Sunscreen -Paula's Choice - Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 15 & Antioxidants
aessop 4/16/2013 7:32:00 AM
If this is meant to be the richest cream in her line for very dry skins...then Lord help us. I don't like it all that much. Kept my face hydrated and glowy for 2 hours or so. And then my face looked dull and my cheeks felt slightly dry. And this is me with combination skin. Come to think of it, most of the moisturisers from PC have not been all that misturising. Except for no irritation, I didnt see any changes. And don't get me started on the sunscreen issue. I still can't get over the fact that PC uses the lowest SPF 15 in its products but Paula waxes lyrical about the importance of sunscreen. I'd respect PC more if she'd improved the SPF to a 30. I wanted to love PC but these products just don't cut it with me anymore. I have tried nearly everything in her line and unfortunately they were just mediocore. This is possibly the end of the road for me with PC.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Paula's Choice - Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturizer
aessop 4/16/2013 7:26:00 AM
I used this as a night cream. Very rich and thick going on. No irritation. However when i woke up the next morning, my face looked like....my face. And it still does - no improvement whatsoever. No glow or wateva. No thanks. I'm not impressed.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Paula's Choice - Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner
aessop 4/16/2013 7:23:00 AM
Lovely toner. Its texture is milky and makes your skin feel like silk. I love the fact that it has some oils added to it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Paula's Choice - Skin Recovery Cleanser
aessop 4/16/2013 7:20:00 AM
Nice gentle cleanser. I like the milky texture. Great for cleansing your face. Not sure about makeup removal. You'll probably need a separate product for that.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Clarins - Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation
aessop 3/28/2013 7:24:00 AM
Gives a glowy natural finish that makes you look like you have nothing on. This is perfect if you have minor imperfections or flaws. Colour range is very limited. The SA recommended Caramel which is too dark for me and gave me a slightly orangey tone - I lean more toward beige shades. Very expensive for a foundation that is not lasting and stays put only around 4-6 hours. Major con is the irritation this foundation gave me. I felt like red ants were crawling across my entire face after a few hours. so gave this to my mom. Not for sensitive skins.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
aessop 3/13/2013 7:50:00 AM
I'm True Beige in the combination oily formula. The shade matches my skin tone perfectly. The first time I put it on I was careful to just use a drop or two and to blend it in with a damp sponge. I couldn't believe it was me. My skin has some minor imperfections and these were swept nicely away with this foundation. Everything was going great except after an hour when my cheeks which are the dryest part of my face started to feel tight, and I mean tight to the point where it hurt to smile.My oily-ish forehead seemed ok though. I took the foundation back after which the SA accused me of not having moisturised before applying the foundation. And I explained that yes I had moisturised. I think that if you're a truly oily skintype this formula will work for you. If not, please do try the normal-dry skin formula. Even though this particular foundation didn't fully work for me, I was impressed by the array of wonderful shades and the fact that it does give a wonderful finish when used properly. Just some tips: 1. The SA advised that if you try the formula for normal-dry skin which I heard has a higher SPF, you may need to try a different shade. Apparently the higher the SPF that's added to a foundation, means the lighter that shade will be. So True Beige in Combo-Oily does not look the same in True Beige Normal-Dry. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I'd like to confirm that one. 2. If you have trouble removing this foundation with normal cleanser and water, do what I do. Wash your face with warm water, add grapeseed oil or any of your favourite cleansing oils to a cleansing pad and swipe your face. It removes my foundation like a dream. 3. A friend also hinted that when her ColourStay foundation feels too dry she adds extra moisturiser on top of her foundation. Yes, on top and yes after she has initially moisturised her face. So its moisturiser, foundation and then extra moisturiser. Not sure if it works because I didn't keep mine long enough to find out.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dr. Hauschka - Cleansing Milk
aessop 3/1/2013 6:36:00 AM
Agree with the other reviewers. Lovely as a cleanser. Terrible as a makeup remover. Leaves an oily layer on my face, it smells very perfumy and its darn expensive. My grapeseed oil does a better job of removing my makeup than this product. However, I can't deny that on those days when I don't wear makeup and I cleanse with this, my skin is cleaned and glowy. Even when I swipe with a toner soaked cotton pad, the pad comes away clear. So its obviously working. I still wouldn't buy it though as there are tons of products out there half the price which does the same job. Well it's the end of my journey with Dr Hauscka. I tried all their sample products for the face. With the exception of their rose day cream which buggered with my skin and the alcohol reeking toner, this brand is wonderful. If your skin loves Dr Hauschka and if your wallet doesn't mind, stick with it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Dr. Hauschka - Dr. Hauschka Facial Toner
aessop 2/22/2013 6:31:00 AM
I didn't have a reaction to this toner or anything. The earth didn't move and neither did it come crashing down. It seems just fine. The only thing that bothered me was the alcohol in it. Why would anyone put alcohol in a toner knowing that it could dry out dry skins and potentially harm sensitive ones? I know there's probably a noticable amount of alochol in it because I work at a pharmaceutical company which uses medicinal alcohol and I'm familiar with the texture. It could be my imagination but it feels like I'm rubbing alcohol on my face and as soon as it's rubbed in, I get this sensation like it's evaporating or something. Some of the other reviewers could be right when they say this toner is nothing but glorified alcohol. I'm giving it 4 lippies because I didn't get a reaction. But I won't buy again.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dr. Hauschka - Cleansing Cream
aessop 2/22/2013 6:20:00 AM
This is not what I expected a cream cleanser to look like. It It looks like a granular exfoliant so I was really tempted to scrub my face with it the first time I used it. I didn't have too much experience with the press and roll method and I could feel my skin chafing from pressing too hard and I didn't wash the cleanser off properly. My face looked blotchy and I seriously wanted to give up. But now that I've learned how to use it, I'm really impressed. My face feels soft, cleansed, smooth and hydrated. No blotchiness either. Really ladies, you have to use this product properly! I would like to buy another tube except that mine lasted only three months and its really pricey. I'd rather stick to Clarins Extra Comfort Cream which cleans just as well but lasts twice as long.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Bio Oil - All Products
aessop 1/16/2013 9:36:00 AM
This is a good oil. I once spilled boiling water on my chest and suffered a massive burn on my right breast. I went on a regime of Bio Oil for 2 years and the burn scar has almost faded. However, I noticed that it didn't work for stretch marks at all. I am now trying Palmers scar serum on a scar near my throat and if it works I'll leave the Bio Oil for good.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Tea Tree Oil
aessop 1/11/2013 6:40:00 AM
This is a cheap amazing oil. I use it on stubborn zits sometimes and they disappear. Also use them on burns and cuts and skin tags. Yes that's right- skin tags, those gross little pieces of skin things that appear on your neck or wherever. I had a few on my neck and contemplated having them removed by a dermotologist. But that kind of treatment is expensive. And what if you have it in a place you don't want others to see? or what if you have dozens of them?? I came across the treatment on a website. You have to put this on religiously on the skin tags like 3-4 times a day until it comes off. Because of the smell, you might want to put it on when you at home or else try twice a day though it might take longer to work. Apply the oil to a q-tip and gently rub it against the skin tag. Keep the area dry and clean. DO NOT put moisturisers near that area or else it will take longer to clear up. You know its working when the skin tag starts to look weird. In my case, the surrounding skin on my neck turned a bit reddish because I wasn't carefull and just plopped a whole lot oil on the entire area, the tags turned dark and dropped off. Took me two weeks. I have some light brown spotty scars from the treatment but they are already fading from using Palmers Scar Serum.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Clarins - Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Shea Butter for Dry or Sensitive Skin
aessop 1/10/2013 10:00:00 AM
Lovely packaging, and lovely smell. I adore that it doesn't foam completely and leaves my skin super soft and hydrated. However I noticed on the few occasions that I used it, that a few minutes after washing my face, it would itch for a few minutes. No noticable redness or rashes, just itchiness. Won't buy it again. Very dissapointed because I love the Clarins sensitive skin range :-(
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Estee Lauder - Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator
aessop 11/20/2012 8:47:00 AM
Utter rubbish. The texture is silky and gorgeous and initially made my skin look matte and more even. After two weeks, I developed milia all over my face. The big wakeup call happened when I started developing cystic zits on my cheeks. It was so awful that one of them left a deep pitted scar on my right cheek which still looks pretty ugly to me. I'll never, ever buy this again. I don't care how much you pay me. In my opinion, this can never beat Estee Lauder Synchronised Advanced Night Repair Complex Serum which is their best treatment.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Decleor - Aromessence Rose D'Orient Night Balm
aessop 11/16/2012 10:20:00 AM
I've come to the conclusion that my skin hates the Decleor range of sensitive skincare. I thought Paula Begoun was talking clap-trap when she warned that natural isn't always better. I tried the oil, the day cream and this balm separately to gauge my skin's reaction to each of them and it was all a disaster. Like the day cream, this made my skin rough and red. I tried this balm in teeny tiny amounts and my skin stayed inflamed. The essential oils in this product obviously does not agree with me, as I've heard that my symptoms are a typical reaction to a mix of essential oils it obviously hates. I'm glad this balm works for most of the reviewers though. Guess it's just awful luck on my part! Like the oil and day cream, I'm going to give it to my mom.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Decleor - Harmonie Gentle Soothing Cream
aessop 11/16/2012 10:12:00 AM
I hated the oil and now I hate this cream. It's consistency is similar to Estee Lauder Verite but that's where the similarity ends. It was just average with a crazy price tag. On top of that, certain areas of my face became red, spotty and rough with tiny pimples. I didn't know what was happening to me until one of the reviewers of this cream mentioned that these were "normal" symptoms, where the essential oils didn't agree with your skin. I'm giving it to my mom.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No