BB Cream -Etude - Etude House Precious Minerals Bright Fit BB cream SPF 30
Nowheregirl 4/18/2013 10:36:00 AM
I've tried several BB creams, both American and Korean. This is by far my favorite. The coverage is great, and it has an SPF of 30. I've tried other Korean BB creams that look a little grey, and they make me look ashen (like Holika Holika Essential Petit BB Cream). The Etude House BB Cream doesn't have as much grey in it. I am a fair-complected redhead and No. 2 Light Beige works very well with my skin tone. I bought it from a seller on eBay and it arrived from South Korea in only 10 days. I wear this every day, even if I don't wear any other makeup. I definitely plan on repurchasing this.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips in Yummy Plummy
Nowheregirl 3/13/2013 12:19:00 PM
I tried Baby Lips when they first came out. I bought two of them and hated them (I reviewed them on MUA). But I'm a sucker for lip balms and couldn't resist the Limited Edition 2013 Spring colors. So I thought I'd give them another try. I bought Yummy Plummy, and it is nothing like the original Baby Lips that I disliked. Yummy Plummy goes on sheer, with a pretty pale plum color. It doesn't look garish or like colored zinc oxide like the last ones I bought. It also doesn't make my lips feel dry, or go on feeling greasy, like the original ones did. I wonder if Maybelline has improved the formula since they were first released. This time around my experience with Baby Lips has been positive.
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Foundations -Maybelline - Dream Matte Mousse
Nowheregirl 2/25/2013 9:51:00 AM
I have dry skin, and I initially wanted to purchase Maybelline's Dream Smooth Mousse, but none of the stores I went to carried the complete range of colors, and being a pale-complected redhead I need the lightest shade. So I bought Dream Matte Mousse in Porcelain Ivory. I like Dream Matte Mousse, but there is a certain routine I have to follow to get it to look good. I have to apply it directly after cleansing and moisturizing, because the moisturizer on my face gives the foundation a little more slip. I need to wear a primer under it (currently I'm using L'Oreal's Miracle Blur, which I like). With Dream Matte Mousse, a little goes a long way. I dot it on each cheek, and on my chin, forehead, and nose, and then I blend the foundation with a slightly damp sponge. The foundation color looks a little too dark in the jar but on my face it looks fine. It holds up all day and wears well. It provides medium coverage and it does make my skin look better. Not bad for an inexpensive foundation. I'd repurchase it.
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Treatments -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Argan Cleansing Treatment
Nowheregirl 2/4/2013 9:57:00 AM
I had seen this on QVC and kept checking Sephora until they got it in, and purchased it. It's expensive ($48), but a little goes a long way. It's got the consistency of petroleum jelly, but it's all natural, and it melts into the skin on contact. I apply it to my dry face, work it in, and then use the cloth that comes with it to remove. I really like the cloth. It's two-sided: I use the muslin side first to clean my face, then the microfiber side to remove the cleanser. My face still feels a little sticky after I remove the cleanser, but when I pat my face dry with a towel the stickiness is gone and my face feels clean and soft. I was using Josie's Cleansing Oil, but I felt it was too thick and didn't emulsify enough to break down dirt and makeup. I like the Cleansing Treatment better. My skin glows when I use it. I'm trying to use it sparingly since it's so expensive, but I would definitely repurchase.
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Fragrances -Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Vanille Abricot
Nowheregirl 1/29/2013 11:00:00 AM
This was my favorite fragrance in the late '90s-early 2000s, then CSP fragrances disappeared from store shelves and I couldn't find it anymore. Recently I got nostalgic for this and took out what little is left of my bottle of Vanille Abricot. I first read about it in an issue of Allure Magazine. Some actress or model mentioned it as her favorite fragrance because it smelled like cake. She was right. It's "foodie," but warm and comforting, and not overpowering. I particularly loved it on cold winter days when I had to head out the door in bad weather. I got compliments on it all the time. I don't know why I stopped wearing it. It's available online so I think I'll have to order a new bottle. My bottle is 15 years old and it's in a pretty glass spray atomizer, but I see now that all CSP perfumes come in an aluminum bottle, so my rating for the packaging quality reflects the glass bottle. Other reviewers have commented that this doesn't last long. Mine lasts for several hours, so maybe the newer forumulations have changed since I bought my bottle.
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Fragrances -Jo Malone - Earl Grey & Cucumber
Nowheregirl 1/29/2013 10:56:00 AM
I must have sprayed all the Jo Malone fragrances on me at one point in an attempt to find one that I like. When I heard that Jo Malone brought back the limited-edition Earl Grey and Cucumber as a permanent offering, I tried it. It's my favorite of all the Jo Malone fragrances, but that's not saying much, since I don't like any other JM fragrance I've tried. The Earl Grey and Cucumber has the sharp, citrusy note of Bergamot that makes Earl Grey tea so distinctive, but I don't get any of the cucumber that I hoped would lighten and balance it out. This smells like the plethora of green tea fragrances that were popular in the Nineties. I like it and will wear it (I bought a full-sized bottle for $110 so I'd better wear it!), but I don't know that I'd buy it again.
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Fragrances -Jo Malone - Black Vetyver Café Cologne
Nowheregirl 1/29/2013 10:52:00 AM
Another failed attempt to find a Jo Malone fragrance that I like. I exchanged the Vanilla Anise for the Black Vetyver Cafe. While the Vanilla Anise was too strong, the Black Vetyver Cafe isn't strong enough. It smells faint in the bottle and doesn't last long when I wear it. As for the fragrance itself, the coffee overwhelms the vetyver until it dries down, then it becomes warm, slightly spicy, and slightly sweet. It's kind of nice, but too faint to be able to enjoy it when it dries down into something I like. I guess I'll have to look to another brand in my ongoing search for a signature fragrance.
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Fragrances -Jo Malone - Vanilla Anise
Nowheregirl 1/29/2013 10:49:00 AM
I really want to like Jo Malone fragrances but I just can't. The combinations are unusual, and for the most part they just don't work with my body chemistry. Case in point: Vanilla Anise. Two of my favorite things, vanilla and licorice, in one fragrance. But when I spray it, all I get is straight-up Sambuca. No creamy warmth of sweet vanilla to temper the overpowering anise. And this particular scent is so strong it's cloying. I was disappointed.
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Fragrances -Jo Malone - Grapefruit
Nowheregirl 1/22/2013 1:29:00 PM
This does not smell like grapefruit. It's sharp but not zesty, and dries down to something that smells powdery and masculine. It's not citrusy or fruity at all.
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Shampoo -Ojon - Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo
Nowheregirl 12/13/2012 9:43:00 AM
Although it's not color-treated, my hair is coarse, thick, and dry.The Ojon Restorative Shampoo makes it feel silky soft. I can't stop touching my hair. My hair also looks smoother and less frizzy. It's more expensive than I'd like to pay for a shampoo, but I feel it's worth it to take better care of my hair. I use it with the Restorative Conditioner.
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Cleansers -L'Occitane - Angelica Gel Cleanser
Nowheregirl 12/12/2012 10:12:00 AM
I have been using the Angelica Gel Cleanser for three weeks and I love it. I was unsure of whether to buy a gel or a creme cleanser when I decided to try L'Occitane's skin care products, but the Angelica line is marketed for drier skin types. It would be good for normal or combo skin too. Unlike many gel cleansers the Angelica doesn't dry my skin out. It is a low-lathering formula so I use three pumps to get enough lather. I also use it with my Clarisonic and it works well with that too. No breakouts, smooth, even skin, and no dryness, even in winter. I would definitely repurchase.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Tinted Moisturizer
Nowheregirl 12/12/2012 10:08:00 AM
Per the review below, I am a pale-complexioned redhead, and Creme does suit me perfectly. I had first tried Butter, since sometimes I can be in between two shades, but it was a little too dark. Creme matches my skin tone perfectly and gives me a smooth porcelain complexion. I also love that it has an SPF of 30 and that it has argan oil in it. It's become my holy grail of tinted moisturizers. A little pricey, but worth it.
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Moisturizers -Philosophy - Take a Deep Breath Oil Free Energizing Gel Cream Moisturizer
Nowheregirl 6/19/2012 9:12:00 AM
I received a sample of TADB in my June glambag. I wouldn't have tried it otherwise as I usually shy away from gel-cream moisturizers. I was treating my skin like it was dry and was using heavier creams. I was pleasantly surprised by TADB. It's the perfect weight for the warmer weather, although I do use a few drops of argan oil on my face before using it. My skin feels great. TADB is unscented, unlike some of the other Philosophy moisturizers. No breakouts, clear skin, I really like this cream. It may become my holy grail moisturizer. It even made me get out my bottle of Purity Made Simple cleanser to use with it.
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Cleansers -Trader Joe's - Nourish All in One Facial Cleanser
Nowheregirl 4/23/2012 10:59:00 AM
I've been using this for less than a week and I already see results. The cleanser is thick - I use two pumps to get enough lather. It removes makeup and doesn't dry my skin out too much. I do need to use a moisturizer after it, but my skin doesn't feel too tight after washing like it can with other foaming cleansers. In less than a week my skin looks clearer, smoother, and more even-toned. For $5.99, I'm impressed! I'm hoping this cleanser will be my HG cleanser and end my roller-coaster-ride of my fickle relationship with cleansers. And it would save me a ton of money that I've spent on high-end skin care lines.
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Cleansers -Simple - Moisturizing Facial Wash
Nowheregirl 3/9/2012 3:55:00 PM
I normally avoid foaming cleansers as they dry out my skin, but I was pleasantly surprised with the Moisturizing Facial Wash. It doesn't dry out my skin, and my face feels soft after I use it. I can't say that it actively moisturizes my face, but it definitely doesn't dry it out. And the price is very reasonable.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No