Conditioner -Aveda - Clove conditioner
May_Bee 9/27/2012 9:39:00 AM
This is the only "colour" conditioner I've tried that really works. I get my hair coloured about every 6 weeks and the colour fades badly between colouring, but using this conditioner about once a week keeps the colour rich. You have to use it carefully because it will stain grout and sealant if not rinsed off quickly, and it definitely discolours towels. I use a richer conditioner on my ends before applying this product, as it is only average at conditioning, but the colour effect is excellent.
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Treatments -L'Oreal - Youth Code Regenerating Skincare Serum Intense Daily Treatment
May_Bee 3/21/2012 11:00:00 AM
This review is for the liquid serum which comes in a bottle with a dropper. I want to put in a kind word for this product, in the face of generally poor reviews here. I find that just a drop or two spread over my skin after cleansing and before moisturinsing improves the texture of my skin and makes it feel more comfortable. After a few months use I am also very happy with the current satiny appearance of my skin, which is unusual for me! I have tried more expensive serums before without being impressed, but this one has won me over.
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Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Youth Code Day/Night Cream
May_Bee 3/21/2012 10:49:00 AM
This review is for the night cream. I tried it at random because it was on special offer, and I have rebought it twice now. The texture is light but creamy, and it spreads easily, is absorbed quickly, and moisturises without any greasiness. Almost every cream rich enough to provide effective moisture will also break me out in cystic spots, but I've had no problems with this product. Obviously the marketing spiel about scientific advances etc is nonsense, but I must say I have been very happy with my skin since using this product, and will continue to use it for the forseeable future.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lancome - Tresor midnight rose
May_Bee 2/14/2012 9:26:00 AM
I've never been a massive fan of Lancome fragrances, but this is still a disappointment. Top-notes of Actifed cough syrup give way to heart notes of Vimto fruit squash, and a dry down of cheap rose air freshener and washing up liquid. The strength and persistance are unfortunately excellent. This is a shockingly poor product at the price.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Garnier - Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream
May_Bee 2/14/2012 9:05:00 AM
I've used this product for years, not because it did anything amazing in terms of firming, but I found it a light and effective moisturiser for the delicate skin beneath my eyes. But the most recent tube has caused me the same unpleasant reaction other reviewers have experienced - blurry, watery, sensitive red eyes, and itchy rough skin below them. At first I thought it was bacterial/viral conjunctivitis (I work in an eye hospital) but I changed over to Simple just in case and the problems went away immediately. A few weeks later I gave the Ultra-lift another try, and sure enough the same thing happened again. I came on this site to check if this was a common experience, and I can only conclude that Garnier have made a horrible mistake in changing the formulation of a previously successful product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -L'Oreal - Refreshing Eye Make Up Remover
May_Bee 6/23/2011 11:38:00 AM
It burns! I don't have a problem if I just dip a cotton bud in it and use it to correct smudges around the eye, but if I soak a pad in it and hold it over my eye to remove mascara and eyeshadow, and even a tiny drop gets in the eye, I will end up with a sore red eye. This is not a problem I have had with any other brand, and I am surprised that L'Oreal can't do better than this.
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Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - La Chasse aux Papillons
May_Bee 6/9/2011 9:03:00 AM
I'm surprised to read so many negative reviews here, because I would have expected this to be a crowd pleaser. Maybe some people find the scent of tuberose a little vulgar? If I'd sampled this anonymously I wouldn't have expected the hefty price-tag, I would have thought it smells cheap and cheerful, feminine and young without being trashy. I get mostly tuberose with a little jasmine and a touch of juicy-fruit bubble gum. The lasting power is good and I enjoy wearing it as a total break from some of my other perfumes which may be in better taste but are not as much fun (I'm talking to you, Apres l'Ondee).
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Sunscreen -Clinique - City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 25 SPF
May_Bee 6/6/2011 11:09:00 AM
It took me a while to get the hang of this - at first I suffered the pilling other reviews have described, but my fingers seem to have learnt to apply the right amount of pressure, and now I'm having no problems. I bought it to wear under my usual foundation, but I find it gives enough cover that a dusting of translucent powder over it is plenty for an ordinary day. I don't find that it makes me oily or breaks me out (and believe me, most products do). It definitely wouldn't be suitable for the beach etc, but then it is designed to screen your skin while you go about your day-to-day business. Good product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Batiste - Dry Shampoo
May_Bee 6/2/2011 4:49:00 AM
My hair is coloured and I don't like to wash it more often than every three days. On the third day the roots feel a little oily, but Batiste takes care of this - I just spray a little onto my fingertips (warning - it is cold) and massage into the oily areas. I leave it while I do my makeup, then brush out - it eliminates oiliness and gives my hair a little volume. I found that spraying direct onto my hair made the brushing out time a nuisance, and it really is just the roots that need a lift, so applying this way saves time and waste. I use original or tropical scents, both of which I like - I may give the new "brunette" one a try next. This product is cheap and widely available in the UK, definitely worth a try.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Boots - No. 7 Ultimate Sensitive Mascara
May_Bee 5/20/2011 11:20:00 AM
I went out looking for a brown-black daytime mascara that I can wear for work without looking like a drag queen. Unfortunately it seems every brand now promises amazing volume/false lash effect/longest lashes ever/mega-lashes etc. I want my lashes to look excellent but NOT obviously mascara-ed! Luckily I found No.7 sensitive mascara in brown black. The short plastic bristles allow you to apply it lightly, so it enhances your eyes but looks natural and needs no combing; or more heavily, in which case it packs more punch but needs a comb through. I find the staying power excellent but it's not waterproof, so it can be removed quickly and easily. Also it is truly brown-black, which is increasingly hard to find. Highly recommended.
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Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Coco No. 21 - Rivoli
May_Bee 5/3/2011 11:27:00 AM
Am I becoming colour-blind? I don't see this lipstick as red at all - to me it's a very strong pink on the fuschia/blue end of the spectrum. I would never wear red lipstick due to my extremely pale skin, but sometimes I get tired of tasteful neutral lips, and this highly pigmented lipstick makes a bit of a statement without screaming. I don't find it sticks to my teeth but, as other reviewers have noted, it wears off the centre of your lips leaving a "ring", so you need to check it after you're been eating etc. It is highly pigmented, which might come as a shock to those who are used to sheer shades that tone down as you apply them.
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Styling Products -Kerastase - Elixir Ultime
May_Bee 4/12/2011 12:40:00 PM
I probably had unrealistic expectations of this product, based on the glowing reviews and also (I admit) on the high price. Used as a pre-wash I don't notice any effect. As a leave in conditioner it makes my hair smell wonderful, and gives it a slight temporary slipperiness that feels siliconey to me. Used to smooth down dry hair it achieves little, except to perfume my hair (smells a bit like Estee Lauder Sensuous). I don't feel it has improved the appearance of my hair at all - just leaving coconut oil in overnight then washing it in the morning gets me a better result. I will use up the bottle quite happily but will not buy again at this price - the results aren't impressive enough.
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Fragrances -Calvin Klein - Calvin Klein Beauty
May_Bee 10/12/2010 10:34:00 AM
I agree with the reviewer below who says this is a good everyday perfume - it is floral but not too heady, feminine but not too sweet, cheerful, composed and clean (but not agressively so). I think it is a marketing mistake to equate any new perfume with the word "mature" because, sadly, many women will avoid any perfume that identifies them with that group. If I am honest, I liked it better before I read the marketing blurb! However, I have enjoyed finishing two samples and also been complimented by a stranger in a jam-packed tube carriage, so I would consider buying this as a day time staple.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -The Body Shop - Ice Blue Revitalizing Shampoo
May_Bee 11/3/2009 9:19:00 AM
It's back! I remember this so well from the 80s, and after stopping to sniff it last week in the Body Shop, I couldn't resist buying a bottle. It still gives you brain freeze and a squeaky clean scalp - I normally use Redken All Soft shampoo so this will come in handy once every week or so to stop my fine hair becoming overloaded. Most refreshing shampoo ever (and a very happy nostalgia trip for me).
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Fragrances -Balmain - Ivoire
May_Bee 6/16/2009 11:48:00 AM
Of all my perfumes, this one has the most interesting evolution on my skin. I've never smelled Ivory soap, and Ivoire doesn't strike me as soapy at any stage but it goes through every other variation - first very green, then spicy-floral, then heavy-clean-floral, then sandalwood, and finally incense. I only have a little bottle and I mainly wear it in summer but it fascinates me every time as it's like wearing five great scents in one day. I feel Ivoire has been let down by its packaging and marketing, and is underservedly being dismissed as a result - another example of the degree to which perceptions of perfumes are shaped by the cachet of the brand and the success of the advertising campaign.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No