Fragrances -Taylor of London - Lily of the Valley Eau de Toilette
ice_tea 11/18/2010 4:11:00 PM
This fragrance smells very similar to J. Lo Glow on me, yet not as "soapy". If you like that fragrance, this could be a cheap alternative.
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Styling Products -Pantene - Frizz Defence Anti-Frizz Definition Creme
ice_tea 8/6/2007 8:36:00 AM
I guess this is not the right product for me - I don't have frizzy hair but need something to keep the sleek look withouting weighing my hair down or make it stiff. Unfortunately this makes my hair stiff and greasy. It's almost like having glue on my hair. I would say it gives quite a strong hold. Would be suitable for people who have short hair and want their hair spiky. It probably can keep the style well too.
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Styling Products -Garnier - Fructis Style - Smoothing Milk
ice_tea 8/6/2007 8:20:00 AM
I had some doubts when I bought this. It says "strong hold" on the packaging and I was afraid it would make my hair stiff. What's more, it's even cheaper than crappy Pantene products. However, it keeps my hair sleek, moisturized and straight (I naurally have straightish hair but still want to hold the shape better), without turning it sticky, stiff or greasy! It certainly gives only the very slightest hold instead of strong hold. It's easy to apply/spread and wash off. Smells refreshing and yummy too. Highly recommended.
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Toners -The Body Shop - Aloe Calming Toner
ice_tea 8/1/2007 11:06:00 AM
I think the Body Shop has had this new Aloe line for a while. I am surprised that no one reviewed this wonderful toner yet. It's my HG toner. I only use toner after removing heavy makeup. This is so gentle, has the soothing ability of aloe and is fragrance, preservative, alchohol and colour free. I would recommend it to any skin type, including oily and dry skin. Lately many the Body Shop products have become quite pricy but this toner is relatively inexpensive. Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe barbadensis, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Glycerin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Weleda - Iris Facial Masque
ice_tea 7/31/2007 10:57:00 PM
This mask is full of natural ingredients and no nasty stuff. But I am not sure what it really does. Deep cleansing? No, the transparent gel texture is not for that. You need clay mask to deep cleanse. Soothing and reducing redness? Maybe. But I never have any redness so I can't tell. Moisturising? I had it a while ago and didn't see any difference after washing it off. That's why I rate it this low. I think it's basically a placebo (you would be happy just thinking of putting so many botanical ingredients on your face). Good if it doesn't irritate your skin.
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Liquid -Origins - Nude and Improved
ice_tea 7/31/2007 7:04:00 AM
This sounds good - oil-free with antioxidants. Not sure whether those antioxidants work but it makes my skin really greasy and shiny (oil-free, anyone?). And I don't even have oily skin! The coverage is non-existent. I know it is supposed to be sheer but it doesn't even uneven skintone. So why should I spend money on nothing? Can't believe I bought three tubes (in 3 different shades) in total over the past few years. Don't be fooled by the color. No matter how fair it looks when coming out of the tube, it will turn yellow on your face (probably due to the chemical suncreen in it). Use it if: - you have dry skin - you like your skin to have a "golden glow" - you have perfect skin (esp. no uneven skintone. Spots, etc. can be easily covered by concealer).
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Lipstick -Bloom - Lipstick in Babe
ice_tea 7/30/2007 9:39:00 AM
Another rave for this lippy. I can give it 5/5 just for the colour alone - a truly pretty yet wearable deep red. It does not turn fuchsia, brown or orange on me. Good for those who are after red lips without any shimmer. You can apply just a little bit for a sheer subtle look or layer it for more glamour. It's quite moisturising. Sometimes I think it's a bit too shiny. Bloom now has a few new matte shades. I wonder when they are going to have a matte shade similar to this one? I would really be inerested in that.
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Toners -Vichy - Purete Thermal Hydra-Perfecting Toner
ice_tea 7/29/2007 11:16:00 PM
I am reviewing the one for normal/combination skin, which I used a while ago (but not anymore). OK, it's alchohol-free and non-drying, indeed suitable for normal/combo skin, but I didn't find it did anything to my skin. It has fragrance and parabens and is more expensive than my HG toner (The Body Shop Aloe Calming toner) without those. I don't mind my cleanser having those but I do mind my toner and moisturiser having unnecessary/bad ingredients. Pretty average product. Will not repurchase.
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Cleansers -Vichy - Detoxifying cleansing milk for normal to combination
ice_tea 7/29/2007 10:11:00 PM
I have been using this on and off. I am on my, I think, third bottle. It is a great GENTLE non-drying morning cleanser - it doesn't hurt my eyes when it gets into them. And it is a fantastic makeup remover at night - takes off my makeup (including eye makeup) thoroughly and seems to be able to remove dirt in my pores too. I seldom have any pimples when I use it. I don't think leaves my skin a greasy residue, but I wouldn't recommend it to very oily skin. I agree with the hard-to-open lid comment. Wish Vichy will improve the packaging. This cleanser is a bit pricy for a drug store product if you don't buy it in France.
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Cleansers -Nivea - Gentle Cleansing Cream
ice_tea 7/29/2007 12:45:00 PM
In short, this is an inexpensive, non-foaming, and moisturising cleanser. Good for my normal skin in winter. It certainly isn't an exfoliator - the tiny pink beads are encapsulated moisturiser. It is misleading to market this to "sensitive skin" since the fragrance is so strong. People whose skin is sensitive to fragrance should avoid it. Also it contains mineral oil. If your skin doesn't like mineral oil, you'd better not use it. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't remove makeup, esp. long wearing foundation, well. You need to remove makeup before using it. It takes off non-water proof mascara, eye liner etc. though. Overall this is just an OK product to me. I bought it because I like to whore around and try new things when it comes to using skincare products. Maybe someday I will buy this again.
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Mascara -Make Up For Ever - Volume
ice_tea 7/28/2007 4:28:00 AM
I agree with what other reviewers said - this is a good mascara to achieve a natural look. It really never clumps no matter how many coats I put on (Is that why it's so expensive?). It doesn't curl my lashes well though. Because I am the type who doesn't want to bother with a lash curler and it is expensive, I don't think I would buy it again. Many low end mascaras would do a similar job.
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Treatments (Eye) -Trilogy - Rosehip Oil Eye Contour Cream
ice_tea 7/28/2007 3:45:00 AM
I bought this because I couldn't find anything better. It's a great daytime eye cream to put under makeup (I use only Trilogy's rose hip oil around my eyes at night). It moisturises well and is gentle to the eyes and fragrance-free. I am sure it can be a great nigh time eye cream too. The ingredients are quite natural. It doesn't contain suff like mica and TiO2, which many other eye creams (low end or high end) typically have. I know our makeup contains those but do we need them in an eye contour moisturiser? Price is OK if you buy it in New Zealand (you get a 20ml tube for about NZ$40).
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Primer/ Corrector -Biotherm - White Detox Makeup Base
ice_tea 7/28/2007 2:52:00 AM
This review is for the White Detox Corrective Makeup Base Instant Whitening Effect (with white texture). It does make your skin look whiter. What can I say... lol. If you are after "gothic" or similar makeup styles, this is the product for you! Also the purple one is probably suitable too as it can correct sallow skintone. It leaves my skin matte and keeps it matte all day long. It contains Mexoryl SX and Mexoryl XL, is SPF 25 and PA++ but I don't think you should use it as a sunscreen (due to unsufficient protection and usual application amount). The whitening effect can be really over the top so a little bit is enough (will look fake and greyish on darker skinned people). It's quite expensive even if I bought it at a Duty Free Shop. Yet I am quite happy with it. Note it doesn't have any coverage so you need to use a foundation and/or concealer over it. PS: I checked the ingredient list. This one does not have oxybenzone, unlike the SPF50/PA+++ one. :)
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Pressed Powders -Bourjois - Pastel Teint Essentiel - Rose
ice_tea 7/27/2007 10:22:00 PM
This powder is suitable for light/fair skintone but NOT super fair skintone. It used to be the lightest shade but Bourjois has a lighter shade now. I am sure you can use this to set your makeup or as a pressed powder. It's transluscent and gives me a velvetly matte finish. Don't get me wrong, it is not drying. What's more, it makes the pores on my nose less visible (I am using a sheer foundation, which doesn't cover pores). I haven't used any other powder or foundation that could do so without looking fake. I have found my HG powder. The packaging is cute too.
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Liquid -MAC - Select Tint SPF 15 ] [DISCONTINUED]
ice_tea 7/27/2007 7:26:00 PM
This tint is a great winter foundation for me. It is moisturising yet not greasy. My sunscreen (La Roche Posay UVIDEA XL SPF50) can be really matte and makes my skin look dry (I don't mean *really* drying out my skin though). Putting this on top kinda balances that out. My face doesn't turn very shiny at the end of the day. But I am not sure whether it will if I use this in summer though. I have been used it for about 2 weeks and haven't broken out from it yet. Doesn't provide much coverage. However, I use concealer over it so it's fine. Woud recommend it for people with good and not overly oily skin. The only drawback is that the colour selection is a bit limited. But it's sheer and blends well, so it probably doesn't matter if you use a bit lighter or darker shade. It comes in a 50ml bottle. You get more than the average 30ml high end brand foundation for the price (not cheap though).
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