BB Cream -L'Oreal - Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream
drbrn_grl 3/21/2013 6:22:00 PM
Also surprised that this product isn't getting higher reviews. I love it. It smooths out the imperfections, gives a hint of color, makes a great base for foundation. It does have silicone in it, so if you have really oily skin you might want to avoid it. My T-zone does get a bit oily with this by the end of the day, but that happens with almost anything I use, so I blame my skin more than the product. It also seems to last a long time. I don't wear it every day, but my tube seems to be really lasting. Great value.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Clump Crusher mascara
drbrn_grl 3/21/2013 5:57:00 PM
Well, it doesn't clump, I'll give it that. I like the brush and it does give me a lot of volume. BUT -- it flakes like CRAZY! Which is really too bad, because I do like the way it makes my lashes look. Also, even though it's not the waterproof version, it seems to take forever to come off.
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Lipstick -Maybelline - Color Sensational Vivids
drbrn_grl 2/13/2013 1:12:00 PM
Just bought On Fire Red this morning -- a gorgeous, blue-based red for us pale girls. Gorgeous color, easily buildable. I do agree that you need to exfoliate and make sure lips are really soft before putting these on. I like to push the color into my lips with my pinkie as opposed to applying from the tube. Gives a very natural, flushed look to the lips. Definitely considering buying more!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -L'Oreal - Visible Lift Repair Absolute
drbrn_grl 1/29/2013 11:24:00 AM
I have had such bad luck with foundations lately and this one was no exception. First, if you're really fair, this line is not for you. I chose the lightest color they had and it's waaaaaay too pink. None of the lighter shades looked like they had any yellow in them. My first warning sign was that you can hardly see the product in the package; all that is visible of the actual product is a very thin line. And once it's wrapped in cellophane and you're looking at it under florescent lights, you really can't get a good idea of the color. I thought this might be a bit too dark in the store and I was right. Second, it's not good if you have large pores. Even after using a primer, it made the pores around my nose look HUGE. It also picked up every imperfection on my face and made it more noticeable. Finally, it comes with the very unsanitary sponge. I can't imagine anyone uses those things, so why do manufacturers keep including them? This one is going back to the store. And the search continues.
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BB Cream -L'Oreal - Youth Code BB Cream Illuminator
drbrn_grl 1/22/2013 3:32:00 PM
Not a fan. I already had the L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier and I really like it. But since this is made for more mature skin, I thought I would try it. First, it's really, really thick. I didn't like the way it felt on my face. It's got a pretty strong fragrance, too, which isn't bad except that is an irritant for some people. The Light is way, way too pink -- and not all that light either. Although it seemed to buff into my skin nicely, my face ended up a completely different color than my neck. It is heavily pigmented for a BB cream, although I can't say that it really covered anything. Back to Ulta it goes.
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Treatments -Clinique - Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum
drbrn_grl 6/7/2012 9:04:00 PM
Not sure this does anything about making pores look smaller -- either in the short term or the long term. I bought this quite awhile ago, used it for awhile, but quickly changed to something else. Recently started using it again and what I have noticed is that this dramatically cuts down on the oiliness of my face over the course of the day. Usually I'm looking greasy within a few hours of putting on makeup. I put on makeup almost 12 hours ago and my forehead is only the slightest bit shiny. I'll be putting this back in the rotation, though I may occasionally use another primer on top of it (though I assume that will make this product less effective).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Maybelline - Dream Lumi Touch
drbrn_grl 5/3/2012 1:36:00 PM
Love this stuff. Always makes me look wide awake, even when I haven't had enough sleep. NOT a fan of the click pen. I have yet to see any product done well with this delivery device -- why do manufacturers keep inflicting these things on us?! Still, it's reasonably priced and I would re-purchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Sugarbomb
drbrn_grl 5/3/2012 1:30:00 PM
Really surprised at the number of commenters with fair skin who don't like this. I have fair skin and it's one of the best blushes I've ever used. Yes, it can be sheer but it's easily buildable. A slight shimmer, but nothing overwhelming. I've used plenty of other Benefit blushes, but the jury is still out on their square brushes. Interesting, but application with them can be tricky. I often just use a regular blush brush. This is a wonderful, soft, glowy color -- especially for we ladies who are fair. Definitely worth a try!
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Hair Color -Clairol - Nice 'n Easy Perfect 10
drbrn_grl 2/29/2012 2:45:00 PM
Bought this on a whim, mostly because I had never tried it before. I primarily wanted gray coverage, though I don't even have that much gray. And I was dubious that anything could cover gray in 10 minutes. I've left other brands of hair color on for as long as 40 minutes and still didn't get the gray covered. But I thought I'd give it a try. This was better than I thought it would be -- but I don't think I'd re-purchase. There's still a fair amount of gray in my hair. Less noticeable, maybe, because I choose a lighter color than my natural hair, but still there. Also, I found this to be a rather runny formula. Just be aware of that if you give it a try. Found a huge drop of this on my shower curtain after I'd finished.
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Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition
drbrn_grl 2/25/2012 10:24:00 AM
Bought this on a whim -- which I do way too often! My skin has been very dry this winter and despite the fact that I have combo skin, I really felt I needed something super moisturizing. I have to say, I really like this. It's very thick and does seem to plump up my skin a bit immediately on contact. I've had a couple of persistent dry patches on my cheeks, which are now almost gone. In periods when I feel really dry, I'll use it night and day. The good thing is no breakouts. This does not have a sunscreen, which is okay for me, because they usually make me break out. It has rather more fragrance than it needs; it's not horrible, but I know that will be a deal-breaker for some. I'd be very happy if this came in a no-fragrance version.
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Hair Color -L'Oreal - Sublime Mousse
drbrn_grl 1/4/2012 8:16:00 PM
Wow -- people either really love this stuff or really hate it! If you want to cover gray, this is an excellent option. My gray is super hard to color (though I suppose that's true for everyone). But within the 30 minutes, this did a remarkable job. I've left other dyes on my hair for far longer and ended up with much less gray coverage than this provided. The mousse format does take a little getting used to. I have super short hair, so it's easy to get all my hair saturated anyway. But I think this would be a good option if you have longer hair. Seems to saturate much more quickly than regular liquid formulas. (Though it does get a bit drippy as it's processing. Definitely do the vaseline thing around the hair line.) I will say that you need to be careful about the color. I picked 41, Icy Dark Brown. I have naturally dark brown hair and it always wants to pull red when I color it. I figured with "icy" in the color name, this would help tone down the red. Not at all -- in fact, as the color was processing on my head, I could see it turning a rusty brown. It's not any worse than other colors I've used, but be prepared that you might not get cool tones when choosing this color. Would probably buy again, but try a different color.
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Blush -Almay - Smart Shade Blush
drbrn_grl 9/22/2011 12:06:00 PM
Really surprised to see so many negative comments on this product. This was a pure impulse purchase for me -- but I totally lucked out. I bought the Berry shade. This stuff is really highly pigmented. You need just the tiniest amount or you'll overdo it. It blends well -- just start small to build it up. This color is perfect for my skin, which is pretty fair. Staying power is quite good. Will definitely repurchase and I'll probably try other Almay products as well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer
drbrn_grl 9/18/2011 11:04:00 AM
I'm using the Night version -- and this stuff has completely changed my skin. I can't remember when it's been this smooth and even toned. Not seeing much of a difference in wrinkles yet, but I've only been using it a couple of weeks. I think this is my HG night moisturizer. I'd like to try other products in the line.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Boots - Botanics Organic face hydrating day cream
drbrn_grl 3/18/2011 2:23:00 PM
This was an impulse purchase at Target, but I got really lucky. I LOVE this stuff. My skin was looking really, really dry and in just a few days, it looks significantly better. I have been using it day and night, only because I've run out of my regular night cream. It's got a great, clean smell, absorbs easily and feels great. And it's not expensive. I'm moving on to other products in the Boots line because I like this so much!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Clairol - Natural Instincts in Brass Free Medium Brown
drbrn_grl 3/18/2011 2:19:00 PM
My hair always pull red when I color it. Whether I do it or get it done at a salon, even when picking cooler colors, it always goes red to some extent. This is the only product that I have ever used that really does minimize the red -- in fact, for the first couple of days after I color it with this product, the red is completely gone. I get gorgeous, soft, chocolate brown hair. Now, it's demi-permanent so it doesn't last long. And I agree with others that this is not the best at covering gray. I don't have too much, so that doesn't matter much to me. Will definitely re-purchase.
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