Hair -Modern Organic Products (MOP) - Glisten pomade
Rachel137 7/24/2011 7:58:00 PM
This is a clear, gelatinous/wobbly pomade (similar to Aveda Brilliant Humectant Pomade, but it's a smidge lighter in texture than the Aveda product). It has a light, vaguely citrus-y scent. This stuff helps tame my dry, frizzy, brushed-out waves/curls (I use it on dry hair, not wet) -- it adds shine, definition, and gives a little hold. Apply sparingly and gradually add more as needed, as it makes hair look greasy if over-applied. Bonus (for those who care): it's water-soluble.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -Unlisted Brand - Rita Hazan Root Concealer
Rachel137 6/29/2011 3:05:00 PM
I have dark brown hair and got this to cover grey roots between dye jobs. It comes in a small, 1 oz. aerosol can with a nozzle attached to help direct the spray. I'd heard the colors run dark so I got Light Brown. It covered/blended my greys nicely. Two things to watch out for: If I apply too much or spray it on from too close a distance, it makes my hair sticky/stiff/hard to comb through. And the color transfers a little (like onto pillowcases), so you have to be careful about that. But overall, it works well.
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Hair Color -Unlisted Brand - Joan Rivers - Great Hair Day - thinning hair fill-in powder
Rachel137 6/1/2011 6:18:00 PM
I got this primarily to cover grey roots between colorings, and also because my hair has thinned out a little in recent years in the front near my part, so I was curious to see if this could make that area look less sparse. My local Bed Bath & Beyond carries the product in Blonde, Brunette, and Salt & Pepper. I have dark brown hair with slight red tones but I bought this in Blonde because, based on other reviews, I thought Brunette might be too dark and cool. On the QVC website you can see that the Blonde shade is a medium/dark, rich brown in the pan, and the Brunette is a very dark brown/grey. Even though the Blonde looked like a good match (in the pan) for me, it didn't cover my greys AT ALL. I figured it was too light after all, so I exchanged it for the Brunette shade. Unfortunately, the product just didn't properly adhere to my hair. I kept applying more and more, but it just didn't do the trick to cover my greys. It did adhere to my scalp, though. Still, I didn't like the way it looked and it didn't make my hair look any thicker. Oh well. Regarding fragrance, I have to disagree with the previous reviewer nikkifreakinnb. This product is most definitely NOT fragrance-free. I uploaded a pic from the Joan Rivers website which lists the ingredients, and fragrance is listed pretty high up on the list. It has a very sweet, maybe slightly powdery scent. I found the scent pleasant but strong.
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
Rachel137 1/18/2011 2:21:00 AM
I like this product as a spot concealer, but I don't like it as a foundation. I have the Fairly-Light and Light shades. As a Foundation: Using the normal swirl-tap-buff method with their face brush, it makes my face look powdery and chalky, and emphasizes my pores and fine lines, especially at first (granted, my skin tends to be dry), but as the day goes on, the chalky look goes away a bit. As a Concealer: When I apply a small amount using their concealer brush, it gives good coverage for blemishes. I sometimes use it by itself, and sometimes over top of a liquid/cream concealer. It stays on well for hours.
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Styling Products -Aveda - Purefume Brilliant Humectant Pomade
Rachel137 12/16/2010 11:49:00 AM
This is a heavy, clear, gelatinous/wobbly pomade. Its scent is like the other Aveda Brilliant products, except a tad milder and it doesn't linger nearly as much. (I tried the Aveda Brilliant Emollient Finishing Gloss as a smoothing product on my dry hair, but it was SO heavily fragranced that I couldn't stand it! Plus it didn't work as well as this product did on me.) My second-day, brushed-out, wavy/curly hair sometimes looks downright broom-tastic, so I needed a product to make it look softer, shinier, and way less frizzy. The Humectant Pomade works pretty well (I use it on dry hair, not wet). Apply sparingly and gradually add more as needed, as it makes hair look greasy if over-applied (I use less than a pea-size amount and add more if necessary). It defines my waves, makes them look smoother and shinier, and helps prevent my hair from frizzing. Feb. 2011 Update: for some reason this stopped being quite so effective. I rediscovered an Herbal Essences Cream (already in my stash) that's working much better for me. It's a light cream rather than a heavy pomade.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Revlon - Extra Curl Lash Curler
Rachel137 11/12/2010 3:54:00 AM
Bottom Line: This doesn't work for me. Problem #1: The metal part of the implement is black, so when I went to curl my lashes, I couldn't see what I was doing or if my lashes were placed in it properly because my dark brown lashes disappeared against the black curler. Problem #2: It didn't curl my lashes AT ALL! The other reviewers seem to love this curler, but for whatever reason, it just didn't curl my lashes. This has never been a problem for me before with other lash curlers. I tried this curler three times over the course of one evening at home, on completely dry/clean lashes. Total bummer that it didn't work out. I'm returning it tomorrow. Back-story: I used to love the Shu Uemura eyelash curler and I've owned several of them over the past decade or so. But they're no longer available in the US (unless you order online), I think Shu modified the shape of their curler, and it always bothered me that they didn't sell replacement pads--you had to throw out and replace the whole implement after you used up the 2 pads it came with (wasteful!). So a while ago I tried using Shiseido replacement pads in my Shu curler... and the results weren't so great. Not sure if it's because I mixed brands, or because Shu changed the shape of their curler. So I decided to try this Revlon curler because it had great reviews, the shape looked more rounded than my Shu curler (which I thought might work better with my eye shape), and it's way cheaper than the high end brands. But unfortunately, it was totally ineffective at curling my lashes.
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Lip Treatments -Blistex - Deep Renewal
Rachel137 10/24/2010 3:40:00 AM
This stuff didn't work for me at all. I bought it just to moisturize and protect, and for the built-in SPF (not for its supposed anti-aging properties, which I didn't buy into). I have dry skin and lips all year round and this stuff wasn't substantial enough to moisturize my lips. It went on verrrry thin and smooth, and then wore off in a matter of minutes, leaving my lips feeling drier and thirstier than before I put it on. I tried it on several occasions and then finally just gave up and chucked it. It smelled like a citronella candle (didn't bother me, but I'm just letting you readers know). Also, maybe I had a defective tube, but it didn't work properly-- the balm would swivel/get pushed down into the plastic tube as soon as I pressed it against my lips, so I always had to hold the tube in place while applying, which was a pain. Bottom line: this might be okay if you have very mild lip moisturizing needs, but it was way too light and sheer for my dry lips and left them feeling parched.
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Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Cream
Rachel137 10/3/2010 4:59:00 PM
This works nicely as a facial moisturizer for me and helps alleviate my visibly dry skin. The texture is thick and creamy, it's very gentle and soothing, and it doesn't seem to break out my hyper-sensitive, acne-prone skin. BUT it only absorbs properly if I put it on while my face is slightly wet and then wait a few minutes for it to dry/sink in. If I put it on after my face is already dry, it never sinks in and it just sits on top of my skin, looking and feeling very greasy. This absorption issue is annoying, but unfortunately I haven't found anything better that combats my very dry facial skin. I also like to use the cream on my body on dry skin, and I love to use it on my feet just after getting out of the shower--keeps them nice and soft.
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Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Cream
Rachel137 10/3/2010 4:32:00 PM
This works nicely as a facial moisturizer for me and helps alleviate my visibly dry skin. The texture is thick and creamy, it's very gentle and soothing, and it doesn't seem to break out my hyper-sensitive, acne-prone skin. BUT it only absorbs properly if I put it on while my face is slightly wet and then wait a few minutes for it to dry/sink in. If I put it on after my face is already dry, it never sinks in and it just sits on top of my skin, looking and feeling very greasy. This absorption issue is annoying, but unfortunately I haven't found anything better that combats my very dry facial skin. I also like to use the cream on my body on dry skin, and I love to use it on my feet just after getting out of the shower--keeps them nice and soft.
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Blush -Tarte - Cheek Stain in Tipsy
Rachel137 10/3/2010 4:51:00 AM
I'm a fan of Tarte Cheek Stains in general and I love Tipsy. Even though I'm fair and have a ruddy complexion, and I think I'm cool-toned (definitely not warm), this color seems to suit me. It's like a cross between cantaloupe and watermelon (peachy-pink) with a subtle sheen/dewey-effect (no shimmer). It stays on pretty well through the day, and the tube of product lasts forever. I usually rub some onto my fingertips, streak my fingertips across my cheekbones, and then blend out with my fingers. The only downside is it can be difficult to blend because it's thick and sticky. But I do really like the overall look, especially in the summertime when I'm a bit less pale.
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Styling Products -Cibu - Ancient Serum
Rachel137 10/1/2010 7:41:00 PM
This is the first product containing argan oil that I've tried. I have very frizzy, dry, medium/coarse, wavy/curly hair. I applied a couple of pumps to my wet hair and then let my hair air dry. It didn't cut down on frizziness at all but it did detangle my hair and make it insanely soft to the touch. The next day I worked four pumps into my dry hair and at first I thought I'd used too much because my ends looked greasy. But I brushed through my hair and the greasy look went away immediately (keep in mind my hair can usually handle lots of product because it's so dry/coarse). Again, I didn't really see a difference in frizz reduction, but it did add shine to my hair, which normally looks very dull. I also tried using this product on wet hair and then blow drying my hair straight with a round brush. It made for a pretty good blow-dry but it didn't protect my hair from frizzing once I went outside. It has a mild cologne-ish, slightly sweet/musky scent, but it's quite mild once in the hair. The consistency is as expected for a serum: liquidy and greasy at the same time. But unlike other serums I've used, it magically absorbed into my hands and I didn't have to wash them afterwards. Actually the product says it's intended for use on both the hair and skin. This product might be ideal for people with mildly frizzy or fine hair. But for people like me with intensely frizzy, rebellious hair, it's just not enough to make a real difference, though it does make my hair shiny and soft.
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Concealers -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Concealer
Rachel137 10/1/2010 6:43:00 PM
I have fair skin with a lot of redness which makes my complexion appear darker. I bought this in Neutral-Fair/Light N1-2-3, and though I think it might be a tad too light for me, I use it anyway to cover blemishes and red areas and it looks fine as long as I blend it well into the surrounding skin. It covers really well, is nice and creamy/easy to blend, and lasts all day, even in extreme heat. And it doesn't break me out, which is great because I have acne-prone/dry/sensitive skin. I also use it on my eyelids and right beneath my eyebrows to cover redness from plucking and act as a brow highlighter. All in all, I'm thoroughly pleased with this product.
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Blush -Rimmel - Blush in Pink Rose
Rachel137 10/1/2010 6:19:00 PM
Rimmel Powder Blush in 004 Pink Rose: I've had this blush for a couple of years now and I love it. It suits my fair, ruddy complexion perfectly and it doesn't have shimmer or irritate my sensitive, acne-prone skin. It gives me a nice, natural flushed look. Feb. 2011 Update: I don't know when this change took place exactly, but I just went to buy another (replacement) blush in this color and found that "Pink Rose" is now shade 003 and it's a totally different color than before--the new 003 one is lighter and more beigey. None of the current Rimmel blushes match this old Pink Rose 004 shade. Bummer.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Pantene - Medium-Thick Straighten & Smooth Crème
Rachel137 9/28/2010 6:17:00 PM
My hair: dry, medium-to-coarse, wavy, frizzy. This works okay for me as a smoothing product when applied to wet hair before blow-drying, but it does absolutely nothing to help smooth out frizz when applied to dry hair (other than add a mildly pleasant fragrance).
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Lotions/ Creams -Curel - Itch Defense Skin Balancing Moisture Lotion
Rachel137 1/9/2010 10:50:00 PM
I don't have eczema (knock on wood), but I do have very sensitive skin that gets dry and itchy. I'm not sure if my itchy skin is related to underlying dryness or to my many environmental allergies (even though I take Claritin every single day). The consistency of the lotion is medium (not lightweight but not very thick either), the scent is a mild, slightly oatmeal-ish one which I don't care for, and I find it to be a tad sticky. But the point is, this lotion didn't help at all with my itchy skin. Case closed.
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