Moisturizers -Philosophy - Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer
Quilley 5/21/2013 11:00:00 PM
I'm almost out of the (large) sample size of this and an sort of on the fence. No breakouts to speak of but a look at the ingredients list concerns me. I'm no ingredients expert, however I know what irritates my skin and it's silicone. This is loaded with chems. that I know nothing about and oils that I do know about and like. The best thing is the surge of moisture it gives my skin. My skin is able to absorb it, however there is still a layer of it that keeps it moist on the surface which I'm thankful for. IWater/Aqua/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Peg/Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Resveratrol, Hexyldecanol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Glutathione, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Stearic Acid, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Benzyl Alcohol, Arginine, Polysorbate 20, Tetrapeptide-21, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta. It has not broken out my skin which is odd since it's got Dimethicone so close to the top of the list of ingredients. This is the first moisturizer I've used in a long time that can keep my (aging/sensitive/clog/acne-prone) skin moisturized without making me break out. I'm really pleased. That said it is expensive, so I'm thankful for the small stash of samples I need to finish before I make an investment.
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Shampoo -Garnier - Fructis Shampoo - Dry & Damaged
Quilley 5/12/2013 11:45:00 PM
I have an irrational need for two things in hair care 1) I need to have shampoo, conditioner and and leave in, heat seal, etc. all match brand wise. 2) I keep 3-4 different brands in my shower at all times. It's silly I know. That said, I could not resist advertising for products that promise ultra shiny hair. The scent of this is intense citrus and extremely "slick" with silicones. I'm not anti silicone and my hair happens to like them, however I can "feel" these in the shampoo and on my hair once it's rinsed out. That's ALL I feel - it's not necessarily moisturizing but coated with 'cones. It's also got some sort of oil-encapsulated drops of a blue substance floating around in it that is supposed to be "oil". I'm not too sure about this. It just sounds and looks funny to me. It did add "some" moisture to my hair but not enough. Again, the emphasis is put on shine and not moisture. WIll I purchase again? No. i can tell that after 4-5 uses I'm going to need something clarifying to get all the product out of my hair. Imo this is not for thin oily hair at all. It's for super thick, unruly hair that needs to be able to get a comp through it and needs to have hair coated in order to style it easily.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Maybelline - Flash Clean Clean Express Makeup Removing Lotion
Quilley 5/12/2013 11:32:00 PM
This was a gift from my skin twin. I'd just finished complaining about how hard it was to remove those 24 hour eyeliners when this arrived in the mail! What a happy surprise. It can be used as is and wiped off, but I like to get my skin ready for it by splashing first with some warm water to make sure my pores are open. I squeezed out about 1/4 teaspoon and mixed it with a little water to get it going, then wiped it all off with a clean face cloth. I always use a white one so I can see exactly what's coming off. All eyeliner, mascara, foundation, blush concealer and highlighter came right off. No need to reapply and I could get started with a cleanser. I do not care for the packaging, which is awkward to use. It needs a new closure and delivery system in my opinion, the bottle is not soft enough to squeeze out product and gets a little clogged in the bottle for some reason. Maybelline please fix this and you will have a great product at a great price.
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Conditioner -Garnier - Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream, Sleek & Shine
Quilley 5/12/2013 8:59:00 PM
I purchased this because I'd run out of my normal leave-in (Dominican Magic). $.2.99 US so the price was fine. I'm not sure if this product is meant for teens or not, but the scent is a bit much; fruity citrus but not sophisticated at all, just fruity artificial smelling. I t does make the hair silky. It does not add a lot of moisture. It does give the hair dramatic shine and it was easy to comb out. The top pops up which is handy for measuring out product into the palm of your hand. Thankfully it does not stay long in the hair once it is dried and styled. I would say this is just below average. It's got too much water in in it to be "intense" and more silicones than moisture. Will I buy it again? No. I will probably give it to my neighbor who has a teen ager.
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Treatments -Clarins - Capital Lumière Day Cream
Quilley 5/10/2013 9:35:00 PM
Instant love. I'm always looking for ways to add a moist looking glow to my face after I finish applying all of my makeup. Sometimes I use a spray made of water, lavender and chamomile oils, sometimes a NARS highlighter, sometimes a Sue Devitt spray. This is truly different and special. It smells amazing, the texture is perfect and it leaves a fresh, healthy looking glow that is not tacky and leaves the skin looking smooth and soft. Claims: Active ingredients / Claims : Clarins Vital Light Day / Clarins Capital Lumière Jour is basically an anti-aging skincare, with an emphasis made on complexion glow. Indeed, the story of the Vital Light range is based on the concept of the “capital lumière”, name of the range in French. The sense of this would be in English “light capital” or “light asset”, meaning that skin originally has the capacity to reflect light. Clarins explains that with age, this light capital / light asset decreases. This is the core of the concept of the Vital Light / Capital Lumière range. The aim of this range is to improve skin condition to restore this light capital / light asset. The story is told like this : Clarins states that 10% of light is directly reflected by skin. 90% penetrates deeped. Collagen fibers reflect this light, called “skin deep brighteness”. Young skin has an intrinsic light capital : it has the best conditions to reflect light. However, with age, this light capital decreases : derm is desorganized, skin is less firm, wrinkles appear, the light is less reflected. Here comes Clarins answer : Vital Light / Capital Lumière, to smooth skin, to reduce wrinkles, for a glowing complexion. The new range corrects aging signs to restore light capital / light asset : - it fights cellular aging - it reorganizes the derm - it stimulates microcirculation - it unifyies complexion by controling melanin production The efficiency of the formula is claimed to be linked to three “pioneer plant” extracts. These plants are said “pioneer” because they have the hability to adapt to the most hostile soils and climates. - Cochlearia Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stalk Extract : extract of Scurvy-grass, a plant adapted to life on the seashore, a environment rich in salt. This ingredient is claimed to be exclusive to Clarins, protected by a patent. Scurvy-grass is rich in Vitamin C, and is known to be antisceptic and fortifying. In the Clarins formula, it is claimed to have regenerating properties, to stimulate collagen production, to eliminate oxidized proteins, to inihibit glycation, and to delay cell senescence. It is extremely expensive imo retailing at $82.00 US. Would I buy it again? Yes.
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Lip Treatments -Nivea - Lip Butter
Quilley 5/10/2013 9:09:00 PM
I'm always looking for great lip balms. There are so many on the market now with so many claims that I get confused, so it's nice when a friend gifts you one to try out! I try to avoid petroleum based products just because they are more sealers than moisturizers imo. Although this one has petrolatum as the first ingredient it the product is bolstered with glycerin and seed oils which is nice. I have the Raspberry Rose Kiss which smells good, not overpowering. I will keep this in my night stand for application before bedtime. I don't like sticking my fingers into creams (germs) so using this before bedtime when my hands are clean is the perfect time. Will I purchase again? No. Too many other balms to try!
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Treatments -Philosophy - Philosophy Booster Caps
Quilley 4/24/2013 5:08:00 PM
Good product idea - encapsulated retinol in a silicone base with a fresh green scent. The idea is to break open the capsules and mix the the contents with your moisturizer or or serum OR the product can be applied directly to a clean, dry face. The only problem was I'm allergic to silicone and this product is loaded with them. Happily, I ended up re-purposing the product. This past winter my hands took a beating. No matter how much hand cream I applied, no matter how many scrubs I used, no matter how many oil treatments I did, the dry skin would not quit. Most likely because I was super diligent about washing my hands this winter (viruses). I do my weekly manicure and then mix the contents of 1 capsule with my hand cream as the last step - after my polish dries. I could not believe the softness and results. I knew within 1 hour that I was on to something. The next day - no more dry skin! Not only did it clear up the dry skin, but eliminated these very light brown spots that had developed on the backs of my hands. I'm not sure if this was just flaky dry skin or the start of age spots (ugh) but they are GONE. All I see and feel on my hands is smooth, healthy skin. I'm overjoyed! A jar of 60 caps means this will last me over a year. A friend gave me the whole jar so it was free. Although it did not work on my face, isn't it nice to know that I could repurpose this product and put it to good use!
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Blush -MAC - Satin Blush - Fleur Power
Quilley 4/23/2013 9:56:00 PM
This was a gift from a friend. Since I already own several med. pink, pigmented blushes, I was just happy to have a gift, but did not realize that there is something special about this one that I cannot explain. It makes me looked flushed in a way that is beyond description. It oxidizes on my skin like a charm and looks like it's a part of me in my most healthy, happy state. I've tried other shades of pink that were very similar but this one is a star. It's gorgeous with a med. matte pink lip and a bronze eye. It's would work for everyday with a more natural looking nude/pink. It fades beautifully and does not make me break out. We are a match made in heaven.
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Treatments -Mario Badescu - Drying Cream
Quilley 4/22/2013 5:33:00 AM
Oh my goodness, this is a YES. I don't know how it works, I don't know what's in it, all I know it I applied it yesterday and today a pimple has gone down and is drying up. I was so excited to review this I did not want to wait until I could post it was GONE, but I cannot help it - it's that good. Heavy duty paste consistency, smells a little medicinal. I apply it with a q-tip, just dot it on. I slept in it last night and plan on doing the same thing again tonight. I read the reviews here that said 3-4 days. I'm saying that this pimple (big and hurty) has deflated 100% has almost dried up. Another 24 hours should do it. 24 hours later (+) Wow. Everything dried up. Another day and I should be able to wash the remaining dead skin away. I'm in awe. It also cut down on the hyperpigmentation left behind - from what I can see thus far. I'm super impressed. INGREDIENTS: Deionized Water, Zinc Oxide,Aloe, Beeswax,Cetyl Alcohol,Lemon Extract, Colloidal Sulfur,Ervol,Octyl Palmitate,Ichthammol,Polysorbate 80, Titanium Dioxide,Polyglycerylmethacrylate (and) Propylene Glycol The "light concealing quality" is not accurate at all. I consider this to be a medication for acne and pimples, period. Concealers have come a long way since. I can see wearing a tiny dab of this under a foundation, but has any sort of cover up. No way.
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Treatments -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - Mandelic/Salicylic Peel
Quilley 4/17/2013 11:03:00 AM
This is product experiment #2 on the Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) peel. I started out with the 25% Mandelic for my very sensitive, aging, acne-prone skin. I got good results (please see the review for this where I documented each peel session) but was ready for something a little more agressive. I was hesitant to use this one, but decided to order the same based on the fact that it still has the Mandelic, specifically 25% again along with 25% salicylic acid. I like sal. acid, my skin can tolerate it, I just didn't know HOW it would interact with the mandelic on MY skin. Ok, Day 1. Washed face with TJ's Antioxidant Cleanser, patted skin dry. Did the jawline test which was perfect as this is where the hyperpigmentation stops. 3-5 minutes was the recommended time. Went for 3. After 30 seconds, I felt burning. Not bad burning, but the type of burn you feel when you you've been in the sun too long. I washed it off at this point, first with plain, warm water, then TJ's because I wanted to be sure I got it ALL off. I saw immediate flaking on the hyperpigmentation, which I took as a good sign. I had to really check closely - in a magnified mirror (10X) so I could really see what all went on. Yes, I saw flaky skin and a slightly lighter brown spot about the size of a large nail head, maybe 6mm? Yes, that is definately lighter! I smoothed on a bit of Cicaplast (my go-to for after peel treatment). The next treatment will be in a few days. Will continue to update - so far so good.
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Blush -Maybelline - Coral Burst
Quilley 4/16/2013 9:10:00 PM
This review is for Maybelline's Limited Edition Coral Burst Blush. Wow....it's a bright tangerine powder that really packs a punch. Just what I need come summer for my NC40/42 skintone. It sort of reminds me of an old fashioned blush that Flori Roberts used to make, only brighter and more modern! Although it looks almost neon in the compact, it can be blended out to a beautiful peach. I've been wearing it toned down with a bronzer under the cheekbone and a bit of pearl cream highlighter on top (NARS) A word about the packaging....This is a solid, modern looking compact that is very well made. It houses the blush in a way that makes it look like a jewel. I really appreciate this because I'm into packaging.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Juicy Papaya Lip Butter
Quilley 4/15/2013 10:57:00 PM
A gift from my skin twin. The best thing about this for me is the moisture content. It feels really soothing. It's just pigmented enough to make me happy in a my lips but better sort of way. I see what the fuss is about. Now I would like to own a few more shades that are deeply pigmented, maybe the Candy Apple one? Yay!
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Scrubs -Mario Badescu - Strawberry scrub
Quilley 4/10/2013 10:27:00 PM
I've used this for about a week now. Very average product. When I use it it reminds me of a product made for teens. It's a pretty pink, it's pearly, it smells yummy, it's got some cute strawberry seeds in it (why I do not know, they do nothing, lol) I get the AHA content but it gets washed off, so what is the point? Taking a pass on this one.
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Masks -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - 25% Mandelic Acid Peel
Quilley 3/19/2013 9:33:00 PM
After much research on this company and peel, this little $3.50 (US) bottle of peel is the thing that seems to do the trick. It's not complicated to apply if you follow the card with the directions on it. . The results are considerably positive and there is very little pain involved. I will update as I progress in the treatments and then re-rate if I need to. Treatment 1 - Spot treated only. Three clogged pores on temple immediately loosened up. Timed for 4 minutes dark and clogged areas only. Rinsed off and applied Cicaplast. No problems, very little change in skin tone. So far, so good. Treatment 2 - 3 days later as directed. This time did my whole face with two "dips" of qtip in the acid peel. Focused in chin (hyperpigmentation) and two areas of more hyperpigmentation along upper cheekbones. Note: these are already fading out and not too dark to begin with. Just annoying. Timed for 3 minutes, rinsed entire face. Applied Cicaplast as a preventive measure since my skin is super sensitive, especially in the clear areas. Experienced a tiny bit of redness above eyebrows, which the Cicaplast took down right away. Hopped in the shower, came out checked skin. Soft, smooth, like baby skin. Forehead shiny like baby skin. Treatment 3 is Friday. Cannot wait to report results! I'm ready for another bottle already. So far so good. Fingers crossed. I'm 50 and have very sensitive NC40 skintone. I treat it like baby skin. My goal is to be 100% clear by this summer. Treatment 3 - not much to report in terms of instant changes, however over a period of 4-5 days, the MA seems to be coaxing the clogged pores "awake" and they are coming to the surface. This is not what I'd expected at all and was disappointed at first, then I realized that I just have the type of skin that is prone to clogs; no matter how well I cleanse or stay away from pore clogging ingredients...this is just how it is! Treatment 4 - Ok. Between the T3 treatment and now I have to admit something...the malic acid seems to be working - even when it's washed off, it is sloughing off skin. Tonight's treatment I went the full 5 minutes and I could tell after minute 3 that something is happening because my skin began to get really warm, something I did not experience right away. The (large pores) on my nose are cleaner, the hyper-pigmentation area on my chin has broken up. The few clogged pores along my temples (about 3 on each side) are erupting, meaning they are not only darker on the surface, but I can feel that they are still clogged. The pores that have already been cleared out did not really look infected (red and irritated) but dried up with the contents (white head) dried up and sitting on the surface, waiting for me to wash it away. I still have more than 1/2 a bottle after using a few Q-tips each time to apply the acid. Under $4.00 a bottle for this compared to the hundreds perhaps thousands of dollars I've spent on skincare. It kind of blows me away. I went back to the MUAC website and learned how these skin care companies are ripping us off by including only small amounts of the acids, etc. In their defense, they are probably under gov. guidelines (FDA) on how much they can include in skincare items, but now that I know what I know, I will be sticking with my Clarisonic and basic cleanser from TJ's for now. As for other topicals...still figuring that out. More to come as I continue the peels. Updated 4.5.2013 - Time for a stronger peel. I want to try the sal. acid/mandelic type next.
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Primer/ Corrector -Mally Beauty - Poreless Face Defender
Quilley 2/23/2013 11:18:00 PM
This was a gift from a friend. I had to really work with this to figure out how to classify this because it is a truly unique product. I ended up going to Mally's website to read up on it and discovered that it's really an invisible powder in a silicone form. It's genius however imo it was mot marketed and packaged properly. The sponge is much too large for what it is meant to do. The compact is very hard to open. I get that it has to be air tight to keep the product fresh and soft, however I have to use a pen to get it open every single time I want to use it. For what the sponge does it could have been a smaller, flatter sponge. I don't understand the shape and/or thickness. This from the website: Mally's Evercolor Poreless Face Defender is the perfect finishing touch for your makeup. This remarkable technology yields an utterly sheer, featherweight product that diffuses the look of pores, minimizes fine lines, and helps protect your makeup so it lasts from morning to night. Face Defender gives you that flawless matte finish without the dry, ashy look of powder. The result is silky smooth skin and longer-lasting makeup. It comes with a unique buffed-edge Japanese sponge. I hope Mally re-packages this with a sponge that actually fits into the compact. I get that it's for "pouncing" and not spreading, but even a boxier compact would be better than a flat one if the sponge is going to be a selling point.
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