BB Cream -Clinique - Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30
jadedgal05 1/16/2013 10:40:00 AM
I LOVE this product! It has absolutely become my go to, cannot be without, desert island beauty product! For starters, the coverage & it does have nice, beautiful coverage, is perfect! If I'm just out running errands I'll put this on with a little powder & go. It evens my skin out that well. It works beautifully under makeup & I've actually shelved some of my favorite primers for just this product. Though my favorite combo for makeup primer is my Clinique BB cream, shade 1 & Benefits, That Gal brightening primer. I mix the products, 2 parts BB cream to 1 part That Gal & WOW, it's a pretty finish! Although I'd only recommend this formula for gals with a fair to light skin tone, preferably 1 with a little rosiness to it, because the Benefit That Gal is a pinkish color. But whether mixed with That Gal OR alone, I love this BB cream product! The texture is light, not greasy or filmy feeling. I understand how some of you say it feels greasy, the SPF in any product can do that but in this BB cream it's no more of a texture than other SPF products for the face but the BB cream doesn't have the stickiness or smell a lot of SPF products for the face do. The product when you squeeze it onto your fingers might look really luminizing, but it's not, no sparkling here & it leaves the skin with a nice natural skin finish that's perfect alone or under makeup. The product is light enough to feel weightless but substantial enough to cut MY facial skin (red hair, VERY PALE skin) redness. I love that this is fragrance free & comes in a squeeze tube, not a pump. I can definitely say that my skin does feel & look better after using since February 2012. I've been using the same bottle since then & am only now about to completely run out. A little goes a long way! The SPF 35 is great & the formula doesn't feel heavy like a lot of creams of any kind that have high SPF. If your in the market for a BB cream, this one is great! You won't be disappointed! YES, I will be buying again:)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Curel - Itch Defense Skin Balancing Moisture Lotion
jadedgal05 11/8/2012 12:11:00 PM
I LOVE THIS LOTION! I have psoriasis & eczema. My skin can go from okay to horrible in no time. My problem areas are my legs, from knee to ankle, especially the shin area, upper legs, on the outer thigh & scalp. I suffer with this year round, but its especially bad in the cooler months. On my elbows I tend to have outbreaks but only in the winter months, during the summer in fine on the elbows. Before I was diagnosed I had no idea WTF was going on?!?!? I've always had to deal with the roughness & itchiness on my elbows, but my legs? It started one fall after shaving. I shaved as usual, put on lotion, went to bed. I was woken a few hours later with my legs itching like there were covered in fire ant bites. I scratched & scratched, applied cortisone & scratched some more until FINALLY the itching abated, I went back to sleep. Things progressively got worse to the point that cortisone didn't help, I would scratch my legs until they bled in my half asleep state. I have scars on my shins, knees & calves to show for it. I've used antihistamine pills, cortisone, prescription & OTC, Eucerin itch control & comfort cream, aveeno, basically EVERY itch relief there is. I was looking on MU alley a few months ago & read the Curel itch defense review, I bought it immediately & started using it. This stuff is amazing & I will NEVER be without it! After one application following shaving my legs I didn't have any itch, I use it after every shower regardless of whether or not I shave, on legs, elbows, everywhere! I even use it on my 7 yr old son's back when it gets the winter "itchies" as he calls it. Works like a charm. The lotion is unscented though it does have a slight scent that goes away & does have a thicker texture coating the skin more do than regular lotions so I wouldn't recommend it for a friend who doesn't have eczema or psoriasis b/c the benefits of this product would be lost on them. I read a few reviews where the reviewer was complaining the lotion was too heavy, sitting on the skin, it smelled bad, etc., etc.. If you have normal skin without eczema or psoriasis then YES, this lotion is NOT FOR YOU. The very things you complained about are characteristics that people with eczema or psoriasis HAVE TO HAVE. We need something without added or manufactured scent, something thicker to coat the skin, if a person doesn't need this, they won't like it & shouldn't use it. Better to stick with a lotion NOT marketed/developed for people with eczema or psoriasis. This stuff is cheap, it works if you have year round itchiness from eczema or psoriasis. It's thicker that most lotions but not uncomfortably so, but I'll take it b/c I'd rather wear a heavier lotion than itch myself to death. This product is amazing for people with the following skin conditions: eczema or psoriasis. I will purchase again.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair (Serum)
jadedgal05 11/8/2012 11:13:00 AM
I really REALLY like this product. I've been using it for YEARS. I also use the eye cream in this line, advanced night repair eye & for people with dark circles, puffs AND more dryness around the eyes than most eye cream/gel type products can handle, this eye product is for you! But I digress.... Advanced Night Repair serum has been in the Estée Lauder line as long as I can remember. My grandmother used it religiously & she passed at age 91 w/ glorious, even toned, smooth skin. I use ANR at night only but you can use it during the day. The serum is lightweight, doesn't feel heavy & smooths evenly onto the skin. It has a pleasant scent that comes from the ingredients in the serum, not added fragrance. It's kind of a light citrus-y, botanical smell, not at all overpowering. As stated I use this first, after washing, toning, exfoliating, following with any other skin care, then moisturizer. I have acne prone skin & I'm approaching my 40's so anything to help protect my skin I'm all for! The main thing in this is antioxidant repair, protection from free radicals, etc., etc.. I gave it 5 lippes for how great the product is, my skin even after years of cystic breakouts, smoking & not drinking enough water or getting enough sleep my skin is smooth & even toned, firm around the jawline & circumference of the face. I know this product can't claim ALL the credit but for the 1 st line of defense, free radical & antioxidant damage, you can't beat it. I have it 5 lippes for price, because its not cheap, a 1.0 oz will cost you around 45-50, a 1.7 oz 60-70 range & the 3.4 is knocking at 100 if memory serves. The good news is it really last a long time. I use about 1/4 of a full dropper on my face/neck nightly, about 5 drops. That's all you need! I gave it 4 lippes for packaging quality only b/c I'm not a huge fan of droppers in any skin care & if never fails that towards the end of the bottle you need to angle it & position the dropper "just so" to get the remaining product out. Other than that the package is fine, doesn't leak, pretty durable & the amber color of the bottle helps keep light out so your product stays fresher longer. I read one reviewer state that she didn't care for the serum, that it might work better for only mature skins. In truth it's good for all skins, hers too. The antioxidant protection this product gives will help protect a younger persons skin from free radical damage they CAN'T see now, so I'd disagree that it's just for oldies ;) any one can use it & benefit. People who liked & used Super Line Preventer from the now, defunct Prescriptives, (why Estée Lauder, WHY???) will like Advanced Night Repair, as its virtually the same product packaged differently. Right down to the scent. All I'm all I think this product is a win, I have gone through more than 1 bottle & will repurchase again. As far as I am concerned its the (one & only) shining star in Estée Lauders skin care line.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Unlisted Brand - Nutra Nail - Speed Dry 30 Second Top Coat w/Green Tea Antioxidants
jadedgal05 11/7/2012 1:53:00 PM
Like other reviewers I too was EXTREMELY disillusioned by the amount I was paying for high end top coats. I loved the finish, shine & fast drying capabilities of Seche Vite, Poshe & CND. I DIDN'T love that halfway through the bottle the top coat would thicken to the point of being stringy & almost unusable. I'd used polish thinner before to reconstitute my top coats but depending on which thinner I used, either Poshe or Seche Vite, the results were varied. The Poshe thinner tended to reduce the fast dry capabilities of the topcoat if that makes any sense, whereas the S.V. did not pose this problem but the top coat would thicken again I'm record time. Both instances VERY frustrating. The CND didn't thicken halfway through but the bottle is smaller than Poshe or SV so I'd imagine it wouldn't. I went to my local Walmart to just pick up something, ANYTHING, because I was slap OUT of quick dry top coat. I had intended to buy Sally Hansen instadri but saw the nutra nail on the same shelf. The price difference was less than $0.50 so I debated, ended up buying the Nutra Nail speed dry. I AM SO GLAD I DID. I polished my nails that night using OPI natural nails base coat, followed by 2 coats of Spoiled nail color I'm Bite me, a dark red/burgundy black. After applying the 2nd coat I waited about 4-5 minutes & started with top coat. The brush isn't spectacular but it gets the job done. The texture of the nutra nail top coat is so smooth that when you go over to touch up you don't "ruin" the first coat. A few nails in I did notice that a very slight bit of color was transferring to my topcoat brush (though this has happened with ALL top coats I used, SV & CND included) so I just wiped the brush tip on a paper towel I had under my nail & problem solved! This happened on the 1st hand only, not a problem with the 2nd. After applying the nutra nail top coat I have to say my nails WERE dry to the touch in 60 seconds, completely cured/dried through ALL layers, 2-3 minutes tops & that's really overshooting & being generous with time. Meaning my nails were cured & completely dry in less than that time. I was working on the computer typing out emails & I received no scratches or dents to the polish. I also went to bed about an hour later & NO SHEET MARKS! Today I've been cleaning my house, dusting, doing laundry & dishes, so far NO CHIPS sustained yet. I have on really dark polish so it would be really noticeable if it did chip. Even the tips of my nails still have polished over them. As for the shine, it's pretty shiny, maybe not as much as SV or CND but shiny. On a side note I always used to think my nails looked "thicker" after doing my nails with SV or CND, like too many coats of polish stacked together. With the nutra nail I'm not noticing that though I used the same amount of coats from start to finish. All in all I think this is a winner. I still love CND quick dry (my fave) but the nutra nail has surprised me. Since the nutra nail speed dry is a bigger bottle AND LESS than half the price, I'm converted. If you are a religious SV or CND user I urge you to try this, the amount of dry time between these 2 is negligible unless say doing glitter sandwich, syrup or French tip manicures. For these younger need the super fast curing of SV or CND. But for just polishing with 2 coats nail color & base coat? Grab a bottle of the Nutra Nail Speed Dry top coat, for the price (under $3!!) it's pretty unbeatable.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips lip balm
jadedgal05 11/5/2012 2:31:00 PM
I bought Baby Lips lip balm by Maybelline in Peach Kiss around a year ago & I LOVE IT. The color, smell, the weight of the product on, it's all a win-win. The packaging is vivid, extremely colorful & makes this product easy to find in my makeup bag. I bought Baby Lips because I saw it advertised & was curious....Maybelline had brilliant advertising papering all women's magazines with prominent advertisements. After buying & loving Bany Lips in Peach Kiss I picked up Pink Punch (sheer hot pink w/ a sugary sweet slightly fruity scent), another Peach Kiss (sheer, shimmery peach nude w/ peachy fruity scent), then recently Coral Crush (sheer bright neon-ish orange w/ a soft orange-y fruit scent) & Twinkle (sheer slightly shimmery pale ALMOST clear pink tone w/ a soft lemony, sweet scent). My favorites in terms of USE are Coral Crush, Peach Kiss, Twinkle & Pink Punch. I tend to like nude, apricot or peachy tones on the lips for everyday. If I am going to be wearing bright lip hues I choose them in a matte texture rather than glossy. Our of all the Baby Lips shades I tried, Pink Punch had the highest color payoff. I liked the scent, thought the color was gorgeous, just not on me. As for the "claim" of 8 hour moisturerization made by Maybelline regarding this product I'm thinking MAYBE?Yes, my lips still feel comfortable after the balm wears away & for a few hours after. Maybe this is whet the claim means, that your lips will still be & feel moisturized for 8 hours after consistent & continued use. NOT that the product actually WEARS (meaning stays on your lips 8 hours without touch ups) on your lips for 8 hours. My lips weren't chapped when I started using them but became chapped after the weather changed & I was still pleased with the results. The product texture of Baby Lips when applied, was light, non-greasy, non-sticky & had a pleasant slickness to it. They work well alone or over lip liner, lipstick, lipstain (my favorite, or alone. I never experienced my lips peeling b/c of this product. I will state that IF my lips become super chapped after a cold snap, I will revert to using Fresh Sugar lip balm in clear (nightly) or the Rose tint a few times a week until the worst chapping goes away & then I pick up my baby lips again! Yes, Fresh lip balm is thicker, a little richer application, resulting in fast acting chapped lip care. But it's also expensive while Baby Lips is MUCH, MUCH CHEAPER. I just keep both around. I am still reeling from 1 reviewer saying she thought Baby Lips was better than Fresh Sugar lip balm.....Baby Lips is good, but let's not get carried away. On the whole, I LOVE the Baby Lips shades I have & I will purchase again. I've bought Baby Lips as singles ($3.00) & as a 2 pack ($5.50). So it's a good deal to me. I like that the 2 pack feature 2 VERY different shades & in my case, 2 limited edition shades. Very cool. Bottom Line: If you like sheer lip colors, that deliver a glossy, non-sticky sheen with a light color deposit & a soft scent, then this is for you. It has super cute, old school (very Bonne Bell) bright packaging that makes it easy to locate in your bag AND fun to use. There is no waxy feel to this lip balm, so Chapstick (<---I HATE CHAPSTICK) & Carmex (<-----I hate CARMEX MORE) lovers be warned, this lip balm with its light non-waxy feel, it isn't for you. I WILL buy this again.
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Treatments -Clinique - Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
jadedgal05 10/11/2012 10:53:00 AM
Let me start by saying that I really like Clinique's Even Better serum & under eye treatment. I have VERY pale skin (I have red hair & I can use NW15 by MAC but honestly, if they made a foundation in just NW5 that would be better. Yes, I'm FAIR as HELL) that has been oily all my life. I suffered cystic acne from my teens to my late 20's that required a dermatologists care. Fast forward to now, I'm no longer prone to cystic acne though I do break out occasionally & will suffer for it by means of pimples & blackheads if i get lazy with my skin care routine. The hyper pigmentation I have presents itself as very dark pink spots left behind by anything from an acne breakout or any type of skin injury. Oddly enough I have no freckles on my face whatsoever thanks to diligent use of sunscreen (thanks for starting me out with this awesome habit mom!) starting in infancy to now. The only brown toned freckles I have are on my arms even with religious SPF application. I have been using the Even Better serum for over 6 months on my face/neck area using approximately 2 pumps morning & night. I think this stuff is terrific. Past scars left by break outs have faded to nothingness & any new ones that have popped up don't stand a chance. I use the EB serum with Clinique's 3 step skin care line among other things. At night I remove my makeup with either MAC's Cleanse off oil or Clinique's Take the Day off balm, starting with either on a dry face massaging it all over (eyes included! Just keep them closed & have the water running) & then rinsing with warm water. Make up, even long wearing stands NO CHANCE against either of these as a pre wash. After rinsing my prewash well I use 1 pump of Clinque Liquid soap for Oily skin, follow w/ Clinique clarifying #3 & finishing w/ dramatically different moisturizing GEL. YES. It comes in a gel, not sure how long it's been on the market, but I've been using it at least a year & a half. The gel in the DD moisturizer is best for any oily folks. I'm pointing this out b/c I read where 1 reviewer stated she used the liquid soap, then clarifying 4 followed by the lotion. The lotion is NOT OIL FREE & it will break out an oily/acne prone person in no time. Clinique FINALKY got smart & gave us greasy chicks an oil free version. Try it. You'll love it. After the dramatically different gel I put on 2 advanced night repair serum at night, (during the day I use the repair ware laser focus serum instead) following with 2 pumps of Even Better. Depending on the time of day I use either Total Rescue (night) or Youth Surge (day) also by Clinique. Like all things, EB serum works best when you use it correctly & religiously use SPF. The latter is a MUST b/c those spots/scars/hyper pigmentation, whatever you want to call it, it's not going away permanently, it's there to stay. The only thing the serums/creams do is help stop the overproduction of melanin to the surface so you don't see it anymore. Don't believe me? Try treating hyper pigmentation w/ SPF use, then stop using SPF. Those spots will pop right back up worse than ever. When properly used EB serum will help fade your spots, scars, etc... & it is best if you use it w/ their skin care system. I know, I know. I drank the kool aid. And it was good. See unlike many reviews I've read, I had a great consultant help me. She knew her stuff. She also explained that the 3 step isn't all you do & the dramatically different was not intended to be the only moisturizer you used. The way she put it was step 1, the soap cleanses (obviously), step 2, the toner/clarifying step, it exfoliates (I didn't know this) & step 3 balances your moisture barrier. Meaning, if you're not normal, like most aren't, either oily, acne, sensitive, whatever....your moisture barrier is damaged & can be highly reactive. Using the yellow lotion/gel helps prepare skin for the products that perform the actual repair. And your makeup will look better if you use the 3 step. Trust me, I didn't believe it until my consultant performed the 3 step on 1 hand then applied my color match foundation to the back & blended it in. She put the SAME foundation on my other untreated hand. The difference was very visible & pretty freaking astounding. On the "treated" hand the foundation she had applied looked more natural, more like natural skin. On the untreated hand the same foundation looked like a big smear, even the color looked different & it was the exact same color/formula on the other hand! Next time your near a counter stop & ask about 3 step, have 1 of the girls show you how 3 step affects m/u application & appearance.. It's 1 of those you have to see to believe. I've read many objections about the time 3 step takes. From start to finish, pre-wash to last moisturizer I spend about 5 minutes total. In my opinion that's not an objectionable amount of time to spend to keep my skin looking good. But you have to use it correctly & yes you have to invest not just $$$ but time. It KILLS me that so many people reviewed this & after just a couple of weeks they're like, "nope, it's not working, I'mma gonna return it". Skin renews itself on a 28 day cycle & yet you're not willing to use a product for an entire 28 days? And you wonder why your personal results suck. That's why. The information included in the box leaflet will tell you that you'll see a 1-2 shade improvement on your darkest spots in 4 weeks. Providing you use SPF & the product correctly. Why are so many giving up after a couple of weeks? And if you don't see results, are you really using the product properly? If the answer is yes, then by all means, take that sh#t back. Just b/c it works for me doesn't mean it'll always work for others.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No