Hair Color -John Frieda - Precision Foam Color
fromstarstuff 5/6/2012 2:12:00 AM
I have to say that I was very disappointed in this hair dye. My hair was dark brown and had not been color treated in several months. I purchased shade 3VR - Deep Cherry Brown for around $13 at Target. The packaging is very nice and consistent with what you'd expect from a John Freida product. The black gloves were very nice, and you get a lot of conditioner. The foam was probably the best of any that I've used. It stayed frothy and was easy to apply everywhere. One box gave me plenty of coverage with a good bit left over. It didn't smell bad at all. As it was processing, I started looking on here at the reviews (which I should've done first, of course) and noticed that the majority of users said that the color pulled very dark. That panicked me, so I ended up washing the color out after about 15 minutes. That's where the trouble started. It took forever to rinse the dye out of my hair. I am not exaggerating when I say that I was in the shower for over half an hour. I shampooed my hair twice. Eventually I just gave up because the water was long since cold. My towel had red all over it. My pillowcase turned red, even though my hair was dry by then. It took three or four washes after this to stop seeing red in the water. It stained my skin pretty badly, as well as my shower. The box shows it as a nice, blue based red. I know that the results can vary a lot from the box, but what I ended up with was nowhere near what I expected. It wasn't even red - it was orange. Bright orange. But only on the top half of my hair. The ends didn't look like they took the color at all. The conditioner that comes with it is very nice. It's also very heavy, and there's a reason for that: this dye was very damaging. I expect damage when I color my hair, but this was like I had put bleach in my hair and left it for too long. I ended up in the salon a few weeks later to get the color fixed, because as I washed my hair more, it just turned more orange. I was really surprised by how badly the dye worked for me, and I won't be purchasing it again. I can get a much gentler dye that gives me the result I want for $5 less at the same store.
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Hair Color -Garnier - Nutrisse Nourishing Color Foam
fromstarstuff 5/6/2012 2:01:00 AM
I recently used this hair dye to fix a botched color job I got at a local salon. The stylist had attempted to make my hair a deep auburn, but I ended up with slightly brassy hair and very orange roots. Garnier products usually work well for me, so I picked up a box of their Nutrisse Nourishing Color Foam. I wanted a dark brown result, but because my hair was already color treated and tends to be very porous and really soak up and hold on to dye, I chose a color that looked one or two shades lighter than what I wanted: that ended up being color 5 - medium brown. Here are my thoughts: Pros: Not nearly as smelly as other foam hair dyes I have used. Definitely doesn't smell as chemically, and I have a rather sensitive sniffer. I really like the foamer cap. I turned the bottle over a few times and was able to pump out a nice foam immediately. Application is very easy. It does turn a bit watery once it hits your hair, and it doesn't stay frothy like you might expect. However, I was able to pump it into my hand and get it into my hair without it dripping. The dye did not stain my scalp, skin, or anything else. The little bit that got onto my ears and forehead was easily removed with a little soap and water. There was no color residue in my sink or in my shower afterwards. My hair did not feel overly dried out after dying, even when I went over it the second time (more on that in a minute). Of course I feel a difference, but it's not excessive. The conditioner included in the box is very nice and did not weigh my hair down in an attempt to hide damage. The included gloves fit very well and felt like good quality. The box costs around $8 at Target, and there are often coupons or sales. I believe I paid $6 for the first box I purchased. I have a lot of grey hair, and all of it is covered. In fact, I think this is the best hair dye I've used for covering grey, as my grey hairs did not end up brighter than the others. I did let the dye sit on my roots/grey about five minutes longer than the rest of my hair. Because I knew that my hair would go darker since it's already damaged/color treated and chose a lighter shade, I got the color that I wanted. In fact, I'm very happy with it. It toned out the brassiness perfectly, and I have a rich, chocolately dark brown that looks fabulous with my pale, beige skin tone. Cons: There doesn't seem to be as much product in this box as you'd get in other similar dyes. This may have been more noticeable to me because I was changing colors (not just toning or covering grey). My hair is very thick and about shoulder length, and I was not able to cover all of my hair. I did have several big red patches towards the back of my head after the first application. I went back the next day and purchased a second box to finish covering it up. I ended up using over half of it. If you're doing a new application and don't have short hair, I really suggest buying that second box, just in case. However, one box will be plenty to do my roots and touch up any faded ends later. All that said, my only complaint was that I needed a second box for shoulder length hair. However, now that I'm content with this color for a while, I will only need one box for future applications. I will definitely be using this again.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Clairol - Nice n' Easy Foam
fromstarstuff 1/15/2012 11:35:00 PM
I've used Nice n' Easy plenty in the past, and it's always worked well for me. I decided to start coloring my hair myself to save money, so I went back to what I knew. I don't like trying to use regular hair dye by myself and have liked the foam application from other brands, so I thought this would be nearly a sure thing. The one good thing about this product is that unlike the other foam dye that I've tried (Fat Foam), you aren't left with a huge plastic container at the end to throw out. I was worried that there wouldn't be enough product for my hair, which is an inch past shoulder length and very thick. I actually had some left over. I've read a lot of reviews about staining, but I didn't have much of a problem. I do have some stains on my scalp, but all of the dye that ended up on my forehead, ears, and neck came off with soap and water. I shampooed my hair after rinsing the color out and used the provided conditioner. It doesn't feel any more dry than normal. Now, onto the cons: 1. Compared to Fat Foam, the application is a messier. The color also separates easily, so you have to constantly try to mix it up. I much prefer Fat Foam here, as you get a nice, rich foam that you can scoop out and apply as needed. This is almost impossible to apply to your roots without just smearing it all over your scalp. 2. The color is darker than indicated on the box. I know results can vary, but I did test a small lock of hair and it came out different than a full head application. My hair was chocolate brown, around level 4, and I chose the dark brown shade mainly to touch up my roots. On the test lock, it covered up the grey and evened out the tones. After the actual application, my hair is nearly black. I used to dye my hair black, and I had to spent a good bit of money slowly lifting that out. Even getting to a level 4 without frying my hair took a few months. Now I'm nearly right back where I started. It's not as harsh as black, but it's darker than the test showed. What's really odd is that my grey is light brown. I have a lot of grey hair already, and I mean, at least it's not grey, but it's still way lighter than the rest of my hair. My grey hair has never been very resistant to dye, so I'm not sure why that happened. I'm wondering if it's something about foam dyes, as Fat Foam didn't cover them well either. I did notice that it looked almost red on my roots while it was processing. I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks I can hit it with a clarifying shampoo and lighten it up a tiny bit. I know I can get a shade lighter if I want to use it again, but the only way to deal with the length being so dark is to either lighten it or cut it off. Not happy. 3. The "chemicalyness" of it is VERY strong. Even with sensitive skin, I've never reacted to any hair product like this one. I tried not to get it on my scalp, but since there's no way to get your roots without smearing it into your scalp with this stuff, I couldn't help it. It immediately burned. It felt much better when I started washing the dye out, but after my hair dried, I noticed that I actually have a couple little open sores on my scalp. That is not okay, at all. Also, dear gods, the smell. It's terrible. The stale/skunky beer comparison that other reviewers have mentioned is right. In fact, I was sitting in a well ventilated part of my house while the dye processed, and my husband was on a separate floor of the house and asked if I'd spilled alcohol somewhere. I still have a headache seven hours later. EDIT: Now that I've washed my hair a couple of times, I felt the need to update this slightly. My hair stayed nearly black until yesterday. Several days after dying, I washed using a clarifying shampoo twice. It was still extremely dark. A few days after that, I washed with my normal shampoo, then put a deep protein treatment in, left it for twenty minutes, then used my regular conditioner. The color did ease up some, and it's no longer black. It's still darker than I thought it would be, but at least it's noticeably brown. I'm mostly happy with the color now, but still, that smell made it not worth it.
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24-7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero
fromstarstuff 1/6/2012 5:47:00 PM
I'm really torn about this pencil. On the one hand, it does glide on smoothly and is super dark black. When I line my upper lid, it doesn't fade to grey or smudge. That by itself makes it better than any other pencil I've ever used. There are definite downsides, though. It may glide on smoothly, but the pencil is so soft that it's difficult to apply precisely. It takes me several tries to fill in the line completely, and the pencil dulls very fast unless you have an amazingly light touch. It's also pretty hard to sharpen the pencil without taking gouges out of it or it breaking. It applies to my waterline easily and causes no irritation, but it doesn't stick around for long. At best it's there for an hour. It doesn't disappear completely that fast, but it's enough that I feel like it messes up the look I was going for. I don't apply very much (a good line underneath my eye shadow, then a tiny bit to make it show on top of the shadow, then on my waterline), so I haven't noticed a lot of running or smudging. I do feel like it might be difficult to keep on my lower lid line, but I haven't tried yet. It's pretty expensive for a pencil, but I haven't tried one that I like as much.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - They're Real
fromstarstuff 1/6/2012 5:28:00 PM
I have super sensitive eyes and can't wear just any mascara. Most of them make my eyes burn and turn red, and I get all red and irritated if it touches my skin. I like for my lashes to look dark and full, so I decided to give They're Real a try. First off, I really like the bottle. Packaging isn't usually a huge deal for me (most of my makeup is in little jars, after all), but the shiny bottle is cute to me. The mascara doesn't have an off-putting smell like other brands I've tried. It goes on nice and black and stays that way. I really like that the mascara doesn't crumble off, and it stays put if I get sweaty or tear up. It does take a good bit of cleansing to get it off, though. I am able to remove it with my normal apricot oil, but I really have to work at it with my fingers for a while. I think if I tried to use a wipe/towelette, I'd end up losing lashes. It does take a minute for the mascara to "set", though, so I'm able to wipe off any that I accidentally get on my face without a problem. The only thing I don't like is that an eyelash comb is pretty much mandatory. One coat is fine for every day wear, but when I want more of a falsies look, I have to use a second coat. The mascara makes my lashes very stiff, so a second coat is really hard to apply. If I do, I start getting spidery. If I run a comb through my lashes immediately after the first coat, it's a little bit better, but once that dries, there's no getting anything to remove the clumps. If it weren't for that, I'd rate it a 5.
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Foundations -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Matchmaker
fromstarstuff 1/4/2012 12:36:00 PM
Chose this as a free sample from Sephora. It came with light/medium and medium/dark, though there is a lighter shade (fair/light) available. I didn't expect a good match, and I was right. The undertones listed for each shade just aren't all-encompassing. I have very near porcelain skin, but I have olive undertones. The sample pack showed the light/medium foundation matching all the way down to a pure white, so I used that one, even though I'm well aware (as hopefully most people are) that "chameleon pigments" are a bunch of hooey. It immediately turned orange. Not a little orange, not just a little too dark. I mean Oompa Loompa dark orange. I tried blending it over my entire face, and it was hideous. Even though it was way too dark, it barely providing any coverage at all, if that makes sense. I would still have needed a lot of concealer, even though my face was the same color as Bob Barker's is now. The product was very oily/slicky and felt like a mask, even after ten minutes. I also ended up in a sneezing fit because it had such a strong smell. I had used mineral foundation almost exclusively for about four months now, and I forgot how awful liquids tend to smell. I can't even place the scent, but I can tell you it wasn't argan at all. I'm really glad that I just tried the sample instead of purchasing the foundation. Even if it would have been a perfect match, $40+ is a lot to spend on a foundation that would still need a lot of concealer and finishing powder.
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Silk Naturals - Strawberry Spritz
fromstarstuff 12/30/2011 11:05:00 AM
I read in the SN forums that some ladies were using this toner to set their makeup and mist their face during the day. I first used it in that capacity, and I wasn't too happy. It didn't seem to make any difference other than making my forehead itchy. I finally paid attention to the product's description and saw that it is a moisturizing toner. Instead of trying to spray it on after I already had a face full of makeup, I sprayed it on after my serum, and oh my goodness. My face felt smooth and fresh while I applied my makeup. Turns out if you actually use it like you should, it works amazing! I love SN's blue bottles, and the spritzers never seem to break or clog up on me. The strawberry smell is absolutely out of the this world, and it really does make your face feel cool. I took away one lipstick because it still makes me itch a tiny bit, and because it doesn't do much for me as a refreshing mist once I've already put on makeup. Still, it will take me forever to get through the bottle, and I will most likely purchase it again once I'm out.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -E.L.F. - Studio Endless Eyes Pro Eyeshadow Palette
fromstarstuff 12/30/2011 10:53:00 AM
Picked the palette up at Target during the holidays. I originally went in for a smaller palette, but I grabbed this one as well on a whim. I'm really glad I did, too. There's a good mix of mattes, glittery, natural, and bright shades. I like the texture a lot more than I thought I would in such an inexpensive set. My only complaint is that some of the lighter, more natural shades are very hard to see, even if I pile them on. They are good for using to blend other shades together, though, and for the price, I can't complain.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -E.L.F. - Brightening Eyeliner
fromstarstuff 12/30/2011 10:46:00 AM
A small one came in one of my holiday eye shadow sets, and since I'm still trying to find my favorite eyeliner, I was happy to try it out. Meh. It went on smoothly enough, and it was black when I first applied it. Even though I used a primer and set it with shadow, it smudges all over the place quickly. It also fades pretty fast, so I ended up with a tiny bit of grey liner with a bunch of it underneath my eyes. Doesn't work for my waterline at all.
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Hair Color -SAMY - fat foam
fromstarstuff 12/30/2011 10:25:00 AM
I started using Fat Foam to save money from going to the salon every six weeks. I went from a light brown to natural black. The foam was easy to use: I tried applying it all carefully, but I ended up just putting it on like I would shampoo and massaging it in to the rest of my hair. I needed a tiny bit of a second box to make sure I was completely covered because my hair is super thick and because it was a big change. After the initial application, I used less than half of the product to cover my roots and then run the color down through the ends of my hair for a touch up. For me, it was probably the least harsh box dye I have used. I didn't experience any serious hair breakage or loss more than what I normally see, and if I used a good conditioning treatment a few days later, it really helped. My main complaint is that is just did not want to cover up my grey. I started getting grey hair at 11, and while I don't mind the thought of showing it eventually, at 26 I'm not quite ready. It would look a little less obvious, but it was still showing. My grey is typically not resistant to dye, so I'm not sure why this didn't work for me. I also don't like that you're left with a big, plastic tub to just throw out. It seems like a waste, especially since you can't really reuse it for much of anything. I started going back to a salon, but if for some reason I had to dye my own hair again, I would probably choose Fat Foam over other products.
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Styling Products -Aussie - Sprunch Spray
fromstarstuff 12/30/2011 10:13:00 AM
Sprunch hates my hair. I think it would work a lot better for someone with fine hair, but since mine is pretty coarse and very thick, it simply doesn't work. It doesn't matter how I use it, the waves fall out of my hair, and I'm left with a crunchy mess. It's very sticky and is hard to wash off my hands once I've scrunched my hair. If I don't use very much, my hair won't hold the waves at all. If I use even a tiny bit more, I end up with crunchy, nasty hair, and the waves are gone before my hair dries. It also leaves a lot of white residue. It's actually enough that I wouldn't consider going out of the house after using it even if my hair held correctly. My hair is dark, so having a ton of white flakes is noticeable and embarrassing. Also, the first ingredient on the bottle is alcohol. That pretty much guarantees that your hair is going to end up dry and crispy, especially if it's also dry.
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Shampoo -Suave - Professional Humectant Shampoo
fromstarstuff 12/11/2011 4:16:00 PM
The smell was nice, but it wasn't moisturizing at all like it claimed. It didn't make my hair feel more dry than normal, but it certainly didn't make it feel less so. My problem is that something in the shampoo irritates my scalp like crazy. As soon as my hair starts air drying, it feels like my scalp is on fire. It actually made my scalp raw and even made it peel in some spots. It took me several uses to realize that I didn't suddenly have dandruff! My best guess is that whatever they're using for fragrance is what my skin doesn't like.
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Concealers -BeneFit Cosmetics - Erase Paste in Fair
fromstarstuff 12/11/2011 4:11:00 PM
I agree with the reviewer who commented on the smell. It does have that odd, waxy smell that the "makeup" in a child's play set of makeup has. This is their lightest shade, and it's still too dark for me. I have a broken capillary and had to put at least five layers on to cover it up, and then I just had a dark peachy spot instead of a red spot. It covers up the dark circles under my eyes, but again, it just makes them a different shade of dark. And because it's so cakey, it shows off fine lines easily.
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Scrubs -Equate - Apricot Scrub
fromstarstuff 12/9/2011 11:29:00 PM
As a facial product, I was not thrilled. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. It made my face break out more/for longer than just the initial, expected purging when you start using something new. Every single time I would use it, I would break out like mad. I still had tons left, and I didn't want to waste it, so it ended up sitting in my shower caddy for a while. After seeing people swearing by using a body scrub before shaving, I thought maybe I'd give it a go in that capacity. Oddly enough, it was perfect. It doesn't break my legs or underarms out, and it has enough scrubby to exfoliate very well. There's enough oil to it that I can shave without needing a cream. My legs and underarms get a super close shave, and they feel great afterwards. So, as a facial product? Not a fan. But as a shaving product? It's wonderful.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Volume
fromstarstuff 12/5/2011 3:12:00 PM
I hate this stuff. I actually thought I had purchased an expired tube at first because it smelled "off" and made my eyes burn. But no, I have a friend who bought a tube, and it has the exact same smell to it. One coat will darken my lashes, but I don't see a noticeable difference in volume. If I try to apply more than one coat, it ends up a greasy, clumpy mess. I always have some actually run into my eyes, and then my eyes end up watery and very red because something in this mascara irritates them so much. I like waterproof mascara, but I can't even get all of it off of my lashes with eye makeup remover. I tossed the tube with way more than half of it left.
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