Hair Styling Tools -Mason Pearson - Pure Bristle Brush
crmeyers 4/11/2013 9:11:00 PM
I am certainly not one to spend $190 on a brush. But, I have honestly thought about how I wished I had this brush for a decade. I finally decided to bite the bullet and I am SO GLAD that I did! I have baby fine hair and I have been told lots of it. I feel like its thin, but every hairdresser has told me that I have a lot of it. It just seems much thinner than it is because it is so fine. It is also very curly, but I can easily straighten it, which I usually do. Every night before I go to bed, I brush my medium length hair (4 inches below my shoulders) starting at the top and working my way through the lengths and pressing through my hair all the way to the scalp. I mention this specifically because this brush is meant to massage the scalp and evenly distribute oils. It feels amazing! Some have complained that the boar bristles hurt, but I don't think so at all. I don't brush it in the morning because I get too much static, but I will do mid-day touch ups (when its straightened). I didn't mention to my boyfriend that I got this brush, nor did he know that I brushed it every night. I caught him several days "petting" my hair. After this happened a few times, I asked what he was doing, and he said, "I don't know what you are doing differently, but your hair is so soft!" All of this is great and fine but still not worth $190, probably. Here is the kicker: I have a horribly itchy scalp. My derm has diagnosed psoriasis on my scalp. Every two weeks or so, I have to apply a topical steroid treatment to my scalp for a few days in a row because it itches uncontrollably. And, most of the time there is some minor flaking, if you look close enough. Since I have been brushing with the pure boar bristle (I got the Handy size) brush, I have not used the steroid treatment once and I have zero flaking. I had no idea that this would be a result. I was just hoping for somewhat healthier, smoother hair. I have only had this routine for about a month, so I would have never expected these kind of results so quickly! I am now religious about brushing every night and look forward to it. Make sure that you do your research and get the brush for your hair-type. My hair is so fine, that the pure boar bristle works great for me. If you have thicker hair, you may need the mixed nylon/boar bristle one. UPDATE 5/19/13: It has now been another month of using this brush and I am still amazed that I have not yet had to use the steroid solution on my scalp. I started leaving my hair curly recently and didn't brush every night as I was doing. I probably skipped a whole week of brushing. I noticed that my scalp was a little itchy one night, so I brushed it out (Note to self: only brush curly hair when you have NO intention of leaving the house). Just that one time of brushing helped my scalp tremendously. So this is still HG for me. No more scalp psoriasis, no itching, no flaking.
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Lip Gloss -Giorgio Armani - Lip Shimmer #9
crmeyers 4/1/2011 7:16:00 PM
I have a lot of lip gloss. Like, a lot. I am almost embarressed to admit that I have well over 100. I discovered this fantastic gloss in Las Vegas over 2 years ago, and have bought maybe 5 since then (a record for me). It is the only gloss that I keep going back to. It is in my purse every single day. I have fair, freckly skin and slightly pigmented lips. This light, shimmery pink is the perfect nude shade by itself. If I wear heavier eye makeup, I always pair with this gloss. Beige nude lips always make me look dead. I always like the look on others but just couldn't do it myself until I discovered this! In addition to wearing it alone, I also layer it over raspberry stains, plum stains, or bright pink stains. I sometimes layer it over dusty pink lipsticks or lip liners too. It is so versatile that it seems to go with just about everything! And, it is the perfect amount of silvery shimmer. It isn't too shimmery for the office, and it looks fantastic on a night out. If you have $27 to spend on a lip gloss, I would try this one! Oh, and one more very important detail: You never get the dreaded clumps of solidified gloss. It isn't sticky and wears off evenly, so when its gone, it's gone. I would take that any day over chunks of old gloss left in the corners of my mouth. (this means you, Chanel)
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Cleansers -Jane Iredale - Magic Mitt
crmeyers 10/13/2010 8:00:00 PM
OMG. This thing is awesome! I admit that I was disappointed when I opened the package. It was way smaller than what I was expecting. But, smallness aside, the thing works AWESOME! I don't wear foundation but I do wear concealer (Amazing concealer), powder, eye liner, shadow AND, here's the best part....Dior Show Blackout mascara. I have a hard time getting off the Blackout mascara with my regular face wash plus an exfoliating wash cloth. I always have leftover black smudges that I end up removing with jojoba oil and a q-tip. However, somehow this magic mitt with zero cleanser on it removed ALL of the Blackout. I don't know how that is possible, but I know that if something passes the Blackout test, then it is a winner. As the directions stated, I washed it in the sink with some handsoap and the loads of black mascara came out completely. While the size is somewhat smaller than I expected, you don't really need it to be bigger. There is plenty of surface area the way it is, and actually its smaller size allows it to dry very quickly. I am so excited that I discovered this! I have very sensitive skin and its dry as well, so using less face wash will be awesome for me. If you have $15 to blow on something like this, I would say that it is definitely worth it. **Update: 4/1/11: Now that I have been using this every single day for 6 months, I thought I would report back. My Magic Mitt is still in fantastic condition. I originally purchased two because I figured that I would rotate them. But, I haven't even used the 2nd one! I compared the two and the only difference is that the one I use daily is slightly faded in color. I now use it with a mild facewash and it gets every single bit of my eye makeup off. I then handwash daily with a gentle shampoo and hang to dry. I was washing it with hand soap, but for some reason, I couldn't get the eye makeup out of the Mitt with that. The shampoo does the trick with minimal effort. I should have sent the 2nd one back because obviously I won't need it for a long, long time.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -LORAC - Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
crmeyers 6/9/2010 3:09:00 PM
I got this as a sample from Sephora and used it for almost 3 weeks before I purchased. I have been a long time follower of TFSI. But, somewhat recently, TFSI has been creasing. It didn't used to do that, but somehow, this last tube seems a bit greasier than what it was before. Immediately after trying the Lorac version, I was very impressed! I have used it with or without shadow and it doesn't crease. I have somewhat light skin, and the color blends right in with my lids and is undectable. I can't put concealer on my lids to even out the color, or else it will immediately crease. But, this on its own is enough to even things out and doesn't make me look so greasy looking! The packaging is awsome! I don't know how anyone could stand to use the UDPP packaging. Love it and will definitely repurchase (although not for at least a year). The tube should last me at least that long, even with everyday use.
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Concealers -Amazing Cosmetics - Amazing Concealer
crmeyers 6/4/2010 5:45:00 PM
I have waited a month before reviewing to make positively sure that I love this. I have fair skin with freckles and a slight pink undertone--definitely no yellow in my skin. I have had a very hard time finding a good concealer with enough coverage for my undereye circles. I don't wear foundation or powder at all. I have used Lancome Effacernes concealer in Clair II for years. I have also used YSL Touche Eclat #2. Neither of those live up to the Amazing concealer. It takes a bit of getting used to because less is definitely more! If you use too much, it looks dry and cakey which soon turns into oily and cakey. I use the size of a quarter of a grain of rice for my entire face. Most of that goes under my eyes which I pat out to a very thin layer. Whatever is left goes to covering up any issues that I have at the moment--redness around the nose, or whatever. I usually don't use it all either! I realize that I use less on my face than most people, but honestly, I always have some sort of issue going on and do not feel comfortable leaving the house with nothing on. (mostly due to the fact that I look like I got punched in the face). The medium beige color was a dead-on exact match for my skin. In the winter, it might be a tiny bit too dark. Medium beige has a bit of a pink undertone which is perfect for me. If you don't get the right color, I can see that this would be hideous! And you really must be mindful of the fact that if you use too much, it will look terrible. I got the small tube, obviously. It will last me forever. Likely, I will buy 1 shade lighter in the winter anyway. It was expensive for such a small tube, but I know that 1 tube will probably last me well over a year, if not 2 years. I have a huge problem with mineral oil in some products, but have not had a single problem with this and I realize that there is mineral oil in it. It is almost impossible to find a good concealer that covers without mineral oil. I have looked for ages. But, after a month of daily usage I have not had any breakout issues whatsoever.
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Lip Gloss -Hourglass - Extreme sheen
crmeyers 1/15/2010 1:17:00 PM
This was not what I was hoping for. I would not classify it as a gloss. Rather, it is an opaque lipstick in lipgloss form. Siren did nothing for me at all. It was way, way too dark red and opaque. (I am blonde and am light skinned with light freckles.) I was hoping that the "extreme sheen" portion of the name meant super glossy and shiny but that is definitely not the case. It is more dry but has lots of glitter in it. Glitter isn't right either though. It isn't like YSL Golden Gloss where it is a sheer shiny gloss but with lots of glitter in it. This is not sheer at all, not glossy at all, but definitely has the glitter. Maybe some like that, but it isn't for me. I did not like the color of Siren, but I did like the color of Lush. However the texture wasn't good for me at all, and I returned them both. I love high-end glosses but I much prefer an Armani gloss over these (for everyday). If I want the glitter, I will go to an YSL Golden Gloss for the weekend.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -GoSmile - Smileceuticals Balm
crmeyers 1/8/2009 10:36:00 PM
I really wanted to love this. I kept trying but it clearly isn't going to work out for me. First off, I do not care for the packaging. You have to dip your finger in the pot and then apply to your lips with your finger. The age-old dilemma is then: Where do you wipe the excess on your finger? On your pants? Pillow case? Car seat? I KNOW that you all know what I am talking about. My favorite place is just inside the pant leg of my jeans. But, why do I even have to make this decision?!! So I was willing to deal with the obvious packaging issues. My lips have been very dry this winter so I was applying lip balm religiously. I thought this would be the end-all. I used it every night, without fail, only to find that my lips were actually DRIER. The skin around my lips was drier too, and I have never had that before. After several weeks, the thought finally occured to me that this balm was causing the dryness. I switched back to my favorites, Weleda Everon, Yes to Carrots Lip Butter and Nivea A Kiss of Moisture, and everything seems to be fine now.
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Moisturizers -Sukí - pure facial moisture - nourishing
crmeyers 11/30/2008 9:07:00 AM
I have been using this for about a month and love it. I was using the Facial Moisture Serum in Blue Chamomile and Echinacea each morning and night but I noticed that as the weather has gotten cooler, I was in need of a slightly more potent moisturizer. I cannot wear any creamy version of moisturizers. I don't know what ingredient it is, but something in cream versions causes little bumps on my forehead and cheeks. (this also includes Suki's cream moisturizers much to my dismay). The Carrot Serum has mostly taken care of the dry spots around my nose and hasn't at all broken me out. When I wear it at night, my skin is very, very soft in the morning and not greasy at all and definitely less dry. I have been switching off between the Blue Chamomile Serum and the Carrot Serum every few days. I do not care for the smell at all. It smells like carrots and I get somewhat creeped out when I can smell myself wiping carrot smell on my face. But, after I have finished applying, the smell almost completely goes away so this doesn't bother me that much. Plus, I am not really in a position to be picky about smells considering how difficult it is to find a moisturizer that I can actually wear. Suki recently changed her packaging and I much prefer the new dropper version of this product. It seems much easier to dispense a more precise amount of product. One drawback though--you have to completely remove the screw-off dropper top to use. I am always worried that my klutzy self will knock over the bottle after I remove the top and spill the whole thing. I have not done this yet but there have been a few times after the bar when I have had a few too many jaeger bombs and I have had to really concentrate on not spilling it. All in all, I am extremely pleased with the Carrot Serum. It isn't heavy like I imagined and soaks in nicely. When I apply in the morning, I let it soak in a few minutes, apply a pea sized amount of Suki Tinted Active Moisturizer over it, followed by a bit of concealer. The last step is to blot with a Palladio blotting sheet to remove any oily residue. Perfection.
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Moisturizers -Sukí - Skin Velvet Cream
crmeyers 10/20/2008 10:04:00 PM
I can't believe that I spent such a huge amount of money on such a tiny amount of product, especially on something like this. BUT, I like it so much that I will definitely repurchase! I just have to use it sparingly. This lotion is silky smooth and you only need to use a very small amount of prodcut. The bottle is tiny and the price certainly isn't. But, the smell is to die for and so are my silky, silky hands.
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Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Buxom Lips Lip Gloss Candi
crmeyers 9/10/2008 11:16:00 PM
I am a lip gloss whore. I own dozens and dozens of brands. I don't recall ever using up a lip gloss. I move on so quickly and end up forgetting about the one I just bought. I am super picky. I hate stickiness. I hate smells--especially vanilla which makes me want to barf. My biggest peeve of all is the clumps of gloss that migrate to the corners of your mouth an hour after applying. That is probably the single most common reason why my lipglosses end up in the graveyard (aka: the drawer where I will "save them for later"....riiiiight). I bought Candi on a whim. I had never tried BE lipglosses before. I didn't have a great experience with their foundations (no fault of their own--just my skin allergies). So, I hadn't given their glosses a second look. Several weeks ago, I was bound and determined to find something new. Everything I swiped on my hand just felt so sticky. Somehow, I ran across this one and was immediately taken by the pink shimmer in it. I don't like a lot of glitter. I just turned 30 and there happens to be an age limit on excessive glitter. But, this is a really nice amount of glitter. It isn't overly pink--as a matter of fact, it happens to be dang near to my natural lip color--only better! I am a sucker for pinks but this one was unique to my ample collection. I find myself applying it constantly. After several weeks of wearing it, I am still in love. For some reason, I have not had any of the dreaded migration to the corners of my mouth. Also, as others have commented, I don't notice any plumping. But, I really like the minty tingly feeling. It isn't anything like Lip Injection, which, after applying the clear gloss, turned my lips an angry red and burned like jalapeno juice in your eyeball. As for the smell, it smells like birthday cake to me. Some have commented that they detect vanilla, which, as previously mentioned, I detest. So, if there is a vanilla scent, it isn't at all annoying to me. Last thing, I rated the packaging at a 4 only because I prefer a (quality )lip brush over a sponge tip applicator. Considering all of the other plusses this gloss has to offer, that was a small sacrifice. So, this one will be a staple for me. If I find another variation of a pink, then I will definitely go for that one too.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Palladio - oil absorbing rice paper tissues with rice powder
crmeyers 7/11/2008 10:13:00 PM
I read about this on MUA and was very interested in trying it. I was trying to stay away from my HG Clean and Clear sheets because of the mineral oil (I have very sensitive skin, although haven't had any issues with the mineral oil--I'm just trying to be proactive). I recently gave up face powder so I have been relying on the Clean and Clear sheets to control oil 100%. I probably use about 5 or 6 per day as I have very oily skin. Months ago, I had searched for the Palladio sheets at Sally's and couldn't find them. I searched every Sally's in Omaha and they weren't to be found. So, I figured that I just lived in hicksville and would have to do without and gave up. Fast forward many months and I was at Sally's again looking for another product recommended by MUA and saw these sitting at the checkout counter on sale for $2.99. I don't know how much they usually are, but $2.99 was a decent price--cheaper than Clean and Clear. You get 40 large sheets in a little package (the sheets are larger than the package; they are just folded in half). These sheets are much bigger than the Clean and Clear ones. My only reservation was the rice powder. As I said, i gave up powder. But, so far, I havent' had a reaction to the rice powder. Also, I hate oil blotting sheets that have loads of powder on them and they leave you looking like a clown with a dusting of whitish powder on your face. That is why I have always used the C&C ones. The rice powder on these is almost imperceptable. It just leaves you looking naturally matte. Not powdery matte, but the "I just have perfect looking skin." If you live in Hicksville like me, don't worry, Omaha now carries these! They are definitely worth a try. I have been using C&C sheets ever since they came out (10 years ago? maybe more) and anything else I have tried has not come close to being as good. This is the first oil blotting sheet that I would say is better than the C & C ones by far.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Lippmann Collection - The Stripper To Go
crmeyers 7/11/2008 10:02:00 PM
When asked the question "Would you buy this product again?" MUA really needs to add "HELL NO!" to its choices of responses. A simple "No" just doesn't cut it in some circumstances. Which brings me to the Stripper to Go plush pads. I can't for the life of me figure out how this product made it to market. I just wonder if the company inadvertantly purchased this random substance for another reason and ended up not using it and went "Crap! Now what'll we do with this???" Someone in the marketing dept said, "Hey I know! Lets soak it in nail polish remover and sell it for a lot of money!" Dude, give that guy a klondike bar, because this is the most outrageous waste of money that I have ever seen. By the way, I bought these BEFORE consulting MUA, which I never do. Buy, hey, Lippmann is great, right? I had planned on spending the evening polishing my hooves (my husband's term not mine--kinda grows on you--try it). I was excited to try one of these pads. After opening the package and seeing what was inside, I was immeditately disappointed. HOWEVER, I was disappointed only because I ASSUMED that I just got a bad packet. I figured that I got a dud and somehow in packaging this one up, something foreign got stuck in the envelope. I am completely and totally serious when I say that. So, I threw it away and grapped another envelope. That was when the realization came over me that yes, indeed, this is what they were calling a "plush pad". Long story short, I was unable to remove polish from EVEN ONE NAIL. I got pissed and ripped open every envelope and was still unable to remove polish from one nail. They are flimsy and sticky. You can't wipe anything away because they just stick. They remind me of those sticky hands that I would get from vending machines when I was a kid. If that marketing guy (cause you know, a woman would have NEVER came up with this) REALLY wanted to make some cash, he would have instead turned these pads into those sticky rubbery hands. They are much better suited for that. Save your money. Hit up a vending machine instead.
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Eye Shadow -Sukí - Triple Cream Eye Definer in Amber
crmeyers 6/25/2008 10:13:00 PM
I am riding the fence on this one. I could never wear cream shadow without first applying Too Faced Shadow Insurance. (or any other shadow for that matter). So after applying the SI, I usually use this as a wash on my lids. With the help of the SI, it doesn't seem to crease, even in humid Nebraska weather. Amber is a nice sparkly color and is the perfect coppery brown for me. It is almost like a dark beige color. It isn't too red and isn't too yellow. I think I will use this as lot in the summer. It will pair perfectly with the Suki cream blush in Opal. Both have about the same amount of sparkle and are both very summery overall. It was expensive, and I don't think I will repurchase based on that. I was hoping that i could use it as a liner as well, and I do that from time to time, but it is really too light of a brown.
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Eye Shadow -Sukí - Triple Cream Eye Definer in Bamboo
crmeyers 6/25/2008 10:06:00 PM
Dude. Save your money on this one. This is the same EXACT color as my concealer (I am fair skinned). There is no shimmer on this cream shadow at all. I am telling you--I believe that they just dumped some concealer in this little pot and slapped another product name on it. A little background: I cannot wear eye shadow without using Too Faced Shadow Insurance fist. It will crease in about 10 minutes if I don't. (I only wish I were joking or exaggerating that claim). After applying SI, I put some of the Bamboo cream shadow on, and I could not tell the differerence at all, not even a little bit. The SI imparts the perfect matte look to my eye lids anyway so there would be no reason to apply another cream over it that has the same color. So, if you really, really need a concealer-esque color on your eyes, I would suggest using, you know, concealer (duh) on your lids, or something like the Shadow Insurance or very similar urban decay one, especially if your lids are oily. If you are too good to try one of these products go ahead and buy the Suki bamboo but don't say I didn't warn you!
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Blush -Sukí - Pure Cream Stain in Sandstone
crmeyers 6/25/2008 9:58:00 PM
This is a great creamy everyday blush. Sandstone is described on Suki's website as being a "baby pink". That is a pretty decent description. It doesn't have any sparkle in it whatsoever. The fact that it is a cream means that it will not impart any powdery residue. It is great for summer time now that I have given up on powder. It blends in perfectly with my fair, freckly skin and looks perfectly natural. You can wear this on your lips as well although I have never worn it that way. I am pretty picky about my lip sticks and glosses so I can't imagine this would measure up if I used it that way.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No