Liquid -Neutrogena - Skin Clearing Oil-Free Makeup
brwneyedgymnast23 9/6/2012 5:58:00 AM
I am currently on my 3rd bottle of this stuff. Is it perfect? No. Is it pretty good for the price? Yes. I was using Make Up For Ever face and body foundation for a few years before this ($38 per bottle!!!) and this has turned out to be pretty similar in effect. I'm glad I've found this because it's much cheaper ($9 at Walmart, $12 at Target). You can even find it on sale or use coupons on it sometimes at Walgreens or CVS, which is even better. It's not full coverage, I'd call it light - medium buildable coverage but it looks pretty natural, which is my main concern. I'd rather continue to show some of my acne scarring (pigmentation) than have them all covered up and look cakey with too much makeup. Now, will this clear up your skin like it says it will? Absolutely not. But that's not why I bought it anyway. I wasn't expecting any skin clearing effects. In order to deal with the packaging, I have a small little jar (think Sephora sample jars) that I pour this foundation in. This allows me to easily dip a sponge in to apply it with and everytime I finish the amount in the jar, I clean it and pour more foundation into it. I have found that this is a great method. Plus, when I travel, all I have to take with me is the tiny jar. My only issue with it is it doesn't really last all day long on my skin, but I haven't found anything that does. Anyway, this is not HG status but so far it's the best I've found, especially for the price. I am complacent with it at the current time and will continue to repurchase it until I find something better.
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Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
brwneyedgymnast23 9/6/2012 5:47:00 AM
Cafe has turned me into a sheep! I fell for all the hype everyone was giving this product and bought it. It was about $11 at Walmart. Upon first look, the jar of this foundation was like a big heavy hockey puck. I was turned off by that but I thought I'd give it a shot. Well, it turned out that I liked the formula moderately. This is a drying formula for my dry skin so I would suggest it more for oilier skin. I have to moisturize my skin and then immediately apply this in order for it to work. I don't really want to stick my fingers in the jar repeatedly and I'm too lazy to wash a foundation brush every day so I use a disposable sponge to apply it and it works just fine. It's a weird spongey texture. After dipping my sponge into it, it leaves an indent but upon using it again the next day, the surface reverts back and becomes smooth. It's buildable coverage and looks pretty nice if you don't cake it on. I wouldn't call it full coverage but light-medium. It surprisingly lasts most of the day on me. BUT my issue with this is the packaging. I just cannot deal with it any longer. I have travelled with it and therefore it has become a huge mess. This is unfortunate because I do like the formula but I guess not enough to deal with the packaging. Therefore this is not a success on Revlon's part because I am no longer using it. I have returned back to Neutrogena skin clearing makeup.
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Hair Removal -Nair - Ready to Use Roll-On Wax
brwneyedgymnast23 6/9/2012 8:56:00 PM
I hope this is the right listing but the product I'm reviewing is called Nair Brazilian spa clay roll on wax. Overall, it's ok. I'm not super thrilled with it. I had been waxing (usually sugaring) since I began with hair removal but for the past few years I have just been shaving and I recently decided to go back to waxing. I picked this up on a whim at Walmart for about $8 or $9. It comes with 10 waxing strips which are reusbale, just as the package says. However, that may not be enough to get through everything at once so I did have to stop in between waxing my legs to wash them and wait for them to dry. Also, I found it very difficult to wax my underarms with this! It wouldn't work no matter what I did. I figured it may have been the angle since I was doing it on myself but then I just tried to wax my sister's underarms and it didn't work there either, even after applying baby powder to make sure the area dried! Weird. Anyway, I was able to do both of my legs with this. They aren't perfect - there's still some stubble leftover but it got most of the job done. The applicator was super easy to use and I'm very happy with that! I was also pleasantly surprised that the wax itself was water-soluble and therefore very easy to remove. However, I finished the whole bottle in this one process. Will I buy it again? Maybe if I need to wax my legs in a pinch. I may go back to sugaring. UPDATE - I just want to say that I'm pretty sure rinsing this wax down the drain clogged up my drains. The water drained in the sink very slowly. I eventually got some Drano and it was ok again but until I figured out why my sink was clogged, I was frustrated. Now, what is the point of reusable strips if I'm just going to be clogging up my skin every time I wash them? I don't see what else could be done. Anyway, for this reason, I certainly will not be repurchasing. Maybe I should just go back to epilating until I can afford laser hair removal.
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Hair Removal -Gigi - Hair Removal Lotion
brwneyedgymnast23 4/8/2012 10:35:00 PM
I just tried this for the first time tonight (the one for face) and so far I'm happy with it. I've always had problems removing hair from my upper lip. Threading, tweezing, and waxing all leave me with terribly unsightly whiteheads that pop up a day or two and I am unable to hide them. I finally had to quit doing that so I've been bleaching my upper lip for a few years now. Well, I'm getting sick of it and I'm pretty paranoid all the time since I know it's still visible in direct sunlight. I asked cafe and I was recommended this so I decided to give it a try. Well, I used it for 5 minutes only and it certainly did remove the hair! I was quite satisfied with the results. The lotion itself reeked of rotten eggs, but that's something I can deal with for a few minutes. It seems that I put some on too large of an area because the skin around my upper lip is still red and irritated, after a few hours. Next time I use this, I need to make sure to ONLY put it where the hair is. Maybe my skin is just sensitive to things like this. I will update if I experience anymore irritation or if anything changes.
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Hair Styling Tools -Goody - Spin Pin
brwneyedgymnast23 11/5/2011 4:52:00 PM
I'm really iffy on this product. I wanted to like it very much but it's just alright. I paid about $6 for these and I actually originally bought them for my mom, but of course I tried them on myself as well. My mom has very straight, chemically processed hair, and yet I've noticed it is very smooth and sleek. With that being said, the spin pins did not hold her hair! All scrunchies and hair ties slip on her hair so I thought that this MUST work but it didn't at all. Now, I have a curly and frizzy mess on top of my head and it certainly did hold my hair pretty well. However, I know that I would be too lazy to ever use these. Throwing my hair in a bun with a hair tie is much easier and faster and I prefer messy buns than the more perfect spin pin buns. Overall, I prefer my hair in a ponytail rather than a bun. So these were a bit disappointing for me, but I can see how many people would love them.
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Naturals - Purifying Facial Cleanser
brwneyedgymnast23 8/17/2011 7:54:00 PM
I'm very happy with this cleanser! I'm on my second bottle already. I love the fact that they tell you where the ingredients are derived from; this is what first drew me to the product. Upon use, I fell in love with it. It's a very basic facial wash, which is exactly what I was looking for - just something to clean off my skin in the morning as well as remove some makeup at night. I was considering getting the makeup removing version of this, but I found that it wasn't necessary for me. But then again, I don't wear much makeup. This smells fantastic, as well, and I do really like the pump bottle in the mornings. I tried the naturals lip balm from this line and it's just ok. I wouldn't buy that again. I just bought the naturals scrub and I will see if it's any good! Only downside is the price, though not much else in the drugstore is much cheaper!
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Concealers -Kevyn Aucoin - The Sensual Skin Enhancer
brwneyedgymnast23 8/7/2010 6:35:00 PM
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this concealer!!!! It is the best concealer that I have ever found!! My Make Up For Ever full cover concealer comes 2nd to this.It covers up my acne and acne scars beautifully and naturally! I apply it with a concealer brush and it is the best thing ever. It has finally ended my search for an HG concealer. The only downfall is the PRICE! It is about $55 which is a whole lot of money for a broke college student like me to pay. The jar it comes in, though, is huge and you only need the tiniest bit so it will last forever. I had a sample that lasted me a long time and due to the price, I have not bought a full jar. Maybe I should ask for one for my birthday.....
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Shampoo -Aveeno - Aveeno Nourish + Shine Shampoo
brwneyedgymnast23 8/7/2010 6:31:00 PM
This shampoo is just alright. I have curly, dry, frizzy hair and have never found anything to tame it. I'm on my 2nd bottle and I don't think it's really helping my hair. However, it cleans well and does smell great (and the smell stays in my hair all day!! Score!) so I think I will repurchase it.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Galderma - Epiduo (aka Tactuo in Canada)
brwneyedgymnast23 1/16/2010 10:06:00 PM
My dermatologist prescribed me this stuff in November and I have been using it ever since and WOW has my skin gotten much better!! I am very impressed. This stuff is so amazing! I am also on BCP for my skin but I have noticed that my skin really glows when I use this every night. It's doing much more work than the BCP is. But I really do have to use it every night. My blackheads are immediately diminished and so are my blemishes (when I do have them!) Now, my skin scars very easily (every blemish I ever get, no matter if I touch it or not, will turn into a dark brown mark on my face) and this (along with Shiseido spf 55 sunscreen every morning) is clearing them up slowly but surely. The marks I had on my face before using this are better and the marks that I got while using this are fading so quickly! I am very impressed. However, I am unhappy with the fact that it has BP in it. It has bleached my towels and pajamas. I was unaware where the bleach spots were coming from until I realized it was the epiduo. However, I will try to be more careful in the future. The only other downfall is the price. Even with my insurance, it is about $50. But, this is a miracle worker that I wish I had found sooner so I will continue to use it. One tube lasts forever, anyway.
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Conditioner -Organix - Vanilla Silk
brwneyedgymnast23 1/16/2010 10:00:00 PM
I wasn't happy with this conditioner. After my HG was reformulated (Aussie 3 minute miracle), I tried this one. It smelled AMAZING but unfortunately did not live up to my expectations. Sure, it smelled awesome in the bottle but it left no fragrance AT ALL on my hair. If that were the only issue, I could live with it. But unfortunately, it didn't do anything for my hair at all. It was dry and frizzy as ever (I have curly and somewhat dry hair). And the cap is curved so I can't flip it over to get all the product out alone. I have to lean it against something (and it keeps flipping over!). I will be using this to shave to use it up. I'm going to try Redken smooth down next.
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Toners -Neutrogena - Alcohol-Free Toner
brwneyedgymnast23 12/26/2008 4:06:00 PM
I like this stuff a lot, not really as a toner but instead of washing my face. When I'm lazy, I'll just put some of this stuff on a cotton ball and wipe my face with it and it takes off all my makeup (or whatever's left of it) and the dirt on my face. It's pretty simple, no fragrance really, no SA or BP or anything, so it's gentle. My Mom, with very sensitive skin, also uses it with no problems. I would definitly buy this again and have many times.
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Moisturizers -Biore - Pore Minimizing Lightweight Moisturizer [DISCONTINUED]
brwneyedgymnast23 10/5/2008 4:26:00 PM
I used to love this moisturizer when I first got it. But it just doesn't moisturize enough. Although, I guess that is the point, it IS a lightweight moisturizer. I always find myself having to reapply it and then having to apply a different moisturizer because my skin is still dry. I just used it on my hands because I'm trying to use it up now and it just feels wierd, kind of like when you take off some gloves and they leave this powder-y feeling. Anyway, I won't buy it again but if someone really needs a really light moisturizer with some spf, this is great.
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Pressed Powders -New York Color - Pressed Translucent Powder
brwneyedgymnast23 3/5/2008 6:28:00 PM
This is such a great powder! I tried the loose version of this and I didn't like it. But then I got the pressed on a whim and I love it! It's so cheap ($1.72 at Target) and the packaging is great, it's slim and sleek and even has a mirror in it. I use it over my Make Up For Ever Face and Body foundation and it works great. Looks natural and takes away the shiny-ness from it. If I ever finish it, I will definitly buy it again. I'm actually trying to finish it because I want to use the compact for my Maybelline dream matte powder foundation! lol. I like that stuff but the compact is gigantic.
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Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Face & Body Foundation
brwneyedgymnast23 3/5/2008 6:24:00 PM
This is my HG foundation!!! After searching for years for a good foundation that meets my needs, I landed on this. If it wasn't for MUA, I wouldn't have found it. Anyway, it covers beautifully, medium coverage but buildable, and very natural looking. My two main needs. I have tons of acne scars and this covers the lighter ones well but I do still need concealer for the darker ones (I'm currently using MAC studio finish- the one in the pot. It's ok). I do also need to set it with powder because it's a little shiny otherwise (I use NYC pressed powder and love it! The price is amazing too, $1.72). The price for this foundation is expensive. $38 is a whole lot to me. But like I said, it's amazing and I'm sure it'll last me a long time. The packaging is kind of wierd. It's in an almost triangular shaped bottle and has a small(ish), round spout. I pour some into a small sample jar and clean it out and refill it when I'm done, it's much easier and cleaner that way. Now the shade, I use 2 but I don't know how I like it. It seems great at home but then I go outside and it looks a little dark. I'll have to figure it out. I'm about and NC30 in MAC and sand/warm sand in BB, for reference. Other than those few things, this foundation is just fabulous.
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Makeup Brushes -Essence of Beauty - Eye Liner
brwneyedgymnast23 11/21/2007 10:45:00 PM
This is my favorite eyeliner brush! I use it with gel liners and eyeshadows to wear as liners. It washes easily, stays in great condition, applies perfectly, and is inexpensive. I like this better than my MAC 266 brush.
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