Sunscreen -Hawaiian Tropic - Sheer Touch SPF 50
Pamann 4/18/2011 11:19:00 PM
Picked this up on a whim without checking reviews. I have been looking for a nice, stable, decent coverage body sunscreen for a year since my Banana Boat Daily disappeared and my stockpile ran out. So many sunscreens put buzz words like 'dry touch' or 'clean' etc on the front label but their finish is a far cry from it. This one lives up to it's 'sheer touch' description. Not shiny or tacky and my skin feels soft not sticky. I can even apply to my neck and my hair doesn't stick to it like it's lip gloss. And the scent is soft and agreeable but dissipates to nil within an hour of application. Nice since I hate fragrance in sunscreens. Haven't actually sat in harsh sunlight to see how it blocks since most of my exposure is daily incidental (driving, walk from building to car etc) and I actually avoid the sun at every opportunity. Running will be my true test since some sunscreen turn wicked volatile when mixed with sweat and in the shower turn to a chemical fire on my chest. No idea why but will update. Very affordable-$9ish for 10oz @ Walgreens. Highly recommend!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Exact Eyelights Waterproof, Black Sapphire
Pamann 1/8/2011 5:41:00 PM
egads no! I only wore this one day and it's a nightmare for contact lens wearers. Little pieces adhered to my lenses all day. Strangely, no undereye racoon shadow just these damn particles sprinkling themselves all day! Removal. also a PITA requiring a wash then a makeup remover application another wash and another makeup remover application. I would have no eyelashes left if I used this on a regular. No!
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Waterproof
Pamann 12/28/2010 9:28:00 PM
I need a good waterproof option for working out, but this was awful. In fact on a day when I didn't workout it already smudged under my eyes and I couldn't clean it off. It flaked like crazy at a workout. No no no. Also looks spiky and horrid on initial application. I was so irate I actually took the time to return it. Fie. No repurchase! : P
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Eye Primer -Too Faced - Shadow Insurance, Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
Pamann 1/30/2010 3:56:00 PM
I love this primer! Up until I heard about it, Urban Decay Primer Potion was my HG in this department, but no more! One of the main things I am overjoyed about is the packaging or container it comes in. It's a squeezy tube that is super easy to control the amount of prodct coming out and also to squeeze out the last bit of product without much effort. Whereas the UDPP was designed by men, obviously, or perhaps just a team of friggin idiots. Jeebus, who has time and inclination to perform surgery on their royal looking tube to gain access to the majority of the product?! Also, the Too Faced is so much easier to apply. The UD would sometimes streak and apply a bit cakey and dry but this applies smoothly and effortlessly every time. After application I wait about 30 seconds and then start applying my shadow. Your lid is the tiniest bit tacky from the primer and really grabs the product and amplifies the color without getting a damp steaky color application. My color stays bright and flawless all day, even if I go work out and sweat up a storm. Will and have repurchased! Love it!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Jonathan - Finish Control High Shine Flexible Hairspray
Pamann 1/30/2010 3:44:00 PM
Well, a HG it ain't, but there are enough redeeming qualities that I might buy it again. Firstly, the pros: the fragrance is very nice. It does dissipate rapidly after application, but I can smell it if I'm working out and it's not obnoxious. The hold is very good. Even on humid or actual rainy days, my hair style stays mostly intact. Also, it does seem to wash cleanly from my hair and no residue is left in my hair that I can detect. And now the cons: it's silly expensive and I'm embarrased I bought it for full retail. The aerosol spray nozzle does not apply a fine mist. In fact it's very frustrating to get the hang of applying it without puddling it and leaving behind strands of saturated cakey tendrils. It's not my definition of flexible either. It's very painful to gently brush through if you are needing to restyle. It's also not soft or pleasant to touch. Although, a slight pro here, if you can brush through it slowly, my hair does not feel damaged or dried out from the application of this product. In fact it looks pretty healthy. I plan on looking for another styling spray in the Jonathan line. If only the spray were more fine, that would be an acceptable trade off for all I do like about it.
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Eyeliner -Rimmel - Exaggerate Auto Waterproof Eye Definer (all)
Pamann 10/24/2009 5:33:00 PM
What a fantastic find! I had dreading having to buy another MUFE Aqua liner since it's $17 ,so I started looking for a drugstore option and after a couple of tries found it! This pencil stays on through workouts and super humid summer days- no racoon transfer to my under eye area. Very comparable to MUFE Aqua Eye. It applies smoothly without tugging and the smudger end is actually easier to use than a brush to soften and blur the line. Now there aren't many brown choices in their color line up(I need a little lighter brown for my under eye line- this one is a bit too dark and looks too harsh for day time use, IMO) but I'm happy I found it for my upper lash line. My only tiny complaint is that there is no warning that the pencil is getting low or running out. I just keep a backup at all times. $4.88 @ Wal Mart.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -MAC - Creations Fragrance Blend Variation Parfumee MV3 [DISCONTINUED]
Pamann 10/17/2009 4:55:00 PM
oh wow. I guess I thought MAC would make a typically undistinguished and forgettable department style fragrance, but I was so wrong about this one. I got this unsniffed in a swap and I was in love at first spritz. It's scent is very sensual and alluring, but not over the top. I like layering with a stronger vanilla during the day but it stands alone for evening. Really unique and beautiful if your chemistry agrees with it. Awesome price!
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Cleansers -Clean & Clear - Foaming Facial Cleanser - Sensitive Skin
Pamann 8/2/2009 2:57:00 PM
I have been on the lookout for a mild cleanser that is modestly priced and doesn't react with my sunscreen when I try to remove it after working out. It's so strange that most of the lotion or creamy type cleansers I have tried(Cetaphil etc) randomly burn like fire and cause redness and discomfort after I use them. Plus my makeup(I wear makeup over sunscreen daily) is almost cemented to my face with those, and I have to use toner to remove the residue. Enter Clean and Clear Sensitive! I would not have thought to look in this line as I don't have acne issues but I had been thumbing through Paula Begoun's Beauty Bible and this was listed as a highly rated cleansing option. It really cleans gently but thoroughly-no real traces of makeup left-even waterproof eyeliner is gone! And no irritation or oily residue left behind. My skin is clean and comfortable but not dried out with that uncomfortable stretched feeling. And it's pretty reasonably priced~ I found it for $3.99 for an 8oz bottle at Wal Mart. Great facial cleanser value!
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Highlighters -LORAC - Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Luminous
Pamann 4/26/2009 11:40:00 AM
I adore this product!! I was hoping there was a product that could add a little glow to my skin without looking obvious and this is it!! Finding the right brush to apply it was my biggest challenge. It is easy to overapply and accent lines rather than minimize if you apply too much product! Eep! I tried a fan brush and a small eyeshadow blending brush but I found the best was a bronzer brush that came w/ a Clinique GWP bronzer. The shape of the brush is similar to a full size loose powder brush but about 1/3 the size. I just very gently glide the brush across the top of the product(the product itself though being a pressed powder, is very soft and easy to pick up onto a brush.) I gently graze the luminizer across my blush to blend my blush and and across my forehead and jawline. It makes my skin look flawless and glowy and perfectly lit from the inside! My only minor complaint is the packaging. I never carry my makeup items with me so my products stay new looking. Somehow the company logo flaked right off with only a month of usage. And sadly I dropped the compact onto carpeting which broke the powder inside. I would only caution that the powder is very fragile and would not travel well. Overall, I adore this product and would certainly purchase it again. I'm nearing a year of daily usage and I've not even used half.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara
Pamann 4/17/2009 11:16:00 PM
This mascara is everything I need and want in a mascara. It's long wearing so I put it on at 4am, I work out after work and it doesn't sweat off! It gives believable thickening and length benefits to my thinning lashes. The only drawback, as others have mentioned, is how quickly the consistency of the remaining product in the tube dries out after daily use, which does make application a PITA after about a month. I use a metal lash comb before my application dries and this remedies the clumping. It semi washes off when I clean with my cleanser and a washcloth, but I do remove the remaining residue with a makeup remover after washing my face. Not a big problem for me since I don't have to rub overly much with either step to remove the product. It seems like excessive rubbing really destroys my lashes. I have repeat purchased this at least 6x.
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Eyeliner -Make Up For Ever - Aqua Eyes Light Brown 19L
Pamann 1/24/2009 4:02:00 PM
This color is also listed as a dark taupe on Sephora's site. This is the most usable and versatile brown shade I've ever used! Of course, the Aqua Eyes formula is an absolute winner with me~ smooth, soft and easy to apply(no skipping across the contours of your eye line) and very easy to blend. I use an Anastasia push brush to blur the pencil line a bit and achieve a more smoky effect plus push the color into the lashes on my upper and lower lid. I find it easiest to apply liner to one eye, blend with brush, then move on to the next eye as the product seems to set up pretty quick. This pencil stays put all day!! No joke. I can workout and it doesn't budge!! You may need a light swipe of makeup remover to fully remove as washing alone removes most but not all product. And now~ this color!! This brown is just the right darkness to line my eyes day or night! I wear it everyday to work. I use it alone(with no shadow or mascara) to thinly line my eyes strictly for definition for a nude/no makeup look. It doesn't look a bit harsh or garrish even though I have pale skin and light eyes w/ blonde lashes and brows. It's the most perfect brown I've ever used! I will always have a backup of this pencil! Love!! =)
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Soft Pause
Pamann 1/22/2009 7:45:00 PM
I am so excited to have found a red that looks good on me. I only found the color because it was a MUA featured review which is so fluke-y that I chanced to read it. It is a less intense version of Odyssey, a plummy red which is in the MAC reg line. Plus the lustre version is a bit less intense and while it doesn't last long if you drink beverages all day(I do) it's such a lovely natural dewy finish all is forgiven on the reapplication! Applied it is the same color as my natural lips color if I bit them. Just a soft flush. MAC lipsticks are the only cosmetic item I buy regularly from this line as the shades are endless and the texture is smoothing and I adore the light scent. I really hope they bring this shade into the line permanantly!
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Styling Products -Nexxus - 360° Volume
Pamann 1/18/2009 10:33:00 AM
I have been having a heck of a time trying to find a hairspray that will hold in our sometimes high humidity and wind. My hair is pretty fine and soft and doesn't hold curl very well. I set it in hot rollers every morning and before this spray my curl/waves fell out before the late morning. This one holds all day! I lift sections at the root to give my hair some extra volume then spray all over for hold. My hair still feels soft and I can brush it out smoothly before a gym workout without the usual gluey residue most sprays leave. It never makes my hair look bouffant or leaves it crunchy or hard. The scent is pleasant and dissipates rapidly. I feel like my hair is so much healthier since I found this spray! My only complaint is the spray nozzle is hard to reach and depress due to the style of the can. Easily overcome, though. Very reasonably priced,too! =)
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Klaron Lotion
Pamann 1/11/2009 9:56:00 AM
First, the bad news: my insurance doesn't cover this for me. I called around and the brand RX was $160. I found the generic at Wal Mart for $90. I know. Sux. Now the good news: it works wonderfully for me! I still get monthly hormonal beakouts(I'm40ish) but this lotion eliminates them completely! I haven't had a single breakout in nearly 3 months! And the really great thing is the thin texture of the lotion that I can easily apply and wear under makeup. In fact I wear a very thin film of it only in my primary trouble spots(nose, chin) and apply my sunscreen and then foundation over and it seem to smooth and hide pores like a primer. I alternate nightly applications of this and retin a and wear a bit thicker coating of the Klaron all over my face on nights I use it. The texture of the lotion is very thin and runny and the product seems it will last quite a while since it comes in a 4oz bottle. Another great benefit is that it doesn't stain or discolor clothing so I can apply to trouble spots on back and chest without worry. Overall despite the steep price tag, I will buy this again and highly reccommend it to anyone who has combo skin prone to acne and overdrying effects of common acne topicals. I experience no dryness whatsoever! In fact my skin stays velvety and soft.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Bath and Body Works - The Perfect Autumn Pumpkin Room Perfume
Pamann 11/8/2008 8:37:00 AM
This is one of the best smelling, long lasting room fragrances ever! The product reatails for $5 and the can looks tiny, but big scents can come in small containers! One tiny spritz lasts for hours and I've had a can of this for a full year using it frequently and I still have product remaining! The pumpkin fragrance is just wonderful! I've given this scent away to coworkers~ every time I spritz it at work, people make comments like, "what smells so good?' for hours after! These sprays usually go on sale at least once a season for $3.00 and are only available for a very limited time. Grab one while you can! =)
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