Hair -Aveeno - Nourish + Revitalize
fortiesn 7/29/2010 2:37:00 PM
Wow! I guess I am in the minority here. I bought this based on all the rave reviews for my fine, colored and damaged hair. The first wash was great - super soft hair. Every time after the first has been AWFUL! Handfuls of hair have been breaking off and this is the only change to my routine. Serious amounts of hair... I hope this doesn't happen to others, but I wanted to share my experience.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Garden of Wisdom - Mandelic Acid Serum
fortiesn 7/20/2010 3:23:00 PM
I don't want to call this a miracle since that seems so over the top, but seriously, this is a miracle product. I have only been using for several days and I have seen such a drastic difference it's almost unbelievable! I have extremely oily skin that just doesn't seem to know how to exfoliate properly. I literally have tried just about everything on the market (microdermabrasion, light therapy, lasers, tca peels, etc) and nothing has worked like this. After 3 days of use, my skin is less oily, more even toned, pores are smaller and my zits are literally drying up. Try a sample first - 15 bucks with shipping. I hope it works as well for you as it does for me!!!!! And I hope it continues to work - I'd be happy with the results as is, but what if it gets even better? WOW!
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Avon - MagiX Face Perfector
fortiesn 11/13/2008 7:26:00 PM
Uggghhh! MUAers rarely let me down, but they sure did on this one! My skin has broken out in huge terrible cysts because of this gunk. I agree with the previous reviewer who said she felt like she was smearing Crisco all over her face. This stuff is thick and while it cut down on shine, the fact that I think it stuffed all that oil into my pores, really leads me to say NO on this one.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Lubriderm - Skin Nourishing Moisturizing Lotion with Sea Kelp extract
fortiesn 3/2/2008 9:03:00 AM
Ooooh! I love this lotion. I only need lotion in the winter when my normal skin turns itchy and dry. I am picky about scents because I don't want my lotion competing with my perfume. I went to the store over the weekend and was looking for the new 24 hour Lubriderm (yes, I am a sucker for advertising) and since it was not yet in stock I sat smelling all the other options.
I didn't detect much scent in the store so I picked it up and happily slathered it on the next day after showering. The scent is so light that it doesn't interfere with much of anything. If you sniff your arm you will smell it - though it just smells wonderfully clean to me. Unless you get that close you won't smell a thing. My next test is to see how it wears throughout the day (is it greasy, does it fade, etc) and the good news is that it held up for the day. It even held up during a spinning class - which I have not found anything that does that. Most lotions get all slippery and gross when you sweat that much!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Elizabeth Arden - Flawless Finish Loose Powder
fortiesn 3/2/2008 8:56:00 AM
This stuff is fantastic. I have to wear loose powder because of my oily skin and I find that trying new powders really is a crapshoot. I once again came out to MUA and based off of reviews picked this up off of eBay for about 14 bucks with shipping and handling.
The finish on this is absolutely flawless (hence the name?). It's soft and doesn't feel like most loose powders. I use the puff to pat it on and then blend with a brush and it makes my skin look unbelievable. Really! I have used this with the Mousse foundation and the two together look amazing. The Mousse is a little sheer for my horrible skin (lots of redness around my nose and chin) but the powder adds just enough coverage to make a difference. I can't believe I had never used Arden's makeup before... and based off of these products I will be using more.
A little additional info - given my insanely oily skin, this powder lasts me the whole day (with just one swipe of an oil absorbing cloth in the afternoon). The coverage is great and the texture is amazingly light. AND this never oxidizes or cakes.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Ped Egg
fortiesn 3/2/2008 8:47:00 AM
I think this is a pretty great product! I tend to build up calluses on my feet really easily since I work out all the time and the chafing from the socks just really does a number. I have tried just about everything (minus the insanely expensive Diamancel products) and thought "What the heck. I've trusted the MUAers before with good results." So I bought the PedEgg off of eBay for about 8 bucks including shipping.
From the very first time I used this I was amazed. If you don't keep the thing directly under your feet (meaning you abrade from the top with the blades pointing down) this will spill foot dust. But that's just physics - unless it has suction power it can't capture the stuff when it's upside down.
It works like a charm, I swear! I just used it this morning and once again find myself absolutely astounded by how gentle yet effective this is! I would highly recommend, just don't expect miracles in terms of it not spilling...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hanae Mori - Hanae Mori Butterfly EDP
fortiesn 2/5/2008 3:11:00 PM
I was in the mood for something new and had a Sephora giftcard in hand so off I went. I have very strange skin - it tends to turn most florals very sharp, so I don't pick up florals very often (Michael is the only exception). I gravitate towards florientals, which tend to help out with the sharpness. Given that information my Sephora assistant brought me this to try. I had Prada Tendre on one arm, purchased Narciso Rodriguez for Her and had this on the other. Driving in the car (whew!) I kept getting whiffs of the most beautiful smell. Really, just amazing. When I smelled the Prada arm, I loved the way it smelled but it wasn't the whiff I was getting - that turned out to be Hanae Mori and it was such a soft, sweet smell that I eventually broke down and bought it. (buy the EDP - it lasts way longer and stays truer than the EDT)
This is NOT my typical kind of scent - in fact I didn't want to like this as much as I do. It seems like this is such a popular perfume. The lady at Sephora even said that she is amazed by the loyal following. But I find that it is light, sweet and warm. I can see how this is not right for a lot of people, but this has suckered me in and has become my absolute favorite for daily wear. Give it a whiff and see - you might be surprised.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Revlon - Custom Creations Foundation [DISCONTINUED]
fortiesn 1/2/2008 10:21:00 AM
I have been using this for about a week and really like this product. Let me start off by saying that I am an fan of Colorstay (though I loved the original version much more than the current). I have oily skin and in the winter tend to fade to a really pale hue that I find somewhat hard to match. So when I saw this little customizer I was instantly hooked! I of course didn't buy originally since I had to come out here to see what people thought. I know the reviews aren't great, but when I saw decent coverage and slightly drying I thought - huh, could work. So I picked up the Light shade and have been pleasantly surprised! I agree with hesperia that I wish the shades in the same bottle had more variation - so if I decided to self-tan I would have my foundation covered, but other than that I don't have any gripes.
Here are my pros: seems to hold up to my oily skin as well as Colorstay. It becomes slightly dewy around mid-day, but it's more natural looking than oily looking if that makes sense.
It lasts for a full day of work which is really all I am asking for!
It's much more natural looking than Colorstay, which can look mask-like until it settles in.
Oh - and it's in a pump bottle! YEAH!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Oiseau The Charmer
fortiesn 11/1/2007 9:37:00 AM
I love Anthropologie and when I saw these bottles I have to admit, I was smitten. So off I went to purchase... first Flaming June, then Darling Blue. I LOVE Flaming June - there is nothing about this scent that I wouldn't recommend except the staying power - but for $24 what do I expect, right? I am a tried and true fan of vanilla orientals and this one just really hit home. Next was Darling Blue - it has a fresh clean powdery smell that is perfect for when I am lounging at home, but doesn't really have a place outside of my house! I don't know how to explain it other than to say that it just smells like a sachet - not bad, but not memorable. The official description is: Top: fresh sheer citrus, white pepper, mandarin blossom Heart: mimosa, white lilies, ylang-ylang, French lilac Base: Egyptian sandalwood, warm musk, tonka So my mother, based on my recommendations, headed straight to the closest Anthropologie and purchased The Charmer. She found out she couldn't stand it on her! She said it dried to brown sugar... so she gave it to me. I think this is a slightly lighter, more fruity version of June Day and only wear it in the summer. Pretty, but I have to lean towards June Day for it's wearability. Now if it just lasted longer than 2 hours...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Young Sexy Lovely
fortiesn 6/8/2007 11:58:00 AM
My quest for a new fragrance definitely does not stop here. I love woody fragrances and thought the floral/fruity top notes would be different and summery. Yeah, that didn't work out too well! It smelled like perfume - like old school perfume, which I think is the sharpness that others were indicating. I just didn't find anythingyoung, sexy or lovely about this! The drydown was the best part for me, pure wood, but I can get that with other perfumes that I actually WANT to smell. Here's an official description: Fun and fashion, Young Sexy Lovely is the new style and attitude of trendy YSL girls. This irresistible harmony of fresh and feminine, and floral and fruity notes opens with notes of pear, mandarin, and redcurrant, sweetened with cherry blossom and magnolia, cooled with peach, and tempered with musk, amber, and cedarwood. Notes: Nashi Pear, Mandarin Orange, Redcurrant, Cherry Blossom, Magnolia, Wine Yard Peach, Crystalline Musks, Amber, Cedarwood.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Kenzo - Amour by Kenzo
fortiesn 6/8/2007 11:51:00 AM
So it's summer, and once again I am searching for a new fragrance even though I should just go back to my favorite Allure and give it up already! So as usual I start with a search out on osmoz.com to see what's new in the floral oriental or vanilla oriental sections. Then I come over here to MUA to check out reviews and finally I hit ebay for samples. Amour was on my list to check out, especially since I AM a fan of other Kenzo perfumes. And sure enough, I think this is a beautiful warm scent. No surprise there, and no surprise that it smells like a Kenzo perfume (similar powdery notes as the others). I love the smell of this - which I think smells very similar to most Japanese beauty products (which I adored when I lived in Fukuoka). On me this wears exactly like the description: A delicate perfume unveiling Balinese frangipani blossom, Japanese cherry blossom, Burman Thanaka wood, Chinese white tea and more... wrapped in the sweet sensuality of vanilla, frankincense and rice. Fragrance designers: Daphne Bugey and Olivier Cresp, Firmenich. Top note : Frangipani, Blossom Middle note : Cherry Blossom, White Tea, Frankincense Base note : Thanaka Wood, Rice, Vanilla
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -SUN Laboratories - Ultra Dark Lotion
fortiesn 6/1/2007 11:01:00 AM
I bought a gigantic 32 oz bottle from lookingtan! on ebay and have been using it for about a year. The color is always natural and fades evenly. The smell - well, I was happy to see that someone else thought it smelled like yogurt. Not a bad smell and certainly better than most, but still sort of odd... the color guide is a pretty color (unlike Fake Bake) and doesn't come off on clothes and sheets as badly as most others. Always, always, always use gloves when applying self-tanner! I don't care how much you scrub there will always be a tell-tale sign otherwise. I have to reapply this every 4-5 days to keep the color looking good and always exfoliate to keep it even. I will definitely buy this product again, because it's doing it's job with very few negatives! For reference I have black hair, green eyes and fair skin that does not really tan or burn...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -L'Oreal - Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer and Natural Skin Tone Enhancer Medium Skin Tones
fortiesn 6/1/2007 10:52:00 AM
I think I prefer the Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow to this. The smell of this product is really, really strong... it completely overpowers me. And yes, it's not the normal self-tanner smell, but who cares. I still wreak! And let's not even get started on the glitter! The resulting color is very nice, but there are a whole lot of negatives to get through before you tan...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Eucerin PLUS Intensive Repair Hand Creme
fortiesn 6/1/2007 10:48:00 AM
This stuff is a godsend... seriously. I went to Target in search of AmLactin for my dry, calloused feet and came home with this hand creme instead. Yes, I use it on my feet AND my hands and the results are miraculous - not an overstatement! After one use my feet were silky smooth. I look like I just got a pedicure when I put this on, no lie! Now I use every night and don't have to wrestle with callous removers...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Neutrogena - Clear Pore Oil-Controlling Astringent
fortiesn 6/1/2007 10:33:00 AM
Wow! I, too am surprised by the negative reviews, but I guess that's just because everybody's skin is different. I love this stuff - granted I have only been using it about a week, but it has made my skin absolutely glow! The redness around my nose and mouth has faded away and my skin tone is unbelievably even. For reference, I am in my early thirties with dramatically oily skin that gets congested on a regular basis. I have black hair and fair skin, so the red marks left from spots is the most annoying thing I have to deal with. In one week, this has dramatically reduced the existing spots and leftover marks and has given my skin a glow that I haven't seen in a long time...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No