Cleansers -Avene - Cleanance soapless gel cleanser for oily skin 
apricotcloud 5/14/2013 11:20:00 AM
I agree with the recent negative comments. It smells nice and gets your make up off well, but I find it leaves a residue on my skin and my skin is still oily after using this. Does nothing to balance it at all. Wouldn't repurchase.
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Cleansers -LUSH - Fresh Farmacy
apricotcloud 5/13/2013 6:25:00 AM
Wow, super impressed with this. I have combo/sensitive skin and get breakouts often because I exercise a lot (loads of exercise produces more cortisol - a hormone which is linked to acne) Anyway, I had tried literally everything to get normal skin again - benzyl peroxide, salicylic acid, every face wash going... nothing has made my skin more balanced and soft/problem-free than this soap. I use it morning and night and then at night I put tea tree oil on my face too. Literally, my skin has never been better. It just feels completely different to any other face wash and I love the fact it's natural :]] it smells really pleasant and I'll definitely buy again and again! Lush Ocean Salt is really good also I use that about once a week :]
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Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo
apricotcloud 5/10/2013 8:07:00 AM
Don't understand the hate for this product! I have long, bleached blonde hair that's fine and in good condition and I get on with this well. It definitely doesn't weigh my hair down! I will either use the shampoo on its own or use the conditioner along with a different shampoo, maybe if you used the two together it may be a bit heavy? I usually use this after being in the pool as it's a really nice moisturising shampoo and makes my hair feel really soft and silky after all the chlorine gets into it. The smell is gorgeous too :]]
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Liquid -Bourjois - 123 Perfect Foundation
apricotcloud 3/10/2013 6:52:00 PM
Hmm, so-so product. I still have it kicking around in my stash but I never reach for it. For some reason I'm unwilling to part with it though! I love the shade selection - lots of pale/yellow-toned ideal for NC15 (my ideal match is usually 'light vanilla' or 'vanilla' in Bourjois) skin however I don't find it has great coverage although the texture is very pleasant and natural feeling. I guess it would be ok if you have near-perfect skin but for people who need more coverage, this won't be enough.
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Mascara -Maybelline - The Rocket Volume Express
apricotcloud 3/10/2013 6:45:00 PM
I love the effect this mascara gives - long, thick, luscious lashes in a few swipes but HATE that it's SO HARD to remove and really hurts my eyes when I am trying to remove it! Packaging is cute and it stays on a lonnnnng time through heat/sweat/rain etc but my major gripe is that it takes so much effort to remove and this is why I would not buy it again.
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Shampoo -The Body Shop - Rainforest Moisture Shampoo
apricotcloud 2/8/2013 9:15:00 AM
Ok, this is the second review I am writing on this product because last time I think I gave it too harsh a time. I have long (waist length) bleached hair and I thought this would be a nourishing shampoo because of the 'moisture' in the title. It's really not very moisturising at all, if anything it makes your hair more dry but the smell is AMAZING I would buy again for that alone. I usually use this as a second shampoo (I wash my hair every other day) so I will do a first shampoo, rinse, put this on and then conditioner. So it's a bit of a 'take it or leave it' product but I still like it and the consistency is a bit like treacle! Agree with other posters that you need a LOT to lather well though.
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Masks -The Body Shop - Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask
apricotcloud 1/14/2013 4:24:00 PM
Wow. Super impressed with this product. I usually buy the Mudd face masks which retail at £1 so this was quite expensive at £12 but you only use a tiny amount so the pot will literally last forever. It smells really nice and fresh, oceanny like the face wash and other products in the line and on contact with bare skin, it is just heavenly :] just so fresh and clean, natural feeling. It dries quite quickly from a pale green mask to a white clay like texture and is quite easy to remove and doesn't make a mess when removing (take note Montagne Jeneusse with your chocolate face masks that make the bathroom look like a pig has had a mudbath in the sink!!) I use this along with the seaweed face wash and my skin is just so much healthier/in balance. I have combination/sensitive skin which is easily irritated but the seaweed line is so effective at cleansing without being too harsh. Seriously in love with this line, hope they never d/c it!! :]
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -The Body Shop - Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash
apricotcloud 1/9/2013 8:40:00 AM
I love this product. I go through face washes like crazy, I have used so many in my quest for 'perfect skin' - Garnier, L'oreal, Origins, Biore, Clinique even Clearasil (stay well away) but have settled on this one :] I have combo/sensitive skin and find this works really well to balance things. It smells fresh and oceanny and lathers really well (although you need to squeeze quite a bit out to get a good lather). It feels pleasant on your face and doesn't leave any residue after you've washed it off. I don't really know why I like this face wash so much because other than the scent/fresh feeling, it's not really anything special but it has not given me any irritation on my skin which is rare. I think sometimes if you use a face wash that's too strong/stripping it just creates more problems. This one strikes a nice balance between being gentle and effective enough. Definitely will repurchase :] also I think they have some other products in the line such as toner and mud masks so I may check those out too.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Schwarzkopf - LIVE Hair Dyes
apricotcloud 11/23/2012 6:54:00 AM
Wow, I am impressed with this dye. My hair is naturally medium brown but I have been bleaching it for years so already when I coloured it, it was a light blonde. Basically, I had roots regrowth and the underside of my hair needed brightening (to blonde). I picked 'Max Blonde' as it was the lightest of all the blonde shades. I was slightly worried it would come out 'platinum'/that horrible white colour but thankfully it didn't! I left it on about 25 minutes and it came out the most realistic, natural blonde, I'm so pleased! I usually mix up my own powder/bleach using Jerome Russell but this seems a lot better conditioning as Jerome Russell can sometimes seem a bit drying. Plus this was easier to get all the back/underside bits because it's more liquiddy in texture than the creamy/dry Jerome Russell. Definitely will repurchase, for £4 you can't go wrong. This would cost me £100+ with the length of my hair in a salon!
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Liquid -MAC - Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15
apricotcloud 10/25/2012 7:21:00 AM
Well this is my 2nd attempt buying this foundation... I bought it about a year ago but chose the wrong shade (NW15) which was far too warm for me and it turned me off the product instantly. I bought the 2nd one the other day though, this time choosing NC15 (which seemed to match my skin perfectly in the shop, I am Vanilla in Bourjois products for reference and Buff in Revlon CS) WOW what a difference! It is soooo much nicer and dare I say, quite natural looking if you only use a bit... This is the key for this product - you must only use a little otherwise it can look a bit mask-like. I recommend a light pink blush too to stop it looking so flat. I much favour this product to other full coverage foundations I have tried (Revlon CS, Estee Lauder DW) since it doesn't feel as heavy as them and even though the coverage is good my skin still feels like it can breathe I ran with this on last night (the ultimate test) and it lasted very well through sweating/humidity. Also, I think this would last me a long time because I just tip a tiny bit into the cap and don't use a pump. I don't think this is the end of the world to be honest. The only drawback is the smell - it really does smell like paint which is offputting but once you get past that, it is a really nice, long-lasting foundation which gives you a flawless look. Very pleased
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Liquid -Max Factor - FaceFinity All Day Flawless 3 in 1
apricotcloud 10/5/2012 9:54:00 AM
I am reviewing the 3 in 1 Facefinity just to confirm, not the original liquid Facefinity foundation. This one supposedly contains a primer, concealer and foundation all in one - quite the promise... but does it deliver? Well, firstly the colour selection is a bit odd - it's hard to find a pale shade because the names are confusing. I settled on 'warm almond' (even though I am NW15 and Buff in CS) but the 'natural' and 'beige' were just way too dark. It's a lovely natural shade, slightly on the pink side which isn't that great for me as I have yellow undertones but it does work pleasantly on the skin. The one thing I LOVE about this foundation is its impressive coverage - think ELDW - but without the nasty white face in photos or sticky/heavy feeling on the skin. A little goes a LONG way so I think this should last a long time. For £11.99 it's pretty good (and £8 currently on offer in the UK) also the glass bottle is classic looking and not cheap/plastic like most other HS foundations. Not sure whether this will be my HG - we'll have to see but it's very good for now!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Clairol - Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Conditioner
apricotcloud 9/13/2012 8:16:00 AM
I love this conditioner. It is by far one of the best and I've tried a lot including high end. I have long, straight, fine, bleached hair and it really does make it more manageable to dry/style. It's nice and lightweight too so won't weigh your hair down and smells delicious :] I prefer to buy the intensive one in the tub though 'cause you can never get the product out of these weird shaped square bottles. Really don't know why they rebranded, I much prefer design of the old ones.
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - Master Smokey
apricotcloud 9/13/2012 6:37:00 AM
I'm also pretty disappointed with this product. I got it in 'violet' but for some reason it was the only violet in the store and there wasn't even a stand for it! I was really excited to try it out and thought it would be a soft, smudgy effect but like the first reviewer has said, it's really quite tough and you have to press quite hard on the eye area to get a good line. I don't think the colour is that great either. It's supposed to be 'violet' but comes out more a very very dark aubergine, almost black. I have purple eyeshadows which are better than this when applied with a wet brush. For £6 I think this is a bit of a rip off and won't be repurchasing.
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Foundations -Unlisted Brand - Barbara Daly for Tesco Oil Free Foundation
apricotcloud 8/15/2012 6:31:00 AM
I think this product is overhyped. I get that it's cheap and that some people think the coverage is good, but I personally feel it still looks, smells and feels like a very cheap drugstore foundation. I have tried this foundation twice - about a year ago and a few days ago and both times I have took it back and sworn to never buy such a cheap product again. For reference, I usually use either Revlon Colorstay or Bourjois Flower Perfection. I have tried Double Wear but found it too heavy. Barbara Daily foundation doesn't come in a great range of shades but would be good if you are on the hunt for a pale foundation as ivory is really very light and almond is a nice yellow toned match for NW15. But to me, it is quite liquiddy and just seems to sit on the skin. It doesn't seem to adapt to the skin at all and doesn't look natural. For the price of £7 (which is roughly what a decent Mabelline/Bourjois foundation costs) you can do a lot better.
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Liquid -Soap and Glory - Show Good Face 2-in-1 skin energizing foundation and primer
apricotcloud 8/1/2012 9:02:00 AM
Very disappointed with this. It is advertised as a foundation/primer so I would think the coverage would be good but it is just awful. It goes on and feels oily/greasy and then almost like when you're applying it over your face, it's like every time you dot/swipe an area of your face, you're taking it off! It really is awful. I've tried a lot of foundations and this has got to be among the worst. I'm just glad I've got the receipt, as I feel an allergic reaction coming on... Expected more from S&G.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No