Treatments -Rusk - Rusk Radical Anti-Curl
Pearfish 2/1/2012 11:29:00 AM
I am an idiot. I was complaining about frizz on my half-wavy, super thick, medium length healthy hair, and a hairdresser friend recommended a keratin treatment. Huh? She said it was easy, wouldn't take all the wave out, just the frizz and I could DIY it. Well, I've had some luck lately with home coloring (believe it or not), so decided to head over to the beauty supply store and see what I could find. I came across this product which contained the word "Kerashine" and was obviously for straightening, and, thinking I was getting the right stuff, took it home. As soon as I got the product on my hair and smelled that "perm" smell, I knew something was up, but I continued through the process, leaving it on for the least amount of time for the desired "still wavy" effect. Fast forward however many minutes of combing, rinsing and drying and I was looking at a heap of straw. The texture of my hair changed completely and the damage was just phenomenal. It is indeed pretty straight, but not "pretty" straight, if you know what I mean. All the volume was sucked right out, so there's not too much frizz anymore where there used to be -- instead it's all on my damaged ends, which my hairdresser is helping me cut off as it grows. I'm not really blaming this product, just myself, and it does produce straight hair, if that's what you're looking for, but I wanted more of a relaxed effect, was hoping to keep some of the wave and volume and would never have done this if I had realized how damaging it is. Should have stuck to product to keep frizz away -- instead I'll be slowly cutting off the results of this little experiment for the next 3 years.
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Blush -Clarins - Coral 20
Pearfish 1/22/2012 4:44:00 PM
HG blush for me, I've repurchased several times. As the other reviewer said, it doesn't look like blush on me at all, just makes me look healthy and alive with a little color in my face (almost creates a sun-kissed effect, though not like a bronzer, which always looks brown, streaky and fake on me). No shimmer, no muss, can't over-apply, just the ideal everyday "no makeup" (just perfect even, healthy, balanced -- yeah right) makeup.
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Blush -TheBalm - Hot Mama
Pearfish 1/22/2012 4:37:00 PM
Love the slight, natural looking flush and subtle shimmer I get from this which is almost like a bronzer on me -- though if I over-apply it can look orange-y or too much. Haven't perfected the "dosage" -- sometimes it doesn't show up on my skin and sometimes it's a lot, but that seems to be a matter of practice, and I've only had it for a few days. My one real criticism of this is that it seems to accentuate pores on the section of cheek near my nose when over-applied (the gold settles into pores), but over-application isn't ideal anyway. Again, practice makes perfect and I'm determined to keep trying this until I get it right.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Clinique - Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15
Pearfish 1/22/2012 4:22:00 PM
I'm not getting the enthusiasm for this product. Purchased this on a mission after reading so many good reviews and wore it for 2-3 days. I tried applying with a big powder brush and with the sponge -- neither achieved the desired effect. Light to medium coverage, didn't cover blemishes or discoloration, dry patches accentuated and couldn't find a perfect color match -- the shade I bought looked right at Nordies but became more pink over time and did nothing to counteract redness. Also cracked and flaked like nobodies business after a few hours of wear. I recently discovered Too Faced Amazing Face (see my review) and am giving that a whirl -- so far it's blowing this stuff out of the water.
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Powder -Too Faced - AMAZING FACE SPF FOUNDATION
Pearfish 1/22/2012 4:06:00 PM
Every 6-9 months I seem to go through a crazy buy-and-return phase in search of the perfect powder foundation. I have repeatedly tried liquids or sticks, but they never work for me as they seem to either ball up and not spread over layered-with-product, irritated skin, or feel heavy, thick and mask-like. In theory, I'd like a medium to full powder foundation that looks creamy-ish after about an hour of wear, covers blemishes and creates a "one color" look, settles in and is neither super matte nor greasy looking. My HG powder foundation for many years was, believe it or not, Lancome Dual Finish in the unscented version, but a few years ago either my skin changed or the colors did, because I can't seem to find a color match anymore (nor does their fragrance-free version seem to be fragrance free? Last time I purchased it smelled the same -- that granny scent I can't stand -- as their regular version.) Anyway, I tried this product last year and ended up taking it back, but can't remember why -- probably because I was experimenting with different treatments and my skin was too dry to tolerate the formula. Upon coming back to it, I find that most importantly, the second lightest shade (Warm Vanilla?) matches my neutral skin perfectly without leaving a grey or orange cast, and covers redness. I did have the usual mid-day slight flaking effect after it started to wear off which just seems to be an inevitable result of product build up and dry skin, but was able to kind of wipe it off and reapply to nice effect. For me, using a lot of this over the cheek area/near the nose makes my pores look huge, so I just do a very light dusting over the whole face with a more concentrated application on chin, nose, lower cheeks and forehead. I apply this with a kabuki over treatment cream, moisturizing sunscreen, reg. moisturizer (if nec) and concealer for spots. Haven't had a terrible experience with extra application of concealer over the powder later in the day, as another reviewer stated. Overall, I'm giving this a 3 for perfect color match and a nice, nonirritating formula with some SPF. HG would be creamier looking, settle in better (no settling in to pores near the nose), last longer and still not break me out. A girl can dream... EDIT: I remember now why I took it back -- the formula is too chalky and dry for my skin, never totally sinks in and looks weird and obvious on dry patches. Oh well. Keeping for touch ups and the sunscreen, back to the Lancome for powder foundation...
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Powder -Merle Norman - Luxiva Ultra Powder Foundation
Pearfish 4/20/2011 12:09:00 PM
Ok, so after reading all the reviews on here and finally coming to terms with the fact that liquid foundation is maybe never going to work for me, I decided to give this a whirl. I went to the MN counter and an "older dame" (as my 96 year old friend Louise would say) fixed me up with a drastically bad color match (thank God I went outside with the mirror to check in natural light). Somehow after a few more swabs I matched myself with a shade that didn't look at all like it would work for me, but totally does (Ultra Chiffon). The formula contains talc and mica, I believe, which is why it goes on pretty differently from my trusty old (and I do mean old -- I've been wearing it off and on since high school) Lancome Dual Finish. The coverage is nearly perfect -- can be very heavy if you want it that way, but easy to sheer out by dipping a sponge in water and blotting. I use an angled Paula Dorf blush brush to apply, which works well since it doesn't pick up as much powder as a kabuki but more than the sponge that comes with it, which is fairly useless and takes up a ton of space in the compact. Oh, and the compact -- ridiculously ugly and clunky and big, hate it, but the actual product is good enough that I can overlook that. The smell doesn't really bother me for some reason -- from the reviews on here I thought it would be intolerable, and I barely notice it. So bottom line: the color matches my skin perfectly and makes it look nearly flawless in a natural way without looking dry/cakey (though as with all powder foundations, you do need a moisturizer). I look like I'm not wearing makeup just have super even, clean, clear skin. I haven't broken out from wearing it and other than somehow achieving the dewey look that I wish I could get (but always devolves into grease) with a liquid, I don't know what more I could ask for. Old lady makeup, FTW!
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Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - BADgal Plum
Pearfish 3/17/2011 11:21:00 AM
Ew, ew, ew! Received this in a swap and at first though the product was completely dried out, but after reading some reviews realize that's just the formula. Deposits absolutely nothing on my lashes without repeated application, and when it finally is built up enough to look like something, is too clumpy to wear. I'm super disappointed because I wanted this stuff to bring out the green in my hazel eyes, but that part of the claim is just a gimmick. I'm washing it off and putting on my usual Lancome Definicils.
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Liquid -Stila - Pivotal Skin Foundation [DISCONTINUED]
Pearfish 3/13/2011 11:32:00 PM
Wow, is this stuff discontinued? Because if so I might have to buy up any and all remaining stock in my shade (C) and hope to god it doesn't expire. I've never been a liquid foundation girl -- could never make it work for me. It always always always either sits on the skin and highlights dryness, looks cakey or face-full-of-makeup-y, disappears after an hour (in the case of tinted moisturizer), doesn't match my skin, etc., etc. But this stuff perfectly matches, goes on super smooth and easy (using fingertips!), is ultra-low maintenance to apply, looks dewy and natural and so far doesn't clog my pores. I barely have to touch it up all day, and only need the lightest dusting of powder over it plus a few touches of a concealer stick to look like I have perfect, young, moist, balanced skin! I'm in love! EDIT: I still love this stuff but called the company and it's been discontinued for a while. The woman from the Stila customer service line told me it was definitely expired, which will prevent me from buying more. Also, after a few weeks I realize that though the formulation is good, it still does what every single other liquid foundie does to me -- flake off and sort of curdle over dryer patches, which are also the reddest parts of my skin. It's back to the drawing board (and probably a powder foundation) for me.
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