Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Fleurs D' Oranger
dara09 5/6/2004 8:33:00 PM
One of my favourite scents - a beautiful rendition of the ever elusive scent of orange blossom. The first few seconds are dominated by the dramatic, bold jasmine but the drydown is more complex and well rounded, which shows the true character of this fragrance. The dominant jasmine note is enhanced by the lighthearted clarity of orange blossom and rounded out by the lushness of tuberose. The effect is a well rounded scent that is sensuous and innocent, a grown woman and a flirty ingenue all at once. Serge Lutens has managed to render an orange blossom scent that escapes the syrupy sweetness of Chanel Gardenia, and I am ever so glad to have found this beautiful scent. Liv24 puts it perfectly when she calls Fleur d'Oranger "shining and sumptuous".
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Fragrances -Chanel - Gardenia
dara09 5/3/2004 1:15:00 PM
I stand in the minority when I say that I do not love Chanel Gardenia. Other reviews have mentioned strong jasmine impression and orange blossom - on me, Chanel Gardenia is mostly orange blossom with an undercurrent of jasmine. I adore both orange blossom and jasmine, but the top notes of Chanel gardenia is far too syrupy sweet for my liking. The sweetness recedes after a few minutes, only to come back in full force later, esp. during a warm day: an aldehydic sweetness mingled with orange blossom. It gave me a headache, and I am glad I did not buy the full bottle unsniffed.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Shalimar Eau Légère - Light
dara09 4/29/2004 2:11:00 PM
I had such high hopes for this, I adore anything lemony and was hoping to find a citrus scent that is fitting to wear at night due to the vanilla. Alas, I was disappointed. Two words: Lemon Pledge. Actually, make it three words: Vanilla Lemon Pledge. Awful plasticky smell, the vanilla too sweet and artificial smelling while the lemon scent is bitter. Next!
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Eye Shadow -Chanel - Les 4 Ombres - 74 Nymphea Quad
dara09 4/6/2004 12:43:00 PM
It's been good product days for me lately... yet another winner, Chanel Nymphea quad. Beautiful colours - pale beige, minty green (turns pale sage-y when applied), peachy goldish rose and dark chocolate brown, all beautifully shimmery. The colours are sheer and don't seem to be awfully pigmented (compared to MAC e/s) but they are perfect for daytime wear and give that beautiful fairy-like ethereal effect. The shades are subtly shimmery when applied dry and are more intense when applied wet. The rose gold also works as a highlighter on my cheekbones. I am swooning over this product - easy to apply, very blendable, silky and the colours are just perfect for spring. Nymph-like, indeed. *edit* I am giving this 5 lipstick after wearing it for a few weeks. Today, I found a new way to wear it - champagne all over lightly, a little more on brow bone, dark brown near the lash line (blend well), minty green on crease (blend to mix with the brown) - beautiful slightly smoky eyes with a slight shimmer. Loving this compact more and more every day!
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Highlighters -Guerlain - Les Meteorites balls powder
dara09 4/5/2004 1:55:00 PM
I adore these pearls - they truly add a gorgeous subtle luminescent glow to the complexion. I've wanted it for years, and I should have gotten it earlier. The glow is very, very subtle - it's almost undetectable but my complexion just looks better, like I'm in a real-life soft focus. I swirl a large powder brush lightly on the pearls and dab the brush on my cheekbones in a circular motion. The smell is distinctly violet, but it doesn't bother me. The only thing that is mildly annoying is the packaging - I transfer some of the pearls to a twist-cap powder container so I can take it to travel.
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Self Tanners -L'Oreal - Sublime Bronze
dara09 3/30/2004 11:35:00 AM
I am extremely pleased with this product, I got the cream, not the gel, in Medium Deep. It's very easy to use, the cream itself is a thickish bronze lotion that needs to be applied like a regular body lotion. It gets absorbed very quickly (I waited about 5-10 minutes before putting on clothes) and did not smudge on clothes. It had a smell, but it's not unpleasant or ammonia-like. It did not seem to do much at first, but I went to bed after applying the tanner and this morning I woke up with golden bronzy legs. I'm very pleased, my pale white legs look great! I think I'll also apply the tanner to my shoulder and arms - the tan is golden and looks v. natural.
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Loose Powders -Revlon - Skinlights Face Illuminator [DISCONTINUED]
dara09 3/4/2004 11:53:00 AM
I had high hopes for the Skinlights after all the raves in the magazines. Well, what do I know - I don't like it. I got it in Peach Light and it looks okay on my skin (I mixed it with tinted moisturizer), adds a teeny bit of nice glow at first. Then a few hours later, I'm a shiny, greasy mess (I have combo skin). The shade also seemed to turn darker / more pinkish as it blends with my natural skin oil. I also noticed "bumps" on my skin after using this for a few days - not straight out breakouts, but definitely bumps. I think I'll return this to Rite Aid.
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Moisturizers -Bliss Labs - Middleweight Moisture Lotion
dara09 3/4/2004 11:45:00 AM
Loved it at first - lightweight, sinks in fast, and seems to add enough moisture to my combination skin. Somehow, after a few weeks, it completely turned on me. It no longer sinks in, instead it sits on top of my skin, making me look oily. I also noticed more uneven skin tone after I wash my face at night if I used this moisturizer in the morning. Furthermore, I noticed some bumps on my dry cheeks. I promptly tossed it, and for $36, I am very disappointed in this product.
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Foundations -Givenchy - Teint Miroir Satine
dara09 11/24/2003 12:20:00 PM
Great consistency, very smooth and blends beautifully on my skin. Gives medium coverage and gives a "polished", luminous look. Like the pump a lot as well. My only beef and the main reason why I will not be re-purchasing: it clogs my pores big time. I only used this foundation occassionally, and right after using this, I'll see clogged pores on my cheeks and chin. Off to the garbage bin it goes....
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Liquid -Paula Dorf - Face Tint
dara09 11/21/2003 11:47:00 AM
I got this in Capri - the shade is an almost perfect match for me. I was looking for very lightweight coverage, I just need some evening out of my skintone, and this does it beautifully. Looks very natural, and comes with SPF 15. It definitely imparts a "dewy" look, given my oily t-zone, lightly powdering my t-zone with T le Clerc solves the problem. However... I decided not to buy this again because it pills on my skin! I've tried using it on bare skin, after toner, or after lightweight moisturizer (yes, I did wait for the moisturizer to sink in) - no difference. After I brush off the pills with my big powder brush, it looks good but there are other products out there as good (or better) without the pills. So, I'll enjoy this tube but will move on to something else once it's finished.
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Lip Gloss -L'Oreal - Color Juice Raspberry Smash
dara09 9/30/2003 6:41:00 PM
This is my first CJ and I will definitely be getting more! The texture is just right, thick enough to stay but not too goopy. The colour is perfect for me - I was expecting a '40's style opaque red, but this, a pretty rosy red leaves your lips just like after you'd eaten a cherry popsicle (I also am borrowing another reviewer's term here), but shinier! I apply this sparingly, and the sheer red shade is so pretty, it really gives a baby pout with a soft shine and is not too "red". I also love the artificial raspberry candy smell - brings me back to my childhood!
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Fragrances -Diptyque - Philosykos
dara09 7/25/2003 1:31:00 PM
OMG I *love* Philosykos.... It's a perfect summer fragrance. The top note starts with dry, milky and delicious coconut note that is just a touch sweet without being too warm. Then the green, milky sweet fig emerges, and the soft, lush green note lingers all day with the coconut softly singing in the background. Call me crazy, but the coconut note also has the tinge of what the coconut husk smells like - dry, sawdusk-like smell of coconut. Perfect fig rendition for me - green, mildly sweet and dry all at once! Some mention powderiness - thank goodness it's not at all pronounced on me :). Whenever I wear this I imagine myself on a faraway beach, lazing around in the summer. Philosykos has been my summer fragrance staple and I'm definitely getting a full bottle soon.
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Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Cologne Sologne
dara09 5/22/2003 1:05:00 PM
Lovely, lovely, lovely! Thanks to the generous Victoriaf, I finally got a chance to sample this. I think I just found a winner for summer! At the beginning, I mostly smell the lemon and bergamot, giving me the lemony woody feel that AG Eau d'Hesperides does. Then later Cologne Sologne morphed into a clean, soapy orange blossom with just the right touch of floral sweetness tinkling in and out. I'd wear this during the summer day and Fleur d'Oranger during the summer night! Gorgeous. The only drawback is that it's very faint (well, it *is* a cologne...) but I can always apply more and the price is definitely agreeable.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Tubéreuse Criminelle
dara09 5/8/2003 1:28:00 AM
Ahhh... the notorious Criminelle! It emerges with the cool menthol note floating on top with the soft floral base underneath. The cool menthol remains for awhile while the floral base heats up, creating an amazing juxtaposition of heat and chill. Then, all of a sudden, the "rubber" note emerges - this is the sole reason why I'm giving it a 4 instead of 5. Fortunately, the rubber note disappears rather quickly, and the scent that appears next is a strangely attractive mix of the ripe tuberose, cool menthol and a tinge of scent reminiscent of new dollar bills (I've always loved the way they smell!) This is definitely not the kind of tuberose worn when chasing butterfly (although I like that one too), this is more the type to wear when one feels like the queen of the tropical rainforest - very nice!
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Lipstick -Jane - Lip Huggers in Browned Down Red
dara09 4/23/2003 4:19:00 PM
Truly versatile colour! I'm a lightskinned Asian/Caucasian mix with yellow undertone, and this color is SO flattering. I was expecting a brick-like shade, but on my lips this does not turn out to be the colour I expected. I am not complaining, however - the colour it turns out to be is a deep mauvey rose, very pretty! I love the consistency as well, extremely creamy and moisturizing with decent staying power. SO glad I picked it up at Walgreens, for $2.99 I figure I can stock up. I may just trade in my Lorac lipsticks for these!
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