Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex SPF 15 Normal/Dry Skin
cariscierley 2/6/2009 1:28:00 PM
I have oily, acne prone skin. I was using the oily-skin formula but purchased this on accident. Shocker--my skin immediately cleared up (I stopped drinking milk too which also made a HUGE difference). It still has good coverage too. Not as much as the oily formula, but with clearer skin now it's perfect for me. Good staying power. When I went back to the oily-skin formula my skin broke out again and I stopped using it. Now it's the dry-skin formula for me! So bizarre. This is my holy grail foundation. I really really like it.
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Conditioner -Pantene - Relaxed & Natural
cariscierley 6/27/2007 3:59:00 PM
I'm caucasian, with VERY thick, slightly wavy hair that's smooth in some places but very coarse/frizzy in one big spot on the back of my head. My scalp tends to be oily. I rarely heat style my hair. I use Suave daily clarifing shampoo every other day, and use the Pantene relaxed and natural conditioner every single day (I do not use the relaxed and natural shampoo). I do not put the conditioner directly on my scalp, but aim for the middle to ends of hair, so as not to weigh it down and avoid oily/greasy scalp to which I am prone. Shampoo/conditioner---conditioner alone---alternating days. Since following this regimen I have never had buildup, and yet my hair is wonderfully conditioned all the time. Likewise, my hair is never too dry because I only use the shampoo every other day. I never have to use a leave-in conditioner (I don't rinse it out completely). After showering, I can run my fingers through my hair because there are no tangles. I discovered this technique from Paula Begoun books and have used it for several years. It's cheap and honestly works better for me than expensive products. I highly recommend it for anyone with hair similar to mine.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Jane Iredale - Handi Brush
cariscierley 3/22/2006 9:38:00 PM
This shed a LOT. It was way too overpriced. I just can't believe how much it shed. And it's not very dense. Rather sparse.
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Makeup Brushes -Cat Cosmetics - Foundation Brush
cariscierley 3/22/2006 9:36:00 PM
This is good. I was afraid of using a brush to apply foundation, but now I see it's the only way to go. I chose this one because of the great MU Alley reviews. They were right!
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara 
cariscierley 8/2/2005 1:55:00 AM
This mascara is decent. It's cheap and is a good standby. Not my holy grail because it does clump up sometimes. It doesn't make my lashes look very thick, but it does lengthen pretty well.
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Liquid -Max Factor - FaceFinity All Day Flawless 3 in 1
cariscierley 8/2/2005 1:51:00 AM
I was oily within two hours. By the end of the day it had almost disappeared. It looked nice in the morning, though. I liked the way it blended. I think this is for normal or normal to dry skin, though, and it should say that on the packaging.
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Foundations -Merle Norman - Aqua Base [DISCONTINUED]
cariscierley 8/2/2005 1:46:00 AM
First of all, this really is a nice foundation. But I'm giving it a low rating because I don't think it should be marketed towards oily-skinned people. Check the ingredients. It looked great in the morning, but by lunch I looked greasy and it was breaking apart a little. I had to blot like four times. The cost of oil-blotting sheets alone makes this foundation not worth it for me. That said, if you have normal or slightly dry skin you might like this. It has a great creamy texture that blends wonderfully.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Maven - Visage Mirage
cariscierley 7/7/2005 2:17:00 AM
Maven sent me foundation samples of the oily-skin version. I think Mohave (the third color) was lighter than Gobi (the second color). Gobi is supposed to have pink undertones, but it looked very yellow-orange to me. Mohave is more neutral. Anyway, on my oily skin this had quite sheer coverage. I prefer more. Also it did not hold back oil at all. I started getting oily within an hour. I didn't like the way it blended (not too smoothly). I really wanted to like this. I hope I just didn't get bad samples.
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Liquid -Illuminare - Ultimate All Day Foundation
cariscierley 7/7/2005 2:11:00 AM
This did not hold back my oil. In fact, it broke apart around my nose. My nose looked like it had cream sitting on top of it. I had it in the middle shade, Florentine Fair. There are only 5 shades. They are all really varied, so for the best match you might have to buy two and mix. I also didn't like it as a concealer. It didn't look natural on a blemish and seemed to darken the spot. I had to go over any concealed spots with mineral powder makeup to blend in the strange color. It also didn't look natural in mirrors. Revlon Colorstay looked more natural (but for me even that foundation didn't hold back any oil).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
cariscierley 7/7/2005 2:02:00 AM
I am going through an extremely oily phase right now. For my skin, this was just a regular liquid foundation. I had to blot 4 times a day as I usually do. By 5 o'clock, it was breaking apart around my nose, like Illuminare did (though blotting helped even it out). By evening I felt greasy and wanted to wash my face. Of course, as has always been the case with me, it turned slightly darker--but I think it's due to my oil mixing with the foundation. If I didn't have such oily skin it would have worked. I liked the color--Nude. I have fair china doll undertones with a slight tan. I also didn't like the way it blended. I had to rub certain parts in more (I had the same issue with Lancome ultra-matte foundations--they didn't blend well). I really wanted this foundation to work. For the first 2 or 3 hours it really did look nice. It did not look masky. Maybe it would work better for someone with slightly oily skin. :( Someone help me. I don't know what to use. I am so oily.
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Liquid -Paula's Choice - Natural Finish Oil-Absorbing Makeup SPF 15
cariscierley 5/25/2005 9:26:00 PM
As the other reviewers stated, this has no coverage. It might be useful as a sunscreen. My skin is oily. This "foundation" became quite greasy. It is not oil-absorbing.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Schick Intuition razor
cariscierley 4/13/2005 12:07:00 PM
Horrible. The soap bar ran out on one side before it ran out on the other. The shave was not nearly close enough. The head was not flexible enough, and cutting was a risk.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clean & Clear - Oil Absorbing Sheets
cariscierley 1/4/2005 12:40:00 AM
These are great if you have oily skin. You won't have to cake on powder anymore. It makes my foundation look fresh. Whenever I take one out, one of my friends will ask for one. I have to tell them to buy their own.
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Lip Gloss -Sinful - Wild and Crazy Lipgloss
cariscierley 10/15/2004 6:06:00 PM
This is great lipgloss. It is so highly pigmented. It's exactly what I want. The perfect hybrid of lipgloss and lipstick. The best color I've tried so far is "Baby X". It's an orange-copper metallic. When I wear it, it looks like I've layered metallic lipstick with lipgloss over it, but in one easy coat. I hope these don't go away.
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Makeup Brushes -Maybelline - Blush Brush
cariscierley 4/25/2004 3:37:00 AM
This brush is soft but could be softer. This brush is full but could be fuller. It might be better used as a contour or highlighting brush. Yes, it is much better for that purpose. It did take me a few uses to break it in, and now it's softer than it first was. This is good if you're on a budget. I might repurchase for something other than blush application. P.S. It does shed slightly. Just slightly.
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