Moisturizers -Philosophy - Hope in a Jar - for all skin types
hazelnut87 2/19/2012 2:40:00 AM
I tried a small sample jar of this a few months back, and here were my initial thoughts: 1- It has a very unique texture. It's creamy, but light and airy... almost like a mousse. Then, when you put it on your face, it is almost like it turns into a watery consistency and immediately soaks in. 2- It did make my skin feel incredibly smooth and moisturized. It didn't feel greasy at all, and provided the perfect level of moisture. 3- My skin retained the moisture throughout the night until I washed my face the next morning. Big plus! All that being said, it broke me out! =( Now I had been having problems with cystic/hormonal acne, but that was happening before I began using this. I'm talking about tiny little white heads that pop up. . . and they popped up all over! I stopped using this, and they quickly disappeared without leaving any scarring (thank God!). Oh, and there IS a funky smell. I did find though, that the smell didn't linger for longer than an hour. For me personally, an initial smell isn't enough to make me stop using a product. Acne is though, so unfortunately this is a no go for me! I gave it an overall rating of 2 because the initial moisturizing benefits were awesome. I gave it a 2 for packaging quality because it is in a jar, and I think that for a moisturizer that just isn't sanitary. Bottle with a pump. . . it isn't that difficult! =)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Styling Tools -Unlisted Brand - Tangle Teezer
hazelnut87 2/15/2012 1:43:00 PM
This product is quite unique! For about two years, I didn't even use a brush on my hair. . . I used a wide tooth comb only, and detangled my long/fine hair only when I was conditioning it in the shower. My hairdresser recommended this, and I must say I was a little skeptical. It reminded me of the brushes I once used to groom a horse, except with plastic bristles instead. I really can't explain how this is so effective, but it is. It now takes me 2-3 minutes to detangle my hair after showering, which has cut 10 minutes off my showering time (since I use to detangle while in the shower). Occassionally it will tug, but NOTHING compared to a regular brush. Also, I notice that when I use this on my hair when it is dry, it reduces frizz and appears to make my hair more shiny as well. I would recommend this to anyone, but especially those with fine hair that tangles easily. LOVE this!!!
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Lotions/ Creams -Neutrogena - Body Lotion Light Sesame Formula
hazelnut87 2/13/2012 6:44:00 PM
Nice basic moisturizer for the body. I don't like smelling like fruits, flowers, or foods. . . so this is perfect! The only con is that it contains parabens, but the price point is unmatchable, so until I strike it rich. . . Neutrogena Light Sesame Body Lotion it is! ! ! =)
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Treatments -Peter Thomas Roth - Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads
hazelnut87 2/13/2012 6:40:00 PM
This stuff is AMAZINGGGG! Okay so a little background info first. . . I never had any serious acne until the age of 24. For some reason, my hormones went completely cray-cray at that point, and I developed cystic acne underneath my cheek bones along the jaw line. It didn't appear anywhere else. I started researching Retin-A and decided that this might be a good move. It definitely reduced the amount of cystic acne I was getting from 8-10 active cysts at one time (on each side of my face) to about 1-2 active cysts per side of my face. I was still frustrated because each mark was still leaving severe hyperpigmentation (bright red scars from the acne that were much darker than my natural skin tone) that couldn't even be covered with concealer. I saw on a blog somewhere that said if you had problems with hyperpigmentation from cystic acne, to use these peel pads in conjunction with retin-a. Now, the product itself says that you shouldn't use it with retin-a, saclylic acid, blah blah blah. Try it. If you have tried everything else, just give it a try. Not only has it DRAMATICALLY lightened my acne scars, I do not have ANY active breakouts right now, and have only had ONE in the past 2 months that I have been using this product. It is expensive, but I cut the pads in half. Now my skin LOVES exfoliation. Before my hormonal changes, I never exfoliated. . . I just used face wash and a toner, and my skin looked great. Now (and for the past 2 months) this is my routine: In the morning I use my Olay Pro-X (similar to the Clarisonic) with Purity Cleanser, once it is rinsed off, I use half a peel pad. I leave it on for at least 10 minutes. When you first use it, start off with the recommended times until you are sure your skin can handle more time. Increase the amount of time gradually. Anyway, I rinse it off and then apply Aveeno positively radiant moisturizer. After letting it soak in, I do my normal makeup routine. Now for the night time routine. I use a Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipe to get all my makeup off (obvi =)), then I use my Purity facewash with my Olay Pro-X Cleansing Tool. Then once again, I apply half a peel pad and let it sit another 10 minutes. Then I rinse it off and wait 30 minutes. Next I apply Retin-A and I DO not apply moisturizer on top of it. I know this seems like a LOT of exfoliation, and it is. But I've tried every combination under the sun, and I finally found something that works (after 2 years) so I'm sticking with it! Why do I feel like this product has made such a difference? Because I feel like the ingredients penetrate beneath the top layer of skin. The Retin-A increases skin cell turnover, which meant that the cysts that formed in the bottom layers of skin reached the top faster. . . my Olay Pro-X exfoliated the top layer very well. . . and this product cleans out the pores like no other, leaves the skin bright, lightens existing acne scars, and leaves my skin softer than it has ever felt. I truly hope he never discontinues this product!!!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Buxom Lips- Dolly
hazelnut87 2/13/2012 6:12:00 PM
This was my first buxom lipgloss purchase, and I was far from disappointed. My lips are already pretty pigmented, so for me, this was a MLBB gloss. It's such a pretty mauve color, and although there is shimmer in it, you can't see it once it is applied to the lips. I love the cooling sensation this gloss leaves on the lips. It feels minty and doesn't burn at ALL. If you have thin lips, don't expect this to give you angelina jolie lips, but it will definitely plump your liplines so that your lips look luscious and hydrated. I used to swear by MAC plushglasses, which give a similar plumping effect. . . but you get twice as much with Buxom glosses for the same price. Hello new HG! =)
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Skincare - Body -Ahava - Dermud Intensive nourishing hand cream
hazelnut87 1/21/2011 5:00:00 PM
I actually REALLY liked this hand cream. I say actually because I have never found a hand cream that I've liked! It was thick but absorbed easily into the skin and made my hands feel like silk. The tops of my hands almost looked more youthful and radiant. Also, I really enjoy the scent and I am SO glad that they didn't make it smell like cookies, cake, or any other food fragrance that other companies are obsessed with putting in their lotions. Very pleased with this product! =) *Received this deluxe sample in my birchbox, but I plan on purchasing this in the future when I run out. =)
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Lotions/ Creams -The Body Shop - Coconut Body Butter
hazelnut87 1/18/2011 10:30:00 PM
Although the scent did smell synthetic, that isn't what bothered me so much. What bothered me was the way it felt on my skin. My skin has been dryer than normal so I wanted to try this in place of my normal moisturizer. It felt SO disgusting on my skin. . . sticky. . . like I had been sweating. I try to find the best in things (hence the 2 lippies for the semi-okay smell) but I really don't see how people enjoy this product. Yuck!
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Lip Gloss -E.L.F. - Hypershine Gloss - ALL
hazelnut87 11/26/2010 12:23:00 AM
I purchased this gloss in "flirt" and I have to say that the value is awesome! It is a little bit more sheer than I typically like, but it still gave a nice glossy sheen to my lips that lasted for about 3-4 hrs and kept my lips moisturized too. I will probably only wear this stuff on days where I want to be more casual, but for $1, the price can't be beat! Oh, this stuff does have a smell that I find very unpleasant, however it quickly disappears so I'm not too worried about it. For a buck, you should at least try it! Did I mention that it's only a dollar?! lol :)
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Concealers -MAC - Select Moisturecover
hazelnut87 11/6/2010 12:17:00 PM
Unfortunately, this concealer did not impress me at ALL. :( The corners of my eyes are dark and I have a vein underneath one of my eyes that typically requires medium coverage concealer to cover it up. My first mistake was letting the MAC lady talk me into getting this concealer instead of the one I went there to get (I thoroughly research almost all of my makeup purchases), my second mistake was letting her apply it on me over the concealer that I already had on under my eyes. I told her I had concealer on and asked if she had something I could remove it with, but she said "here honey I'll just go ahead and pat it in and you can at least see the general effect of it." *sigh* Anyway, so things I don't like about it- it doesn't set very well. Before setting, the concealer is super shiny. After setting, it is still a little bit shiny, but I could deal with that. What I couldn't deal with, was that it didn't last long for me at ALL. After about 2-3 hrs, I could see the darkness and vein under my eye as if I'd never applied concealer at all! If you're just running errands for like an hr and you want minimal coverage, then this may be perfect for you. For me though, I need something that will last for an 8 hr day at the very least. Thankfully, MAC's pro longwear concealer does just that, and more. If I HAD to list positive things about this product... I'd say that it is very creamy/moisturizing, blends easily, and I like the fact that it is in a tube with a doe foot applicator. Even though the packaging isn't the most sanitary, you do have better control over the product and the amount you take out, whereas the pump on the pro longwear concealer (as much as I love it) dispenses WAY too much. Wow, looks like I wrote a book here! haha sorry. :) hope this helped!
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Concealers -MAC - Pro Longwear concealer
hazelnut87 11/3/2010 5:34:00 PM
HG concealer. . . no lie! This took me about a week to figure out how to apply it best, but now that I've got it down, I doubt I will ever switch to another concealer. When I first used it, I was putting on WAY too much. A little bit goes a long way with this stuff! If you put on too much, it WILL dry out the skin around your eyes, and if you have ANY fine lines it will accentuate them. Also, make sure you use a good moisturizer around your eye area beforehand! Anyway, this is definitely full coverage for me and has lasted at least 10 hrs for me (I've never kept it on for any longer than that). The pump is a b to work with, but now I just squirt an entire pump into a sample jar, and whatever I don't use immediately I just use the next day. The color is perfect for my undereye area (NW20) and dries to a matte finish, so there is no need for me to use a setting powder. Yay for not having an extra step! :) I would recommend this to anyone wanting a full coverage, long wearing, matte finish concealer. And would I repurchase? Abso-freakin-lutely! :)
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Shampoo -Redken - Blonde Glam Shampoo
hazelnut87 11/3/2010 5:17:00 PM
This really is a fabulous shampoo. It is cleansing enough to leave my hair feeling fresh and clean, yet moisturizing enough that it doesn't dry out my scalp and cause my scalp to overcompensate and produce lots of oil. It's the perfect balance - for my hair anyway. Also, the smell of this stuff is A-MAZING! Citrusy maybe? Ulta has really great sales on redken a few times a year, so I always stock up on my redken favorites then. :) Oh, and I would absolutely repurchase, and I already have for years!!!
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Treatments -Redken - Blonde Glam Perfect Platinum
hazelnut87 11/3/2010 4:56:00 PM
This stuff is awesome! :) I never used the "pure pearl" product that everyone else mentioned, so I can't really compare the two. I can however, say that this stuff does a WONDERFUL job at canceling out any brassiness that I may get in my hair. My hair looks looks brighter, more blonde, and shinier after using this. I only use this once a week (if that) and the results are still there between uses. The bottle says to wear gloves while using this, but I never do and it doesn't stain my hands at all. I just put it on like regular conditioner and let it sit in my hair while I do the rest of my routine in the shower. Pretty easy! The only reason why I took off a lippie is because it isn't very moisturizing, but I will continue using it and repurchasing it bc of its other benefits.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - OPI Ink
hazelnut87 11/3/2010 4:39:00 PM
Love this polish! Wearing it right now actually. . . such a great color for fall and winter. Anyway, it looks navy from a distance but when the light catches it there are gorgeous flecks of purple glitter. This color brings the drama. . . this definitely isn't your grandma's nailpolish! ;-) Would recommend for those wanting a bolder NP. The only reason why I wouldn't repurchase is bc I like trying new colors too much! :)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Bare Escentuals - Light Stroke Fan Brush
hazelnut87 10/23/2010 2:25:00 AM
I also got this in a bare escentuals kit and I still use it for bronzers / highlighters / any-time-I-want-an-extremely-light-application. Works fabulously! The only issue I've had with it is that it sheds a little more than I'd like when I wash it, but it still does what it's supposed to do so I'll continue to use it. :)
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Blush -Make Up For Ever - Microfinish HD Blush - #5 Nip Slip
hazelnut87 10/19/2010 1:33:00 PM
This is hands down my FAVORITE product right now. :) I must admit that I had never used anything other than powder blushes before this. . . but now I know what I was missing!!! I always assumed that blush in general naturally fades after 3 or 4 hours, but this stuff has lasted over 8 hrs for me! Also, this is a matte finish and with this particular color, it looks more like a glow from within than blush. Some people have commented on the pump, but I haven't had any problems whatsoever with mine. I just press down ever so slightly and take a TINY bit and put 5 dots of it on my cheek starting with the apple of my cheek going upwards toward my temple. I then use my ring finger to make little circular motions right over where I placed the blush, and it gives this AMAZING soft focus glow from within. . . like you just walked up several flights of stairs, except without breaking a sweat or any heavy breathing. :) It is expensive, but since you need the tiniest amount, I can see this lasting me at LEAST a year. I hope it doesn't last too long, bc I need an excuse to try other colors! ;-) Just give this a chance. You can always return it if you don't like it!!!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No