Eyeliner -MAC - Liquidlast Liner - Coco Bar
bettybrown 1/11/2011 3:36:00 PM
This is a standard brown eyeliner color. Not black-brown, not reddish brown, but just the typical brown eyeliner color. Which is what I was looking for!. Much has been written about its staying power so I won't reiterate except to say that it really does remove easily with oil, but it lasts perfectly through sleeping, swimming, sweating, crying, etc. You have a while to work with it, I would say a good 5-10 seconds, so it is not as if every time you touch your lids you are stuck with the outcome. I am a busy hausfrau with active kids and a DH with little patience for female-type activities in the bathroom, and was looking for something semi-permanent because I was actually beginning to consider permanent makeup (I know, yikes) due to never having any peace to do makeup in the mornings. I was tired of trying to carefully line my eyes with kids hanging off my legs, and yes, I am vain enough to want to look put together for school drop offs in the early morning. So for me, to be able to apply this at night and then get up and go in the mornings is convenient. (I only line in the lash line so it is not as if I am sleeping on a full eye! I will update if I notice any adverse effects from this!) I like to line right in my lash line and the brush is too wide, but if you get the MAC 210 brush, it is a cinch to apply. You can clean your brush easily with oil. The 210 is just perfect for making an ultrathin line: strong enough to hold up to pressure, but feathery and light enough to draw a tiny line. The longer handle and thin design make it easy to hold, which is why I am not taking off a lippie for MAC not having a good brush in the eyeliner itself. IMO there is no way they could sell a good brush for this product integrated into the tube! To me the price is worth it. Unless you use really, really heavy eyeliner, I don't think you'll ever use up this tube. This is really HG material!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -MAC - Liquidlast Liner - Point Black
bettybrown 1/11/2011 3:34:00 PM
This is a true black liquid liner. Much has been written about its staying power so I won't reiterate except to say that it really does remove easily with oil, but it lasts perfectly through sleeping, swimming, sweating, crying, etc. You have a while to work with it, I would say a good 5-10 seconds, so it is not as if every time you touch your lids you are stuck with the outcome. I am a busy hausfrau with active kids and a DH with little patience for female-type activities in the bathroom, and was looking for something semi-permanent because I was actually beginning to consider permanent makeup (I know, yikes) due to never having any peace to do makeup in the mornings. I was tired of trying to carefully line my eyes with kids hanging off my legs, and yes, I am vain enough to want to look put together for school drop offs in the early morning. So for me, to be able to apply this at night and then get up and go in the mornings is convenient. (I only line in the lash line so it is not as if I am sleeping on a full eye! I will update if I notice any adverse effects from this!) I like to line right in my lash line and the brush is too wide, but if you get the MAC 210 brush, it is a cinch to apply. You can clean your brush easily with oil. The 210 is just perfect for making an ultrathin line: strong enough to hold up to pressure, but feathery and light enough to draw a tiny line. The longer handle and thin design make it easy to hold, which is why I am not taking off a lippie for MAC not having a good brush in the eyeliner itself. IMO there is no way they could sell a good brush for this product integrated into the tube! To me the price is worth it. Unless you use really, really heavy eyeliner, I don't think you'll ever use up this tube. This is really HG material!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -Kerastase - Chroma Thermique
bettybrown 1/31/2010 3:31:00 PM
This is a wonderful product, and I have been using it for months. Now I'm on my second bottle of it. I have shoulder length, very thick, straightish/somewhat wavy (depends on the weather), untreated, undyed hair. Yes I know this is for colored hair, but it's great for everyone IMO. I use no conditioner, and a Redken shampoo (the dandruff one, I am a little embarrassed to say - but it is a fantastic shampoo for anyone, by the way). I usually blow dry my hair with a paddle brush. I usually have trouble with silicones, especially since I live in an area with very hard water. But this stuff never built up on me. I make sure to thoroughly wash my hair (but I am not scouring it and my shampoo is gentle). I do have a technique for applying it though: I use about a teaspoon, and I have A LOT of shoulder length hair, so a little goes a long way. I flip my head over and apply it all over the ends everywhere, so actually more product is going on my hair underneath. Then I flip my head up and distribute whatevery left on my hands on the top hair. Bottom line, this stuff gives me shine, wonderful slip, and despite this winter of freezing temps and dry, cold air (it has been 2 months since we were above freezing here in Germany), I am not getting the usual static that I get every year. I recently had my haircut at a top salon, and their top stylist told me my hair was in excellent condition even though I had not had it cut in 5 months. She said she could tell I use Kerastase. It is crazy expensive, but given the outcome, it's worth it for me!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -Clairol - Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner
bettybrown 6/9/2006 9:30:00 AM
I wish they would bring this stuff back in the old version! As caartist noted below, there have been changes to this conditioner since Procter and Gamble bought the Clairol brand. First, they made it into a cheap heavily silicone-based conditioner, and now they seem to have discontinued it altogether. In case they ever bring it back, I am reviewing the OLD formula here. This is the formula that Clairol used back when Clairol did not belong to P&G. This was a magnificent conditioner - smelled great, worked wonders, very little silicone, and was very inexpensive. My hair was always silky and extremely shiny after using this. There was also an intensive treatement that was even better, but that has been discontinued as well. I stocked up on the old version when they changed the formula, and am at the end of my last bottle now. : ( For comparison here are the OLD ingredients of the CONDITIONER: water, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl esters, behentrimonium chloride, panthenol, vaccinum myrtillus extract, saccharum officinarum (sugar cane) extract, hydrolyzed wheat protein, citrum medica limonum (lemon) fruit extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, hydrolyzed elastin, reinyl palmitate, acer saccarinum (sugar maple) extract, linoleic acide, amodimethicone, cetrimonium chloride, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, cyclomethicone, dimethicone copolyol, citric acid, peg-35 caster oil, fragrance, trideceth-12, polysorbate 20, disodium edta, phytantriol, sodium pca, methylparaben, propylparaben, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylsothiazolinone. And here are the OLD ingredients of the INTENSIVE TREATEMENT: water, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl esters, behentrimonium chloride, panthenol, vaccinum myrtillus extract, saccharum officanarum (sugar cane) extract, hydrolyzed wheat protein, citrus medica limonum (lemon) fruit extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, hydrolyzed elastin, retinyl palmitate, acer saccharinum (sugar maple) extract, linoleic acid, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, magnesium aluminum silicate, frangance, cetrimonium chloride, amodimethicone, xanthan gum, dimethicone copolyol, cyclomethicone, citric acid, stearyl alcohool, peg-35 caster oil, polysorbate 20, phytantriol, trideceth-12, disodium edta, sodium pca, methylparaben, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylsisothiazolinone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Vichy - Dercos Anti-pelliculaire (anti-dandruff)
bettybrown 6/9/2006 9:08:00 AM
I would use this shampoo even if I wasn't limited to scalp shampoos - that is my highest endorsement! This is great stuff. I've tried everything, and I mean everything, on the market for my seborrheic dermatitis. I tried this based on the reviews here, and I am so happy with this shampoo. I have mid-back length, fine (but lots of it), straight, undyed/unprocessed hair. I only shampoo at the roots and let the shampoo rinse through my hair when I rinse it out. I've seen this shampoo sold under the name Dercap and Dercos, but they are the same thing. This review is for the formula for "dry dandruff." The shampoo will give you that squeaky clean which made me afraid that it would strip my hair, but this stuff actually made my hair silky and shiny. It's actually a terrific shampoo, which is why I said I'd use it even if I didn't need a scalp shampoo, especially when compared with the other detergent-like scalp shampoos on the market, which stripped my hair and left it limp and lifeless. I usually try to avoid silicones, which build up (as Neutrogena T-Sal does), but this one works. The best part is, this stuff works against the dandruff/seborrheic dermatitis. I was having a horrible outbreak when I started this, so it took 2 weeks for me to see a real improvement, instead of the 1 week stated on the box. However, the itching stopped immediately. Now, 2 weeks later, I can scratch my head without having any snow. I am thrilled! Finally, I don't have to frantically brush my clothes as soon as I flick my hair off my shoulders! It smells nice and clean, but is not a strong smell at all. The shampoo is bright orange because of the selenium sulfide, but it does not stain anything in the shower or on your body. Finally, the bottle is nice and sturdy, easy to get the product out, with a good cap for travel. I wash every day with this shampoo and use Freeman's Papaya conditioner or 3 minute deep conditioner. The ingredients are: water, sodium laureth sulfate, glycerin, coco-betaine, dimethicone, cetyl alcohol, hydroxystearyl cetyl ether, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, butylparaben, carbomer, dmdm hydantion, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, phenoxyethanol, ppg-6-ceteth-20, propylene glycol, propylparaben, sodium hypochlorite, sodium methylparaben, fragrance.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Sephora - Most complete lip balm
bettybrown 11/1/2005 5:17:00 AM
After a few days of being excited about this product, now it's just ho-hum. It's a lip balm, but no HG lip balm. It comes in a little black and white tub, tingles a little because of the menthol, and is nice and smooth, but doesn't do anything more than a plain old Blistex or Chapstick. It says it plumps your lips because of the soy, but it doesn't. There's better things out there on the market. The ingrediants are: Petrolatum, PEG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether, PPG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Paraffin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Manigfera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Glycine Soya (Soybean) Sterols, Parfum (Fragrance), Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Vegetable oil, Menthyl PCA, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Menthol, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dipropylene Gylcol, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Clean & Clear - Oil Absorbing Sheets
bettybrown 9/30/2005 8:16:00 AM
I have to add my rave to the already glowing reviews for this product. Wow. How do these work? They are bright blue plastic-y sheets, with no odor. I thought that all blotting sheets were the same, but these are like no other I've tried. They don't leave any powder, tint or oil-masking talc or silicone on your face, they just wipe the oil away. When you touch your face afterwards, you don't feel anything but clean skin. Amazing. I should mention that I don't use any foundation or powders, and like this product especially because it doesn't leave anything on my skin. I love these so much I'd be willing to pay more than the drugstore price! Totally worth it.
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Moisturizers -Dr. Hauschka - Quince Day Cream
bettybrown 9/13/2005 6:39:00 AM
This product might be good for the winter or as a night cream, but even at 31, it's still too heavy for me. If this is the lightest of all the day creams, I would never try the others! It is most definately a cream, not a lotion or simple moisturizer. It does leave a film on your face. However due to the natural ingredients, it doesn't break you out. The ingredients are: water, apricot oil, extracts from clover and quince seeds, alcohol, extracts from carrot, glycerin, shea butter, almond oil, olive oil, cetearyl alcohol, avocado oil, extracts from okra leaves, jojoba oil, bee wax, quince wax, lecithin, bentonite, extracts from witch hazel, citral, citronellol, geraniol, limonene, linalool, farnesol, benzyl benzoate, oakmoss lichen oil, xanthan gum.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Dr. Hauschka - Quince Body Lotion
bettybrown 9/13/2005 6:21:00 AM
A very nice daily moisturizer. This spreads well, sinks in quickly, and leaves you moisturized all day without that tacky feeling that other lotions leave behind. Because of the natural ingredients, this works better than lotions full of silicones and waxes. The glass bottle is not as impractical as you'd think, and it's easy to get the product out. The ingredients are: water, extracts from quince seeds, alcohol, extracts from blackthorn fruit and flowers, peanut oil, extract from sage leaves, glycerin, olive oil, extracts from carrots, lecithin, jojoba oil, citral, citronellol, limonene, geraniol, linalool, benzyl benzoate, silica, xanthan gum, algin.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Aveeno - CLEAR COMPLEXION CORRECTION TREATMENT [DISCONTINUED]
bettybrown 9/13/2005 6:05:00 AM
First off, I am a 31 year old with oily skin and I use a pea-sized amount AM and PM. This product is perfect for me right now, but it would have been way too heavy for me at 20. If you need something that will soak up oil, and kind of dry you out, this is not for you. That said, this product really does what it says it does. I like the fresh smell (which fades pretty quickly) and the fact that it is not greasy at all, yet it really does moisturize all day. I notice that my skin tone has evened out, and any pimples that I do get do not leave marks (tho I don't break out too much at my old age). I really appreciate that it is not full of the silicones that most products have which "even out" your skin tone by simply hiding it under a layer of silicone. The price is high for a drugstore brand, but I have been using it for 3 weeks and have only used about 1/3 of the tube, so it is worth it. All in all, a good quality moisturizer which also staves off and heals zits.
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Lip Treatments -Fusion Beauty - LipFusion Lip Plumping Gloss
bettybrown 9/12/2005 4:36:00 PM
I really want this to work, and maybe it does...just a little. It's a nice slightly pearly gloss with a light orangey smell, and the bottle and applicator are great. But, I'm not so sure it works that well. It makes your lips a little numb, which reminds me of getting novicain at the dentist, and I wonder if it just makes my lips seem a little "plumper" because the muscles around my lips are all numb, and I'm just pouting? That said, the effect does last longer than the gloss, and it is a cumulative effect.
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Conditioner -Freeman - Papaya and mango massive moisture 3 minute conditioner
bettybrown 4/30/2005 3:47:00 PM
Another great product from this line. I use this once a week as a deep condition, and use the papaya and lime conditioner during the rest of the week. This has some silicones, but they are far down on the list and the actual moisture is coming from botanicals. This soaks in well, smells great (fruity, but it fades after rinsing), really moisturizes all day, and does not weigh hair down. Overall a winner. The ingrediants are: water, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearalkonium chloride, panthenol, magnifery indica (mango) fruit extract, macrocystis pyrifera (kelp) extract, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, cocos nucifera (coconut) extract, elaeis guineensis (palm) oil, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, cyclomethicone, dimethicone, amodimethicone, thedeceth-12, behentrimonium chloride, cetrimonium chloride, propylene glycol, dmdm hydantoin, disodium edta, propylparaben, methylparaben, fragrance.
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Conditioner -Freeman - Papaya and lime overboard shine conditioner
bettybrown 4/30/2005 3:41:00 PM
What a great product, and all this for only $2.99! This conditioner works well, works fast, smells great (fruity, but not too strong and it fades after rinsing), is full of botanicals, and moisurizes and creates shine without weighing hair down with silicones. The picture on the bottle always puts me in a good mood too. It's a little hard to find in stores, but well worth it. I like it so much that this has replaced my Kerastase chroma reflex mask - at least during the summer - which is a welcome respite for my checkbook. For this price, you can really afford to give it a try. In fact, it's so great, I can't understand why there aren't more raving reviews on here yet! The ingrediants are: Water, cetyle alcohol, panthenol, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, cirtrus aurantifolia (lime) fruit, cocos nucifera (coconut) extract, macrocystis pyrifera (kelp) extract, coamidopropylbetaine, stearalkonium chloride, peg-75 lanolin, polysorbate 60, stearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, glycerin, propylene glycol, dmdm hydantoin, propylparaben, methylparaben, fragrance. 9-MONTH UPDATE: I am still using this daily, which is remarkable for me. My hair is shiny, non-staticy, and nice and bouncy since there's no buildup. My back remains completely, totally clear, so I guess it was all the silicones that were breaking me out once in a while. Great conditioner! YET ANOTHER UPDATE: It's now been 14 months and I am STILL using this daily. It's a record for me. This stuff is my true HG!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -L'Oreal - L'oreal Visible Results Eye
bettybrown 4/30/2005 3:33:00 PM
It's interesting what LouLouC wrote, and it makes me think that the European formula is indeed different. I bought this in Germany, and it comes in a slim tube and is a matte yellow color with no sparkles, shimmer or perfume. So far, I really like this! It brightens my eye area (although I don't have a big problem with dark circles in the first place), sink in well, moisturizes with no irritation, and there's silicone in it to mask the look of wrinkles and crows feet. All around one of the better eye creams I've tried!
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Treatments -Kerastase - Kerastase Reflection Chroma Reflect Rich Radiance-Enhancing Masque
bettybrown 2/11/2005 5:37:00 AM
This is an absolute HG. I have been using Kerastase's Oleo-Relax masque until this came out, and now I am a convert. This stuff is amazing and I cannot rave enough! It is actually meant for "very sensitised colour-treated hair", but it works wonders on my uncolored hair. I have straight, fine (but lots of it), bra strap length hair. I use a little bit of this every time I shampoo as it is Winter right now and I need the moisture, but for summer there is a conditioner in this line that I will switch to. The product is rosy, comes in a little pot, smells fruity-sweet (but the smell fades), and you only need a little to get good results. It does everything the Oleo-Relax masque does, ie. makes my hair glossy, detangled, no frizz or static flyaways, but best of all, it's lightweight, so my roots aren't going flat. As soon as you work it into your hair in the shower you feel the silkiness. The bad news is the price tag - it sells for €30 here in Germany. Because you use so little at a time, it is somewhat jusitifiable, but only somewhat. The ingrediants are: Water, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Quaternium-87, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Candelillacera/Candelilla Wax, Methylparaben, Trideceth-6-Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Red 33, Fragrance. UPDATE: Since I have discovered the Freeman conditioner line, I only use this once a week, or once every two weeks as a deep conditioner after using Aveda's hair detoxifyer. Still love this stuff, but the Freeman stuff is so much less expensive.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No