Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment
andcrystalwrists 2/29/2012 11:35:00 AM
I used this to heal my last two tattoos based on my artist's recommendation - and she was right, it is awesome. The tattoos healed faster with NO scabbing. I applied 3 times a day (after washing with unscented dove soap) until they started to peel, then I switched to white lotion. It is a little difficult to apply to a big (fresh and PAINFUL) tattoo, what I did was kind of emulsify it in my fingers before patting it on all around and then softly spread it together so that the whole tattoo was lightly coated. Before using this I had used Tattoo Goo and I always had some scabbing - and that stuff was REALLY difficult to spread since it was so waxy. I will be using the Aquaphor for all future work. I haven't used it for any other purpose, but I suspect it would work great for any dry, cracked skin - it is very soothing.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - TRIA Laser Hair Removal System 
andcrystalwrists 2/10/2012 1:07:00 PM
Ok. I wanted to wait a while before leaving this review so I could provide as much info as possible. I bought this last April (2011). It is now February 2012, so I've had it almost a year. I purchased this to use on my bikini line and underarms (I have large tattoos on my legs and arms so I can't use it on them). When I first got it, I used it exactly as recommended, every two weeks. I use it on a level 4 - and it DOES hurt. All summer, the hair absolutely came in slower and finer. By around August I got lazy and stopped using the laser. I thought all the hair was coming back, but I guess I didn't remember how bad it had been before I started treating because when I did another treatment in November the hair did not come back in AT ALL in some patches on my bikini line. I guess another cycle had come in between August and November? It is now February and some fine hair has come back in on my bikini line, but there are still bare patches. I'm not so sure about the underarms. I think the hair is finer and less dense, but I am not overwhelmed with my results there. I just did another treatment last night, and I am planning on doing this once a month til summer - hopefully by then the bikini line hair, at least, will be all gone. To summarize, it does work (though I didn't get great results on my underarms), but it takes time and patience and a pretty high pain tolerance - if you don't have these 3 things, I wouldn't recommend purchasing.
13 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Clean & Clear - Advantage Mark Treatment
andcrystalwrists 3/1/2011 7:17:00 PM
I had to write a review on this stuff since it is making me so angry. I needed a salicylic acid spot treatment, and this was the only stuff I could find in Wal-Mart. It is too freaking watery. I have tried repeatedly to squeeze out just a dot to put on a blemish, and a huge glob comes pouring out - I have probably wasted half the tube in this manner. Also, once it finally is applied to the blemish, it doesn't stay there, it bleeds out to the surrounding skin - this is giving me dry flaky skin around the blemish - just gorgeous. I suppose it would work if I continued using it, it certainly is drying my skin out, just wish I could keep that drying effect isolated to the blemish. Will not be purchasing again.
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Treatments -Clairol - Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Leave-In
andcrystalwrists 6/23/2010 3:33:00 PM
I love this. I have tried about a million leave-in creams, high-end to low-end, and this has turned out to be my favorite. It moisturizes my curly, fine hair perfectly with just a pea-sized amount and does not weigh my hair down or build-up. It detangles like a dream. It does not have any hold at all though, so I add a dot of TiGi Foxy Curls Contour Cream on top of this, and my hair stays soft and frizz-free. I have already repurchased (I also like the Long-Term Relationship Shampoo and Conditioner - and I never thought I would use another drugstore shampoo/conditioner again, Clairol really has impressed me with this line, hope they make it forever.).
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Styling Products -TiGi - Bed Head - Foxy Curls Contour Cream
andcrystalwrists 6/20/2010 2:52:00 PM
I did not think I would ever find anything better than Phytodefrisant - but this tops it in both performance and price. I use it on top of a dot of leave-in conditioning cream (Herbal Essences Long-Term Relationship, or a bit of TiGi Superstar daily conditioner used as leave-in). It really is more of a "contour" cream than curl cream - because it does not make my curls any curlier - which is exactly what I want. I just want my waves defined and defrizzed, with a teeny bit of hold and this, plus the leave-in, does that. It doesn't dry my hair. It holds up great in humidity (not perfect of course - if it is 100% humidity, forget it, nothing is going to work on my hair and I wouldn't expect it to). Does not build up. Smells like Skittles. AND it is less expensive than the Phytodefrisant I have been using for years! I love it, love it, love it. I am buying a back-up bottle in case fickle TiGi decides to discontinue. I'm going to write them and tell them how fantastic this stuff is, hopefully they'll keep it around for a very long time.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Ion - Color Brilliance - Demi Permanent Hair Color
andcrystalwrists 5/1/2010 11:28:00 AM
My new favorite demi-permanent. I used 3N Dark Natural Brown two weeks ago. I did my standard clarify/K-pak routine the day before coloring. Next day I mixed color at a 1:1 ratio with the Ion 10vol developer, applied with bottle, plopped a plastic cap on (this is mostly so I don't make a mess while waiting for the color to process) and waited 25 minutes. After rinsing, I conditioned with Ion Color-Seal. Color came out perfectly even, even though my actual hair is NOT so even (I was a red-head last summer, I am covering 6 inches of permanent red on the bottom, top 4 inches are natural medium brown). The actual mixture was very creamy, and I will admit I dripped a bit, but I have done that with every dye I have ever used. It smelled very pleasant also. The first week I used Ion Color Shampoo and used more of the Ion Color-Seal as my conditioner and washed my hair every other day. Last week I went back to my regular shampoo rotation and washed daily (I have fine, thin, curly hair - it is torture when I can't wash everyday). I still can not see grays and the color is still dark and even. The thing I appreciated most about this color is that my hair didn't seem to need a "recovery" period (you know, when the dye seems to turn your hair into a Brillo Pad and it takes a week or so to condition it back to health - Clairol Radiance, I'm talking to you), it never felt dry after coloring. Don't know if that will happen next time I use it, but I will definitely be using it again next time I color.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Moroccanoil - Intense Curl Cream
andcrystalwrists 3/25/2010 10:11:00 AM
I have fine, thin, color-treated frizzy curly hair. Literally looks like cotton candy on my head if I don't put product in it and let it dry naturally. I love this stuff for its moisturizing and frizz-reducing properties. I use just a little dot between pea-size and dime-size on my shoulder length hair after using Redken All-Soft shamp/cond (the scents are very similar - this is important to me!). This is all it takes to de-poof my hair and pull the curl down a bit. It detangles the hair nicely and has just a bit of hold to it. It is a little funny that this is marketed as a "curl" cream, because, like I said, it actually relaxes the curl in my hair. I have the 10oz size and my pump didn't work at first, had to really work with it to get cream to come out, but it is working fine now. Will definitely repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Zoya - Envy
andcrystalwrists 3/4/2010 4:24:00 PM
After a kind of thick, gloppy application, I was uncertain of the results I would get with this, but it dried quick and smooth, looked great (also used Orly Sealon Topcoat for added shine). Wore very well. Unfortunately, left a horrific yellow stain behind when I took it off even though I had used a layer of basecoat (Sally Hansen Double Duty). Will NOT use again.
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Polishes -Unlisted Brand - Hot Topic Nail Polish
andcrystalwrists 2/1/2010 2:53:00 PM
I just bought one of these in Matte Black. I do not like it at all. It is really, really thin and runny. Tried to apply it, after 3 coats I gave up, it was still streaky and hadn't covered completely. Will go back to my Sally Hanson black with Essie Matte About You top coat to get my matte black.
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Blush -Everyday Minerals - Jump Rope
andcrystalwrists 3/16/2009 12:29:00 PM
I recently dyed my dark brown hair to dark red and quickly discovered that the mostly cool toned purply and pink blushes I had been wearing did not look right with my new hair color. Jump Rope, however, looks fantastic on my pale neutral toned skin with my new red hair. I would describe it as a neutral pinkish/mauvish brown with a very little bit of pink shimmer, not too warm, and not too cool. Also, this is one of the Everyday Minerals blushes that did NOT turn orange on me - and I have that problem with a lot of their blushes.
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Hair Color -Garnier - Nutrisse Permanent Creme Hair Color
andcrystalwrists 5/6/2003 2:36:00 PM
This is the only hair color I have ever used on my dark brown hair that actually changed my hair color. I have used about every other product on the market in many many shades of red. Nutrisse color #66 Dark Red actually turned my hair red!!! It didn't about knock me out from the chemically smell as most hair dyes have. Also, it didn't stain my face and neck at all. Now I just have to see if the color stays - but for now I would definitely give this a 5 for the color alone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No