Cleansers -Shiseido - Benfiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam
alison_k 5/25/2013 11:36:00 PM
This is a really lovely cleanser for my combination skin. I get really dry on my forehead and cheeks but super oily on my nose and chin. This cleanser made my face feel very clean without leaving my dry bits even drier! It is quite expensive for a cleanser but does take off all of my makeup easily even though I wear long-wear or waterproof cosmetics. I do have a slight issue with the tube though. This fell over while I was using it in the shower and even though the cap was securely on, water managed to get inside the tube turning the product a little watery. Not a big issue though and it wouldn't stop me buying again.
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Masks -My Beauty Diary - Arbutin Whitening Mask
alison_k 5/16/2013 1:45:00 PM
Just like many of the other My Beauty Diary masks, this is a very moist sheet-type mask in a foil packet. Each mask is worn for 20-30 minutes before removing and not rinsing off the product remaining on your face. This took some getting used to as my face did feel somewhat sticky afterwards. There is always a lot of product left in the bottom of the packet which is great for applying to your face/chest/arms between masks. This mask is supposed to whiten (or at least brighten) but so far these have done nothing for my skin at all. The mask is very soothing when it is on, and it did reduce some blotchiness caused by my unfortunate heavy-handed exfoliation, but there is no noticeable brightening effect. My skin looks the same afterwards as it does prior to using the mask. The reviews for this mask on Amazon were generally very good, but it doesn't do much of anything for my skin. I wear the masks for 30 mins to an hour depending on what I am doing, and still no difference. I gave this a 2 out of 5 as it is relaxing and it does provide a little moisture but that is all. I wouldn't necessarily buy this one again but I may try out some of the of the My Beauty Diary masks.
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Polishes -Mally Beauty - 24/7 Gel Polish Nail Color - Like A Virgin
alison_k 5/9/2013 4:28:00 PM
This is an easy to wear nude shade which looks very natural when on. It is very slightly streaky and so needs a good three coats in order to look fully opaque. It could be considered a bit tame, a bit boring, so I add one layer of Mally's Baby (sparkly sheer pink) on top to make it less dull. I would definitely buy this shade again, it's perfect for the office or for a natural look.
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Powder -It Cosmetics - Celebration Foundation
alison_k 5/9/2013 4:22:00 PM
I really don't know where to start with this foundation. I fell for the QVC presentation (coverage AND matte finish? Doesn't settle into lines AND skin benefits?? Yes please!) however, the reality of this product is somewhat different. The color I chose was Light based on QVC reviews and although it is an ok match, it is still noticeably darker than my skin. The palest shade I believe would be too pale fro my NC10-15 skin. Application is easy, swipe the brush on the powder then apply to face. On the presentation it was shown covering rosacea with one swipe of the brush. That is very far from the truth. The coverage is actually pretty bad, my dark sports aren't covered, my dark circles are still very visible and my freckles are still showing. However, if your face is remotely damp/sticky/covered in another product, then this powder will not only stick to these patches but also turn several shades darker. It makes my fine lines look worse, and my undereye area look crepey. I paid over $45.00 for this including shipping and I feel ripped off. The only saving grace about this powder is that the compact is pretty good, and the brush is fantastic. The powder itself is average. Would not rebuy even if a wider range of colors were introduced, but I will use the brush over and over again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lancome - Tresor Body Lotion
alison_k 5/3/2013 10:13:00 AM
I bought this on a whim after spraying the perfume and loving it (I never actually bought the fragrance though, don't know why). This lotion is lightweight, not greasy and has the most wonderful soft version of the fragrance. I am terrible at describing fragrances, this is fresh but warm, fruity but not overpoweringly so. I would buy this again, and the scent lasts more than any spray fragrance ever could. I can still smell this on me hours after applying the lotion and for that it gets 5/5.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Peter Thomas Roth - Instant Mineral SPF 45 (Sephora exclusive)
alison_k 5/3/2013 9:59:00 AM
If only I had read the reviews before buying 2 of these from Amazon! I liked his SPF30 in the brush format because the color was invisible on my skin and it left my skin with a nice finish. The color of this one though is awful. I have pale skin (Revlon Buff, MAC NC10-15) and this is dark orange on me. The first time I wore this I had to buff it all over my neck, chest and arms in order to prevent a visible line. I loved the idea of a powder sunscreen and the first one I bought was from Bare MInerals. That one was way too dark so I thought that PTR would be much better. I was very wrong. At least the brush on the Bare Minerals sunscreen was soft and dense, the one on the PTR sunscreen keeps shedding and can feel quite coarse. I have to shake it to release enough sunscreen to apply and so I get a cloud of powder if I shake too hard. Not impressed with this and can't wear a thick layer of it (due to the dark color) so I can't comment on whether it is a good sunscreen. I will try to use this up somehow as I can't return it (waited too long before I tried it). Won't buy again.
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Hair Color -Unlisted Brand - Rita Hazan - root concealer
alison_k 5/3/2013 9:46:00 AM
Firstly let me say that I do not use this to cover grey hairs. I have extremely thin hair on the top of my head and I use this product to make my hair look fuller. It really works too, and my scalp is less visible whenever I use this (which is what I wanted). I do have a couple of issues with the product though, but it wouldn't really stop me from buying it again. The price is ridiculously high, I paid $37 for two tiny aerosol bottles which is way overpriced. The color I use is Dark Blonde even though my hair is light to medium red-brown. I read the reviews of this on QVC and almost all reviews said that the Light Brown color (which is the one I would have chosen) runs very dark, almost black. So the next shade up is the Dark Blonde. It is very slightly too light for my hair, but only slightly. If I spray a lot on then it is visible, but with a normal application the color difference is hardly noticeable. Once I have applied this, I brush my hair afterwards which seems to remove any harsh lines between where the product ends and where my hair color shows through. It really does last and is quite a pain to wash out. But saying that, I live in Florida where it is very humid and this does really stay put. I do use Joan Rivers Great Hair Day more than this spray though, just because it works out cheaper in the end (and the color is better) but this spray I have to say does look more natural with less product. The Joan Rivers powder I have to apply almost over my whole head in order for the thin areas to look fuller. With the spray I only need to add it to below my part because it is less dense than the powder application (if that makes sense). If this spray was made a whole lot cheaper, and the color range was expanded, then I would wear this all the time. As it is though, it does what I want it to and leaves me feeling less self conscious about my thin hair even if I can't afford to wear it all the time.
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Crème -SKII - Cellumination Essence-In Foundation
alison_k 4/23/2013 12:03:00 PM
This is a decent enough foundation, I do like it but for the price and the hassle of having it shipped from Japan I don't like it enough to buy it again! It does give nice coverage, the finish is a bit too shiny for my tastes and it does highlight any dry patches. The color is pretty good, I bought shade 310 which looked like the palest yellow-toned color that this stockist had (I purchased online and so was unsure what the color would look like in person). But it's actually a pretty good match for my pale skin. I bought the refill only, not the proper case to put it in, and the refill cost me $60.00 plus shipping. I live in Florida and this foundation does actually slide off my face in the heat and humidity. I will continue to use but it is doubtful I will repurchase. It actually reminds me a bit of Cover Girl's Aquasmooth foundation (minus the swirly part though).
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Moisturizers -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40
alison_k 4/18/2013 3:56:00 PM
After a disastrous time with the tinted version of this (see my review) I wasn't looking forward to trying this. I had a sample size from a kit I purchased, and I needed a sunscreen to wear under my makeup, so it was this or nothing. I was surprised at how fast it sunk into my skin, and how good it made my foundation look when applied on top of it (I had to update a review I did for Shiseido foundation as this moisturizer made it apply so well that I totally changed my mind about repurchasing this foundation). I am still not a huge fan of the fragrance, but I am wondering if this is actually the scent of the natural argan oil rather than any added fragrance. I haven't developed a rash to this one like I did with the tinted version, so I will stick with this one. My only issue is that I wished it had a higher SPF. I am so used to wearing SPF 70 and above that it seems that SPF 40 is too low (even though I know that there isn't much difference between SPF 30 to 70). I would use this product again and will purchase a full sized bottle of this one my sample has run out. Love the glass packaging also, makes the product look a lot nicer than so many other products out there!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Cure - Natural Aqua Gel
alison_k 4/18/2013 3:44:00 PM
I found this completely by accident on Amazon, and I am so glad that I bought it. I have never used an exfoliator like this before, it is a runny gel which you have to be careful with as it tends to go everywhere one it warms on your skin. It really does exfoliate well, my skin does feel cleaner after I have used this. It's also oddly fascinating to see the skin balling up and coming off your face. As well as my face and neck, I have used this on my ankles, knees and elbows prior to applying fake tan (really helps!) and to remove some dry skin that was left over from a rash I had on my chest. I did read that you have to use this within 6 months in order to get the most benefit so I am not sure of it has ingredients that deteriorate once the package is opened to the air. I would highly recommend this to anyone who feels like their skin just doesn't get as clean as it should with regular cleansing. It did leave me with a slight film on my face even after rinsing, but nothing that was uncomfortable, even so, I would certainly buy this again even though it is really expensive.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Protect and Perfect Argan Moisturizer SPF 40
alison_k 4/10/2013 4:11:00 PM
This is advertised as a tinted moisturizer with a high SPF. It only comes in one shade, which makes it unwearable for a whole lot of us fair girls. I have fairly pale skin, In any cosmetic range I normally wear the palest or 2nd palest shade in foundations. This Josie Maran product is much much darker than my natural skin color, so much so that when applying this I have to apply a layer to my neck and chest, and sometimes my arms also in order to avoid an obvious line where the product ends. It is a fairly runny product also, and spreads easily so there is no tugging at the skin to apply this. It does have fragrance which irritates my skin (I have a rash which I think was caused by a reaction to the fragrance) but I am not entirely sure if it was this or another ingredient which I am allergic to. I only gave this a 2 out of 5 for the high SPF which is always needed, and also for the coverage. It does cover quite well, I only need to wear concealer over the top of this in order to look polished. However, this does leave my face looking ridiculously shiny, which bothers me since I can't stand to be so shiny! It comes in a nice brown glass bottle with pump so I don't have any issues with the packaging. I won't buy this again, even if it was brought out in paler shades. I will try the untinted version next though, as my main issue with this moisturizer is the dark color.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Murad - Renewing Cleansing Cream
alison_k 4/4/2013 7:52:00 AM
This is an average cleanser, which doesn't seem to cleanse all that well. I found it to be quite thick and as such I didn't need to use a lot of it. I have very dry skin, which reacts quickly to a lot of cleansers, and this one did leave me with some tightness across my cheeks and forehead straight after using. I don't think that this is anything special and I wouldn't purchase again.
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Treatments -Murad - Resurgence Age-Diffusing Serum
alison_k 4/4/2013 7:49:00 AM
I noticed no difference in my skin whatsoever, despite using this every night for several weeks. The product itself has a pleasant scent, light and citrusy, and seems to skin into my skin well. However, it also seemed to dry out my skin in places also. I really don't think that this is worth the money, I have fine lines and there was no change at all in their appearance, and my skin did not feel softer or smoother after constant use of this. I wouldn't buy again.
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Other -Supersmile - SuperSmile Toothpaste
alison_k 4/4/2013 7:46:00 AM
I fell for the QVC presentation. Every time I believe the hype and get all excited. I should know better but I have a serious QVC weakness. I bought this thinking that it would make my not-badly-discolored-but-not-very-amazing teeth look a bit brighter, and followed all the instructions for 3 months. It did nothing at all except make me realize that any toothpaste at all, even the cheap stuff, is far better than this. It didn't give me any sensitivity issues though. I kept expecting my co-workers to exclaim, "your teeth look so white!" or even "shut your mouth, your white teeth are causing glare on my monitor!" but nope. I even started adding some 5 Minute Whitening gel to the toothbrush but that had no effect either. Definitely not overpaying for this again, waste of money. Comes in some very strange flavors too.
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Fragrances -Cartier - Eau de Cartier - Goutte de Rose
alison_k 4/1/2013 3:53:00 PM
Goutte de Rose is a lovely feminine rose fragrance without being overpoweringly floral. It has a brightness and freshness to it which stops it being old fashioned and instead makes it very wearable with hints of vanilla and amber. The staying power of this is amazing – I can often still smell this on me hours and hours later. Once the initial rose scent has worn off, what is left on the skin is a clean, watery floral which is delicate and pretty. I paid $121.00 for 200ml of this fragrance, which will last me a very long time. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a rose fragrance but doesn’t want to overpower other people.
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