Eye Shadow -Laura Mercier - Eye Colour in Pewter
deuxbisous 5/17/2013 3:33:00 PM
This is a soft, muted, warm grey, it has a hint of a sage-green tint to it, but it still appears grey. I have a neutral skintone but if you're cooler I would recommend LM's Celestial over this, which is a steely grey with a blue undertone. I love the LM eyeshadows in general, especially these sateen versions. They provide a little shimmer and depth without appearing metallic or overly frosted. A very elegant formula for those of us with ageing eyelids.
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Liquid -Clinique - Perfectly Real Makeup
deuxbisous 5/17/2013 3:26:00 PM
I have to admit I hadn't bought a Clinique product for over twenty years, but someone recommended a specific shade in this for me, so I decided to try it. I figured if the shade was indeed a good match I would then use it to find a match in another product, as I tend to need (or felt I needed) something more moisturising. Well, I've been pleasantly surprised. First the match was correct (14N - no idea what I am in MAC - had been wearing NARS MontBlanc for years but decided it was a teensy bit too pink... I presume the N means neutral), but what's more I actually really like the formula. It doesn't add moisture but it's not drying either, so as long as I am on top of my skin with my exfoliating/moisturising it's fine (it will show up flaky bits if not), and it sinks in and totally disappears. Provides totally smooth and even coverage without being detectable on the skin. I'm glad I tried it and will stick with it. Oh, and the price is loads better than similar products I had been using.
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Fragrances -Clinique - Aromatics Elixir
deuxbisous 5/17/2013 3:10:00 PM
Someone sprayed this while I was testing make-up. I started sniffing the air, turned around and looked at the perfume bottles on display and followed my nose to the bottle of Aromatics Elixir (in the perfume spray, not the EDT). I bought the smallest bottle, and the first couple of times I wore it I sprayed it on a cotton pad first and then dabbed it lightly. I'm now up to one small squirt straight onto skin, and I think that's more than enough. Lasts all day, lingers on fabric. You've got to love patchouli to be into this - the proper earthy, dirt-y stuff, not the molecularly modified version that seems to be abundant nowadays. Absolutely addictive - love it!!!
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Cleansers -Shu Uemura - Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/I
deuxbisous 4/5/2013 2:15:00 PM
I had never tried the famous Shu cleansing oil, although I've tried plenty of other oil cleansers and liked several of them well enough, but not enough to stick with them. My skin was out of whack a couple of months ago (mid-winter) and was just dry no matter what I tried, and yet my pores were getting clogged from all of the serums and gunk I was treating it to. And it's very sensitive so if I'm not careful it will turn bright red, itch, burn, break out. I went to Space NK in a state of desperation and an SA recommended this. Bless her, because it's the best cleanser I've ever tried, absolutely my HG. It feels so soothing when I massage it in, it takes everything off, it rinses off completely and leaves my skin feeling perfect, like young skin (which it is not). Now I am keeping things simple - this in the PM, the Konjac sponge in the AM, and Ren's Hydra-calm cream day and night, and my skin has never looked better. This stuff is pricey, but the company does samples so you can try it first. I would highly recommend it for sensitive, mature skin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Miller Harris - Noix de Tubéreuse
deuxbisous 4/5/2013 2:04:00 PM
I had a bottle of this a few years ago and I wound up giving it away because I found it too sweet and cloying. Recently I tried it again and it smells different to me, so either my nose has changed (or my taste) or it's been reformulated. I slightly suspect the latter. I smell a lot of ISO E Super in it, which gives it a sort of silky fuzz... hmm, what do I mean by that... like the Phil Spector wall of sound going on in the background. A fat, rich hum, but no longer sticky sweet. Anyway, aside from all that, it is indeed a lovely tuberose, a touch fresh and green, but mostly lush and creamy, and now my favourite of all the tuberoses out there.
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Fragrances -Acqua di Parma - Gelsomino Nobile
deuxbisous 2/8/2013 11:23:00 AM
This is pretty but not particularly different or distinctive. It reminds me a little of Elie Saab EDT, which I prefer actually, and also of Miller Harris Jasmin Vert, which I like less. It's light, sweet jasmine with a tea aspect and... not much else. As someone noted in a review elsewhere, ISO E Super takes over in the dry-down and I wind up with the curious sensation of having spent the day in Ormonde Woman when the first half of this fragrance is nothing like it. It's a nice everyday scent and I'm sure it will draw compliments as it's really very pleasant, but there is a lot of nice and pleasant out there. They probably won't be making it in ten years' time. I also bought the body cream and prefer it actually because it doesn't do the ISO E drydown and I can layer it with other white florals.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - konjac puff sponge red clay
deuxbisous 2/8/2013 11:16:00 AM
What a weird thing and how surprising that it works. I figured I'd give it a go and got the pink one for sensitive skin. There is also a red one for dry/mature skin which I bought for my 70 yr-old mother. We both love them! I swear I am not exaggerating that the very first time I was using it, as I was using it, my skin was looking better as I watched in the mirror. I imagine it has dead skin eating properties like those fish that do pedicures. It just makes your skin glow but it feels almost like jelly, it's not rough or textured at all. I don't use it to take off make-up, which it claims you can do. I use it after my normal cleansing routine in the evening and in the morning on its own. I have had better results from this than any other exfoliant I have tried from fruit acid masks and serums to scrubs and muslins. It's inexpensive and seems to last a very long time so I can't see how you can go wrong with it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Rouge Bunny Rouge - "Precious Velvet" Flawless Face Powder in "Piano Forte"
deuxbisous 2/8/2013 11:04:00 AM
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I bought it because I've been binging on RBR and it was discounted, so I thought I'd give it a go. It's got a lovely texture, quite velvet-y, not unlike Chanel pressed powder but not as heavy and, importantly, doesn't oxidise on my skin. Really good for mature skin as it's isn't drying and it doesn't emphasize lines. I probably wouldn't recommend for oilier skins. Mine is dry and sensitive, and I still get a bit of shine on my nose half way through the day and use my MAC blot powder to deal with that, but like the previous reviewer I've never in my life found a powder that doesn't need a touch-up at some point. I've been using this to set my make-up in the morning with a brush. The spongey-puff provided is a bit thin and cheap. Not the most sympathetic range of colours for all the ladies of the world so one lippie off for that.
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Styling Products -Bumble & Bumble - Styling Lotion
deuxbisous 2/6/2013 4:26:00 AM
Ugh, horrible!!!! I normally don't use these synthetic type products on my hair but got talked into buying it at the salon. I used it once and it felt like my hair was ruined. I suspect this is basically watered-down hair spray. I didn't use anywhere near as much as suggested, and still while I was drying my hair and running the brush through it, it was getting sticky and tangled, and the sticky build-up was getting all over my hand. It made my hair feel dirty, dry and stiff. This must be the stuff all the politicians with helmut-hair use. Avoid if you want soft, natural-feeling hair.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Rouge Bunny Rouge - Sketches on Water
deuxbisous 2/4/2013 2:09:00 PM
This is definitely my HG tinted moisturiser. I have used and been impressed with LM and MAC. I have had negative experiences with Chantecaille and NARS. This one is the best for me. I am using Adansonia and it's perfect now in the winter. I may go with a darker shade in the summer. It's sheer and feels lighter than LM but completely evens out my skintone and makes pores invisible. It doesn't look like I'm wearing make-up, it just makes my skin look nice. It isn't overly moisturising so doesn't make my skin shiny by mid-day and it doesn't oxidise, the colour stays true. I also have sensitive skin and this doesn't irritate it. Just perfect!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Rahua Shampoo
deuxbisous 2/4/2013 10:15:00 AM
I received a sample of this and the conditioner. It was gentle and cleaned well, but it made my hair far too voluminous. I have a lot of hair and I like it to lay flat and look sleek. This just wasn't the right product for me. I noticed afterwards it contains sea-salt, which is well known to create volume. I would recommend if that's what you're after, but sadly not for me.
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Rahua - Voluminous Conditioner
deuxbisous 2/4/2013 10:11:00 AM
Voluminous is right! I received a sample of this and the shampoo and they just weren't right for my hair. My hair is fine but there's tons of it, and these two products made it bouffy beyond belief... too much volume! If you want volume, then I would recommend trying this, but if you don't want to revisit the 1980s, avoid. Otherwise, it cleaned and conditioned well and smelled nice.
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Eye Shadow -Rouge Bunny Rouge - Matte Longlasting e/s in Bashful Flamingo
deuxbisous 1/30/2013 3:20:00 PM
Like Papyrus Canary which I also reviewed, this is one of the creamiest matte powders I've come across and I use this colour as an all-over base. It's a pale warm pink-nude. I have a number of the RBR shimmery eyeshadows in warm shades and this makes a good base for those, blending well colour-wise. I've been super-impressed by these eyeshadows in general. They all last very well, are highly-pigmented, blend well, and are kind to the mature eyelid. I highly recommend these matte shades in particular as I really haven't found anything as superior (comparing to Guerlain, Chanel, MAC, Nars, BB, LM, Shu).
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Eye Shadow -Rouge Bunny Rouge - Matte Eyeshadow Papyrus Canary
deuxbisous 1/30/2013 3:13:00 PM
I actually swooned when I opened this. I'd never seen such a creamy matte powder eyeshadow before. The colour is very similar to LM Buttercream. I use it as an all-over base. The colour lasts extremely well, doesn't crease, and most importantly doesn't exaggerate my wrinkly bits. I very, very highly recommend the RBR eyeshadows to anyone else with maturing skin.
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Primer/ Corrector -Rouge Bunny Rouge - Prelude in the Clouds
deuxbisous 1/30/2013 3:00:00 PM
I have been pleasantly surprised with this product but I don't have much experience with primers. I vaguely remember using one by Nars and one by Bobbi Brown. Neither experience lasted very long and I found the primer step to be one too many in my routine with no obvious benefit. The Nars one was kind of sticky, and the BB one was thick. With both I felt like I had one too many layers of stuff on my face. However, a friend recommended this one and told me at 'our age' using a primer makes a difference, so I took the plunge and bought it. I don't regret it. I use it over my moisturiser. It's very light-weight which makes all the difference. It applies easily, smells pleasant, and doesn't irritate my skin. I don't need to use as much foundation and the overall appearance of my skin is smoother. I'm very pleased with this and will keep using it.
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