Lips -Bonne Bell - lipLITES Glossy Tint
beautyxisxpain 3/5/2007 1:58:00 PM
I purchased this in Caramel Latte for around $4.50 CDN on sale. I love the original LipLites, so when I saw this new product I had to try it. It was an impulse buy, but I am very very pleased with it. I gave it a try as soon as I walked out of the store and was instantly in love. I wasn't sure how the colour would work for me when I was looking at it in the store, but once I saw it on I was convinced. I am very fair with neutral colouring, and on me, Caramel Latte is a slightly nude peachy pink. I don't think I've ever owned anything this colour before, but I love it. The scent is a subtle sweet caramel coffee type. Just one swipe across each lip gives a creamy/satiny look with a lovely moisturizing feeling. Not greasy, waxy or sticky. I definitely want to go back and get the Berry Smoothie flavour, which looks like a darker mauve/berry [I've recently found those type of shades to be very flattering on myself]. I reccommend this!
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Makeup Brushes -Annabelle - Annabelle Powder brush A-13
beautyxisxpain 3/2/2007 11:53:00 AM
I got this brush on sale for around $5 several years ago. I needed a brush to replace the really, really cheap & crappy one I'd been using for loose powder. The natural hair bristles are very soft and it did the job just fine. I found over time & repeated washings, the black dye came out of the bristles. Just over a month ago the handle broke off, but I've still been using it because it's all I've got. I'm on the lookout for a synthetic powder brush next, since I don't want to use hair from real animals. But to give this brush some credit, overall it's a great for the price.
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Cleansers -Almay - facial soap 1 for oily skin
beautyxisxpain 3/1/2007 9:59:00 PM
This is probably the most inexpensive facial cleanser I have ever purchased, and also seems to be the best. I've taken a liking to bar soaps lately because they take up less space than bottles of liquid and last much longer. This creamy bar is completely unscented, has a smooth foamy lather and takes off all of my makeup [including eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara] with relative ease. After I dry my face, it looks clean and bright, as opposed to the red and blotchy look I got from other cleansers. It has helped clear up my blemishes so my skin is about 90% clear-- which is amazing. The only problem I'm having is that it seems to be drying me out a little, but I don't have particularily oily skin to begin with, so that might be the problem. I think I might do better with the one for normal/combo skin, so I'll definitely try that one next. I got this on sale for just under $4 CDN.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -The Body Shop - Neroli Jasmine EdT
beautyxisxpain 2/8/2007 1:44:00 PM
Top notes: Neroli, freesia and violet leaf. Middle notes: Orange blossom, jasmin and white peony. Base notes: Sandalwood, vanilla, musk and amber. I only got this perfume yesterday, but I just had to review it. I love it so much. I wasn't so sure about it in the beginning, since I'm not a fan of citrusy scents, but there's only a little bit of tart cirtus in the top notes, and other than that it's just lovely. The scent is a perfect blend of spicy and sweet, and also quite floral, but in a unique way. I also tested the Cassis Rose, but it was much more powdery-sweet and subdued... and definitely more flowery. I found the Neroli Jasmin to have more of a kick to it-- suited my personality much better. I purchased the EdT for just under $19.50 CDN, after taxes. It doesn't last all day, but I found a quick pick me up spray in the middle of the day was all the reapplication it needed. *Update- 05-22-07*: Well my bottle of this just ran out [only lasted less than 4 months :(]. I've gotten so attached to the fragrance that as soon as I got the chance I went and dropped $30 CDN on the perfume oil. I'd gotten several comments from male friends on how good I smelled, haha. You can't smell much of the fragrance when sniffing directly from the bottle like you can with the EdT, but once it's on my skin it's all good.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Mary Kay - Eyelash Curler
beautyxisxpain 1/30/2007 7:12:00 PM
My mother got this curler for free with one of her Mary Kay orders, I think. It's pink, white and pastel green plastic with silicone pads. My mom doesn't wear any makeup, so it just sat unused in her drawer. A couple of months ago I stole it and tried it myself. The only other curler I've owned was a pink sparkly plastic one from NYC, and I don't remember it being much good. This one on the other hand gives a nice curl to my lashes, and when I apply mascara after I've used it, I notice a big difference than if I hadn't used a curler. My only issue with it is sometimes I'll catch my lower lashes in it by accident and it pulls on them and it hurts. But that's probably just because I lack skill. Haha. I like it enough that I use it about 95% of the time. If I'm in a huge rush, I'll skip it. But I really like the extra oomph it gives to my lashes.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Got 2 Be - Instantly Gratifying Conditioner
beautyxisxpain 7/26/2006 2:20:00 PM
This is an absolutely lovely conditioner. I have fine, thin colour-treated hair and most conditioners I've used leave my hair with a heavy, coated feeling. This, on the other hand, does none of that at all. It is a very thick conditioner with a kind of gel-like texture: when I squeeze the bottle it comes out as a line of thick, chunky pearlescent orange gel. Sounds gross, but if you rub it between your palms for a second and then comb it through your hair with your fingers, it's amazing. My hair feels incredibly soft in the shower, and when I get out it's so easy to comb through. It rinses so clean, I can hardly believe it. It's by no means a heavy-duty conditioner, but it gets the job done [I plan on trying their Hottie conditioner next, as it seems to be more intensive]. After combing through, wet hair feels weightless, soft, detangled, and perfectly clean. This does not change after it's blown dry. I can't believe I'm raving about a conditioner, but I really love this stuff. It was $5.99 CDN for a 200ml bottle, which seems pretty small, but as I said you only need a little bit. I would definitely buy this again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Garnier - Nutrisse Permanent Creme Hair Color
beautyxisxpain 7/17/2006 9:00:00 PM
I've only used a couple different brands of hairdye in the past, and this was the one that I usually stuck to. All the others dried my hair out way too much. Nutrisse is wonderful in that it is easy to apply (it's a thick cream) and doesn't smell overly strong. The gloves that come with it are good quality. I've seen it cost anywhere from $6 to $11 CDN, depending if it's on sale or not. I've used the majority of the red and brown shades, so many in fact that I can't really remember all of the ones I tried. My favourite would have to be #45 Dark Mahogany Brown. I just liked the way it contrasted with my pale skin. I can't say much about the fade factor, since I don't have much to compare it to. But all the colours are really pretty, and leave your hair very very silky and shiny (thanks to the after-care conditioner... which now comes in a small bottle instead of the annoying plastic packet thing that used to drive me crazy). Overall, was my top choice for hair colour, but I won't be purchasing it again, because Garnier tests on animals and I've decided to stop supporting such things.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Garnier - Fresh Cleansing Gel
beautyxisxpain 7/17/2006 8:50:00 PM
I was undecided on this cleaner for a long time. I never really liked it... but I couldn't find a reason to hate it either. It wasn't remarkable in the cleansing department, although it did remove my makeup well. It left a little bit of a filmy feeling on my face, which I really hate... I think that was the biggest problem I had with it. Oh, and the packaging is a royal pain in the ass-- the gel leaks all inside the cap and it's annoying to have to screw it back on while your hands are slippery and wet. On the plus side, it smells nice (but tastes absolutely vile if it accidentally gets in your mouth). I don't think it's worth the price I paid (around $8 CDN). I ended up getting so frustrated with it that I just emptied it into my soap pump and now I'm using it to wash my hands with. At least it's good for that!
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Cleansers -Marcelle - Marcelle Aquarelle Oil-Free Purifying Cleansing Gel [DISCONTINUED]
beautyxisxpain 7/17/2006 8:30:00 PM
I bought this based on the good reviews I'd read of it, here. It cost something like $11.99 CDN, on sale... which is more than I'd like to spend on a cleanser, but I'm just cheap like that =P Overall, I'd say this stuff is really good. Marcelle does not test on animals (yay!). It's oil-free. It has no fragrance. Just a little dab will foam up nicely, and takes off every bit of my makeup. It even took off waterproof mascara, with the assistance of a warm washcloth. I like the fact that you only need to use a little bit, which justifies the higher price. It leaves my face feeling very very clean, which is a big plus-- I hate when cleansers leave an icky film on your skin >.> As far as I know, this hasn't contributed to any breakouts, but it didn't really do a whole lot to clear my skin up, either. So it's no miracle worker, but it's still one of the best cleansers I've used. Basically, if you're looking for a very effective, yet very gentle unscented gel-type cleanser, then this is for you :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara Waterproof
beautyxisxpain 3/20/2006 6:02:00 PM
I previously used this mascara, but in the non-waterproof formula. It was the first one I used regularily, and I remember liking it a lot. I tried the waterproof one, hoping that it might last a bit longer and not smudge-- which it did. I wanted to like it. It made my lashes look absolutely gorgeous, but I couldn't stand the chemical smell, and it made my eyes hurt all day. Not fun.
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Cleansers -Dove - Beauty Bar - Sensitive Skin
beautyxisxpain 11/2/2005 9:34:00 PM
I never thought I'd like a soap for washing my face. I've always used liquid cleansers and gone with the idea that soap on your face is a great way to wreck it. Lately I've gotten sick of bouncing back and forth between cleansers and not being satisfied. I read the reviews here and went out and got the Dove Beauty Bar for Sensitive Skin. I've been using it on my face and body for the past week, and so far it looks good. I like the fact that there's very little scent [just that general "soap" smell that can't be avoided... it's very subtle, though]. It doesn't dry out my skin too much, as long as I use a light moisturizer on my face right after. I love how amazingly clean my skin feels after using this- something that I rarely got from other cleansers. The only thing I'm not too thrilled about with this is the fact that it's full of chemicals and such, but that's hard to avoid unless you want to shell out the big bucks for all-natural stuff... which I can't afford right now. So this will have to do. I will update if it starts giving me trouble.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara
beautyxisxpain 6/15/2004 8:43:00 PM
This was the first mascara I tried that actually worked the way I wanted it to. I had it in brownish-black, and it lengthened and thickened my lashes just enough without looking fake. It stayed on all day, even though it wasn't the waterproof formula. The only problem I had was getting it to stay on my bottom lashes... but I don't usually put mascara on those anyway, so it didn't matter much. I'd recommend this =)
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Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Mocha Nova Cosmic Lipsmacker
beautyxisxpain 3/12/2004 6:17:00 PM
Smells EXACTLY like Coffee Crisp! It's a light, warm brown with golden shimmer... but it doesn't show up really brown on my lips, and I like that. Definitely try this if you like Coffee Crisp ^^
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Tinted Moisturizer -Cover Girl - Cover Girl CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
beautyxisxpain 8/18/2003 8:30:00 PM
This is as close to foundation as I'd ever like to get... I HATE wearing makeup on my face, because it always looks so icky. I don't have many blemishes at all, but using this just evens out the skin tone and makes it look nice without being cakey or gooey or gross. I have this in Fair to Light, and it's almost perfect for my deathly pale skin.
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