Blush -Silk Naturals - Petal (Benefit Dandelion Clone)
Seajewel 1/24/2013 1:52:00 AM
This is my HG pale pink blush. It has amazing lasting power and is a very flattering shade on my NC20 Asian skin tone. I think it would work on just about anyone. It does need to be applied with a blush brush that is not a stippling brush as it is fairly sheer, but applied with a regular brush (not a skunk brush) it shows up beautifully. and it lasts until I wash it off. 12 hours+
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Sunscreen -Biore - UV Perfect Face Milk SPF 50+
Seajewel 1/24/2013 1:49:00 AM
I probably will not purchase this again, but it is a fine sunscreen to wear under makeup. It dries very matte--almost too matte, and is a little whitening on my skin (NC20-25), it leaves a somewhat chalky/powdery/dry look to my face. I don't believe it has contributed any breakouts but as I prefer to not wear makeup over sunscreen, this sunscreen does not make me love the look of my skin after applying.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Alpha Hydrox - Moisturizing Body Wash, Sea Mist
Seajewel 1/24/2013 1:46:00 AM
Love this stuff. I live in a very dry area and have had problems with dry skin. I'm not very good at remembering to put lotion on, and now I don't need to. this body wash somehow keeps my dry skin at bay.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -SkinMedica - Daily Physical Defense SPF 30
Seajewel 12/18/2012 6:34:00 PM
It's creamy rather than liquidy, and it dries down to a matte finish. I don't need powder at all, which is a plus; however, I do find this sunscreen somewhat whitening. It is not as bad as, say, LRP Anthelios XL fluide, which is very whitening and also never dries completely on my face, despite copious amounts of powder. I do like the finish and that it's all physical. So far no breakouts, but I will update if I do get any. I prefer the finish of Skinceuticals Physical Fusion (a great foundation alternative for my NC20 skin, but it does require powder to cut down on shine), or Replenix sheer Physical spray (which goes on shiny but dries down matte and is not whitening). However, those two did not do well on my skin, the Replenix in particular causing the worst breakouts of my life, which are still healing weeks later. I just do not like the whitening effect but it is tolerable, and otherwise it seems like a good physical sunscreen. Maybe if I layered some bronzer or something on top--but I really like being able to slap on sunscreen and leave the house. I do that with this one anyways, I just look a little dead in the face.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Topix - Replenix Ultra Sheer Physical Sunscreen Spray SPF 50
Seajewel 12/17/2012 12:32:00 PM
I really loved the lightweight, non-whitening aspects of this spray. I did use it on body before trying it on face and found it a bit drying. When used on face it went on rather shiny and liquidy, but after ten minutes or so it dries down to a matte finish with absolutely no hint of whitening on my NC20 skin. I really liked it.. EXCEPT it caused the worst breakouts of my life, excepting possibly Cerave lotion. Actually, I think it caused worse than Cerave. After about 1.5 weeks of use, I had a huge cluster of cysts erupting on my left cheek (which never breaks out. Generally my skin is very clear except for 1-2 hormonal breakouts before TOTM on my chin), and another cluster of cysts under the skin right on my jawline. More cysts came up on my forehead a few days after. The others are healing, but the jawline ones are not coming to a head and are stuck under the skin even now, two weeks post-breakout. This is the only new item I was using. My skin was not having cystic breakouts before this, nor had it for years. I'm not sure which ingredient disagreed with me--I'm thinking the ascorbyl palmitate, as most of the others are safe ingredients for me, and this is an unknown. Still--patch test this one!! It's great if it works for you but if it doesn't, it can be a skin disaster. ETA: basically, the exact same experience as coffeeandcream, review below :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NYX - Rouge Cream Blush - Tea Rose
Seajewel 7/13/2012 1:25:00 PM
Bar none, my favorite daily blush. I wear this basically 3/4 of the time I ever wear blush. It is the PERFECT nude blush on my NC15 (winter) and NC20 (summer) skin. It's a nude pink on my skin, it looks incredibly natural, wears forever, and is fool proof. It looks amazingly natural but pretty. This is what I wanted Tarte Exposed and MAC Warm Soul to be, but they just weren't. They looked muddy or too brown on me. This is pinker but definitely nude. I can't explain it but it is the perfect shade of natural tawny but pink flush on my skin, and I love it. I'll have one of these around as long as NYX makes it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Skinceuticals - Physical Fusion SPF 50
Seajewel 7/13/2012 1:20:00 PM
Absolutely love it. I've used it for four days now, so I will update if I end up breaking out, but so far so good (and I often react very quickly to products). It has a light tint that is fairly undetectable on my skin (NC20), but it makes me look very glowy and polished. (I powder over it with Silk Naturals Blur powder, which I love). It's like my skin on the days when I wear makeup (just sheer foundation) except BETTER, because the SC PF doesn't settle into lines or create foundationy streaks on my nose where my glasses rest, and is not as shiny as fdtn. It also feels basically like nothing on compared to most makeup and sunscreens. I used to wear La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Fluid and it always caked around my nose where glasses rest and would be shiny, streaky white in places on my face, it never dried completely throughout the day and would settle into my lines. still i bore with it for the sake of the protection. According to Skinceuticals, this has a PPD of 21, which is very high. It's also physical which means that it doesn't need to be reapplied like chemical sunscreen unless it is being wiped off (which does happen a little throughout the day, but I still feel more protected than when I wore chemical sunscreen for 10+ hours). Anyways, I love it. It feels good on, looks GREAT on (polished as if I have light fdtn or tinted moisturizer on, glowy, but without caking, ever), is supposed to be very protective (and muaers have reported no pigment darkening or spots while wearing this in the sun). It's holy grail status. It does supposedly sting if your skin is sensitive (like if you're on a retinoid). I'm not currently using any actives and my skin has a very slight tingling sensation after applying, but no discomfort. The main drawback is the price. It is very pricey--but it's completely worth it. I haven't found a sunscreen I like this much since Sofina.. and with a PPD of 21? I'm in, basically forever, unless my skin revolts or the protection ends up being shitty. I pile it on to make sure I have enough protection and it looks great. ETA: I did repurchase, but after a few months I realized all was not right with my skin. I was having overall very rough textured skin and many breakouts around my jaw and chin. It took me a long time to realize what was the matter, as I incorporated a few new items around the same time, and the breakouts came a few weeks after starting SCPF. After 3 months of loyal use and trying to blame every other product I've used, I finally quit SCPF and my skin is healing. Too bad, as this was HG material for me in terms of the tinted finish and all-day lasting power.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NYX - Cinnamon
Seajewel 3/7/2012 2:38:00 PM
I absolutely love this blush. I normally reach for more cool pink blushes, but somehow this is the PERFECT divine peach flush on my skin, to borrow someone else's wording from another review. I'm around NC20 and on bare skin or on my MAC F&B C1 this blush just makes me look like I'm glowing a soft peach. It doesn't look as good on cool-toned skin, though, I'd imagine, because when I was testing MAC F&B N1, it looked orangey rather than soft peach. but it's a good break from my usual cool pink or nude blushes and I reach for it almost every day now.
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Lip Treatments -Silk Naturals - Smooth and Full- Black Label Lip Treatment
Seajewel 3/30/2011 7:26:00 PM
I love this stuff. and to give you a little bit of background.. i'm not usually a lipbalm girl, because most lipbalms annoy me. I don't like Burt's Bees, it's too waxy. I'm allergic to Bath and Body Work's pot balms (or was ten years ago) and to some other lipbalms. I don't want my lips to feel greasy. I want them to be soft. I bought this & the blueberry cheesecake lipbalm. i liked the blueberry cheesecake lipbalm.. I absolutely LOVE this lipbalm. It is beyond HG. it's amazing. it's very soft but non-greasy, works well under lipstick. i don't feel the compulsive need to reapply that i do with other lipbalms if i carry them around. and my lips look very healthy/rosy after using this. It supposedly has an active ingredient that is good for plumping lips.. not sure i've seen that, but whatever this lipbalm does, it makes my lips look amazing after one application the night before. i think it's magical. and again.. i wasn't a lipbalm girl before this, and not really for lack of trying. i could go on for ages about how much i love this stuff.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Silk Naturals - Apricot Cleansing Oil
Seajewel 3/30/2011 7:21:00 PM
I started using this stuff to remove my makeup and sunscreen. It does a great job of that, without leaving me feeling greasy. I don't double-cleanse unless i'm specifically trying out a new product and i want to be absolutely sure it doesn't clog me. It's gentle, effective, has no discernible scent to me (and i tried Lumene before this, and HATED it. it was gag-worthy b/c of the scent). It's pretty cheap, like $9, and will last for a few months. I don't see myself straying unless SN stops selling this stuff.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Silk Naturals - Vitamin C Peptide Serum
Seajewel 3/30/2011 7:15:00 PM
I've used a variety of Vitamin C products in the past, such as Skinceuticals and Skin Medica. Honestly, I've never used any of those for long stretches at a time, because the skin medica, for instance, stung upon application. (Not to mention how expensive it is!) I *love* the Silk Naturals vitamin c peptide serum, however. It is made of MAP, which is apparently a form of Vitamin C that is gentler than L-ascorbic acid, and I can tell. this serum has never stung upon application, and i've been using it faithfully for the past two months. My skin is smoother and softer to the touch than it used to be. I really love it, it is holy grail status for me. The first vitamin C i can use, and it's affordable (comparatively). I urge everyone to try :) i bought it based on recs from the skincare board, and will repurchase as soon as I run out.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Solvere
Seajewel 9/23/2010 1:55:00 AM
I've repurchased this several times. A lot of skincare and makeup items make my skin break out, but this doesn't. It's light, moisturizing, and makes my skin soft. I switched to a different moisturizer at some point, and my skin was hydrated, but had a WEIRD texture.. i went back to Solvere, and it's back to being soft and touchable. Love it. On my 3rd jar. Just wish it didn't come in a tub.. I hate dipping fingers into my lotion.
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Moisturizers -Cerave - Moisturizing Lotion
Seajewel 1/8/2007 11:37:00 PM
I love this product, it's my HG. I've only been using it for a week, but I've literally started glowing, somewhat aided by my usual routine of PC BHA 2% and Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle, but this is the only change I made and I'm absolutely amazed. I was using Cetaphil Cream- WAY too sticky on me, and when I made the change.. just wow. My skin feels soft, isn't sticky at all, I glow, and I keep wanting to put it on in the morning in lieu of my sunscreen because I love how it makes me look. (Bad idea, I know.. I've done it when my outdoors contact consists of running outside to class, 2 mins) I really, really love it. I have normal to combination skin with some hormonal breakouts at my time of the month, altho BHA can often prevent those if I'm diligent. Did I mention that I love this stuff? *****UPDATE*****: I still love the feel of this stuff and the way it made me look.. for the first four days. After that it broke me out, and it broke my boyfriend out, and i gave it a week or so to settle down, tried it again, same thing. had a huge clogged pore on cheek - that hasn't happened in years - and two angry red bumps on chin again that took forever to go away. i'm 90% + sure it is the Cerave, but i'll try it one more time b/c i loved it so.. but after stopping use and trying silkia camellia oil my skin is breakout free again. Cerave seems to have broken out a lot of ppl on the skincare board too.....
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Auntie Rhubarb Conditioning Gloss
Seajewel 1/4/2005 2:30:00 PM
I got this gloss in Sweet Cake, which is a very sweet vanilla frosting scent. The scent lingered in my hair and I could even smell it when I got into the shower for the 2nd time after washing with something other than the gloss! it left my hair very shiny and soft. My only worries are that the product will run out fast on my waist length hair, but Michele added an 8oz size at a reduced price, and i can't wait to reorder. If you want hair that smells great and looks good, get this!! I recommend Lemon Cake, I have this in a roll on and it is soft and sweet and gets tons of compliments wherever I go. Men love it, women think it's delicious. Go for it!
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Conditioner -Alberto Vo5 - Strawberries & Cream smoothing conditioner
Seajewel 12/27/2004 6:58:00 PM
Terrible, terrible conditioner. i got this by mistake, i think i was thinking of the shampoo which got better reviews. I used this after using the Oasis Jasmine and Aloe type which conditions like a DREAM. this stuff didn't detangle my waist-length hair at all, even in the shower, leaving me with painful knots and horrible hair. I suffered through the bottle because I'm cheap like that, tossed it, got more V05 Oasis Jasmine and Aloe plus some high end conditioners to try out. I am never buying this stuff again. the scent is very fake sweet to me. Don't buy this! there are much better alternatives.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No