Styling Products -Kerastase - Oleo Relax Slim
casia 2/9/2010 11:24:00 AM
Had high hopes that this would control my fine-textured yet voluminous, processed mane. It makes it a little easier to blowdry/tame, but it leaves it with a coarse feeling and it looks dirty. If I am going to spend the time to blow out my hair, I need it to last at least 2 days and this doesn't cut it. It looks dirty within 8-10 hours --and not from too much product, it is as if it attracts dust, etc. Some products seem to make my highlighted hair look brassy/darker, and this is one of them. I'll stick with Lait Nutri Sculpt and Ciment Thermique for more of the swingy/shiny look I seek.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Chanel - Gentle BiPhase Eye Makeup Remover
casia 4/14/2009 2:43:00 PM
I do not like this product.
I am a longtime Bi-facil user and I cannot stand the high cost of it, not to mention it does not remove all my makeup. I tried this at--GULP--a higher price for a smaller container, hoping it would be better. If it was, hey, I guess I'd pay it.
On me, it isn't as good. It removes about the same amount, if that. Probably less. I wake up with traces under my lower lashes. I find it's not as gentle as Bi-facil, and at $32 a bottle, FORGET IT.
I will keep looking for something better and hopefully cheaper, but I am getting disheartened after trying about 20 kinds of eye makeup removers. It's not like I am wearing stage makeup either. Just Diorshow and MAC PowerPoint liner. NOTHING seems to remove this well without being greasy, irritating, and/or ridiculously expensive.
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Liquid -Christian Dior - Diorskin Airflash
casia 4/14/2009 2:33:00 PM
Am on a review-writing roll today, look out MUA! I am finally giving back to our community! :)
I love this foundation. Here is a little about my skin and foundation usage in general ...
About my foundation usage: I use powder foundations almost exclusively. Before Airflash, I could never stand the feel of foundation ... the tan fingers, the excess washed down the sink ... what a mess! Reminded me of caking it on in junior high or something. Not to mention I never found a good shade, it was always too pink, or too dry, or too matte, or too shimmery. Even with lots of spots to cover, I never liked foundation because it only accentuated my flaws and took TOO LONG to apply.
Enter Airflash: While I love it, I can see how some do not. I did a LOT of research before buying this, and how to apply it. I can't imagine spraying it on as it says. Tried it once and it got in my hair, all over the sink, a fine coating on my bathrobe, etc. No thanks! A sponge will just waste it; soaking up this expensive product isn't what you want to do. I don't own a foundation brush and didn't want to spend another $40 or so on one when I didn't think I would use this that much and maybe not even like it. I'd read that someone used a kabuki and this didn't sound like a good idea, but I tried it and it's great! Sounded messy, but no. I spray a quick spritz on the tip of the brush, apply it in a gentle circle on about 1/4 of my face and it works great. Almost all the foundation, if not all, comes off on your face so there is very little wastage or mess. My skin looks glowy and clear. I use it on days my skin is drier, or redder, or spottier, or just needs a little more coverage and color than a powder foundation. It feels light; almost like powder. For me, it is a little heavier of a feel than I am used to, but if you are used to liquid or a heavier foundation, I imagine this would be an awesome, lightweight treat!
Some say the finish is matte, some say dewy. It's more dewy than matte on me. The lighter I apply it, the more matte it is, and that is how I prefer it. Sometimes it's a little too dewy for my liking and accentuates pores. This is my only complaint about it. Strange, because it seems to apply differently each time, even when I do the exact same ritual, use a primer, etc. It's a little unpredictable, but I still like it, and if yu are fortunate enough to have better skin than I have, it might not be an issue for you.
About my skin: I have battled cystic acne and still do at 36. I have acne scars, fine lines, red spots--an overall mess. My skin isn't oily as is, but lots of cosmetics make it oily and just overall worse than it is. I have gotten very good at covering my messy face and finding products that work well for my very complex skin type.
If you're on the fence, get it from Sephora or somewhere with a generous return policy. It is certainly worth a try. The color selection is very limited, but because you can put it on lightly, I think most people could pull it off or tweak it with a light powder on top.
As with all my reviews, feel free to page me with questions as I have others! I know we spend a lot of time and money on all this stuff.
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Cleansers -Babor - Phytoactive sensitive
casia 4/14/2009 2:18:00 PM
This review is overdue! I have been hogging others' reviews on MUA for a while, I am finally getting around to contributing a few new ones today. :)
This is my favorite oil cleanser. I have only used Fancl and DHC. I was on the fence about this one and Shu, but went with this one and I am extremely pleased. I purchased it from BeautyBridge.com--a generous travel size was only $12, no tax and no shipping. What a great way to try it! Highly recommend this site if you want to try it. Since, they have emailed me promo codes ranging from 5-15% off. Very pleased so far.
Back to the cleanser itself ... it feels very clean and as if it does a great job of removing makeup, powerful sunscreen, etc. I don't use it every night, but I use it when my skin needs extra cleansing, such as when I wear Dior Airflash instead of my usual powder foundation, or my Shiseido sunscreen, or when I have slept in makeup--even though I wear very little--and want a deep cleaning in the morning. I have used this with my fingers as well as a "buffing glaze" of sorts with my Clarisonic. I have had no breakouts and I break out easily.
About my skin: I have battled cystic acne and still do at 36. I have acne scars, fine lines, red spots--an overall mess. :( I have gotten very good at covering my messy face and finding products that work well for my very complex skin type. If you're like me, sometimes you need an oilier cleanser due to redness or drying products or combating aging or all of the above, but ALSO one that is going to rinse clean and be soothing. I really love this. Using it every few nights, I am still on my first travel size set I bought 2-3 months ago, with about 1/8 of the bottle remaining. I've gotten no clogged pores or troubles of any kind. I liked Fancl quite a bit until I tried this, it is far superior--at least for my face.
As with all of my reviews, feel free to page me with questions.
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Polishes -OPI - I've Red the Script
casia 12/15/2008 1:53:00 PM
Was looking for Essie's After Sex or Bordeaux but the salon didn't have those, so I selected this for a mani & pedi for a holiday dinner party. It's a beautiful color for a holiday party and for this time of year. I would use it for pedis all year round, I am not used to a color this dark or rich on my hands after being on a very long nude-look for my fingernails, but I am getting used to it. I got many compliments on this!
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Eye Makeup Remover -Lancome - Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Make-up Remover
casia 11/25/2008 3:58:00 PM
Would I buy this product again? YES.
Will I have to sell plasma 2x/wk. to do so? YES.
This stuff is too expensive. I work from home so I don't even wear eye makeup every day but LORDY do I go through this stuff like water. It's great, I've found nothing better or even comparable for less money, so I'll keep using it.
The only inexpensive remover I ever found that I liked, thanks to MUA was Pond's Bare & Repair but it was discontinued. Back to the poor house for me.
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Candles -Unlisted Brand - Mistral Lychee Rose
casia 11/25/2008 3:34:00 PM
What a beautiful scent!! This is one of my favorite scents for my bedroom, and it also works nicely in the bath. It is sweet, if you like sweet fragrances TRY IT. I don't like sweet fragrances and I love it, but I hesitate to recommend it to someone who doesn't like sweet. Guess you have to sniff it to decide.
Definitely more lychee than rose, but the rose tempers it a little.The combo comes out smelling like something different. Sweet, velvety, a vintage European scent. My husband loves this and comments on it all the time. (Highly unusual.)
Candle does smokes a little and get a little sooty near the end, but it's still very nice. My favorite Mistral scent. You can find it at Anthro, but I find no tax/shipping more economical through the MIstral site if I'm ordering a few items.
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Shampoo -Bumble & Bumble - Gentle Shampoo
casia 11/25/2008 3:23:00 PM
As I've said in a previous review, I am just not a B&B fan even though I want to be because the products are less expensive and more accessible than Kerastase.
I love Kerastase conditioners, treatments and styling aids but their shampoos make my scalp itch terribly. This shampoo doesn't make my scalp itch as badly, but I find it's drying for my color-treated, wavy, dry hair. My hair is not in *that* bad of shape but when I rinse it out my hair feels like broom bristles. Too bad following up with B&B conditioner doesn't help, either.
3 stars because it smells nice, bottle lasts a long time, and it's not the worst item out there. I am using it as a shaving lotion now and it works well for that purpose!
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Scrubs -Softsoap - Moisturizing Body Wash Coconut Scrub
casia 11/25/2008 3:19:00 PM
Love it! Nice scent, nice lather, great smell. It smells more tropical than coconut to me, which is better than the plasticky coconut smell most things have, but I do get some coconut out of it.
People comment on it not really being a scrub, but I didn't expect it to be. I expected it to be an everyday wash with a mild exfoliant and that it is. For me, it's a nie quick fix premoisturizing or when I want a tad more grit than a plain old wash. I use a separate scrub for actual scrubbin'.
Fabulous for the price!
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Cleansers -Clarins - One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser
casia 11/25/2008 11:58:00 AM
I love this stuff! I was afraid it would be too harsh for every day, and I do use Purpose maybe 20% of the time in case it is, but no problems yet. I have had acne-prone skin most of my life, and now in my 30s I have some dryness and wrinkles as well as redness and scarring from old breakouts. (My skin is pale and any mark stays for AGES.) It's always a mess of troubles!! Anyway, this has helped to keep my skin clear (or not hurt it in causing a flare-up) since I went off Solodyn after my last moderate-to-severe bout with acne over the summer. I have been using this in conjunction with Natura Bisse peels and Oxygen Cream and this is the best combo I've used to date. With my mess of skin troubles, I feel my face always looks dirty but this combo makes it look so much fresher. I hope it lasts! :-/
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Treatments -Bumble & Bumble - Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco Masque
casia 11/25/2008 11:50:00 AM
I bought this based on the great reviews but I don't care for it. It did nothing spectacular. I have to use a ton of it, combined with Super Rich conditioner (that combo worked better than masque alone) with heat or overnight, to see any results. My hair is collarbone-length, dry/color treated, and naturally wavy. So, I do need a lot of moisture, but I'm not at that far end of the dryness spectrum ... on a 1-10 with 1 being oily and 10 being dry I am probably a 6-7. This didn't help. I guess I just don't like Bumble & Bumble. I want to, but nothing in this line works well for me. I keep trying it as a cheaper alternative to Kerastase but it's not happening.
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Mascara -Too Faced - Lash Injection
casia 5/18/2008 4:05:00 PM
I am surprised the reviews aren't better. But mascara is sooo personal, and I also think it varies tube to tube at times. This makes my lashes so long, it looks like I'm wearing false eyelashes. It's decent at volumizing, and that's what I want since I already have long eyelashes, but the way it lengthens is sort of insane. I've never seen any mascara do this before. I really like it overall! UPDATE: As the tube got older, it did clump quite a bit. I thought it was great when new, though.
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Conditioner -Ojon - Tawaka Rejuvenating Conditioner [DISCONTINUED]
casia 5/15/2008 7:42:00 PM
Have you ever traveled to a faraway country, come back, and open your suitcase to find it and everything in it smells like dust and incense? If you like that experience, you are in luck because that's what opening the QVC box with this stuff is like. I opened it and was blown away by the very strong smell, and I am not usually sensitive to smells, to the point that I almost didn't even try it! It was that offensive to me. I'd read so many posts about loving the chocolatey smell, and I don't get that at all. It does smell better in the shower for whatever reason, and it isn't AS strong when your hair dries but it definitely lingers enough to interfere with any other scents. So, if you don't like the scent a lot, you're probably not going to be able to use this. The moisturizing properties seem good. However, I tried this out as a cheaper alternative to Kerastase Masquintense and find I like the KM as much or more, and I (and seemingly those around me) love the Kerastase scent so I'm sticking with that. I didn't use this on my body, except for the excess that ran onto my body in the shower. I don't like the all-in-one product concept but regardless, I wouldn't use it for that anyway. I didn't notice anything miraculous there. UPDATE: I liked this less and less as time went on. The smell made me ill and I threw it out.
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Powder -Prescriptives - Flawless Skin Total Protection Pressed Powder
casia 5/14/2008 3:05:00 PM
I really like this powder! I'm surprised by the negative reviews, and I agree with the reviewer who said this is meant to be a powder foundation, not use over foundation. It would be too heavy. HOWEVER, it can be masky/shiny/tricky to apply as some have commented, so I wouldn't give it a recommendation to the masses. And I think it's better for normal or drier skins, which I don't have but have managed to make it work with a light hand. I bought this on a whim at a Cosmetics Co. outlet when I was traveling and had forgotten my Chanel DP. The color, level 2, is a little pink and dark on me, but it's ok for now and should work well in summer. I find it's very silky with a LOT of coverage. I think the flimsy sponge it comes with is worthless. Instead, I apply it with a kabuki brush. Comes out just right and pretty natural, considering it's a pretty heavy powder. I fear I will run out of this very quickly based on other reviews and the fact that I am probably "kabuki-ing" it way down to the tin in no time with each time I apply it with a brush. In any case, it is a reasonable and much cheaper (only $21 at the outlet) substitute for me Chanel powder.
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Cleansers -Fancl - Mild Cleansing Oil
casia 3/19/2008 4:19:00 PM
I found this product on MUA and I love it. I have combination skin with acne that gets terribly red and dry from even the tiniest amount of my topical rx. In winter, my skin is a disaster. Constantly breaks out, yet is dry, red and flaky. All cleansers burned because my face was so irritated. I gave this a try and I really like it. I was hesitant, thinking it would be too oil since it is "oil" but it's fine. I don't use the washing powder or anything to clean it, I find that I have no residue from it. I go about my normal nighttime rx and moisturizer. I do not use it to remove eye makeup, I don't think anything but eye makeup remover works well for me, but I do like that I can get it right up under and all around the eye to remove concealer, etc. and it doesn't bother me at all. The texture feels so nice. It hasn't helped or hurt my acne, which is limited to breaking out along the jaw. I think my forehead lines look softer, so maybe this has been less harsh than the other cleansers I was using. If you are like me with acne but also an assortment of other skin concerns, including dryness and burning from water/cleansers and rx, you might want to give it a try. Thanks, MUA for this rec!
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