Liquid -MAC - Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation
cinviraz 3/18/2009 3:25:00 PM
This foundation did not work for me at all. It was quite thick and difficult to work with even though I had applied moisturizer on a damp face before application. It settled into the fine lines and made my pores more visible. I was hoping it would even out my skin tone, but it did the opposite. I looked like a blotchy mess. As the day wore on, some of the foundation disappeared from various spots on my face and pooled in others places. Definitely one of the worst foundations I've ever worked with.
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Shampoo -Suave - Professionals Shampoo and Conditioner (entire series)
cinviraz 3/15/2009 9:41:00 AM
The entire Suave Professionals series is awesome bang for your buck. Priced under $2 per shampoo bottle, you can't get any cheaper than that for the quality of the product. I have dull, dryish hair with an oily scalp. I've never been one to shell out a lot of money for salon hair care products. For years I was trying a variety of drugstore shampoos/conditioners, and most of them either dried my hair or made it oily and heavy. A while back I discovered the Suave Professional Vibrant Shine series and instantly fell in love with it. It has since become my HG. Not only has it revitalized my hair, making it shiny and healthy, but it has added more volume to it. Until I started using this product, I used have split ends. Yet the Vibrant Shine shampoo/conditioner didn't make my hair greasy or heavy. (To prevent buildup, I alternate with a clarifying shampoo every couple of days.) All in all, these products are just as good, if not better, than salon products. You don't need to spend a fortune to get beautiful hair as long as the Suave Professional Series is around!
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Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Cream
cinviraz 3/12/2009 12:56:00 PM
When my skin is at its driest and flakiest, this product is a godsend. It really moisturizes and for the most part, my very sensitive rosacea skin tolerates it quite well. However, over an extended period of use, small white bumps start to crop up on my face. I've since discovered that my skin is actually dry on top, but slightly oily underneath and definitely prone to breakouts. This cream unfortunately aggravates the breakouts on my face, so I use it only sparingly if at all. My hands absolutely love the cream, though! On my eczema-prone hands, It is very soothing and dries to a soft, slightly slippery but not greasy, feeling. I'm definitely keeping one of these jars on hand, especially for the winter.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Clean & Clear - Foaming Facial Cleanser - Sensitive Skin
cinviraz 3/11/2009 4:31:00 PM
I have a very sensitive rosacea skin that's both dry and slightly oily and this is so far the only cleanser that my skin has been able to tolerate. There are more gentle cleansers on the market, for sure, but this cleanser actually gets rid of my makeup, including eye makeup, and it doesn't leave a residue on my skin. It doesn't dry out my face, though I suspect it might be too drying for very dry skins. For the price, it is a very good quality basic cleanser with no frills but plenty of cleaning power.
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Foundations -L'Oreal - Visible Lift, Extra Coverage, Line Minimizing Makeup
cinviraz 3/11/2009 4:18:00 PM
I have sensitive combination skin, both slightly oily and dry at the same time, as well as prone to acne breakouts. While this foundation glided smoothly on my face and covered up the dry, flaky spots I had, it made my face look extremely shiny and greasy. No matter how much powder I put on to attenuate the shine, I was still a glossy mess. Definitely best for someone with very dry skin.
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Lipstick -Sonia Kashuk - Lipstick
cinviraz 3/10/2009 4:42:00 PM
I am reviewing luxury lip color, which is what I assume all the reviews here are referring to. Personally I think that for the price (only $7.99) it is a very good quality creamy lipstick. I had a very difficult time finding a lipstick that didn't dry my lips to the point of peeling and cracking until I came across Sonia Kashuk's luxury lip line. I love the creamy texture of these lipsticks, but I must say that some colors go on smoother than others. They recently reformulated the product and it lost some of its richness of texture and pigment as a result, but fortunately it is still creamy and the colors are beautiful and natural. My current HG color is September Flower. It has a richly pigmented color, perfect for my darker skin tone, as well as a smooth texture, which leaves my lips looking soft and moisturized. It's also got a nice sheen finish to it, so I don't have to wear a lip gloss on top. The only thing is that it can be quite slippery and doesn't have all that much lasting power, but that is common to many creamy lipsticks. To make it last longer, I put a little powder on my lips before applying it. Overall, it truly is an inexpensive find!
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Eye Shadow -Prestige - Eyeshadow
cinviraz 5/10/2008 10:30:00 PM
Given its affordable price tag, the quality of this product is astounding. I have trouble blending most eye shadows, but this eye shadow's texture is a dream to work with. It's highly pigmented, and therefore shows well on my darker skin, and has not a single trace of shimmer, which makes it a fantastic choice for office or everyday wear. At the price it's sold I don't mind trying every color!
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Eyeliner -Prestige - Liquid Eyeliner
cinviraz 5/10/2008 10:20:00 PM
A lot of liquid eyeliners smear or crease into the lines, leaving you looking like a racoon, but this eyeliner has amazing staying power. You do have to allow it to dry completely, but it only takes a couple of seconds. The felt tip is very thin, but secure, making precise application a breeze. The line it draws is beautiful and you can reline on top of it a few times as needed to get the look you want. Probably my HG liquid eyeliner (unless I find something better that's just as affordable!)
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Eye Shadow -Milani - Touch of Brown Quad
cinviraz 5/10/2008 10:10:00 PM
Although the colors are highly pigmented, they're also very shimmery. The sparkles seem to be flying all over the place! It may be fine for evening wear, but definitely not suitable for the office. I also find that blending the product is difficult as it just sort of cakes on my eyelid and won't budge (even with a good eyeshadow brush). I give it an extra lippy because it's inexpensive!
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Moisturizers -Nivea - Creme
cinviraz 5/10/2008 9:53:00 PM
This is my HG all-purpose moisturizer. I get horribly dry, itchy, sometimes scaly skin, and Nivea Creme is the ONLY moisturizer that will give me relief and soften my skin. Not only do I use it on my body, but I also use it on the dry spots on my face. Although it is thick and may seem oily, my acne-prone skin rarely breaks out as a result of using Nivea Creme. In fact I break out from using other moisturizers, which have much less moisturizing power than this one does! Since I have rosacea, I can't tolerate the majority of skin care products, but Nivea Creme is very mild and is a godsend whenever my skin gets dried out and/or inflamed from using other products. I use it on my eyebrows and upper lip after I've plucked/waxed them; it soothes the red, inflamed skin quickly and makes my skin very soft. I use it to massage my calloused feet ... and basically wherever and whenever I might need it. I always make sure I carry with me one of those sample mini tins that were once distributed to me at the metro. Just can't live without the stuff! :)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Wet 'n' Wild - Baked Earth
cinviraz 5/10/2008 9:27:00 PM
Many blush colors are barely noticeable on my tan/light caramel skin, but this one is highly pigmented and definitely shows beautifully on my face. It also seems to stay on pretty much all day, so I don't have to worry about reapplying. My only gripe is that it tends to make my dry spots more noticeable, but I guess that would probably occur with most, if not all, powder blushes. The ridiculously low price makes it more bearable, though. :)
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Concealers -MAC - Studio stick concealer [DISCONTINUED]
cinviraz 5/10/2008 9:16:00 PM
The consistency is somewhat sticky, which makes it difficult to blend. I have dry spots and this concealer seems to make them more noticeable even when I apply plenty of moisturizer beforehand. It also has little staying power. No matter how much I love MAC products, I definitely would not purchase this product again.
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Moisturizers -Lumene - Tender Drops soothing moisture cream
cinviraz 3/8/2008 11:23:00 AM
This product has really saved my skin! A few months ago, I was experimenting with different moisturizers and anti-wrinkle creams that seemed to be popular on this board. Little did I know how badly my skin would react to the ingredients in the formulations. My rosacea skin literally burned, itched and broke out into the worst acne I had ever seen on my face.Then someone gave me the Lumene Tender Drops Soothing Moisture Cream as a gift for Christmas. I was really worried that I would have a bad reaction to this cream as well, but I was also desperate for relief. This cream ended up having a real soothing, calming effect on my irritated skin. It neither stings, burns, nor makes my face turn red like most of the other moisturizers on the market out there. If anything it makes my red, dry, flaky, scaly skin smoother and more supple without leaving a greasy feel behind. It doesn't get rid of the redness completely nor has it completely eliminated the acne rosacea, but then if it did, I wouldn't be suffering from rosacea, which as we know is incurable. To most people, this will seem like a pretty boring, basic cream; however, for people with sensitive, redness-prone skin, it could be a good safe moisturizing option. My skin is still recovering from the fiasco caused by other skin-care products; this cream has really allowed it to do so without causing any more damage. PS: I use a Q-tip to avoid dipping my fingers into the jar.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No