Primer/ Corrector -Clinique - Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector 
carolinewknight 4/16/2013 2:32:00 PM
Now although I have been a fan of some of Clinique's moisturiser's and MU, I am really not too sure what to make of the 'Instant Perfector'. My pores are much more refined than before (thanks to Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 - please see my other review for more on that!) but on very warm days and especially when my sugar intake has been very high, my skin can become more oily in the t-zone and the pores unfortunately re-appear (though to a small degree). Using this from Clinique doesn't seem to do a great deal more than what my foundation could do anyway, by that I mean filling the pores in temporarily until washed-off. The difference when using this before my foundation is marginal and for the record I rubbed it in circular motions to really get it right into my pores. Maybe its just my skin that it doesn't do much for, all I do know is I will continue to focus on 'treating' rather than finding a solution for 'covering up' and the only way forward for that is my trusty Retinol serum. This one from Clinique is definitely not one to re-purchase, for me at least.
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Treatments -Skinceuticals - Refining Night Cream With .5% Pure Retinol
carolinewknight 10/11/2012 12:03:00 PM
I recall using the Skinceuticals refining Night Cream a couple of years back, but having no idea about Retinol products I rather foolishly proceeded to use in excessive amounts as I would a moisturiser - twice daily. As you can imagine my skin did not thank me for applying so generously! Acne and flakiness both appeared imediately and took quite some time to get under control with the use of Hydrocortisone. Fast forward some years and after reading an article in a magasine about the benefits of Retinol in skincare I decided to give it a second shot and go on ebay where I managed to pick up a 5ml sample for just under £5 GBP including postage (enough to last 4 weeks). This time I proceeded with caution and kept a planner with dates marked down on when to use next. Initially I used once a week, by the following week I was on twice and so on. Yes certain areas did experience bumps, but gradually introducing it to my skin has given it a chance to adapt and now that I have used for a month it has done much more than any product I have used to this date. In fact I now only use my other products during the day and leave this for night use. So what has changed? Well my acne marks of three years have subsided substantially and although I don't have lines I have had areas where visible pores have been a concern. Needless to say they are no more. My skin feels smoother and looks more even toned. I absolutely cannot wait to see further results down the line as the benefits continue to build up. Not many products are HG for me and after my experience with it some years back I never thought I would be saying this but apart from Skinceuticals 0.5 and Divine Hebral's hair oil (which reversed my hair loss and eventually re-grew my hair - pls see my other review from 2011) there is nothing out there that I just could not live without. This is stranded-on-a-desert-island material! I highly suggest you try it, just remember to go slowly and don't forget to use sunblock...especially if you are on a desert island!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -DDF - Glycolic Body Lotion
carolinewknight 7/11/2012 4:38:00 PM
I absolutely adore this lotion. The way my skin feels so silky and smooth after a few uses of this is unlike any other body lotion or cream (even La Mer!). If I ever have a break-out on my back or chest this clears them in no time at all. The only problem is, the cost of this in the UK was £40 last time I checked a couple of years ago and then just recently I discovered it has been discontinued. I have no idea what I will do without this. Guess it's time to find an alternative :(
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Treatments -Clinique - Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum
carolinewknight 3/3/2012 11:31:00 AM
I managed to get hold of a 3ml trial size of this and have now been using it twice a day for almost 2 months. Unfortunately it has done very little in all this time. Upon application the pores on my nose - which is the only area I apply, seem to shrink slightly, perhaps 30% but within a matter of hours they are back to normal. I know the benefits of this increase the longer one uses it but I have not seen any! My pores are the same as they were the day I started. Back to the drawing board.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Olay - Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System
carolinewknight 1/4/2012 12:14:00 PM
I do not have the Clarisonic to compare with but I notice a lot of reviewers say the Pro-X does the same thing, although there are a few who favour the Clarisonic. With Pro-X im not sure if I have seen much of a difference in my skin's texture, pores still look the same and flaky patches, although diminished are still there. I don't know quite what I was expecting but it doesn't appear to be a miracle-product for me. It does, howevor remove my make-up very thoroughly on an evening as evident by the colour of the brush! When I use a toner and cotton wool later I don't see any traces of MU still on the cotton so it seems to at least clean well. I'm tempted to give to someone else to try (obviously with their own brush head) just to get somebody else's opinion, but for me it did not make a huge difference to my skin and not to mention it isn't (yet) available in the UK and has to be ordered online.
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Cleansers -Decleor - cleansing water
carolinewknight 10/20/2011 10:48:00 AM
I have recently switched to using this instead of Decleor's gel cleanser and a seperate toner as this does both things. I find it removes any traces of makeup quite thoroughly, especially my Estee Lauder concealer but without drying my skin out like some other makeup removers can do. It is also quite soothing and tones down any redness instantly, unless of course I accidentally get it in my eyes which I am now careful not to do! I love Decleor's products and will keep this as a mainstay in my collection. Another HG fave/re-purchase for me!
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Concealers -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer
carolinewknight 9/26/2011 10:56:00 AM
I have to admit I don't use this very often as the only use I have for it is to conceal dark circles - which I don't get very often anyway. I'm using in 'Light Medium' after foundation and follow with powder to set. It lasts more or less the whole day and does not look unnatural (definately doesn't turn orange as some others have complained- they probably bought the wrong shade!). As I don't use much I can see this will last forevor, which makes the price (£19.00 in the UK) seem more resonable. I will re-purchase when eventually it does run out.
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Treatments -Decleor - Aromessence Ylang Ylang
carolinewknight 8/19/2011 2:56:00 PM
How did this one manage to get away? I was sure I had reviewed this already. Oh well here it is: The Ylang ylang aromessence (facial oil) and balm are two of my favourite products from Decleor. I love the ingredients and these two in particular help to keep my face clear and in-check. This one in particular smells more like Ylang ylang essential oil. I only use a tiny amount every other night, maybe 2 drops at the most, the balm just once a week. I find if I use too much my skin becomes congested and I may get the odd breakout. Less is definately more. Another HG for me!
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Divine Herbal Hair Oil
carolinewknight 8/12/2011 6:49:00 AM
I have used this since late last year and found where my hair was thinning, new hair has grown back where I have applied it - at the top of my head, below the crown. I can now also shampoo more often without seeing hair being shed (I used to only wash my hair once a week as it shed the most when in the shower). I usually use this at night - once or twice a week now just to retain the results and keep my hair/scalp healthy. I find it soothing. The ingredients are also a winner - 21 oils and 10 herbal extracts, nothing else added. Like my Decleor products which I also use often, this is a mainstay in my collection. Smells herbal, in a good way but vanishes after a while. Overall very impressed and great to find a hair growth product that actually works! Another HG for me!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Darphin - Purifying Balm
carolinewknight 8/12/2011 5:35:00 AM
After some not-so-nice experiences with other Darphin products I willed myself to give the 'Purifying Balm' a try for my combination skin type. It smells purifying, but on my face it didn't give the effect I had hoped for. My odd acne bumps were still there the next day. It didn't make them worse and it didn't make them better either. Most people report good experiences with this, I'm one of the few who it doesn't seem to do anything for. I doubt I will be trying anything else from this brand, the next time I need a plant/herbal-fix I will stick to my Decleor products, especially the Ylang ylang balm and facial oil.
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Skincare - Body -Cake Beauty - Milkmade Velveteen Hand Cream
carolinewknight 8/12/2011 5:22:00 AM
Other than La Mer and Origins, this is one of the few hand creams I use regularly and stock-up on. This one isn't as moisturising as the aforementioned so I really only use it in summer. The biggest draw for me is the fragrance. The description mentions vanilla but I find it more like cream cake with a hint of pistachio. It isn't overly sweet either, like some of the other Cake Beauty products nor does it smell in any way artificial. I'm tempted to but the new Milkmade products to use with this but some of the reviews for them haven't been great so I'll probably just stick to this for now...
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Fragrances -Calgon - Mmmm Marshmallow body spray
carolinewknight 8/8/2011 4:34:00 AM
I've owned a bottle of this since 2007 at least and there is still over a third left. This is one of those yummy scents, not sophisticated, just playful and fun. The scent doesn't last for very long but whilst it does, it always gets me compliments. Another one of those many products we have to order online as you won't find this anywhere in the UK! Not a true marshmallow fragrance, I have to admit but still yummy with lots of sugary vanilla notes mixed in with a brief whiff of some alcohol before it fades into sweet-vanilla. This is probably as close as you can get to marshmallow, even though it really isn't that close! It's a difficult scent to replicate...
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Skincare - Body -Darphin - Seaweed Aromatic Bath Gel
carolinewknight 8/2/2011 8:43:00 AM
It is very rarely that I write a negative review, but this shower gel is horrible. I have no idea if the previous reviewers have been using some prior version of this but it has to be the one shower gel (and I have used TONS!) that I could not wait to throw in the bin. It didn't wash off easily, the smell was not appealing at all, it contained Sulphates amongst other things, which considering Darphin's emphasis on being 'natural', did not impress me at all! In fact there was nothing in the ingredients list or results that was any different from what one would find in say a Boots or Superdrug-own branded showergel. Clearly, you are paying for the brand name here. I purchased 5 other 'body' products along with this from Darphin, each and every one left me seriously wishing I hadn't (some were worse than this one!). If you like essential oils in your products stick to Decleor or a similar brand. Definately not a re-purchase for me!
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Treatments -Biore - Pore Cleansing Strips - Nose
carolinewknight 7/30/2011 12:01:00 PM
After trying Clinique's Pore Minimising range which didn't do much for my pores, I gave these a try. As I have combo skin, my t-zone can get fairly oily with a tendency towards blackheads. These strips work, but the effect is only for a few days and then its back to square one! For the price though, they are worth it. I tend to use once a week, leave on for 10 minutes and then peel off carefully. They leave a little residue behind which a sweep of a cotton pad and toner takes care of. I also find if I'm in a hurry, sitting in front of a fan helps to speed up the drying proccess, especially if it is blowing warm air. As these are not expensive I tend to repurchase, the only reason I'm not giving 4 lippies is because they don't eradicate the problem for long... so constant use is essential... until I find a more effective pore strip or other solution!
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Bronzers -Estee Lauder - Bronze Goddess
carolinewknight 7/30/2011 11:50:00 AM
Decent bronzer but like all EL and Clinique products in the UK, it's expensive! Price aside, I have been using this for over 3 months and still plenty left, probably because I only use it for special occassions. I never go for a bronzer with orange/y tones, thankfully this doesn't give that fake-baked look. Goes on quite evenly on my fair/medium skin tone and comes with a soft brush, which unlike previous reviewers - I don't have any issues with. Not HG for me but I would still probably end-up buying this again, partly because I'm such a sucker for high-end products!
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