Eyes -Urban Decay - Lush Lash System
honeylavender 9/27/2012 8:06:00 PM
Did. Absolutely. Nothing. Sadly, I will buy anything that promises me lusher lashes and sadly, I have to be reminded again and again: there is no holy grail. You are largely born with the lashes you have and if there is even a minor benefit in these lash treatments it will be so incredibly minor no one, not even yourself, will be able to tell an ounce of difference. Yet I keep squandering my time and money. This proved no exception.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Mega Plush
honeylavender 9/27/2012 8:03:00 PM
I wanted to like this. The idea of a soft, gel consistency mascara makes sense, right? Except, just as liquid liner is more dramatic than gel liner, regular mascara is way more dramatic than gel mascara. Regular mascara beats gel mascara in va-va-voom factor. Which might be okay, if the gel made your lashes look softer or more natural or gave you some sort of benefit that regular mascara didn't, but in this case, wearing this gel mascara doesn't make my lashes look any more plush or soft, or provide any value-add that regular mascara can't. In fact it looks exactly like regular mascara except not as good. This is like a deficient second cousin to regular mascara. Won't be buying again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -MAC - False Lashes
honeylavender 9/27/2012 7:55:00 PM
It's not a bad mascara in terms of all the mascaras I've ever used, but is it bad for the price? Yes. (1) The formula doesn't bond to my lashes well and I have to put 3 or 4 coats on before I'm satisfied that I've got enough on. Which means, not a very good volume ratio. (2) It anti-curls my lashes. While it's marketed as curling, I've noticed that it has the effect of taking away the curl that I achieve with my curler once I put it on. I don't now if it's because of the formula or the weight, but either way, not good. (3) I don't know the brush. It doesn't seem to distribute the product evenly down to the ends of my lashes. I have to twirl it in a really strange way to get it to work properly and that takes WAY too much effort. All in all, not a product I would buy again. Sad, because I wanted to like it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara
honeylavender 9/27/2012 7:44:00 PM
I don't know what it is about this product, but it looks amazing on my eyelashes. I'm Asian, with straight lashes of which I have a normal amount. The way this product bonds with my eyelashes is incredible. I've never replicated the result with any other mascara on the market. This even works on my bottom lashes. When I wear this mascara people ask me if I'm wearing fake eyelashes. And I've been using the same tube for almost a year... it's almost too good to be true, and I'd be skeptical too had I not seen the results. Amazing.
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Lip Treatments -Kiehls - Lip Balm #1 Mango
honeylavender 9/10/2012 7:47:00 PM
I tend to get bored with my lip balms so I like to switch things up regularly with new ones. I'm really still on the fence about whether or not I like this one. Anyway, cons: the product feels greasy, which I think is from the petroleum, and it doesn't really sink into my lips the way some other balms, like Rosebud Salve, does. The moisture feels very surface level to me. Pros: The mango smell is really nice and reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum, which isn't the classiest scent but is pleasurable nonetheless. Also I really enjoy Kiehl's wholesome vintage packaging (or any text heavy packaging for that matter... I'm a sucker for a good clean serif font). I don't know if any of this is a selling point to you, but it does give me a nice warm nostalgic tinge. I guess I'm neutral on it - wouldn't get it again but don't regret my purchase this one time.
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Skincare - Face -St. Ives - Scrub Free Exfoliating Pads
honeylavender 9/10/2012 7:38:00 PM
I love this product so much! I used to think that the only way to combat clogged pores was to exfoliate with a harsh face scrub. I hated the feeling of sanding my skin but had no alternative for removing the dead skin and sebum build up (particularly around my nose) that I knew of. That is, until I discovered the genius of lactic acid. Finally, a gentle, totally effective way to exfoliate without harsh scrubbing (which damages skin and actually has the effect of stimulating your pores to produce more sebum and oil and all the nasty stuff that you're trying to get rid of)! Since switching to lactic acid exfoliants, my skin really has never looked better. I use Dermalogica's Gentle Exfoliating Mask once a week, and I use these St. Ives pads to maintain my skin everyday. These pads were an impulse buy at Walgreens (I never really liked their apricot scrubs at all, but I decided to give these a shot) and was pleasantly surprised that from the moment I used it, I could see and feel a difference. I really do suggest giving it a week or so of continuous use before you start to measure the change. What will happen is your skin will exfoliate a little at a time, day by day, which is what the product is intended to do. After a week you'll notice a huge difference, trust me!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex
honeylavender 9/1/2012 2:45:00 AM
I've always used this product. I've used this religiously since I was a teenager, literally, because my mother would give bottles of this to me as presents and I'd use it because, well, it was there. I don't know if habit factors into this at all, but I do notice a difference when I switch to other night creams, namely that they aren't as good as this one at moisturizing and rejuvenating my skin, and I always switch back. For someone who 9 times out of 10 prefers to switch products out of sheer boredom and thirst for novelty, my decade-long loyalty to this night cream says a lot.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Mario Badescu - Keratoplast Cream Soap
honeylavender 9/1/2012 2:32:00 AM
I like this cleanser for 3 reasons. First, it's got tons of great ingredients for anti-aging and overall skin health, like keratoplast (basically, a beta hydroxy acid that helps firm the skin and refine pores) and aloe + bee pollen to sooth skin sensitivities. Second, I love the scent and texture. It's got this lovely honeysuckle/white floral scent that lingers faintly even after cleansing. Finally, this is the kind of cleanser that you WANT to have on your skin. I don't understand the negative reviewers complaining that this doesn't take off their makeup, because I don't think you should rely on just one cleanser to do everything. I use a harsher cleanser to take off all my makeup and follow up with this lighter cleanser that soothes my skin while I have an already bare face. For those purposes, it's really nice and I recommend.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Dr. Jart+ - Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 PA+++
honeylavender 8/30/2012 10:39:00 PM
This product has so much going for it. It's not just a regular SPF, but offers SPF+++ protection (which means it lasts 3 additional hours, an extra hour for every +, than regular sunscreen) and a whole slew of anti-aging, healthy, skincare bonuses in it. I also like that it's light reflective so really makes my skin look dewier and youthful. Some people have complained about the color of this product being restrictive, but it has worked fine on me. I should add that I'm Asian, and Dr. Jart+ is a Korean brand, so perhaps it's more formulated to match my skin tone, but I've seen Caucasian and Hispanic women wear this BB cream too, and it's looked just as natural on them. As it's translucent it can be worn on a spectrum of skintones, and a suggestion would be, if doesn't match your skin the way you want it to, a solution might be to sweep some light powder over it and blend it into the cream to get an even match.
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Toners -Mario Badescu - Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater
honeylavender 8/30/2012 10:32:00 PM
Rather than using this as a toner, I use it as a refreshing spray over my makeup later in the day when I feel like my makeup has dulled or when I feel like it's getting a bit too greasy and settled on my skin - when the spritz evaporates, it takes off some oil with it and leaves me feeling renewed. It also smells lovely, like an herb garden in spring. I totally recommend it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No