Lotions/ Creams -Trilogy - Everything Balm
abbyyyy 2/16/2013 11:37:00 PM
First, I'd like to say that this is a very versatile and mutliple use product. I carry the tub around with me in my bag (the smaller size one), and I use to for a lot of stuff - cuticle care, lip balm, hand moisturiser, working it into my dry/ ashy elbows, etc. It is very versatile and handy, and easy to use. The consistency is very waxy in the tub but melts into something similar to oil from your body heat, so you can either dig a chunk out to rub in or just run your finger over to get some oil for placement on smaller areas. It is very moisturising, the best lip balm I have ever used. It contains no petroleum, so is good for the environment, and the pack and box it comes in are adorable. It may seem expensive, but the smaller jar has lasted me a very, very long time and has been quite good value for money. When comparing the larger jar to smaller lip balms it doesn't seem to much more expensive. I adore this, will keep buying it for as long as they sell it!
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Skincare - Face -Trilogy - Rosehip Oil
abbyyyy 11/9/2012 5:49:00 AM
I can't rave enough about this product. Over the years, I have switched through moisturisers trying to find the right one for my combo skin. Generally after cleansing and removing my make up, my skin would be left dry and tight and would flake without use of a good moisturiser, however if I used a moisturiser, I would find it a greasy mess within a matter of minutes and it wouldn't stop producing oil throughout the day/ night. I was told to avoid oils for years, and I wish it was advice I had disregarded earlier. This oil has replaced all of my moisturisers, and I use it at night and it keeps my skin soft, plump, and best of all matte for almost 24 hours. The packaging is convenient, containing a dropper to help distribute the oil, and is small enough to take away the whole thing if you need it. It is sturdy and made of glass (even the dropper) so as not to spoil the oil with disintegrating plastic pollutants leeching in, which is an added bonus. The lid screws on tight and I have not yet had incidents of it spilling, which is saying something as I recently spent a month travelling with it around South East Asia. The price is a little expensive for a moisturiser (I paid around $23 NZ for the smaller 25ml bottle) but the bottle lasts so long because you only need the smallest amount that it ends up being a lot more economical. I have used 1-2 drops per night for about 3 or so months, and I still have barely made a dent in the bottle. I adore this. If you haven't gone out and purchased yet, you really should. It gives you such nice, soft, glowing, matte skin. I love it!
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Shampoo -Pureology - Essential Repair Shampoo
abbyyyy 5/12/2012 5:59:00 PM
I use this shampoo in conjunction with the Pureology Super Smooth line. While I love the Super Smooth shampoo and conditioner, I find that if used too often it can weigh down my long, curly hair too much. If I alternate the shampoo with this every couple of washes (3 or so), it gives my hair the perfect protein-mositure balance, which is vital for a good curl pattern in curly hair. To people who are having issues with this shampoo and saying it is drying out their hair, I suggest you switch to a shampoo that has no protein and is full of moisturising ingredients (the Super Smooth line has very few if any proteins in it), and don't use this shampoo as often as you are using it. Protein-mositure balance is different for every hair, and some people need more protein and less moisture, etc.
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Skincare - Body -LUSH - LUSH Massage Bar - Hottie
abbyyyy 4/7/2012 12:26:00 AM
I'd like to start by saying the smell of this is very, very potent... If I have a bar in my room or bathroom, even if it is in a tin or bag, I can still smell it very strongly. Having said that, I do not mind this because I enjoy the scent. It is a warm, spicy scent of ginger and a touch of vanilla. On my skin, it warms to a vanillary soapy scent, and I get a few complements if I have used this. The bar is, as mentioned below, moulded to have round balls that help with relaxing your muscles. These do feel nice on your skin but obviously after some uses they disappear as the bar melts into your skin. It leaves my skin very, very soft and is a great moisturiser. I enjoy the feeling of slight warmth it gives my skin and this this is perfect for massages.
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Conditioner -The Body Shop - Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter
abbyyyy 11/5/2011 1:28:00 AM
I am super surprised by the really low ratings on this product. I think this is probably one of the worst rated products I have ever seen on MUA and I'm really surprised because I actually really enjoy using this stuff! To start with, my hair is falls to my mid back (so is on the long side), thin and curly. It tend to have an oily scalp and my ends are on the dry side. I try and shampoo my hair every second day as washing too much drys my ends out even more, but it is difficult to get the right balance, so I would say I wash my hair anywhere between 3-5 days a week. With this butter, I have been using it once a week as a substitute for my usual conditioner to give my hair an extra kick of moisture, and it delivers very well. As my scalp is on the oily side, I just use it on my mid lengths and ends, and it leaves my curls perfectly formed and frizz free, soft and easy to comb through. I generally shampoo my hair and then apply this after, with no other conditioner. I only have to use the tiniest bit (I dip the tip of my finger in the pot and take whatever comes onto it - usually around two or three pea sizes) and rub it onto my wet palms as the water gives me a bit more spread ability. The consistency is thick but the water helps with the spreading. I think with this product less is more, as it is very rich. I let it sit in my hair while I go about my daily shower routine - leg shaving, face washing, etc - and give my hair a thorough rinse at the end. My only qualm is that the pot is a bit awkward to work with in the shower, but I can live with that as I enjoy the results. I will definitely buy more when I run out, but I think it will take me a while before I do as I have barely used any of the stuff in my pot! Love it.
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Masks -Formula 10.0.6 - Deep Down Detox
abbyyyy 8/26/2011 11:29:00 PM
This brand is everywhere in New Zealand and Australia - I saw it in a lot of stores and my room mates and I were very intrigued and decided to have a girls night in using some of the masks from the brand. Huge mistake on my part - I had a really bad reaction to both this mask and the No Time To Shine mask. As soon as I put it on my skin, it stung terribly. It hurt so bad and my skin felt as if it was burning, so I had to wash it off immediately. My skin felt warm to the touch and was very tender for the rest of the night. Thinking it was this particular mask, I tried the No Time To Shine and a similar thing happened. Not really sure what was going on, but none of my room mates had a reaction the same as I do so I must just be sensitive to one of the base ingredients in the formula of the masks they make. I obviously wouldn't buy it again because of my reaction, but since no one else had a similar reaction I am putting it down to me personally and not the product. I also have tried the So Totally Clean Deep Poor cleanser and that was very harsh and not for me - I think I am going to stay away from this brand as their products just don't seem to work for my skin.
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Scrubs -LUSH - Ocean Salt
abbyyyy 6/25/2011 6:08:00 AM
Surprisingly, I actually like this product. I have had a very bad history with Lush's skin care products - they usually leave my skin irritated or I seem to have a negative reaction and my skin gets some nasty pimples. This is the only product that seems to help clear my skin and leave it soft/ glowing. Since I have started using the OCM with a 1/3 Castor Oil 2/3 EVOO mix, my skin has cleared up dramatically and gone from ridiculously oily to normal/ slightly oily skin. I felt like I needed a good scrub to use once or twice a week to give my skin some real exfoliation, and I liked the idea that this was full of moisturising ingredients as well as cleansing ones like the sea salt. I feel like if I give my skin a fair amount of moisture at night and wash with water in the morning, it is a lot better. This stuff fits the bill, it doesn't leave my skin oily like some scrubs (St Ives being the main one), leaves my skin soft and really gives it a deep down clean. My only concern with this is the larger salt chunks - these really irritate my skin and actually hurt when I wash my face if they are caught up in the circular motions I do when use a facial scrub. Luckily they are so big they usually fall off my face, and there aren't too many/ they are easy to avoid using. Overall, a surprisingly good product from Lush.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Oil Cleansing Method OCM
abbyyyy 6/10/2011 7:12:00 PM
I love this system of washing your face. I had very oily skin and it took me a long time from switching products trying to find something that worked for me - I changed products so many times trying to find something that reduced the oil in my skin and help with my occasional acne. I have sensitive skin that burns with a lot of products so I have to be careful with what I use on it. I have been using it for about 6 months now and it is fantastic and I can't rave about it enough. I have not needed to buy any expensive products and one bottle of $8NZ Castor Oil and the EVOO we buy in the groceries each week have lasted me a long time - it is really dirt cheap to use, and you can tweak it for your own individual needs. I use about 1/3 Castor and 2/3 EVOO and I simply rub it into my face at night to take off all my make up and dirt for the day. I massage it around for a bit, hold the steamy wash cloth over my face once and then wipe it off. I love feeling all the girt and dirt that comes off my skin while I massage - it almost feels like little sand grains. In the morning, I don't wash my face with anything but water and I use a SPF moisturiser before I apply my MU. The results are amazing - I no longer have problem oily skin. I have wonderful, glowing skin that does not get oily at all. I used to have to use MAC blot power and I would have to reapply about half way through the day. If I used MAC Mineralised Skin Finish I would be oily after one or two hours - now I only use MAC Mineralised Skin Finish and wear it from when I put my make up on at around 7am until when I take it off around 7-8pm at night and it does not look oily but nice and matte/ sometimes a little dewy but nothing major. I have never experienced this before and my skin is looking so good! I keep my mixture in a bottle with a cap that I just pop open and squirt some onto my hand - fantastic. EDIT/ I find this a bit heavy for me in the summer, and I have developed a few red bumps because of how the oil never fully washes off my skin in the hot nights. I do adore it and will continue to use this in the winter but now I think I need something less heavy as the weather warms up.
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Pressed Powders -MAC - Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Medium Dark
abbyyyy 5/30/2011 5:52:00 AM
I have several MSF, some for highlighting and two for general setting of foundation after use. I recently purchased medium dark as the medium shade I was originally matched to was turning ashy on my skin because I was getting darker. I have NW25 skin and when the SA told me I should try the medium dark I was sceptical it would match me as I know people that have darker skin than me and have been matched to medium plus, however I feel some of the shades are different undertones rather than shades of darkness. This really suits me better than the medium as I feel it tones down the redness in my skin a bit more and makes my complexion a tad warmer and like I have a healthy sun kissed glow. However the SA advised me I should keep the medium and use it for a matte highlight if I want something subtle under my eyes/ cheekbones. I adore MSF and think that they are very multipurpose products. You can use them to contour, highlight, set your powder, as an all over light coverage foundation. I love the package too - it doesn't contain a mirror but this isn't too much of a worry for me as I don't take it with me to touch up. I like the clear top because unlike a lot of other MAC compacts with the mirrors (select powder, blot powder, etc), I can see which one and grab the one I need without opening it. They are very sturdy and I haven't had one break yet, even when I was travelling from University or the times I put it on my non-carry on in planes while going on holiday. Plus they last for ever! I love it - I just recommend going in to the store and getting matched to make sure you get the correct shade for your skin tone, but if they mess up it's not too big of a deal because as I said, you can easily find another use for it.
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Conditioner -Modern Organic Products (MOP) - C-System Hydrating Conditioner
abbyyyy 4/16/2011 12:54:00 AM
Just purchased this product today, so will update after I have been using it. I just wanted to read a few reviews and had a mini heart attack when someone mentioned this conditioner had a cone in it, as I specifically seek out conditioners that do not have cones in them. I did a little research on the suspected culprit - the hydrolysed wheat protein, and it turns out that the pg-propyl silanetriol version is water soluble when the PH level of the shampoo is above 5.5 - on the MOP website, it states that the PH level of this product is 5.5-6.5, so the cone should probable be water soluble, and that is why it doesn't create build up like others are saying. Man cone-free routines are tricky! But I think this is a safe conditioner for those wanting to stick to a cone free routine. :) EDIT// Far too much protein in this for my hair - left it soft but very frizzy. Now I am a lot more clued up on what my hair likes and doesn't, unfortunately protein is not something it does like and therefore this conditioner is not for me. It would work if your hair loves protein though.
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Shampoo -LUSH - Jumping Juniper solid
abbyyyy 1/21/2011 1:12:00 AM
I have not personally have not used this product, so I feel awkward writing a review for it. However, I have seen the results on my friend and I actually cannot believe it. I purchased this solid shampoo for her for christmas, as she had been complaining about her oily scalp. She had given up hope and started washing her hair with supermarket shampoo and not using conditioner, and it still got oily every single day. I was in Lush purchasing gifts for some of my family members that I know like Lush, saw this and thought it would be perfect for her. I purchased it, and now both she and I can't believe the results. She can now go two days without washing her hair, it is nice, clean, soft and shiny for two days without her needing to wash it. I couldn't stop sniffing her present as I thought it smelled fabulous, and she seems to like the smell too. It isn't too overpowering and seems to fade reasonably quickly, but that isn't too bad if you are after something inoffensive. I use Lush Squeaky Green, and so can comment on the ease of use of the bars - easy as pie. I at first was sceptical of these as I assumed it would be a kin to washing your hair with soap, but I think so long as you get the right bar for your hair type, they work really well. All I can say is that this bar seems to be perfect for people with greasy hair who want to be able to go a few more days without washing.
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Shampoo -LUSH - Trichomania bar
abbyyyy 12/5/2010 4:06:00 AM
This was an okay shampoo - After the first use of my sample I actually loved it, my curls were more defined, my hair was smooth and it didn't dry out my hair like I thought it might. However, after the second and third uses of the sample I received from LUSH, I wasn't really that into it. It dried my medium-longish hair out at the ends, and it got a bit frizzy and gross. My curls were less defined and I decided to stop using it because it seemed to be doing more damage than good. Also, I developed flakes on my scalp and I had started to discover strands of my hair were coming out a lot more when I washed, brushed and styled my hair. Not good. However, I have been using up the rest of my sample as a shaving cream for my legs and it honestly gives the best, most comfortable and closest shave that I have ever had. I wouldn't purchase this for that soul reason because it is pretty expensive, but I would probably willingly take more if I had the opportunity just so I could use it to shave my legs.
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Highlighters -MAC - Magically Cool Liquid Powder - Truth & Light
abbyyyy 10/15/2010 6:55:00 PM
I really like this product, but I do have some issues with it. I use it over the BOAA blush from the same collection, and it gives me the subtlest shimmer and glow, I just love the way it looks on my cheeks. It really tones down the blush if I put too much of it on too, which is great because BOAA can be a bit intense if you aren't careful. I love the cooling sensation that it gives me skin, it actually feels like liquid! Sometimes, however, I feel like it doesn't even feel like liquid. I can't really explain it, sometimes I really feel the liquid, and other times I don't feel it at all! My other quip is trying to get enough powder through the sifter top in the pack, I haven't quite figured that out yet. I either get none at all, or half the jar will come through and sit there, which I don't want because when I travel it will go everywhere. I haven't travelled with this, and I don't really know if I will or not. It seems like I will spill it all through my bag. I guess these are worth putting up with because I just love the way it looks. I was sucked in by the liquid gimic, but I am glad I got it because it really is a great powder that lasts all day!
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Blush -MAC - Matte Blush - Bite Of An Apple (Venomous Villains)
abbyyyy 10/6/2010 5:13:00 PM
I went into the MAC store intending to buy this blush, after seeing things from the new collection online, I was mostly interested in this blush. When I went in, it was a lot more red than I had imagined it, and not as coral, but I still decided I would try it on. The MAC SA put it on with a very light hand on the apple of my cheeks, and put the light cooling powder over the top. I loved how it looked, a soft pink blush with just the lightest shimmer. Obviously I brought both. I gave it a 4 though because I think there is a very, very fine line on going over the top with this blush. It is so pigmented, I only need to tap my brush on the surface and apply it. However, if I don't collect enough I have to go back and attempt to get some more. This usually makes me look really red in the face and slightly clown-ish. I think it's worth the hassle because it is such a pretty colour though. I like the packaging, although it would have looked less tacky if it was matte and not the shiny packaging. However, I don't think it really matters in the long run, it's the product inside which really counts and I like it!
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Styling Products -Kevin Murphy - Motion Lotion / Hair Screen
abbyyyy 9/22/2010 12:52:00 AM
I am really enjoying this product so far. Recently got rid of all bad cones in my hair routine in an attempt to sort out my dry, frizzy curls. I brought some of the pureology super smooth line shampoo and conditioner, and got rid of my morrocan oil and matrix curl life milk, as they all had cones in them. I went to a high end shampoo store and asked them if they had any styling products for curls that were light weight and didn't contain cones. The assistant there was very nice, and told me that all of the kevin.murphy lines attempt to be clean and organic type products. I looked at the list of ingredients, and one reviewer said it contains dimithecone shouldn't worry, because it contains PEG-12 dimithecone (aslo know as dimethicone copolyol), which is a water soluble product that does not build up or coat the hair. It smells great, it has really grown on me. At first I was a bit put off because I thought it smelled like a hippie commune, but now I really enjoy it and find myself picking up the bottle to sniff occasionally. I think that the bottle it comes in is adorable and practicable, the cap keeps it secure, it is easy to get product out and you can also place it back in the tube if you mistakenly get too much out, easy to travel with, compact and small yet a similar amount of product to most other brands that same way. Will definitely repurchase even though it is a bit on the pricey side.
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