Tinted Moisturizer -Paula's Choice - Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 20
Elfinoz 11/15/2011 2:27:00 AM
I was really pleasantly suprised by this, I haven't had a great deal of success with Paula's Choice products so I expected this to be a fail too. Once this has set the matte finish is probably the best lasting of any foundation I have ever tried....to the point of being slightly drying (something I'm none too familiar with since I have disgustingly oily skin!). Unfortunately the lasting matte finish also tends to accentuate fine lines around my eyes but I guess you really can't have everything. I can see this getting some serious use on those hot, humid summer days when makeup normally slides right off my face. This offers very little coverage but layers fairly well, but even layered it won't cover imperfections so if you need coverage this probably won't suit you. If you want minimal coverage so that you don't look made up then this might be worth a shot.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Vaseline - Intensive Rescue Heal and Repair balm
Elfinoz 11/10/2011 5:44:00 AM
I picked this up at the Reject Shop for AU $3, I figured at that price if I didn't like it I wouldn't care if I had to throw it away. This is awesome for my hands which are always dry as a result of repeatedly washing them at work. Also works great on elbows and feet. I'll definitely be buying again.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 30
Elfinoz 11/10/2011 3:40:00 AM
Please note that this review is for the Australian version which appears to have different sunscreen actives and preservatives than the US version. As far as the non active ingredients I don't know if they are different, it's not necessary for a full ingredients list to be included on sunscreens in Australia. I was hoping this would make a suitable face sunscreen but it's really too greasy, perhaps not as greasy as most other sunscreens but still a very long way from "dry touch" or anything close to a matte finish and that's with me applying only a tiny little bit which means I'm probably not getting anywhere near SPF 30 protection. Since the face was a no go I tried using it on my arms and legs instead only to find that liberal application resulted in it balling up. After rubbing off all the little white balls I noticed that I had white stains all over the cuffs of my black 3/4 sleeves, which did not come out in the wash. Not happy! Both the shirt and the sunscreen are now in the bin :(
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Paula's Choice - Clear Targeted Acne Relief Toner with 2% Salicylic Acid for all skin types
Elfinoz 10/20/2011 3:23:00 PM
I've been using this for over 3 months now so I feel like I've given it a fair run. Sadly, this has not done anything to help the clogged pores around my nose and chin. I did not really like the feel of the toner either, it leaves way too much of a greasy/slimey feel on my skin, but I persevered in the hope that it would improve the clogged pores. Since that hasn't happened the rest is going in the bin.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -E.L.F. - Hypershine Gloss- Bubblegum
Elfinoz 10/20/2011 3:19:00 PM
Just so-so for me. It's ok as a gloss but you really have to apply a lot of it to get any colour to show up, so I went through this quite quickly. Having to use so much of it kind of negates the low price.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Sleek - Au Naturel
Elfinoz 10/12/2011 12:29:00 AM
I'm really happy with this palette. I prefer matte eyeshadows but they can be hard to find, so many have shimmer in them. These eyeshadows are mostly mattes and the colours are neutral and easy to use with other colours. As always the eyeshadows from sleek are highly pigmented and have great colour payoff. Love, love, love.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Lacura - Ultra Firming Mask, for Mature Skin
Elfinoz 10/1/2011 3:45:00 PM
I am still undecided as to whether I would buy this again. Normally fragranced products don't bother me too much but I find the fragrance in this overwhelming (one lippie off for that). This does hydrate quite well whether you use it as a mask or a night cream, but I find it hard to put up with the smell for more than about 10 minutes so I usually just use it as a mask. I was also quite suprised at the non greasy texture. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone who is sensitive to fragrances, especially if you get fragrance induced headaches or migraines, after a few minutes this does make me feel quite "headachey". On the upside this is really cheap, normally AUD $3.99 I got it on special for $3.00 so if fragranced products don't bother you this might be worth a shot.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -NYX - One Night in Morocco Matte Smoky Eye Palette
Elfinoz 9/22/2011 7:47:00 AM
This is one of the best purchases I've made in ages. It's so hard to find matte eyeshadows which is why I was drawn to this palette. The eyeshadows are very pigmented and all but the two lighter shades in the brown tones are matte - they have a small amount of shimmer which I would call a satin finish. I do tend to find there is some fallout with the darker colours but I've found that to be the case with many darker eyeshadows. I've found its best to build the colours up slowly with a tiny amount of shadow on the brush rather than load a brush with too much shadow, much less fallout this way. The shadows have a smooth texture and blend easily. I wasn't overly impressed by the lip colours - they don't apply the same colour as they look in the palette and as a result none of them really suit me (in particular the two nude looking colours are rather a bright pink), but I'm not too worried about that as I bought the palette primarily for the eyeshadows. Not really a fan of the primer that's included either as there is always bits of eyeshadow getting stuck in it and I find the primer doesn't work all that well anyway. As I mentioned I bought the palette for the eyeshadows so it's not a deal breaker. Will repurchase for sure.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Shu Uemura - Cleansing Beauty Oil Balancer
Elfinoz 9/19/2011 7:31:00 AM
I got a sample of this with this month's beauty box, but I didn't really expect to like it. Having combo/oily skin the thought of putting oil on my face was just blech. I was pleasantly suprised! This rinses clean away and doesn't leave any oily residue and it's great for removing waterproof mascara and long-wearing makeup. I generally dislike spending a lot of money on cleansers so I can't see myself purchasing the full size any time soon, but perhaps I will if I'm feeling extravagant ;)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Dr. Denese - Wrinkle Rx Extreme Pro-Peptide
Elfinoz 9/19/2011 2:53:00 AM
I've been using this gel for about 3 months now and I'm very happy with it. Not overly heavy on my combo/oily skin and it has also lightened some of the dark splotches on my face. No it hasn't made my lines disappear but it has softened them a little, which is about as good as it gets without visiting a plastic surgeon. I really like the airless pump packaging too (though I have heard some people have trouble with it clogging this hasn't been an issue for me.) Unless I find something better, this is a definite re-purchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Barry M - Natural Dazzle Bronzing Powder
Elfinoz 9/19/2011 2:38:00 AM
This has become my new favourite bronzer. One of my biggest gripes about bronzers is that so many of them are *very* shimmery which I don't particularly like, not so with this one. Nice finely textured powder which goes great with my natural skin tone - I find a lot of bronzers are too orangey, this is a nice, natural looking tawny shade. Good sized compact which should last quite a while too. I can see this getting a lot of use over the next few months :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Olay - Regenerist UV Defense Regenerating Lotion SPF 50
Elfinoz 9/14/2011 5:54:00 PM
I generally shy away from suncreens purely because they all seem to leave a thick, greasy layer on my skin that feels awful and ends up breaking me out. I decided to give this a try since it was recommended by Paula Begoun. While I can't say this stuff has thrilled me it hasn't been a complete disaster either. It doesn't feel too heavy on (I only use one pump for my whole face), it does leave a very shiny, greasy looking layer that never seems to sink in no matter how long I wait. I found this stuff burns like fire if I use it within a few hours of exfoliating or using an oil absorbing mask. I will probably use the rest of this product unless it starts breaking my skin out, but I don't think I will bother to repurchase, if it looks too heavy now it will only look worse in summer and I doubt that I am getting much sun protection from using such a small amount anyway.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Paula's Choice - Skin Balancing Antioxidant Concentrate
Elfinoz 9/14/2011 5:42:00 PM
I am almost at the end of the tube of this product, I had high hopes but unfortunately it did not work out so well for me. The main problem is that it separates and despite vigourous shaking I couldn't get the ingredients to mix well. For the first half of the tube the product was very thin and left a horrible greasy layer on my skin. Once I got past the halfway point I am left with a thick, dry product that does not spread well over the skin and does not work well under makeup - my foundation ends up looking very streaky and patchy. The shaking also creates another problem in that it causes air pockets to form in the tube and when trying to squeeze the product out the air pockets would cause little globs of this stuff to go flying in every direction. I think I ended up with more of this serum on my floors, walls and mirror than I did on my face. I will not be re-purchasing this formula, but may give the Resist serum a try since the instructions don't require the product to be shaken to mix prior to using.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NYX - Powder Blush (ALL)
Elfinoz 9/12/2011 3:56:00 AM
I have several of these blushes now and I really love them. One of my biggest gripes about powder blushes is that it can be hard to find them without shimmer, but a number of the NYX blushes are truly matte with no shimmer. They have a great range of colours and I will probably end up buying a few more. The blushes blend easily while still having good colour payoff. Love 'em!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -E.L.F. - Professional Shine Eraser
Elfinoz 9/12/2011 3:50:00 AM
I've been carrying these around in my purse for a while now. Like others have mentioned, I usually need to use several of these to mop up all the oil on my face but at such a low price I don't mind having to use several. Usually a tissue will do the job just as well, I just like to have these handy in case I get caught with nothing else to soak up the shine.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No