Sunscreen -Banana Boat - Sun Wear Faces Daily Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 
chedoux 11/14/2007 8:34:00 PM
This is a tad heavy for my skin in the summer, but in the winter it's perfect for daily use, for me. It spreads easily and doesn't break me out. So far, I'm impressed with Banana Boat s/s, which I started using last summer after I noticed a lot of d/s sunblocks don't appear to have adequate UVA protection. Someone below says this is photostable, as well, which would be a nice bonus.
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Sunscreen -Banana Boat - Sport Dri-Blok Advanced AvoTriplex UVA/UVB Sunblock with SPF 30 [DISCONTINUED]
chedoux 11/14/2007 8:23:00 PM
I'm a runner and I live at the beach, which means bad things for my skin. But I slather this on my body and face before I head out, and it definitely cuts down on the color I pick up during runs. My skin tans very easily, so this is no small feat. My favorite aspect is how dry this is; it doesn't make my skin oily at all. It will sting if it gets in my eyes, but that's rare (even during a sweaty run), and a minor annoyance.
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Moisturizers -Desert Essence - Jojoba Oil - 100% pure
chedoux 1/14/2006 10:02:00 PM
I apply this directly to my dry, thick, curly hair to control frizz. It works wonderfully for that purpose (terrible on my skin though). For reference, I am black and asian.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Olive Oil as Serum for Hair
chedoux 1/14/2006 9:58:00 PM
I've been using olive oil on my thick, curly hair for a couple years now. I'm half black and asian, for reference. Sometimes I rub on a few drops as a moisturizer, but mostly I use it as a deep treatment before washing my hair. I heat a little in the microwave for about 30 seconds, apply from roots to ends, then wrap my head with plastic wrap and a towel. I wait for about half an hour, and then wash it out in the shower. I smell like salad for a day, but it makes my curls shiny and bouncy, without silicones.
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Blush -Cargo - BeachBlush- Miami Beach
chedoux 1/14/2006 9:23:00 PM
A while ago, I immediately dismissed this on sight as not pigmented enough for my C4 honey-toned skin, but I tried it recently in Sephora on a whim. To my surprise, it does show up, and it looks great. On me, Miami Beach is a warm pink tone with a golden glow (no bronze). The pink tone by itself isn't terribly unique, but the golden element makes it quite pretty. I tend to shy away from lots of shimmer in blush, but I don't find this to be too shimmery for me. Update: somehow, I lost my first pan of this. I didn't realize how much I liked it until it was gone, and then I did something I rarely do: I repurchased. Adding a lippie.
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Lip Liners -MAC - Half-Red
chedoux 1/14/2006 8:40:00 PM
On my pink-pigmented lips, this is rosy with a hint of plum. I was hoping for a little more warmth to complement by C4 (HHH) skin tone, but it's still flattering. It's much better for me than Whirl or the other, lighter pinky-browns from MAC, which don't show up on me. And it does transform "O" into a lipstick I can wear, which is nice.
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Blush -NARS - Mata Hari
chedoux 1/14/2006 6:22:00 PM
I would never have tried this blush if not for the reviews; it looks scarily pink in the pan. It goes on, however, a wonderful deep pink that's not too cool for my honey-toned C4 skin. It's not a natural flush on me, but it's still very cute. (This is great for "look at my cute rosy cheeks!" days.) The texture is such that you can easily blend it to avoid clown-face, and it's still kicking by the end of the day. The blendability and longevity of this blush raises the score to 5 lippies for me.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Exact
chedoux 1/6/2006 11:47:00 PM
Very nice lengthening mascara, good for a natural look. I'm especially impressed with the brush, which has shortened my makeup routine: you don't have to scrape or wipe the bristles first, and a lash comb is optional (but I still use it to fan out my lashes). Most importantly for me, it does not smear on me by the end of a day's wear. I do wish it were a bit more dramatic, but it does its job very well. For reference, I have naturally long black lashes.
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Blush -NARS - Sin
chedoux 1/2/2006 6:57:00 PM
I never thought I would try a NARS blush, but I got a Sephora gift card for the holidays and here I am, declaring I will try more. I wouldn't have considered Sin because it looks too cool in the pan for my C4 HHH complexion, but on my cheeks it turns into a pretty pinky-plum flush with subtle shimmer. I'm actually returning this because I can get this effect using my other blushes, but the smooth texture makes me wish I had found it before the others. The longevity is also very very nice. High marks for texture and lasting power.
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Bronzers -NARS - Casino
chedoux 1/2/2006 6:48:00 PM
I use bronzer as blush only; I don't like the way it looks all over on my honey-toned C4 complexion. This is a simple brown tone with a nice subtle glow on my HHH skin; no red or orange tones show up on me. I'm on the fence about it, as I get hints of that dirt aspect and it doesn't really "warm up" my skin the way I want from a bronzer. It's got great longevity and it's subtle, but it's not nearly as flattering as Wet n Wild med/dark bronzer on my cheeks. It's too expensive for my budget for it to be a meh product, so I'm going to exchange it; will update when that happens.
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Blush -MAC - Slave to Love
chedoux 12/30/2005 7:39:00 PM
I got this because I thought it was a pink-brown shade heavy on the brown, like a dark version of Mocha. But, true to the MAC website description, there is also some coral in this. The resulting peach-pink-brown is natural and flattering on my C4 skin. It's a nice, subtle, everyday shade for my honey skin; I think of it as Prism (which didn't show on me) for us gals with darker undertones.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Sumptuous Olive (Veluxe pearl)
chedoux 12/30/2005 7:25:00 PM
This is a gorgeous olive-gold shade that is enhanced by the veluxe pearl texture. Because it is so soft and smooth, the shadow blends very well and has a nice soft gold sheen. (I wouldn't call it "shimmer," because it's finer than that.) It suits my honey-toned C4 skin, and I find that there is enough green to set off my red-brown eyes nicely. I would definitely repurchase this.
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Fragrances -L'Occitane - Amber (EDT and Perfume)
chedoux 12/30/2005 7:14:00 PM
Right up my alley: Amber is both warmly spicy and powdery, which isn't the most popular combination but works wonders on my body chemistry (florals go sour on my skin). I like this so much I bought the full 125 ml size, even though nearly every other scent I have is sample-sized due to the fact that I work with patients, making perfume a no-no.
I was concerned by the Obsession for Men comparisons, so a few days before purchasing I sprayed that on one wrist and this on the other. After drydown I sensed a similarity in the amber note, but on me Obsession is more musky and peppery, with a hint of leather. It has none of the soft powdery notes of Amber, which smells much nicer on me, thank goodness.
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Eyeliner -Jordana - Kohl Kajal Eyeliner
chedoux 12/29/2005 8:55:00 PM
I love this liner; I have Green Gables, Parisian Plum, and Almost Black. My favorite by far is Almost Black. It's a dark, slightly shimmery gray that gives me a subtly smokey look. I normally have to wear black liner because my lashes are black, but it can look harsh. I can do a pretty, soft smokey eye with this one.
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Eyeliner -Milani - Easy Liner Retractable Pencil
chedoux 12/29/2005 8:48:00 PM
Wow. I bought Black and Espresso on a whim, and I'm glad I did. They perform better than my more expensive liners. Application glides very smoothly and evenly, and there is no smudging on me (my lids aren't very oily though). I'm especially liking Espresso, a blackened brown, because it's the first brown liner I've tried that doesn't look strange against my black lashes-- I now have a natural liner that isn't as harsh as black liner. I'll have to get back ups.
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