Styling Products -L'Occitane - Aromachologie Concentrated Mask
alina08 4/28/2013 3:07:00 PM
This product is lovely for protecting the scalp. I use it once a week and leave it in for half an hour before washing my hair. It smoothes the roots and help manage flyaways (although it cannot prevent them one-hundred percent). I love the smell and the shape of the applicator. The applicator tip allows you to deposit the treatment evenly on the roots. I would only give this treatment four out of five stars because it does not do anything otherworldly, but it still is a good product.
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Mascara -Tarte - Lights Camera Lashes
alina08 4/28/2013 2:53:00 PM
I did not really like this mascara. It does not lengthen as much as I would like and I do not believe that it curls lashes. It is okay if you want a more natural look, but I think it is too expensive for what it offers. You need a primer with this product to get any drama. I will not repurchase.
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Brows -Tarte - Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse & Brow Brush
alina08 4/27/2013 7:07:00 PM
I am in love with this stuff! I have generally sparse brows and this was my first foray into eyebrow maintenance. I have always wanted more dramatic eyebrows, but have been afraid to draw them on for fear of looking like an eighty-year-old woman (this might have something to do with my eighty-six-year-old neighbor who once drew on her eyebrows in turquoise by mistake). I had tried using matte eyeshadows to give my eyebrows a little more life, but that did not work out so well. I could not get the shadow to last or to stay in place; it was blurry by the end of the day. FInally I invested my money in this, thinking it was going to be a bust. On top of that, I was afraid that since it was waterproof, I would not be able to get it off. Au contraire, upon first application I was hooked. The dual-ended brush was of great help and is easy to use and clean. The brow mousse itself (I purchased it in taupe) is smooth, blends well, does not smudge easily. It looks natural, stays in place all day (and I mean ALL day) and washes off easily with cleanser. The container is small (super small) with only a little bit of product; but the tiniest amount will go far here. Because of its size, it is easily portable, which is a plus. The only comment I would like to make about color choice is that the taupe is a reddish blonde (quite reddish, actually), which will not match everyone. I happen to have red hair and it looks completely natural, more so than a regular taupe would. I am one-hundred percent satisfied with my purchase. I will definitely repurchase when I run out. Thank you Tarte!
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Lip Treatments -eos - Lip Balm Sphere - Lemon Drop SPF 15
alina08 4/27/2013 6:58:00 PM
I love the cute packaging. I love the delicious smell. I love that it has SPF and does not turn my lips white or look ghostly. A +
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Lip Treatments -Yes To Carrots - Lip Butter in Pomegranate SPF 15
alina08 4/27/2013 6:56:00 PM
I bought this lip butter for the SPF quality. Unfortunately, it turns your lips white- and I mean WHITE. This is okay for the beach or at home, but not in public. I also do not like the smell, although I find that the other lip butters smell delicious in general. It moisturizes nicely, but I think the cons outweigh the pros on this one. I prefer EOS lip balm with SPF.
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Treatments -L'Occitane - Immortelle Elixir
alina08 4/14/2013 11:34:00 AM
I purchased this product on two separate occasions and have not regretted the decision. The first time I purchase the Immortelle Elixir was when I was suffering from horrible cystic acne and was looking for a better moisturizer. I was skeptical of the whole oil on oily skin remedy, but decided to give it a try anyway. The first attempt to use it was during the summer and was pretty unsuccessful (from the heat and humidity, I imagine). I broke out, although I am not sure if the elixir is entirely to blame, and postponed using the oil. I held off until the winter and used the product sparingly with a fair result. After undergoing an Accutane treatment, I realized what a godsend this oil must have been for people with dry, irritable skin. I began to use it nightly and was shocked by the result. This was by far the least greasy cream/masque/treatment/oil I was putting on my face. I was waking up with smooth skin that was hydrated but not oily. I used this elixir in conjunction with the L'Occitane Immortelle Cream Masque to achieve baby-soft skin. This combination was miraculous, although I am sure that the treatment would be more geared towards dry or mature skin. Alone or in combination with the cream masque, this elixir is a powerful yet non-irritating product. I would highly recommend it. Although many people complain of the smell, I happen to enjoy it and think that it enhances the product. My only complaint is that on both the the bottles of the elixir that I posses (one is a translucent blue glass bottle, the other is a taller, opaque, silver-coated glass bottle) the pump has tendency to shoot out the product in a haphazard way. This ultimately wastes the product, which is expensive, which I do not like. I think that the best remedy for this would be a dropper bottle, which allows the user more control over the quantity of product being dispensed.
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Masks -L'Occitane - Immortelle Cream Mask
alina08 4/14/2013 11:16:00 AM
I was skeptical at first to try the Immortelle Cream Masque, due to the fact that I have oily acne-prone skin. A while after purchasing the cream, I started an Accutane treatment, which has allowed me to see the effects of the masque on both oily and dehydrated skin. When I first started using the cream, my skin was quite irritable. I used it exclusively at night and applied it as a cream (I did not want to waste product and wipe it off after only ten minutes). In the morning, I was expecting a greasier look, but in reality my skin was not as oily as I expected. After a couple nights of consecutive usage, I did not notice any new breakouts and my skin felt smoother, despite my consistent use of acne-fighting products such as scrubs with salicylic acid and retinol treatments. I decided to make this part of my permanent acne routine. A while thereafter I began to take a generic form of Accutane for my acne, and despite the relatively low dose, my skin started to dry out and flake off rather quickly. All my other lotions did little to moisturize my skin and plump it up. My face was feeling rather tight and a bit uncomfortable. I decided to try to use the Immortelle Cream Masque more consistently and even under a sunscreen during the day time. The use of the masque did help my skin a lot, although alone it could not eliminate some of the stubborn dry patches on my face. For everyone who suffers from chronically dry or irritated skin, I have found the holy grail combination of how to eliminate this condition- L'Occitane Immortelle Elixir in combination with the L'Occitane Immortelle Cream Masque. When I was at my wits' end, I applied some of the elixir to a clean face and layered the masque over it. Surprisingly, the masque, not the elixir which is basically a face oil, made my face look greasy. Overnight, however, my skin sucked up all of the moisture and when I woke up in the morning I had skin like a baby. It was unbelievable. No redness, no irritation, no new pimples, no skin flaking off. I will continue to use this combination until my treatment is finished and perhaps beyond that. I would highly recommend that combination to anyone with dry or mature skin. It truly works wonders. One interesting note about this masque is that, although it moisturizes, it does not have a greasy texture. There is a bit of a mattifying effect, despite the shea butter content. In the morning, I apply a generous layer under the L'Occitane Brightening Ultraviolet Shield SPF 40. The moisturizer with sunscreen absorbs without a problem over the thick cream masque. I think it looks a lot heavier than it is. In the evening, I apply the masque over the Immortelle Elixir (no longer produced) for extra hydration. Again, it looks much greasier than it is. A final note on aesthetics: both the packaging and the fragrance of the immortelle flower are elegant and pleasing. I highly recommend this product, especially since dollar for ounce it has the price range of a higher-end drugstore cream ($62 per 4.4 oz.).
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clean & Clear - Oil Absorbing Sheets
alina08 3/23/2013 8:30:00 PM
These are great oil-blotting sheets, but so are the ones from Chinatown for a dollar. I do not think these blotting sheets offer anything special or extraordinary. The price is simply too high for the performance. You get the same result with rice-paper blotters.
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Fragrances -Victoria's Secret - Love Spell
alina08 3/22/2013 10:06:00 AM
I enjoyed this scent back in high school, but I think beyond that age group the perfume is just too fruity. I remember the scent lasting a while. That fruity odor will follow you everywhere as an adult, so beware. I liked that Victoria Secret made a small glass bottle that you could throw in a purse. That was much more convenient than their large plastic spray bottles. Overall, this is an okay scent, but I would not buy this again for myself.
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Self Tanners -Jergens - Natural Glow
alina08 3/22/2013 10:01:00 AM
I tried this one time and deposited this product directly into the garbage. I got the lightest shade I could find as I am very pale, but even so the color came out orange and streaky. It was horrible. There was nothing natural about the result. Thank God I tried it on my legs instead of somewhere more visible. I definitely will not repurchase.
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Lip Treatments -Smith's Rosebud Salve - Smith's Rosebud Salve
alina08 3/22/2013 9:52:00 AM
Although this product is a bit on the expensive side, there is a lot of product to it. I love the fresh smell of roses. This salve is pleasant to use and can be used anywhere. The tin is easy to truck around in a bag, which is a plus. Really I think the only drawback of this product is the price. As another reviewer mentioned, this is essentially rose-scented vaseline. I like this product enough to repurchase, but not at seven dollars a tin.
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Lip Gloss -L'Occitane - Fleur Chérie Lip Gloss in Rose Étoffe
alina08 3/17/2013 3:58:00 PM
I am not as enthusiastic about this lip gloss as I am about the other two lip glosses in this collection. I do like the Fleur Chérie scent of the lip gloss and I am a sucker for the cute packaging. I do not, however, appreciate the performance of this gloss as much as I do the Taffetas Cuivré and Ruban Rouge glosses. This is not a long-lasting gloss. That being said, I was expecting at least a dose of sheer color, but this lip gloss has a tendency to come out on the clear side. Really, it is best layered over lipstick, but I was hoping for a light tinted summer gloss. Oh well. It is still a quality product used in tandem with other lip stuff. Due to this, I would only give this product three stars.
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Lip Gloss -L'Occitane - Fleur Chérie Lip Gloss in Ruban Rouge
alina08 3/17/2013 3:54:00 PM
I bought this lip gloss to match the corresponding lipstick from the Fleur Chérie makeup line. This lip gloss is awesome. The scent of the gloss is reminiscent of the Fleur Chérie fragrance. This lip gloss offers more of a punchy color (think sheer pinky red) which is buildable up to a scintillating red color. Despite its buildability, you will need to reapply throughout the day (or at least touch up) because this gloss fades quickly. For this, I took off one star. I like the texture on my lips; it is neither too watery nor too sticky. However, the gloss is in no way moisturizing, so you might want to condition your lips before you apply it. Finally, the packaging is super adorable and one-hundred percent recyclable. I love this gloss. I would definitely repurchase.
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Lip Gloss -L'Occitane - Fleur Chérie Lip Gloss in Taffetas Cuivré
alina08 3/17/2013 3:49:00 PM
I love the Fleur Chérie makeup line, so I bought this product to match the corresponding lipstick. The pair go fabulously together. The scent of the gloss is reminiscent of the Fleur Chérie fragrance. It is a sheer delicate coral color with a hint of shimmer. I like the texture on my lips; it is neither too watery nor too sticky. In addition, the packaging is super adorable and one-hundred percent recyclable. I took off one star because the lip gloss fades within an hour, which is pretty typical more many lip glosses, but since this is higher end and more expensive I expect it to last longer. Another noteworthy observation is that this gloss is none too moisturizing, although it is not marketed as such. I enjoyed this product, so I would repurchase.
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Lips -Mary Kay - Matte Lip Color Stick
alina08 3/17/2013 3:31:00 PM
I found this lip color pencil to be drying. I always had to prep my lips with lip balm before applying it. The pigment is nice, so the product lasts a long time. The color also lasts a while on your lips, which is nice. I like the size of the product too; it is much more compact than a lipstick tube. Despite all of this, I did not fall in love with the product so I will probably not repurchase.
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