Powder -Hourglass - Ambient Lighting Powder
brittanymarkle 4/22/2013 4:13:00 PM
I have to assume there is some kind of witchcraft going on here because I don't understand how this product can be this magical! I am not one to spend a lot on powder because I feel like powder is powder - but this is not powder. It is like airbrushing your face - evening out the tone and texture and adding the perfect amount of colour and luminosity (I use it in place of a bronzer because I have fair skin). As other reviewers mentioned, I definitely recommend using this IN ADDITION to a setting powder as it does little to control oil and your tzone will be shiny if you use this alone. But man oh man, I've never seen anything like it.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -Alba Botanica - Alba Botanica Very Emollient Natural Sunless Tanner
brittanymarkle 1/26/2012 1:34:00 PM
I am really shocked at the poor reviews! I came here specifically to rave about this product... to each her own I guess. I've used several self-tanning brands including jergens, neutrogenia, loreal, oil of olay and vichy. Alba is by far my favorite. The first time I applied it, it was streaky (even after exfoliation) but I decided to give it another chance. This time I moisturized my hands and feet and wore latex gloves for the application AND I used less product. It's surprising how much less of this product I needed compared to others (Jergens in particular). The key I think is the latex gloves. They allow you to rub and rub until the product is fully absorbed and even, without fearing orange palms. The colour for me is perfect and did not transfer to my clothes as badly as the others. If I apply it twice in the same day I get a surprisingly deep brown colour - and I am quite pale. I wore a double application for a trip to Vegas with a group of girls who are all bronze goddesses and you couldn't even tell in pictures that my tan was fake! Pros: Luxuriously moisturizing Nice colour Not too bad in terms of clothes transfer Need less product than other brands Inexpensive Cons: Smells like that self-tanning chemical just like all the others (even the fruity fragrance only masks it for an hour or so) Must wear gloves, moisturize hands and feet, and really rub it in or you'll end up streaky
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Unlisted Brand - Zinc
brittanymarkle 1/18/2012 1:34:00 PM
The reason for this review is that I want to make sure people are doing their research when it comes to zinc dosing for acne. It's true that overdosing on zinc is detrimental, but you would need to be taking more than 100mg of ELEMENTAL Zinc per day for it to be a health risk. There is a huge difference between the milligrams of 'zinc' in a supplement and the milligrams of 'elemental zinc' in that supplement. Zinc gluconate, for example, has 14% elemental zinc per weight of zinc gluconate. In other words, a 50mg tablet of Zinc gluconate contains only 7 mg of elemental zinc. The minimum recommended dose for effective acne treatment is 30mg of elemental zinc per day, therefore 200 mg of Zinc gluconate would be well within the safe dosage of elemental zinc - and should be effective for acne treatment. Every type of zinc supplement has a different percentage of elemental zinc so pleeeease do your research - and don't just start taking 200 mg of zinc gluconate because I said so. Look for scientific sources and studies to back this up and/or ask your doctor. Start by looking up Zinc Dosing on WebMD.com - it specifically addresses Zinc for acne. I hope this helps!
22 out of 22 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Burt's Bees - Radiance Exfoilating Body Wash
brittanymarkle 4/20/2011 8:45:00 PM
The one thing I like about this product is that it is definitely moisturizing for a body wash. However, I never felt particularly clean after using it. I'm on the fence about the smell. It's a little weird, but it's okay. Don't be fooled by how nice it smells in the bottle - the fragrance is significantly less pleasant when you wash with it. I can see where people get the "hair bleech" comments. My biggest beef with this product is how much you have to use to coat your body! I use a shower puff and it takes soooo much product to get a lather. It's been 3 weeks and I've gone through 2/3 of the bottle! At $10.99 (in Canada) that is FAR too much to be spending on a daily body wash. I will not be purchasing again... in fact I don't even want to finish the bottle I have.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Burt's Bees - Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo
brittanymarkle 4/20/2011 8:38:00 PM
I was a near life-long user of various Pantene formulations (gasp!) before I decided to do away with all sulfates and parabens and switch to natural products. I have very limp, heavy, bone-straight hair. I've tried about 7 drugstore volumizing shampoos and none of them have had any effect on the volume of my hair. At this point, I don't really believe that a shampoo can actually provide volume. The only way they can help volume, is by not weighing the hair down by coating it with product that doesn't wash out. This is why I really like the Burt's Bees shampoo. It cleans! The fact that it actually washes the hair without leaving residue behind makes it the best shampoo I've used. My hair is far less greasy than it used to be and that definitely helps with the volume. Plus the smell is amazing! My boyfriend is always trying to get a whiff of my hair and has even started using it himself. THE REALITY OF IT: It is more difficult to lather than a regular shampoo but will lather up quite nicely given enough product and water. It is more difficult to work into the hair than other shampoos I've used as it doesn't have those nasty ingredients that make it slippery. I definitely needed the conditioner. The conditioner smells pretty bad when you put it on but the smell rinses away and you're left with very fresh smelling hair that lasts days (I wash my hair twice a week).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Avalon Organics Botanicals - Vitamin C Facial Cleanser
brittanymarkle 4/20/2011 8:18:00 PM
This is the best cleanser I have ever used!! I've used it at night for about a month and I find myself looking forward to the process every evening. Pros: Natural ingredients (many of which are organic) It smells AMAZING (like fresh oranges) It has a light lather - nothing too bubbly Non-drying Completely removes makeup - even eye make up - with minimal scrubbing! Does not irritate the eyes at all (as long as you keep them lightly closed, of course) Cons: The pump is a little shoddy (leaks a little)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Dr. Bronner's - Peppermint Castille Soap
brittanymarkle 4/20/2011 8:12:00 PM
Strangest thing... broke out in a head-to-toe rash I do NOT have sensitive skin in the least! I can pretty much slather anything on without my skin reacting negatively. I used it the first day and it was delightfully invigorating! A little more drying than my past body washes but nothing that concerned me since I moisturize after the shower anyway. The second day however, about 5 minutes after showering and moisturizing, most of my body was covered in red blotches. They weren't itchy or painful, just red and unsightly. The redness subsided completely within an hour but I will have to return this to the store in favor of something without peppermint (I assume that is what caused the reaction since it is the only ingredient that I haven't used in skin care products). I am willing to try another Dr. Bronner's castille soap product that is less drying, and doesn't contain any menthol etc. I will conclude that this was simply luck-of-the-draw and I'm sure it's a fabulous product for most people.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No