Shampoo -Carol's Daughter - Rosemary Mint Shampoo with Sea Moss
definesinister 5/19/2013 11:19:00 PM
The trick is to not use to this shampoo too often! It makes my dry ends more dry if I use it too often. I really do like using this in conjunction with the Monoi hair mask repair. Once I blow dry, I get pretty much bouncy and shiny hair. I use other shampoos during the rest of the week, and I use this shampoo to remove build up. I also try not to wash my hair every day so I do get quite a bit of build up on my hair. This shampoo never stung my eyes considering it has rosemary and mint as the ingredients! The texture is a bit different from most shampoos, but it lathers decently. A lot of people claim these products are meant for AA hair types, but a lot of people on MUA that use these products are not! I actually have asian fine-medium hair that had dry ends (due to a horrible bleaching mistake 8 months ago). I also use protein treatments every once in a while to thicken my hair. I did put that I would rebuy again, but if there is another product on the market more suitable for and more affordable, I would purchase the other product.
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Lotions/ Creams -Shiseido - Advanced Essential Energy hand cream
definesinister 3/12/2013 12:55:00 AM
I just bought this, and I can mention that there are some people not willing to shell out anything over 20 bucks for a hand cream (I don't blame them, bad economy). But I believe the Shiseido Advanced Essential Energy Hand Cream is well worth the money. First off, if you compare the Net Weight to higher end hand creams (Darphin, Sisley, La Mer, Erno Laszlo, Clarins) this is definitely priced fairly well. As far as the performance of this hand cream, I'd say it fairs well for a Shiseido product. The smell is not too overbearing, the ingredients has green tea, rice bran oil and cherry blossom. You can smell the green tea and the cherry blossom is fairly faint scented. It does not leave your hands greasy like L'occitane. Thankfully, you can get away with this hand cream with the silicone feel (because water, glycerin, and mineral oil is the main ingredient). I'm not sure yet how it would last through repeated hand washing, so I will have to update that at a later time. Overall, I like this cream if you're looking for a nice treat. Bear in mind, there is no SPF in this hand cream so you may have to mix it with Shiseido's sun protecting line. If you're looking for more anti-aging, then try Shiseido Benefiance Hand Cream with SPF 8. I chose not to purchase because I feel spf 8 will not give me the protection needed for daily use. The Benefiance life is targeted for anti-aging and dark spots. For this product, I would use it in the day or night. But for dry winters, I will keep going back to L'occitane for overnight treatments.
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Cleansers -Amore Pacific - Treatment Cleansing Foam
definesinister 3/8/2013 3:59:00 PM
I was a bit skeptical when the SA at Sephora was upselling this cleansing foam. She did say that it is quite expensive but well worth buying. She also did mention she just uses this to remove all dirt and makeup with her clarisonic. I also have a clarisonic mia. So one day, I bought this and the treatment toner with a 20% coupon from Sephora. I decided to try it out once my normal cleansing foam ran out. Let me say that this cleanser with the clarisonic mia is super great. The beads in this cleanser has vitamin e and the cleanser feels thick even when you add some water for foaming. It also does not cause dryness. Prior to using this, I had to battle cystic acne along the jawline. The bumps are starting to subside and I've been using this for only two days so far. Now I haven't tried to remove makeup with this cleanser alone. I still use a cleansing oil prior and then use the cleanser. I still see some traces of leftover makeup after the treatment toner. So I'm not sure how it would hold up to heavy use of makeup (and I use BB cream and setting powder). I guess the only thing that makes me hesitate about buying the toner and cleansing foam are the steep prices. These products can be found in Neiman Marcus or Saks, and the department stores carry the full line. So if you're looking to buy out the whole skin care line, it would be best to go to department stores. Sephora only carry basic products.
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Treatments -Shiseido - UV White Whitening Massage Cream
definesinister 2/27/2013 10:36:00 AM
I am reviewing the White Lucent massage cream. I am not sure if they reformulated the UV white massage cream and renamed the packaging. I bought this a few years ago based on the reviews I read on here. I used it once and didn't think much of it and shelved it for a really long time. Last night, I decided to pull this out after a night of drinking. My skin is acne-prone and is somewhat dry due to winter weather. I got a palmful of this stuff and rubbed it from my forehead down to my neck. I let it sit for about a minute then proceeded to massage. Within a minute, I began to feel sebum start to randomly come out! Amazing! Even my scrubs don't do that sometimes! Seems like the more I massaged, the more gunk came out of my pores. Once the massage cream emulsifies, the cream will turn slightly oily and slippery. It is recommended that you keep it on no more than three minutes. After a massage, you can wash it off and put on a mask. I personally like to put on a clay mask and then a sheet mask for bed. On top of that, after I washed this massage cream, I noticed my face kept getting rid of more gunk. I highly recommend this massage cream. You can feel the dirt coming out of your pore, more so than a oil cleanser. I guess the only con about this is the smell of alcohol is very noticeable. Now I'm going to hunt down for a good mask in Japan.
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Treatments -Carol's Daughter - Monoi repairing hair mask
definesinister 2/11/2013 7:28:00 PM
Wow. I bought this over a year ago, used it once and never gave much thought about it. Now lately I've bought the Rosemary mint clarifying shampoo and hair milk co-wash. Even though I am not the target group for these products, I have to say I am thoroughly impressed. Specifically what this repairing mask does! My hair has been majorly damaged due to processing my hair from back to blonde. Needless to say that was a FAIL and I just decided to dye it back to black. For months, I would wash my hair and use numerous conditioners, and I would still have knots! I decided to get a haircut and then use the rosemary mint shampoo and use this mask. Holy grail! As I washed this mask off, I feel the knots loosening up and my hair looks shiny after I blow dry! I haven't tried the hair milk co-wash yet, but let me just say that in the past I've used wen as well. Even the wen hair mask didn't help my severely damaged hair! Now I can't wait to try the co-wash and I can't stop running my fingers through my hair. LOL. My hair is fine, stick straight, somewhat thin Asian hair. I also use protein treatments since my hair is processed and I want to achieve more thickness in my hair. I will be doing a separate review for the hair milk co-wash in about two weeks. Overall, I would recommend the rosemary mint for weekly clarifying and this repairing mask.
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Brows -Smashbox - Brow tech
definesinister 2/6/2013 3:15:00 PM
I love this product, it is a all-in-one. I wasn't sure if I should get brunette or dark brown when I was at Ulta, but I ended up getting dark brown since I dye my hair black. There are plenty of methods of applying the brow tech, and I found two methods that work best. First, I like to warm up the wax with my finger and apply, Then I take an angled brush with the darker color and outline the lower portion of my brows (from inner to the outer tail of my brows). Since my brows are sparse and thin, I actually have to fill in the whole brow. Then I take the lighter color and fill in the whole brow and blend in the harsh line I drew. The second method I also use is taking a eyebrow brush and dipping it into the wax and the applying the wax in the opposite direction of hair growth. This way you can see what you need to fill in. I apply the light color first into the spare areas. Then, I use the darker powder to draw the line at the base. I fill it in some more with the light powder to get rid of the harsh line.The outcome is sculpted brows without the harshness of pencil (hello chola eyebrows, I'm talking to you...) The sceond method works just as fine as the first, and the results are tattoo looking eyebrows. The wax helps with the hair when you're in dire need for a eyebrow pluck or thread. It keeps the hairs down and make it seem less noticable. For me, the dark brown is not too harsh even when my black hair dye starts to fade out of my hair. I simply can not live without this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -L'Occitane - Almond Shower Oil
definesinister 1/2/2013 5:11:00 PM
Up until now, I only tried the travel size of this shower oil. This makes my bathroom and me smell heavenly. I just caved in and bought the 16.9 oz holiday size from the store. It was definitely worth the price paid ($36, compared to the original price $48). I layer this with the skin oil and the milk veil or concentrate milk, and I end up smelling great all day. My boyfriend has told me I smell good (numerous times, he has said that not just with this stuff but also with Britney Spear's Fantasy perfume) when I end up wearing this, so as you can see this is a good product. I love the whole almond line from L'occitane and I hope they do not get rid of it (because I don't know what I would do without it LOL).
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Lemony Flutter
definesinister 12/12/2012 7:52:00 PM
I love this product. It is meant for your cuticles. I do use it on my hands, lips elbows, foot. This stuff is godsend totally worth the price for how much product you get. This makes my nails look like they've been buffed and my nails grow faster and stronger. I can't believe it took me this long to buy! Like, the strength of nails are the strongest I've seen! This comes from years of acrylic and gel nails. I will never go back, but I still want to try L'occitane cuticle cream. I'm sure compared to that product, this one is much more worth it. LOVE!
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Eyeliner -Pixi - Lid & Line - Smoky Mink
definesinister 11/28/2012 9:54:00 AM
Love it. Went to target to check out pixie products and came to stumble upon on this. At first, I picked out Smokey black but then Smokey mink caught my eye. Where have been all my life? Its the perfect everyday Smokey eye without the harshness of charcoal grey or black. Considering this is like a drugstore product, the price range is up there with a MAC or sephora product. But since this is a all-in-one product, I gave it a 5. I'm lemming for the Smokey grey next time as well. Currently I am wearing this product without primer, just to see if it is long lasting. I will be updating this shortly.
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Treatments -Ion - Repair Solutions Hair Reconstructor
definesinister 11/26/2012 12:13:00 PM
Yes! Yes! Yes! This stuff is fantastic for my fine, thin hair. Since I was about 13, I have been dying and perming my hair. I have been to all types of stylists, and I constantly got comments that my hair was damaged/dry and extremely thin. So finally, I found a good stylist three years ago and he recommended that I do a hair manicure at his salon. The results were great, but not long lasting (about a month). Then I was searching on MUA for a good product that will make my hair feel thicker and less damaged. In comes in the Ion reconstructor, and this stuff literally saves my life. The sales ladies at Sally's always push this stuff on me at checkout, and I always skip out and I regret it completely. When I went to get my regular trim from my stylist, he made a comment at the end and inquired what have I been doing to my hair. I didn't think on the spot, and I just said I'm not sure. Then it occurred to me, I've been using this product!! I immediately told him, and he completely approved. He told me my hair felt a little thicker and more healthy. Holy grail! That was the first time a stylist made a nice comment on my hair. My mom is worse than me with the blow drying and perming. What's worse is she does not put any heat protectant products in her hair, when she blow dries her hair every single day. My maternal side does not have good genes when it comes to hair either. I am determined to not have a huge bald spot on top of my head by the time I turn 45. I am about to buy her some reconstructor, heat protectant, and serum for Christmas. As of lately, I also attempted to dye my hair from 1N to Dark ash Blonde (with a bleach). My hair became an absolute mess and I completely gave up after the first process. My hair is completely in knots, so I decided to give in and cut the dry ends off. Now I have a asymetrical bob, and I have to say the thickness of my hair is totally different from a few years ago. A few years ago when I got the same hair cut, my hair looked thin and flat. Now, you can see the texture and feel the fullness. I am definitely satisfied with this product and will never look back. Another good point of this product is, it is dirt cheap. There are plenty of other reconstructors in the market, that sell their stuff for a hefty price. EDIT: The ION Moisture Cream Conditioner is great for a deep conditioning after washing the reconstructor our with warm water. Another great coonditioner is by Wen by Chaz Dean and Carol's Daughter Moni Hair Repair Mask. You will need a good conditioner afterward, otherwise if you color your hair, then your hair color will be stripped and also the hair ends will be extremely brittle, dry, and stringy. Not the best combination. ALso, make you wash out the reconstructor with warm water! Ths way the protein can penetrate the pores and help build some thickness or hair growth.
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Fantasy Britney spears
definesinister 4/19/2012 7:20:00 PM
So I was in the market for a good perfume with heavy notes in jasmine. Perfumania was having a sale and I decided to drop in and test out a few. The lady picked out Chloe by Chloe, Kim kardashian, and then this. Well I really didn't expect it to be this heavy in jasmine, and at first I thought it was sugary sweet.. like her. But when I took my testing strips with me... I couldn't stop sniffing this one! Something about it is alluring and just fun to put on. The jasmine reminds me of bvlgari jasmin noir and the top note sweetness reminds me of something really sweet. I bought this 20% off for the bigger bottle. For some reason I enjoy putting this on every day... more and more. Also, this fragrance has been notorious for attracting men. I've gotten compliments like, "You smell good, Please come to bed with me tonight"
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Christian Dior - lip maximizer
definesinister 3/28/2012 4:15:00 PM
This is only the second day I used it. There's not much color and this can last fairly well. It is intended to be an overnight treatment (expensive overnight treatment if u ask me lol). And this gloss does last most of the night... I applied around 1030 and woke up around 4am and it was still on. Though I did use some la mer lip balm underneath. This gloss alone makes my lips look frosty as heck, but I bought it to go along with color revival lip balm. The two work well together. I'm just afraid this gloss won't last much longer than the lip glow. Sigh. Oh well. I guess I finally converted to Dior. Plus you can get the Dior diva VIP gifts once you get enough points. Will I repurchase? Yes indeed. I don't think I have to keep looking high and low for the perfect mlbb look anymore.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Sephora - Color reveal lip balm in Unique pink
definesinister 3/20/2012 3:32:00 PM
This is limited edition and is suppose to be a dupe for Christian Dior. This is also 2/5th of the original price of lip glow. That being said, the packaging is not much to look at and the initial application looks brighter than lip glow... but of course I got this in middle of the day and swiped off the lip glow. It looks like a nice lip stain without much the tackiness or goopiness of a lip gloss. I read on a blog review that this smells like cardboard? Initial scent is somewhat standard... like baked cookies and it goes away, so its fine by me. The only downside is there is less product than lip glow and it is not as long lasting (swiped on around 1230 and now its barely 330... yeah I can see why its limited edition). Also, the lip balm chases color if applied regularly, just like a regular lip balm. So just wipe off the top and start fresh. But overall it is not bad. I bought three off the website. But I won't buy off the hype of the Ph balance... particularly this product since it turned color fast on me. It is not bad buy especially if you want the simple mlbb look and you don't mind reapplying every three hours to keep the balmy feel going. I just started on the this whole lip chemistry phenomenon, so this is a great way to try products without breaking your wallet.
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Lipstick -MAC - Half-N-Half
definesinister 3/3/2012 5:53:00 PM
SA recommended half n half for a mlbb lipstick. I decided to trust her and just bought it on whim since it was a freebie. I only swatched and left the store. I applied a small amount when I found out its amplified. I thought it was a bit brown at first, then when I got to my car after two hours, I was in for a surprise! Loveliest mlbb I've seen thus far. Now I know to listen to MAC artists LOL. This is foolproof and easy to wear for work. Just when I was about to swear off MAC I find this. I guess its a repurchase for me in the future!!
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Lotions/ Creams -Cerave - Moisturizing Cream
definesinister 2/9/2012 9:18:00 PM
Thank you makeupalley community!! I struggled with acne since my teens and now I'm 26 struggling with hormonal acne. So for about a year I've been prescribed meds by the dermatologist and finally my second dermatologist recommended the cerave cream for my winter eczema. I originally bought vanicream and cerave lotion... for two months both did not work on my acne... finally I gave in and bought the cream version. I am very impressed that the cream version can still lightly hydrate and still feel matte. I feel that vanicream is good on my body since it made my face greasy at the end of the day. I did use cerave in conjunction with acanya. I would recommend acne prone people that use either differin or BP to use cerave. I honestly do not think the tub is unsanitary. I am a bit anal and I like to wash my hands prior to applying anything to my face.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No