Liquid -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17
dotgirl101 4/13/2013 8:05:00 PM
I bought this foundation in an attempt to reduce the breakouts that were coming from L'Oreal's Visible Lift foundation. It claimed that it was oil-free and had a variety of different color matches, and therefore I thought I'd give it a shot. COVERAGE & OVERALL FINISH: The coverage of this foundation is relatively light, although it can be built up to a strong medium coverage. True Match is relatively good at covering scars, but you'll need a concealer if you have blemishes as this foundation won't cover them. The overall finish of this is so-so. It looks great when first applied (as most foundations do), but after two to four hours it starts to look really splotchy and generally bad-looking. It'll likely stay on your face for over six hours without sliding off or fading, but don't expect it to look good after a long day--especially if you had to layer it. COLOR: I purchased True Match in "W1" Porcelain, and this was an all right match for me. In certain lights it makes my face look orange, though, which is especially frustrating when I'm in public or with friends. Next time I'll be purchasing this foundation in Alabaster to see if this is a closer match. Overall, I believe anyone could find a shade that matched their skin in this line--it's one of the only redeeming qualities of this foundation. STAYING POWER: As I stated before, this foundation only looks good (on me; it may be different for others) for about four hours. After that, it seems to get extremely splotchy and sinks into my pores. Depending on your specific skin type, expect to get four to seven hours of good wear of out this foundation before it begins looking bad and/or noticeable. OIL CONTROL: This is one of the worst things about True Match: the oil control is terrible and almost nonexistent. I begin getting oily after an hour or so of wear, and it only gets worse throughout the day. I find myself re-powdering my face every thirty to forty-five minutes, which is such a hassle. I do want to note that I normally have oily skin, but this has been one of the worst foundations I've ever used in terms of oil control. Those with normal or combination skin may have better success with this. PACKAGING & CONSISTENCY: The packaging and consistency of this foundation is pretty bad. The foundation is extremely runny and I find myself wasting some of it every time I use it. This definitely took some time to get used to. True Match doesn't come with a pump, which is both frustrating and messy. However, I didn't expect it to come with one as it was only $8. FOR THOSE WITH ACNEIC SKIN: I'm extremely breakout prone and have moderate active acne at all times. In addition, I also have extensive acne scarring. This foundation is one of--if not the only--foundations that *doesn't* cause moderate to severe breakouts after being taken off, and this is the only reason why I stick with True Match. I have been through a half dozen foundations in the past two years (Neutrogena, Revlon, CoverGirl, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, etc.) and most of these have caused moderate to severe breakouts after being taken off. However, L'Oreal's True Match only causes a small breakout as opposed to the moderate/severe ones I was getting with other foundations. Conclusively, I DO recommend this for those of us that are extremely acne prone. OVERALL REVIEW: This certainly isn't the best foundation (drugstore or high-end) but it's certainly not the worst, either. It's best qualities are the color match and the fact that it's oil-free (therefore causing little to no breakouts), and at $8 you won't cringe when you have to purchase another bottle. Its worst qualities are the fact that it has little to no oil control, wears down quickly, and has the ability to look incredibly splotchy in a matter of hours. To be completely honest, I wouldn't recommend this foundation to ANYbody if it weren't for the fact that this causes little to no breakouts. That is literally the only reason I wear this foundation. If you have normal, combination, or dry skin and don't have much of a problem with breakouts...keep looking. There's much better foundations out there.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences- Hydralicious Reconditioning shampoo
dotgirl101 2/13/2013 3:29:00 PM
I love this shampoo! I have very thick hair that is cut in layers, and therefore it's REALLY poofy and frizzy. I've been flat ironing it at least four times a week, and I was starting to worry that this was damaging my hair. I was browsing the isles at Wal-Mart one day, and decided to give this a try. I'm glad I did! It's thick, and I feel like it really conditions my hair. I use Herbal Essence's "Hello Hydration" conditioner after using this, and I love how soft my hair feels afterwards. Definitely recommended!
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Treatments -Burt's Bees - Herbal Blemish Stick
dotgirl101 2/12/2013 8:44:00 PM
I picked this up at Wal-Mart a couple of months ago for under $10 in the hopes it would be at least somewhat helpful in reducing my blemishes overnight. I was also intrigued by the fact that it was all-natural; I previously used a different natural spot treatment before (Andalou's Blemish Vanishing Gel, which I can't find anymore) and LOVED it. I was under the assumption this would be similar, but alas...it was not. The first time I applied this to a blemish, it almost instantaneously flattened it and I was very impressed. I thought, "Finally! Something that works!". However, within two days the area in which I had applied the spot treatment to had broken out in three to four little pimples. Wondering if it had simply been a coincidence, I continued to use this off and on, and each time I did, I would break out in more acne where I applied it. It was also relatively drying and the packaging could have been a lot better. It has a little ball-thing that as you roll it along your skin, the product comes out little by little. Well, when you roll the product on blemishes, it picks up little pieces of dry skin (and who knows what else) and redistributes it back into the product itself. So, each time you re-apply this to a blemish, you're also re-applying dead skin, bacteria, etc. You can actually look at the product itself and see little pieces of dead skin floating around. Ick! Overall, I just wouldn't recommend this. It's drying, the packaging is pretty bad, and it actually CAUSES more acne!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Mario Badescu - Drying Cream
dotgirl101 2/11/2013 12:35:00 PM
I bought this at Ulta three or four months ago for around $15, which is exceptionally pricey for me. However, after reading the many glowing reviews on MakeupAlley, I decided to splurge in hopes it would be the "miracle" spot treatment I was hoping for. Unfortunately, it was not. When I first applied this to a pimple, I was a little overwhelmed by the scent: it smelled strongly of sulfur and--aloe? I'm usually not sensitive to fragrance (I've been suffering with acne for six years now and have therefore used dozens of different products), but this drying cream had a relatively powerful scent to it that I was unused to. It somewhat dissipated after ten or fifteen minutes, though, so it wasn't a big problem. My second reaction to this spot treatment was the color and consistency when applied to my face. It claims that it conceals the pimple while on, but instead the cream is a very unnatural color that I'm sure would only match very, very few people's skin. It was VERY noticeable when I had it on. I wasn't looking for something to conceal my pimples, though, so this wasn't a big downfall for me. However, the consistency of this cream is what DID bother me. It's creamy when first applied, but never seems to truly "dry". Instead, I feel it simply sits on top of the pimple without sinking in. And the worst part? I can't wear this to bed because it instantly rubs off on my pillow case, and thus becomes ineffective. Consequently, I can only wear this spot treatment when I'm staying home for the entire day. All of the above would be completely and utterly fine with me if this actually worked. I have tried this on whiteheads, the kind of pimples that never reach the surface (I like to call these my "Mount St. Helens"), and popped pimples. This drying cream never helped on any of the aformentioned pimples, though. Like I said before, it literally just sat on top of the blemishes and did nothing. One of the only positive things I can say about this cream is that a tub will last the average person six months to a year (maybe even more!), so if it actually worked, that would be fantastic. Overall, I was expecting a lot more for $15. I've honestly had drugstore products that were $5-$7 work much better than this. It was a huge disappointment, especially after I had read so many good reviews. Oh well. Everybody's skin is different, so I would recommend trying this anyways (especially at Ulta; they have a great return policy if you don't like it!). I seem to be in the minority here; I'm glad to read that this works for others!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Maybelline - Cover Stick
dotgirl101 1/17/2013 12:41:00 PM
I've used this concealer for over a year now to cover my severe acne and scarring, and I can honestly say it's the best one I can find in a drugstore. It's thick, and it can therefore cover any pimple or scar on my face. Because it's so thick, I don't have to glob it on like I've had to do with other concealers in the past; a little goes a long way! Also, because I have to use so little, this concealer will last 4 to 5 months (perhaps more!), which is a such a steal because it's only $5 or $6. This is one of the only concealers that I can find that matches my extremely pale skin tone! I'm sure that just about anybody could find a match for their unique skin color. Most importantly? This doesn't cause breakouts! This is HUGE for me. HUGE. The only complaints I have about this product are 1) It's probably not the best concealer to use for under eye circles, because it'll show lines you didn't even know were there, 2) It CAN look cakey and splotchy if you're not careful; it can't be put on entire areas, only on specific spots, and 3) The packaging is a little annoying because after a few months of use, the concealer will get all over the cap. But that's just being nit-picky!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Bye-Bye Blemish - Drying Lotion
dotgirl101 12/18/2012 12:56:00 PM
I have moderate to severe acne, and was looking for a spot treatment that would help reduce the size and severity of the pimples on my face. After reading glowing reviews of this product on several different websites, I decided to purchase this drying lotion. This spot treatment has been relatively disappointing. After dipping a q-tip into the product and applying it to my acne, I generally leave it on for several hours and it literally does nothing to help reduce or clear the pimple. Rather, I feel it simply sits on top of the acne, much like concealer would do. It is easily wiped off, and consequently I can't wear it to bed without it getting on my pillow, and thus becoming ineffective on treating acne. It cannot be worn under make-up or while going out, because the product itself is pink and is very noticeable. I have used dozens upon dozens of spot treatments in the 5 years I've been struggling with acne, and this is certainly one of the worst spot treatment's I've ever used. However, it seems to work for most, so I would recommended giving it a try. Everybody's skin is different!
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Liquid -L'Oreal - Visible Lift Serum Absolute Advanced Age-Reversing Makeup
dotgirl101 9/21/2012 1:01:00 PM
I originally did a review on this a few months ago, and was very much on the fence about it. However, I've kept coming back to this foundation and have concluded it's one of the best drugstore foundations available. COVERAGE & OVERALL FINISH: When I first tried this on, I was genuinely surprised at how well it covered my severe acne scarring. One layer provided medium coverage that took the 'edge' off, per se, of my scarring. If layered in the worst areas, I found it could provide full coverage--something that's difficult to find in drugstore foundations! This foundation doesn't cover active acne well, but that's easily taken care of with a concealer (I like Maybelline's 'Cover Stick'). The overall finish is quite beautiful, especially when first applied. It's extermely natural looking, yet it can provide full coverage if layered. It's not too dry or matte, yet it's certainly not 'sparkly' (like Revlon PhotoReady--ick!) or shiny looking either. It simply has a very natural finish. COLOR: I have extremely pale skin, and I've literally had *the* hardest time finding a foundation that doesn't make my face look orange. The lightest color in this line is 'Soft Ivory', and this is a near perfect match for me. I'm sure that nearly anybody could find a perfect color match by either choosing one specific color or mixing two shades together. STAYING POWER: I've worn this through 8-10 hour work days, and it holds up as well as any foundation can be expected to. I find it can look splotchy and/or cakey after 6 or more hours of wear, but in complete honesty, nearly all foundations will do the same. With the right setting powder and depending on your specific skin type, expect to get 6-10 hours of good wear out of this foundation. OIL CONTROL: Unfortunately, this is below average. I find myself re-powdering my face every hour or so, and after 6+ hours, my entire face is shiny. I do want to point out that I have excessively oily skin & the above is true for any foundation I've ever worn. Therefore, oil control may be better for those with normal skin. FOR THOSE WITH ACNEIC OR DRY SKIN: As I said before, I have moderate active acne, with 5 to 20 pimples at any given time. I'm extremely careful with what I put on my face for fear of worsening my already problematic skin, and this foundation doesn't seem to cause breakouts. Therefore, I *do* recommend this for people with acneic skin such as myself. Just be sure to thoroughly remove it at night with a makeup removing cleanser and follow with your acne cleanser/moisturizer afterwards. For those with dry skin, I'm not sure that I would recommend this--or any drugstore foundation, really--because it has caused me to have dry/flakey skin underneath my eyes and other areas before. It will also make dry patches much more noticeable. If you still want to use it, I would highly recommended moisturizing before application and after taking it off at night. Exfoliating frequently will undoubtedly help as well. OVERALL REVIEW: I would definitely recommend this foundation to those with normal to acneic skin such as myself. This is natural looking medium buildable coverage that will last 6 or more hours. Those with excessively oily skin may want to invest in a good oil control primer, powder, setting spray, etc. when using this, as it doesn't have much oil control on its own. Finally, those with dry skin may want to skip this. UPDATE 1-8-13: For a month or so now, I've been trying to convince myself that it's not this foundation that has been causing terrible breakouts every time I wear it. I've been in a state of denial! I'll put it on, wear it all day, and thoroughly remove it at night. And like clockwork, two days later I ALWAYS get five or more pimples. I've finally come to the sad conclusion that it's this foundation that's at fault. I'm not sure if they've changed the formula since I bought my new bottle, but I don't think it always broke me out this bad. It feels really sticky now and--I hate to admit it--gross when I first put it on. Consequently, I've found myself avoiding going into town simply because I can't stand putting this foundation on anymore. I just started college, and I dread how many breakouts I'm going to get from this... Conclusively, I no longer recommend this to those with moderate to severe acne such as myself. I'm not sure if I got a bad batch or they changed the formula since I first began using it in May, but it's definitely changed. It's sad, because this had the best coverage of all the drugstore foundation's I've ever used AND it matched my skin tone.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express Colossal Cat Eyes
dotgirl101 9/21/2012 11:58:00 AM
I've used Maybelline's 'One by One' mascara for over a year now, and wanted to try something different. I saw this in Wal-Mart the other day, and picked up the waterproof version. I've found that this gives GREAT seperation, length, decent volume, and holds a curl very well. I love the overall finish much more than 'One by One' or other mascara's I've used in the past. However, I was spending time with a friend yesterday and came home to find that it had smudged a little underneath both of my eyes--not something I enjoy seeing! This was after wearing it for 6/7 hours while walking around town. I can't justify a WATERproof mascara smudging, especially with such minimal activity. Overall, though, I *do* love this mascara and will continue to wear it--I'll just have to keep checking to make sure it hasn't smudged.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
dotgirl101 9/19/2012 7:46:00 PM
I LOVE this! I don't usually use it as a mask (although it works well for that: I find it temporarily shrinks my pores and leaves my skin feeling soft & smooth). Instead, I use it as a spot treatment for my pimples. It works, in my opinion, almost as well as benzoyl peroxide--except the bottle lasts three/four times longer and is way cheaper! I find that if I leave it on developing pimples for an hour or more, it will generally keep them from getting huge & will help them heal faster. Definitely recommended!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -AcneFree - Acne and Blackhead Terminator
dotgirl101 8/17/2012 5:47:00 PM
Update (6-4-13): This is my HG spot treatment. It doesn't take care of blemishes overnight, but it DOES significantly reduce them within two to four days. I've been using this off and on since August 2012, and I can honestly say it's one of the best spot treatments I've ever used (and I've used a LOT). Because my skin is so used to harsh acne products, I am able to reapply this three or more times daily. However, when I first began using it nearly a year ago, it dried out the area pretty badly when I used it more than twice a day. So if you're not used to 10% benzoyl peroxide, start out using this once daily. The price is great, as it's only $5 at Wal-Mart. It lasts approximately two to three weeks for me, but that's because I use copious amounts of it two to three times daily.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Neutrogena - Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Moisture Night
dotgirl101 6/27/2012 1:06:00 PM
I'm not using this for its anti-wrinkle purposes; rather, I'm using this moisturizer to help fade my past acne scarring. On the back, it claims that 89% of the people who used this saw visible age spots fade, and thinking that this would help my scarring fade as well, I picked this up. It also had wonderful reviews on MUA with some people claiming it helped to clear up their acne and even their skin tone out. I've been using this for a little over 12 weeks every single night, and there really hasn't been much of a difference. Some of the scarring MAY (emphasis on *may*) have faded, but it's certainly nothing noticeable. This moisturizer hasn't upset my skin in any way, though, so that is definitely a plus. I also love the packaging and the price--about $18.99 at Wal-Mart--because it lasts for over 9 weeks when used on a nightly basis. My overall review: if you're buying this for the sole purpose of fading age spots, dark spots, or acne scarring, don't bother unless it's already very, very light. This won't help. However, if you simply need a moisturizer that doesn't break you out, then this is one to purchase. I have THE hardest time finding moisturizers that don't break me out, and this is one of the only ones that passes the test!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Neutrogena - Skin Clearing Oil-Free Makeup
dotgirl101 6/16/2012 1:10:00 PM
I wore this foundation (along with the entire SkinClearing line) when I first began using makeup in February 2011 and used it until January 2012. Therefore, I have a lot of experience with this foundation. First of all, this foundation is NOT medium or full coverage. It's sheer-medium buildable. I know a medium to full coverage foundation when I see one, and this one definitely isn't. I had to use copious amounts of concealer to cover my acne and scarring, which is ridiculous for a foundation that claims it will cover & clear your acne. Next, the color range for very fair skinned women such as myself is pretty bad. Classic Ivory & Natural Ivory were both much too orange for me, and actually oxidized to an even oranger color throughout the day. Ick! The staying power of this foundation is so-so, leaning towards the bad side. It won't drip off your face if you get little dots of water on it here and there, sweat, etc. It will, however, oxidize and look a bit cakey throughout the day. It will also come off your face when you touch it, hug somebody, re-powder, blot, etc. In other words, it's not transfer resistant at all. Lastly, it'll fade throughout the day, showing some of your acne and/or scarring. Oil control is pretty bad, even though it claims it controls it. I remember having to blot and powder SEVERAL times a day, which is such a hassle (and embarrassing in front of friends)! I'm not a huge fan of the packaging--I prefer a pump--but it's not too bad, either. It can get a little messy sometimes, but it's nothing awful. There were two things I really liked about this foundation, though, hence the two lippies. First, how blendable it was. Second, it didn't break me out. However, it didn't clear my acne up at all, but I wasn't expecting it to. Overall, I just wouldn't recommend this foundation. There's MUCH better ones out there (like the Almay skin clearing one. It has much better coverage, consistency, oil control, a pump, etc.). I suppose this foundation would work for those who have mild acne (only between 1-3 pimples) and hardly any scarring and skin that isn't too oily. A word of advice: never expect makeup to clear your acne up, even when it advertises that it will. I'm here to tell you from wearing TONS of different foundations that it won't. Most of these foundations/powders/concealers that claim they will clear your acne up only contain .5% or less of salicylic acid, which will do nothing (except perhaps irritate some people's skin). However, foundations/powders/concealers that contain salicylic acid are less likely to break you out, so they're not a total waste of your money.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Neutrogena - Skin ID
dotgirl101 6/10/2012 11:58:00 AM
I used this system in the summer of 2010 for my moderately severe acne, and it didn't work...at all. I remember having some of *the* worst breakouts of my life, and that's saying something! Definitely not recommended.
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear (old formula)
dotgirl101 6/9/2012 8:28:00 PM
I've been wearing this for two days, so it may be too early to write a review. However, I'm going to anyways & will update my review if anything changes. First of all, I have severe acne scarring, moderate active acne, and oily skin--basically, the skin that everybody hopes they don't EVER get. I've gone through most of the drugstore foundations available (Almay, Neutrogena, Revlon, CoverGirl, etc.) and with each of these, I would have to use copious amounts of concealer (example: wearing a full layer of concealer like it was foundation and THEN putting the actual foundation on top, then layering more concealer on the bad spots) just to look like I had semi-normal skin. Also, ALL of the aforementioned foundations would get cakey, splotchy, and oily after only a few hours. Every time I would look at myself in a mirror (public bathrooms were the worst!), I would feel disheartened and disgusted by how bad my makeup looked. To make matters worse, they were also very transferable, which was annoying when I would go to hug somebody or wipe my face. Ick! Finally, after a year and four months of wearing makeup nearly everyday, I decided I would spend $35 on Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation to see if it actually lived up to the hype. To begin: I'm extremely pale, and have had *the* hardest time finding foundations that don't make me look orange. You can imagine my surprise, therefore, when Estee Lauder had an almost perfect color match (Shell). This foundation has the best finish I've ever experienced. It's extremely natural looking (it almost looks like my skin--wow!) and has amazing, buildable coverage. For the first time, I was able to almost completely skip concealer (I used it only on a few bad spots). It covered my scarring and active acne well, and the best part? It didn't look cakey or unnatural when I layered it in different areas. It also didn't feel heavy or mask-like on my face like many others have stated, but that may be because I'm used to it. Throughout the past two days, I've found this foundation to be VERY transfer resistant (it will still come off, but it holds up much, much better than every other foundation I've ever tried). It also controls oil pretty well--I only have to blot once or twice a day (another good part: when I blot, my makeup doesn't come off onto the sheet! yay!). In sunlight, this foundation is just phenomenal. I LOVE how natural it looks. And finally, at the end of the day, my face looks almost like it did when I put my makeup on (a little oiler, obviously, but nothing bad). The only thing that I don't LOVE (but still don't mind) about this foundation is its difficulty to come off. At night, I have to use a makeup removing towelette, a makeup removing cleanser, and then my acne wash to make sure the foundation is completely off. But that's a small price to pay for such an amazing foundation. In conclusion, this foundation is the best I have ever tried. It stays in place all day, will help control oil, has medium buildable coverage, looks incredibly natural, matches my skin tone, is very transfer resistent, and doesn't crease. I'm not sure yet if it will cause breakouts (a definite deal breaker for me), but if it does, I will be sure to update this review. Also, I'm not sure if I would recommend this foundation for people with dry skin. It would probably exacerbate the dryness and look worse. If you have oily skin like me, though, definitely give this a try. Thanks for reading! *****UPDATE***** Unfortunately, this foundation has been breaking me out. I keep getting more and more acne (between 3-7 new pimples) every time I wear this foundation, and that's why I'm giving it 3/5 lippies. I know *for sure* it's the foundation breaking me out because my face was actually almost clear of active acne before I began using this. I would recommend this foundation to people who aren't normally sensitive to the ingredients in foundations and hardly ever break out. If you have persistent mild to severe acne, I would suggest staying away from this foundation. It will more than likely break you out even more, and that's what you're trying to avoid.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Biore - Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser
dotgirl101 6/7/2012 12:27:00 PM
I originally bought this to clear my skin up, but it unfortunately didn't work. However, I use it to remove my makeup now, and it does an excellent job!
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