Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri
bkurant 6/28/2012 9:36:00 PM
i am really surprised by all the positive reviews. i always check ma reviews and for the most part find them very helpful. since so many people love this product, i question why and what am i doing differently. not only this does not dry in 30sec, it does not even dry in 30 minutes! granted, it is summer, so maybe humidity has something to do with it. still - 30 minutes later my polish is as wet as it would be if i used nothing at all. i tried this top coat with opi, nicole, etc with the same bad results. i even tried with sally hansen's polishes (which are not my favs) just to see if this will work better. nope, it does not. will return asap. oh, i bought it a the local walgreens and it was double the price on their website. wtf the good news: while searching for it, i saw a bottle of Out The Door Fast Drying Top Coat, which claimed to be #1. it was cheaper and dried fast with a beautiful shine. now, thats a top coat i might start using instead of insta-dry.
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Top/Base Coats -Unlisted Brand - INM - Out the Door Top Coat
bkurant 6/28/2012 9:23:00 PM
found this at the local drug store while searching for sally hansen's insta-dri no-chip top coat. wow! dries fast with an incredible glass-like shine. easy to use. not too thick, not too thin. i am sure it will get thicker (as they all do) with a frequent use. too early to tell, but it might replace my favorite poche. i tried it on opi polishes and the shine is superior to poche and its not as gloopy. a possible winner :) btw, insta-dry is awful. but thats another review :):)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Torrente- L'Or de Torrente
bkurant 12/28/2011 3:55:00 AM
it smelled rather nice in a small testing tube. good thing i did not splurged on it - it smells simply bad out of the bottle. like an old dusty attic full of long stored linens, ripped blankets and broken toys. someone mentioned it reminded them of the grandmother's home. yes, it does and not in a good way. putting it on you too will smell like a very old woman, someone who bought her mink coat sometimes last century. not the image most of us want to project, n'est pas
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel Innocent
bkurant 12/28/2011 3:45:00 AM
I love the original angel, but sometimes just want something lighter. this is where angel innocent comes in. it is delightful. especially if you dont want to wear heavier perfume in the office or on hot summer days. it it almost like the lighter version of angel, yet unique and wonderful in its own right. people who hate it just do not have the right body chemistry to carry on. sorry for them, but there are so many products on the market, for sure they will find something that works for them. if angel innocent works for you, you will sure be delighted with this truly outstanding scent. everyone who uses it makes it their own. it is like a custom scent without paying over the top. love, love, love
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Salux Nylon Japanese Bath Towel
bkurant 12/11/2011 6:13:00 AM
Amazing, thank you to all the wonderful mua who took time to write about these. I never understood the appeal of the wash cloth - it takes more effort to keep them clean than to actually use them. And the always felt unsanitary too. The puffs look fun and colorful, but do just an average job. And then, there are Salux towels. Wow. We are all in love. At first, i thought of cutting the towel into smaller pieces, but at $3.00 why bother? And it is so much fun to use it on your back even if you have no skin problems there. Try it - so many happy customers cant be wrong. Just make to sure to buy the real thing and not cheap copies at asian markets and 1$ stores. They are not all created equal :)
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel Garden of Stars Rose
bkurant 6/3/2010 10:54:00 PM
i love, love, love the original angel and angel innocent. so, when i saw this beautiful bottle of 'the rose angel', i was eager to try it. sadly, i am beginning to understand all the people who have such strong dislike for angel because that is what angel must smell to them - awful, syrupy mess. this rose angel does not smell of roses (which is a good thing) and has a great staying power, which in this case is a bad thing. could not get rid of the nauseating smell and it gave me a horrible headache too. still, you should give this a try because like angels this works with your body chemistry and if you are lucky, it could work wonders with yours, the way angel was intended to work. best of luck !
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Blush -Stila - Peony Convertible Color
bkurant 2/15/2010 11:29:00 PM
when i first touched it, it seems greesy. but it applies well and staying power is very decent, especially when used in combination with stila bronzer (spf15). i can only used it as a blush, as the color is warm and natural peach on my pale skin. however, it is not any good for lips - does not show any color on my naturally pink lips, yet manages to dry them out. overall, a nice blush for cold winter and dry indoor air. as always with stila, the packaging is sturdy and looks good in your hand. if it is as good in summertime, will definately buy it again.
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Lip Gloss -Stila - Brown Sugar Lipglaze
bkurant 2/15/2010 11:21:00 PM
very rarely is there a product that looks so different on different people. based on all the mua reviews, the glaze color very much depends on your natural lip color - it can show up anywhere from clear to deep brown with purple undertones. on my natually pink lips, it is a beautiful caramel color with very subtle sparkles. it feels sticky, but staying power is the best of all the glosses i have ever tried. as for packaging - the brush is fine and easy to use. just hate the clicking sound and the way it distributes the gloss. you either have no glaze, or too much, which can then applies in uneven patches. overall, a very good for a lip gloss. only with it came in a simple, sturdy tube with a brush. stila, you can do it; we know you can
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Eyeliner -Stila - Kajal Eye Liner in Onyx
bkurant 2/15/2010 10:27:00 PM
this eyeliner glides like a dream and has an amazing staying power... sounds good, right? NO NO NO once its on, it does not budge and refuses to be smudged on upper lids. yet, it smudges in all the the wrong places - like under your eyes, on the sides, in black little patches of smudges... not a good look, unless you are going for that horror flick 'victim' look. too bad, as stila products are of high quality in general. oh well: you win some, you loose some. this one is a looser.
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Lotions/ Creams -Burt's Bees - Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme
bkurant 1/11/2010 1:27:00 AM
oy, what a smell - awful. at first it seems nice, but leaves behind very strong, migrane-inducing smell that is worst that most toilet cleaners at the discount store. also does nothing to mositurize hands. there are zillions hand cremes out there at all price ranges. 1$ vaseline with a drop of your favorite essential oil will do much better job. as with all burt's products pseudo-natural image is missleading. if petrolium is not your thing, you can still safe $$ by simply buying sweet almond oil at any health food store.
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Tools -La Cross - Crystal Nail File
bkurant 1/10/2010 10:36:00 PM
Wow, wow, wow Thanks to everyone who reviewed these crystal nail files. I have seen them many times before, but would have never bought 1 without your input. After using it for the first time, i realized why I disliked doing manicure at home - it was because I was filing nails with those g-awful emery boards or metal files. Never again. La Gross crystal nail files are the best. Just hope that they will last :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - rosehip seed oil
bkurant 2/15/2009 3:44:00 AM
long ago i bought this oil from mountainroseherbs after reading about its wonderful anti-aging qualities. its ok, yet did not do much for my sensitive skin. there was no difference between using and skipping it. plus: it feels nice when applied, absorbs quickly, causes on irritation (which is rare), does not cause any w/bheads. minus: it does nothing, nada, surely no substitute for vit c serum, retin-a, acids etc
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Unlisted Brand - Monistat - Chafing Relief Powder-Gel
bkurant 2/15/2009 3:29:00 AM
after reading all the wonderful reviews, i was sadden to find out how bad this powder-gel was for my sensitive skin. i bought it for use with my newly discovered mineral foundation. not only it did nothing to make the foundation fresher (my pf foundation looks fresh all day anyway, thank you very much) - it started settling into my skin, creating deep lines where i have no lines. it was making my face look crinkly. as if that was not bad enough, it then broke my skin in red patches. once i stopped using monistat and continue simply using foundation over good lotion, all these problems went away. monistat might be good for oily and combination skin, but for those with very sensitive skin, it is better left for bikini area only
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -RoC - Retinol Correction Deep Wrinkle Serum
bkurant 2/12/2009 12:50:00 AM
the first time i tried it, the result was good. my skin looked clear and smooth. but then the old problems came back and no matter how many times i apply this serum - it produces no visible improvements. it too bad, as i like using this serum. it feels good applying and does not irritate very sensitive skin, even around eyes. i like the consistency and a cute golden bottle, but just cannot justify spending $22 (without tax) on a product that does so little.
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Cleansers -Alpha Hydrox - Nourishing Cleanser with Microbeads
bkurant 2/12/2009 12:42:00 AM
i have very sensitive, somewhat dry skin and this cleanser made it extremly tight. not in a good way, but very uncomfortably tight. i felt as if i even think of smiling, my skin would rip. i found it at the local store at 50% off and feel bad, but have no choice - it is going back. hopefully, it can work for someone with more normal to oily skin.
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