Misc Beauty Tools -Sephora - Precision Pore Cleansing Pad
benette 11/3/2010 10:18:00 PM
When I first took this little thing out of the box I was annoyed that I spent $5 on it and I thought it looked cheap and flimsy. I wondered what exactly Sephora thought this was going to do for my face. Then I tried it. Did the heavens sing? No, but my pores sort of did. First, it didn't hurt or anger my rosacea, which is always a huge plus. Second, after I washed my face it felt soft, but not raw like it can after certain exfoliators. And shockingly...my pores looked smaller. After one time? Was I sure? Pretty darned sure. Though to be fair, I was starting with some pretty nasty giant nose-pores that you could back a truck into, had they not been clogged all to hell. Things looked better. Hopeful, even. So... I grabbed my extractor. I know, tool of the devil. Stay with me. (Or don't, if you're squeamish). My pores were ridding themselves of icky plugs of nastiness with more fervor than I can convey. I'd buy five of these pads just for how well they work prior to extraction! I don't think the effects are going to change much with continued use but hey, you never know, so I'll update if anything changes. I'm pretty surprised that there was no review for this yet, seeing how we MUAers love gadgets and stuff, but I'm guessing the Clarisonic gets all the love. Now, I know you can't compare the two, but if you're curious about this pad, give it a shot! It beats the pants off that stupid little manual brush they also sell. Parting advice: I hold it with two fingers around the knob thing, it really helps. It's not Brillo, you're not a baking dish, don't press too hard. Put the cleanser on your face, not the pad. Keep out of reach of kitties. Mine thought it might be tasty, so I already get to replace it. And I will, tomorrow.
20 out of 20 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Sephora - Face Complexion Brush
benette 11/3/2010 10:03:00 PM
I hate to say it, but I think this is a case of getting what you pay for. When I took this little brush out of the box I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bristles were soft. Unfortunately, they're not soft enough. Once wet, they sort of clump together and get a bit stabby/scratchy. At first it felt ok, but soon it hurt, and my sensitive cheeks (rosacea, yay) were on fire. Also, some of the bristles are splayed and I've only used it the one time. I don't think it would keep its shape for long. If your skin is not as sensitive as mine I suppose it's worth a shot, especially if you're trying to kill your desire to try the Clarisonic since it's only $5. For me, I am surprised to find that I like the Sephora Pore Cleansing Pad much, much more. I thought I'd hate that and love the brush, but it's the other way around for me!
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Nails -Unlisted Brand - Beauty Secrets - Nail Polish Remover Pads
benette 2/6/2010 11:33:00 AM
Well, these suck. It's a felt pad in a foil wrapper, and you get 10 of them in the box. The box claims that one pad will do both of your hands, but I got exactly two nails out of each pad, and that was with me working fast and rubbing really hard. I suppose if you only wear a coat or two of polish and no base or top coats it might go faster for you, but these things evaporate SO fast that I doubt you'd get 10 fingers done then, either. The pad still feels wet when the remover evaporates, but it does nothing so you're rubbing futilely. I bought them to keep at my desk at work to remove my polish if it got badly chipped during the day, but at the rate they work I'll either pass out from the fumes of furiously using 5 of them as fast as possible or lose my job for being in the ladies room for 6 hours trying to get one pad to work.
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Cleansers -Philosophy - Purity Made Simple (Real Purity Cleanser)
benette 1/11/2010 6:16:00 PM
I really wanted to like this, especially since I heard so much about it being gentle, but it stripped my skin immediately. I became dry and flakey and my rosacea flared badly. I do think it got all of my makeup off though, and I can see how others might like it, but if you have rosacea or dry skin, think twice and get a sample first.
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Mascara -Sephora - Atomic Volume
benette 6/26/2009 10:58:00 PM
Ok, clearly the most recent reviewers are either luckier or more coordinated than I. The one good thing I can say about this mascara is that it's a very deep black, and it can pull off a bit of length. The worst thing about it is the wand. I am a wand-wiper and I *always* wipe off the mascara globs from a wand before I apply, but even though it appeared that I did that well to this wand, it still glooped about 3 pounds of product onto my lashes. Good Lord, this crap was like glue and my lashes clumped together. It took some water on my fingers and several passes with my lash comb before I felt secure enough to blink. I gave it a second shot the next day, wiping even more but got the same thing *and* somehow poked myself which I have done very rarely in my mascara career. This mascara is just too much trouble for me. Onto the next option in my Lash Stash and a definite no to repurchasing.
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Mascara -Stila - multi-effect mascara
benette 6/21/2009 2:11:00 PM
I'm renaming this Multi-Eff'ed mascara, because it is. Full disclosure: I only have the mini from the new Lash Stash. So the brush is curved and I think it's the full-sized brush because it seems a bit too large for the tube. I curled my lashes and applied this mascara and saw....not much, actually. Same with a second coat. Aside from some separating I didn't see anything change at all; no lengthening, no thickening. I have decent lashes to start, so I get some volume from pretty much *any* mascara but this did nothing....until it started to flake. Very few mascaras flake on me, but this did, and almost immediately. It actually continued to flake all night and into the next morning, even though I *thought* I had removed it all. It also smudged within an hour, migrating to my under-eye. I expected this to be decent, like all Stila products. Few actually WOW me, but they're all pretty good, you know? Except for this crap.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shave Products -Unlisted Brand - Pure Silk Shaving Cream by Barbasol
benette 6/15/2009 10:33:00 PM
This is my new favorite product! I used Skintimate for years and years, almost since I started shaving 14 years ago. I switched to using conditioner for the past few months though, because I had an unexplained rash and my derm thought it could be the Skintimate. I didn't love using the conditioner even though it was softening because I had to shave more often, so I wanted an actual shaving product...and I wanted it to be cruelty-free.
Like another reviewer below, I noticed a film with shave gel but I thought it was "moisturizing". Yeah, it's not. Pure Silk is awesome and coats really well (you're not really looking for lather here, people; it's not soap) and I haven't nicked myself even once. I have the Plumeria scent which is lovely, and it was $2.69 at Duane Reade.
And.....it's not tested on animals!!!
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Hair Removal -Gigi - Creme Wax
benette 6/12/2009 10:47:00 AM
(this review is for the wax used in a warmer, not the microwave version)
I bought this wax without checking reviews, which is something I rarely do, so when I got home and saw that everyone before me hated it I almost ran back out and returned it.
I checked Sally Beauty's return policy and decided to give it a shot since I knew I could return it, and I'm glad that I did!
It's definitely not a perfect product, I'll admit.
It *is* kinda runny, as opposed to goopy like most waxes I have tried, but if you just wipe the bottom of your applicator stick on the rim of the pot you'll be fine.
The most important thing about this wax is that it burns at a lower temperature, which means you have less chance of burning yourself. The skin under my arms is so sensitive that it's almost always red and puffy for a good day and a half after waxing, and with this I was only slightly pink for about 6 hours. I did have to go back a tweeze a few strays, but I've never *not* had to do that, since I have follicles that sprout two hairs at a time. I did have to tweeze *less* than when I was using regular wax, which I wasn't expecting.
As with any wax, you need to use baby oil afterwards to make sure that you've removed all of the traces of the wax.
Overall it was *not* expensive for the amount you receive, I didn't burn myself, it removed almost every hair and I will definitely be repurchasing whenever I manage to run out.
Oh, and for the record.....I waxed my bikini line too, and that worked out great!
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Crème -Milani - Smooth Finish Makeup
benette 5/19/2009 10:14:00 PM
First I want to point out that it's called Smooth Finish Cream to Powder, so there are actually a couple of P'ville listings for this.
I have combo skin with rosacea redness. This hasn't irritated my rosacea, so there's it's first lippie.
I've been looking for a non-drying cream foundation at a good price for awhile. I always thought of cream as being for drier or combo skins, yet everything is marketed as "cream to powder" and almost all that I've tried have dried to a chalky finish on me.
Milani has not! It hasn't made me oily either. I've had it for about 10 days now, and I've used it almost every day. I don't tend to put foundation all over, just on my cheeks if they're red, around my nose and on my chin if it's red as well. It's worn well and I haven't had to reapply. There is not a huge range and I was skeptical that Buff 09 would work for me (NC15-ish, perfect match is Px Real Ecru) but the girls below were right, it does! The package is a little bit crappy, but for the price I don't care.
Also, so you know, the product shows up lighter on your skin than in the pan. For $7 it's great. I'll update if needed!
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Masks -LUSH - Catastrophe Cosmetic
benette 5/18/2009 7:41:00 PM
Rosacea Girls, listen up!
THIS. IS. IT. No, seriously. I don't use anything prescription, I use this. Actually, this stuff works so well I barely even need it any more! I keep a pot on hand at almost all times, because my triggers are spicy foods (which I love) wine (which I love) heat and air conditioning (which I need) and stress.
SO. Here's what happened the first time I used it. I cried. Yeah, you heard me. I am lame, and I cried. Because my skin hadn't been not-red in years, and I had forgotten that it could be. My husband went "WOAH. Damn baby". Because he hadn't seen me not red....well, ever. It can be a tad drying, true. And if you don't rinse well you may see a chalky cast, but that comes off. And it's WORTH it. If they dc this I will truly perish.
I keep my rosacea under control, my combo skin on the normal side and my blackheads at bay using my own personal regimen of LUSH products, but this is the go-to, emergency product for sure. I even rec'd it to an MUAer who got burned by a chemical peel the day of a big event and it worked for her just like it does for me.
ETA: It's fresh and has to be refrigerated, so unfortunately you can only get it in-store.
Please, if you have rosacea, try this. Use it daily for a few days if you don't have the immediate results like I did, and you will see. If I am wrong, you're out $8 bucks. But if I am right.....
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Tarte - Cheek Stains
benette 5/18/2009 7:19:00 PM
Sticky pieces of crap.
I don't know why I keep mine around, really. I do like the colors I have, but only in theory. I keep coming back to them thinking it's me, thinking I suck at the application but no. It's not me, it's them.
They leak, first of all. Seeping, weeping, bleeding, whatever you want to call it, it's weird and also gross. If you don't use one for awhile, when you uncap it little drops of pigment sweat will be on the top. Application is sticky (!) and uneven, though they're fairly easy to blend. They also fade pretty fast. Not a repurchase for me.
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Eye Shadow -Prescriptives - Moonbeam Reflective Eye Color in Golden Arc
benette 5/18/2009 7:07:00 PM
I have to vote "no" on repurchasing because you probably came here thinking to use this as an eyeshadow, right? And for that, it's just kind of "ehh".
The color is nice. It reminds me of a cream form of MAC Vanilla Pigment. Unfortunately it's staying power as an e/s pretty isn't fab; even with primer, I had some creasing after a bit. If you want the actual color from the tube to show (as e/s) you have to apply more than you'd think, and that's when it gets goopy. Also, the doe-foot? Should have stayed for lip glosses only. So as I said, for an e/s, no repurchase. Not really worth the hassle when I can just use Vanilla and not feel so sticky.
However. This makes a nifty little highlighter! I couldn't return it so I had to try to re-purpose it, and voila. For some reason its staying power when off my lid is pretty darned good! I prefer cream highlighters to powders anyway, and this gives me a nicely spreadable golden-white-ish sheen. It looks really nice over blush, too, and it hasn't made me break out! So as a highlighter, I would repurchase it!
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Eyeliner -Prescriptives - Deluxe Eye Pencil
benette 5/18/2009 6:57:00 PM
I'm not really sure WHY I bought this in Brunette when I didn't like the black one, but I did. I was hoping it would be my HG tightline pencil, but no. This thing is gone within maybe 2 hours, and leaves yicky eye-corner boogery things in its wake, and that is NOT a problem I tend to have! If you're looking to line your waterline or to tightline, look elsewhere.
I suppose it would be fine to use to line ABOVE your lashline with, but only for a smudgy line because it's got little staying power. Also, you should probably have dryish lids. .Lastly, the cap on the smudger end comes off too easily, and I lost it within 2 days. This will be relegated to living in my "emergency m/u" bag in my car. I wouldn't repurchase this.
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Eyeliner -MAC - Liquidlast Liner - Aqualine
benette 5/18/2009 6:50:00 PM
If you have brown eyes, you need Aqualine. My review could really end right there.
I am NOT a fan of liquid liners so I was hesitant to buy this and it took me some time before I caved. The brush inside the cap is pretty useless; I use the SK bent e/s brush to take product off it or from the inside rim and apply it with that. A little goes a VERY long way, so cap this tightly and you'll have it a long time.
It wears like cement, too. You'll want a good remover on hand to get this off, or if you suck at liquid liner like I do, to clean up a shaky line. The color is a perfect turquoise that really stands out, so if you want an easy look that's eye catching but not "untalented MAC SA" looking, try this: a champagne e/s wash, a nice line of Aqualine right above your lash line and loads of mascara!
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Palettes -Urban Decay - Urban Ammo Eye Palette
benette 5/18/2009 6:44:00 PM
This was my very first pre-made e/s palette. Packaging first, I love that it's flat and slim, and magnetic. Now on to the e/s...
I have to admit, I haven't used them all. As mentioned below, Polyester Bride is a pretty specific shade of glittery white, so I have only used it once to lighten a too-dark e/s I had already applied. I haven't used Oil Slick (glittery black) or Grifter (sparkly lilac) either, but they seem very nice. I love the color of Maui Wowie but the fallout is usually more than I care to bother with.
The others, Sin, Smog, Mildew, Chopper, Shattered and Last Call all get used fairly regularly, and in that order. Sin and Smog are HG for me, and that combo is usually my "go-to" e/s look.
The colors are true to pan, last long, blend VERY well (even over primer) and are generally just really good quality. It's a really good value for the money! For reference I have brown eyes, fair skin and medium-dark hair.
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