Foundations -Cover Girl - Covergirl and Olay Tone Rehab 2 in 1 Foundation
bluebirdie_ca 2/13/2013 10:16:00 PM
The acne treatment from my dermatologist is making my skin peel. No amount of cream and serum helps my usual foundation. So I purchased this in place of my usual foundation for oily skin. My skin likes it because after cleansing off the makeup, my face does not feel so dehydrated. It last a whole day on my cheek and forehead. It lasted about 3 hours on my oily t-zone which is not bad for this kind of foundation. For quality along, I would have given this a 5. However, the poor shade selection knock it down to a 3. The shade I purchase is Ivory. It's the lightest shade with pink undertone which peek through the light powder I dusted over it. My face looks like a pink mask above my pale neck. The next shade is way too dark for me. I have had some luck using lighter shades from some department store brands and drugstore brands. As we get older, we don't spend so much time in the sun. And we tend to have a bit more discoloration which may be intensified by pink toned makeup. That's why many of us boomers are switching from a pink toned makeup to neutral/yellow toned makeup as we get older. These companies make these lighter neutral shade because there's a market for it. I think the shade has always been the reason why cover girl was only favored by youngsters. This foundation is apparently attempting to target a wider age group. Yet its shade range does not include a light neutral or light yellow/golden. If Cover Girl can add a few more light neutral or light yellow toned shades, then this foundation would definitely get a higher rating.
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Cleansers -Cetaphil - Daily Facial Cleanser (Normal to Oily Skin)
bluebirdie_ca 3/31/2012 3:38:00 PM
I do not love this cleanser because it does not clean my pores as well as salicylic acid cleansers, and it does not remove makeup as well as cleansing oil or cold cream. My toner cotton pads always come out dirty after using Cetaphil cleanser. I also get seriously clogged pores and breakouts if I use Cetaphil as my only facial cleanser. So I have to include BHA/sulfur cleansers in rotation when I use Cetaphil. So why such a high rating from me? On top of BHA/Sulfur acne products, I also use sonic brush, at home microdermabration, tazorac, retinol, all for acnes. With all these, washing with strong cleansers a few times per day can be irritating especially on more matured skin. So I started using Cetaphil before tazorac, and Cetaphil with sonic brush, and have found my skin does not get as irritated. Cetaphil cleanser does not interfere with other acne fighting products. For this specific purpose, I give this cleanser a rating of 5. And for this purpose, Cetaphil works better than most department store brand cleansers. I started with Cetaphil Gentle cleanser but found it too ineffective. I'm sure that would work for people with more balanced skin. Cetaphil for Norm/oily skin works better for me.
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Skincare - Face -Reviva - Rosewater Facial Spray
bluebirdie_ca 3/31/2012 3:29:00 PM
I have oily t-zone and this has not caused problems for me. However, I lowered the rating to 4 because this contains vegetable oil. If this is oil free, I would have given 5. This is a light spray which I spray and pat in as a toner after cleansing and before serum/moisturizer. I also use it as spray before/after primer, mist on powder, or facial refreshner anytime with or without makeup. It does have a rose scent, though does not linger. The mist is ok for a plastic spray bottle, but requires priming sometimes or else there may be heavy spots (especially when not used for a few days). So before misting powder or makeup, I always shake the bottle, prime the pump by spraying on my neck twice. If you like really fine mist or few ingredient, I suggest Evian. If you don't mind the additional ingredients (included below) and need a multipurpose spray, I recommend Reviva. The bottle states it containing hyaluronic acid but not enough to be on the ingredient list. Ingredients: Distilled rosewater, glycerin, aloe juice, polysorbate 20, tocopheryl acetate, vegetable oil & Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) and Vitamin B (ergocalciferol), fennel (and) hops (and) balm mint (and) mistletoe (and) maticaria (and) yarrow extracts, mallow (and) ivy (and) cucumber (and) sambucus and arnica extracts, trace mineral concentrate, methyl paraben. Free Of Animal ingredients and animal testing.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Ponds - Deep Cleanser Cold Cream
bluebirdie_ca 3/10/2012 10:54:00 PM
I'm not surprised if some people can't use this. When I was young, Ponds clogged my pores. I still avoid Ponds on warm days. However, after using acne products for the past few years, Ponds is gentle for my skin during winter months. I especially need Ponds the morning after using retin-A/tazorac at night, and whenever I take off and reapply my makeup more than once a day. The morning after tazorac, I rub warm towel gently over my face to remove Ponds, and any flakes that may be caused by tazorac. Whenever I need to reapply makeup, I just spread Ponds, wet towel off, then do my face again, lotion optional. On makeup days, I use other waterless makeup remover to precleanse eyes and face first. After that, I spread Ponds cold cream on my face, steam for a few minutes, then wipe off with wet towel. Sometimes I incorporate scrub or at home microdermabration system or sonic brush at the end of this routine with a foaming cleanser. The reason I use steam is because on cool days, hot cloth only stay warm for a second or two. I have been using the Ponds Classis and Ponds Cucumber Cold Cream alternatively. The Cucumber cold cream is lighter and not as oily. While the classic feels heavier, it seems to deep cleanse a little better IMO. In cold winters, I also use Noevir 105 and Signature Club A cleansing cream. They all work fine but can't be purchased locally. Ponds comes in large jars and is readily available in every stores 5 minutes away. Like I said, I couldn't use Ponds when I was young. So if you're like me with skin more matured, give Ponds another try. You may be pleasantly surprised.
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Moisturizers -Clearasil - Ultra Overnight Face Lotion
bluebirdie_ca 3/10/2012 5:04:00 PM
I have been using Clearasil SA 2% moisturizer, then overnight serum, then Overnight Lotion for 5-10 years (I lost track). Though the packaging and names changed, these have been working for me just the same. I use Clearasil SA serum/lotion two nights a week because I need to use antiaging other nights. I use vitamin C serum (skip this if you're young), wait 10 min. Apply clearasil SA serum/moisturizer all over my face, wait for 10 min, then add a heavier moisturizer to my cheeks for antiaging as well as prevent dryness (skip this if you're young with very oily skin). This does make my t-zone looking oily but my skin feels cleaner after washing. This does not stop deep hormonal cysts, nor does it fix blackheads. And it definitely does not fix deep cycstic acnes overnight. But my pores just feel clearer through long term use. If I stop using clearasil BHA for a few weeks, my pores especially on the nose and chin are more conjested. I've tried so many BHA products but not all are made the same. I do use neutrogena BHA cleansers, but their BHA treatment/moisturizer are too harsh for my mature skin. I also tried department store brands but they're too gentle and not effective. Clearasil SA lotion never irritates my skin in their dry nor oily condition and it works. If you find other SA products too harsh, try Clearasil lotion and see if this would work.
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Moisturizers -Lancome - Hydra Zen
bluebirdie_ca 2/13/2012 2:26:00 PM
This is very light weight. I like the jar and the consistency. Like the previous review said, I always use spatula to scoop out cream/lotion in a jar. It is gentle yet hydrating, did not irritate my sensitive combo skin, nor does it turn my face into an oily slick in hot days. It's easily spreadable so a jar last a long time. Although I've used moisturizers that made more difference for me, this moisturizer does make my skin better through long time use. But I want to share one thing about this which is why I only gave it a 3. This is strongly perfumed, and its scent lasts for hours. I wouldn't mind the scent at all if it were not for my face. My sister is a life long Lancome customer and would buy anything Lancome. But I suggest anyone who's never worn this to try this either by visiting the Lancome counter, or get hold of a sample. Know its scent before you buy a large jar. You may love it or hate it.
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Lip Treatments -Carmex - LipBalm
bluebirdie_ca 1/29/2012 7:03:00 PM
20 years ago, I couldn't use the Carmex balm due to my oily skin. But after fighting acne for 7 years, my lips become so dehydrated from all the cleansers, Carmex lip balm ointment is the balm that works best for me for the past three years. I carry it with me all day and night and apply it whenever my lips are dry. This balm is more emollient than my old favorite (Noevir lip conditioner ). Yet it is not as emollient than balms containing high VERY % of lanolin (those gave me boils). However, it's oily enough it does cause milia around the corners of my mouth. I use Neutrogena microdermabration system once a week to smooth them out. It's not perfect, but it is very effective.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Powder Brush
bluebirdie_ca 1/27/2012 9:26:00 PM
I am writing this review for ELF Studio Powder Brush as a liquid foundation brush. I have not tried using this for powder. These brushes apply liquid foundation better than all of my foundation brushes and sponges combined. When I have time, I first spread foundation thickly on the back of my hand so I can get fdn evenly onto the brush. Then I stipple the foundation over my face. If I get too much foundation in one area, I swirl the brush to spread it out. In areas where I have huge pores, stippling helps to avoid the look of the void. These are dense brushes. And the creamy fdn I use make these hard to clean. I have a few brush cleaners but found none of them get these brushes really clean. At this point, this mix works best: 1 part of salicylic acid faciall wash (because this is always on my sink) 1 part of gentle dish washing detergent 1 part of shampoo enough water to soak the brush heads (not over the plastic) I stir the mixture, soak these brushes in the mixture for 30 min, rub the brush between my fingers, then rinse with warm water really well. These brushes also takes a while to dry. In a crunch, I use Clean&Clear makeup removing foam cleanser or Castile soap to clean these and it works ok though not the best. I try to wash these brushes after each use because my foundation looks better when applied with fresh brushes. I have a few of these in rotation so I can wash a few in a batch. After hundreds of washing, these never bleached. The ones I got from Target held up extremely well. A few I ordered from the elf online shed a few hairs in the beginning. None of these ever fell of their handle. I guess I got lucky.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Aquaphor - Baby - Healing Ointment
bluebirdie_ca 12/26/2011 9:04:00 PM
I rate this ointment excellent, yet poor quality control on packaging. Recently I purchased the Aquaphor Baby ointment in the tube for traveling because my favorite foot balms either comes in metal tins or glass jars. And I thought a tube should be more sanitary, especially when traveling. When receiving the ointment, I found it feel light in the hand for a 3oz tube. After removing the shrink wrap, I wanted to try it so I squeezed, and squeezed, .... turned out more than 2/3 of the tube was air. There is about less than 1 oz of ointment in a 3oz tube (my precision scale confirmed that even with the heavy plastic cover on). I think the quality of the ointment is good. But the quality control on packaging sure is lacking. It's too much hassle for me to mail it back. But if a parent is purchasing this for their baby, I recommend weighing it by hand to get a feel first and make sure you get a good one. Those baby bottoms may not like to hear "Oh I bought an empty tube of Auqaphor!" while vacationing in a remote area! EDIT 3/10/2012 After using this for a while, I'm upping the rating to 3. I've been using this on my feet, hands, lips, and minor scratches or dry/peeling skin on my face and body. And it works. I would give the product itself 5. But I could not change it higher due to the original quality control issue in regards to a empty tube. Next time I will purchase the large tub because I'm finding this ointment very useful and its plastic packaging great for at home and traveling use.
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Single in Brulee
bluebirdie_ca 11/6/2011 11:30:00 PM
This is my first Wnw product. I was looking for a light matte, not white, not pink, just light neutral. Purchased Brulee based on the rave reviews on MUA. It is not as good as Mac but it is smooth application and good quality. If the color worked, then I might have loved this. I don't even mind the simple package it comes in. However, like the review from Tinkerbell below, Brulee does not show up on my skin at all. I am between warm and cool and can usually wear the lightest shade of either warm or cool liquid foundation. I tried to use Brulee on different part of my face, with or without primer, it just doesn't show. There's nothing wrong with Burlee except it clashes with my color. Overall, it's a very decent eyeshadow.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - Bag Balm
bluebirdie_ca 11/6/2011 11:13:00 PM
This review is for using a bag balm as a foot balm since I only use it on my feet. Since I started walking (a lot), my feet became so dry I could no longer wear sandals. I've tried many things from high end department store creams to Vaseline. So far only two things really work for my feet: Bag Balm, and Anew Gold/Ult night cream. I've been using both on my feet for years and am very happy with the result. I slather the balm/cream on at night, wrap them, then cotton socks over the saran wrap. Do this often my feet are baby soft as they were and should be. I am not a snub when it comes to cosmetics and skin care.That said, the comparison of these two products would not sound so out of place. The bag balm comes in a tin. For 10 oz, it's usually around 7-10 bucks. What I like about this is it's gentle. It's an antibiotic, heavy lanolin cream. The shortcoming is the tin it comes in. On warm days, oil seeps out of the tin and leave a square oily ring. It's best to keep a tray/CD under the tin. It's also greasy, but I don't mind because it works! The Anew comes in a nice jar. For 1.7oz, it's less then $35. When my feet are really dry, Anew works faster (like overnight). One thing that posts a problem for me is if I spend time outdoors in sandals after a night in Anew, my feet would get tan easily (skin is more sensitive to sun after wearing AHA products) and bear strap marks. Not pretty! Putting sunblock on feet is no use when the sandal straps just rub it off. I live in California where sun is plentiful. Also when my heels are cracked, it stings when I put on Anew. So as much as I love Anew on my feet, I found myself using Bag Balm on my feet most of the time. I hope Bag Balm will always be available because my feet depend on it.
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Cleansers -Clean & Clear - Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser
bluebirdie_ca 11/6/2011 10:31:00 PM
I usually buy CnC products when I have a acne outbreak, then discard them after my skin gets back to normal. However, the CnC makeup removing/dissolving foaming cleanser is one that I never threw away. I could be mistaken, but I think the old foam is called makeup removing. The new makeup dissolving foam has slight ingredient variation, but same great product. I like both and gave both of them the same rating. This foaming cleanser is great at removing regular makeup when used with a wet wash cloth. To prevent overdrying my eye area and cheeks, I always use toner and moisturizer after washing with this cleanser. Sometimes when using a cleansing/melting cream or cleansing oil, I would wipe off the cream/oil with a wet cloth, then use this foam as the final cleansing. Even though I don't usually use this to wash my face when my skin is normal, I found another use for this. I wash my liquid foundation brush daily after each use and sometimes they're a beast to clean. This foaming cleansing does a decent job, and work better than some brush cleaners. I hope Clean n Clear will always have similar products like this available since so many people seem to like it.
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Eye Shadow -Elizabeth Arden - Eyeshadow
bluebirdie_ca 10/13/2011 3:11:00 PM
My love for Arden must stop at their skin care and parfume. Because these eyeshadows are simply not the best. I have tried so many eyeshadow high and low and the Arden eyeshadow palette are one of the worst. They're not the finest powder. They don't have the smoothest application. They have one of the worst pigmentation. I'm not sure how nice the colors are because it's hard for them to show up. I thought abut scrapping them out and use them like loose powder shadow to pile on my lids, but then why bother when there're so many better shadow out there and in my drawer. I love a few Arden skin care products but that's where I should draw the line.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Avon - Moisture effective Eye makeup remover
bluebirdie_ca 10/7/2011 11:02:00 PM
To be honest, I prefer removing eye makeup with Lancome Galateis Clarte, Noevir, and sometimes Mary Kay oil-free eye makeup remover (I prefer not to write much about Noevir and Mary Kay due to their sales channel but they make some good products which I use for decades) . However, sometimes these run low and I don't like to order just one item. That's why I always stock up on the Avon Moisture Effective eye makeup remover as backup. As an eye makeup remover, it does its job. I always do eye makeup remover twice, no matter how good and whichever brand they are. I use either a cotton pad or fingers to spread this light lotion, then wipe off. After doing this twice, I do the whole face with either cleansing oil or cream including the eyes. My cleansing oil and cream always comes out clean in the eye area. So I'd say this light lotion removes just about everything I put on my eyes with two applications. I don't use waterproof mascara much so can't speak to that. The Avon Moisture Effective never irritate my eyes. Whenever I get new order in, I also use this as a whole face makeup remover in order to use up old bottles. I do use a foaming facial cleanser last because of my oily and acne-prone skin. Overall, a great eye makeup remover for the price. I would definitely reorder these, always, as long as the formula stays effective for me.
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Liquid -Ulta - Fab Face Foundation SPF 15
bluebirdie_ca 9/23/2011 3:00:00 PM
I purchased this on my very first Ulta visit. Tried to ask Ulta customer service girl bout this at the counter but she was too busy and told me she simply doesnt know about this foundation. I usually get better service at department stores and drugstores than that. So I grab the Fab Face without much thinking. The foundation seems to seperate a little and does not sink in when applied on top of the Eucerin SPF30 for face. I tried it over some other moisturizer with and without SPF, the same thing. It also does not cover well. And it turned shinning soon, despite being oil-free. After using this for a few days, I dumped the liquid foundation and kept the pump bottle for other foundations. The good news is it never broke me out. And the lightest shade is actually light enough for m, quite neutral with no obvious pink or yellow. Ulta got the shade right. For that, I give it a 1.
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