list. So the conclusion is- the balm is very good for immediate but temporary results. If you need to HEAL chapped lips this balm won’t help you, for this purpose I personally use either Vaseline or Dr.Hauschka lip care stick, they don’t work as quickly as korres lip butter but they do heal in the long run and not just cover the problem. However, I still like Korres lip butter because sometimes I need the results there and then, and this product works perfectly well for this purpose.
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Styling Products -L'Oreal - Super Dust Tecniart (force 3)
Elena1981 4/24/2013 10:36:00 AM
This product has both pluses and minuses. Actually I was choosing between this mineral powder and a volume spray. But as I was planning my vacation I decided that powder in a very small container would be more perfect for travelling by plane. So the consistency and size of it is definitely a plus. As for increasing the hair volume, it does the work but I expected a bit more out of it. I apply it to dry hair directly to the roots and then work the powder through with my fingers. And it increases the volume (though not boosting volume) for few hours only. Next, in spite this powder is extremely lightweight and fine, it gives the feeling as if I’ve used a finishing hair spray on my roots. And if after few hours I will shake my hair roots again (without powder this time), they will get the volume back, but again not for a long time. I like that it gives dry finish and slightly absorbs hair oils which is perfect for oily scalp and in this case it is better than a volume spray. But don’t expect it to work as a dry shampoo, as it doesn’t. I don’t know if I buy this product again. It is not bad but I believe it is a bit overpriced for the work it does.
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Moisturizers -Dermalogica - Active Moist
Elena1981 4/24/2013 8:55:00 AM
I have been using this product twice daily for a month time. Mostly it does 3 things: hydrating, improving the texture of the skin and also has slightly soothing properties. The cream leaves semi-mat finish. The consistency is very lightweight; cream is easily applied and quickly absorbed. It is oil-free which is perfect for combination/oily skin types. I was impressed by ingredient list as it is full of different plant and fruit extracts, such as lavender extract (soothing, anti-inflammation properties), mallow extract, ivy extract, cucumber extract (anti-inflammation and lightening properties, I love it in products for oily skin), sambucus nigra flower extract, arnica montana flower extract (anti-inflammatory effect), parietaria officinalis extract, nasturtium officinale flower/leaf extract (antioxidant), arctium lappa root extract (prevents acne), sage leaf extract (healing properties), lemon fruit extract (antibacterial, good for oily skin), saponaria officinalis extract. It also contains silk amino acids that have excellent moisturizing properties and give a silky feeling to the product. Glycolipids also help to hold water inside of the skin. As the result, the skin doesn’t lose any moisture. Closer to the end of the list there is a very good antioxidant- grape seed extract. It doesn’t have any artificial fragrances and colours. I believe it is a very good product for warm season for those who have combination/oily skin types. It would be perfect if it contained SPF and had anti-aging properties as well. And unfortunately if a blemish appears, it doesn’t reduce it as quickly as I would like to. But overall, it does everything “Dermalogica” claims it to do.
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Styling Products -Kerastase - Elixir Ultime
Elena1981 4/17/2013 11:45:00 AM
I have been using Elixir Ultime (for all hair types) for the last two months and I consider it is the best oil ever (and the most expensive as well). The oils that I used before mostly contained only one type of oil. And the Elixir Ultime contains the combination of 4 oils (maize/corn germ oil, argania kernel oil, camellia seed oil, pracaxi/pentaclethra macroloba oil) and it DOES make a huge difference to my hair, making the nourishing effect 3-4 times more than the other oils did for me. I use it in four different ways: 1) after shampooing I apply it to ends as a leave-in treatment for deeper nourishment and for avoiding split ends in the future (now I hardly have any split ends at all). 2) I apply it on dry hair before styling with a flat iron for protection. 3) I use it as a finishing product to make my hair look more perfect (but unfortunately it doesn’t reduce flyways as much as I would like to and sometimes I just use my nourishing cream instead). 4) Sometimes I use it also as a re-touch product This oil makes my hair silky, soft, and shiny, and it doesn’t weight my hair down or makes it look greasy. I always use only 1 pump of oil (when I had to use 2 or sometimes even 3 pumps of my previous oils to get the same moisturizing effect). The bottle contains 125ml and I think it might be enough for a year. And the fragrance is absolutely amazing, so luxurious... I love it! I feel like after I started to use Kerastase products the structure of my hair changed for better. If other products were just making the illusion of healthy hair just till my next shampooing, Kerastase managed to make my hair healthy from inside. This is the reason I fell in love with this brand and this what it differs from other brands I’ve used. I just needed to give it a few weeks time to show the best results ever.
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Treatments -Kerastase - Ciment Thermique
Elena1981 4/12/2013 9:21:00 AM
My hair is fine, if not cared properly it becomes brittle, I color it every month and use flat iron almost every day. I have been using this product for the last 1.5 months. It is lightweight and doesn’t make my hair greasy at all (I use only a walnut-size of it). It has a very pleasant fresh lemony-citrus scent but it doesn’t stay more than 30 minutes on my hair. The first time I used this leave-in treatment I didn’t see much of a difference and was a bit disappointed. But after I applied it few times more (around 4-6 times) I started to see that the structure of my hair improved for better and hair started to look healthier and stronger. And now after 1.5 months the difference is really visible (but I started to use it at the same time with elixir ultime, so they both make the difference to my hair). For some reason it works gradually, making my hair better with every application. I apply it after washing my hair and leave it to dry naturally and at this stage I don’t see much of a result. But when I start to straighten my hair with a flat iron, the milk works amazingly, making my hair silkier and smoother. The only complain is it doesn’t keep my hair straight, there are some hair creams that help me not to use flat iron every single day but this one doesn’t keep the desired effect. But overall, it is an excellent heat protector, one of the best.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Black Diamantissime
Elena1981 3/13/2013 6:09:00 AM
I got this mascara as a gift. I don’t think I would ever buy mascara containing diamond powder myself as I don’t really understand why someone needs sparkling eyelashes. So here are my impressions: *The glitters are not striking visible but still noticeable. *The brush is ok, quite flexible, the bristles do separate lashes but I cannot say this mascara gives the best volume ever. The application is good and even without any clumps. *The staying power is quite good. *The black colour is somewhere in the middle of intensity. It is not the blackest black (if I can say so...) *What I really liked about it is an anti-clump wiper. I believe it is a very good idea as I never had any excess mascara on the brush and it made the application much easier and better. *Conclusion: it is not the best mascara but cannot say anything bad about it either.
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Shampoo -Kerastase - Specifique Bain Divalent
Elena1981 3/11/2013 10:35:00 AM
This is the 1st shampoo that effectively helped me to extend time between washing my hair. I used to wash my hair every other day (3-4 times a week), now I wash it only twice a week. It contains salicylic acid that truly eliminates sebum at the roots but if I use this shampoo more than twice a week it dries a little bit my scalp. Actually on the regular basis there is no need to wash my hair three times a week now, but sometimes I still feel like to refresh my hair because of an unexpected occasion or whatever. And in case I need to wash it the 3rd time during the same week I prefer to use another shampoo. I cannot say it nourishes my dry hair lengths. I still need to apply oil before washing my hair. But other shampoos for oily/combination hair that I used were leaving my lengths really dry and this one doesn't dry out but doesn't moisturize either. I cannot say it really works as a balancing shampoo for me. But still I find it better than other shampoos for oily hair. This shampoo contains Vitamin B6 (in the ingredients list it is called pyridoxine).They say it prevents hair loss and also increases the production of melanin (the chemical that gives hair its color). I do believe that it might work if taking food supplement but difficult to say how effectively it is when added in a shampoo. It also contains glycine derivative. It helps to prevent hair from damage by keeping PH balance. As for SLS, this shampoo contains sodium laureth sulphate and tea-lauryl sulphate that is a gentle version of all SLS. If someone is interested, here is a guide that I found once and now I check all the shampoos accordingly: 1. Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate – the worst 2. Ammonium Laureth Sulfate - very harsh but better than the above 3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - better than the above, but still a little bit harsh. 4. Sodium Laureth Sulfate - gentle, great pick. 5 TEA lauryl Sulfate - good pick 6. TEA Laureth Sulfate -good pick. I personally believe this shampoo is worth the money you pay for it. (I buy it for 16 euro)
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Concealers -Laura Mercier - Secret Camouflage
Elena1981 2/10/2013 8:28:00 AM
I have very mixed feelings about this concealer. It didn't meet fully my expectations. To be precise, I would give it not 4 but 3.5 stars. The things I like: 1) It gives full coverage. 2) It is long wearing. 3) Two tones allow you to get the perfect shade you need 4) If you don’t have dry skin under the eyes you might cover dark circles with this concealer (but to my opinion it is not the best concealer for such purposes, I personally prefer creamy texture for under eye area). But keep in mind that it gives a very mat finish, so better if you use foundation that gives mat finish as well, otherwise you will end up with dewy skin and mat under eye circles and the difference will look striking and not nice. 5) You need a very little product due to high level of pigment. I believe if to use it every single day it will be enough for 1-1.5 year. The things I don’t like: 1) In spite it conceals redness on my sensitive skin but it dries it out badly. So I don’t agree it is suitable for all skin types. 2) When I need to apply this concealer on bigger areas (like to cover redness on my nose and cheeks) it doesn’t work well with my concealer brush at all (though I have a good professional one that always worked well for me with other creamy concealers). When I apply it with my brush the concealer looks patchy. :( It works ok only when I need to cover a very tiny area like a blemish. 3) To conceal bigger areas I can apply it only with my fingertips as it is the only way for concealer to melt on my skin looking natural (I just scrape a bit with a spatula and mix it on the back of my hand. I think the best proportion 1:2 (dark colour: light colour). But obviously I cannot be very precise when applying it in such a way. 4) It doesn’t work well on bare skin. It dries it out and looks patchy. It works ok only on foundation. Sometimes when I am in a hurry or don’t feel like to apply a full make up, I don’t use foundation but just conceal some areas, powder my skin and that’s it. This concealer is no-no product for such kind of makeup. When it finishes I won’t repurchase it again.
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Cleansers -Clarins - Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Cottonseed for Normal or Combination Skin
Elena1981 2/7/2013 10:04:00 AM
This is an excellent cleanser. At first I fell in love with a Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind and Purifying Micro Pearls (combination/oily skin) but as in winter my skin changed, I decided to give a try to a Cleanser with Cottonseed (normal/combination skin). To be precise, I would give the previous cleanser 5+++ and to this one 4.8. The cleanser with Tamarind made my skin very pure and blemishes free, and this cleanser makes my skin very soft, supple and it feels less drying, making it more perfect for cold months. This is the main difference between these two. What I extremely love in both of them is the tiny amount that you need to wash both a face and a neck, it is very economical, and 125ml. can easily last around 10 months. Both of them are very gentle yet effective. Both give a lightweight lather (though a cleanser with tamarind gives a little bit more lather, but the difference is not very striking) that is very easily rinsed off. I believe this cleanser is like a golden middle between cleansing milk and a cleansing gel/soap. It leaves the skin as soft as cleansing milk does, but perfectly cleans and refreshes the skin like a cleansing gel. So if you are not sure what to buy either cleansing milk or a cleansing gel, go for Clarins Foaming Cleanser. It’s brilliant and worth every cent you pay for it.
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Lips -Dr. Hauschka - Lip Care Stick
Elena1981 1/31/2013 12:06:00 PM
When I was ordering this lip balm I thought I was crazy to spend 14 euro just for a lip care stick. But I do not regret it, as it works brilliant! The ingredients list is amazing! It is full of oils and plant extracts. It doesn’t work like an ordinary cheap lip balm. I was using them for ages and they help me only while they are on my lips, but as soon as the balm is off, the lips are dry again. But when I use Dr Hauschka lip balm, it nourishes my lips, makes them soft and they stay well moisturized and healthy a long time afterwards. It doesn't just cover the problems, it HEALS chapped and dry lips. It is a little bit hard to apply as it is sort of waxy, but it does not bother me much. It also makes lips a little bit shiny. It has herbal scent. Well, I simply love it! :)
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Treatments -Clarins - Beauty Flash Balm
Elena1981 1/31/2013 11:00:00 AM
I am absolutely in love with this balm! I believe it is the best primer ever! It is a bit tricky to apply but if to do it correctly it makes magnificent work for my face. It refreshes, tightens the skin, and makes it more radiant, firm and healthy looking. I feel as if my face looks like of a celebrity on a red carpet when I am using this balm as a primer! :)))) I noticed that the primer gives you around 10-15 minutes for applying your foundation, concealer and powder. As many people said here you don’t have to rub it into the skin but apply a thin layer with long strokes, as it works like a film. There is no need to use your moisturizer before it (unless you have really dry skin) and to wait till it penetrates.You have to apply makeup instantly, so the products will set into the skin together. By the way I apply my foundation with strokes too, just in case I prefer not to use any brushes or massage movements. And then makeup lasts for a very long time and looks exceptionally good. I believe it refreshes the skin gradually, you don’t see the best results there and then. The skin starts to look much better in around 20-30 minutes after applying it, but after 2-3 hours it looks absolutely amazing and the best and then after 3-4 hours the effect SLOWLY starts to go down. At least these are my observations how it works on my skin. Anyway I don’t think it is a good idea to use it every day (as the product is more like a treatment) but 1-2 times a week for occasions is ok. Take into consideration that the product has to be used up to 12 months after you open it, so no need to keep this treasure for Christmas evenings and weddings’ occasions only. :))) LOL
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Powder -Chanel - poudre universelle libre(natural finish loose powder)
Elena1981 1/30/2013 4:31:00 AM
This is a very good loose powder that gives a natural finish and perfectly sets my Chanel foundation. Like any other loose powder it has a light coverage. Usually I apply it with a puff only on the T-zone and it stays absolutely invisible on my face but at the same time it makes the skin tone more even and the skin feels silkier after applying the powder. I also like that it is oil-free. This powder goes in a huge container. I believe even if I use it every single morning it will last 1-1.5 year. BUT I strongly believe that the container is over-sized to attract the customers. I compare it with Clinique blended face powder (it goes with a swivel-out brush) and it contains 35g (while Chanel contains only 30g). The container of Clinique is almost twice smaller that makes it comfortable to have it even in my bag if I wish and not just leaving it in a drawer like I do with Chanel. In spite I am absolutely satisfied with the excellent quality of Chanel loose powder, I didn’t see any difference with the one I had before (Clinique). The difference is only in price. Clinique 35g costs 26.00euro and Chanel 30g costs 51.50 euro. I will not repurchase it again and will go back to Clinique.
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