Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Pure & Free Liquid Daily Sunblock, SPF 50
alziebaba 7/14/2011 12:43:00 AM
I just will not use chemical sunscreens. They smell horrible even when they're unscented, they are almost always comedogenic, they sting in your eyes, and often don't do what they say they will. This one is just what I needed - easy to spread over large areas like my decolletage, neck, and forearms that are the most frequently exposed. It is whitening, but if you are really fair like I am, it won't show. I wanted to stay all pale all over because the other parts of me just refuse to tan, and this has made a big difference. Myself, I haven't been successful putting it under makeup yet but I think I just didn't let it dry completely. It's a very nice consistency for a physical sunscreen; you can just squirt it on and it doesn't leave a greasy feeling at all. No perfumes and none of that nasty "Hey, I'm wearing sunscreen everyone!" odor. Will repurchase for sure.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -New York Color - 309B Sheer Red
alziebaba 12/28/2010 1:22:00 AM
A beautiful, entry-level, cool-ish red if you're not used to wearing assertive colors on your lips. Even if you're tempted, don't wipe it off before wearing it out at least once, no matter how you think it looks. Grow a pair and try it. Doesn't look whorish or clownish on full lips because it's not an opaque, matte, bright red; catches light and makes thin lips look more full because it has a sheen to it. I wear it as an alternative to brighter, more concentrated reds that basically scream "this is my seduction makeup!!!" I put it on my mom, who refuses to wear red lipstick, and she looked fantastic. Red lipstick IS flattering to most women (why do you think it was the only lipstick universally worn during decades of hardship?), it's just that they won't take the plunge because they're afraid of looking too vampy. I am an avid fan of red lips and I wear many shades out - this is one I always feel comfortable wearing to work, even for a meeting with my boss. I put it on when I'm just running out for something and don't want any other makeup- it is an instant perk-up. Try it out and see what kind of reaction you get - most likely it will be flattering second glances and people staring trying to place what it is about you that is so appealing. It's not stop-sign red at all, nor is it a clear, sticky gloss. This is a really good style and consistency of lipstick to try if you've never worn red lips before, and may help you to venture into stronger reds. Heck, it's cheap enough that you can just give me the tube if you decide you don't like it. But be careful with the packaging because it's easy to mash the lippie with the cap when you put it back on.
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -E.L.F. - Studio Line Single in Pebble
alziebaba 6/20/2010 8:44:00 PM
This is a very sexy, femme fatale shade. It gives me this film noir effect without making me look tired. Girls with mixed greenish-brownish eyes (mine are the color of river water), it'll bring out your greens and play them up like a kind of Spanish moss, misty hue. The texture is fantastic, and with just a drop of water it becomes this clay-ey texture that goes on really smoothly. I won't give it all five stars because it does fade and crease, but it helps if there's some kind of foundation on the surface of your eyelid.
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Cleansers -Burt's Bees - Orange Essence Facial Cleanser
alziebaba 4/10/2010 8:20:00 PM
Love this product! 100% natural ingredients, smells heavenly, doesn't make you feel tight or oily, and really gets all the greasepaint off. HG status. Has not contributed to breakouts and has reduced presence of the usual culprit, makeup residue. As for claims of smaller pores, I don't think it works that way in one use, but over time it seems to cut down the amount of stuff left in my pores, minimizing them. Will buy again and again and again.
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Silk Finish Eye Shadow in "Cream" [DISCONTINUED]
alziebaba 3/1/2009 11:55:00 AM
Love this beautiful, unique, and CHEAP shade. In trying to go for this particular color, I bought another Wet'n'Wild shade that was too pink, a Jane shade that was too starkly white, and a Lancome shade that was too glittery. Cream creates a lovely warm-tinted shimmer of light that is neither too sheer nor too heavy. I hate big glitter particles because they look too stagey for a usually-neutrals type like me, and this one has shimmer, not glitter, that looks Botticelli-esque on the inner corners of my eyes. I use it with black liquid eyeliner for a retro look; applied with a light hand for a fresh, light look at work; and before going out in the evenings to make me look wide-eyed and fresh. My only complaint is that it creases on me if I've worn it all day, but I think that might be because I don't use a primer and I'm kind of a makeup illiterate. I've heard it's a dupe for a MAC shade, and if so, all the better - I am too intimidated by the lacquered look of the broads at the MAC counter to let them touch my face because I'm afraid I might catch whatever they have that makes them look that way. That, and I'm not made of money. Wet'n'Wild, you had me at 1992.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Weleda - Birch Cellulite Oil
alziebaba 3/1/2009 11:41:00 AM
Disclaimer: I don't have very pronounced cellulite, but I do have some that is noticeable when I'm in unflattering positions or on fat days (who doesn't though, and to which deity would I have to sell my soul to be the exception?). However, I know that if I don't do some preventive care on this area of my body, it will become irreversibly dimpled and I will have to wear sarongs over my Levi's for the rest of my natural life. Yoga and a tolerably healthy diet were two of my weapons in the fight against cottage cheesiness; this oil is the third. Real talk: I'm not going to be able to stop all cellulite from ever settling in my thighs and ass, especially if I sacrifice my body for the joy of having drooling babies of my own - but while you got it, flaunt it, and this oil has improved my skin tone, clarity, smoothness, and texture to the point that I feel comfortable showing my legs, whereas I NEVER did before, even when I was slimmer. The jury's still out on whether the deeper dimpling that can be seen when I am in compromising positions will go away or will simply be in a state of maintenance, but I'm so happy with what I have for now, considering the fact that cellulite is a fact of life, that I'll definitely keep using this product and maybe try massaging it in more vigorously to see if it does even more wonderful things than I thought. Hell, spending so much time working on and looking at my legs has at least shown me that they're sexier and better looking than I thought, and that's a plus, right? The lemony smell is deliciously invigorating when I use it after a morning shower, and if you just use a moderate amount, rub it in thoroughly, and let it air dry before you put your chonies on, its scent will dissipate and it won't get all over your garb. Love it and will continue to be Weleda's whore.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Weleda - Skin Food
alziebaba 3/1/2009 11:21:00 AM
I saw great reviews on this product from young women with oily or combination skin, so I decided to try it. Moisturizers 'for oily skin' usually have drying ingredients (go figure) and lots of chemicals, but after some additional research, including looking into the oil cleansing method and trying this product, I'm convinced that my oily skin needs at least a light moisturizer, and gentle cleansing products that don't contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Since using this my skin has gotten LESS oily and is firm, smooth, and GLOWING! Pores that have been chronically clogged for fifteen years are easier to extract junk from and are smaller and more uniform. A healthy flush even shows through my skin, where usually I looked kind of sallow, though the product itself won't make you turn pink. If you're into lots of big name, processed, wonder-in-a-tube hype brands that like to advertise with 'demonstrations' of how the product works using cartoon depictions of skin, pores, and molecules, reconsider - those products made my skin feel congested, slimy, tight, dry, or inflamed, until I stopped using them and went natural. Depending on how much you use, you might get a little extra 'glow' (read: shine), but there is a big difference between the oil production hyperdrive caused by drying ingredients, which makes you feel like you could power a small country with the grease on your face, and the healthy, normal, light production that your own skin creates when it is being looked after properly. Just blot yourself a couple times a day. Perfectly matte skin is overrated and unnatural, and here the improvement in the health of my skin was worth a little healthy shine. I rub a pea-sized amount of the product around on my fingers, then on my face, where I thin it with a little water so I can spread it around more easily for a thin application. That is plenty if you have oily skin, and I would agree that it should probably only be used at night. It smells great, not chemical, fragrance-y, or too strong, and the consistency is rich and delicious, like a homemade remedy. Weleda is expensive, but I am willing to pay if it makes me look and feel so fantastic without nasty laboratory ingredients.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Milani - Minerals Compact Makeup
alziebaba 12/24/2008 10:52:00 AM
I've only used this product once, but I loved the results! It made my fair, oily, blackhead-prone skin look like porcelain, though I had to apply with kind of a heavy hand to get the coverage I personally needed. It was great to find a talc-free mineral foundation that didn't look orange, dusty, or ghostly, was virtually mess-free, and was only seven bucks! I have been cured of the urge to ever buy a huge messy mineral package as long as I have this stuff.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No