Moisturizers -Garnier - Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream
emhenzz 12/29/2012 11:11:00 PM
Just about finished with my first jar of this product, and I will definitely be purchasing again! Perfect for summertime, and wears great under makeup. A little light for winter dryness, though. I'll look forward to using this again in May!
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Panoxyl 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Bar
emhenzz 11/10/2011 5:12:00 PM
I've been using this for years. Tried switching to a "natural" alternative a few months ago and it was a terrible idea. Now I'm back on this bar of soap and my face has repaired itself after just a week! I'll never stray again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -LUSH - Ocean Salt
emhenzz 11/5/2011 1:14:00 PM
I'm honestly surprised that LUSH hasn't tried to market this as an acne-fighting product, since it seems to work as a dual toner/exfoliant. I wouldn't dare use it every day, but using it once a week does seem to improve the texture of my skin and knock out stubborn breakouts. After I take off any makeup I just rub about a teaspoon of this stuff on my face very, very gently for about a minute, then let it hang out on my face for a few minutes. It does burn a little. After 3-4 minutes I rinse, wash my face with a gentle cleanser (this is necessary if you have acne-prone skin, as the oils in OS will clog pores), and slather on an oil free, non-comedogenic moisturizer. A half hour or so later (once the moisturizer settles in) breakouts already look smaller easier to conceal. Loses a lippie for the price and their use of the worst oils for acne-prone customers. I'd love to let my face relax after dousing my face in salt, but LUSH's obsessive use of coconut butter means I have to wash my face in order for this product to be effective. (Small complaint from a niche market, but why not use jojoba oil instead? Work with me here, LUSH!) Most of the active ingredients are dirt cheap at the grocery story, so I might try making my own at home.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -LUSH - Fresh Farmacy
emhenzz 11/5/2011 11:44:00 AM
I gave FF a six-week trial period, using it in the morning and before bed and following it up with a salycilic acid toner, BP spot treatment and non-comodogenic moisturizer. FF made my skin lovely and soft...for a week. Then I started getting small but stubborn and bright red breakouts that really stood out from my otherwise very pale skin. These breakouts were in places I don't usually break out (forehead, cheeks) and stuck around longer than most cystic acne, even though they seemed to be run-of-the-mill irritated pores. They were almost impossible to cover with makeup, and I actually wound up wearing more concealer/foundation than I did before using FF. I love other products that LUSH makes (Alkmaar, Godiva, Ocean Salt, Dream Cream, Jungle) and I love that they're eco-friendly, but this product just isn't worth it for me.
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Shampoo -LUSH - Godiva Solid 2 in 1
emhenzz 10/15/2011 1:21:00 PM
Switched to Godiva from Biolage about a month ago in order to green up my shower regimen. So far I can't complain, which surprised me since I've been using a salon brand shampoo for so long. All I wanted out of the product was for it to effectively wash my hair without overdrying. Check and check. I still use conditioner, but that's not a disappointment for me since my hair's pretty dry and 2-in-1 products have never eliminated that need. Overall I'm totally satisfied with Godiva's performance. I knocked it one lippy because while the jasmine scent is lovely it's also very strong. Wish it were a little more delicate in that department, like Lush's Alkmaar soap, which smells heavenly!
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - bare Minerals Foundation #2/#3 & Mineral Veil
emhenzz 10/14/2011 3:27:00 PM
Okay light diffuser in the winter, but if there's any humidity in the air this stuff just cakes and looks like sweaty greasy mess. It was included in my Bare Minerals starter kit, otherwise I probably wouldn't have bought it in the first place. As is, I will definitely not be repurchasing.
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Mascara -Lancome - Definicils Mascara
emhenzz 10/14/2011 3:16:00 PM
Best mascara I've ever used. I wear mascara every day but wear very little makeup otherwise, so for me this is worth the cost. If you want a go-to product that's appropriate for day wear, can be built upon for evening, and washes off easily (no raccoon eyes in the morning or black streaks on my pillow) then go ahead and spring for this. One tube will last you the better part of a year if you're careful with it!
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Toners -Unlisted Brand - Sea Breeze Astringent-Original Formula
emhenzz 10/14/2011 2:51:00 PM
It's great if you want to get the gunk out of your pores; I like to use it after I've washed my face just to make sure there's no traces of makeup leftover. Don't be stingy with it though! Make sure to soak the cotton ball all the way through if you're serious about using it as a cleaner/toner.
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Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Alkmaar Soap
emhenzz 10/5/2011 12:02:00 PM
What I imagine Coco Chanel or Princess Grace using. LOVE the soft floral smell; it's super light and delicate. The jasmine is very subtle and not at all overpowering, so it still smells clean and fresh. The lather is creamy and luxurious feeling (as it should be, given the price) and rinses clean. No filmy soap residue, which was a big concern for me going into this. Leaves my skin feeling so soft, but we'll see how it holds up over the winter. Expensive, but I'll probably be repurchasing, especially given the environmentally responsible packaging and ingredients!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Dream Cream
emhenzz 10/2/2011 11:29:00 PM
My skin's dry and sensitive, but this product makes it feel gorgeous. It's lovely and cooling when you put it on, so it feels like a mini spa treatment every night. The smell is definitely for mature noses, not something you'd like if you want to smell like a candy shop, but I love it. Smells like a bouquet of dried flowers from the south of France! It does have an expiration date, but it's actually worked out for me so far. Usually I get an expensive lotion and then feel like I can only use it on special occasions, so it sits on my shelf unused for years. The expiration date kind of works in my favor since it ensures that I use it. All in all, I'm enjoying using this product so much that I'm willing to cough up the cash for more Lush products in the future.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Palmers - Cocoa Butter Stick
emhenzz 9/24/2011 3:15:00 PM
Love, love, love this product! It's my HG lip balm; the only moisturizer that protects against New England winters. I keep a stick in every coat pocket and handbag. A little more expensive than your stadard chapstick, but absolutely worth the price!
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Retin A Micro
emhenzz 8/31/2011 12:44:00 PM
Awful, awful product in my experience. I had mild/moderate acne when I started treatment, and the longer I continued using it the more breakouts I experienced--not just small under-the-skin pimples, but painful cystic acne, which I had only experienced on very, very rare occasion previously. My skin flaked so badly and deeply that no amount of moisturizer could help and I couldn't use make-up to cover the damage. My skin also never adjusted to the chemicals in Retin-A Micro, and the product gave me chemical burns the entire time I used it. This was with the mildest formula available. I tried to stick with it, since your skin's supposed to get worse before it improves on this product, but after a year my dermatologist gave up on it. As soon as I took this product out of my skincare regime my skin started to repair itself, and now that I've been off of it for a year my acne is back to where it was before: annoying and persistent, but definitely mild. I'll never come within ten feet of this stuff again.
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