Treatments (Eye) -Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex 
eyejayare 2/2/2013 8:10:00 AM
I got this in a pack of the Estee Lauder Advanced products. I love the day moisturiser to bits (the texture and smell are like nothing else) and the glowy under foundation stuff is nice. This stuff is great. I'm only 20 and have been using this for about 4 months and the big circles under my eyes are gone, dark bits are gone and the whole area is looking pretty good. I would say this is not really a serum, it's really a concentrated moisture oil if anything and at the end of the day is just applying moisture to an area. I think this is super pricey for what it is and the packaging could be more user friendly but I like that it's in a pot. The EL counter at the up market department store near me is a bit weird and they won't give out samples but I think it's worth buying outright just for the intense moisture. I was overseas and used it when I got back and could tell the difference between using it every night and using it on my parched skin after a month. Worth a try (even if it's just goo, it does the job).
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Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lucas' Papaw Ointment
eyejayare 2/2/2013 8:00:00 AM
I'm Australian and have used this since high school - it's a great product. My friends used to use it on brows and lashed to encourage growth and also on lips, elbows and cuticles. I really like it. I know it has petroleum jelly in it but eh. You can buy another brand that it all natural and free from nasties like PJ but this product hasn't caused me any problems in the (probably) ten years I've been using it. It's great to take traveling and awesome to put on scars. The price is great - I can get a tube for about $2 or a tub for about $10 and the packaging is kind of retro and modest. If you are up in arms about some vaseline in an unassuming stand by product then ok, but there are far worse things in shampoos, hand soaps, moisturisers and cleansers than some plain old PJ! My grandma used to cleanse with vaseline and her skin was ace so... high horse ready to dismount!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -La Roche Posay - Effaclar Duo
eyejayare 2/2/2013 7:51:00 AM
Oh man. After weeks of hearing about how great this was from friends and beauty bloggers I bought this at home in Sydney before I went to Paris over Christmas. I used it before I left and put up with a burning sensation which I thought was how the product maybe worked. I bought another tube in Paris and used it once I got home and after two weeks I have discovered this product is seriously bad for my skin. I have oily/combo skin that isn't particularly sensitive. In my teens I used whatever cleanser came my way and then Dermalogica (until they changed the formula and my reaction was exactly the same as it was to this!). I've been using Clinique beauty bars for years also and began to question whether these were making me break out randomly. I didn't use the product as a moisturiser; I applied it to relevant areas. I now have a pretty big burn mark on my cheek that absolutely nothing is settling down and around my mouth is terribly dry. I made sure I purchased the French formula - can't imagine what the other one is like! I'll hold on to the tube just in case I decide the 'bright red clawed by a merecat' look comes in but would be seriously cautious before using. None of my friends have had reactions and they all have seriously sensitive skin unlike me.
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Cleansers -Caudalie - Instant Foaming Cleanser
eyejayare 2/1/2013 8:11:00 PM
This is pretty great. For a natural cleanser it's just amazing. I don't wear make up on a daily basis and don't know how it would perform taking off foundation and eye make up, but it cleanses my face beautifully. I prefer to use this in the morning to wake me up. The formula is watery and is foamed by the squirter. Apply it to damp cheeks and face and massage. I think massaging this cleanser into your face is key. It doesn't strip natural oils and works really nicely. My skin tone is great after I use it. It's super gentle and I used it to get off some mascara the other night with no drama at all (however I wouldn't use it for that purpose, bit of a waste of product). The price is reasonable - I'm happy to pay $22 AUD on feelunique or whatever for a natural cleanser free of nasties. The packaging is simple. I bought the 50ml to try in Paris last year and it was so nice on my skin in the harsh European winter. I think I paid 5 Euro for that one. The larger size (I think it's 150ml) is about $22 which is pretty good value. The packaging is nice and there's no paper box or extra plastic covering to contribute to waste. I'd buy this again and again to have as a daily cleanser, it's so gentle and smells great. Hoping it works well when I use Emma Hardie balm cleanser at night with it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre Lipstick in Plumful
eyejayare 2/1/2013 7:35:00 PM
Love this lipstick. I saw EssieButton had it and gave it a rave review and I was starting a new job and bought this as a treat. The colour is a really lovely mauvey plum - the pay off is pretty good but because it's a lustre it builds up quite well from almost sheer to quite opaque. Everyone compliments me when I wear it. It really does suit all skin tones. Price is fine - MAC lipsticks are so moisturising and smell great so I'm happy to pay $36 AUD for a decent lipstick. It outperforms other brands I have and doesn't compare to Tom Ford, Illamasqua or even Chanel as far as bang for buck. I think MAC packaging is reasonable for the price but inevitably the silver writing rubs off everything after a few days in my bag. Totally worth a try if you don't want anything too dramatic or don't usually wear lipstick. Great colour and works day, night, work, casual - anywhere!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Clinique - Happy
eyejayare 2/1/2013 7:27:00 PM
I love this fragrance! I use it when my sister isn't home (I haven't got my own bottle and borrow hers) and think it's a really lovely young, sweet (not sickly) floral scent. I think if you like Be Delicious, Daisy by MJ and Hugo Boss Orange you will probably like this. It's really close to Daisy in that it's quite fresh and understated, nothing like say a Jo Malone pomegrantie noir. The packaging is nice and simple, nothing too gimmicky. The price is quite a lot for what it is, but Clinique are a bit weird with pricing I think (beauty bars are dirt cheap and last ages but Chubby Sticks are way overpriced I think).
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Lotions/ Creams -Philosophy - Pure Grace Perfumed Body Lotion
eyejayare 2/1/2013 7:23:00 PM
Concerning this actual product (ie the lotion) - it's pleasant but for the price, not anything special. I really hate the scent of this line of products. A family friend has sent me packages for birthdays for the past five years with Pure Grace perfume, body lotion and other products and I find the scent gets right up my nose and irritates me a fair bit. The smell is really odd - It's a nice enough smell but just incredibly strong (compared to my Jo Malone body creams it's really long lasting scent). The smell is too powerful for me (which never happens) and I find it to be a bit like the heavy smell of Chloe perfume - really weighty. The smell is super gross (and smells really cheap and nasty after a while). The cream is really nice though - I use it on my elbows and knees and sometimes when I shave my legs just to get rid of it and the moisture does last for ages. Shame about the smell - would buy again if reformulated though.
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Lips -Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain- Smitten
eyejayare 2/1/2013 5:38:00 AM
Great colour (probably the best of the range) and really nice application. Packaging basically just a rip off of Clinique chubby sticks but still quite cute nonetheless. Colour builds up really well upon application to lips and stays on for about three hours max. for me. As good as the colour is and balmy application upon initial use for the day, I find that the consistency of the balm stain (even when I put on clear balm over the top) goes quite cakey and flakey after a while, clinging to the inside of my lips and making my otherwise moisturised lips a bit too dry. I always apply balm underneath aswell (usually something like Nuxe RDM) and the problem is the same regardless. The only way to stop it is to make sure the balm stain is hydrated (by applying plain lip balm at regular intervals) and the colour remains saturated (by putting on more balm stain). Generally very nice though - they have a lovely minty smell and are really hydrating for ages after initial application. Colour pay off great and price good for what they are (Revlon is always on sale at Target so these were reduced to $10 AUD and lip butters were super cheap!).
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Lip Treatments -Kiehls - Lip Balm #1
eyejayare 2/1/2013 2:47:00 AM
I was obsessed with this for ages - I had both the tube version and the tub going for a while and repurchased often. The packaging changed after I bought it one Christmas for a gift and went a bit cheap. It is a nice product but for the price (I think it' $12 in Australia) you can get a more nourishing formula. You're probably better off with a solely lanolin based lip treatment or something like Blistex intensive lip treatment - or better yet, Nuxe rev de miel! Would buy again but it should be known, a whole world of lip treatments are out there with more to offer in formula, packaging, bang for buck and overall appeal.
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Skincare - Face -Clinique - 3 Step System
eyejayare 2/1/2013 2:39:00 AM
I've used the three step system since I was about eleven (ten years now) and keep coming back to it. I think the bar soaps are much nicer than the pump packs (I tried the pump pack for the first time recently and thought the formula was inconsistent, gel-like at the start and watery when I got to the bottom). The pump pack and soap contain quite different ingredients and smell different (the pump pack gets right up your nose - a bit too chemical for me) - the soap is much gentler and doesn't contain as harsh ingredients (SLS for example is no contained in the bar). The toner is strong and it really is necessary to moisturize after using steps one and two because otherwise skin can appear dry flaky if not tended to correctly. I usually buy each step separately because the size of each product is inconsistent with how I use the system. The Soap: the soap is a really great formula. The packaging is a bit incongruous though - I have a really old soap tray from Clinique and it was much better quality. The soaps are pretty cheap to buy (in Australia you can get one large bar for $20 or three travel (half) for about $25). The bar soap is effective in cleaning the skin without stripping off necessary oils and works a treat. For price and effectiveness this is a great go-to product that I always fall back on when my skin needs some attention. The Toner: the toner is pretty bloody strong in the oily skin series. My sister was using a milder formula and the toner was much gentler when I tried it. The toner is great but can leave me very very dry. I only use it occasionally and use something more soothing (Elemis lavender toner is great) unless my skin needs serious help. You're probably best to only apply the toner to problem areas and use witch hazel or an alcohol free toner instead on a daily basis. Overall though the toner is a good product in moderation. The Moisturizer: I use the gel formula - I got conned into buying the big, bulky version which will take me years to finish. Fine in the summer months and for a light day moisturiser. At night even I need something stronger. I usually put some Embreyolisse lait creme concentrate on the apples of my cheeks as they get very dry at night.
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