Liquid -CK One - 3-in-1 Face Makeup With SPF 8 Sunscreen
cavewoman 3/29/2013 8:31:00 PM
This foundation is part of a new line from Calvin Klein and it's available at Ulta. I saw the display and was attracted to the clean black and white packaging. The bottle has a black rubberized covering over the glass bottle inside, a pump-style delivery, and a white cap to cover the pump. There is a little window in the black base on the side, so you can see the color and the level that remains as you use it. I tested three shades on my hand, the first three in the group, and decided to try the 200 Fair shade on my face. At first I thought it was too yellowish for me, NW20-ish, but the 100 shade was definitely too light. I started to dab the foundation on my face (moisturizer but nothing else that day) and was impressed with how smoothly it was blending, and disappearing into my skin. It was easy to blend out, didn't grab or streak at all, evening out my skin tone but no heaviness at all. I would consider this foundation to be light-to-medium coverage leaning toward the medium. It has a luminous quality, a satin finish, not dewy or matte. I covered the rest of my face with the 200 shade and was amazed at how lovely and fresh my skin looked! The color was a great match. My skin looked glowing and healthy. It did not sink into little lines or pores, in fact, they seem to have softened remarkably. I bought the product. Using it at home, I tried it first with the beautyblender but found that it actually applies better just with fingers. This foundation lasts all day on me. It didn't cake, change color, settle into pores or lines, or change its satin appearance at all. At the end of the day my skin still looks even, glowing, and pretty. This product is called 3 in 1 because it has "daily serum, primer + face makeup all in one." I would still use a moisturizer under it because my skin tends to be very dry and some flakiness. I love that I don't even feel this on my skin at all! The sunscreen ingredients are octinoxate 2.0% and titanium dioxide 2.5%. Ordinarily I shy away from titanium dioxide because it just drains all the moisture from my face and tends to make foundations go chalky and patchy on me, and shows flakes toward the end of the day. But not this one! There is mica listed in the ingredients as well as glycerin and some 'cones. Fragrance is also listed in the ingredients. The packaging does not say "oil-free" but the listing on Ulta does. Just as an aside, I do not wear oil-free foundations. Not only would I buy this product again, I just did! Lately I have been so dissatisfied with foundations, trying just about anything and everything, that I had been wearing only BB creams or tinted moisturizers. This new ck one is definitely HG. I hope the line is successful because this foundation is as perfect as it gets for me. The bottle retails for $30 for one ounce at Ulta.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -L'Oreal - Feria in Violet Soft Black
cavewoman 2/8/2012 8:24:00 AM
Oh Productville I wish I had consulted you before I succumbed to the pretty picture on the box of L'Oreal Feria Violet Black! Did anyone in the L'Oreal company actually test this product before releasing it to the trusting public? I say no, they didn't. You will get NOTHING like what you see on the box. I too am stuck with the crazy red highlights. Not burgundy, but candy-apple RED! In terms of texture, Feria is hard on the hair. I have very fine hair and I do like the Feria formula for giving my hair a thicker appearance, but it tends to rough up the hair a bit, so just be aware that Feria is pretty harsh.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Cover Girl - Natureluxe Liquid Silk Foundation 
cavewoman 12/24/2010 10:16:00 PM
I bought this foundation to try because I could not find anywhere on the display or the packaging that it is oil free. I don't wear oil free foundations any more because my skin is very dry. I had high hopes. The 2nd shade matched me so perfectly (NW20) I applied it over my serum and moisturizer with a beautyblender. It is a true satin finish, not too dewy and not matte. But the sunscreen ingredient is titanium dioxide and that tends to make foundations turn cakey and dry on my skin. If you want good coverage without looking like you have foundation on, you should try this! It really is an advanced formula for being a drugstore brand. The tube has a little window so you can see the color of the product. No testers. I don't think oily-skinned people would like it, but if you're normal to dry and need good coverage, this product is superb.
16 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Iconic Extreme (Waterproof)
cavewoman 8/14/2010 11:01:00 PM
I needed a waterproof mascara and thought since I love Iconic so much, I'd try the waterproof version. I bought this mascara in Extreme Black. I can't say it's any blacker than any regular black mascara, and it seemed to take forever for me to even see any coating of the lashes. I went back and forth from one eye to the other and finally noticed a little length but absolutely no volume at all. Then I went to exercise class. Within five minutes my eyes were burning so horribly that I had to run and find some tissues to try to blot my burning eyes. I've only had this kind if irritation one other time with a mascara (Great Lash) and it really surprised me. I came home and tossed it in the trash. I only wish I had read the reviews below before buying this. I got it at Sephora on the Dior rack and it was the only one in stock. I do not have any other waterproof mascaras to compare this with. I will say though, that through all the sweating I did and the watery eyes, it did not budge. That's about the only good thing I can say about Dior Iconic Extreme Waterproof.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
cavewoman 7/28/2010 8:19:00 PM
A little bit lengthening, but my lashes stuck together and even with a lash comb it was hard to separate them. Later I noticed they had re-stuck themselves together! Now how in the heck did that happen! Absolutely no volume whatsoever. The only good thing I can say is that this mascara did not smudge or flake, even after an hour sweatfest at Zumba class. I won't repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Revlon - Post Trauma Nail Treatment
cavewoman 5/19/2010 1:58:00 PM
I had been using Nubar Foundation for a few years, and although it helped me to grow my nails very nicely, to the point where I actually had to cut them shorter, Nubar Foundation did not hold my nail color for more than a day or so before it started to chip. It was more of a treatment than a real base coat. Last year I had a major stressful event and because of that my nails suffered huge ridges and they were even pitted with big dents in them. Now that most of that severe damage has grown out, I wanted to find something that I could use to keep them safe and still be able to wear polish. When I saw the words Post Trauma on this bottle, I wanted to try it. It works beautifully to fill in the ridges, although some of the ridges in my most damaged nails are still too deep to truly fill. But the best part is, two coats of Post Trauma make the best base coat I've ever used! My hands are in water so often during the day, doing dishes, showering, just regular hand washing, and after 3 days of all of that, my manicure looks as perfect as it did freshly applied. Not one chip or flake in sight! I will update to tell you how long this manicure lasts with Post Trauma, but 3 days is already great with me! HUGE rave for this fine product! Update: six days later. Scrubbed two bathrooms, did dishes twice a day, showered every day, scrubbed kitchen floor, there is not one single chip and no signs of tip wear. Amazing!! 8 days later. I did Spring cleaning on two upstairs rooms, no wear, no chips. Unbelievable.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
cavewoman 1/28/2010 8:36:00 PM
This product is part of a new group of L'Oreal Studio Secrets that is being launched in the USA this month. I found it on the wall display with the HIP products at my local RiteAid. It's in a black box, with red lettering that says "Secret No. 1" and the product comes in a half-ounce clear glass jar with a black plastic lid. The product appears pinkish in the jar but has no color on the face. I was so eager to try this because I love testing primers, and am always looking for one that works with my dry skin and large pores. And there are so few of them in the drugstore lines, so this was something I was so glad to find! I used a little spatula (probably from some other product or brand) to take a bit of the primer out of the jar and I put it on the back of my hand with the spatula. I applied the primer with my fingers, over top of my regular skincare (serum and moisturizer) and then let it dry a bit while I did my eyes. The primer feels very silky on the skin despite the fact that it's rather thick coming out of the jar. Due to the thickness of the product, I applied a little at a time starting with the nose-cheek areas and then the rest of my face. I think that is the best way to make sure the more important areas are covered, and then I smoothed it out with my fingers after I had applied it everywhere on my face. It dries quickly so you have to be quick about it. I used my beautyblender to apply my liquid foundation over the primer (By Terry Delectation) and I was pleased with the results. My skin looked smooth and pores were definitely minimized. Later in the day I checked to see how it was looking, and I was so happy to see it had not dried out my skin at all, no flakes, no uneven wear, no caking or changing color of my foundation. It lasted til I removed my makeup at the end of the day. Even after I removed my makeup, my skin felt very smooth! That was a nice bonus. If I had to compare it to some other primer that I have tried, I would say that it comes closest to Clarins Instant Smooth. Maybe a tad not as thick. The product is full of silicones, just so you know in case you can't use anything with 'cones in it. I would definitely repurchase! I'll list the ingredients here: cyclohexasiloxane, dimethicone, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, silica, acrylates copolymer, disodium stearoyl glutamate, aluminum hydroxide {+/- may contain CI 77891/ titanium dioxide/ CI 77491/ iron oxides} FIL D30587/2 I rated this a 2 for packaging because you really have to use a spatula to remove product, and it doesn't come with one. The jar opening is rather smallish, and once you start making a dent in the product, it would be impossible to remove product from the jar without some kind of spatula. Price of the product was $12.95 for a half ounce.
45 out of 46 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Shu Uemura - Painting Liner
cavewoman 1/13/2010 4:19:00 PM
I have tried just about every single gel or cream eyeliner that I could find in the past year or so. Most of them were just ok, and MAC Fluidlines came closest to the consistency and lasting ability that I was looking for. So until now, they were my HG (and I love the older colors like Penned and Nightfish, wish they were permanent!) but a few weeks ago I discovered that Shu Uemura had a gel liner, so of course I had to try it. HG HG HG. The black is the absolute blackest black of any of the gel or cream liners I have tried. It goes on so smoothly, almost as if it were a liquid. It was easy to apply with an old, thin Sephora eyeliner brush that I had in my brush stash. The liner stayed put exactly as I applied it, through an entire day and a funeral that same evening. Yes, I cried, and the liner did not budge. I removed it at the end of the day with a Boots 4 in 1 wipe and that worked perfectly. I also bought the Shu liner in the dark blue color which is called Night Blue, and it is the darkest navy liner I've found, and really brightens up my dark brown eyes without shouting "hey, blue liner!" I think I can safely toss all the also-rans in this product category. I'll keep my Fluidlines just because the colors I have are some that I like and use, but for basic black and a black-blue that's perfect on me, the Shu is IT. HG HG!
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -L'Oreal - Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Advanced Skin Repair Daily Serum
cavewoman 1/10/2010 5:21:00 PM
Move over, Prescriptives Line Preventor serum! Oh wait, I take that back, it IS moving over. Or OUT, to be exact. I used the PX serum for many years and went through many bottles. Now that the entire line is due to be discontinued, I was hoping I could find a nice serum that would work for my increasingly dry skin. I always start my skincare routine with a serum over my freshly-cleansed skin, and from there I use a moisturizer with sunscreen, and sometimes after that a luminizer (like PX Vibrant C or an Armani Fluid Sheer) and then foundation. In warmer weather I skip the luminizer and just use a primer under my foundation. I saw an ad on TV for this L'Oreal serum and could not wait to try it. Yes, I'm one of those mature ladies who are the target audience for the Age Perfect line. This product is wonderful and did not disappoint in any way. It feels so comfortable on my skin and adds that bit of hydration I need when moisturizers just don't seem to be enough right now. My skin glows and looks healthy and fresh. I absolutely love the clear glass dropper-style bottle. This product smooths on easily and it dries quickly on me. It has not clogged my pores, and sometimes it is all I need under a tinted moisturizer. I can't say it helps with any wrinkles because I really don't have bad wrinkles. I'll be repurchasing and hoping it stays around on the drugstore shelves for a long time. These thin serums work really well for me, and finding one at the drugstore is a rare thing! This serum works as well as, if not better, than Super Line Preventor, at a fraction of the price, and I'll be watching for a drugstore sale to stock up on it (another bonus for loving a drugstore skincare item!) Highly recommended for ladies with dry skin who need a bit more moisture!
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Extase Flash Plumping Mascara
cavewoman 12/16/2009 8:46:00 AM
This is the latest version of the DiorShow mascara products. Right now it is on Sephora but listed as a Beauty Insider Only purchase. Mine arrived a few days ago and I could not wait to try it. The elegant case is a gold version of the Iconic tube. The brush has thick and thin areas and the bristles are widely spaced. It's supposed to remind us of Dior Couture tiered dresses! The formula contains treatment ingredients and also has fibers which are supposed to plump up the lashes, and according to the Sephora description, this mascara can be used along with other DiorShow mascaras. I just used it alone with no other mascaras for my first try. My first impression is wow! I got the most incredible lift from this mascara, no curler needed, and the lift lasted all day! Usually after an hour, my stick straight lashes droop, even with curling. But at the end of the day, I still had the same lift that I got in the morning when I applied it! This mascara brush separates the lashes and fans them out with absolutely no clumping or lash comb needed. I could not believe the great length I got with it, too! I have to say I did not see a huge volumizing or plumping effect, but I was very happy with the results, it did slightly thicken the appearance of my lashes but without the usual goopy effect of some other plumping or volumizing mascaras. And not one single flake at the end of the day, either! I think that I prefer Iconic to this new Extase, but just only slightly. It didn't take long at all to achieve maximum lash effect with Extase, just one coat on one eye, then to the other eye, and then back again for a second coat. It coated my lower and outer lashes really easily too, no smudging whatsoever. It has a nice gloss to it when it dries, and it doesn't get crispy or hard. I would recommend this mascara highly, especially if you're after some amazing lengthening. Will definitely buy again. Removal was super easy with Almay Non-Oily Eyemakeup Remover pads, just two pads per eye.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear Eye Makeup Remover Pads
cavewoman 12/15/2009 8:01:00 AM
The product states that this item is 100% Natural Origin, free of parabens, synthetics, and is cruelty-free. The packaging is an interesting metal jar, and you get 60 pads for around $10 retail. I bought these after they were launched, and are now mostly available at Physicians Formula regular displays, along with a few more of these skincare products in the Organic Wear line. The first thing I noticed is that they are totally saturated with remover, soaking wet, and very difficult to separate to get just one pad. The texture of the pads is weird, not soft at all, and getting the lid back on the jar correctly was a problem. Not only did this eyemakeup remover not remove my eye makeup, it just pushed it around onto the skin around my eyes and left me looking like I'd pulled two all-nighters in a nasty club. Then the remover pads would not even remove the makeup that it had pushed around onto my skin. I can't think that I've ever used such an ineffective product. As far as the 100% natural claims, natural is not always irritant-free, and this product irritated my eyes. That could possibly be because I kept trying to remove my eyemakeup by rubbing the pads too much onto the eye area. Or it could be because the so-called natural ingredients are actually irritating my skin. I don't have sensitive skin, and I don't wear waterproof mascara, and so it should not be too hard to remove what I wear on my eyes. Not only would I not recommend this product, I'm tossing the remainder of the product. I can say without reservation that this is the worst eyemakeup remover product I have ever tried.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -La Mer - The Radiant Concealer SPF25
cavewoman 9/20/2009 2:11:00 PM
It has been almost three years delayed, shortly after the launch of the re-formulated Skincare De La Mer Fluid Foundation, and the La Mer counter was buzzing with the promise of a concealer. I had fallen in love with the foundation and could not wait to try the concealer. Yes, three years since the buzz at the counter was that the launch was coming "soon." Every time I went to Saks, I'd stop in to see if the concealer was there. Finally, it was. And I can finally say, I've found the HG concealer I've been looking for ever since I started wearing concealer, maybe ten years ago or so. I've tried so many I have lost count. My personal skin issues are just normal (!) aging, thin skin under the eye, with some lines, but very dry skin. I don't have particularly dark circles, so I don't need maximum or opaque coverage. Most concealers that promised to "stay put" ended up drying out and cracking and looking worse than no concealer at all. The more emollient types slipped around and disappeared or just ran directly into the lines and made them look worse. So, the ideal concealer would have enough emollient ingredients so it wouldn't dry out during the day, and enough staying power to last the day or most of it, and a satin (or luminous, I could hope) finish with no matte effect at all, which makes dry skin look worse. This combination of ideals for me has never been achieved until now. La Mer The Radiant Concealer is perfection. I am an NW20 and at the counter there were only 3 color choices in this concealer. The SA and I decided that color #2 Medium was the right one for me. Which leaves people with any skin tone darker than, say, N35 or so, without a match. The SA cautioned me that I could probably not take a small enough amount on the q-tip. She was right. The tiniest bit is all you need. I love the slight glow effect of this concealer, and it blended smoothly without gripping or grabbing, and is easy to feather out along the edges for a totally natural effect. It's neither too yellow or too pink, it's just a great neutral. I didn't wait to see how it would look later in the day, I bought it on the spot. Later that evening, maybe 6 hours or so, I was home and ready to check the way this concealer wore after application. What a surprise! It looked as fresh and flawless as when I had first applied it! No dryness at all, no cracking or sinking into lines, and still luminous but not shiny or sparkly. I learned quickly with subsequent uses that all I need to do is tap my finger lightly on the surface of the concealer to get just the right amount for both under-eye areas. The Radiant Concealer comes in a rather large box, and inside along with the little square white La Mer concealer compact itself, you'll receive a little white leatherette pouch and a small, synthetic-bristle brush with a white handle. I don't use the brush. If I could give this product a 10 rating, I would! The search for the perfect concealer is over for me. I rate it a 5 for price, because it is expensive ($65) but I used to pay this for the Cle De Peau stick (which I used until it did not agree any more with my post-menopausal dry skin.) I gave the packaging a 4. The compact itself can be difficult to open, and I am not sure why the compact wasn't made big enough to hold the concealer pan and the brush, too. But this is minor, since I don't use a brush to apply concealer. The inside of the lid has a little mirror, which is always nice. If you have very dry, "mature" skin and have not found a concealer that addresses your issues, you might want to give this new La Mer a try. The only drawbacks I can think of are that it's not opaque, so if you have seriously dark circles it might not cover like you want it to. (but the packaging shows that it is a treatment for dark circles, so that could be a plus for someone who has that issue.) Also, there are only 3 shades, so you might not get a good match. That's all I can think of in terms of any negatives to this product. I have not tried this product on blemishes because I don't have any blemishes. It was surely worth the wait, even the 3 year wait. I just hope it doesn't get discontinued or changed in formula. It's wonderful!
27 out of 28 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -By Kilian - Cruel Intentions
cavewoman 8/13/2009 8:43:00 AM
I received a set of six Kilian samples from Bergdorf, and was eager to give each of them a fair try. Cruel Intentions has violet, rose, and sandalwood listed in the notes, and since these are favorites of mine, especially rose and violet together, I couldn't wait to test this one. Immediately I was just about assaulted with the powdery, resinous notes, and although amber isn't listed as a note, it's strongly powdery amber to me. If powdery ambers are something you like, you'll love Cruel Intentions. I personally hate powdery scents, and ambers especially, and after a few minutes of wearing Cruel Intentions, I actually became nauseous. Just goes to show, again, that you can never really tell what a scent will be like on your skin from only reading a list of notes! This one, to quote my friend Ceil, is a scrubber. I never smelled any rose or violet in this scent. It went straight to the base notes on me.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Revlon - ColorStay Mineral Mousse Makeup
cavewoman 5/2/2009 12:08:00 PM
I have been looking for some kind of stay-put foundation for the warmer months and thought I'd try this new one from Revlon. I did not get as good a match as I would have wanted, (NW20) and I chose Light Medium. It's a bit too orangey-yellow for me, but the Light was too light. This foundation takes a bit of work to blend on evenly, and it dries almost immediately to a very powdery-matte finish, which I did not like at all. It emphasized every single pore and line on my face, even with a primer. If you like a matte finish foundation with good coverage and you can get a match, this would be one to try, but it just isn't the kind of finish I am looking for. I'm returning this to RiteAid.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Elizabeth Arden - Pure Finish Mineral Makeup
cavewoman 3/6/2009 9:26:00 PM
I'm not usually a powder foundation wearer, and I have long ago learned that mineral powder makeup does not really work well for me. I have dry skin, but that only happened within the last few years. I've had a lifetime of very oily skin which left me with huge pores. So, dry skin and huge pores are always an issue with me when looking for foundations. On a whim I stopped to see the new Arden Pure Finish - I have to admit that it was the packaging that got me. It's the same compact as Smashbox Halo (a great product, too!) I love that you just shave off as much as you need and there is no mess to this container at all. At the counter, my Arden MA matched me to the lightest shade, 02. I'm an NW20. If you're lighter, you won't get a match in the new Arden. I took a q-tip and dabbed a bit of the Pure Finish on my nose. I couldn't buy this product fast enough. The pores on my nose disappeared totally and instantly. The first time I used the Pure Finish at home, I was in a big hurry to get out the door, and no time to do my usual moisturizer, primer, liquid foundation and finishing powder. I'd put moisturizer on my face in the morning so I was not needing to do that again. I applied the Pure Finish and within less than a minute, perfection! It lasted through the evening very well, it gave my skin a beautiful, natural glow but no crazy weird sheen like some of those other loose minerals do. At the end of the day, still looking poreless, I can give this product a huge endorsement. It did not look dry at all on my face, didn't settle into lines or pores, and did not wear off, either. I'd buy it again. I hope it stays around for a long time. It's less $$ than the Smashbox Halo and is equal or even better than Halo. It is less visible on the skin than Halo, but covers just as well. I know that many MUAers regard Elizabeth Arden as the one makeup company they'll never use, but this is worth a try. I also bought the brushes. The large brush has a beautiful slant and picks up and lays down the powder perfectly, even better than a dome shaped brush. The mini folds open to lay flat in the compact, it's absolutely genius! I'm totally satisfied with this wonderful product.
16 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No