Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Bois de Violette
dumpling 10/24/2012 3:04:00 PM
I liked the idea of this being part of the development of FdB , which I loved , this however I only like. It just doesn't have the beautiful complexity of it's 'mother' nor it's depth. I feel like this is a 'lite' variation and quite disappointing for it. It wasn't what I was imagining, a lovely powdery , woodsy violet . Still, nice though it hasn't the tenacity of Shiseido's FdB, good for those who like subtle scents.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Bas de Soie
dumpling 10/24/2012 2:52:00 PM
Oh my, I have finally worked out what this smells like a cross between Vosene shampoo (herbal, anti dandruff!) and my local dry cleaners- and I love it. At first the odd, chemical finished, new garment smell really disturbed me, but it has really grown on me. Curiously, I don't get any floral notes on me this is super synthetic smelling but in a good way. I left a tester trip in a bag with a brand new Liberty scarf and just couldn't stop sniffing it. Sadly, it doesn't last long on my skin. Also reminds me a little of CdG Odeur 53 and Joop , both of which I was rather fond of back in the day. Just not sure I should be splurging £80 or so on something that makes me smell like a freshly cleaned suit.
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Fragrances -Kiehls - Coriander Essence
dumpling 10/23/2012 8:21:00 AM
I really wanted to like this as coriander has such a refreshing aroma. This however smells nothing like the herb, I agree with a previous reviewer, this does smell like vomit! Can't get past that s 'babysick' note so cannot comment on the dry down , though I do detect the coconut/suntan oil element . Shame as I have just wasted £21.50 on this monstrosity. That will teach me to buy fragrance when I am 'hormonal' ......
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Fragrances -Kiehls - Pear Essential Oil
dumpling 10/23/2012 8:13:00 AM
For some strange unexplained reasonI really liked the idea of a Pear rollerball fragrance. When I heard the essences were being discontinued it made me want them even more. So I managed to track some down in my local Kiehls. I applied in store ,gave a deep sniff....and was pretty shocked at how bad it smelt! This stuff is awful and smells like cheap plasticky 'Pear' candles . Thank god, I had the sense to try it first, though what propelled me to buy the Musk and Coriander essences I can't account for . I really cannot believe that this retails at nearly £22! Truly ghastly, however if you are into this but are sad as you cannot find it rest assured you can it at Kiehls in the UK.
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Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Intelligent Nutrients Skin Care
dumpling 6/17/2012 5:25:00 PM
Love the moisturiser from this line , it is so light and liquidy, yet so potent that the 50ml bottle will last months. I also love that if you end up tasting (quite nice) a bit because it gets on your mouth it doesn't make you feel sick, unlike lots of other brands I could mention . The scent is a spicy, cinnamon-nutmeg kind of thing, that I have quite gotten in to. It has left my skin feeling so good, others have noted that it leaves their skin feeling like velvet, which is exactly what it does. In fact I have to stop myself from stroking my face so much ! I also like that it hasn't aggravated my spot prone skin and leaves it feeling beautifully soft and dewy , softens fine lines and brightens my face .
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Sunscreen -California Baby - SPF 30 Sunblock Stick
dumpling 6/17/2012 5:13:00 PM
Surprised about the hate for this product , I've been using it on my kids for years and find it to be great it is a Summer , holiday staple , I always keep one in my bag, so handy and easy to use. In the past few years I've been using on my face and it has performed really well. As for the comments about it being hard to spread and blend I have to disagree, I have pretty tanned skin (mixed race) and I swipe it on after my moisturiser and quickly and then apply make up . It isn't greasy and I have combination , acne prone skin .
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Blush -Tarte - Maracuja Waterproof Cheek and Lip Tint
dumpling 12/5/2011 6:19:00 PM
I think these are possibly the best cheek stains I have ever used. They are way better than Benetint , Philosophy and MAC's stains.I think the reason they have only so-so reviews (QVC & Makeupalley) is down to their incredibly fast setting ability. For me this is not a problem, I use a synthetic foundation brush and put a tiny dab on the end and blend super fast .Once it's on, it's on for the whole day until you remove it. Though they seem rather pricey, they are worth it as one tiny pump's worth will do both your cheeks , so a bottle will take ages to finish. I have all four colours, a pale pink, a hot pink , a subtle peach and a warm red.They all show up on me and I have rather tanned skin , but I do prefer a low key cheek . The product itself is a semi translucent serum like gel that looks very natural on as they are the correct texture and spread well without being splotchy or steaky the way liquid tintscan do . I layer these under Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush for extra impact ,particularly shimmery ones like 'Glisten'. Because of their impressive staying power I heartily recommend these to oily/ combo skins and those who like to wear make up at the beach or in humid climates. I will certainly be taking mine with me on holiday this Christmas.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Burt's Bees - Rose Tinted Lip Balm
dumpling 11/5/2011 8:46:00 PM
I agree about the misleading packaging- you think you are getting a jumbo, chubby balm and instead you get a rather small, chapstick sized tube. However, that said I love this balm as it adds just the most most subtle hint of rosy colour to your lips - it is not a lipstick after all. If you want a more pigmented balm like product then try the Bobbi Brown or Laura Mercier equivalents, of course they are more expensive. I find that even though I have quite pigmented lips naturally, this just makes them look and feel so much better. I like that this very discreet and doesn't look like you are wearing make up , it isn't as gloosy as the Fresh balms and the colours are more muted perfect for days when you want a very low key , not quite made up look .
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Blush -Milani - Baked Blush in Dolce Pink
dumpling 11/5/2011 8:30:00 PM
These baked blushes by Milani are incredible! It took a fair amount of hunting when I was last in NYC to find them - even then the shade selection was poor or they were sold out. Which is testimony to their amazing quality. Firstly , I think the shades are really nice particularly Dolce Pink , Luminoso and Coralina . But the best thing is that they really make you look radiant and fresh faced. I have a newborn baby and two small children and am exhausted yet ,whenever I put this blush on I am frequently told how well I look (does not happen when make up less or when i wear another brand of blush) which is a great result for a $6 dollar buy! This blush is similar in type to MAC's Mineralize & Laura Geller's blushes, yet the Milani ones outperform these more expensive brands as they are longer lasting , seem to apply better ,resulting in a far more natural looking flush. And also have a better colour selection . Dolce Pink (candy-ish looking cool pink with golden shimmer) is my favourite as it makes me look a a more youthful, more healthy version of me,and the shimmer adds dimension and gives my sallow complexion a nice lift, I don't find it to be excessive , I just use a light hand and a good brush and then then the result is less obvious than my Nars(now retired) Orgasm is on my medium tanned complexion. For me Milani and Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blushes are the best products and I don't even bother with Chanel , or other premium brands now as simply do not compare , in fact even if Milani was quadruple the price i would still pay it.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -By Terry - Blush Terrybly no.5 Beach Bomb
dumpling 5/21/2011 3:52:00 PM
This is a very extravagant product and perhaps the most expensive blush I've bought, that said it is my new favourite. Firstly it comes in a very elegant, heavy, round silver ,mirrored compact that contains a little flat brush that works pretty well. The blush itself is a very vibrant , deep pinky-coral with very fine iridescent particles. This goes on sheer but is quite pigmented. I would compare this to a Chanel blush but I have to say it performs so much better as the lasting power is very impressive (Chanel only last for a couple of hours on me) for a powder. But most of all the thing I love the most is the colour , it really 'lifts' my face , the micro particles really illuminate your cheeks. I pair this with Laura Mercier's Hydratint in Crimson for a really fresh Summer face (my inspiration is a 15 yr old Brooke Shields )this works particularly well if you are tanned as my regular pinks are a bit too blue to look right in the warmer seasons. My only (slight) criticism is that the scent is a bit weird - strange plastic-y floral, wish it smelt like Josie Maran's powder blush , they smell wonderful. Despite that, can see me using this forever and will be my staple blush for my paired down vacation make up bag.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Laura Mercier - HydraTint SPF15
dumpling 5/21/2011 3:25:00 PM
Great soft red that is sheer and not too glossy, this is perfect for me as I find most 'tints' don't offer wearable reds for very warm complexions (generally find them too pink/blue toned) but this is just right. layer on to build intensity or blot for a nice youthful reddish stain, awesome when paired with my new coral blush.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Les Senteurs : The Shop
dumpling 7/22/2010 2:58:00 PM
I feel compelled to write a review of this true gem of a store as the place and experience is really remarkable. Let me preface by saying that I have sampled and bought scent from various good stores Aedes, Harrod's, Selfridges, and one of my personal favourites Liberty's, not to mention various Perfumeries in Paris . But the personal service in Les Senteurs (Belgravia, London) is second to none. I visited this store for the first time last week and spent a good two hours sampling many scents with the exceptionally helpful staff. I won't go into the minutae of what I tried and liked (was looking for something really Green) but I left with a generous handful of samples (they don't encourage people to buy until you have gone away and sampled the stuff in your own time - unlike many department store counters and boutiques who practically start ringing up a sale before you've bent your head to sniff the test strips) . Not only that they keep all your details and preferences on a data base . And today when I got home I found a package from them with scent vials that they thought I might like based on my previous visit . How lovely and thoughtful is that ? So if you happen to live or visit London (or even even email or phone them, or just peruse their website) I strongly urge you to visit this fabulous emporium not only is the range formidable the staff are so passionate and really want you to find that perfect scent that I cannot imagine going elsewhere to buy fragrance.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Womanity
dumpling 7/19/2010 7:35:00 AM
What I would like to add that this scent is really, rather moreish , I spritzed a little on my wrist just to make the SA happy , and found myself continously sniffing both my wrist and the scent tester. I think this is a great new fragrance, the fig (not overly sweet like Dyptique) is nicely balanced by the caviar to create a lovely warm,soft, salty,sweet butterscotch blend. I like the caramel in Miss Dior Cherie EdP but find the full on fruitiness of strawberries etc., to be too much but Womanity is to my mind more masterfully blended- no harsh or discordant notes here from top to bottom. I think I will buy this rather odd rock/Goth bottle and that is saying something as I only want green scents at the moment.Edit: Even though I do like this scent I have a feeling this will be very successful and though I am not snobbish about scents I don't to wear something so instantly recognisable and popular. Finally, It is not a fragrance that I can identify myself with but I would enjoy getting a whiff of this on some foxy, young minx!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Frederic Malle - Geranium pour Monsieur
dumpling 7/19/2010 7:00:00 AM
Yes, initially this does smell like a rather disturbing mint concoction that you would find in a dentist (perhaps that weird pink stuff you swill your mouth out with?), and that is why initially I found the mint really harsh and vaguely anxiety inducing.But after the top notes softened it mellowed to a vetiver-ish dry, warm and very clean non animalic,non vanillic musk . It is so crisp and fresh .In truth I get no geranium from this as I find that note too heady and pungent , though oddly I like it in handwashe & showergels/bath essences . The drydown really is worth peservering with as it becomes beautiful and mellow and the mint recedes nicely , though i must say I am crazy about mint notes and find it is never prominent enough for my tastes.
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Fragrances -Comme des Garcons - Series 5 Peppermint
dumpling 7/5/2010 12:13:00 PM
Loving this minty edt at the moment- it is extremely refreshing and bracing (especially straight from the fridge) but it being only an edt it fades super fast . And it comes in a very small bottle so you could get through this really fast and pay a fortune to boot. I think the constant comparison to Herba Fresca are unfair, they are very different . Intially HF has a lovely dominant minty freshness that evolves in to an overly sweet, lemony tea ( sadly the mint totally disappears), which I'm not so fond of. The series 5 Peppermint is perhaps not so complex, in fact it is pretty linear but at least it doesn't do a weird turn around.I love the strong, greeness of this but I reallywish it had a bit more intensity. I generally wear this with my Lavanilla deodorant and the pairing is delightfully crisp. So whenever I get a whiff of my self I feel as though I have just been rolling in dew at dawn! Edit: this stuff works fabulously with my green and citrus scents and gives such a lovely kick and makes a great refreshing jolt for summer.
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