Moisturizers -Alaffia - Baobab & Shea Butter Skin Renewal Face Cream
colorcat 2/8/2013 8:26:00 AM
My skin is extremely(!) dry and sensitive. I use oil on my face after cleansing, but I need additional moisture after that as well and was hoping this cream would provide it. I respect the company's commitment to giving back and appreciate that they use (mostly) natural/healthy ingredients (minus the phenoxyethanol). However, this just doesn't do the trick for my dry skin. It provides a waxy layer that might be protective on top of a more moisturizing lotion, but on its own it simply isn't close to being hydrating enough. So the 2 stars are for the company, not the product. My search continues: next stop is Bubble & Bee Face Cream.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Suti - Cleanse Facial Cleanser
colorcat 1/10/2013 4:37:00 PM
Suti's cleansing balm is one of my favorite cleansers--and that's saying quite a lot, because I don't like many. I have very dry, very sensitive skin. Most cleansers strip my skin. Suti's cleansing balm cleans very thoroughly while leaving my skin soft and unirritated. In addition to cleansing without stripping or irritating, I find that it removes makeup--including eye makeup--effectively. I use a large pea-size amount, and that cleans off all base makeup and eye makeup, including mascara. (However, if I use waterproof mascara, which I often do, it's less effective.) It also smells great, as the previous reviewer pointed out. A final (huge) plus is that is doesn't clog my pores at all--and they are prone to clogging (or just plain breaking out). This cleansing balm doesn't contain jojoba oil or coconut oil, both of which can be troublesome for my skin. As a result, Suti's cleansing balm is really ideal for me. Which is why I gave it a 5--tho there is one thing I dislike about it. And that's the undissolved shea butter grainules. I live in a cold climate, and those little grains simply don't dissolve in winter. Yuck. But it's a small price to pay for a truly great cleanser for dry, sensitive skin. Non-natural products irritate or break me out, and certain natural ingredients (as I mentioned above) do the same. Happily, Suti does neither while cleaning effectively.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - New York
colorcat 12/27/2011 10:25:00 AM
When I first sprayed this, it reminded me a lot of Cristalle EDT, with its citrus burst, herbal notes, and lingering oakmoss. Nice news--because I adore Cristalle. But as the perfume progressed it actually reminded me more of Amouage's Jubilation 25 (which always reminded me of Cristalle EDT, kind of C's middle eastern half sister or cousin) as the spices warmed up the fragrance and took it in a different direction than the top notes would suggest. Either way, it's a hit with me. The only question I have is whether I actually need a bottle of a perfume that reminds me so much of 2 other fragrance loves (both of which I own). Time will tell. I'll enjoy my decant of New York while I have it, and if it establishes itself as distinct enough from the other two, then I'll "need" to buy it--because it's a really lovely, elegant, interesting fragrance.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Kjaer Weis - Lip Tint
colorcat 7/8/2011 12:53:00 PM
I'm extremely impressed. About a year ago I switched to all-natural completely "clean" makeup and skincare--not an easy switch in some ways, because "clean" products often don't have the same depth of pigment or lasting ability as "dirty" cosmetics. This KW lip tint is a welcome exception! I have 2 (Passionate and Sensuous Plum) and both far exceeded my expectations. The pigment of the tints is strong, and the color you see in the pan is indeed what ends on your lips. More impressively, the colors lasts!! I own many, many all-natural lipsticks, glosses and balms, and these stand out. Frankly, if I didn't know for sure that these are "clean," I would assume they were not--that's how brilliantly they perform! Yes, they're expensive. But when I used to wear conventional lipsticks, I often bought Rouge G de Guerlain because I loved their pigments and lip feel--so I figure these are the natural equivalents, both in price (alas) and quality (hurray!). I've been waiting a LONG time for this level of quality in a natural lip product. Tho called lip tints, these combine the wear of a sheer lipstick with the feel of a lip balm. Absolutely lovely.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -By Terry - Eclat opulent
colorcat 11/28/2010 10:45:00 AM
Update 7/11: I stopped using this after a while because the product seriously irritates my (very) sensitive skin. I've since found that to be true of most By Terry products. The irritation is quite pronounced--not something I can overlook (without gritting my teeth!). Definitely don't recommend this for people with sensitive (or fair) skin. Original review: If this product came in a lighter color, I would give it a 5 without hesitation. (And if it came in a better container, I'd be over the moon.) I don't even consider myself all that fair, but eclat opulent is considerably too dark and too pinky-peach for my face. (I haven't been matched to MAC in nearly 2 decades, but I'm around a N15-20, with their C colors being too yellow for me and their W colors typically too pink/peach--in other words, I'm quite neutral.) To use it on my fairish skin, I have to mix it 50/50 with Le Blanc de Chanel. Then it's still slightly off colorwise but the color looks quite nice and after a few moments it melds more with my natural color. I do have to brush it down my neck, and even put some on my decolletage if I'm wearing something low-cut, in order to get face/neck/etc to be a similar tone when wearing this. So why do I bother with it if the color is a challenge for me? Color issues aside, the product really is lovely. Not heavy at all, and adds color and even tones in a beautiful way. When mixed with the Chanel, tho it sheers out the coverage even more (and it's relatively sheer to begin with), it makes my face look naturally radiant. And the effect lasts all day: the color fades a bit but the overall glowing (never shining, oily or glittery) effect stays. So that's why I put up with all the mixing, etc: it's the sheer, luminizing "face brightener" I've been looking for since I turned 40 several years ago. When I wear it, I look naturally, effortlessly pulled together and luminous. Worth the very high price tag. But please, By Terry--make this in a lighter shade!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Jouer - Hydrating Lipstick in Kiki
colorcat 9/21/2010 5:00:00 PM
Like the previous reviewer, this lipstick (along with a few other items) was my first foray into Jouer Cosmetics, and I'm pleased I took the leap. Kiki is a gorgeous color. I do have rather pigmented mauve/pink lips, and this comes off as a rose/gold shimmer on me at first. However, it lightens considerably within in hour. Regardless, I LOVE the color--but I do not like the formulation, which is why I only gave it 3 lippies. This so-called Hydrating Lipstick is extremely drying on my lips, necessitating lip balm soon after application. Reminds me very much of those Josie Maran argan oil lipsticks that go on smoothly/slickly but immediately dry out the lips. So I'll keep Kiki and enjoy it under/over lip balm--but won't repurchase.
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Lipstick -Burberry - Sepia Lipstick
colorcat 8/30/2010 3:22:00 PM
This lipstick was such a welcome surprise. I ordered it sight unseen with help from someone at Nordstrom.com, who suggested Sepia as a not-too-pink but not-too-brown neutral. It's perfect. I find it does have some rose in it, which I'm glad about, because I wouldn't want something purely brown. On my pigmented/mauve lips, this is a perfect browny rose, a really sophisticated neutral, which I can wear sheerly or apply heavily for a more formal look. Swatched on my hand, the color looks extremely similar to Chanel Secret, a lipstick I bought but cannot wear as it's just too brown on me. This, tho it looks so similar when swatched, is quite different on my lips--the slight rose element saves it for me, while the brown keeps it neutral, which I prefer. The quality, as others have said, is outstanding. The only reason it didn't get 5 lippies is that it isn't as moisturizing as I'd like (but then, I have super-dry lips) and not as lasting as my HG lipstick, Rouge G de Guerlain (which is also quite moisturizing). However, Rouge G is also much more expensive--so, for the $, this is pretty great. Also has a nice sheen.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Le Metier de Beaute - Classic Flawless Foundation
colorcat 8/3/2010 1:56:00 PM
I'm not really sure how to rate this foundation. Certainly, it's not for me, hence the 2 lippies. It is thick, and I couldn't find a color match despite trying 5 different shades, and even mixing some together. And it didn't work all that well with my dry skin, even in summer with plenty of moisturizer beneath. However, the foundation has some nice luminizing qualities along with heavier coverage, if that's what you want--and if you can find a color match. (FYI: with its heavier coverage, it reminded me of '90s foundation. That was fun to "revisit" through this foundation, as it produces a very smooth canvas--but it turns out I much prefer the lighter touch of modern tinted moisturizers and very light foundations.)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Le Metier de Beaute - Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment Fluid ...
colorcat 8/3/2010 1:49:00 PM
As others have said, there are wonderful things about this product. It does give a lovely glow to skin and it feels great on the skin. I bought it after trying it out for about 3 weeks using a bunch of samples. However, I wouldn't buy it again for 3 reasons. 1) The light/medium color turns my skin pretty dark (and I'm not all that fair!). I don't like that, after using it, I look like I'm wearing fake tanner and my face is darker than my neck/chest. And I don't want to have to smear this all the way down to my neckline, because it will stain my clothes. 2) While it does color my face, it doesn't give enough actual coverage under my eyes and around my nose, so I have to use a dark concealer to match, which I don't have. 3) The price. I did try mixing this with Chantecaille tinted moisturizer in Bliss to fix the color problem, and that's better, but a bit heavy. I also tried mixing with foundation but that just made my foundation darker, which I don't want. Regardless, for darker skin tones, this is special--but pricey--stuff.
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Bronzers -Chantecaille - Chantecaille Capri Powder Bronzer
colorcat 7/1/2010 5:16:00 PM
I seem to be one of the few for whom this bronzer didn't work. On my skin--light (Chanel Vitalumiere .5 Limpide) with neutral to yellow undertones--it shows up orange. Well, peachy orange. I cannot at all use it as a bronzer: I look ridiculous with it all over my face. I'm trying now to use it as a peachy (slash orange-y) blush and it's...slightly better, not great. I bought it unseen, based on the positive reviews here, and alas it was a mistake. I suppose I should learn to swap and get rid of it.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Sexy Curves Waterproof
colorcat 3/30/2010 10:38:00 AM
Candidate for worst mascara ever--at least for me. Barely deposits any mascara on my lashes. After three layers (something I never have to do with any other mascara) you still can barely tell any difference from no mascara at all--and I have light but long lashes, so any mascara should be easy to see. Shockingly terrible. Is it waterproof? Who knows? Since it doesn't seem to lengthen, curl, volumize or even change the color of my lashes, I can't tell if anything smudges when it's wet out. Awful stuff. Save your money.
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Treatments -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Argan Primer Mist
colorcat 3/6/2010 10:57:00 AM
I'd love to tell you what I think of this product, which I first tried at a Sephora in a hot climate, but I can't. I liked it on first try, so ordered it from the JMC website when I returned home. But by the time it was delivered--which took a week, instead of the 2-day delivery I paid for--it was frozen (I guess) solid. Not the oil part--the other ingredients, whatever they are. I have tried warming the bottle in increasingly hot water, but the mass of congealed ingredients won't budge, and nothing comes out when I spray. I'm very disappointed at the slow delivery, the lack of customer service response when I emailed about the slow delivery--and the inability to use the product! Order via mail with care if you live in a cold climate. EDIT: The stuff in the bottle never melted, even after multiple "baths" in hot water, even in warm weather. It's just a clump in the bottom half of the bottle. Unusable--and no response from the company when I've tried reach them about the excess shipping charges and the unusable product.
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Fragrances -Bare Escentuals - Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries
colorcat 2/25/2010 1:05:00 AM
On my skin, "Bare Skin" is a dupe for EL Sensuous. Not a bad department-store scent, but I already own it, so why would I want a copy? Surprised this is such a rip off.
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Crème -La Mer - The Treatment Creme Foundation SPF 15
colorcat 1/22/2010 11:57:00 AM
I would whole-heartedly give this foundation 5 stars if it weren't for the poor color selection. I like everything about it: if you use a small amount, it covers very well without looking mask like; my skin does look and feel better with it on; my skin doesn't dry out with it on (problem with many foundations) yet it stays put; and the consistency is nice. Really like wearing it. However, the lightest color is far too dark. I'm not even all THAT fair skinned, yet the lightest color makes me considerably yellower and darker. Probably okay for summer, but not a match in winter. Wish they would make a lighter color, like they do for their liquid foundation. Pity: won't buy again, tho it's HG material otherwise.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - Beige
colorcat 9/12/2009 3:54:00 PM
I have owned the absurdly large bottle of Beige for a year now, and wear it regularly--particularly in the warmer months. It smells like the blossoms on trees when spring finally arrives here in northern New England: bright and pure florals that are fresh and rapturous but never cloying. Even that honey note doesn't make it too sweet (or gourmand). It's like bright spring sunshine just after dawn illuminating a flower. Not warm, but radiant and fragrant. I do understand the comparisons to FM L'eau d'Hiver (which I love); but while for me LdH evokes a scent somehow like a winter green pushing its way through snow, Beige is about spring blossoms under a sun still slightly cool from winter.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No