Styling Products -Rusk - being undressed
audeespicey 11/14/2010 10:40:00 PM
My hairdresser used this, and while I loved my hair as I stood at the cash register, I wasn't in a mood to buy product. The next morning, I tried to do my own hair...and stopped at the salon over lunch to buy a pot of "whatever you used on me yesterday." I bought it from the salon. At salon retail. Because I could not go another day without it. Rusk being undressed is THAT good.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Paula's Choice - Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 20
audeespicey 8/19/2010 12:02:00 AM
I bought this because I needed a mattifying TM or foundation. I bought it from the Paula's Choice Web site, and to me, the 1.0 fl. oz. tube was way too expensive. Still, I wanted it to work because then a problem would be solved, even if I had to pay a bit to solve it. Nope. Problem isn't solved just yet. This TM itself is okay. Just okay, not amazing or outstanding. The texture is nice, but it's not mattifying unless I put powder over it, so the powder is providing the matte--not this TM. Coverage is very light, so don't expect this to even out skin tone or cover much. The worst of it is that for the price I paid, I bought Sheer Fair, and it's way way way too yellow for my fair skin. For that reason alone, this TM will be used sparingly until it's gone, and then no more. I hear that ELF has a good product in its tinted moisturizer, so will be checking that out...
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Green Tea
audeespicey 10/20/2009 11:30:00 PM
Loved it when I smelled it in the store and bought a bottle on the spot. Unfortunately, the few spritzes the salesgirl and I applied did not last the one-mile walk from the store to my house. I got home and was like, "Hey! I have to open this new box already!" I thought it was perhaps the walking ourdoors, a bit of sweat, the wind, whatever that stopped the scent dead in its tracks. But, alas, no. If this perfume lasted longer, it would be an everyday fragrance for me, but it's just not good enough. Won't buy again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -TRESemme - Anti-Frizz Secret Smoothing Creme
audeespicey 10/15/2009 10:42:00 AM
A little goes a long way. I bought this to replace a salon-only product that I couldn't find after I moved--very happy with that decision! I have curly dark red hair that hates being told what to do. After washing my hair and conditioning with Australian Three-Minute Miracle, I squeeze a line of this creme across my four fingers. Warm it up by rubbing it, and gently pat my hair with it, especially on the top where I want my hair to lie down and not frizz. A quick blow-dry with a brush to pull and straighten, and voila. My husband, who sometimes notices things, said to me the other day, "Your hair looks really nice." My hair stays put, too, so the creme is working as a hairspray plus an anti-frizz treatment plus a straightener. Who could ask for more?! ____________________________________ REVISED: Found Rusk's being undressed, so won't be reaching for the TRESemme for awhile. This was good while it lasted, though, but not for me and my current style. Love the way Rusk makes my hair look!
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Fragrances -Avon - Night Magic
audeespicey 9/18/2009 10:05:00 AM
The husband loves this. I don't. A woman he worked with wore it, and he asked her and bought it for me. Me, I'm a perfume snob, and Avon scents never, ever, ever do it for me. That said, the husband continues to love this scent on me when I grudgingly wear it. To me, it's too stereotypical a scent with absolutely nothing special about it. A hundred thousand women could wear this with no difference in the scent at all.
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Fragrances -Gucci - Envy Me 2
audeespicey 9/18/2009 9:54:00 AM
My husband brought this home from his travels, and I didn't use it for the longest time. Opened it just this summer, and WOW, what a gorgeous scent. Reading here, I see that it's been discontinued, and that's a real shame. This is a delightful daytime scent, and I've received compliments on "How good you always smell!" :-) Great scent--I'll miss it when my bottle's gone.
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Eye Shadow -Estee Lauder - Pure Pops Cream Eyeshadow in Chameleon Glow
audeespicey 8/9/2009 10:55:00 AM
I have a tube of Chameleon Glow that I bought in 2005--I know, I know, I should clean up the make-up tray more. But anyway, I've been looking for a nice, neutral pink, if that makes sense. I'm very fair with very dark eyes and eyebrows, and I'm pushing 40, so anything that enhances the pinks in my skintone is a positive. Picking up the Chameleon Glow last night, I thought, "Why not?" Tried it again--and it's exactly what I've been looking for! For my money, this is a beautiful shade that isn't too pink. It's mature, yet youthful, and the bit of shimmer is attractive. I used to pair this up with an Estee Lauder Pure Color cube of Copper Penny. Looking at the Estee Lauder site, I see that the Pure Color cubes are still out there, but the Pure Pops look to be discontinued. That's a shame--lovely, shimmery colors always have a place in the repertoire
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Treatments -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment [DISCONTINUED]
audeespicey 7/9/2009 10:52:00 AM
Hate to be the messenger of bad tidings, but this lotion did nothing for me. I was excited to see that it contains 2% salicylic acid because that used to be my HG when Neutrogena had it in the Multi-Vitamin treatment years ago. Well, they discontinued that, and I never found anything remotely even plausible from Neutrogena to replace it--until this, I thought. However, the results are inferior. The lotion itself feels greasy and viscous. I put it on and shine like I'm slimy. And worst of all, THIS CRAP MAKES ME BREAK OUT. I've experimented--my face can be fine for a week, I put this on one morning, and by that night, 2 or 3 zits have surfaced. Absolute rubbish "acne stress control" when it causes acne and causes stress.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Zapzyt - 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Gel
audeespicey 1/18/2008 1:50:00 AM
I use 10% BP, no matter what brand. I started getting a population of whiteheads on my cheeks, in the middle of my face. One day, after trying everything else, I picked this up in the store. Never looked back! It is an extremely drying product. Use it in a localized way -- but for me, that's localized over the entire middle of my cheeks. Lately, I've realized that only a few hours a day of BP is necessary. Therefore, I wash my face w/ a mild cleanser at dinner time, around 5-6 in the afternoon, and layer on the BP. At this stage, I can *feel* it working as it eats the nasty pus out of those pores. At bedtime, I rinse with some warm water. Then, a few nights per week, I layer on the honey. Yes, honey. I lie down for 30 minutes or so, then shower (or wash) with the mild cleanser again. Moisturize with fave product, and go to sleep. In the morning, extra virgin olive oil as a moisturizer on those cheeks, then make-up, which takes us back around to dinner time and the BP treatment. This works for me. The BP, honey and EVOO along with moisturizers -- I don't do things religiously, just as it feels like I need it. EXCEPT for the 10% BP. Without that, I might as well stick my head in a pillowcase before I walk out the door. Best of luck to you!
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Concealers -Maybelline - Pure Concealer ] [DISCONTINUED]
audeespicey 9/1/2007 11:51:00 PM
Price: Comparable. Packaging: I don't like the plastic pen because I can't see how much is left, so I don't know when to repurchase. Overall: It kills zits. Yeah, the coverage is a bit clumpy, but it's going over a zit, not clear skin. Yeah, the colour's a bit orangish, but I already feel like a troll when I break out. I repeat: It kills zits. I can wear this one time for half a day on a pimple, and the pimple is in its death throes when I wash my face. Within another day, it's curtains for El Pimple. Will definitely buy again.
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Treatments -Clean & Clear - Invisible Acne Patch
audeespicey 9/1/2007 11:47:00 PM
Rip-off. Like others on this board, I bought it because it seemed like a good idea -- flatten the pimple, put some cover stick over it, and feel human again. No. It dries out the zit and surrounding skin to an incredible degree. I wound up with flaking product and flaking skin, so now, I'm looking a darned sight worse than I was. Thoroughgoing waste of money. Will never go near another Clean & Clear product -- I'm turned off the entire line because of this experience. My Maybelline Pure Concealer cover with 2% salicylic acid does a beautiful job of concealing and healing an individual pimple. Right now, I can't figure out why I strayed from that!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara Blackest Black
audeespicey 9/1/2007 10:23:00 PM
Not for the disabled. This is the clumpiest, grottiest, messiest mascara ever. I have a paralysed right arm, and because I used to be right-handed, it's a bit tough for me to do finer actions like putting on mascara. My biggest mistake was grabbing this one on my way through the drugstore -- what a total waste of money. I've used other brands since sustaining my injury, and they've been SO much easier to manage. Inevitably, this makes a mess under my eyes, on my upper eyelid -- everywhere -- and it's just about impossible to clean up without washing off my eye makeup... Oh, wait, it doesn't clean up easily, either. Forget using just your facial cleanser when you come home past midnight and you're struggling to clean up a bit before climbing into the sack. You'll be using eye make-up remover and everything else in your bathroom to get rid of the black circles and smears. Even the next morning, you'll look a wreck.
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Fragrances -Lancome - Poeme
audeespicey 7/19/2007 11:01:00 PM
My fragrance. Every "fad"-type fragrance -- you know, the ones that smell great in the bottle and last long enough on your wrist to make you buy it -- disappears on me after about 30 minutes. Either that, or it lingers longer than 30 minutes, then turns into a smell closely related to flyspray. This perfume stays with me all day and smells beautiful. Every man I know has said, "Wow, what is that scent?" They love it. To me, this is an intelligent, feminine scent that says "I'm a woman, and that's exactly what I want to be." __________________ REVISED: Way, way too heavy for daytime, summer wear, full stop. Something's changed in my chemistry, too, and this isn't coming off as well as it once did. I won't be going there again--Gucci fragrances are doing a better job on me these days.
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Liquid -Neutrogena - Skin Clearing Oil-Free Makeup
audeespicey 7/3/2007 10:08:00 AM
I gave this a 5 for Overall Rating b/c I haven't found anything that offers better value for money. I've been through more expensive foundations and drugstore off-the-shelf bottles than I could write reviews for, and the difference between this foundation and others is that Neutrogena Skin Clearing Liquid Foundation matches my skintone, blends well, gives adequate coverage, creates a dewy finish, has staying power, and doesn't cause me to break out. And the deciding factor: I've asked certain girlfriends to let me know when I'm looking good in the skin department, and when they've told me that it's working, I've been wearing this foundation -- so there you go. The best feature, though, is that this doesn't cause breakouts. It doesn't dry me out, either, which some "medicated" foundations can do. I come home and immediately wash gently with some cleanser on a microfiber face cloth, and the make-up is on the cloth and not on my face or in my pores. In fact, I think that this foundation could be part of my overall facial regime, although I don't consider it that way -- when I use it, I get no breakouts at all, so maybe it's not only neutral to my skin, but it's actually helping. Don't know why I haven't called this my HG because it's as close as could be. I'll be using this for a long time to come, too.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
audeespicey 7/3/2007 9:43:00 AM
Props to Queen Helene. I learned about this masque from my best girlfriend's mother when I was about 15. We used to give each other spa treatments from her mom's stock, and her mother never begrudged our using her tub of mint julep masque. Last year, I was in a car accident and some of the medication I'm on for the nerve pain doesn't agree with my skin at all. At first, I was having cystic acne. Now, it's settled down somewhat, except I just couldn't get rid of the "milk spots" and whiteheads on my cheeks and either side of my mouth on my chin. Yesterday, I read some reviews here and thought, "Wait, I haven't tried that lately!" To the bathroom I went. First, I dissolved 4 aspirin in witch hazel on the bathroom sink and exfoliated with that. Then I grabbed my trusty old tub of Queen Helene mint julep masque and got to work. It had dried out somewhat, but I rehydrated what I scooped onto my fingers with a few drops of warm water. I let the masque on my face for about 30 minutes, then took a shower. When I got out of the shower, I toned with witch hazel and put on my moisturizer. Back to my regular skincare regime before bed, and when I woke up this morning.... ...wait for it... ...the milk spots and whiteheads on my cheeks are nearly gone. I'm not kidding you. After 6 months of living with this disgusting mess and trying everything on the drugstore shelves, one application of Queen Helene seems to have dried out the worst of it. Queen Helene tingles and nearly burns after I put it on. This isn't a treatment that I'll use every day, but now that I've rediscovered it, this is definitely my weekly facial. Tip to those who don't like the tube: Buy from Sally's -- Sally's still has the big old-fashioned tub. Cheap, effective and helped a conition that no other non-prescription skincare product has helped in 6 months. What else is there to say?!
20 out of 22 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No