Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Revitalift Miracle Blur 
RedJeanie 4/30/2013 12:18:00 AM
I LOVE it. I had no idea my skin could look this good. I switched from Eucerin spf 30 to this. I wear it under my foundation and powder. I use about a dimes worth for my whole face and lightly pat it around my crows feet. My foundation lasts longer, I'm not nearly as oily as I was using Eucerin. My poors look way smaller and that is really saying something because they are really big. I started with the trial size tube and just bought the full size today. It's a bit pricey but I think it's worth it for a high spf primer that I can wear under makeup. It's pretty awseome.
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Shampoo -Wella - Color Preserve
RedJeanie 11/16/2010 5:42:00 PM
This review is for the Color Preserve "REPAIRING" version. It's awesome at keeping my tinted Red hair vibrant. I can actually see a difference when using this. I'm a hairstylist and was exposed to this line while at beauty school. It wasn't until after I graduated that I bought it for myself and in this formulation that I really appreciated it. I started using this right after my last touch-up and I can honestly say I have very little fading. Before this I was using L'Oreal Everpure Moisture. This blows it out the water! My haircolor fades less, its more moisturized, shiny, less frizzy. I've been using it for about 3 weeks now. Like another reviewer said, there is a bit of a trick to shampooing with this. First I lather it up, put a little more water on my head then a little more shampoo. Nothing major, it's not like I have to use gobs of it. I gave it a 4 on packaging because I prefer a pump. The price is low for me because I get a big discount. This is my favorite shampoo now!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Waterproof
RedJeanie 8/3/2010 2:05:00 PM
Not as good as I thought it would be. I bought this based on the rec of a friend. It does lengthen and "discovery lashes" but for me it ONLY worked on my lower lashes. What use is that? Seriously, I'm not going to buy a separate mascara just for my lower lashes. It smudged during application. I couldn't get it to stick to my upper lashes. I could see that it would take a very long time to apply. It was very wimpy.
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Styling Products -Farouk CHI - Helmet Head Extra Firm Hair Spray
RedJeanie 7/25/2010 10:51:00 AM
Incredible hold! I use this on my short Bettie bangs to keep them looking perfect. Withstands the windy streets of SF! Leaves my hair shiny. Its not a wet spray so it doesn't make my flat ironed hair frizz or re-curl. I've been using this spray for a few months and don't notice any drying effects or buildup. Doesn't flake or create a white foggy cast (like ION freezing spray does). I can shape my dry hair with this. Say I flat iron it but want waves just in the front? I spray some of this on and I can bend the waves in with just my hands. I bought the trial size first and loved it so I bought the full sized one. The price is totally fair, although I do get a discount because I'm a hairstylist. I think I paid $7 - $8 for it. I gave it a 4 because I do not the scent of this. Its sort of a chemical smell. Not totally rank but not nice. The odor does fade to almost nothing...but I do wish CHI would add a little something to it to mask that stinky stink.
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Blush -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Heather Silk
RedJeanie 7/20/2010 11:24:00 AM
I love this blush! Very bright and super pigmented but don’t let that scare you. Just use a light touch with your brush when touching it to the pan. Blends easily. Not matte or glittery. Smooth silky finish like the name implies. It is the color of Heather - but the Pink kind and not the purpley. Stays very bright for maybe 4 hours and fades a little but never completely vanishes. I have oily skin and it is summer so I imagine it lasts longer in the fall and winter months. Color stays true and doesn’t oxidize into something totally different. It stays pink. Great blush for getting that cute doll face look! I’m very pale with blue eyes and red hair. I don't have a problem with the packaging. I like that its black and not white. Looks cleaner to me. White would show the fallout more. The brush is so so but thats ok. We all know the included brushes are just a courtesy. I do use the brush though! I use the flat sides to put it on and the soft tip to blend it. I have to add that Wet&Wild has really improved their formulas. I am old enough to have used their products in the 80’s. My very first lipsticks were made by them. I hope they keep the prices low! I think I paid $2.99 for this blush and it was a steal. Money is super tight and if it had cost more I wouldn’t have bought it or any other for that matter. Believe it or not I haven’t worn blush since I was eleven years old! This was my first adult blush purchase and now I’m hooked. Thank you Wet&Wild!
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Eyeshadow Trio TS12- Golden/Rust/Walnut Bronze
RedJeanie 7/19/2010 12:20:00 PM
I think that anyone who wears NYX shadows knows that the name rarely matches what the color actually is. I bought my trio on EBAY so hopefully it wasn’t a defective batch. I’ll start with the color Rust. I found that it matched my Mauve lipliner by L’oreal EXACTLY. I tried layering them because I was disappointed with the color payoff. Yes, I did put lipliner on my eye then applied the Rust over it with a damp brush. I got better coverage that way and it was wearable but not the color I was expecting at all. On me it shows up a brownish mauve color with or without the liner under it. I’m VERY pale so I thought it would show up brighter. It looks very natural and totally wearable for a daytime look. I was hoping for it to really POP but it was far too muted. I have blue eyes and while it does look good with them it wasn’t the color I was looking for. The Gold is a mid tone, true gold. Not green, not beige or super yellow. If anything it has a touch of tan in it. I like using UD Baked all over my lid with Gold in the crease and a white gold along my brow line. Walnut brown is good in the crease or used wet for a soft eyeliner. All the colors work well together and are shimmery warm tones without being over the top. They are a little hard to blend. I find all NYX shadows have that in common, so no surprise. I found the Gold too dark as an all over color and use it only in the crease. The Rust wasn’t nearly as vibrant as I had hoped for. I was looking for a bright cranberry and got a muddy mauve. The Walnut was fine. Nothing amazing but a good standard color that I’m sure I will use in the future. I would probably buy the Gold again as a single but not the other two colors. Great packaging. I like the included applicators and mirror. Fair price of under ten bux. I think I paid $8.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara
RedJeanie 6/29/2010 2:40:00 PM
Update: I've used this for a few weeks now. It flakes on me after a couple hours. Not a deal breaker, its still pretty good. Just not as good as my unavailable fave by Max Factor. I think I may have found a replacement for my favorite mascara by Max Factor (Lash Perfection). They no longer sell it in the US so I've been buying it off EBAY. It gives me almost the exact same results! I used Black Brown in the MF and the Maybelline is darker. I'm not crazy about the flat part of the brush. I wish the whole brush had bristles as I only use that side. I'm thinking with practice I will figure out the best way to apply it. So far I'm only using the bristles and getting amazing results with just that method. Of course I curl my lashes first, concentrating on the lash line, then start on the outer corners and work my way to the other side. I use the wiggle wand/combing method when applying. It drys in an average amount of time so I have time to go back and apply more if needed. The waterproof version holds my curl and lasts all day on me. It gives me crazy length (although I have crazy long eyelashes to begin with) and does make it look like I'm wearing falsies. Thick, long, dramatic and defined. Easier to remove than the MF but that's not a big deal to me. I still want my MF mascara back! :-) Possible HG here.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Length
RedJeanie 4/21/2010 10:02:00 PM
I am on a search for a replacement of the discontinued Max Factor Lash Perfection mascara. The waterproof version was indeed perfection! So...this will not be replacing it. No way no how. I have very long blonde lashes that I curl. I always use waterproof as apposed to water resistant. This CG mascara is water resistant only and once applied my lashes uncurled. As the day went on they sort of clumped together and looked limp. I've never had that happen before. This formula did darken and lengthen my lashes. The Max Factor version was way better. I could catch every tiny lash, it kept my curl and lasted until I took it off. This CG mascara did not.
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Pressed Powders -Revlon - PhotoReady Powder
RedJeanie 3/21/2010 11:04:00 AM
I'm very pale skinned so I was excited to see this shade (translucent) in a drugstore. I'm a yellow/ pale ivory girl and the lightest shade in a drugstore brands is RARELY light enough for me. Its either very pink or just too dark. Getting the right combination is hard. My skin: Oily/combo, a few fine lines, big pores. The powder: As soon as I put it on I could tell it wouldn't work. It sat in my pores and made them look like white dots. The color match of translucent was good. I didn't like the compact itself because it didn't come with a puff. I can't comment on oxidation because I washed it off immediately. I returned it the next day. I use Laura Mercier Translucent compact powder and I LOVE THAT...but its pricey. I'm hunting for a cheap dupe.
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Pressed Powders -Maybelline - Dream Matte Pressed Powder
RedJeanie 1/31/2010 11:23:00 AM
This powder is the best one I have used in decades. My previous favorite compact powder was by Laura Mercier in translucent. For a drugstore brand it’s pretty awesome. Maybelline finally got it right with this one. I use the shade Fair Light 0-1. It doesn’t turn orange or settle into my fine lines. It gives really good oil control without drying out the area around my mouth. Its matte but not fake looking. Its so much cheaper than the LM powder. I really shouldn’t be spending over $30 buck for a face powder. Its outrageous. I paid $4.50 for the Maybelline one. The down side….Of course my shade has been DISCONTINUED. I ended up buying it on EBAY. The packaging is really stupid. Once you use it you’ll know what I mean. Who designed that?? Swivel out mirror, take out powder puff, close mirror, open powder, swipe powder, close that then swivel out the mirror?? Put on powder but then oops you need more powder so swivel mirror close then do the whole damn thing over again. Totally annoying and just not convenient at all. I would have put up with all that hassle if they had kept making my shade.
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Gels/Soaps -Aveeno - Positively Smooth Shower & Shave Cream
RedJeanie 2/20/2009 12:06:00 PM
This body wash actually does what it claims. The Soy in it makes my body hair softer and therefore much easier to shave off. If you are lucky enough to have light soft hair to begin with then you will probably not even notice a difference. BUT if you are like me and have thick course hair it will certainly help. I love that it softens ALL of my body hair. Its awesome. It moisturizes my skin, rinses clean, makes the tone of my skin very even and creamy looking. I use exfoliating gloves to work up a good lather. Using it without those or a puff will not produce a good foam. It has a soothing scent...I can't quite describe it but its light and clean...close to cucumber but not quite. I've used it to shave and had no huge problems. Its great for traveling when you want to cut down how much you pack. I do prefer to use the Aveeno positively smooth shave gel simply because it doesn't drip and cuts down on me going over areas I have already shaved. I also use the Aveeno Positively Smooth body lotion (discontinued but I found some online) which for me is a miracle combination. It makes me look like I have average "girl" hair instead of lumber jack legs.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Essence of Beauty - Eyelash Curler
RedJeanie 2/12/2009 1:26:00 PM
This is a VERY good eyelash curler. Its nice and wide so I can catch all of my lashes in it. I have LARGE eyes that are NOT deep set. If you have big eyes I highly recommend this curler. I absolutely love the padded squeeze handle. So comfy on my fingers. Such a huge difference from traditional curlers. I barely have to use pressure with this. Totally comfortable and no pinching. It curls quickly. Like two minutes and I'm done with both eyes. I did have to change my technique which is a good thing!! If you clamp down like a mad woman you will end up with an L shape...Use gentle pressure for a couple seconds then move it up a little so that you get a smooth curl. Seriously...its not hard to do. This comes with two replacement pads in the package. I wish it had maybe a little paper pocket to keep the extra pads in. It is super inexpensive. I had just visited a Sephora store to buy a new curler and got so mad when I saw how much they were charging that I walked out in a huff. I went to Longs and found this wonderful curler there!! I've been using one made by Maybelline for many years. I always thought that I had hard to curl lashes..but NO. It was the curler that sucked. It literally would take me ten minutes just to curl them. That's insane! The metal handle really hurt my fingers and I would have to clamp down as hard as I possible could. Maybelline recently changed the pad to a black rounded one. I could not get that sucker to stay in the curler. It never did catch all my lashes at once because it is not very wide. Something else I've learned...I know that using waterproof mascara is the only way to go if you want the curl to stay. Regular formulas will make the curl instantly straighten out no matter what curler you use.
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Styling Products -Joico - HI-RISE HAIR root volumizer
RedJeanie 7/22/2007 10:41:00 PM
I love how this squirts out in a stream of fluffy mousse. I can target my crown right at the roots or squirt it in my hand and apply it to the length. Great coconut fruity smell that I get complimented on. Much more shine and control than what I get when using Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Boost spray. Much more volume than the PM. I little goes a long way. Make sure you comb it through well. I have wavy, color treated hair that has lots of frizz. This is better at controlling that than the Paul Mitchell. I switch back and forth between the two. I don't shampoo every day so I use the PM to style my hair when I don't. I rinse and condition, use a leave in conditioner spray then add some PM all over. I've tried using the Joico for second day hair and it's too heavy for that. It makes my hair feel gummy. That's the only reason I gave it a four rating. It's a little on the pricey side. I buy mine in bulk on EBAY to keep the cost down.
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Conditioner -KMS California - color vitality color revitalizer
RedJeanie 2/4/2007 12:51:00 AM
I bought this at a discount store. I suppose they changed the packaging and this is why I found it at a Rainbow Food Outlet for $5.99. It was a huge salon sized bottle and I usually like KMS products so I bought a few. I have dyed ,wavy hair and I blow dry the crown and bangs everyday. I have a problem with frizz and some breakage in the front. I really like this conditioner. It is not thick so at first I thought it wouldn't moisturize very well. After I rinsed it out my hair felt silky smooth and was easy to detangle. It also helps keep the color true. Some anti frizz conditioners (like Infusium) tend to darken or remove some of the dye from my hair. This is not marketed as anti frizz but it does help. I use this and then a protein treatment alternately. I don't like pump dispensers for conditioners. I makes it hard to get the last bit out.
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Liquid -L'Oreal - infallible never fail makeup
RedJeanie 9/16/2006 11:25:00 AM
UPDATE: 4/15/09 L'Oreal decided to "improve" the formula of this and its kinda crappy. The last couple of bottles I've used had a 25% Longer Wear sticker on it. Yeah, right. 25% worse is more like it. I used to love this stuff. Its still what I use because the color match is so great for me. I'm SUPER pale. But now I have to use half a pump and blend like crazy. Before I could use one whole pump and apply it quickly and easily with my fingers. For some reason a huge amount of product comes out now when I pump it. So I have to use a sponge now to blend and that's just a pain. One more thing to buy and make sure I have on hand. Geesh...Maybe that "improvement" was really them switching to cheaper ingredients. I read that some companies are doing that now. It just doesn't wear as well as it used to. This is a great long wearing foundation. I discovered it after MaxFactor discontinued my color in the Facefinity line. I was a shade number 2 Light Ivory. I tried this L'Oreal version without high hopes because the colors appear to be quite dark in the container. BUT! I was wrong. If you have very pale skin and are desperate for a drug store level makeup then this is for you. I have large pores, oily skin except around the mouth and chin, broken capilaries on my cheeks and some fine lines around the mouth and eyes. I'm thirty two. I use Eucerin spf 30 face lotion first, let it sink in for about five minutes then I use one pump of the foundation. Shake well first. I rub it between my just washed fingertips and then I pat it all over my face and actually rub it in like a face lotion. You gotta work fast. Then I smooth it over with my fingers. The last step is to pat my entire face with a velvet textured latex sponge that is very slightly damp. I think thats what gives this foundation such a nice finish. It's not a matte look without powder.I then blowdry my face with cold air for a minute to make sure it's dry and finish off by gently patting on Laura Merciers translucent compact powder. This combo covers all my blotchyness,under eye circles and I don't have to use a blotting sheet for a couple of hours. The color doesn't change on me and it lasts at least twelve hours which is more than any other regular foundation I've worn. I wore it on a trip to New York in very humid weather and it stayed on until bed time! The color Soft Ivory is a good match for me. Though I wish it were a little bit more yellow than pink. The Laura Mercier powder is yellowish so it cancels that out. It has sunscreen in it which is important to me. It doesn't clog my pores but I do have to wash my face a bit longer to make sure I get it all off. The pump is a good feature. I use a new bottle every month. I notice by the end of the month it starts to not cover as well or hold back the oil so I always start the month with a new one. Time to pay the rent and buy a new bottle of Infallible makeup! It is a little bit pricey. At some stores I've seen it sell for $13.99. Sometimes they are on sale for buy one get one free or half off so I stock up then.
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