Treatments -Kiehls - Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate
annp 6/24/2010 12:47:00 PM
I would actually give this product 4.5 stars. I have very sensitive Asian skin, I mean super-sensitive. Every time I apply this serum, it leaves my skin slightly pink and leaves a warm sensation. Because of this, I only apply it at night and I think it's an absolute must to keep out of the eye area--one time I applied it too close to my undereyes and they were pink and irritated the next morning. The Pros: it leaves my skin plump and refreshed looking the next morning. It doesn't break me out nor does it seem to exacerbate any occasional flare-ups I have. This is my favorite pro: it has started to FADE my sunspots on the top of my cheeks. This is a common problem with Asian skin and for any ladies who take BCP, so I highly recommend trying out a sample of this to see if it works for you! The Cons: my skin is so uber sensitive, this sometimes makes my skin itchy after I apply it. I counter this with some Creme de la Mer or other non-irritating cream. Verdict: I recommend it ladies, I haven't noticed a difference in lines bc I don't have any but I did notice a difference in fading of spots. Kiehls offers samples of this, please try it for at least a week and you will (hopefully) see great results! :-)
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Olay - Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer SPF 30 - Sensitive Skin
annp 12/4/2007 4:05:00 PM
I never break out. Well, hardly ever except for around my TOTM. But this product clogged my pores, gave me cystic acne, and blackheads on my cheeks! I really wanted to like this as it is a great moisturizer, but the side effects leave little to be desired. Odd, because the SPF 15 version doesn't break me out at all. I'll just have to stick with the 15 version and my Sofina UV Cut.
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Lip Treatments -Sugar Cosmetics - Lip Plumping Gloss
annp 5/15/2007 1:35:00 AM
I got this as a free sample and just discovered it during some spring cleaning. I've tried various lip plumpers but this is the *only* lip plumper that I've actually felt working! It actually felt like my lip was slightly burning and was unpleasant for about 30 seconds. When I looked in the mirror, my lips were dramatically plumper! It really made a difference b/c my boyfriend is the type of guy that never notices anything and even HE commented about how my lips looked nice! I'll definitely run out and get this once my sample runs out. For the mild discomfort it causes, the end result is sooooooo worth it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -Neostrata - Self Tan
annp 4/25/2007 11:37:00 PM
Holy moly! I've found my HG of self tanners. I've tried everything on the market, and all price points. I was using Savage Bronze's self tanner from Sally Beauty supply, but this Neostrata kicks a**. I ordered it from Canada, which seems to be the only place it's available. I got both the natural and the dark formulation but have only tried the natural one so far. I don't have any, ANY complaints at all with this product! It's a self tanner and bronzer in one so you can even apply it in the daytime. It came out looking like Hershey's chocolate syrup and applied easily with my latex gloves. It has a somewhat pleasant smell as well, kind of almondy and the best part was, no self tanner smell! A couple of hours later, I had a really nice, natural looking tan and it's still on even after showering. I scrub my body almost every day and this tan is 3 days strong! Amazing! If you've got pasty pale skin and are a sun-a-phobe like me, run out and get this!!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - Isle of Eden Dream Cream
annp 2/5/2007 3:18:00 PM
Wow, I love this cream! It came in a pump and was really easy to dispense. It has the perfect consistency, very smooth, easily absorbed, and left a nice sheen on my skin. Perfect for winter and summer and everytime!! If you like MMU's Soy Good Creme, this is the EXACT same thing, except MMU's has shea butter in it as well. MMU's is also cheaper, so I think I'll stick to MMU's version unless I find a scent from IOE that I just HAVE to have!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Prescriptives - Pressed Powder Leaves [DISCONTINUED]
annp 1/9/2007 5:43:00 PM
Wow, wow, WOW! I really love this blush/powder. I went out and bought the Rose Baroque based off reviews here and I loved it so much I got the Antique Peach too! LOL The Rose Baroque has flecks of metallic blue, yellow, and purple in it. It gives off more of a cool, pink glow to cheeks and I apply it lightly on my forehead and down my nose as well. The Antique Peach is orangey looking with gold , green, and red flecks in it. It gives off a healthy tan look that I love. Looks totally natural. Both colors give off a great glow, sculpt the cheekbones, and don't look harsh or garish in natural light. No obvious glitter here, just pure sophistication in one swipe of a brush. I apply it with my blush brush and since it's takes awhile for color buildup there's no streaking of any kind. I've found that it lasts all day for me and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. Great, great unassuming blush/powder in a semi-cheapy container. I wish the packaging looked better, it's in a silver screw top container with a clear lid. But I'd buy this even if it was packaged in the most ugliest of containers!!! HG status for me.
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Lip Gloss -Chanel - Whisper glossimer
annp 1/3/2007 4:19:00 PM
I've had this gloss since Chanel first started selling it and had to run out and buy another one when I lost my first tube. Whisper is a very pale, frosty peach color in the tube but goes on a bit silvery nude on my lips. My lips are naturally very pink and pigmented and this gloss does the trick to tone them down and gives me a great nude lip w/a hint of pink (from my lips, natch!). What can I say about this Chanel gloss? Great consistency, no goopiness, long wear, gives your lips an "expensive" look. This color isn't going to be compatible with all skin tones, this seems more for someone who has olive or a lighter complexion with pigmented lips. Expensive, but worth every penny.
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Sunscreen -Sofina - Perfect UV (UV cut milk Extra Block) SPF 50 + PA +++ [DISCONTINUED]
annp 12/4/2006 3:33:00 PM
Great product rec from MUA! I bought this from www.bobodave.com, a Hongkong site, and they shipped it out super fast! This is the absolute best sunscreen I've ever used...it comes in a bottle that you shake and pour out in your palm. The sunscreen itself is a very smooth, milky fluid that applies flawlessly on the skin. I find that it does leave a slightly white cast on my face if I apply too much of it. It leaves my skin looking very smooth and slightly dewy, but it mattifies later in the day! REally amazing for oily skin, IMO. The problem is, in the wintertime, I have to apply a separate moisturizer b/c it DOES dry out my skin a little too much. All in all, a great buy and I'll keep on repurchasing!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Tarte - Cheek Stain in Sunkissed
annp 6/11/2006 3:17:00 PM
I don't know why I didn't review this earlier, but I love this as well as all my other Tarte Cheek Stains. This looks scary in the tube, like a very dark brown but goes on sheer. The trick to using this is to apply it on moisturized skin before any powder b/c it is slightly sticky. I like to blend this on my cheek hollows and put a dab on Tickled (a peach color) right on the apples and blend. This gives a really natural glow-from-within look that imparts a beautiful tan, healthy radiance. I love this product. It doesn't break me out and I like that it has a dewy finish. I would definitely re-purchase but I've had it for almost 2 years now and haven't even pushed the product up yet. It takes so little of it to give you that glow, so even though it might be pricey, I think it's really worth it for the small amount you'll use.
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Bronzers -Scott Barnes - Pressed Bronzing Powder in St. Tropez
annp 5/26/2006 4:04:00 PM
Love this bronzer! I agree with all the reviewers here...it DOES look orange in the pan, but it melts onto my skin. I use it with a sponge applicator and blend, blend, blend really well. I didn't think it made that much of a difference on my skin (I can get a little carried away with bronzer!) but when I applied it, it looked like I had on white eyeshadow on my browbone when it was bare! LOL It gives my skin a gorgeous glow and isn't shimmery at all IMO. I blend it onto my forehead, down my nose and chin, and contour my cheeks with it. A little bit of effort, but makes me look so effortless! This is great with just some mascara, concealer, and gloss. You don't even need to use blush with this bronzer. I haven't tried any other bronzers like this on the market....I like the fact that it's not shimmery like the Prescriptives one. They carry SB products in Nordstrom now, so you should definitely try before you buy. I think this product is more effective on those with fair to lightly tanned skin. Due to the sheerness of this, I don't think it will show up on anyone with medium toned skin. I love it! Run and try it girls!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Scott Barnes - Luminizing Mist
annp 5/24/2006 2:40:00 PM
This product is made for those who do NOT have oily skin. If you have oily skin you should skip this b/c it will only exacerbate the oil. That being said, I am an avid user of all Scott Barnes products and this mist is a must have for me. I've never used the Evian mist, so I can't compare this to it, but this leaves the most gorgeous sheen on my skin. Have you ever seen those music videos or pictures of celebrities where they have just gorgeous, glowy skin? With this mist, my skin looks exactly like that! I use just one spray to finish off my makeup and it makes it look so much more "natural" and imparts a velvety sheen. It's hard to explain, but it gives a "shimmering" look, even when you're not wearing any shimmer. My only complaint with this product is the spray nozzle. It doesn't mist on finely like one would expect, so I sometimes get big droplets of the mist on my face that I have to blot away. Scott needs to get rid of this cheapy nozzle pronto! Another warning: because this makes your skin look dewy, be prepared to blot your face after a while b/c it does seem to make your skin slightly more oily. Part of the "glow" I guess.
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Moisturizers -La Mer - Creme de la mer moisturizer
annp 5/15/2006 5:42:00 PM
Please be educated on La Mer before you write a negative review. The first couple of times I used it, I hated it!! It just sat on top of my skin and left it looking greasy. When I went back to the store to return it, the "La Mer skincare specialist" showed me the proper application. I went home, emulsified it, patted in on my skin with dry hands and went to sleep. Viola, the next morning I had healthy, glowing skin that looked velvety smooth. When I use this, I swear my eyelashes look like their thicker and feel stronger too!! I think the trick to using this is to use it very sparingly and not every day. I only use this about 2X a week in the spring/summer and 3-4X a week during the winter, when my skin is much drier. I like to use this only at night b/c it's too rich for daytime use. I highly recommend this, it gives me gorgeous, smooth, velvety skin that no other moisturizer gives me. It's especially great to put on those nights when you go out and get roaring drunk.....I still look human the next day if I put on my La Mer the night before!!! =)
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Self Tanners -Hawaiian Tropic - Island Glow Daily Moisturizer [DISCONTINUED]
annp 5/9/2006 7:13:00 PM
I got a great deal on this at my local Sav-On.....only about $5 since there was a $2 coupon attached!! Anyhow, I have used several self tanners before, i.e. St. Tropez and Savage Bronze. While this is a gradual self-tanner, I noticed a slight difference when I applied at night and woke up the next morning! I like that it doesn't have that nasty "self-tanner" scent and that it's a lotion. St. Tropez and Savage did give me a deeper tan after only 1 application, but since HT is buildable, I should be there in a couple days. I also like the fact that it moisturizes. The other self tanners left my skin dry. For me, the cincher was my early morning workout. I always wipe off some self-tanner while doing cardio, leaving my white towel looking nasty. I did my normal cardio routine with this on and BAM! No nasty self-tanner residue on my towel!!! Overall, a definite re-purchase. Run, don't walk, to buy this girls!!!! EDITED 5/15/06: OMG, I AM SO IN LOVE W/THIS!!! IT'S MADE ME LOOK SO NATURALLY TAN AND GLOWY, PLUS DOESN'T RUB OFF IN THE GYM. I HAVE ELEVATED THIS TO HG STATUS. WORD TO THE WISE, GET THE MEDIUM SKIN TONE ONE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IT GIVES A NICE, LIGHT EVEN TAN BUT DOESN'T BUILD UP TO A DARKER COLOR. I'LL EDIT AGAIN W/MY FINDINGS.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -DERMAdoctor - POUTlandish
annp 4/27/2006 1:49:00 PM
Hmm, I must be the only one that didn't like this product. I bought it based on the reviews here and was maybe expecting too much? I purchased it from Drugstore.com in clear. The tube has a brush application similar to Stila's lip glazes. When I first applied it, I didn't look in the mirror and my co-workers were asking me why I had on purple lipstick. Purple lipstick?!?! I was horrified when I took a look and I had the lips of a someone who had a severe case of hypothermia. I'm not kidding ladies. I don't know if it was the sunscreen in it or what, but the color that comes out is white and it makes your lips look purple!! The consistency of this is thin, which I'm not too crazy about either. Maybe I got a bad batch or something, but it came out slightly grainy. I have to really smush my lips together to get it too look smooth and it still doesn't feel as smooth as I like lip products to feel. Bottom line is, I would definitely not repurchase due to the hefty price tag, the color it makes my lips, the consistency, and the effectiveness. I'll just stick with my tried and true Smith's Rosebud Salve even though it doesn't have sunscreen.
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Fragrances -Narciso Rodriguez - Musc For Her Oil
annp 4/20/2006 2:26:00 PM
I love musks, and NR's musk oil is one of the loveliest musks I've owned. It is packaged in a sleek, heavy black glass bottle that makes it annoyingly hard to tell how much is left in it. Besides that, the smell is gorgeous. It has a clean, simple but sexy scent. I haven't smelled Egyptian musks in general, but if they smell like this, then me likey! The oil leaves a gorgeous sheen on the skin and I think it looks VERY sexy on the collarbone and cleavage.....attracts a lot of attention from the opposite sex. My male co-worker commented that my "skin looks yummy" LOL The fragrance is complex yet simple at the same time which I looove, but the price tag would keep me from buying another bottle....I've got to find a cheaper substitute!!
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