Powder -Tarte - Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder
hanako283 5/13/2013 12:07:00 PM
I really loved the finish this powder gave to my makeup. It was truly translucent, and so finely milled. My face looked soft afterwards. However, I realized, after a year of usage, that it broke me out. I could tell it was this product causing it because I broke out on the bottom of my cheeks, exactly where I applied my powder, and I very rarely have any pimples there (although I get many in my T-zone). I am not sure which ingredient is causing this (I use the Amazonian Clay blushes with no issues). I am really bummed because otherwise, it was a great powder!
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Makeup Brushes -The Body Shop - Retractable Blusher Brush
hanako283 2/16/2013 12:44:00 AM
At first, I thought this blush was way too 'packed' to apply blush properly. But now that I know how to use it, I love it! It's my do-everything brush. Aside from applying blush, I also love using it slightly retracted to apply my contouring shade as well as highlighter. It's the perfect on-the-go makeup brush.
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Scrubs -Yves Rocher - Tradition de Hammam - Oriental velvety skin scrub
hanako283 10/21/2012 4:43:00 PM
I love the smell of the Tradition de Hammam collection. It's absolutely luscious. This scrubs works really well in my opinion -- but how do you measure a scrub's efficiency, really? I can say that my skin is smooth and not overly dry after usage and that is enough for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Kiehls - Herbal Blue Astringent
hanako283 10/11/2012 2:15:00 PM
Let me preface this by saying that I don't use this toner for its intended purpose. Yes, I initially bought it when I was first introduced to the Kiehl's brand of products and the SA recommended me the Blue line for my acne-prone, combination skin. This line didn't work out for me, as it dried my skin out way too much, especially on my cheeks, where my skin is quite dehydrated. But the thing that annoyed me the most with this toner, and I didn't associate this problem with it until recently, is that whenever I'd apply moisturizer on top, it would cause the moisturizer to pill. That's a serious, serious problem! So even if this toner worked in evening out my skintone, I would stop using it for the sole reason that using moisturizer on top is nearly impossible. Moisturizing is very important, guys! HOWEVER, as many other reviewers have mentioned, it's an excellent spot treatment. I just put a little bit on a cotton pad and press it against any blemishes for a couple seconds. When caught early, these blemishes and pimples either don't grow or shrink really fast, whether they're cystic acne or whiteheads. This is easily the best spot treatment I've used in my 13 years of dealing with acne, so I will keep repurchasing it. When used for this sole purpose though, one bottle lasts forever!
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Skincare - Face -Mario Badescu - Herbal Hydrating Serum
hanako283 9/17/2012 3:02:00 PM
Fabulous, fabulous product! With my somewhat sensitive, dehydrated combination acne-prone skin (that's a mouthful), there aren't many moisturizers that I've found worked well without irritating me. I've been happy with La Roche Posay's Toleriane because it is definitely non-irritant, but sometimes it's just not moisturizing enough. This is where this gel comes into play. I layer this over my every day moisturizer and it really plumps up my skin! I also sometimes use it as night by itself -- though I admit I sometimes skimp on the night time moisturizing step, oops! You'd think layering so many products would cause problems, but so far I haven't had any issues with combining this serum with Toleriane! Both products have very few ingredients (also true for most other Mario Badescu products, which is why I love them so much), so less chances of bad reactions. The smell of this serum is very mild and pleasant, a little herbal. A little goes a long way -- I've had it for a month now, used it every day since I bought it and the bottle still looks full! Definite repurchase for me!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Hourglass - Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15
hanako283 7/30/2012 2:20:00 PM
Very impressed with this product. I had been using the Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel as makeup primer for a little while, but started disliking its silicone texture. It also didn't work too well with my tinted moisturizer (but was okay with regular foundation) and the oil control was only okay. So I set out to look for something a little lighter in texture. I heard a lot about this primer both on MUA and makeup blogs and decided to purchase the 0.33 oz size for trial. First of all the packaging is excellent. It is sleek in design, and very hygienic thanks to its pump and the cap. The texture was, as expected, much lighter, slightly creamier than the Monistat gel. The application was outstanding -- it instantly made my face silky soft and redness was reduced. One single pump is enough to cover my whole face. The oil control is very good! I never expect a primer to completely mattify my face, so even if I have to blot a little bit at the end of the day with this primer, I am still very satisfied. My makeup also remains fresh the whole day. This is my definite new HG! It is a little expensive, but a little goes a long way so to me it is very much worth it.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Principessa - Notte Breeze Dry Shampoo
hanako283 5/27/2012 2:08:00 PM
I've used Klorane in the past, and disliked both the scent and the fact that the white cast was hard to brush away. I was highly attracted to Notte Breeze because it was made for darker hair shades and it smells absolutely heavenly! That's about where it stops though. The oil control is a limited time thing - by the end of the day, I felt oily again. If I were to scratch my scalp, brown powder would come off and get stuck under my nails. Yuck! And while the shampoo is easy to blend onto hair itself, it made my scalp a little brown and I had to go in an brush it out with a foundation brush. So, I love, LOVE the smell, it's a good idea, but it's not well executed unfortunately.
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Moisturizers -La Roche Posay - Toleriane Soothing Protective Light Facial Fluid
hanako283 5/27/2012 2:03:00 PM
My old moisturizer wasn't doing it for me anymore. I have combination but very dehydrated skin, and I needed something that would absorb fast, not feel greasy (due to the upcoming hot summer weather), yet would be sufficiently hydrating. I've been using this for only a week now but I can feel a great difference in my skin. Makeup goes on more easily and I am not irritated. I appreciate the lack of fragrance and the extremely fluid consistency. I find it also mattifies my skin a little bit! The list of ingredients is very short, so it puts me at ease. I've thrown away all my other facial moisturizers because they've started to irritate me or didn't work anymore. I'm happy with Toleriane.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Maybelline - Color Sensational-Coral Crush
hanako283 5/22/2012 10:42:00 AM
Lipsticks, or lip colours in general, are a new thing for me. I never really used to wear anything that wasn't a lip balm or lip gloss. I wanted to try something new this summer and since I'm slightly obsessed with coral right now, this lipstick seemed like a good idea. I wasn't put off by the brightness of the lipstick even though I am a 'beginner', in fact I quite love wearing it when I go out on bright summer days. The staying power is pretty good in my opinion, but I am no expert on lipsticks. But unless I'm eating or constantly drinking, it doesn't come off. It's also not drying, which I really appreciate. The smell is divine and the application is smooth. I'm now addicted!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Batiste - Dry Shampoo
hanako283 5/22/2012 10:33:00 AM
Yes, yes, yes! This is the dry shampoo I've been looking for. I've tried Klorane and Principessa dry shampoos in the past. Klorane smelled really bad, and Principessa left a nasty residue. The Batiste dry shampoo has none of those problems. The original scent is very light and undetectable once the shampoo sinks in, and even though I have dark brown Asian hair, it was really easy to brush out the white cast. With this, I am less put off by the idea of not washing my hair for a day or two. The price is slightly high here in Canada (around $10 in most drugstores) but I know it's quite cheap in the States. I'll still repurchase because this is the best dry shampoo so far.
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Bath Treatments -LUSH - Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
hanako283 5/14/2012 3:44:00 PM
As someone who -hates- applying body lotion, this is a God-sent. Slap this on in the shower, rinse off, step out and you're already moisturized and smell like a dream. The scent is very luxurious and is even better once it's settled into the skin. It's quite expensive for such a small tub, so I use it sparingly, once every three days or so. I use my Buffy the Backside Slayer bar the other days and my skin is always adequately moisturized!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -LUSH - Buffy the Backside Slayer
hanako283 3/29/2012 10:12:00 AM
Where has this been all my life? I first found out about Buffy from a blog article about prepping your legs for summer... It's just what I needed! After covering my legs with denim all winter long, they were looking pretty drab and there was a lot of dead skin since I don't have the habit of properly exfoliating OR moisturizing. I'm terrible, really. I heard this would exfoliate AND moisturize so I ran to Lush and bought this along with the tin container. WOW. It did a really good job at smoothing out my legs, but what amazed me the most is how soft my butt is now... Love it! At first I was a little put off my the buttery feeling it left on the skin, but I let it slide since I figured it was the extra hydration my body needed. Also, the smell is only so-so, but I'm also ready to disregard that since my skin looks GOOD. I use it every few days and it's not irritating at all. It's a little expensive but totally worth it...
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -NARS - Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
hanako283 3/19/2012 10:22:00 AM
I had recently switched from NARS Sheer Glow to an Asian BB cream because my skin was dehydrated and thirsty, even if I have combination skin. While I appreciated the moisturizing nature of BB cream, the shades available were nowhere near my skin tone. All were too grey or too pink and it bothered me. I had never tried tinted moisturizers but I was always told that the coverage was very light. Since I have uneven skin tone and lots of blemishes, I needed better coverage. I was pretty excited when this TM came out and ran to Nordstrom as soon as I landed in California (it wasn't available in Canada yet) and bought it in Alaska. I think Finland is a slightly better match for me, but Alaska isn't too bad -- it's a tad darker but instead of making me look orange or mismatched, I find I look healthy. What I love most about this TM is the lightness and texture -- it spreads really easily and I can't feel it on my face at all! It's really easy to apply, and only takes me 1 minute to spread all over my face with my fingers in the morning. I also love the dewy finish, though I really have to set with powder to avoid getting too oily during the day. I'm thinking that wearing a primer underneath would help a lot, but I like to keep my makeup routine fuss-free. The coverage is light to medium, enough to even out my skin tone, but I definitely have to use concealer over my blemishes. It's not something I mind, I actually expected it. Even with Sheer Glow I had to dab concealer on top of them. Moisturizing properties are great -- even in the Canadian winter I seldom have to wear moisturizer underneath, except on the REALLY cold and dry days (like, -30C days, which we haven't had in a while, thankfully) and I think the sun protection is great. I've noticed some dark spots disappearing already and my skin is brightened. I would probably wear an additional sun protecting fluid underneath in the summer to be sure. The only thing I like less about this product is its packaging -- a flip cap is a good idea and is sanitary, but I find it's a little hard to open and the TM tends to spill a tiny bit every time I flip open the tube. Nothing that will deter me from purchasing again in the future though!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
hanako283 3/14/2012 1:51:00 AM
Oh god, I very seldomly hate a product, but I hate this one. At first I thought the creamy texture was a nice change from my usual gel primer, and it applied quite easily. But it does nothing to keep my makeup on my face. In fact, my makeup started sliding - melting! - off my face after a couple hours. I looked terrible! It did nothing to keep the shine away, needless to say.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter
hanako283 12/30/2011 10:57:00 PM
I was never much of a lip colour person, but when I heard about these, I wanted to try them out. They're relatively cheap (though still expensive for drugstore makeup, especially in Canada) and are easily found everywhere (once the hype is over and they stop being out of stock!) What I like most about them is that they don't feel like lipstick, which is great for someone like me who usually doesn't wear any. When it comes to moisturizing aspect though, I did notice some lipsticks are not as moisturizing as others. For example, my Peach Parfait and Cherry Tart are almost like lip balms whereas Raspberry Pie and Pink Truffle give me flaky lips! I don't know what causes this exactly, and I know some people don't have this problem at all. I guess the production is just a little inconsistent! If they were all equally moisturizing, I'd give this product a 5 without hesitation.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No