Moisturizers -Korres - Yogurt Cream (Yoghurt Cream)
adri721 1/11/2010 12:49:00 AM
I wanted this to work for my skiv badly, since "oily & dehydrated" describes my skin type perfectly. I loved the thicker texture, the mild scent, and how well it moisturized without making my skin look like a oil slick. Unfortunately after using it for a month, I noticed my skin was looking the worst its been in a while. I started getting a lot of breakouts, not just in my t-zone but along the upper sides of my face as well. This moisturizer is the only thing I changed in my routine, so I figured it was the culprit. Sure enough when I stopped using it, my skin immediately started clearing up. I had previously been using Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation, but I wanted something more moisturizing for winter. The yogurt cream definitely provided the moisture, but too bad it also clogged my pores. Since many of the previous reviewers have had a good experience with the cream, I wouldn't be so quick to write this moisturizer off if you have never tried it. I do recommend trying it out especially if you have oily and dehydrated skin, just be aware that it may cause break outs for certain people.
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Blush -Everyday Minerals - Champagne
adri721 9/20/2009 5:29:00 PM
I hate to mess up the perfect rating, but this did NOT work for me at all as as highlighter. I bought it specifically for that purpose based on the reviews, but I found it way too sparkly to use on my face. Maybe I just got a bad batch, but it gave no glow at all and you can definitely see the individual specks of shimmer. It's pretty, but not quite right for daytime face application in my opinion, because it's not very subtle. I also got the Pearl Beige powder from EDM and that works so much better as a highlighter - it gives a nice sheen without the glitter. Unfortunately I got the full size of Champagne and the sample size of Pearl Beige, lol! Up for swap this will go.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Pro Skincare Brush
adri721 4/21/2009 2:11:00 PM
Like some other reviewers I was initially skeptic about effectiveness of the Clarisonic brush and all the amazing results and claims....BUT I have been using this brush for 7 weeks now and my skin is the BEST it has been in a long time. For reference, I have had acne on my forehead since I was in 6th grade, so its been almost 10 years now and I've never been able to make it go away. I've tried Benzaclin, Retin-A micro, Differin, OTC products, Proactive, Acne free, acne.org...all with minimal or no difference. I also started the pill back in October and my acne became even worse, spreading to my cheeks as well as my chin. My skin isn't horrible (no cystic acne), but the acne that I do have is very persistent and always present. So with that history, I finally gave in and purchased a Clarisonic brush after thoroughly researching and reading many reviews. I bought the pro version with 4 speeds off of ebay, which was actually cheaper than getting the normal version from Sephora. I have been using the brush twice a day with the sensitive skin brush on the third speed setting (pro level). For the first two weeks, my skin became much worse. I broke out even more and it was pretty miserable. I stuck it out though, because I'm familiar with the whole purging thing after 10 years of acne. After 3 weeks, my skin starting getting a nice glow and my skin noticeably started to clear up. I am at 7 weeks now and my skin is almost completely clear! I just have a few teeny tiny acne bumps which are continuing to be less and less present on my face. As a note, I still have to wear concealer and foundation because of acne scarring which will take a while to fade (my skin tends to pigment easily as well). But in terms of texture, my skin so much more smoother and improved. Basically, the Clarisonic brush has yielded amazing results for me, but the key is to be patient. I think its unrealistic to expect changes overnight and you have to be prepared to face a really bad week or two (or three!) of purging. Don't touch or pops your zits during that time, or you will regret the scars later on! I'm so glad I stuck it out though, and now I feel so much more confident about my skin. On a related note, I also tried the Clarisonic face washes for oily and dry skin. I started out using the face wash for oily skin and found it a little drying. I have very combination skin (super oily, but with super dry patches as well) so I've always struggled to find a suitable face wash. I didn't really find anything special about the oily wash so I moved on to the dry skin one which is a non-foaming cream. I usually try to stay away from thick creamy washes because I fear breaking out, but the Clarisonic wash was perfect for my skin. It hydrated the dry spots, while not clogging the rest of my face. So with my duo of the Clarisonic sensitive skin brush and the facial cleanser twice a day, my skin is almost completely clear now! I would definitely recommend this brush to other people like me, who seem to have exhausted all other acne treatments. It's expensive, but gives me amazing results when used twice daily. My only regret is that I didn't give in and buy this sooner!
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Skinceuticals - Equalizing Toner
adri721 7/24/2008 2:16:00 PM
I've been using this toner for 2 weeks now and it has noticeably improved my breakouts. I love that it is a very light and contains no alcohol. (Toners with alcohol are too harsh and sting my face since I use a lot of benzoyl peroxide as part of my skin routine). This formulation is made especially for combination or oily skin, so it doesn't dry out my face and also doesn't feel heavy at all. I wanted a toner that had a small amount AHAs for light exfoliation without being harsh, and this definitely delivers. Acne.org suggests using a combination of AHAs with a lot of benzoyl peroxide for persistent acne. With this toner and my benzoyl peroxide, I have noticed that my skin is slowly improving.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Bliss Labs - Sleeping Peel Resurfacing Gel toner
adri721 7/24/2008 2:00:00 PM
I have combination, acne prone skin, and wanted a toner that removed excess dirt after washing. This toner definitely does the job, but I couldn't get used to the thick consistency. Like other reviewers have mentioned, the toner is quite gel-like, and it only takes me 2-3 drops to go over my whole face. After consistent use I noticed a slight improvement in the texture of my face (smaller pores, a decrease in dry flaky skin), but I also noticed that I was waking up with more oil on my face. The toner didn't make me break out though, so that is a major plus. I've decided that despite the improvement in my skin tone, I'd prefer a much lighter toner for my skin type. Since the product is marketed as a "daily age-minimizing toner," I think this toner would be much more beneficial for someone older. Especially at $30 a bottle, I didn't want to waste this on my 19 year old face! I have this up for swap if anyone is interested.
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Loose Powders -Everyday Minerals - Start to Finish Rice Powder - Soft Bronze
adri721 6/14/2008 11:15:00 PM
The rice formulation is my personal favorite of the finishing powders so far. At first I was turned off by the gritty feel of the powder when I rubbed it on my hand. I'm glad I still decided to try this out on my face though! Though the rice powder is not as fine as finishing dust, or even the start to finish kaolin powder, I find that the texture doesn't bother me when I apply in on my face with a kabuki brush. I love that the soft bronze version is completely matte. I have a super oily T-zone, so this is important to me. I tested out the soft bronze rice powder with the start to finish kaolin in sunlight by using each on half my face. I used both as a primer and a finishing powder. I found that the rice formulation kept the shine off for longer than the kaolin did, however the difference is quite minimal. I couldn't recommend one over the other based on shine control. As for the bronzing effect...I found that it was very subtle. I think my skin tone - EM Olive Golden Medium, is a bit too dark for the bronze to show up much. It did even out my skin tone slightly though. I think with fairer skin types, this can definitely impart a nice gradual tan depending on how much you want to layer it. I did miss the softening effect that the finishing dust left on my face though, as the start to finish powders don't quite do the same. I think my plan now is to use the start to finish rice as a primer and finishing powder, and then the finishing dust on top of that. I will update later once the oat version comes out.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Everyday Minerals - Start to Finish - Sunlight
adri721 6/14/2008 10:45:00 PM
I was previously a dedicated fan of EM's finishing dust. Then I tried the start to finish in sunlight, and I actually love this even more. I picked the sunlight color, since I heard the fair tends to be a bit too pale. For reference, I use EM Olive Golden Medium Matte foundation, I also have a super oily t-zone. I was worried that the sunlight formulation would add shine to my face, but it actually made my face more matte. The powder adds a slight glow to my face, so it is not a matte finish...but it controls my oil enough that the shine is reduced overall, if that makes sense. I usually run far away from anything that is not completely matte, but the sunlight formulation actually looks pretty nice on my skin. I am really liking the nice glowy look. To compare the start to finish with the finishing dust, I used each product on half of my face. I applied both products as primers and finishing powders. The start to finish half of my face stayed matte longer than the finishing dust. I would say that it took about 2-3 hrs for my face to get shiny again. The difference between each half of my face wasn't too drastic, but it was noticeable to me. As for the texture, I find that finishing dust is finer. I prefer the start to finish because I had problems with the finishing dust spilling out too fast and dust getting into my eyes. The one thing I do like about the finishing dust is that it provided a softening effect on my skin and made it feel super smooth. I find that the start to finish powder lacks this extra benefit. Overall though, I would recommend start to finish with kaolin over finishing dust. One could also use start to finish as just a primer and the finishing dust as the final step, to combine the positives of both products. I also had on hand the start to finish rice powder in soft bronze. And I found that the rice performs even better than the kaolin for my skin! For more, read my review on that product as well.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Bath and Body Works - breathe Deep Nourishment Body Cream--Delight
adri721 6/12/2008 8:49:00 PM
I love this body cream. It is super thick--much thicker than the the standard body butters from BBW or the Body Shop. It's sold by volume not weight, so its so dense that I feel like I'm getting much more of the product. This is a nice tangerine scent that is tangy without being overpowering IMO. I don't consider this to be very greasy at all. It sinks in and moisturizers wonderfully with shea butter, active oat, and antioxidants. They are unfortunately discounting the Breathe line, but the good news is that I was able to find this for 75% at BBW. Yay, that means I paid 4.12 for this large 200 mL luxurious tub of body cream!
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Makeup Brushes -NYX - Professional Shading Brush
adri721 6/10/2008 7:28:00 PM
The brush is part of the newer line of brushes from NYX. It has a medium length grey handle rather than the black handles from the older line. I use this brush to apply an all over color or highlighter. It is quite large, so with one or two sweeps I can cover my entire eye area up to my brow line. The bristles are very soft and flexible. I would definitely buy this again, but it is holding up nicely after a month of use and I doubt I need to replace this anytime soon. I have had minimal shedding and I definitely recommend this brush! I got this for $6.99 at cherryculture.com. Click continue for a picture.
Second from right.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -NYX - eyeshadow brush 3
adri721 6/10/2008 7:16:00 PM
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edit-I have now moved on to the stila #5 brush. I have found that the stila brush picks up much more pigment.
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This is my go-to eyeshadow brush for applying color on the lid. The bristles are dense but soft and pick up just the right amount of pigment. I really like how it is wider than most eyeshadow brushes. I have also had no problems with shedding. This is definitely a keeper! I got this for $4.99 at cherryculture.com. Click continue for a picture.
Third from right.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -NYX - Eye Angle Brush
adri721 6/10/2008 7:11:00 PM
I use this brush for gel eyeliner and it draws a flawless thin line every time. The bristles are firm enough to draw a perfect line and yet feels soft against my skin. I prefer angle brushes for drawing on liner over the thinner eyeliner brushes because I feel like they give me better control. I've been very pleased with all my NYX brushes and I would definitely recommend this one! I bought this for $4.99 at cherryculture.com. Click continue for a picture.
Second from left
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -NYX - Contour Dome Brush
adri721 6/10/2008 6:39:00 PM
I love this brush! It is super soft--I use it for blending and it does the job nicely. I like how the brush blends without picking up too much of the eyeshadow. I can tell because I wipe my eye makeup brushes after using, and this one always leaves the smallest trace of color. This is important to me since I hate that blending sometimes takes away the vibrancy of the color. This brush can also be used for the crease, but I have found that it doesn't pick up pigment too well because its a bit too flexible for that purpose. So I just stick with blending.
I have been pleased with all my brushes from NYX, and I would definitely recommend them! I got this for 4.99 at cherryculture.com. Click continue for a picture.
Third from left.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -The Body Shop - Eyeshadow Brush
adri721 6/5/2008 1:38:00 AM
I agree with the reviews that say this brush doesn't pick up enough pigment. It's also a bit too flat for my liking. I currently use a NYX brush that is much cheaper and does the job wonderfully. I used to think that my eyeshadows weren't pigmented enough, until I realized that the brush was the problem. And it really does make a difference! After washing this brush, the bristles also became even more stiff and splayed out. I ended up throwing the brush away.
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Eyes -The Body Shop - Eye Shimmer- Indigo
adri721 5/27/2008 1:39:00 AM
This is a very nice light blue that darkens on your skin to a nice shimmery blue violet color. The silky formula also layers well so that you can increase the intensity of the color. As the other reviewers mentioned, the blue color pops even more when layered over black. Click continue for a pic:
From L to R (all Body Shop shadows)
Eye Shimmer 09 Black (discontinued)
Eye Shimmer 04 Copper
Eye Shimmer 07 Indigo
Copper layered over Black
Indigo layered over Black
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Eyes -The Body Shop - Eye Shimmer- Copper
adri721 5/27/2008 1:26:00 AM
This color is super gorgeous. It shows up as a shimmery orange pink color on me. I like that the eyeshadow builds very well so you can control the intensity depending on the occasion. It works well for everyday wear and for at night once you layer on the color. The color also changes when layered over black shadow. You first put on the black color as a base, and then swipe the eye shimmer on top of it. The black base really brings out the pigment and darkens the eye shimmer slightly.
Click continue for an example picture:
From L to R (all Body Shop shadows)
Eye Shimmer 09 Black (discontinued)
Eye Shimmer 04 Copper
Eye Shimmer 07 Indigo
Copper layered over Black
Indigo layered over Black
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No