Product Reviews by beckymonster

Brows -Prestige - Brow Perfection Pencil
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 9/22/2012 9:45:00 AM

I like it but I don't love it. It is one of the better drugstore brand of brow pencils I've tried, but it comes in at a very distant third to Lancome and Anastasia brow pencils. Prestige's brow pencil is a very waxy formula; this makes it somewhat waterproof but a pain to apply in certain weather (NYC weather, it's unpredictable ya know?). It's pretty neat that there are marbleized shades of dark brown in their pencils; that's what attracted me to this pencil first, though I've never noticed the Prestige brand in stores before. It's a good product to buy in a pinch, but for me, it's not HG material.

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Polishes -China Glaze - Sunset Sail
rated 3 of 5
beckymonster 7/4/2012 10:21:00 AM

I'm waiting for my first coat to dry so I can do my second. It's a bit streaky but I can already tell the results will be beautiful after the second application. It looks like a slightly shimmery nude in the bottle but is more on the peachy side one the nails; which was exactly what I was looking for. Next time, I think I'll just go to the salon to have them apply it. Neutral colors are always tricky for me.

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Polishes -China Glaze - Bahamian Escape
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 7/4/2012 10:18:00 AM

GORGEOUS blue nail color!...and this is coming from someone who normally doesn't like blue (unless its navy or cobalt). This is perfect for a summer pedi; it really makes your tan stand out and looks great with neutral colored sandals. One coat was all I needed for vibrant color. The formula is smooth for the most part; I think you might need a light hand if you're putting it on your fingernails, but on your toes, mistakes are less noticeable. THE perfect summer nail color.

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Conditioner -Suave - Keratin Infusion Smoothing Conditioner
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 6/30/2012 10:13:00 AM

I'm not a Suave devotee, but this product may just change my mind. It's no miracle worker for my color treated, frizzy, thick hair but it sure tames it better than most conditioners I've tried (and I've tried TONS). The price is right, comes in a pretty, generously-sized bottle, and smells nice (might be to perfume-y for some). It made my hair very smooth, soft and shiny! May need additional reinforcements on a particularly humid, muggy day though. Overall, it's a likable product.

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Cleansers -Trader Joe's - Spa Face Wash with Tea Tree Oil
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 2/15/2012 9:05:00 PM

I originally bought this for my brother, who was overwhelming his skin with tons and tons of facial products containing harsh ingredients. A "skin-product-detox" if you will. I ended up also using it and loving it. It's gentle enough for a daily cleanser, so I would recommend it only as such, because it doesn't really do the job after a night of heavy partying; I need more to get off that eyeliner and mascara. It doesn't do a whole lot for my skin but make it feel much cleaner and refreshed, which is what I was looking for in a gentle daily cleanser anyway. Despite it being detergent free/low in detergent it stung horribly as I accidentally got some in my eye. So use with a bit of caution! And, because it is just a liquid, it is easy to get carried away because it slips between ones fingers (just cup your hand when dispensing). It lasted for a good few months, and I would definitely buy this again.

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Lip Treatments -Dr. Bronner's - Organic Lip Balm - Orange Ginger
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 2/15/2012 8:55:00 PM

Bought this on a whim at Whole Foods for $2.99. I'm surprised a solid lip balm goes on so smoothly, especially a one that is brand-new, never been in my pocket and thus warmed up by my body heat. I took off one lippie because it smells better than it tastes (which is not that great, but not totally disgusting at least).

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Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - NailShine Miracle 10 Day Top Coat
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 2/15/2012 7:05:00 PM

This was on sale at CVS for more than 50% off so what was the harm? It adds a a beautiful glossy shine on top of my darker polishes, and brings out the glittery undertones. Despite the name, it's not miracle--my polish fades/chips less than 10 days in, but it does make it last longer a few days beyond its life without a topcoat. It work particularly well on creme formulas and pastel colors, I notice these last longer than the dark and metallic colors, which tend to come off on the brush as I swipe it across my nail. Didn't really lose out on much by trying this, but will continue my search for my HG topcoat.

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Polishes -Wet 'n' Wild - Wild Shine in Burgundy Frost (412A)
rated 3 of 5
beckymonster 2/15/2012 7:00:00 PM

Gorgeous slightly metallic burgundy color at a can't beat price ($1.99 at Duane Reade!). Looks nice if you're in a pinch and in need of a sophisticated looking color before a dinner or event. However, it doesn't last beyond 2 days, even with a top coat. Speaking of top coats, it kind of "melts" under it, as it smudged very easily after I applied it and forced me to redo half my nails over, which has never happened when I applied my top coat over OPI and Essie. Well, you get what you pay for. Like I said, it's handy in a pinch; so keep it around at the office just in case you need to cover up gnarly nails before happy hour.

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Conditioner -Victoria's Secret - So Sexy Nourishing Conditioner
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 1/28/2012 10:23:00 AM

Like my review for the "Balance" Shampoo, this conditioner smells AMAZING. The scent lingers in my hair and makes me feel sexy ;) The conditioner is nice and thick, which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing for obvious reasons, because it detangles very easily and coats my hair. It's a curse because it's very hard to get out of the bottle, given the bottle shape and the fact that your hands are most likely wet while trying to squeeze the product out. I would most definitely recommend VS haircare but I wish they would make the packaging easier to differentiate the different lines and such.

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Shampoo -Victoria's Secret - So Sexy Balancing Shampoo
rated 4 of 5
beckymonster 1/28/2012 10:19:00 AM

I was very resistant to buying VS shampoos for awhile because of the price and fear of the fragrance being to "perfume-y". However, I'm glad I got this (along with the "Nourishing" conditioner) because it smells divine. So far my hair feels light and fresh.

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Fragrances -Roger & Gallet - Bois d'Orange
rated 5 of 5
beckymonster 1/25/2012 11:31:00 AM

I normally stay away from citrus scents but this was so intricate, I just had to get it. I packed light on my trip to Paris, so despite how wonderful this scent smelled at the pharmacy (you would think this luxurious scent was from a department store or boutique!) I only bought the small size (only 14.90 euro). I wish I bought more, as I can't get enough of it! It smells very similar to Acqua di Parma's Arancia but at a fraction of the price. I discovered that it works best on semi-damp hair for me, as the fragrance will last the entire day with just 2 spritz. Seeing as I will probably run out of this stuff very soon at the rate I'm going, I will have to just shell out the imported USD price for it here, if I can find it.

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Conditioner -Organix - Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Conditioner
rated 2 of 5
beckymonster 1/25/2012 11:23:00 AM

Not a good conditioner, unfortunately. It left my hair very tangled and difficult to blowdry. Its 2 main saving graces are its soft but luscious fragrance that lingers in my hair and the shine it gives. I bought a huge bottle on sale at CVS so I'll just use up the bottle but will never repurchase.

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