Stick -Shu Uemura - Nobara cream cover stick
helbeluk 5/11/2010 10:16:00 AM
I first experienced this during a Shu Uemura make-up session, where the MUA used it with a goat-hair brush for blending and to be fair, my skin did look *flawless*. However, it's most definitely on the heavy coverage side of things, which means it's too obvious for my liking on a day-to-day level. So, I bought it and use it solely as a concealer, using a Body Shop concealer brush to blend. Occasionally (for a big evening) I also use a body shop foundation brush to blend this across my reddish cheeks for extra coverage....And as a concealer this is a fab product. Yes, it's expensive (£44 I think for the tube), and while the packaging is clean-looking (white twist up plastic tube), it could be better for the price...but considering the size and the tiny amount needed when it's used as a concealer, this is fab value. I have tried to use it as a foundation a few times, and you have to be really scrupulous about exfoliating and moisturising just prior or this will sit on any flakes and make them look worse. So, a great product - just not necessarily in the way it was intended! I think if you have normal/oily-normal skin and need heavy coverage, this would be great. I also haven't tried it with a damp sponge, which may make blending down to natural level a bit easier.... Incidentally, I use Bare Escentals moneral foundation powder over the top, very lightly, to give the natural coverage I want for the rest of my face (the bits which don't need concealing but could do with evening out), and the Nobara-BE combo is great and has brilliant staying power.
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Treatments -Aveda - Scalp Remedy
helbeluk 5/11/2010 10:08:00 AM
I was given this by my Aveda salon after I had a severe reaction to their professional hair dye (specifically I had a burnt scalp due to the bleach!) - this resulted in my having a very itchy, flaky scalp once the burns etc.. had healed, which lasted abotu 6 weeks. I use this straight after washing (ie before drying hair), and although it has a very strong minty smell, it's not unpleasant. It immediately stops all itching and flaking, and has no ill-effects on the hair. More importantly, it was fine to use on my very poorly, sensitized scalp which was such a relief! A few weeks later I still have some flaking issues, but a quick squirt of this does the trick for another few days, which indiactes the overall situation is improving.... I love Aveda products (bad dye-experience non withstanding!), and this has only backed-up my view that it's the best brand for your hair.....Love it!
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Eye Shadow -Shu Uemura - ME Silver 950
helbeluk 4/1/2010 8:56:00 AM
I LOVE this shadow. Agree with most of the other reviews here so wont ramble on....I only wish the Brighton store didn;t have a waiting list for this shade as mine is now well and truly dead. Fantastic! My HG eyeshadow without a doubt!
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals Foundation #3
helbeluk 4/1/2010 8:53:00 AM
I bought this with trepidation having read all the varying reviews on MUA. Would it break me out? Would it go shiny? Would it give enough coverage? Would it accentuate my dry areas? Well, I'm 3 weeks in now, so figure that's ample time for my sensitive face to have rebelled if it wasnt happy - and it hasn't. I use 'Light', over my usual No 7 Protect & perfect day cream, and it has staying power to last from 8am to 6pm without any more shine than you'd expect in that time. I make sure to gently exfoliate with a scrub twice a week, and use a damp flannel to remove my cleaning balm in the evening - so enough exfoliation to ensure there's no dry bits lurking.....and as a result this foundation is great. It's easy to apply too much - I literally whisper it over my face (with a No 7 Kabuki brush) and it covers redness and old pimple marks easily. To be honest I only need light coverage and am used to using Mac's face & body foundation, which is more like a tinted moisturiser. This gives me more coverage than that and as a result I look the best I have in erm, ever! The packaging is fine - it has a lock & twist thing to ensure you only ever pour out what you're going to use, so isn't remotely messy. The 'light' suits my skin perfectly. I actually just fake-tanned last night and it's still ok colour-wise. I am a bit concerned that when (if) I get a deeper tan this summer it might be too light - but 75% of my head knows this shade will still be Ok. The thought of mixing in the 'warm' powder that the BE girl showed me seems horrifically messy and complicated, so hopefully it wont come to that..... I have a sample size pot of the mineral veil, which I gather is used to 'set' this in place. To be honest I haven't needed it yet. All in all, it's quicker, easier and better than my old liquid foundation - and I have Mac Face & Body, Clinique Superfit and Even Better sitting redundantly in my cupboard now. Im not even tempted to go back!
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Dallas
helbeluk 4/1/2010 8:44:00 AM
Great coloue that I use in the evening in winter, and day/night in summer when I am less vampire-like :) Stays on well, and a great pink-based bronzer so that you don't have to faff around putting blush on the apples and bronzer everywhere else. Love! Also looks less orangey that Hoola - I only wish I realised that at the time - photos of me look a bit odd in retrospect!
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Lip Gloss -Bourjois - 3D Effect - Les Nudes - 33 Brun Poetic
helbeluk 4/1/2010 8:41:00 AM
Great colour - a nice, not-too-pink or brown nude. Stays on for a fair while and easy to apply.
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Lip Liners -Boots - Perfect Lips Pencil in 20 Nude
helbeluk 4/1/2010 8:40:00 AM
LOVE this! It's a creamy liner that's easy to apply across the whole lip with a bit of finger-smudging. Gives a gorgeous peachy-nude colour that somehow makes me look a million times better than *actual* nude lips :) Plus, nude lips really do make your eyes 'pop' (i think that's the technical term :)) I user Bourjois Effet 3D in 33 Brun poetic over the top and it looks great - might try the matching No 7 lipstick in Nude though as this is just so great. :)
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Polishes -OPI - Mad as a Hatter [DISCONTINUED]
helbeluk 4/1/2010 8:33:00 AM
Love this colour! Applied 2 coats on top of a base coat, and added a top coat and it's great. Actually made me smile every time I looked down at my hands for the first day! :) It's really really hard to remove - but think that's to be expected with this much glitter. Think it'd be a great alternative to a white tip - a kind of disco french manicure....lol I'd love to put it on my toes too, but probably won't due to the intense removal process. Overall a fantastic colour though. :)
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Self Tanners -Unlisted Brand - XEN-TAN
helbeluk 4/1/2010 8:27:00 AM
I tried this for the first time yesterday - had a shower, dried off and got going with the Dark Lotion and some latex gloves (essential). It's easy to apply - rubs in with a little effort (it's quite runny) and dries in just about the right amount of time - not too quickly. Initially, the smell is like cherry bakewells.......but it rapidly becomes the usual fake-tan-biscuit smell. The only reason I've not given this 5/5 is that I wish companies would just admit this fact - ie it will make you smell like a digestive, but that's the price you pay for a fake tan! Why try to make us believe it won't happen?! So, I applied this all over, even to my face (which I had exfoliated gently with a damp flannel just prior). Was a bit nervous about putting it on my face in case I broke out, which is not wholly unexpected with skin this sensitive, but it was fine. Not even a bumpy forehead which is the norm when trying most new things on my face. It doesn't dry sticky, so I was able to put leggings and a loose T-shirt on within 10 minutes. Contrary to other reviews however, I'd say there is NO WAY you could leave the house at this stage. I looked like an oompah-loompah! It's actually a bit frightening to look that dark and patchy (and you do look patchy), but bear with it......after a night's sleep I washed off the dark lotion colour this morning and am now left with a very natural, completely streak-free tan. Even my face. Hooray! I do still smell a little like a biscuit, but I think that's just something we're all going to have to accept. The main thing is that there's no streaking (and to be honest I don't know how because I was especially clumsy doing my back), and my skin isn't dry like the sahara. I'll definitely be using this regularly. I just might have to sleep separately from my boyf as he *hates* the biscuity thing :)
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Treatments -Boots - no7 Protect and Perfect beauty serum
helbeluk 3/11/2010 7:49:00 AM
I have used this on and off for the last 6 months. Initially it stopped all my mini break-outs, and gives a very smooth finish which is ideal to apply make-up to..... I'm 27 and I dont have wrinkles yet, so can't comment on that. However, my boyfriend is 36 and it worked wonders on his skin - he looks MUCH younger! Although now I know he's stealing it he buys his own - the No7 men's version. lol All the hype suggests this is the most effective anti-ageing serum out there, and at £19.99 it's thereforepretty good value. Plus, No7 always have 3 for 2 or £5 off events, so it makes sense to stock up at those times. Will definitely continue to buy - maybe it'll help stave the wrinkles off for a bit longer with continued use!
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Primer/ Corrector -Laura Mercier - Foundation Primer Oil -Free
helbeluk 3/11/2010 7:37:00 AM
I think this is great for those days when my skin is a bit flaky in areas, and I know my foundation (which is light coverage) would sit on top and look odd. However, reading the reviews below it just occurred to me that it might be making me break out a little - hadn't associated this before....and it might just be my skin behaving badly or another product, so not sure. I won't buy it again - it's not showstoppingly good, although it does seem to be recommended in loads of magazines. Just updating this to confirm that this does, indeed, make me break-out. So it has gone in the bin :( I'm now sticking to my Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Serum as a brilliant base-coat for flaky days.....
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Brows -Clinique - Instant lift for brows
helbeluk 3/11/2010 7:34:00 AM
Love this - swapped over from Mac's brow crayon which is £11 and lasts for no time at all. Was initially concerned that the crayon would be too thick to tackle the tapered ends of my brows, but it's fine. The colour is less reddy than Mac (Lingering), so suits my mousey hair better. Not too sure about the highlighter - haven't really used it as never felt the need to highlight the brow bone. Maybe I should though!
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Mascara -Boots - no7 Dream lash
helbeluk 3/11/2010 7:30:00 AM
This is the worst mascara I have ever used.....I apply only to my tops lashes - and while the brush is quite good, it always ends up smudged under my eyes by lunchtime. Rubbish!
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Conditioner -Aveda - Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner
helbeluk 3/11/2010 7:25:00 AM
This is amazing - used it on my long, think (yet fine), dyed hair and it completely changed it....Was soft and shiny after use, and maneagable. It's expensive but completely worth it, and smells as good as all the Aveda products.
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Shampoo -Aveda - Shampure
helbeluk 3/11/2010 7:21:00 AM
I love the smell of this - it's hard to descirbe as there's so many elements to it, but better than the synthetic 'natural' smelling shampoos (Herbal Essences, Aussie). I buy a litre of it and it lasts my boyfriend and I for months - washing our hair every day. So £27 for a huge bottle is actually not that expensive. Occasionally I have a dry, itchy scalp - I've always had this from time to time though so it's not caused by the shampoo....if anything it's less common now I've been using this for the last 2 years. Still, it does still occur- hence the 4 lippies, not 5!
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