Lipstick -Maybelline - Color Sensational ~ Red Revival
MDgirl 7/23/2009 5:20:00 PM
Ladies, If y'all are looking for the department store quality perfect red lipstick without the department store price tag, this lipstick is for you! Yes, you! Do whatever is that you need to do to get to your local Walgreens be it driving, walking, riding a bike, taking a couple of transfers or all of the above because this lipstick is definitely worth it! So here is my review of Maybelline's Color Sensational lipstick in "Red Revival": 1. Aesthetics~ Maybelline receives mad props for the tube design. The garnet casing and silver tube exude an air of sophistication almost reminiscent of Lancome's Color Fever design. Also, it is not flimsy as previous Maybelline lipstick cases. I can safely bring my lipstick out of hiding as it doesn't scream "was originially $3.99 now $1.49." Besides, the only two people who know that it's Maybelline are me and the Walgreen's cashier but I am sure she forgot about the transaction as it was three days ago. 2. The color~ "Red Revival" is the perfect red. It is neither too blue or too yellow! Make no mistake! This lipstick is highly pigmented and comparable to lipsticks at Sephora. While highly moisturizing, it is also long lasting. I applied it this morning and it has lasted through a couple of meals without any emergency touch ups. I just so ♥ that! If memory serves, my previous Maybelline lipstick faded into oblivion two hours after wear. 3. The scent~ the scent is a subtle and sweet powdery smell. This is a major upgrade for Maybelline. The last lipstick I bought from them smelled EXACTLY like Bath and Body Works "Cucumber Melon" series. Great for anti-bacterial hand gels/washes not for the lips. 4. Cost~All this for $5.49? What?! **Unfortunately, the photo was taken w/a flash so the lipstick doesn't appear as intense...but I swear on my Shiseido that it is fierce!
20 out of 24 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Clinique - Full Potential Lips Plump & Shine - Sugar Plump
MDgirl 5/23/2009 9:40:00 PM
Sometimes it is possible to strike gold during a Clinique Bonus Time! I normally don't even bother swiveling the lipsticks up in the container because I can tell by the name if the color is going to make the cut. W/the ubiquitous "Raspberry Glace", "Tenderheart", and other such colors I can tell that the colors will not work or show up at all on my olive toned skin. Such lipsticks would go straight from the makeup bag to a lucky paler recipient. So what a major surprise when I received a sample of the Full Potential Lips Plump & Shine lip gloss in "Sugar Plump." The following is my review: 1. The color ~ a nice beautiful pearlized warm pink that goes nicely with my olive skin tone!! Seriously!! Clinique's site describes it as a "warm pearlized violet." 2. The feel ~ nice and smooth. Unlike other "plumping" lipsticks, there was no burning sensation at all! 3. The consistency ~ not greasy or slimy but an actual gloss that felt like it clung to the lips. 4. The wear ~ surprisingly good! No bleeding. I did use a lipliner to back the color up because I would look absolutely dead without any color on my lips. Two lipliners that go great with thise color are Clinique's "Cocoa Rose" and "Velvet Rose". **Please view my photo to see the results w/Cocoa Rose.** 5. The price ~ 'Tis true that I did receive a small sample of it but the full price of $17.50 is worth it!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Lancome - Genifique
MDgirl 5/20/2009 8:58:00 PM
The following is my review of Lancome's Genifique after three weeks use: 1. The good ~ *The bottle design is both aesthetically pleasing and sanitary. I love the graduated black color and the tincture system of delivery. *My face did indeed become smoother and soft after using the product...but read #3. *I purchased along w/a kick a** bonus that included a cleanser that I absolutely love!! 2. The bad ~ Although alcohol was probably added to the product for fast absorption, it definitely dried out the skin around my chin area for a few days. I had some major peeling that didn't subside for a while. 3. The very bumpy ~ Hmmm....I had major acne flare ups on my the sides of my cheeks and the lower part of my face. My face was crystal clear before use and now it is....rife w/acne! I don't know if this attributed to the salicylic type of ingredient in the product. Or that I need to change my Clarisonic brush head that is way overdue! Or the stress of economic times. Or that time of the month. So, I will update a few weeks later and see.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Yes To Carrots - lip butter
MDgirl 4/19/2009 9:42:00 PM
This is a review for the Yes To Carrots Lip Butter in Melon: 1. Scent ~ Juicy melon that actually smells like melon. Nothing cloying or cheap about the scent at all. 2. The color ~ none. (I would love to have a tinted version of this). 3. The packaging ~ standard lip balm variety. 4. The price ~ $3.99 at Target 5. The texture ~ nice and smooth. Very emollient (probably due to the olive oils and coconut oils I suspect). 6. The result ~ Wonderful! I only apply this product at night and wake up to nice smooth and moisturized lips. I bought the Burt Bees Pomegranate balm and it did nothing except to leave my lips dry and chapped in the morning. Since switching back to the YTC balm, I have had soft kiss worthy lips! Definitely recommended!!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sephora - Sephora Brand Professional The Complexion Brush #53
MDgirl 4/19/2009 9:34:00 PM
Every makeup artist worth his/her salt always says two things: quality of skin and brushes contribute the most to a flawless complexion. I was always skeptical of this claim because why buy high end brushes when I get similar (so I thought) brushes at the drugstore??? Today I went over to Sephora to buy a mineral powder foundation for the spring/summer months. I already had a powder brush at home but figured that I might as well get one that was suited for mineral powder. A Sephora assistant suggested that I buy the Sephora Brand Professional Complexion Brush for the effect that I wanted (sheer coverage to even out skin tone). The brush was uber soft on my hands and I was sold! Great for sensitive skin because it doesn't scratch it (major issue with my last brush that I used every now and then). I bought the mineral powder (will do a review of that later) and the brush and drove home. I couldn't wait to try out the brush and rushed to wash off my makeup and the day's grime off my face. The brush picked up enough powder to cover my entire face in only two swipes (sheer coverage) and the brush did not cause any excess powder to become loose and wasted! The brush was so petal soft against my face, too! Another cool thing is that the brush comes with a plastic sheath to protect the bristles! Definitely recommended!!! The $19 was worth it! A good investment! C'est tout!
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Lip Treatments -Burt's Bees - Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil
MDgirl 4/3/2009 8:58:00 PM
I ♥ everything pomegranate so I couldn't wait to purchase this lip balm! So here is the review: 1. The smell was peculiar. I was expecting something fruity (pomegranate, duh!) but instead noticed a strong, curious not so minty scent. 2. The texture was nice and smooth. Not greasy or waxy. I love the all natural ingredients. 3. The color in the tube is a beautiful beet red but came on clear on my lips which was fine. 4. The result~ nice smooth lips that weren't that weren't hydrated but not chapped, either. ******************************************************************** I prefer the Yes To Carrots lip balm because it beats this one on every count! So this is a one time purchase for me!
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Lipstick -Max Factor - Vivid Impact Lipcolor - Wine Not
MDgirl 4/1/2009 8:56:00 PM
Long lasting yet moisturizing w/out bleeding. Beautiful depth of color yet easy to remove and non staining. Very affordable yet doesn't look it! All contradictory desires in a lipstick but possible?? Yes, with Max Factor's Vivid Impact Lipcolor in Wine Not! I was curious about this lipstick after reading all of the great reviews. I had a $5 off a $10 purchase at Ulta and couldn't figure out what else to add to my basket. I chose the Max Factor Vivid Impact in "Wine Not" at $7.99. I couldn't wait to go home and try the color on as it appeared to be a beautiful Bordeaux color in the tube. I was a little skeptical because drugstore lipsticks no matter how dark they appear never are dramatic on my golden olive skin. Since Ulta has a no questions asked return policy, I took my chances! I am sooo glad that I did, too! The color is a *beautiful* red wine shade that is *so* complimentary for those of us with olive skin tones. Absolutely stunning!! The color lasted through a heavy meal intact and my lips still feel moisturized at the end of the day! @$7.99 = a keeper!!
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Cleansers -L'Occitane - Foaming Rice Cleanser
MDgirl 3/8/2009 9:05:00 PM
I ♥ L'Occitane's Foaming Rice Cleanser and here are the reasons why: 1. Consistency ~ the pearl liquid produces a nice and slight foam (it's non-soap based) when water is added. One pump emits **too** much product so I would suggest a half a pump to clean the entire face and neck area. 2. Effectiveness ~ after using DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil at night, I use this in combination with my Clarisonic. Talk about uber smooth/polished skin! My skin is super soft and clean without any tightness to it all! Also, the residual makeup, oil, and mascara totally rinse clean!! Afterward, my toner and moisturizer sink right in! After using this product both in the morning and evening in conjunction with the Clarisonic, my skin has begun to glow and has had virtually no breakouts! The cleanser does not absorb oil per se but it really works to clean and clarify my combination skin without the oil rebound/dryness from other products. 3. Price~ Yes, $20 is not on the cheapie side. But considering that L'Occitaine has promos ( I just received the travel sized cleanser for free) and that half a pump goes a long way, it is a good deal. Also, my skin is much better for it! You can always stop and ask for samples. I received two little mini jars that lasted almost two weeks and then .....I was sold and wrote this little review of the product!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Aveda - Shadow plus vitamins in Illumination
MDgirl 2/12/2009 9:03:00 PM
This is for Aveda's Petal Essence Single Eyecolor in "Illumination" No 942. Let me preface this by saying that I NEVER wear eyeshadow but since having my brows waxed wanted to a *slight* enhancement of the eye without a lot of eyeshadow. I love how eyeshadow looks on everyone else but I always feel like I look like a rejected circus worker when it's been applied by me or others. I just have never liked it. Lips? Bold, crazy a** dark colors are no problem! The name of the shadow "Illumination" fits the description of the shadow exactly! The color is an absolutely beautiful/delicate sheer golden-pearl that when applied enhances the natural skin tone. (Great for warm skin tones like my olive/golden beige skin tone). The color basically bathes the lid in a beautiful wash that literally brightens the eye. The color doesn't distract but simply enhances/brightens the whole entire eye area. This combined w/an uber black mascara (L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in Carbon Black) really made my black eyes glow! I received a lot of compliments...on my eyes and not the shadow which is what I want! As some of you may know, Aveda's shadows do not come in a single compact but are designed to be placed in a large compact that houses other cosmetics (foundation, cheek color, etc). Since I only will use this shadow, I by passed the compact. Nice idea but not really if you are only into one item. $12 a pop to me isn't bad when I actually found the **exact** shade/consistency without the trial and error of drugstore brands. Plus, I walked over to Sephora across the way and was unable to find anything remotely similar to this shadow! Definitely keeper!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Eucerin - Calming Body Wash Daily Shower Oil
MDgirl 1/12/2009 6:16:00 PM
Due to these hard economic times, I was forced to find a *much* cheaper version of L'Occitaine's Grape Seed Shower Oil. I saw an advertisement in my Oprah magazine and was quite intrigued. I quickly went over to SuperTarget and bought myself a brand new bottle. So here is my review of Eucerin's Calming Body Wash Daily Shower Oil ********************************************************************* "The good, bad, and the funky!" 1. The good ~ The shower oil left my skin soft and silky with *no* greasy after feel whatsoever. The shower oil also rinsed cleanly away in the tub...no Exxon Valdez effect! The shower oil also made for a good pre-shave as well 2. The bad ~ The packaging needs some serious work! Aesthetically, the El Camino gold colored bottle left much to be desired. I also had issues with the cap. I have to literally turn the bottle upside to pour the product without wasting it. At an angle, the oil comes out and collects around the spout. 3. The funky~.....Oooh, That Smell!! The product smelled a little too much like....oil. I wish that Eucerin could have put in a neutralizing scent instead of leaving it with the current scent. I still ♥ my L'Occitaine Grapeseed Shower Oil and nothing will replace that. The Eucerin product is the working woman's shower oil and that is what will do until the economy improves!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Exact Eyelights Eye-Brightening Mascara - Black Pearl
MDgirl 12/23/2008 7:50:00 PM
If ain't broken, don't fix it!! This adage applies to favorite makeup staples as well!! My favorite mascaras of all time are Clinique's Long Pretty Lashes and L'Oreal's Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black. But for some inexplicable reason, I became too curious about Cover Girls' new "eye brightening" mascara. The idea is that subtle color pigments in the mascara brighten both the whites and the individual eyecolor (this case black brown), I saw none of that. NONE. I looked at my eyes in the mirror, outside, and indoors but saw nothing special! I just saw the *same* effect that I would have if I used the regular Exact Lash. The *same*. So, I decided to do a test. I curled both lashes and used different mascaras on the eyes to see if there was a noticeable difference. There was! The L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in Carbon Black brought out the black in my black brown eyes while the Cover Girl mascara did...nothing!!! Also, the CG mascara wasn't even full! So for $9, it ain't worth it!!!! Lesson learned! C'est tout!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -H20 - Aqualibrium™ Self Defense Eye Protector SPF 15
MDgirl 12/16/2008 6:01:00 PM
In these dire economic times, who wouldn't be down for a two for one product??? Okay, everyone, y'all can put your hands down!!! One such product is the H2O+ "Aqualibrium Self Defense Eye Protector with SPF 15". ************************************************************************** I don't have any wrinkles or crow's feet around my eyes but I *had* issues with *very* dark under eye circles that didn't respond to most of the recommended eye creams. I then had to resort to serious concealer (Bobbi Brown, Shiseido, MAC, etc) for major help. Well, no longer. I bought the eye cream because I wanted to have an SPF of 15 for the eye area and my regular moisturizer was just too heavy!! I found the cream to be very light in consistency and easily absorbed! I loved the cream so much that I started to use it a night! And lo and behold! About two months later, my circles have lightened up significantly so that I don't have a need for concealer anymore! At $28 for a .5 oz tube, it is definitely well worth it. Plus, I love the hygienic packaging! Tube vs. mini canister? I will have my eye cream in a tube, please!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Creative Nail Design - Solar Balm
MDgirl 10/2/2008 10:38:00 PM
For Ulta's recent grand opening in my neighborhood, customers received a wonderful goodie bag of popular products. One of the items that was featured was "SolarBalm" by Creative Nail Design. SolarBalm is a conditioning salve intended for dry cuticles and nails. Since I normally use Sally Hansen's "Flawless Hands" and C.O. Bigelow's "Lemon Hand Treatment", I didn't give the SolarBalm much thought and placed it in my travel essentials. As of late, I have had the *worst* outbreak of eczema on my right hand! Extremely dry, itchy, bumpy, red, angry skin!! My normal lotions could not alleviate the extreme dryness and peeling skin. As a last resort, I brought out the handy SolarBalm and hoped/prayed for a miracle! The concentrated form of jojoba and other oils along with vitamin E did the trick! I dabbed a tiny amount and spread it around on the affected areas (after I applied a prescription cream). The balm melted immediately on contact and was easy to spread around. The oils penetrated the skin and didn't leave a greasy residue behind. After a couple of days, I noticed that my skin started to heal and the moisture barrier started to come back. What a relief!! Once the skin fully heals, I am going to use this as a night treatment. I like the tiny tin since I can stuff it into any purse and go. No more cracked and ashy hands!!
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Treatments -L'Occitane - Aromachologie Repairing Mask
MDgirl 9/19/2008 6:56:00 PM
Although I have been using my Ojon's "Shine and Protect" Shampoo, Jonathon Green Rootine Conditioner, and Styling Cream; I still needed a deep weekly treatment for that extra hydration and protection. I used to use the Ojon Restortative Treatment but found it to be too messy, funky, and greasy! Enter L'Occitane's "Aromachologie Repairing Mask". This product is designed to be used on a weekly basis to increase moisture balance, protect hair from environmental damage, and add that extra polish to hair. The product contains five essential oils along w/sunflower and wheat oils for the conditioning effect. The scent is strong but not overpowering. Unlike the Ojon, it is actually pleasant...no more smoker's couch/patchoulli hybrid smell!! I only needed to use maybe about a quarter sized amount on my dry hair. I waited for about 15 minutes or so and shampooed, conditioned, and styled as usual. (The mask was easy to rinse out *unlike* the Ojon treatment) The result? *Mirror shine* worthy hair that was soft and smooth! No grease, no funky after smell...nada!! I definitely had Pantene worthy hair w/just the Green Rootine products but now? I have just upgraded the Pantene effect w/this mask! I will definitely use this instead of the Ojon. $27 may sound steep but I only need to use about a quarter's worth for my uber thick hair. Definitely well worth it!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Jonathan - Green Rootine Silkening Creme
MDgirl 9/10/2008 7:11:00 PM
Let me preface by saying that I have all three Green Rootine products (Shampoo, Conditioner, and the Silkening Creme). ************************************************************************ Jonathon Green Rootine line is a *100%* organic hair care line, i.e. no sulphates, no parabens, no silicones, etc. Just 100% pure/top quality ingredients. At first, I was a little skeptical but decided to try out the entire line! I am sooo glad that I did! Although very expensive, the Silkening Creme is the wonderful denouement! I dab about a quarter's worth and spread it around my hair which aids in the most wonderful blowout ever!! The result is the most shiny, happy, beautiful hair EVER!!! After using these products for about a couple of weeks, I can actually say that the combo has added depth to my black/brown hair. I have never received so many compliments from people about my hair! In addition, the product does not contain any silicones which makes it much easier for to get my hair clean!
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