Hair Color -Garnier - Herbashine
ara133 1/17/2011 12:19:00 AM
This is for Copper Mahogany # 645. I will edit this tomorrow once I see the final effects. I just tried this on my hair tonight and wanted to write down my notes. I've never colored my hair before except with the foaming L'Oreal Color Pulse copper blast color that lasts about 7 days, so I'm writing from a newbie perspective :) First, I have gloves at home for crafting etc., so I used a pair of those (just the blue latex ones you can get at the grocery store), not the goofy clear one-size-fits-all ones that come with the kit. I did a test spot on my arm and leg yesterday morning and was fine today, so this evening I used the coloring kit on my hair. I have medium brown hair with blonde streaks naturally, fair skin and blue eyes. My hair is very fat so it looks very full and hangs about halfway to my waist, and I was afraid I wouldn't have enough in the tube! So the application was difficult - I didn't dare section it into small sections and apply to each as I thought I'd run out, so I sort of did an overall application and ran my fingers through it quite a bit to get it evenly distributed. The same way I did for Color Pulse dyes, but there wasn't as much of this stuff - I always had a little extra Color Pulse left over. Also, putting it on dry hair was difficult as it didn't spread as well as it obviously would have with wet hair, so I'm really not sure I got a super even application. Wore an old tee. Right now I can't smell (sinus issues) but I could tell from my throat that there was definitely a chemical odor - my throat always gets a little tight and scratchy. I set the timer for 9 minutes as I knew it would take me a minute to get the shower water going, etc etc. As i was rinsing it out, I noticed some hair falling out... and then some more... it actually clogged up the shower drain so much that it couldn't drain!!!! It was an alarming amount of hair. My hair is generally very healthy, and the normal amount falls out when I brush my hair etc., but I've never seen this much at one time. It wasn't handfuls or anything (I would have screamed bloody murder!) but it was just a lot. Like maybe 4-5 days worth of normal hair falling out, if that makes any sense. My hair felt a little straw-ish as I was rinsing -the texture is definitely different. The conditioner is nice, but my hair feels a little lighter or something still. Now, my hair is still wet, but it really doesn't look any different in color. I thought for sure the blond parts would pick up the color a little, but it looks mostly the same. I suppose a few strands have a small reddish tint to them, but it doesn't look anything like after I use the Color Pulse copper dye by L'Oreal (which I would still use if it hadn't been discontinued!!). I'll update this after I see it dry. So far - due to the chemical odor that hurt my throat, the amt of hair that fell out during rinsing, the fact that application was difficult for thick long hair, and the lack of color on my hair, 1 star. ***EDIT*** it's morning of the next day; dyed my hair last night. It's dry now, and looks almost exactly like my normal hair color - maybe the tiniest bit darker; definitely not the color on the box, and definitely not copper or red. At least no more has fallen out!! And the texture feels pretty normal now. Leaving it at 1 star for the reasons mentioned above. Not sure if I'll be able to tell how long it lasts since it's hard to tell that it's there!
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Shampoo -Yes To Carrots - Pampering Carrot Juice Shampoo
ara133 1/4/2011 10:17:00 PM
I love this shampoo! Right now it's my HG shampoo... smells great (nice carrot smell, to me, which makes my hair smells a little freshly sweet the rest of the day). You can pick up a large bottle of it for under $10, so the price is pretty good, and I really only need one application per shampoo - no need to shampoo twice each time, so it lasts a while. Makes my hair nice and shiny, with body! I really can't think of a single negative thing... the only reason I use other shampoos sometimes is for a different scent (I do like Philosophy shampoos once in a while!). But I always keep coming back to this one!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Sula Perfume Oil Rollon- Champagne Sugar
ara133 1/5/2010 8:08:00 PM
Love it! Bought the roller-ball, and it glides quite smoothly, letting out just the right amount of oil - not messy at all. Pretty bottle :) Smells, to me, almost exactly like Emmanuel Ungaro's Apparition, with a tiny hint of Pink Sugar. Berry and sweet, love it! Lasts about 4-5 hours, possibly a little less, when rolled onto my wrists. Was $18 at Ulta, not a bad price, being slightly below the Demeters that have scents that last 1/8 as long :) Will buy again!
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Mascara -Boots - No7 Maximum Volume Mascara in Black
ara133 9/17/2009 10:08:00 PM
This review is for the regular No7 Maximum Volume Mascara, not the waterproof version. I purchased it at Target for about $8.00. This could be perhaps the WORST mascara I've ever tried. I cannot find ONE positive thing about it! The negatives: It irritates my eyes; it is a very thick formulation; seems really dry - hardly ANY at all goes onto your lashes from the brush; layering did not help; when I tried getting more on the brush by sort of smearing the brush around in the bit of formula that came up and was attached to the tip of the brush when I pulled it out of the bottle, I was able to get some onto my lashes but I can barely tell it's there - hardly any color and no volume whatsoever. The positives: finally thought of one - it is unscented. But it does smell a little plasticky; but not floral or anything crazy like the scented mascaras. I'm tossing this one in the trash! So sad, I could have saved my $ and bought something nice from Sephora like DiorShow. I'd even say Maybelline great lash is better than this, and I don't like that mascara - too clumpy! But at least it shows up somewhat on the lashes. Perhaps I got a dry tube? Mascaras that I recommend instead - DiorShow Kevyn Aucoin (a little weird to take off but shows up) Prescriptives Bourjois pump up the volume - great waterproof mascara and even Cover Girl Lash Blast, though I'm not a fan of that line, is better than this! so... save the $8 and buy something else, is my recommendation :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Shu Uemura - Drawing Pencil
ara133 6/6/2009 10:17:00 PM
I have the ME PURPLE drawing pencil. I really wanted to like it, but it just doesn't cut it for me! The pencil is nice and slim, easy to hold, and I've never had to sharpen it - though I haven't used it all that much. The pluses: it's a very pretty darkish maroon/brown color (so, not really purple, but a pretty color anyway), and has a nice sheen to it. When I draw a line on my hand it's quite pretty. The minuses: it doesn't show up on my eyelids!! I am very light skinned, and even ginger shadows show up on my lids... so I'd expect a dark purple eyeliner to show up. However, I put it on and it just disappears! I DO lightly rub it with my pinky finger so that it's not a distinct thick line, but I do that with any eyeliner I use (like Urban decay 24/7) and they don't usually just disappear. This - gone! Can barely tell it's there. I much prefer the Urban Decay 24/7 liner (i have it in black), and actually I had tried a purple drugstore brand (can't recall which) that showed up better than this purple one. I suppose if you don't smudge it at all it might stay better, but I'm guessing it needs a primer regardless. I do use it with primer (urban decay potion), and still - doesn't show up.
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Lip Gloss -Burt's Bees - Super Shiney Natural Lip Gloss
ara133 6/6/2009 10:10:00 PM
So cute! I'm a huge fan of burts bees original lip balm, and this is just as awesome! It goes on quite sheer in color (I'm very light-skinned with pinkish lips) but adds a nice shimmer and gloss. Not sticky at all, leaves your lips feeling nicely smooth. I'm not a fan of the tiny burts bees shimmery lip balms in a stick (can't remember the name) - those add way too much color for me, but this one is perfect! The tube is fine for application - it's one of those plastic squeeze tubes with a slanted tip and a little hole in the middle where the product comes out... I usually prefer brushes for gloss but this is fine, esp since the gloss is sort of on the thick side - though goes on very smoothly, nicely, and as I mentioned, not gloppily at all :) LOVE it! Will buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Kevyn Aucoin - Volumizing Mascara
ara133 6/6/2009 9:43:00 PM
Really strange yet effective mascara! Overall, it does deliver volume. However, I'm really not a fan of the little tubes that form when you put on this mascara - they get all over my eyes when I take the mascara off, and end up sticking to the inside of my sink and the face towel I use! On the plus side, you just need warm water to remove the mascara. I found the tubes slide off easily if I press a cloth damp with very warm water to my eyes for at least 20 seconds... still once in a wihle I feel like I'm going to pull out an eyelash tugging on the tubes! Also a plus - this mascara withstood a funeral and lots of tears... exercising... rain... it holds up really well. And, because of the tube effect, can't smear! every once in a while one of the tubes 'comes off' and ends up feeling like it's in my eye, but that's pretty rare. I've been using this for about 2 months (I only wear mascara several times a week, not every day) and I've gone back and forth on my opinion. I've gotten compliments from girl friends on my lashes, BUT the tubes that form on them are really vile to take off. I'd rather have something that dissolves.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast
ara133 4/14/2008 11:01:00 PM
This isn't great, but it isn't awful either! Much better than Maybelline, in that it doesn't make my eyes sting. Definitely not as liquidy and clump-free as MakeupForever, or Dior, or even Prescriptives. But, for the price it's not terrible. I would buy again to take a financial break from the more expensive ones, but it certainly isn't my favorite. Very clumpy, not liquidy and thus very difficult to apply more than 1 coat. Sometimes I like to put on 2 coats but that's not possible with this one. It also doesn't comb out well - it goes on clumpy and then I have tried a lash comb once it's dry and I can't separate some of my lashes even with the comb! Tried combing when still wet, which makes a mess and they still stick together. This is one you definitely have to blot before applying. I got so spoiled not having to blot makeupforever mascara! This lasts pretty much all day, though sometimes there will be a flake or two here and there after a few hours. Not terrible. One good thing - it definitely does a good job of darkening lashes. Best drugstore mascara I've found anyway, and for the price it's not bad (about $7.50 ish). But next time I'll spend a little more and get something easier to apply from sephora!
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Polishes -OPI - Russian Navy
ara133 11/23/2007 9:35:00 PM
I think I'd like this better if it were actually Navy in color! You buy something called "Russian Navy" and I expect it to be, well, NAVY, but instead it's sort of really dark turquoise, or blue mixed with a bit of turquoise, kind of what I'd call Mediterranean Blue. That's the 1st coat. With the second coat it seems more purple, if you can believe it. This is just the oddest color nail polish. I really wanted a dark blue, which this sort of is, but it's just off a little bit. It's not really shimmery or anything, though with a 2nd coat you get a little bit of sheen (perhaps that's how the purple comes in). Goes on pretty smoothly, 1 coat is fine if you're in a rush, but 2 gives nice full coverage. Great if you just want something dark and in the general blue family, not great if you really want NAVY.
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Lip Gloss -Smashbox - Lip Enhancing Gloss in Afterglow
ara133 9/27/2007 3:03:00 PM
This is very nice, but not 'WOW AMAZING'. I like the cargo purse glosses better. I also chose this as my sephora insider gift, it is a little tube with a brush applicator, I assume the full size also has a wand-with-brush-on-the-end applicator. The color and texture are nice, and it comes out as a pretty apricot/peachy color on my lips, but I don't think it's noticeable at all. It's not very shiny (which is a good thing), but it's not shimmery (which I'm into right now), and the color doesn't really look much different from my lips, so really to me it's about the same as applying my old standby, Burt's Bees! I do like the color, and there's certainly nothing offensive, but I just like shimmery things better at the moment. I have very fair skin, but this color might show up if you do have extremely fair/pale skin. This is a nice neutral but rather expensive for the result, IMO. I can understand why people like it so much, but I'd rather have something with a little shimmer or a little color.
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Lip Gloss -Cargo - Purse Gloss in Geneva
ara133 9/27/2007 2:58:00 PM
This is a fantastic little gloss!! I love these purse glosses, I ended up buying Geneva as well because I bought Berlin and liked it so much! Anyway, this gloss is basically a fat little plastic clear tube of cargo lip gloss with a brush on one end, and a cap. When you uncap the brush, be careful not to squeeze the tube - the cap keeps the gloss from being pumped into the brush, but as soon as the pressure of the cap is gone, the slightest squeeze will cause gloss to start dripping out of the brush. Once I figured this out, I've had no problems with excess or running gloss. And with the capping mechanism, there's little way for any mess to be made inside the cap, unless you accidentally swipe the inside of the cap with the brush while taking it off. For color, this gloss is a shimmery darkish pink with a tiny bit of peach, but it's not quite MLBB - a little darker. I like Berlin better for an everyday easy to apply without mirror gloss, but Geneva is fun to put on when I want a little bit of color. It definitely doesn't come out on your lips as dark as it looks in the tube, but it is darker than Berlin. I like the feel of this gloss too - it's NOT tacky at all, and very slippery but doesn't feel greasy. It is pricey, but there's a TON of gloss in these tubes. And what's FANTASTIC is you don't have to worry about having a wand being too short to reach gloss at the bottom - you can just keep squeezing gloss out into the brush until it runs out! No waste! :)
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Lip Gloss -Cargo - Purse Gloss in Berlin
ara133 9/27/2007 2:55:00 PM
This is a fantastic little gloss!! I love these purse glosses, I ended up buying Geneva as well because I liked Berlin so much! Anyway, this gloss is basically a fat little plastic clear tube of cargo lip gloss with a brush on one end, and a cap. When you uncap the brush, be careful not to squeeze the tube - the cap keeps the gloss from being pumped into the brush, but as soon as the pressure of the cap is gone, the slightest squeeze will cause gloss to start dripping out of the brush. Once I figured this out, I've had no problems with excess or running gloss. And with the capping mechanism, there's little way for any mess to be made inside the cap, unless you accidentally swipe the inside of the cap with the brush while taking it off. For color, this gloss is a shimmery peachy beige natural (for my skin tone!!) lip color, and on me is MLBB. No problem applying this color without a mirror but it does add a little shimmer to my lips. I like the feel of this gloss too - it's NOT tacky at all, and very slippery but doesn't feel greasy. It is pricey, but there's a TON of gloss in these tubes. And what's FANTASTIC is you don't have to worry about having a wand being too short to reach gloss at the bottom - you can just keep squeezing gloss out into the brush until it runs out! No waste! :) Love this stuff and plan to buy more colors, but Geneva is a good natural shimmery one to always have on hand.
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Mascara -Vincent Longo - Vincent Longo waterproof mascara
ara133 9/17/2007 3:41:00 PM
I bought this for my wedding, and I'm glad I tried out all my wedding makeup beforehand, because this mascara is not worth the $! I have relatively thick long eyelashes, dark brown, so normally I am not bothered if a mascara isn't high volume or lengthening, but this was so thin it seemed to barely show up! However, I know I put some on because it ALL ended up UNDERNEATH my eyes - complete raccoon look. I rarely have mascara end up there - my face is kind of dry, and I don't wear foundation; both days I tried this I wasn't even wearing moisturizer. The good points - easy to apply, nice brush, didn't sting or smell bad, didn't flake. Super easy to remove with clinique waterproof makeup remover (maybe because it was all on my face, not on my lashes!!!). The bad points - didn't show up at all on my lashes, and after about 4 hours I had lots of smudging under my eyes. I'm going back to Bourjois for my waterproof mascara! That one smells disgustingly flowery and can be kind of thick to apply, but NEVER ends up beneath my eyes, AND shows up on lashes! My recommendation - skip this one.
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Skincare - Face -Pro Activ - 3-Step System
ara133 9/10/2007 3:01:00 PM
I was so prepared to like this! I was totally sold by the celebrity ads :) and hoped it would do the same for me! I get breakouts on my forehead, but after 3 weeks of trying this system (even used the mask once in a while), my face was redder and more painful, and my forehead especially was all red and bumpy! I stopped for about a week and then used it again only once a day for a few days, and the same thing happened. WAY too harsh for my skin. Also, the mask smells disgusting (can't get the sulfur smell off my hands even with soap!!) - I realize it has to smell bad because of the ingredients, but it didn't help me like it any more :) I'm sure this works really well for some people, but if you have sensitive skin, definitely start with trial size or get the stuff off ebay (new) cheaper!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Smashbox - O-Glow
ara133 6/7/2007 6:04:00 PM
This stuff turns skin the brightest shade of pink imagineable. Not a natural flush pink, but a BRIGHT Madonna-esque 1980s outfit pink. Remeber fluorescent/neon pink, orange, yellows and greens we wore in the 80s (for those of you who were kids/teens then)? The same color. Like HIGHLIGHTER pink. Both on my skin and my 66-yr old Mom's. Looks absolutely crazy. I don't know anybody who flushes that color. Even if I tried to smack myself to stimulate my skin cells (or hot water or whatever) it does not turn highlighter neon pink like this. I really don't think it possibly can react with skin to cause a natural glow - it must react with SOMETHING on the skin (body heat, pH, contact with oxygen in the atmosphere, something) and turn one generic color for everyone. There is no way this is specific to different people - it's just wild pink. I think if I wore this on my cheeks people would back away from me, or run the other direction!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No