Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Mia
Wrenaria 1/1/2012 5:30:00 PM
This device has been worth every penny. It's helped clear up and smooth my skin a great deal and my skin feels so much cleaner than when washing with just my hands. I use it with Clinique mild liquid facial soap and follow up with Clinique Moisture Surge, and its been the best combination I've found for my skin. Tip: For the best results, move the Clarisonic SLOWLY when you use it. Going quickly can irritate your skin and diminish the benefits of the brush vibration.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup For Face & Body
Wrenaria 1/1/2012 5:22:00 PM
So I thought Double Wear was great until I got my hands on this - so much better coverage for my acne scarred skin and I prefer the squeeze bottle packaging. I find I get the most natural and smooth looking coverage using a cosmetic wedge/sponge. Once applied it does not budge and wears pretty well all day long. So far I have not found any other makeup with fuller coverage than this, and I have hunted! I use MAC cleanse off oils to remove it at night before my usual face washing routine and it comes off beautifully. I imagine it would be difficult to get off with just a regular cleanser. My only complaint is the lack of color options - the lightest color is still a shade too dark for me. But I spent quite a bit of time with a makeup person at Nordstrom not long ago and we found that nothing in the store was light enough for me, so I'm sticking with it for now and on the hunt for something lighter with as much coverage. (Just ordered some Illamasqua - we'll see how that goes when it gets here from across the pond.)
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Mascara -Clinique - High Impact Mascara
Wrenaria 1/1/2012 5:05:00 PM
Sometimes I try other mascaras, but I always seem to come back to this one. Zero clumping issues. Goes on smoothly. Somewhat buildable. Add fullness and length. Looks natural. Easy to apply. It's my HG.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - All That Glitters
Wrenaria 1/1/2012 5:01:00 PM
This is my #1 go-to color when I don't want to spend much time on my makeup. It's a beautiful shimmery peachy color that works well as a neutral on my super fair skin. Pops best with a base (I'm fond of MAC's Painterly paint pot).
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Fragrances -Marc Jacobs - Lola
Wrenaria 7/8/2010 8:15:00 PM
I spent weeks eying this perfume and making smell comparisons with various others around various stores, and I am sooo glad I finally decided to buy this one. I love that it's a fruity floral with more sensuous undertones, I just can't get enough of it. I love the wild bottle too - I think it's gorgeous! I'm a very picky scent buyer - this is my favorite so far. Of course, as with all scents, it's a very subjective and personal choice. Never buy a scent without smelling it on your own skin first. Everyone's body chemistry and taste is different.
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Treatments -Desert Essence - Tea Tree Oil (100% Pure Australian)
Wrenaria 7/8/2010 7:19:00 PM
I had high hopes for this seeing as how it works so well for so many other people. At first I tried using it diluted with just water, but no matter how diluted it was, it stung/burned like crazy for about 2 minutes after application. I dropped that idea and tried putting a few drops in my face wash whenever I used it and instead of burning it actually felt nice and cooling, though it would exacerbate the redness of my blemishes for a bit after using it. So I stuck with a few drops in my face wash and a drop or two in my moisturizer. It never dried out my skin, which was great, but it also didn't do a thing for my skin - or at least nothing good! At first I thought it was helping - it seemed to keep cystic types at bay - but my face is now a horrible bumpy texture and I'm still struggling with the same amount (if not more, I'm not sure) whiteheads as I had before trying this stuff. Plus, it smells like a block of wood drenched in turpentine. Not very pleasant, though it did remind me of my university art studio days... Anyway, I'll probably keep the rest of this bottle around for other anti-septic uses, but it's never touching my face again. The search for a cure for my face continues.... (Note: I had near perfect skin other than menstrual chin breakouts until this last year-ish - not sure what the heck happened...)
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Mascara -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara
Wrenaria 6/23/2010 9:27:00 PM
First mascara I've used that does not smudge AT ALL over the course of the day. AT ALL. Seems to lengthen pretty well too. If you want your lashes to look thicker too, try using a primer first. I like EL's Lash Primer Plus, but whatever you like best should be fine. Edit: I have switched to Clinique's High Impact. It looks great and never clumps.
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear LIGHT Foundation SPF10
Wrenaria 6/23/2010 9:04:00 PM
If regular Double Wear is too heavy for you, this is a fantastic alternative. I picked it up because I felt like Double Wear was too heavy for summer, even though it provides better coverage. This stuff blends well (I use combination of both a normal and flat top foundation brush to apply), looks pretty natural, and photographs well. I use intensity level 1 and it matches my skin nicely. It's a much more sheer coverage than regular Double Wear, but it's supposed to be (hence the "Light"). I don't find it to be quite as buildable as regular Double Wear is, but using a little concealer to cover the few spots I feel need more cover works fine for me. I tend to set it with a light powder, as I prefer a slightly more matte look to my makeup. I would suggest blending with a flat-top brush after applying - I find those are an HG for smooth/natural looking application with no streaks. The best part about this makeup? It LASTS. And lasts and lasts. A little goes a long way and it survived on my face all day in Hawaiian heat and humidity and even sea water (mostly) while I was on vacation. I put it through the ultimate test and now know that I LOVE this stuff. HG for sure, though I will probably still use Double Wear during winter or times I feel I want more coverage. Both are fantastic foundations.
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear
Wrenaria 5/20/2010 4:26:00 PM
This foundation is a moderate to full coverage makeup, but it does not have to look heavy! It's all about how you apply and blend it! And since a lot of low reviews complain about it drying too fast/spilling out too much/looking too heavy, I am going to throw out a few tips, since it took me a few days to get the application to work for me and not look overdone. #1: BUY A MAC FOUNDATION PUMP! It's the best purchase you can make for this particular foundation and I can do my whole face in 1 pump (some people might need two). Fits the bottle perfectly, even if it's not super pretty. #2: USE A FOUNDATION BRUSH! A cosmetic sponge would probably work too, but use a fresh one every day to avoid bacteria buildup (which can cause breakouts). (EDIT: I actually use a combination of fingers/flat-top brush now - I spread it over my fingers and literally pat it on my face, then blend with the flat-top foundation brush, and it looks the most natural/smooth for me) #3: USE SMALL QUANTITIES! Pump the foundation onto the back of your (clean) hand. Dip the tip of your brush into the foundation and blend that small amount onto your face in short, brisk strokes - almost more like dabs - until it is evenly distributed and blended. If you do it in sections like this, it will not dry before your blend it, and you will have much more control over how it blends. (EDIT: Even when applying with fingers I only use 1-1.5 pumps to cover my whole face). #4 USE IT WHERE YOU NEED IT! This foundation is buildable, so you can go back over sections that need more cover and blend it out into the first layer. I tend to keep it thin across my nose/upper cheeks/forehead and build a little more over the blemishes/scars I have in my chin area/lower cheeks. It took me a few days to figure out how to do this properly and not look overdone/plasticky. This stuff truly lasts all day and does not slide, and now that I've got a technique down that works for me, I love this stuff. I use a bit of blush on the cheeks and a touch of bronzer now that it's heading into summer, but don't feel the need for powder. This may be my new HG foundation now, and my face is actually clearing up a bit since I stopped using MAC (their Studio Fix powder broke me out fiercely). If this is still too heavy for you, try Double Wear Light. It has just as good staying power, but more natural coverage. You can see my review on it, if you're curious.
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Conditioner -Organix - Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Conditioner
Wrenaria 5/19/2010 3:05:00 PM
Smells amazing. The packaging is super cute. Organic. Leaves my hair feeling nice and soft. Zero complaints here.
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Shampoo -Organix - Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo
Wrenaria 5/19/2010 3:04:00 PM
Smells amazing. The packaging is super cute. Cleanses well. Organic. What more could a girl want? Will buy again.
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Moisturizers -Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Wrenaria 5/19/2010 2:51:00 PM
This is my HG moisturizer. My skin is normal to slightly dry, but acne-prone. I use two to three squirts of this stuff after my face wash/toner, and spread it all over my face and neck. Takes a minute or two to sink in, but its light and doesn't cause me to breakout or feel greasy (both major pluses for me). I wouldn't call it deeply moisturizing, but it does the job, especially for day wear. I've tried other moisturizers, but they all feel heavy and/or greasy and/or make me break out worse. I keep coming back to this one. My only complaint is that some times the pump gets stuck halfway down and I have to force it up again to get more pumps out of it. Not a big deal though.
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Scrubs -St. Ives - Apricot Scrub
Wrenaria 5/19/2010 2:40:00 PM
This was my HG exfoliating scrub until I discovered Freeman's Good Stuff Organics Smoothing Facial Scrub. After switching to that for awhile, I tried the St. Ive's again, and it felt really harsh in comparison. It does leave your skin feeling smooth afterward, but Freeman's is just as effective and less harsh.
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Scrubs -St. Ives - St. Ives Gentle Apricot Scrub
Wrenaria 5/19/2010 2:36:00 PM
This scrub doesn't do anything for me. It doesn't even have enough beads in it to be considered an exfoliating scrub. It just sits in my cabinet collecting dust. Sad.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Freeman - Good Stuff Organics Smoothing Facial Scrub
Wrenaria 5/19/2010 2:33:00 PM
So far this is the best exfoliating facial scrub I've come across. It smells great, is filled with natural ingredients, and I love the beads in it. They are not too small or too big or rough and feel great on the skin. My one complaint is that it almost feels like it leaves a slight film on my skin after I rinse it off, so I tend to follow it up directly with my normal cleanser just to make sure my face is cleared of the product. That doesn't bother me having to do that though, so I intend to continue using it, but that's why it gets 4 lippies instead of 5.
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