Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - The All Natural Face tinted lip balms
cherylt 1/29/2012 9:41:00 PM
I'm just discovering The All Natural Face...the owner has run a successful ETSY business for years & the demand for her products grew so she now runs a fulltime mail order and bricks & mortar store, which i just down the street from me. Crystal (the owner) is really nice & very generous with samples; she recently did a Groupon so I am trying a few items from her makeup line as well as her skincare line. Will post more reviews on this brand soon but so far really impressed with her philosophy: pure, simple, natural products that don't harm the people who use them! I bought one of these in the shade "garnet": it's a very pretty reddish shade that's very natural looking. These balms are moisturizing but not oily, and the color stays on for a reasonable amount of eating, drinking and talking (I do all 3 all day long!). I don't love full lipstick as it feels so heavy to me, but these feel very comfortable and have no taste. They are about $4/apiece...Burt's Bees & a few other "more natural" companies make tinted balms,but they're a bit costlier, think Burts are $6 and Badger are also about $6 I like that she uses almond oil, coconut oil and other ingredients that won't harm people when ingested (let's face it, anything you put on your lips is getting into your mouth!). I bought a few more in the garnet shade so I have spares for my car, purse and coat pocket, and I've also purchased the rose-gold, cherry bomb and warm honey shades (rose gold is as pretty as it sounds...kind of a dark purply rose with shimmer; warm honey is a very pretty gold-tinted neutral, and cherry bomb is a pretty dark red which isn't right for my coloring as it's so richly red pigmented, but would look gorgeous on someone with darker or more olive skin. These come in about a dozen shades (pink, purples, browns, reds, etc.) I'm LOVING this store! Anyone looking to try more natural cosmetics and skincare without compromising on quality & effectiveness should check out TANF...she has a lot to offer & I'm so pleased to have found some reasonably priced, people-safe good quality cosmetics that work!
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Styling Products -Rusk - W8less Extra Strong Hairspray
cherylt 1/29/2012 9:23:00 PM
This spray does absolutely NADA for my hair. I bought it becuase I wanted a lightweight but strong finishing spray to hold my style, but other than smelling nice, there's nothing to it...i might as well just sray air at my hair. I might as well use nothing. I like a lot of Rusk products, but this sure isn't one of them.
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Powder -Unlisted Brand - The All Natural Face mineral foundation
cherylt 1/29/2012 9:12:00 PM
Another winner from The All Natural Face! I've been a Lancome Teint Idole user for years...despite the prohibitive price ($42.50 an ounce!), no other I've tried has lasted so well without creasing, settling or fading off...I don't do touch ups. TANF started as an Etsy business, but the owner (Crystal) opened a store & I feel so lucky it's just down the street from me! She ran a Groupon recently so I've tried a few things, so far really impressed. She seems to be known for her foundation: she uses very good quality ingredients with almost limitless color choices...in fact, she matched me in the store and then sent me home with a handful of samples so I could test-drive the colors. It turned out I was between shades so she custom blended me a very generous sample to take: she didn't want me to buy until I was 100% happy. This foundation is VERY good: I've always been a liquid user, but her powders are very light, silky-oft and feel like air. I haven't needed to touch up & I've been getting compliments on my skin lately (this and her Midas concealer have been the only changes). I buff this on lightly with my Ecotools kabuki and mist with a bit of setting spray: long-lasting and very natural looking, I'm still learning to use powder foundation & find that over-applying can make it settle into fine lines, so I've been using a light hand. The coverage is good, not sheer but definitely not masky. So far I'm very happy with it, and I'm glad there's such a color range as my tone tends to change (despite all the sunscreen I wear, really!). I'm trying a few other things from TANF and will be reviewing oon, but feeling like this company has a lot to offer: good-for-you cosmetics and skincare that WORK!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Kiss Me - HEROINE MAKE long and curl mascara (black)
cherylt 1/29/2012 8:56:00 PM
This is the best mascara I've EVER used, and I've used literally hundreds in my quest to find the perfect nonirritating, super-waterproof, non-smearing lengthening affordable mascara. THIS IS IT!!! I am a big crier and with this on, I could be blasted in the face with a firehose while swimming through a tsunami and bawling my eyes out...this is not gonna budge. Shiny black and VERY lengthening...it adds a little volume, but not so much that my lashes look tangled & sticky like some volumizing formulas do. Some people complain that it's hard to remove, but isn't that the point??? If it was easy to remove, it wouldn't stay on like it does, duh. Use an eye makeup remover, like FANCL or DHC...Lancome Bifacil works quite well also. Like anything in life, you need the right tools to do the job well. I did knock 2 stars off for the packaging quality: the stopper on this seems to loosen up after a dozen uses & I suspect this is why it seems to dry out a bit quicker than I'd like it to. For the price and the quality, I deal with it. You can find it at many Japanese groceries or on Ebay, but I get mine from Adambeauty: he's got good prices & good shipping rates from Hong Kong, and his customer service is stellar: always get right back to me with answers on questions, and if he doesn't have something you want he'll do his best to get it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Unlisted Brand - The All Natural Face Midas Concealer
cherylt 1/29/2012 8:41:00 PM
I'm just discovering The All Natural Face...the owner has run a successful ETSY business for years & the demand for her products grew so she now runs a fulltime mail order and bricks & mortar store, which i just down the street from me. What a find! I'm loving this concealer: my dark circles make my already pale fac elook almost sickly sometimes, and the yellow-gold in this really offsets the darkness: several people have commented over the last few weeks how "well-rested" I look! I bought the liquid with the doe-tip applicator and it's pretty long lasting without creasing. My go-to has been Lancome Effacernes (which is waterproof: I'm a crybaby! :) ) and while the Midas isn't as bulletproof, it's pretty close & WAY better than many others I've tried. Best of all this i in the $5 range whereas Effacernes is $28! I love this stuff! Crystal (the owner) is really nice & very generous with samples; she recently did a Groupon so I am trying a few items from her makeup line as well as her skincare line. Will post more reviews on this brand soon but so far really impressed with her philosophy: pure, simple, natural products that don't harm the people who use them!
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Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Dr. Pepper lipsmackers
cherylt 1/29/2012 8:31:00 PM
I buy these by the handful: my go-to for inexpensive lip tint and the flavor, although completely artifical, is pleasant & takes me back to childhood when this was my "makeup". Not very moisturizing, but slicks my lips with enough shine and tint to add some color to my face without full lipstick. I hope they never stop making these!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Carmex - Cherry Lip Balm SPF15
cherylt 1/29/2012 8:28:00 PM
ICK!!! I have lip balm by th edozen & have moved toward more natural products, but I got one of these as a stocking stuffer & figured I'd keep it bedside. I put it on and needed to RUN to the bathroom to scrub it off my mouth: just wiping it with tissues wouldn't get rid of the nasty, chemical disgustin flavor. I can't even imagine what would have happened if any got in my mouth! Threw it away, never again!
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Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - Dr. Woods Pure Black Soap
cherylt 2/20/2010 7:25:00 PM
SOOO glad I found this: I've been trying to make my personal care products "greener", and this is a good buy. I use it at night: after massaging a few drops of jojoba onto my dry face to remove eye makeup, I emulsifying it with water on my face & I dribble a little of this onto a Shiseido washing brush and take the oil & makeup right off. It rinses easily, has a pleasant soapy smell & a bottle of the liquid is affordable ($5 for 16 oz) and lasts forever. It can be a tiny bit drying (which is why not a 5), but I just pat on a few drops of jojoba before bed & that takes care of that. Good stuff, try it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - One n' Only - Argan Oil Treatment
cherylt 2/20/2010 7:17:00 PM
Ick...just ick. I tried & loved Moroccanoil; at $35-$40 for the 3.4 oz bottle I figured trying a cheaper dupe was worth a shot. Based on reviews here, seemed like a worthwhile risk. Now my hiar is fine and light colored so I need to be careful with anything oily on my hair, but I've NEVER used anything before that made my hair as GREASY and NASTY as this...tried even just a tiny drop, same results. Just gross. I'm not very particular with my hair's appearance on weekend mornings as it's usually just errands, coffee, etc...but this was just so filthy-looking that I showered again after using it the last time because this just mad eme loo embarrassingly dirty. This is NOT like Moroccanoil AT all. Yes, the ingredients are very similar but they must have the ratios all wrong or something because Morrocanoil is WAYYYYYYY better than this. Too bad, because it's pretty affordable at $10. I returned it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Trader Joe's - Peppermint Castile Soap
cherylt 2/20/2010 7:11:00 PM
I WOULD buy it again, except THEY JUST DISCONTINUED IT!! Arggghh. This is my love/hate relationship with TJ's: all the great, effective, affordable products I try & love tend to disappear AFTER I discover I love them (sigh). Too bad.
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Fragrances -Hermes - 24 Faubourg
cherylt 6/13/2008 8:39:00 PM
I've worn this for years, but only very occasionally. I find that this is a bit rich for my everyday fragrance, but when I want/need to feel powerful/sophisticated/superior/confident/"old money", this is the stuff. The first whiff is pure aldehyde...I remember my first smell of it at the Barney's counter almost crossed my eyes. Then, it dries down into the most wonderful, rich ambery floral you can imagine. This is finishing school in a bottle. It's powerful and feminine without being obvious and cloying. Love.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Clinique - Lash Power
cherylt 6/13/2008 8:23:00 PM
I was soooexcited aout this: I'm a big crybaby so I use waterproof (and, yes, I know it's bad for my lashes...!). I can't stand the removal process though, and no matter what I use or how careful I am, I always have traces of it left behind after removal. I really liked the idea of mascara that lasted all day through everything, but was easily removed with plain ol' H2O. The price was a bit high for the amount of product ($14), but lower than many other department store brands mascaras, so I hit up Macy's. I got the black shade. It looks like "natural lashes" (ie no significant volume or lengthening); it's Cliniques after all so the lack of drama was no big surprise. I found I couldn't stand the unbuildable quality of it: once it's on, you can't add more. AND, I usually swipe a comb through my lashes as they're semi-dry to remove clumps: this stuff is like tar & it tore out a few lashes. Also, although it technically lasted all day, it also flaked big time all day & I wear contacts...yikes. The final nail in the coffin was crying: although it's supposed to stand up to tears, maybe I've got super-tears or something because they beat the mascara. It did come of very easily with water & a little pressure, but if the best thing about a mascara is taking it off (!!), it's not for me. Won't repurchase, the search continues.
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Cleansers -Cetaphil - Gentle Skin Cleanser
cherylt 10/25/2007 8:06:00 PM
I just don't get it: this is recommended by dermatologists, other reviewers, blah blah blah..people seem to love it, but it just doesn't DO anything good. It's like the "Great Lash" of cleansers...who are the people that dig this stuff?? I like the whole purity & gentleness shtick, and the minimalist packaging is easy to handle, it's not fragranced which is nice, BUT IT DOESN"T CLEAN MY FACE: doesn't TOUCH makeup, and leaves an oily film on my face which is supposed to be okay but kind of icks me out. I've tried sticking with it for a few weeks, thinking maybe my skin needed to get acclimated to it, but it just left me clogged and oily. Yuck. It's only $6-$8 on sale at Target, but I'll pay 2x-3x for something that removes makeup and cleans my skin without drying OR making it more oily. However, I will probably repurchase, not only because it's good for my toddler's summer-rash prone skin, but because someday, maybe I'll just get what the hype is all about (but not today!).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Trader Joe's - Balanced Moisturizing Nourish Spa Conditioner
cherylt 10/25/2007 7:54:00 PM
I so wanted to love this: it smells divine, it's $3 (!!!), and it's gotten decent reviews from others. Plus, I just love Trader Joe's products in general..no hype, just honest & interesting stuff. This one is just not moisturizing enough: I REALLY need a conditioner that hydrates and gives enough post-rinse "slip" to easily get a comb thru..sadly, this fails in both areas. Plus, it's so thick that it won't "squirt" through the dispensing cap like it's supposed to: I need to remove the cap, squeeze out a big blob while juggling the wet uncapped container, then screw the cap back on with 1 hand while holding the blob in the other hand, etc...I don't need that kind of hassle at 5 a.m.! I don't HATE it, but it just isn't enough of anything I need. I won't repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast
cherylt 10/24/2007 9:41:00 AM
First off: I love L'oreal Voluminous wp...while not quite HG, I've always like the volume it provides relatively inexpensively, as I NEVER spend ridiculous amounts on department store mascara and only use DS mascaras. I don't feel the department store mascaras provide enough bang for the buck (big bucks, especially for a product you're supposed to throw away every couple of months, for safety reasons). I'm trying to "wean off" the WP (bad for lashes long-term) so I've been trying non-wp formulations with little success. HATED Voluminous: took forever to dry & left black flecks on my lids and needed to repeatedly comb through it to drag out the clumps. Forget Great Lash: always was junk, will forever be junk...still gross after all these years. Initially liked Maybelline F&S, but it turned to clumpy garbage in a week & I tossed it: ridiculously short-lived re: quality. Tried CG Lash Exact & while I loved the brush, the formulation was kind of "eh": no significant volume or lengthening for my short sparse ligh-brown lashes. THEN, I read about Lash Blast here & it seemed like a good bet: same kind of rubber brush as LE, but with volume, and people seem to love it. Why not? Picked it up for $8.49 at CVS (then used a $1 coupon), not the cheapest I've ever used but certainly reasonable. Used it this morning and LOVE IT: Love the brush, love the 1-coat coverage, love the volume, and I didn't use a lash comb for the 1st time in years. No wet and clumpy spider-lashes, has a nice gloss to it and added some length. My lashes are nicely defined and appear thicker and longer, in a reasonably dramatic (not theatrical or clownish) way. I wear contacts & have sensitive eyes so we'll see how they feel by the end of the day but so far no watering, flaking, etc...like a few other reviewers mentioned, and I've had it on since 4:30 a.m. I don't really care one way or the other about the giant orange tube, as long as the brush is easily wieldable (and it is). Hey, it will never get lost in my makeup case, right?! ;) This is a winner.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No