Powders -Paula's Choice - Sheer Perfection Pressed Powder
FairyCelt 9/7/2007 8:29:00 PM
Since I have oily skin, I really have to use powder to not only set my concealer (also Paula's Choice) but also to blot out the oil that always comes through by the middle of the day. I was hesitant to get this because the lightest shade (sheer 1) looked a little too dark for me (just so you know, I'm PPP who used Nars loose powder in Snow...until it made me break out). Luckily, Paula's Choice offers samples of it's cosmetics! After I got my sample, I used a powder brush to sweep this on. When they say "sheer" they mean "sheer"! This gave just enough color to even out my skin a little, but not so much that I looked like I had stuck my face in a flour bag. This also keeps oil at bay for HOURS (even during the warm, humid weather Central Texas has been experiencing lately). For those of you who want medium to full coverage in a powder, this isn't for you. However, if you just want a hint of color and big time oil control, look no further! BTW, Sheer 1 was the perfect shade for me!
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Skincare - Body -Paula's Choice - Close Comfort Shave Gel
FairyCelt 9/7/2007 8:10:00 PM
My legs have always been super sensitive and dry (not to mention prone to massive amounts of ingrown hairs). This shave gel is a bright, robin's egg blue and doesn't have too much of a scent. It doesn't foam, but unlike other non-foaming shaving gels, it's easy to spread. It also washes off your legs and razor really easily (no worries about gunked up razors with this!) As for the results, I'm truly amazed. I didn't have ONE ingrown hair and NO burning after shaving. This coming from a girl who had bad experiences while shaving with just about every "sensitive formula" shave cream, gel, or lotion. I'm so happy with this! I recommend it to everyone, but especially to those who feel like they will never be able to shave without pain and unslightly bumps.
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Shampoo -Paula's Choice - All Over Hair & Body Shampoo
FairyCelt 9/7/2007 8:03:00 PM
A lot of people don't like this shampoo because it dried out their scalp, but I didn't find it to be drying at all. Of course, I have an extremely oily scalp so those with normal or dry scalps might have a different experience. Many of the other shampoos for oily hair were really harsh on my sensitive scalp and dry, wavy ends. This colorless, gel-like shampoo cleans all the oil without drying my hair or causing my scalp to turn red and burn. In fact, after I wash this out, my hair is really soft and not stripped-feeling. I recommend this to people with oily to really oily scalp that's sensitive.
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Concealers -Paula's Choice - No slip concealer [DISCONTINUED]
FairyCelt 8/29/2007 6:48:00 PM
Thank goodness for Paula's Choice concealer! The consistancy is creamy but NOT greasy and covers like a dream. I've always had problems with undereye circles as well as combination/oily, blemish-prone skin. This is perfect for covering both circles and blemishes without having to worry about anything looking cakey or gross. Another plus is that this stuff stays on ALL DAY. Ususally concealers just slide right off of me, but not this one! I am extremely active (I do Tae Kwon Do and pilates/yoga almost everyday) and live in Central Texas. Even when we're in the middle of one of our extremely hot, humid summers (like this one) and I'm running around this still stays in place. This is about thirteen bucks not including shipping and handling. Although this sounds expensive (compared to drugstore brands) you do get a generous amount per tube. Besides, compared to department store brands, this stuff is really inexpensive! I use Light on my PPP skin and it matches perfectly (an EXTREMELY rare occurence for me). This stuff is scent-free and doesn't have any pore-clogging ingredients in it, so it's perfect for someone who is prone to zits as well as sensitive to fragrances. I would definitely give this a try, especially if your uber pale.
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Lotions/ Creams -Bath and Body Works - Japanese Cherry Blossom-lotion
FairyCelt 8/24/2007 7:11:00 PM
I'm not huge into perfume. It's not that I'm sensitive to fragrances or anything, it's just not "my thing". However, I've always loved perfumed body stuff...probably because it's like killing two birds with one stone. Not only am I clean and/or moisturized, but I also smell lovely! I've used bath and body works stuff (which is the pinnacle of all perfumed body-care things, imho) for about ten years and have probably tried every scent they have. This is by far my favorite! The smell is floral, but there's also a musky, almost amber-like note to it as well. I've always loved the deeper scents, but could never pull them off (they morph upon making contact with my skin and end up being really overpowering). The floral in this lightens up the other notes, so I can actually pull this off! Yay! The packaging is classic bath and body works, except for the lovely detail on the sticker. It's a gorgeous oriental-red with, you guessed it, a picture of a Sakura tree. Very understated, exotic and warm...just like the scent. If you're like me and never thought you could get away with musky scents, you'll definitaley want to get this.
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Styling Products -Jonathan - Create Weightless Smooth No-Frizz Hydrating Balm
FairyCelt 8/24/2007 6:57:00 PM
This stuff is amazing! After the whole Pantene Hydrating Curls debacle (read the update to my review if you wanna know more about that little episode) I was afraid to use any conditioner in my hair. While my hair is fine, I have a lot of it. Plus it's wavy and coarse. Therefore, I need SOMETHING to moisturize my hair. Enter Jonathan Antin! This hydrating balm is excellent at light conditioning as well as styling. I put about a nickle-sized amount in my shoulder-length hair (from the nape of the neck down...no where near the scalp area) and work it through a little, then I just let it air dry. I end up with smooth, soft, shiny waves and hardly any tangles (which is always a problem with fine, wispy strands like mine). Just make sure not to put too much or your hair will end up kinda crispy and dull. I also have an issue with the packaging. The cap on the tube never seems to close all the way, so there's always some of the product that ends up oozing out. This isn't a huge concern, though. The smell is awesome, by the way. Very faint and not floraly at all (at least imo). I'm not bothered by fragrance much, but for those of you who are, I don't think this would cause much of a problem for you. All in all something to try out (but get the small, travel-size first before spending close to thirty bucks on the full size).
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Eye Glide - Pearl
FairyCelt 8/24/2007 5:39:00 PM
I love this nifty little pen! This color is a pinkish white (kinda holographic) and has a very nice shimmering quality to it (shimmer, not glitter). I actually use this as a highlighter along my eyebrows and cheekbones, and it works beautifully! It glides on smoothly and blends in like a second skin. I have medium auburn hair with PPP coloring and this doesn't look clashy at all (which is usually the case with most pale pinks). I bought this about two and a half months ago and I'm only a quarter of the way through (with almost daily use)! One click for each eyebrow and another click for each cheekbone is all I need to get a glowy, natural look. The packaging is nice and the sponge applicator is neat (eventhough I apply this with my fingers!). I only wish it was easier to see how much was left in the tube...I usually end up having to hold the pen up to the light in order to see the amount still left!
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Lip Gloss -Laura Mercier - Lip Stain in Sugar Violet
FairyCelt 8/18/2007 1:28:00 PM
I love this! My lips are always so dry that I have only been able to use lip gloss. While moisturizing, gloss tends to be sticky and never lasts that long. Then I came across this lip stain. My previous attempts at stains left me a little skeptical (the two I tried-one by Sonia Kashuk and one by Revlon- were very watery and just looked BAAAD). I decided to buy this anyway and hope for the best. The best is definitely what I got! This color looks really dark and purple in the pot, but goes on a rosy/berry color. I have pale skin with light auburn hair and this doesn't look garish or clashy at all. It lasts forever and when it finally does begin to wear off, it does so naturally (no ring around your lips). While this isn't moisturizing, it certainly doesn't dry out your lips. This is pricey, but you don't need that much to get a nice affect and it seems like the nice-sized pot will last forever. All-in-all, a product worth its price tag.
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Loose Powders -NARS - Snow
FairyCelt 8/18/2007 1:18:00 PM
I really liked this! Snow is the perfect color for really pale skin (which is amazing in itself). The actual powder is silky, light, and left an airbrushed look to my skin. However, it just wasn't meant to be :( My skin is combination/oily and I live in Texas (known for it's really REALLY hot weather). These two things combined with the "shimmery" nature of NARS powder left my skin ultra-shiny four hours into the day. This also has corn starch in it, which can mean bad news for people with blemish-prone skin (for more info on that, I suggest going to cosmeticscop.com and look through Paula's ingredient dictionary). If you're pale, have drier skin, and aren't prone to blemishes this will definitely be your HG. I'm so sad I had to return this!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Pantene - Hydrating Curls Conditioner
FairyCelt 8/18/2007 12:33:00 PM
Wow, a lot of people don't like this! I'm kinda surprised because this conditioner has worked so well for me. I recently cut my hair (from waist length to shoulder length!) and decided a new conditioner was needed. I've used a lot of different Pantene products in my life, but always with "meh" results...not great, but not bad either. I decided to pick this up (without reading any reviews...a first for me), and I'm glad I did! The smell is classic Pantene and the consistency was just right (not to thick, but not watery either). It smoothed through my hair nicely and washed off just as well. When my hair dried, it was soft and shiny. I can't really comment on this bringing out any curls and waves because pretty much any conditioner I use brings out my hair's texture. I've only used this twice, but I like what I see so far. I'll review later on once I've used it for awhile. BTW, my hair is slightly coarse, wavy/curly, and each strand is very thin (though I've got a lot of them so it gives the overall appearance of thick hair). *UPDATE* Okay, I should probably preface this update with some info on me. I have seborrheic dermatitis (which is kinda like psoriasis, but less severe and aggravated by oily skin instead of dry skin). This conditioner made my scalp soo oily (and I didn't even put it near the scalp area) I had a huge flare-up. It was so bad I ended up losing a ton of hair...very traumatic. If you have an oily scalp, and especially seborrhea, DO NOT use this!
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Conditioner -Joico - Moisture Recovery
FairyCelt 8/18/2007 12:08:00 PM
I really don't want to bring down the rating for this product, but I just didn't like it! Based on all the great reviews, I couldn't wait to go buy this. Once in the shower, I noticied that the scent of this is very light and the consistency was great. I only had to use a nickle-sized amount for my long (waist length), fine, curly hair. However, once I towel dried my hair, it felt as if each curl was coated. When it dried completely, I was left with fuzzy looking- and feeling- hair. I decided to give this conditioner another chance because you can never tell if something is good or not with just one wash. By the fourth time using this, though, my experience didn't get any better. Now in all fairness, my hair has always been intolerant of protein (especially when mixed with silicones). Considering this conditioner has plenty of both, I really should have known better. If your hair can tolerate a fair amount of protein and silicone,and you want a conditioner that is gentle, I think you would realy like this. However, if you're a curly who has a hard time with those two ingredients, I would pass this up.
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