Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Life Brand Essentials Shave gel
gamine 7/23/2005 7:37:00 AM
I agree with the below poster. It left my skin feeling rough, dry and itchy. The nozzle doesn't dispense enough out, and the gel is not lubricating enough nor lathers well. The only thing nice about it was the pear scent that I had got it in.
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Tartlette
gamine 6/10/2005 5:41:00 AM
Peachy coral-pink w/ frost. Great shade for spring/summer. I have pigmented lips and only use a dab too b/c the frost in this washes out my NC20/C2 Asian complexion sometimes. If compared to Lychee Luxe, I like this better b/c it's not as bright/deep.
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Self Tanners -Jergens - Natural Glow
gamine 6/10/2005 4:55:00 AM
I'm Asian w/ NC20-25/C2; yellow-olive-pink skin who bought Fair.
I did everything right and NG turned my skin yellow instead of a nice golden brown. After the first week I thought, "oh maybe I'm not using enough, lets see what colour I turn if I try to darken it". So I kept using it daily and into my second week, it turned my skin a darker yellow-orange-brown -> love-ly.
A few days ago my legs look like this in the sunlight:
.tops of my feet - (greenish) yellow
.shins - darker yellowy-orange-brown
.knees - deep orangey brown
.thighs - pale yellow/no colour change
Ha ha, I look like an idiot! The rest of my body, varies from shades of dark orangey-brown (eg. back) to no colour change except for maybe a yellow cast (eg.chest). I thought the initial green smell was fine at first, but after awhile it turns into a sickly sweet stale candy stench on me which made me feel ill. Eg. after my first use I ended up with the worst headache from smelling it all night and when I woke up. It has gold shimmer in the lotion which is pretty.. on someone with a deep golden brown tan, NOT sickly jaundice yellow! I think I saw the most colour change after my first use, afterwards it didn't deepen that much till maybe a week later.
The plus sides of NG is that on my dry-normal skin, it absorbed quickly and made it soft. It hasn't faded away much or given me blotchy light patches after a week or two of stopping. The colour appears even on my arms (but a little too even in that it looks fake on me). Despite the varying shades on diff. parts of my body, I don't see any blotches/visible lines. I don't think it has stained my clothing/bed sheets and it works for *some* pple.
I bought this to try to give my pale legs/body some colour so I can wear cute skirts during the summer. But I ended up with several odd shades that needs to be hidden up again (lol, oh well another summer wearing jeans). Will never buy again.
Edit: Took off another lipstick b/c when the container is closed, it is not firmly sealed. I dropped my tube of NG into a sink that had some soapy water. Water got into the self-tanner making it a watery liquid :(
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Treatments (Eye) -Clinique - All About Eyes
gamine 2/13/2005 11:20:00 PM
I've been using it for 7 months and have really thin/delicate Asian skin that is also very sensitive. This has an oily/greasy feeling texture but once it absorbs into the skin it makes the undereye area feel silky and soft. Good for helping undereye concealer glide on and it absorbs quickly. I haven't gotten any milla or rashes from this but sometimes it makes the surrounding area become really dry. And it does nothing to lighten my circles, reduce lines or depuff any puffiness (I don't get any the temporary morning kind that's visible but I am starting to get hereditary ones - oh joy). I probably won't buy the full size but won't mind getting as part of a GWP.
Edit (3/11/06): The packaging really is unsanitary. A few weeks ago with a little bit of cream left, I dipped my finger into the tub w/out washing my hand after applying foundation like I usually do b/c I was in a rush. 4 days later, I opened it up to see white spots growing throughout the cream - YUCK! I tossed it immediately. This wouldn't have happened if it came in a squeeze tube.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Honey Lust (Lustre)
gamine 2/13/2005 10:57:00 PM
I hate this eyeshadow! This shade is a light peachy gold and it has a gritty texture (pretty in the pan but frustrating to use). I'm about an NC20-25.
Used dry (applying with a push, not sweep motion): Little colour payoff, and flakes horribly into my eyes and everywhere else throughout the day. I wear contacts and this really hurts.
Used wet (water/saline): I get an uneven distribution of colour with big darker glitters here and lighter/bald patches there. I still get glitter falling underneath my eye area and when used wet, the colour ends up looking like "Amber Lights" on my skin which I already have and is in a nicer texture.
The only redeeming thing about it is that it's a great coppery gold colour as a liner (wet). This is the only way I can use it since I can't swap it away as it is stuck in a pre-made palette. Actually, I hate it so much I am itching to just pry the thing out so I don't have to look at it anymore :P
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Fragrances -GAP Beauty - Truly Devoted
gamine 2/13/2005 9:41:00 PM
The body mist has a fresh flowery scent that epitomizes spring mornings and fragrant dewy gardens. The scent is light enough to wear everyday. It's more flowery than "So Pink"'s fruitiness, so it seems more "romantic" to me. (Moved review: 4/23/2003 3:12:00 PM)
Edit 2/13/04: Since buying it 2 yrs ago, I've gotten sick of the scent and rarely use it on my body so I won't be buying again. And is it just me but do the plastic caps on GAP fragrances crack easily? This happened with my TD and "So Pink".
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Highlighters -Marcelle - iridescent powder
gamine 2/13/2005 9:37:00 PM
I bought this loose powder in Starlight years ago but never got to using it until recently. What a mistake that was because the powder gives such a beautiful gold and silver shimmer which lasts forever and is hypo-allergenic. This is perfect for when you want a little glamour on those nights out or you can mix it with some lotion for the summer. The only thing I would change about it is to make the powder's texture to be finer. (Moved review: 4/23/2003 3:00:00 PM)
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Concealers -MAC - Studio stick concealer [DISCONTINUED]
gamine 2/13/2005 5:10:00 PM
This is the creamiest out of the 3 concealers that MAC has. I blends really easily and gives light-medium coverage but doesn't cover up my horrible dark purple-blue undereye circles. As the day wears on, it doesn't dry to a cakey matte finish and still looks moist/natural under my eyes. The downsides to this product is that the colour selection is limited, there is no NC25 which could have been a better match for my Asian NC20-25 skin but I'll never know. Since the formulation is creamy it wears off more easily than the liquid (I think) and pot concealers so setting this with powder is a good idea, but for me it sometimes makes the concealer look dry/cakey then w/out powder.
This isn't a flaw in the product itself but I'd like to echo what others have mentioned - the stick concealer costs a bit more than the other two concealers but there is less product than say the pot version and is less pigmented. Also, I think the Studio Stick shades are slightly lighter than the pot and liquid concealers. (rating: 3.5-4)
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Concealers -MAC - select cover-up
gamine 2/13/2005 4:43:00 PM
It gives light coverage that's good for redness and blemishes but is useless for my dark undereye circles (and I couldn't find a colour match for that area after trying 5 diff. shades). I like how it doesn't dry to a super powdery texture, and the staying power is good - on places where I use it for redness, it does not wear off during the day. The sheerness lets you layer the concealer and blend to get a little more coverage, but it easily looks cakey when I try to do that under my eyes and it accentuates fine lines elsewhere after it dries. I'm not sure I'll buy this again if I'm just going to use it for redness which I can find a cheaper concealer to do that. (rating: 3.5-4)
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Concealers -MAC - Studio Finish Concealer
gamine 2/13/2005 4:29:00 PM
It gives medium-heavy coverage (depending on what it's used to cover). Is good at hiding minor flaws on the body and has good staying power. But it doesn't hide my dark undereye circles and I couldn't find a proper colour match. In regards to the pot concealer shades, I'm somewhere btwn an NW20 and 25 and there is a huge difference in colour/depth btwn the two. I do not recommend this for people with dry skin. Even with the use of an eye cream (as a base and to help blend) and a concealer brush which is a must with this, Studio Finish ends up looking very dry and cakey on me. It accentuated every little flake underneath my eyes even though my skin isn't *that* dry and settles into fine lines even with a primer. I'm guessing it might be the silica that's in this formulation b/c as the day goes on, it sucks up any oiliness on my face. For someone who has normal-dry skin it makes the concealer dry to a matte crusty hard surface, kind of like wet cement drying under the sun. It's too bad it didn't work out for me b/c this has an SPF of 35! and is the most pigmented of the MAC concealers.
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Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Cream
gamine 11/14/2004 6:35:00 PM
I have sensitive combo Asian skin and this cream feels heavy and greasy on. The texture of the cream makes me feel as if my skin can't breathe through the layer of this cream and it takes forever to absorb, hours later I still feel like there's something sitting on top.
The first month of using this I went through horrible breakouts with my skin trying to adjust to this. After a break I went back to it and it hasn't caused that much of an irritation (now it's mostly a blotchy reaction). My pores get clogged by this and I use this cream sparingly. It also makes some parts of my face very dry, flaky (ie. temples, jawline, chin, sides of mouth) with some cystic zits and white heads showing up in places where I never get them. So basically I can't get uniform moisturization/results from this cream; greasy some parts, dry others with some clogged pores here and there.
If I was to buy this again (which I probably won't) I would use it on my body but I still think it's too greasy and thick for that. For example the cream did not absorb into my skin during a two hour lecture. It just ended up making my pen slip out of my greased up fingers while trying to write notes.
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Primer/ Corrector -Becca - Silky Hydrating Primer
gamine 11/14/2004 6:07:00 PM
I usualy use it under my eyes and around my nose. I have sensitive skin and this does not irritate or dry it and does not clog my pores. It has a faint floral scent which is not offensive. It dries pretty quickly and makes concealer/foundation go on smooth and silky *at first* but it does nothing to fill in my fine lines underneath my eyes. By the end of the day some of the concealer would have faded/caked in an unpleasant way different than if I didn't use a primer. Overpriced for an average product. Won't buy again.
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Shampoo -John Frieda - Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Shampoo
gamine 9/8/2004 3:02:00 AM
This shampoo made my fine black Asian hair really shiny and soft and it cleansed ok, but not great. The coconut scent is really light so you won't end up stinking like a pina colada which initially scared me away. I usually don't like the smell of coconuts but this smells really good. Unfortunately it made my long hair really tangled at the ends so a conditioner is a must for me when I use this. I don't like the upside-down tube packaging b/c it can leave a nasty mess on the inside of the fliptop lid if you are not careful. Yes, it's a gimmick plus I have black not brown hair so I didn't really rate this on colour enhancement. So as a "fun gimmick shampoo" it's pretty good. I alternate this with another shampoo because I don't want the silicones to build up. If there is any colour improvement it's probably because of the silicones making your hair shiny. Will buy again only to try the volumizing version or the conditioner next.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Naked Lunch
gamine 9/2/2004 2:55:00 PM
Frosty peachy beige champagne pink. Very soft texture that is easy to pick up with a brush. Good for a wash if it shows up on you, but it's invisible on my NC20-5 complexion. It just shows up as shimmer/frost on me so I usually use it on my "non-makeup" days or as a blender. Also, I'm sad to add that lately my eyelids have been itching whenever I use this, so I'm probably allergic. Naked Lunch is the first e/s that has caused this reaction to me so I'm really disappointed. (rating: 3.5-4)
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Lip Gloss -Lancome - Juicy Bar (Hôtel Plaza Athénée edition)
gamine 8/17/2004 11:54:00 PM
This is such an adorable set of Juicy Tubes. I was scared off by the colours at first but they go on beautifully and are very wearable. Most of them actually show up on my pigmented lips and the shimmer is really fine and pretty. The glosses don't feel sticky at all and well.. it's a fun set to have you your collection. The scents are a "hit and miss" like the other Juicy Tubes so I took one point off (I really can't stand the smell of "Carotte" so I'm not sure I can put that gloss on my lips anymore even though the colour is pretty). They're inspired by the Paris hotel's cocktails: "Do it yourself", "3 D", "Mojito au champagne" and "Chips and shots". I don't drink so I can't tell you if the glosses have that extra "punch" (ie. wowee sauce) in their scent or not ;) And I won this in a contest so I won't be buying this again for myself but I would as a gift if it was available in Canada.
Barbe à Papa/Cotton Candy (pink):
- pearly barbie pink, (darker pink than "MAC Prrr" on my lips, not as peachy)
- fine silver shimmer
- I can't put my finger on it but it smells like synthetic vanilla cake frosting + cotton candy + marshmallows
Fraise Tagada/Strawberry Tagada (berry):
- pigmented pinky berry colour
- very fine iridescent shimmer
- sweet fruit candy scent, sort of like currents/grapes mixed with strawberries. The nicest smelling in the set.
Menthe/Mint (green):
- clear on pigmented lips with lots of really pretty and finely milled aqua green and blue shimmer
- there is definitely a cooling effect after you've applied it to your lip
- minty scent
Carotte/Carrot (bright orange/coral):
- pinky red coral shade, lovely red orange shimmer
- the texture is much thicker than the others
- smells like raw carrots that's been in the food processor mixed with.. rubber shoes?? Yeah I'm not liking this smell.
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