Concealers -Yves Saint Laurent - Anti-Cernes Multi Action Concealer 02
calanthe 8/5/2012 1:51:00 PM
Best. Concealer. EVER. Pricey, yes. I have light skin, not alabaster, not freckly, some redness. This is neither too light nor too orange nor too dark. It is unusual and just perfect for me. Smooth and creamy but stays under eyes well. Totally worth the price.
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Naturals - Purifying Facial Cleanser
calanthe 8/5/2012 1:48:00 PM
It's been awhile since I've had to use something for acne, because I took Accutane in 2007. Lately with the hot weather I've been getting little zits all month long. So I picked this cleanser up and after a week, I'm looking better. Use something else to take your makeup off, please. This is better as a start of the day cleanser, when your face is product-free, anyway. Yes, it can sting a little for the first few days, but only use one pump and cool water. I crushed up four or five aspirin and then lathered with this cleanser and it was like a mini-facial. I really like this stuff.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Elie Saab-Le Parfum
calanthe 5/1/2012 12:52:00 AM
I ripped out the sample strip from a magazine and rubbed it on my wrist, then let my husband smell it. Usually he's indifferent to my perfumes (Angel, Organza, Black Amethyst, Notorious...) but when he smelled this, he said, "Now THAT's a perfume." I've been searching for a fragrance that would get that reaction from him! Just hope he surprises me with a bottle of it. Yummy, lovely, feminine, but not cloying or sweet.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Laura Geller - Spackle Cream
calanthe 2/21/2012 2:53:00 PM
A completely underwhelming experience. The packaging is pretty but my pump fell apart the first time I used it. This is not spackle. It will not give you a smooth, flawless base for your makeup unless you already have perfect skin. It is a light, watery gel with just a touch of sparkle. I find that it takes awhile to dry over my moisturizer and the surface it leaves is somewhat tacky. Did nothing to make my makeup last longer, either. Blah product for $25, but at least it doesn't break me out. If you want a truly flawless finish for your makeup, and something that will hide pores, fine lines, and unevenness, try DHC's Velvet Skin Coat. That stuff is truly worth the money.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair (Serum)
calanthe 1/10/2012 10:29:00 PM
I got a little sample size of this off Amazon and it's amazing! I needed something to even up my skin tone and just give my skin a glow without causing zits and this is it. I use it under my CeraVe cream and my skin looks better than it has in a long time. No dry patches, smooth, my makeup looks amazing. Pleasant smell, but very spendy which is my only gripe.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Clairol - Shimmer Lights
calanthe 10/31/2011 10:18:00 PM
I recently bleached my brown hair blonde and toned with an ash blonde; however, it tends to get very brassy the second and third days after washing. I thought I was just doomed to orangey hair after initially loving my blonde. The first time I used this shampoo I didn't use enough or leave it in long enough. I have a chin length bob and I would say my hair is lightened to a 6/7 level. I use a big old blob of this once a week, like two or three tablespoons, then I gently lather and leave it on two-three minutes. Then I follow with an equally generous amount of the Shimmer Lights conditioner and leave it on 3-5 minutes. It takes out the brass, and I have a nice, champagne-y ashy blonde. (This review is actually for the Generic Shimmer Lights shampoo at Sally. The only difference is that the generic smells like violets instead of the original Clairol scent.)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -L'Oreal - Superior Preference Hair Colour
calanthe 10/24/2011 4:10:00 PM
I was going from brown to blonde; I had an inch of light brown/grey roots and six inches of dyed brown growth. I bleached twice with 30 vol. developer and my hair was still orange with yellow roots. I was debating cutting my losses and going to the salon, and going ahead and toning with the Preference Ash Blonde. I went ahead and used the L'oreal and it looks amazing! There isn't even a line of demarcation between my roots and growth; this evened everything out and gave me that nice ashy, champagne blonde. I let it develop for 45 minutes, though, and I think the packaging actually says 30 min. max, so don't expect to get blonde results on brown hair with this unless you pre-lighten. This is a great toner for bleached blonde hair. My hair also felt very soft and conditioned after rinsing and conditioning. I will use this again and again!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Unlisted Brand - Aztec - Indian Healing Clay
calanthe 6/27/2011 10:51:00 PM
I have loved this stuff for years! To be clear: you must mix this with some sort of acid; either apple cider vinegar, reg vinegar, diluted lemon juice, etc. or it will NOT mix properly. Use a non-metal bowl and utensils also. The acid makes the mask fizzy and creamy so it's much easier to spread, plus the acid helps break down the keratin plugs clogging the pores. Use it sparingly on sensitive skin, and always use a gentle moisturizer afterwards.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Burt's Bees - Shea Butter Hand Repair Creme
calanthe 4/15/2011 9:39:00 PM
I have hated this stuff for years. My mom uses it religiously and when they stopped stocking it at the drug store she bought every tube she could find. It smells terrible, like turpentine and citronella. The tube is stupid. It's hard to rub in at first. It's kinda pricey. It's bright yellow and gets everywhere. But then I got the worst case of cracked/dry skin/eczema/dermatitis/whathaveyou on my hands and tried everything. Prescription steroid creams, cortisone ointment, neosporin, vaseline, wearing cotton gloves at night, expensive baby eczema lotion, emu oil. NOTHING worked and most of it just irritated my hands even more. I have scaly bumpy red patches that itch like crazy and hurt when they're not itching. There are red, bloody cracks on my hands and they just overall look like death. I had a tube of this stuff from my Mom that's been sitting in my medicine cabinet for, oh, two years. Today I was playing with my son, and the skin on my hands hurt/itched so much, I thought, what the heck? I smeared the yellow goo all over my hands. It didn't sting at all! Within two hours I noticed my hands didn't hurt anymore and only itched slightly. Now, eight hours later and my hands are significantly improved in texture and feel. At this rate, the rash and irritation that I've had for four months will be gone in a week. I am impressed!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Eucerin - Calming Body Wash Daily Shower Oil
calanthe 2/28/2011 8:48:00 PM
Yes, it smells like fish oil. I don't mind that. It's also kind of expensive, but I don't use it every day as a full-body wash, so it's economical for how I do use it: 1. Face wash: the best ever winter face wash for dry skin, especially to take off makeup 2. To shave, anywhere 3. As an...intimate cleanser. Those of you who have had children know how sensitive everything down there can be during pregnancy and after childbirth. Enough said.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel
calanthe 12/31/2010 1:54:00 PM
Gorgeous bottle! However, you must apply this scent VERY sparingly or it is overwhelming. I was so sad when I realized that this lovely scent is the same one that a lady I know drenches herself with. Now I can't wear it without thinking of her cloud of perfume. If you're thinking of making this your signature scent, please smell it first and make sure no one you know already wears it! Sweet, spicy, amber and vanilla.
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Fragrances -Ralph Lauren - Notorious
calanthe 9/20/2010 3:42:00 PM
I love this! If you like Shalimar, you'll like this. It starts like Shalimar, somewhat sharp and oriental, and drys down to a sophisticated fruity/floral. It is a very confident fragrance. I don't understand the hate for it, unless it goes bad on certain body chemistry. I have dry skin and perfumes tend to disappear on me, if that helps. I just blended two sprays into my unscented body lotion and it is wonderful that way if perfumes irritate your skin in concentrated doses. By the way, I paid $10 for mine at TJ Maxx.
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Powder -American Beauty - Super Plush Powder Foundation
calanthe 9/16/2010 2:11:00 PM
Went through 2 compacts of this in the Fair Cool tone before my skin went haywire during pregnancy. It was awesome! Made my skin look totally perfect. I used this over the American Beauty foundation and my friend's sister-in-law always asked her how my skin got so smooth. I think she was jealous and I never got a chance to tell her that it was just good makeup! If you aren't broken out, this stuff is wonderful for a polished, smooth look. You can use a small brush to add a little extra coverage to blemishes, though. And keep this away from your eyes, it is too heavy and drying for that area!
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Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
calanthe 8/24/2010 1:50:00 PM
How I anticipated finally trying PhotoReady! I couldn't justify yet another foundation, but it became pitifully apparent that none of my current ones match my skin tone or look natural. I was finally persuaded by fashionismycrush's youtube review of PhotoReady; her skin looks flawless and the pump tube was irresistible. I got 003 Shell. I applied it to clean skin with Eucerin sunscreen as a primer. Shell is just a hint orangey...orange is my foundation bete noir since every pale shade seems to have a little to much of it. I panicked before I blended, however, and with an Eco Tools foundation brush, this turned out to be a decent color match and very blendable. The sparkles are negligible on me...my skin is very matte to begin with, and I only noticed them in direct sunlight and they looked pretty and luminous. I applied two coats, and the coverage became medium. Once this dried and settled, it looked beautiful. The color is good, if I'd gone with Vanilla or Ivory, it would have looked ghostly. Overall, I don't have good skin right now, but PhotoReady has blurred out my imperfections and I look nice and natural. It looks like my skin. (My skin is flaky and irritated, if I were having a good skin year this stuff would be my HG...maybe). The pump is definitely awesome...very nice, high-end bottle. The coverage is definitely not full coverage unless you've already got a nice, even skin tone without significant imperfections or blemishes. I think this will work for me once my skin settles down (once the weather cools off). You must moisturize thoroughly, and let your moisturizer dry fully before applying this...I don't think you'll get adequate coverage with your fingers. Colorwise: I am fair with red undertones, but definitely not white-pale. I used to shop for foundation as though I had that moonlight colored Irish skin, but I learned the hard way NOT to assume the lightest shade will work for me. If this sounds like you, I would steer you towards 003 Shell. If you do have that pure, pale white skin, either Asian or Caucasian, I would recommend Ivory or Vanilla (I believe one is pale yellow based, and the other is pink-based. fashionismycrush has a shade matching video on youtube). I guess I waited so long, and I am just a little underwhelmed. I will use a primer next time, and exfoliate better before using this again. I consider this to be a good purchase overall.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Aveeno - Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF30
calanthe 8/5/2010 10:32:00 AM
I've only been using this for two days with the matching foaming cleanser, but I like it so far. It is thick and emollient, but melts right into my dry, flaky, combination skin. I've been having some problems with rashes and sensitivity and redness on my face, as well as clogged pores and breakouts. I don't know if this is a miracle product but it is SO much better than the pasty, white Eucerin for Senisitive Skin spf 30 that I had been using. The only downside is that it's a little pricey if not on sale, and I find that I use rather a lot of it. I put it all over my face, then I apply a second layer on my dry, flaky cheeks. At twice a day, I don't think the little bottle will last more than 3 or 4 weeks.
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