Loose Powders -Chanel - Poudre Universelle Libre Translucent 2
Kaffeesansmilch 3/14/2013 8:22:00 AM
I never thought a powder could make such a difference! Before buying this, I had always used cheap drugstore powders. This Chanel powder looks amazing on top of both my Nars Sheer Glow foundation and my Nars tinted moisturizer! It helps to create an almost "airbrushed," perfect look. I never wear my foundation without this powder. The container is very large, so I have to buy about one a year, which is ok with me. Translucent two looks really natural on my NC20/Nars Deauville/Nars Alaska skin. I tried the Chanel pressed powder as well, and it was all right, but I didn't notice the perfected look to my skin that I get with the loose powder. Would I purchase again? Most definitely!
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Treatments -Estee Lauder - Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator
Kaffeesansmilch 2/4/2013 9:08:00 AM
I've been using this product for a year now and I have to say, I can't live without it! My skin is dry/dehydrated, and the older I get, the more acne prone it gets. When I use this product daily, I get almost no pimples (still 1 or 2 around my time of the month), and the pimples that I do get are much smaller, and go away quickly. When I don't use the product, I consistently have pimples. I bought some of the Idealist pore minimizing serum when I ran out of my first bottle of the even skintone illuminator, and it didn't work for my skin at all. My cheeks felt perpetually tight/dry, and it didn't keep the breakouts at bay nearly as well. As soon as I went back to the even skin tone illuminator, I had my pretty skin back. This product is an absolute must for me! I love how smooth it makes my skin feel (I know it's the cones), love the results and consider it a staple in my routine! I have already repurchased and will continue to do so!
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Treatments -Darphin - Rose Aromatic Care
Kaffeesansmilch 8/19/2012 3:27:00 AM
I've been using this product in the evenings after washing my face. I love the feeling of applying the oil. It's really not greasy (it seems to be a drier oil) and it absorbs in right away. Most nights I don't even apply any cream on top of it. It makes my dry/dehydrated skin feel comfortable (takes away the tight feeling I get from washing) and when I wake up in the morning, my skin feels soft. It also hasn't caused me to have any breakouts, which was an initial concern for me as my skin is getting more acne prone with age. I was also worried at first that I would use up the little bottle very fast, but you really only need a few drops, so I have a feeling this product will end up lasting for a long time. I definitely plan to repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Christian Dior - Shimmer Powder 002 Amber Diamond, Spring 08
Kaffeesansmilch 4/15/2012 2:54:00 PM
After purchasing rose diamond and loving it so much, I was very excited to try amber diamond. I was afraid it might end up looking a little too brown/bronzy on, but it actually looks amazing on my NC20 skin! I've found that with rose diamond, I can sometimes overdo it and end up looking slightly too pink, but the shades in amber diamond blend in with my skin even better and really do just leave me with a healthy glow. I would best describe the color of the highlighter on my skin as gold, but it is not obviously gold. Just a warm sheen. It's beautiful! I just swipe it over the tops of my cheekbones and it really completes my look. I would definitely repurchase this, if it weren't discontinued, and I'm afraid I will have a hard time finding a replacement for it. Just like with rose diamond, there are no obvious glitter chunks. This is a very sophisticated highlighter, and I am very happy with it!
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Moisturizers -Darphin - HydraSkin Rich
Kaffeesansmilch 4/15/2012 1:30:00 PM
This moisturizer works extremely well on my dry and dehydrated, breakout prone skin. It absorbs almost immediately and feels very lightweight, yet very hydrating at the same time. I only need to use a little bit. I get absolutely no discomfort from this cream, and I have significantly fewer pimples since I started using this. It provides exactly the right amount of hydration for me most days (when my skin feels extra dry, I put a serum on before this cream). This cream really leaves my skin soft, so soft, in fact, that my boyfriend wants to touch my face all the time! I have also noticed that my skin looks a lot better since I have been using it. Not only do I have fewer breakouts, but the texture of my skin seems to have actually improved! I was reluctant to try this cream at first, because of the long and botanical ingredient list, but as I said, I had no negative reactions at all from it. I use it morning and night, and it keeps my skin feeling comfortable. Before I started using this, I had very tight, uncomfortable feeling cheeks. I would definitely recommend this cream to anyone with dry and dehydrated breakout prone skin. I definitely plan to repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Unlisted Brand - ASTOR - Big & Beautiful Boom! Volume Mascara
Kaffeesansmilch 3/4/2012 4:58:00 AM
I have been so impressed by this mascara! It reminds me a lot of the original Diorshow, but without the high price tag. It comes in a thick, gold substantial tube and has a very large brush. The brush reminds me,a lot of the Diorshow brush. The mascara is one of the "drier" formulas-- I consider this to be a good thing! It is about the same consistency as Diorshow. I found the black shade to be very black, and it did a really nice job of lengthening my lashes and providing volume. My lashes look almost like they would if I had used Diorshow! It is definitely not a subtle mascara. It also did not flake off during the day and stayed put until I took it off at night. Another plus point is that the tube lasted a lot longer than most drugstore mascaras do. And the price is really good, not to mention that it's often on special! Overall, I liked this mascara a lot more than I expected to, and can say, without a doubt, that it is so far the best drugstore mascara I have ever tried. If you like the original Diorshow, you really should give this a try. It doesn't have the lovely Diorshow rose scent, but otherwise, it is quite similar. I definitely plan to repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -The Body Shop - Chocomania Body Scrub
Kaffeesansmilch 2/28/2012 10:37:00 PM
I agree with the previous reviewer that this scrub has slightly smaller granules than some other Body Shop scrubs, but it's still a very good scrub! I have very dry, itchy skin and the size of the granules was still large enough to make me feel well exfoliated. This scrub really smells great in the shower. To me, it doesn't really smell like chocolate, but it picks up the bitter notes in dark chocolate, and I almost get a bitter spiced citrus fragrance from it. I think it's lovely and a lot nicer than an overly sweet, artificial chocolate scent would be. The fragrance actually reminds me a bit of Cartier Declaration. The scrub leaves the skin feeling soft, moisturized and feeling great. I would definitely repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -NARS - Irresistiblement
Kaffeesansmilch 12/29/2011 12:06:00 PM
When I buy a bronzer, I'm not looking for something that makes me look like I really got a tan. Instead, I just want something to "warm up" my face and give my skin a bit of natural looking color. I am NC20 (Nars Sheer glow in Deauville) and most bronzers look very obvious on me. This one, I am happy to report, looks amazing! I apply it with a light hand and it just warms up my face, helping me look a bit healthier. This bronzer is matte, which I also love. If you have had trouble finding a natural looking bronzer in the past, I highly recommend giving this one a try. I intend to repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Mauving to Manitoba
Kaffeesansmilch 12/26/2011 4:14:00 PM
I really think this polish is a beautiful color; mauve-y, as the name implies, but a bit on the redder/warmer side, and a bit iridescent. There is no visible glitter or sparkles in it. I wore it as my holiday polish this year, and while I loved the color, the staying power was horrible. The polish literally chipped one day after I did my nails. I expect better quality from OPI, and therefore, I would not repurchase. EDIT: I applied this polish without a base coat and it stayed on much better! I only ended up with tip wear, and it really didn't stain my nails. I gave it 4 lippies now, and I may experiment with other base coats in the future.
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Top/Base Coats -Essie - Good to Go! The Fastest Drying Top Coat
Kaffeesansmilch 12/24/2011 12:13:00 PM
This is a great top coat! It dries quickly as it promises it will. It also dries completely, so you can actually use your hands much sooner than with other top coats. It looks glossy and shiny and helps keep the polish on the nails longer. I am impressed! I also noticed that I do my nails more often since having this top coat since it does dry so fast. It gives me the feeling that a manicure takes less time. I would definitely recommend it to others and I will be repurchasing it! It is worth the money!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Christian Dior - Shimmer Powder 001 Rose Diamond, Spring 08
Kaffeesansmilch 12/9/2011 1:08:00 AM
I am so in love with this highlighter! I became curious about it after I saw it on a beauty blog, and had to try it out. Initially, I was worried that it would be too pink/cool for my NC20 skin, but I am unable to detect any obvious pink tones when it is on my skin. I have been applying it lightly right at the tops of my cheekbones, and it gives me such a gorgeous, polished look. It makes me look so much better without being obvious! It really is the lit from within look. The first time my aunt saw me with this highlighter on, she told me I looked great and "airbrushed." For reference, I am a glitterphobe, and there are no obvious pieces of glitter in this highlighter. Just beautiful sheen. I have been wearing it paired with Nars Lokum cream blush lately, and it really looks amazing! It also does not accentuate my pores or any other skin flaws. I can only recommend this product if you are looking for a great, subtle highlighter that you can wear everyday. Applied with a light hand, this product really takes your look to the next level. I am looking forward to trying the Amber diamond shade now too!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Lash Architect 4D
Kaffeesansmilch 12/1/2011 9:44:00 AM
This is the first L'oreal mascara I have ever tried. Normally, I don't comment much on packaging, but I found the tube of this mascara to be very large and awkwardly shaped. Now onto the actual mascara: The formula is on the dry side, which for me is generally a positive point, but this formula was too dry. After two weeks of use, I felt like it was time to throw my tube away because it seemed to have dried up, and was extremely difficult to coat my lashes in mascara! I find this mascara clumps easily, doesn't do a good job of separating the lashes, or providing them with much length or volume. I would not repurchase this product.
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Primer/ Corrector -Giorgio Armani - Master Corrector
Kaffeesansmilch 11/11/2011 1:51:00 PM
Wow! I am so impressed with this product! I had already been quite impressed by Armani's precision retouch concealer for the natural look it gave me, while still managing to conceal my dark circles, but if I put a layer of the corrector on first, they really disappear! You also can't see an obvious layer of makeup! Yay! I got this in shade #2, which is orange. I was wary of correctors for a long time, but still frustrated by my dark circles. After reading Marsen's notepad (Thanks, Marsen!), I learned a lot about my chronic dark circles and how to better deal with them. She recommended a peach corrector to help purple circles, and after reading some other reviews of this one, I decided to try it. If you suffer from blue/purple dark circles and have a lot of trouble concealing them, give this product a try! It really looks amazing with a dot of Armani's precision retouch concealer on top, you don't need to use much, and the result is so natural looking! I would say this product has even achieved HG status for me and my hard to disguise circles! I feel like I now know a version of myself who looks awake and refreshed!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Essence - Stay All Day Glammy Goes To
Kaffeesansmilch 10/11/2011 10:50:00 AM
I purchased this shadow, believing that it was a champagne shade, although I will admit that it was difficult to really see the color inside of the package. I also believed that it would last all day on my lids, as it claimed to do. What I ended up getting was a very glittery, silvery shadow, which was a lot more cool-toned and less natural looking than I expected. So the color was a disappointment to me. Secondly, the product certainly did not stay all day. It lasted for a few hours, but afterwards it creased and faded, and it left little bits of silver glitter around my eyes. Needless to say, I only used it once. What a disappointment. I would definitely not repurchase.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Hildegard Braukmann - Activating Rich Day Cream
Kaffeesansmilch 9/26/2011 2:14:00 PM
This cream is part of the Hildegard Braukmann Institute line. It comes in a frosted plastic jar with a blue lid. The actual cream itself is white and very thick. It's easy to skim your finger over it to pick up a small amount, and you don't need much, as it is very emollient. The cream has a very faint herbal scent. I barely notice it. Thankfully it's not one of those creams that feels like it only sits on top of the skin and never absorbs! Overall, the cream does a good job of moisturizing my face. I have not experienced any breakouts or had any negative reactions to it. Once the cream has fully absorbed, my face feels hydrated and comfortable. It feels soft to the touch. For the first few weeks that I used the cream, it needed some time to absorb. However, that problem has resolved itself, and the longer I've used it, the quicker it's absorbed, and the better my skin has felt. I also had some issues with my cheeks feeling tight and dry by the end of the day when I first started using the cream, but not anymore. I found the cream to be mid priced, and I found the price fair, as I think the product will last for a long time. I plan to repurchase. If you have very dry skin, and find that mineral oil based products don't work well for you, I highly recommend giving this a try, though it seems to be a bit hard to find! I have also added the ingredients at the top of the page.
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