Moisturizers -Sebamed - Moisturizing Cream
fiunit 1/6/2010 11:16:00 PM
Have been using this for about 2 weeks now, and so far, so good! It can be applied thinly (i.e. rub it between my hands and smear it on my face that way) or pack it on, depending on what my skin needs at that time. It is really nice and soothing, seems to be quite calming too, which is good as I have been playing around with different cleansers and some are no good. I actually expected it to be heavy and greasy, and cause my skin to break out, but nope! Success! The jar is a little unhygenic but meh. It doesn't smell too fab but I like that it contains Vitamin E. Other reviewers mentioned that it makes you shiny - I don;t find that an issue at all, although I do prefer a dewy look, but the shine does die down a bit after a few minutes. This is a fantastic moisturiser if you're looking for something that will hydrate (possible not the best for oily skin though, as it could be too heavy), doesn't cost the earth, and doesn't irritate sensitive skin. I'm very happy with it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Paul Mitchell - Super Skinny Serum
fiunit 12/15/2009 4:26:00 PM
I've had this serum for around a month and it is coming very close to HG status! It cuts a few minutes of drying time off my hair, makes it feel very soft and smooth, and smells fantastic! I was hesitant about using it alone as a heat protectant but it does in fact seem to work just as well as my Kerastase Thermiques - which is a huge comparison to make because I am such a fan of those products. The underneath of my hair is quite fluffy and this serum does a great job of taming and smoothing the fuzz without weighing it down. It was pretty expensive (NZ$40+) but I think it is so worth it for the amount of product you get. It works pretty well in dry hair and makes my hair look and feel really nice whether I blowdry or let it air dry. I love this! Can't recommend it highly enough!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -MAC - Fix+
fiunit 11/19/2009 11:23:00 PM
I think this stuff is crap... Sure, it made my foundation last a wee bit longer. But it also made my skin look like plastic, and turned the foundation orange- even more so if I had bronzer on. I also think it smells funky. I bought this because I was told it'd make my foundation stay in place longer; but it has nothing on an actual primer. I was made to buy it by a pushy SA and I wouldn't repurchase cause I think it's rubbish.
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Shampoo -Joico - Joico Color Endure Violet Shampoo
fiunit 11/19/2009 10:42:00 PM
This is my HG toning shampoo. My hair is a very light blonde, and has been this colour for about two years now. I have tried two other toning shampoos, L'Oreal Shine Blonde and Schwartzkopf Bona Cure, and neither of them have done as good a job as Joico to tone my hair. I like the smell of Joico too. I'm on my 5th bottle or something... It's the best out there IMO. I find that if my hair is looking particularly brassy or I want it to be extra white, if I dampen my hair slightly and then apply the shampoo (it takes a lot of shampoo to do this!) and leave it for a good 10 mins, it goes super white! I've never found that it tinted my hair purple, just nicely controlled the brassiness. Love it!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Heart Throb
fiunit 11/8/2009 10:30:00 PM
I bought this nail polish aaaages ago but didn't use it until last week! It's a very sweet, girly pink. I used 3 coats to get it mostly opaque... I can still see the whites of my nails through it, only just though. It's very subtle so appropriate for work. I'd buy it again if I were really into pink nails. Up to the usual OPI standard, first coat went on a bit streaky but evened out when it dried and even more so with another coat. Lovely colour, just not a HG for me.
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Lip Gloss -Stila - Apricot Lip Glaze
fiunit 11/8/2009 10:12:00 PM
I love the colour of this gloss! I'm very fair (cool-toned) but my lips have quite a bit of natural colour. This gloss somehow manages to make my lips seem a bit lighter, instead of the usual pinky-red they look a light pinkish-peach colour. It's super shiny too, which I love. Some reviewers said they didn't find it to be very long lasting but I find that it lasts quite a while. It is quite thick but not as sticky as other glosses I've tried. I like to absolutely plaster it on for super shiny pink lips. No shimmer, because I hate shimmer, and a light pink that doesn't look trashy, just sweet and simple. Smells nice too. I've said I'd purchase it again, I probably would if I felt my money burning a hole in my pocket but here in NZ it is very expensive and the twist/click pen means, in my opinion, that you don't get as much product as you would if it were just in a tube. Also the pen is quite big, not really something you can just shove in your pocket. I really really like it though!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Kerastase - Nectar Thermique
fiunit 8/30/2009 10:25:00 PM
Like many other reviewers of this product, I am a Kerastase fiend and have tried both Ciment and Nectar. I had been using Ciment for a good 2 years by the time Nectar came out; it was by far the best heat protectant I had used, plus had done a lot to improve the overall condition of my hair. I'm currently using Nectar (which smells lovely!) and I really like it. It makes my hair nice and soft. Too much product and my hair feels a bit waxy, with too much "slip" but for the most part its very good. It's protecting my hair from the heat plus replacing some of the moisture lost by chlorine/bleach/heat styling. I think this, as a heat activated treatment, has probably done a better job of moisturising than most conditioners. So because of that this is now my heat protectant/moisturising product and I'm making up the lost proteins of Ciment with Anti-Usure conditioner. All in all a very good product, I recommend it highly!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Do You Lilac It?
fiunit 7/25/2009 8:18:00 AM
Current favourite nail polish. Its turning into a statement thing for me... Because I love having it on my nails so much. I'm a no-fuss kind of girl when it comes to makeup et al (except when I'm going out of course) but I keep finding, or making, the time to paint my nails with this colour. Its a lovely lilac shade, not too pink, grey, or blue. No sparkle or shimmer- I don't like them on my nails usually. Two coats for nice opaqueness and usually a very good finish. Usually doesn't even require a top coat. I had this on my nails when I went shopping the other day and SAs at MAC and Mecca both asked if I was wearing their lilac nailpolish... Nope! OPI is such good quality, I won't stray. As much as I love this colour I hope too many girls don't pick up on it because I adore wearing this unique shade.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Origins - Modern Fusion- Skin Transforming Catalyst
fiunit 7/20/2009 5:36:00 PM
I'm not really sure if this worked for me or not. I'm quite young (19) and when I mentioned to a SA at Mecca Cosmetica (which is NZ and Australia's version of Sephora) that I was using a serum she was pretty surprised. Perhaps this isn't really meant for people my age. However I bought this to even out my skin tone. I think it helped a wee bit but compared to MD Skincare daily face peels this didn't do a lot at all. It definately helped my moisturiser to work better, my combination skin wasn't suffering dry patches anymore, and my skin felt soft and smooth but I also think it contributed to slightly oilier skin than usual and some small breakouts. It is pretty expensive for a product that didn't do much for me and the packaging is awful- though I love the hygenic aspect of pumps, as another reviewer mentioned, you can't get the last bit out if you don't remove the lid. All in all, not a great product for me, but maybe something I'll give another go when my skin has matured a bit. 4 lippies because even though it didn't do a lot for me I think it could be fantastic for someone who has the right skin needs for this product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Johnson & Johnson - Gentle eye makeup remover pads
fiunit 7/7/2009 5:44:00 PM
I think these are pretty good but they sometimes drag the skin around my eyes which I don't like- they're not as gentle as I'd hoped. They payoff for slightly sore eyes is usually all mascara and eyeshadow gone so I suppose its worth it! Nice sturdy tub which doesn't break if you take it somewhere, nicely scented, and very effective for the price.
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Cleansers -L'Oreal - De-maq Expert Milk to Toner 2 in 1 Make-up Remover
fiunit 7/7/2009 5:34:00 PM
I have a couple of sample tubes of this sitting around at home. I use it as an eye makeup remover, not an all-over cleanser. When I first used this product I really liked it but since then I've decided its not any good for me. Its very good at removing my Estee Lauder (non-waterproof) mascara and can take off any eyeshadow, and usually eyeliner too. But its pretty useless on my waterproof Chanel. The other problem I have with this product is that it irritates my eyes something chronic. If I get it too close to my lashline it burns and stings and causes my eyes to water terribly. As a result of this I can't use this product to get rid of eyeliner or mascara that is at the base of my eyelashes. I won't be buying this product.
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Lip Treatments -Chapstick - Ultra SPF 30
fiunit 7/5/2009 9:19:00 PM
I love Chapsticks in general, I think they work really well. Same goes for this SPF one, but I do have a real problem with the chemical taste and lemon dish detergent scent. It keeps my lips fairly well hydrated and protected from the elements. But I think I'll put it away until summer when I need the SPF, and even then I'll only be using it on beach days because the taste is so awful. Overall a good product but I can't get past the taste. Also I always have an issue with these twisty ones- they kinda get stuck and don't like to twist down, so I have to push it down. Annoying.
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Conditioner -Redken - All Soft Conditioner
fiunit 7/5/2009 9:05:00 PM
This conditioner is ok... I think it would be good for thick hair. But mine is very fine so this simply wasn't the right conditioner for me. It did add a lot of moisture when I first started using it, which was fab, because my hair at that stage was very dry. But after the first couple of uses it was just too heavy for my hair, leaving it feeling greasy even after 5 mins of rinsing. I would recommend this to people with thick, dry hair, but not to anyone with fine hair- even if it is dry. The packaging is ok, the conditioner is pretty thick though so in my opinion the bottle needs to be stored upside down one you get to only 1/3 or so left, rather than trying to shake it out whilst in the shower. Not too expensive compared to other salon brands but of course costlier than supermarket/pharmacy products.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Moisture Sensitive Skin
fiunit 6/21/2009 7:23:00 PM
My friend's stuff got mixed up with mine and I ended up grabbing this as well as my Oil Free blah blah SPF (I reviewed that too). I'm glad I did! When I found this moisturiser in my possession, I decided to give it a go. So many people rave about Neutrogena products but I've never been a fan. Their face washes have never helped me and I was disappointed in the SPF moisturiser. It must have been the sunscreen in the other moisturiser that wreaked such havoc on my skin. I'm not a convert to Neutrogena products since trying this, but I'd hesitate to call them all crap after using this moisturiser. It was nice and calming, wasn't too heavy, and didn't make my skin too oily. Good for light moisture that won't irritate sensitive skin. No breakouts either!
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Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Oil Free Moisture - SPF 15
fiunit 6/21/2009 7:15:00 PM
I bought this to take with me to a summer music festival over new years. I wanted something with an SPF and something relatively cheap that wouldn't matter if it were lost. Whilst my face didn't get burnt, it did get incredibly oily and my skin broke out something chronic. It wasn't big cystic spots (thankfully!) but lots of little whiteheads- very red, and very noticeable. This moisturiser stinks of sunblock and I think I would have been better off getting a good face sunblock for the harsh NZ summer sun, instead of using this product. I did look at these reviews before I bought and thought there was a 50/50 chance it would work for me. Unfortunately it didn't. Non comedogenic my bum!!
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