Cleansers -Neutrogena - Naturals Cleanser + Makeup Remover
cellogal 4/2/2011 10:05:00 AM
Tried this on a lark because I had a coupon and found that I really like it! It has a fresh, clean scent that's not overpowering, rinses easily, and makes my skin clean without feeling dry! A winner in my book. I took off one lippie because my pump dispenser doesn't work; I have a feeling I just got the bad apple from the batch. A bigger concern is that it doesn't remove all of my waterproof mascara, but I'm willing to live with that.
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Palettes -Wet 'n' Wild - Holiday 2010 Color Icon Palette in Date Night
cellogal 12/19/2010 10:45:00 AM
This palette contains the Color Icon trio in Don't Steal My Thunder, a MegaSlicks lip gloss (Bronzed Berry, I believe), and three coordinating full-size liner pencils, all for a dirt-cheap five bucks. The eyeshadows are Wet N Wild's usual surprisingly good quality. I can't quite make the white shade work on me, but the black and silver colors are just perfect (after an insane amount of blending, as I'm rather fair). The silver has a bit more blue interference than I'd like, but still a great color. I love the liner and gloss, although not necessarily together, as the liner is a bit darker than the gloss, giving that "ring around the lips" effect unless, once again, there's an insane amount of blending. I find that the liner pairs better with a plummier lipstick, whereas the gloss requires a more neutral/peachy liner. Overall, I love the various elements in the palette, but I'm not sure I love them together as a set. Still, for five bucks? I'm willing to mix and match.
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Eye Shadow -Mary Kay - Mineral Eye Color in Chocolate Kiss
cellogal 5/8/2009 10:30:00 PM
I'm quite impressed with Mary Kay's new mineral eyeshadows. They're the first shadows, mineral or otherwise, to look as fresh at the end of the day as they do in the morning when I apply them, with no fading, no creasing, no nothing. Texture is silky smooth and easily blendable, and the colors are wonderful. This is a medium golden brown with shimmer, and it really brings out the gold flecks in my eyes. I will echo the standard complaints about packaging, but I've put a magnet in a CD jewel case, creating my own palette for much less than what Mary Kay would like me to pay.
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Strawberry Milkshake 3 in 1
cellogal 7/10/2007 2:17:00 PM
Got a sample of this in a swap, and I'm glad I got to try it out before I bought it. It's your typical 3 in 1, with great lather and cleansing power, although as so many have said, mediocrity as a shampoo. I just use my 3 in 1s as a body wash. That said, I hate the smell of this. It reminded me of a rather unfortunate liquid medicine I had to take when I was little and had the flu. Just smelled like some awful fake chemical scent that could only charitably be called strawberry. Blech.
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Ultimate Expressions Eyeshadow Palette - Paradise Cove - 397 [DISCONTINUED]
cellogal 5/23/2007 12:19:00 AM
I found this on sale for half off, if you can believe it, so instead of paying $4, I paid $2. I had read some rave reviews of it, and as much as I respect and trust the opinions of my fellow MUAers, I was still hesitant to believe that the el cheapo Wet 'n' Wild, which was too low-end even for me as a middle schooler just starting to experiment with makeup in the early '90s, would live up to the hype. Well...I took the leap of faith (not a large leap), and purchased this, and I absolutely love it. It's like someone over there at Wet 'n' Wild saw a picture of my eyes and put every single color that would make them pop into a single palette. Every color is absolutely gorgeous, silky, and stays on forever. I particularly like the lavender/taupe color, as it is everything I wish my Stila Grace were but is not, and the shimmery champagne color in the upper right that is the closest thing I've seen to Stila Kitten, but not quite as frosty, which in my mind is a good thing. I'm also very intrigued by the bottom two shades in the middle; when paired with the purple side, they look purple, but they look brown when paired with the warmer side. They're amazing! I have never seen a palette so perfectly suited to my eyes. The packaging leaves a little to be desired; as others have mentioned, it's a bit clunky, and I find it hard to open. As with all other drugstore products, use a high-quality brush for best results. I also think the pans are a bit shallow, but for $4, I really don't have any room to complain. I really wish this weren't LE; I'll have to go snap up the others as backups! Wet 'n' Wild has really outdone themselves here, and I think they're sending all of us an important message. There is absolutely no reason to pay exorbitant amounts of money for quality makeup when you can get it for under $5. It is obvious that high-end brands don't have a monopoly on whatever techniques are used to make a quality product, and we're all benefiting from it. Thanks, Wet 'n'Wild!!!
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Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - CYS Cleanse Your Soul Shave Gel
cellogal 5/21/2007 11:11:00 AM
I normally love CYS products, and I had heard good things about the shave gel, so I ordered one in my favorite scent (Toasted Marshmallow) and found it to be a mixed bag. The Good: The scent remained true, without being overpowering, and the gel allows the razor to glide smoothly and leaves a moisturizing film on your legs. Having a non-drying shave gel is definitely a bonus! The Bad: This gel doesn't lather, and its clear color makes it difficult to see where you've applied it, which can result in nicks if you're not careful. Also, since it doesn't lather, you need to use quite a bit of product, meaning that the little 4 oz tube you get doesn't last very long. I don't think I'll get more than 10 shaves out of this tube, and I'm scrimping on it more than I should. If this product came in a larger tube, I might repurchase, but I personally prefer the Bath Moisture Whip as a shave gel to this product.
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Makeup Brushes -Sonia Kashuk - Foundation Brush
cellogal 12/28/2006 11:11:00 AM
I originally bought this brush for use with liquid foundations, but shelved it when I switched to mineral makeup. However, on a whim, I tried it out as a concealer brush, and it's just perfect for that purpose! I use my kabuki to apply foundation to my whole face, but then use the foundation brush to apply extra foundation to dark circles and blemishes. It's even better than the BE concealer brush for this purpose. Love it!
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Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - CYS Cleanse Your Soul Bath Milk
cellogal 12/27/2006 3:28:00 PM
This creamy body wash/bubble bath produces a rich, creamy lather, but doesn't hold onto scent like many other CYS products. I could barely detect the fragrance. Perhaps this is because of the fragrance I chose (Toasted Marshmallow) and I would probably buy it again in a stronger scent before rejecting it completely.
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Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - CYS Bath and Shower Gel
cellogal 11/30/2006 5:29:00 PM
I got a sample of this in Pumpkin Toffee, which isn't something I would purchase based on the name alone, but smells simply heavenly; like pumpkin pie mixed with toffee. The shower gel itself is a decent product; it doesn't lather as much as I usually like, but I find it decently moisturizing. The gel has moisture beads in it, which help exfoliate and moisturized. The only shower gel I've tried that doesn't dry my skin out. For wintertime, I prefer creamier washes, but this would be perfect in the summer!
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Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - CYS Bath Moisture Whip
cellogal 11/17/2006 10:46:00 PM
I've never used a product quite like this before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. In consistency, it is similar to cold cream, but doesn't leave a greasy film, just soft, moisturized skin. The bath whip contains a sprinkling of microbeads, which help exfoliate and moisturize. It doesn't lather or foam, but since ingredients that promote lathering can dry skin, the non-lathering is great from a moisturization standpoint. It's probably too heavy a product for summer, but my skin will love it this winter. I have this in Toasted Marshmallow, which smells just like the name indicates. Great product!
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Powder -Everyday Minerals - foundation semi-matte formula
cellogal 5/25/2006 7:30:00 PM
My search is, at long last, over; I have found my Holy Grail foundation. I tried BE, but it made my face itch, like so many, and thanks to the lovely ladies of MUA, I found Everyday Minerals. I ordered a sample at first, and I LOVE it! The sample came about a month ago, I've been using it nearly every day, and I still have 3/4 of the sample jar left! This will last me forever!! The coverage is wonderfully buildable, and is the only foundation I have ever tried that looks like my skin, only fabulous. Despite the fact that it's a powder, it doesn't dry, itch, or accentuate flakes. When I get nostalgic for liquid foundation, I just mix a bit of it with my moisturizer, and create a custom tinted moisturizer! I just can't say enough about this; I adore this foundation and will repurchase over and over again!
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Crème -Pure Luxe Cosmetics - Whipped Creme Foundation
cellogal 3/27/2006 9:46:00 PM
Just received my first Pure Luxe samples, and I must say, I'm pretty impressed with this foundation. I have been on a mineral makeup kick lately in the interest of not putting toxic substances on my skin, but I just don't like the concept of powder foundation. It's not that it doesn't work, it's just that I'm having trouble adjusting my expectations of what foundation should be. My search for a liquid mineral foundation led me here, to Pure Luxe's Whipped Creme Foundation. First of all, I absolutely LOVE the inexpensive samples they send! At $1.50 for a generous scoop in a small jar, it's definitely worth it to give a shade or two a try. The shades seem very neutral, with no visible undertones, making it perfect for neutralizing redness! This foundation goes on creamy and dries to a very matte finish. I usually prefer a satiny finish to my foundation, but I bet if I mixed in a little liquid shimmer, it would be perfect. It blends well, although you must be careful not to put on too much; a little goes a long way, and too much will look masklike (of course, that's true of any foundation). My recommendation would be to apply a very small amount at first and then build in the spots that you need more coverage. I love that it doesn't make me itch, and that it doesn't feel like I've got makeup on...isn't that what we're all after? And at $5 a tub for a foundation that's actually good for skin, I think Pure Luxe has a hit with this one!
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Eye Shadow -Stila - Grace Eyeshadow
cellogal 2/28/2006 4:42:00 PM
I didn't know much about this shadow until this weekend at Sephora, when the artist used it as a lid color, and it really made my green eyes pop! This shadow isn't as pigmented, true, but I think that's part of the magic of it. You notice the eyes, not the shadow. It lasts a long time, and it really brings the attention to your eyes.
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Cinnamon Buns 3-in-1
cellogal 2/28/2006 2:10:00 PM
I just LOVE this scent. I got a sample of this in a swap, and I went and bought it this weekend. I spent quite a while at Sephora sniffing all the other 3-in-1s, and none of them come close to smelling as good as this does. This and the Mint Chocolate Chip were the only ones that smelled like the food in question without any chemical, plastic-y scent. I find that this works great as a non-drying body wash, but it's not that great as a shampoo; I'll only use it in my hair if I'm in a real hurry. I like how the scent doesn't linger after your shower; if I smelled like Cinnamon Buns all day, I don't think my husband would let me leave the house!
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Polishes -OPI - Nail Polishes
cellogal 2/15/2006 9:47:00 PM
I think this story will say it all: My wedding pedicure was done with OPI, and after a week on the sands of Cancun, the pedicure looked as fresh as it did the day it was applied. That, in my mind, is truly amazing.
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