Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock spf 55
ilymed2 3/6/2012 5:58:00 AM
I use retin-a and spend a lot of time outside in the summer. Always looking for sunscreens for the pool and to wear under makeup. Found a few sunscreens which work for the pool but virtually nothing to use as a makeup base. Discovered this towards the end of last summer and it might be the one. At least the one I wear under my makeup in the summer. Pro: -No balling/pilling under makeup. -High SPF. -No white cast, although my skin is light to begin with. -Great texture after applied. Many others are sticky or feel heavy. -Dries rapidly. -Leaves a smooth silky, matte finish. -Didn't sting. --------------------------------------------------- Cons: -Might be too harsh for those with sensitive skin. -Some say it's expensive, but if it remains comparable to luxury brands it seems reasonably priced. Would be a 5 if it were also ideal for swimming. Will update if I experience a change of heart, or find something better. I know how difficult a good cost effective sunscreen is to find.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Jicky
ilymed2 3/6/2012 5:28:00 AM
For me it is lavender, powder, citrus, musk with some slight sweetening at dry-down. I have a few masculine leaning fragrances in my collection, so Jicky's slight musky edge is actually welcome. This isn't your usual bombshell fragrance, more like the sexiness that comes when a women is confident with or without the lipstick. I find myself reaching for Jicky at the end of the day, it calms and comforts me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Tom Ford - Violet Blonde
ilymed2 3/6/2012 4:31:00 AM
Well done slight soft powder, true violet open. Violet takes a back seat to jasmine and a touch of fruit with creamy earthiness underneath. Not nearly as heady as Black Orchid, more mid-range projection. Screams class, elegance, sophistication at me; something I hope to pull off on occasion. Makes me wish cashmere, khakis and pearls were more of my thing. Great silage, ok longevity (4-5 hours). Lovely fall weather scent.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Illamasqua - Freak
ilymed2 3/6/2012 4:04:00 AM
Familiar with and like most of the notes, loved the concept, so I thought this fragrance was a no-brainer. The smell attracts and repulses me. When spray it, I cannot stop sniffing my wrists! Have trouble picking out individual dark notes, although I do catch whiffs of synthetic, masculine musk-cologne with an unique metallic opening. Within 30 minutes something powdery, fruity/berry, floral sets in. Initially it seems male and female fragrances have been clumsily pushed together making something….well….wearable. Great longevity and silage. The feminine essence comes out on top after dry down; too bad it settles almost generic. End result is not terribly unique, certainly not sophisticated. I do admit reaching for it when I'm in an odd sort of mood. Can only see this as a cold weather scent. Bottle is lovely, even if it takes up a bit of counter real estate. I go back and forth over whether I would have purchased if not for the bottle and fantastic marketing campaign.
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Loose Powders -E.L.F. - Studio High Definition Powder
ilymed2 3/5/2012 5:00:00 AM
A little goes a long way and gives a soft focused look when used as finishing powder. Seems to reduce look of fine lines and pores. Overuse could come out a bit powdery but has never gone cakey on me. Seemed the same as MUFE HD Powder at a fraction of the price. Uses: -Buff small amount with kabuki brush over bbcream/tinted moisturizer/foundation to cut shine. -With a small round brush I sweep a tiny amount on top of my eye concealer. Keeps it in place without sinking into lines. -After applying lipstick/lipliner/gloss, with small brush sweep powder just above lip-line/lipstick to sharpen the line and keep lip products from traveling. -If foundation seems a tad dark this helps lighten a bit. -Sets foundation on legs. Seems to keep foundation on legs without transfer better than other powders. Very useful for back of knees. ------------------------------ Problems: -Use with caution in photographs. -Can be too drying for some skin types. I can't use on flakey skin days. -Might give white cast to darker skin tones. -Too much looks ghastly. -Not great with bronzed looks. As others said, leave sticker on sifter and poke a few holes through the tape/sifter so product doesn't come out too rapidly. Apply clear tape and poke holes through it, if you've already removed sticker. I turn container over with top on and use the little bit of product left behind in the top to avoid using too much.
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Bioderma - Sensibio H2O (aka Crealine H20 Solution micellaire)
ilymed2 3/4/2012 7:17:00 AM
Tried others but they've always been too harsh on my dry, sensitive skin and didn't manage to take off mascara. This product almost feels as gentle as water and thoroughly removes makeup. A bit expensive to get here but worth it. Hope they never reformulate this one!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Face Touch Up Stick
ilymed2 3/4/2012 6:20:00 AM
Have warm ivory, which works for summer (NC20-25) but seems a tad dark in winter (NC15-20). Color selection is great/natural and if this were HG material I would purchase a lighter shade, alas it's not. Has a bit of slip, which makes application a breeze, just make sure to powder so it'll stay in place. Coverage isn't the best for me. I only have a few tiny red spots to cover and it takes a bit of effort to make this work. Also doesn't last throughout the day. Does well with minor discoloration, like red around nose. Honestly I want to like this but I never reach for it. Also cannot use under eyes (not marketed as under eye concealer) because it settles into fine lines. I could praise it for being portable, it's thus marketed, but this point doesn't seem a unique feature.
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Powder -Laura Mercier - Mineral Powder SPF 15
ilymed2 3/4/2012 5:31:00 AM
Use when I want to tone down my moisturizer's shininess and have a bit of coverage. Lightly buff into skin with kabuki brush and mist to avoid powdery finish. Generally I cannot tolerate sparkles all over my face, so I was very concerned when I read these complaints from others. Maybe it's because I use a very light layer on my t-zone, but I only get a bit of glowing sheen. This is the only loose mineral powder that didn't go dry and cake up my skin. Also has fantastic lasting power. My color is Real Sand, which seems to work for my winter NC15-20 and summer NC20-25 skin.
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Powder -Laura Mercier - Foundation Powder
ilymed2 3/4/2012 5:06:00 AM
A few years ago I was searching for the perfect tinted moisturizer and powder combination. This powder gave a bit of extra coverage to the light weight foundations I tended to apply. Also didn't settle into pores or fine lines. Used on my t-zone with kabuki brush or sponge applicator provided. Afterward I lightly mist to prevent a cakey/powdery look. I avoided shade No. 2 because I feared it would play-up my skin's pinkness, and used No. 1 in winter and No. 3 in summer. Overall I like this product and it performed as intended. Seems more suited to oily-normal skin types, and now I prefer more of a dewy finish than this allows. Unfortunately I do not like the compact's plastic, bulky, and easily scratched design. Not exactly something I liked keeping in my purse, which is probably why I barely use it now.
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Lip Treatments -Smith's Rosebud Salve - Smith's Rosebud Salve
ilymed2 3/4/2012 4:16:00 AM
Balm is housed in a beautiful, old fashion, tin container. Did not like using my finger to smooth on. As others have noted, seemed like overpriced, tinted, scented Vaseline. Wanted to love it just couldn't get past how much like Vaseline it was. I have never been a fan of Vaseline. Maybe it's flashbacks from when my kid used it as a hair mousse and carpet/wall cleaner.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Carmex - LipBalm
ilymed2 3/4/2012 3:14:00 AM
I've read that menthol is actually bad for chapped lips, so I can't explain why this works for me. Feel it's too much for everyday use. I reach for it on the rare occasion my lips are dry and flaky. It seems to smooth and aid healing immediately. Have a love-hate relationship with the jar. I love texture of the product in the Carmex jar but this container seems very unsanitary. Tried the tube form and it just doesn't seem the same.
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Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Dr. Pepper lipsmackers
ilymed2 3/4/2012 2:59:00 AM
ME TOO! Have been using since my teens. Love the subtle tint and flavor. Mistake proof application without of mirror.
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Treatments -Christian Dior - Capture Totale One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum
ilymed2 3/4/2012 2:35:00 AM
Initially I was in love with this product and considered it worth the high price. Brightened, smoothed, and slightly tightened my skin. Also seemed to reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines. Needed to moisturize over product but the wonderful skin improvements lasted all day. Towards the end of my first bottle the dramatic skin improvement seemed to lessen. Took time off from product, as expected skin lost much of the improvements. As I've discovered with all serums of this nature, the effects last only as long as it's used. I have noticed my skin usually needs little breaks from these sorts of serums for them to work properly. Overall I like it and will continue to purchase with realistic expectations.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Physicians Formula - Shimmer Strips Gel Creamliner (all)
ilymed2 3/4/2012 2:02:00 AM
Have several sets and for the most part am satisfied. Some of the colors aren't very pigmented, especially the lighter ones. Great price, long lasting, and smooth application. Like the stack-able concept but a few of the tops don't/won't fit correctly and eyeliners dried out. Gave a few to my Asian friend who couldn't use them without experiencing lid color transfer. Sometimes I think Physicians Formula is too expensive for a drugstore brand but not in the case. Can manage the few negatives for this reasonable price and such fun colors .
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Pressed Powders -Guerlain - Meteorites Illuminating and Mattifying Pressed Powder Compact
ilymed2 3/4/2012 1:42:00 AM
Initially loved this compact but…. THE GOOD: -Lovely light scent. -Great size and weight for purse. -Silky texture. -Worked great with my dry skin (only used on t-zone). -A bit of coverage without cake-like appearance. -02 Teint Beige looked great on my summer (NC20) skin…at first* --------------------------- THE BAD: -Expensive. -Plastic casing felt cheap. -Closure clasp, which was plastic, broke. It was always stored in the velvet pouch and not abused. -*Oxidized in a few hours. Still looking for a powder compact that gives the same finish as this, without the oxidation and cheap casing. Any suggestions?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No