Polishes -Lancome - Le Magnetique Vernis Star Design – Bordeaux Esmee
ebwolk 7/21/2007 9:28:00 PM
The new fall line Lancome nail polish is sooooo awesome!
It’s called Lancome Le Magnetique Vernis Star Design – Bordeaux Esmee. It is a Bordeaux wine colored nail polish with iron particles that have a different polarity than the magnet on the outside of the bottle. I know what you all are thinking. "What the heck are you talking about Dr. Science?" The iron particles in the nail polish, when held up to this special magnet, create a starburst design in the nail polish!!
So anyway, the trick is this:
Paint your nails w/ one coat of the polish.
Let them dry long enough to do both hands.
Then paint a second coat, stopping after each nail to hold it up against the magnet on the back of the bottle.
You only have to hold your nail there for 5 seconds and all of a sudden the starburst design appears.
I have fairly long nails right now so the design looks a little off. If they were 1/2 the size I think the starburst design would cover my entire nail and it would look even cooler!
The polish wears as well as all Lancome Polishes. Nice color, little to no chipping and an overall good nail polish...just way too expensive and only one color chice, so you are sort of limited.
The nail polish is expensive. $17 USD for a measly 5.5 ml but I plan to use this only on special occasions...or until I win the lottery and can afford to buy more (whichever comes first)
Here is a picture of the final result in Natural Light:
Pic of how to use the bottle to get the star design
24 out of 24 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -TheBalm - Time Balm
ebwolk 6/7/2007 12:47:00 PM
I had one of these concealers and I used it for quite a while. A little goes a long way and it lasts forever. It's a little dry for under eye coverage but overall this is a very good concealer as it is easy to blend. The only thing I didn't like was that it was in a pot and I prefer a squeeze tube...just for hygiene sake. I always feel like the pot will harbor all sorts of bacteria. I didn't have any breakouts from the concealer so it probably wasn't even an issue. I won't buy again just because of the packaging, but if you like concealers in this sort of packaging I would def recommend it!
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Treatments (Eye) -Sisley - Botanical Eye and Lip Contour Balm
ebwolk 5/25/2007 8:36:00 AM
OK. I really do like this product despite the poor reviews here. The trick: Make sure it is fresh, don't use it after 6-8 months, use it sparringly and wait for it to set before you put on makeup. You will avoid the following: Poor preformance, lack of de-puffing (is that a word?), stickyness (is that a word?) and general dislike for the product. Always, always use a clean spatula to take this gel like "balm" out of the glass jar or else you run the risk of contaminating it. I have had excellent results with this product. My eye area feels firmer, my lips are smoother and I look more rested after using this product. I use it in the AM and PM and will be buying my 3rd jar (at the low costco.com price of $55) soon. I have taken one lippie off for the price (the real price is over $100) and for the glass jar. I wish it came in a pump or something. It's not for everyone. If you are looking to get rid of more than fine lines then this is not the eye gel for you. I use a powerful AHA at night so I don't have the lines (yet!) so for now this is my HG eye gel for depuffing.
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Treatments -Dr. Brandt - Pores No More
ebwolk 5/8/2007 6:14:00 PM
EDIT: I have started to mix two pumps of this product with a small amount of my liquid foundation and WOW what an amazing result! It makes my skin look flawless. I have changed my mind about this product. I am planning on purchasing it again. Despite the high price tag, it does last forever and now that I combine it with MU my pores are mostly camouflaged. My old review said that I wished that I had my clarins back....but now I don't miss it one bit. I will be buying Dr. Brandt PNM again! The product still does not reduce my pore size. Nothing can really do that...but combined with my foundation it really makes a difference. But if you really don't want to mix it with foundation the Clarins primer may be better for you. Old Review: This is a very good primer, don't get me wrong but it did nothing to hide my pores. I have oily, acne prone skin w/ large pores. This product keeps the oilies at bay for up to 8 hours. but does not mask the size of my pores not after repeated use does it diminish the size of them either. I do like the hygienic method of application. (Pump) but I don't know how much product is left. It does seem to last forever. I have had this one tube for almost 4 months and it does not look like it is running out any time soon. It's an orangy gel like paste that I use sparingly on my nose and t-zone. Sparingly is the key here. too much and it can make your MU look cakey. (The orange color does not transfer on to skin) This has not caused me to break out either. (Unlike PTR mattifying gel or Philosophy The Present) I switched my primer to Dr. Brandt Pores No More for a few months and I really find myself wishing that the stuff would run out so I could get some more Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting touch. That seems to be the best primer for me, but only because of the Clarins ability to mask my large pores.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Alpha Hydrox - AHA Souffle 12 percent Glycolic AHA
ebwolk 4/2/2007 8:58:00 AM
A Holy Grail product for me. My skin, oily, acne prone, acne scarred and over 30, is remarkably better having used this product. I only need a small amount, follow it with a mild moisturizer, and when I wake up in the morning my skin is so smooth I cant stop touching it. The price is the best (inexpensive) and the results on my minor wrinkles and acne scars are great. The scars are fading and my wrinkles are not as noticeable. I will be buying this agin!
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Mascara -Dejavu (Imju) - Fiberwig Lash Knockout
ebwolk 2/16/2007 11:31:00 AM
Ugh. I was so disappointed w/ this mascara. The claims are all false. Not thicker lashes, Not Longer lashes. Not Nothin' Worst of all. I couldn’t get the darn stuff off of my eyes..using Almay MU remover (Oil Based), Using hot soapy water, Using Cold Cream, none of it worked. I had to scrub scrub scrub. I lost a few lashes just getting this stuff off my eyes at night. It was awful. The price being $22 I could have bought Dior Show for a $1.50 more and been overly pleased or I could have spent less on YSL Faux Cils and been overly pleased. Do not Buy this product. It is a rip off (in more ways than one...once you count the lashes I lost trying to remove it.)
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Highlighters -Revlon - Skinlights Face Illuminator Lotion [DISCONTINUED]
ebwolk 1/15/2007 2:52:00 PM
I loved the look of this product once it was on. Applied to temples, cheekbones, etc. but I broke out when I used this product It was awful. Had to throw mine out. If you don't have acne prone skin this is a great highlighter and way cheaper than benefit Highbeam.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Nails -Avon - Instant Manicure
ebwolk 11/29/2006 3:00:00 PM
Yuck. This was an awful product. Why oh why do I keep purchasing things from AVON? This instant manicure was more like an instant disaster. They were tricky to get on and I guess I have unusually wide fingernails and the polish didn't meet the sides of my nails on 3 of 5 fingers. The polish peeled off quickly if I got it on one of my cuticles and smoothing the edges was easy until I got to my less dominant hand. When taking a shower the polish on 2 nails started to peel off entirely. The whole thing lasted about 5 hours looking sort-of good. The price for this thing costs as much as regular nail enamel and I can get tons of use out of that but this product is a one time only deal. The color selection is very limited and if one of the nails chips...or peels off I have no way to repair it so I have to take off all of the color and use regular nail polish to get an even look. Not worth the money. Not worth the aggravation. I will not but again.
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Moisturizers -Mario Badescu - AHA and Ceramide Moisturizer
ebwolk 10/17/2006 4:16:00 PM
I LOVE this product. I'm one of those people that found Z. Bigatti products @ TJ Maxx and bought all the face lotion I could get my hands on because I am in no way going to spend $150 for face lotion. Anyway... When the Z. Bigatti stuff finally ran out and I didn't have the money to buy new stuff ...even on e-bay… I turned to this sample of MB AHA & Ceramide moisturizer. It worked really well! I have very acne prone skin. (Cystic on chin & jaw line mostly) I was worried that after clearing up my skin using the Z. Bigatti I would have acne once again using something different. No Worries! This MB Moisturizer worked like a charm and for 1/5th the price too! No clogged pores, not greasy, a little goes a long way, fragrance free. It’s awesome! I will never have to scour TJ Maxx again, because I can call up MB and not only get a refill (whenever that may need to happen, because the stuff lasts a long time), but get some super great free samples while I'm at it. Love the company and LOVE this moisturizer!
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Self Tanners -Au Courant - Tan Mantaining Lotion
ebwolk 7/20/2006 1:20:00 PM
I agree with both reviewers. It's a good self-tan / moisture lotion. It works waaaay better than Jergens, Neutrogena, etc. But the smell is not so great. Sorry but I just don't like it. It's not offensive or anything like that, I guess I prefer a more perfume-y scent to my body lotions. I have been using this lotion in the summer months only and my skin is never dry then, so I can't speak to the moisturizing qualities.. I put down that I would purchase again, and that was because I ordered through the Au Courant website. Not only did they send me the lotion I ordered...quickly, they also sent me a free sample self tanning spray (which lasted a long time) and a free sponge applicator. Customer service! Love it.
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Styling Products -Sebastian - Laminates Gel
ebwolk 6/4/2006 5:53:00 PM
I have used this gel for a while. Maybe b/c a little goes a long way, maybe b/c it does not weigh my fine hair down, maybe b/c the little gold sparkles I like to see in the gel don't show up on my hair or fall from my bangs into my contacts, I dunno. All I know is that my hair is frizz free, even if I air dry. Holds incredibly! and works, works, works! Minus one lippie b/c it's a bit expensive.
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Styling Products -Aussie - Instant Freeze spray
ebwolk 6/4/2006 5:43:00 PM
2 lippies only because it does hold up through humidity. BUT. This stuff dried out my hair so much. After 2 weeks of use my hair was straw, had no shine and was frizzy. After a few deep conditioning treatments and a trim it's almost back to normal. I willl never use this stuff again. Serves me right for borrowing from my Hubbie who has almost no hair. Why did he have hairspray anyway?
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -Fake Bake - Self-Tanning Lotion
ebwolk 5/29/2006 12:38:00 PM
Aruggh! I thought, after reading some of the reviews I would love this ST. But alas, no. I am a PPP. I have tried almost every self tanner out there. (except fro the ones that I read on MUA that people said were awful.) The chocolate pudding like texture & color of the cream was reminiscent of the St. Tropez self tanner disaster of 2001, but I bravely, and ultimately blindly, moved forward. Aside from the fact that this was IMPOSSIBLE to blend with gloves, and forget about using it on your bare hands, (stain city) it turned me a brownish-green. Like I was covered in a big bruise. I followed all the rules. I exfoliated; lightly glazed my hands & feet, I made sure I was careful with the application, waited and waited for it to dry before going to sleep. I even suffered the jokes by my hubbie that I looked like I had rolled in mud. I got my sheets all dirty with this stuff...and in the morning when I went to rinse off.... Most of the "tan" rinsed off with me. What remained was splotchy, a terrible color and just awful. Stay away from this overpriced junk. P.S. Hubbie apologized for the jokes when he saw how disappointed I looked and even went with me to Sephora to return the stuff. I'm keeping him but ditching the fake bake.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Peter Thomas Roth - Max Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel
ebwolk 3/15/2006 10:44:00 AM
Worst Product in my makeup box! My skin. Mid 30's, Oily, Acne prone, pale/fair complexion, burns easy, turns red easy. I thought, yes. This is It. PTR products are generally good. This will work. Normally I use Smashbox Anti-Shine-$26 and Photo Finish Foundation Primer-$36 together. I thought. Why not save some money and use one product $35. OK. I get the squeeze bottle of an off-while/gray gel like substance. It comes out opaque and I slick it on where I need it. T-zone. It's a bit thicker than I am used to but I go on. My makeup didn't glide on as well as it did with Smashbox, My skin was oily after 2 hours - unlike smashbox, which lasts at least 4-5 hours and after 3 weeks of use I had the WORST cystic Acne I have ever had. Worse than after using Philosophy The Present! I stopped using it right away and went back to my old stuff. I figure $62 is better to spend than $35 for stuff that does not even work as well and then get acne which I have to buy products to combat that, ~$100 worth of stuff. It was a very very expensive lesson. I hope to NEVER repeat. What a waste! ::EDIT:: I have not switched to Dr. Brandt Pores no more. No cystic acne! my new HG product! ::EDIT::
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Scrubs -Bliss Labs - Pore Perfecting Facial Polish
ebwolk 3/15/2006 10:15:00 AM
My skin. Mid 30's, Oily, Acne prone, pale/fair complexion, burns easy, turns red easy. I liked this cleanser a lot. I used it every night for a month and found that I still had plenty left after a month of use. The product is exactly like the quiet type exfoliator that bliss used to sell a few years ago. It's interesting to see the reviews for that, vs the reviews for this product. The only difference I see between the 2 products is that PPFP has a citrus-y scent. Which is an improvement. Regular exfoliators leave micro abrasions on your skin where bacteria can settle, which then forms acne. This PPFP does not do this because the tiny granules are all rounded and consistent thus, unless you really scrub hard, it will not irritate your face. I use a dime size amount on a clean and slightly damp face. It works great. The only reason I give it a 4 is because the price is a bit high. ($28) BUT I will buy again because when I went a few days w/o using it and my skin was noticeably less than glowing.
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