Moisturizers -Boscia - Tsubaki Beauty Oil
izzybella 5/6/2013 1:54:00 PM
I was so excited when this product came on the market and hoped this would be my HG beauty oil but I'm not thrilled. I've used it for the past month, on and off, because I would break out the next day after using it. I would stop using it for a few days, then resume, and the zits would come back. You don't need much, maybe a drop or two to cover the entire face, but to be honest, something in this makes my skin itch. It smells like lychee and the pink bottle is really pretty but it's too heavy for my combo skin. As a hair oil it's a bit heavy for my fine hair. It would probably work best for me as a few drops added to my body moisturizer, but that seems wasteful for a $46 product. If you have dry skin and hair, this will probably work better for you than it did for me. I wish all Boscia products smelled this good though!
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Treatments -Frederic Fekkai - PrX Reparatives Mask
izzybella 4/22/2013 6:23:00 PM
I'm torn about this mask. I like that it makes my hair look soft and fluffy, but it 1) makes me break out on my neck in hard, under-the-skin pimples (gross); 2) my hair is more prone to breakage after I use this, even if I only use it 1-2x/week, and 3) my scalp feels drier but my hair feels greasier when I use this mask. This is a pretty standard reaction to hair products with keratin, but YMMV.
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Moisturizers -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Argan Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil
izzybella 2/27/2013 7:11:00 PM
This was sold out at my local Sephora so I had to settle for a sample, which ended up being for the better. I don't love this, but I don't dislike it either. It's just not as great as I expected based on the overwhelmingly positive online reviews and the youtube promo video.
I'm a huge fan of using pure argan oil as an all over moisturizer, but this product (is it an oil? is it a cream?) just didn't wow or grow on me. It smells like the scrub in the Olay microdermbrasion kit (citrusy like oranges) and reminds me of lemon curd or chicken grease due to the yellowish color. Depending on the temperature, it's either watery or will solidify into a balm. I used this on my face and hands as a night time moisturizer and as a lip balm and it was a decent moisturizer but I haven't noticed any "tightening" of my facial contours like the stock description claims. My skin, while moisturized, didn't seem any more luminous than it would using any other moisturizer. I wouldn't use this during the day because it's too greasy to function as a facial moisturizer or cuticle/hand cream. I also tried this as a hair oil and it was okay, nothing special. It's also not moisturizing enough for dry winter heels. Sorry to be a downer but I just wasn't a fan of this. My sample is lasting forever though, so the full size tube of this will probably last a long time.
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Conditioner -Avalon Organics Botanicals - Grapefruit & Geranium Conditioner
izzybella 2/1/2013 2:50:00 PM
I'm a big fan of grapefruit scents and love the Avalon Organics grapefruit geranium shampoo. The conditioner I'm on the fence. My last bottle had a better consistency to it - my current bottle has the consistency of paste! They recently reformulated it so that it's more sustainable, and as a result the texture of this conditioner is really odd. When I apply it after shampooing my hair, it literally melts and disappears into my hair, and I feel like I have to use a lot just to detangle my ends. Fortunately, it rinses out easily. This isn't the greatest conditioner, but because I love the scent of Avalon Organic's grapefruit geranium products I'll keep rebuying until I find something better.
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Shampoo -Avalon Organics Botanicals - Grapefruit & Geranium Shampoo
izzybella 2/1/2013 2:46:00 PM
This is my favorite "natural" shampoo. I'm a big fan of grapefruit scented products, and this one smells like grapefruit without being cloying or chemically. It rinses out easily and leaves my hair soft and manageable when paired with the matching conditioner, but I have to say that I like the shampoo much better than the conditioner. Since I like the scent, I keep rebuying even though I can only find it online.
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Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Cream
izzybella 1/18/2013 2:14:00 PM
How have I not yet reviewed this cream? This is a year-round staple for me. It's super emollient but not greasy and I love that it's unscented so no smells linger on my clothes if I get dressed after using this. I usually use this after showering and my skin stays soft all day long. Costco sells this and occasionally has a $2-3 off coupon.
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Styling Products -Bumble & Bumble - Styling Lotion
izzybella 1/17/2013 1:09:00 PM
It's a bit odd to call this a lotion when it's a liquid that comes in a spray bottle but it really does make my hair look amazing. I used it this morning on dry hair before flat ironing and my hair looks shiny, full of body, and feels soft and healthy. Love the results this product delivers but I can see how continued use can lead to buildup or dryness, so I don't use it every day and use a clarifying shampoo 1-2x/week to remove product buildup.
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Lip Treatments -Boscia - Jujube Salve Stick
izzybella 1/16/2013 12:48:00 PM
I love this, but why is it out of stock at so many places and so hard to find? I'm worried that this has been discontinued or something! It's scent-free and flavorless, and super moisturizing. I wear this under lipstick and whenever my lips are feeling dry. You can also use it elsewhere, but I like to keep my lip products lips-only if that makes sense. If I can no longer find this I'll be very sad, but I do think $18 is a steep for what this is.
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Styling Products -Bumble & Bumble - Styling Creme
izzybella 1/14/2013 1:47:00 AM
I swapped for this without any expectations but I ended up liking this more than I thought I would! I apply a dime/nickel sized amount to towel-dried hair before blow drying, This is great for styling my hair and giving it some lift. It isn't too heavy for my fine hair, which was a concern of mine when I saw its paste-like consistency. I've also tried it on dry hair but I think I like it better when I use it while heat styling to get more volume.
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Shampoo -Phyto - Phytokeratine 
izzybella 1/11/2013 2:42:00 PM
I was kind of reluctant to try this shampoo, because I've heard that using too many keratin based hair products can actually make your hair more dry, brittle, and prone to breakage, which is ironic because some keratin can strengthen your hair. My hair is halfway down my back, fine, uncolored, slightly wavy and in overall pretty good condition with some split ends caused by heat styling. This made my hair tangled and knotty, even when paired with a moisturizing conditioner (Costco/Kirkland's moisturizing conditioner), which usually leaves my hair soft and manageable. Overall, this made my hair feel drier than usual, although I think it was also a bit straighter. I used up my sample packet over a handful of shampoos, but I would not recommend this shampoo. It smells just like the Phytokeratine treatment which is part of the same line.
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Moisturizers -Nude Skincare - Replenishing Night Oil
izzybella 1/3/2013 5:52:00 PM
I've been using this oil on and off for the past week. It's a great moisturizer on its own, even on skin that's been feeling parched due to cold weather and excessive indoor heating. It has a nice plant-based scent, hard to describe but if you've used any other oils (argan, jojoba, etc.) it smells similar to those. However, I don't find it this oil to be that different from or better than a bottle of pure argan oil, which is more readily available and nearly scent-free. I also find this oil to be GROSSLY overpriced, especially considering that corn oil is pretty high up on the list of ingredients. This oil plumps up and moisturizes my skin but hasn't done anything in terms of evening out my complexion. I think if I hadn't been a regular user of argan oil before trying this I would've been more impressed.
Ingredients from Sephora.com (appears to be different from ingredients listed in 2010 review below):
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Commiphora Mukul Resin Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Vanillin, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rapeseed Glycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alcohol, Bht, Ci 75120 (Annatto)
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Shampoo -Sexy Hair Concepts - Volumizing Dry Shampoo
izzybella 12/22/2012 11:55:00 AM
This is not bad for a dry shampoo! I like the scent, which is so much better than the chemically scent of the Psssssst! dry shampoo I usually use. I find that this adds a bit of lift to the roots and does a good job of absorbing oil. It has a tendency to spray on pretty white, which on my dark hair I have to be careful to comb out completely, but overall this is a good dry shampoo.
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Sunscreen -Clarins - UV Plus HP Day Screen High Protection SPF 40
izzybella 12/16/2012 2:43:00 PM
This is a great sunscreen for daily use. I used to be a fan of La Roche Posay's Anthelios sunscreen but I think this sunscreen from Clarins may have replaced it as my current favorite. It absorbs quickly, has a pleasant scent, and is non-greasy. I'm currently using a sample but I'm definitely putting this on my shopping list when I run out.
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Liquid -Shu Uemura - Face Architect Smooth Fit Fluid Foundation
izzybella 12/13/2012 4:53:00 PM
I received this foundation from a generous MUAer and have been using it for the past week. I like the finish, it's heavier in coverage than the tinted moisturizer I usually use but it still looks natural. I would classify this as a medium coverage foundation. No problems with it breaking up on my skin by the end of the day - I had that problem with the now discontinued cream Face Architect foundation from a few years ago. I'm currently using shade 774 and it's a pinch too light for me, but I think as winter wears on my tan will fade more and it'll become a better match. I'd repurchase in a darker shade.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara
izzybella 12/13/2012 12:24:00 PM
I was expecting a lot more out of this mascara, because I've seen some people's photos of them wearing it and their lashes look amazing. On me, not so much. Initially it seemed to lengthen, but in terms of volumizing I prefer the L'oreal Voluminous line of mascaras (in the gold tube) because it holds a curl (and hence, the volume) better. My lashes seem a little floppy wearing this mascara. I wouldn't repurchase.
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