Liquid -Lancome - Renergie Lift Makeup SPF 20
jo515 8/10/2010 10:15:00 PM
Wow. What a tremendous product. I have very pale, sensitive, fussy, sometimes-oily, sometimes-dry, acne-prone skin that's difficult to please. There are several foundations I like well enough (Bobbi Brown Natural Finish in Porcelain, Laura Mercier Silk Creme in Soft Ivory, MAC Studio Sculpt in NC 15), but the BB provides less coverage than I'd like, the LM breaks me out with daily use, and the MAC, for whatever reason, just doesn't agree with my skin. Lancome's Renergie Lifting Foundation in shade Porcelain 10 (NC) scores high on every mark with me. Perfect color match, glorious silky texture, endurance, sunscreen, full coverage, and absolutely no breakouts. This is my first Lancome purchase (bought in tandem with the Dual Finish powder--I'm a bit more on the fence about this one), but it will not be my last. I feel like I've wasted years of time, money, and attention on Chanel, BB, LM, and Nars. Who knew?!?!?! (Apparently many people but me.) Buy this. Particularly if you seek a medium/full coverage foundation and have tough-to-please skin that seems to waver between dry and moderately oily.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Sally Hansen - Inspired By Carmindy Natural Beauty Your Skin Makeup ] [DISCONTINUED]
jo515 8/30/2009 11:45:00 AM
Wow. I'm impressed. I am extremely fair and, up to now, have found myself shut out of the drugstore foundation/powder market--and, unfortunately, much of the department store market, BB (porcelain stick), MAC (NC15), and Chanel (Mat Lumiere Porcelaine) excepted. But the tone of those pricey foundations always was a bit 'off'--either too yellow or too pink, never 'just right' (and some--sorry, MAC--were just plain awful to use and induced acne hell). Carmindy and Sally Hansen have produced a smash hit. A perfectly neutral uber-pale shade that seems tailor made for my skin. Unbelievable. The coverage is medium to full (a bit lighter when mixed with my moisturizer), doesn't break me out, provides a nice matte (but not dry) finish, and stays true (and keeps the oilies in check) all day.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Avon - Anew Alternative Intensive Age Treatment [DISCONTINUED]
jo515 7/9/2009 9:47:00 PM
Oh my good gracious, Avon. (Who knew?!?!?) I turned 30, and all acne-hell broke loose. I tried retinol, salicylic acid, and alpha-hydroxy products, and even a hideously expensive product (SK-II) derived from fermented yeast (how desperate the search!)--all in an effort to fight the nagging breakouts that tracked my chin, forehead, and jawline. Nothing helped. Retinol products made my skin angry and produced more breakouts, and the acids didn't do a darn thing. Desperate, I leafed through an Avon catalog and came upon this product. I've used it twice daily, every day, for two months, and my skin has never looked or felt better. I've thrown out every other (pretender!) acne-fighter and use this exclusively. I still get the occasional pimple, but they're not as deep, painful, frequent, and lasting as they used to be. Several reviewers have mentioned this, but it's worth repeating. This product should come with a warning: "Brings unsolicited, random compliments." It makes my skin look like airbrushed velvet.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Bobbi Brown - Caviar Ink
jo515 7/9/2009 9:24:00 PM
This is the BB gel eyeliner I've been waiting for. I've used the Black Ink version for several years and briefly flirted (unhappily) with Graphite Shimmer, Black Mauve Shimmer, and Espresso. The Shimmers didn't have sufficient density and staying-power, and none paired well with my ultra-fair skin (maximized the reddish/pinkish hues in my skin, and I ended up looking like I suffered from eye allergies). So, Black Ink it was. Happily, generally, except on days when I didn't get enough sleep. It just seemed a bit harsh. Caviar Ink, though, is everyday perfect. It's a cool-neutral deep brown--a smidge darker and cooler than wet/used coffee grounds and, yes, just like caviar.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Fresh Cream 3-in-1
jo515 3/13/2009 10:20:00 PM
This is heaven. Philosophy disappointed me twice before (by discontinuing the Powdered Sugar Cookie and Lemon Meringue Pie 3-in-1s). They'd better not disappoint me a third time. It smells just like sweet cream ice cream. Absolutely perfect. Subtle, sweet, and comforting. I'm stocking up. Update: OK, not so subtle and sweet anymore. I made it to the bottom of my first bottle and started smelling sour milk. Cloying, nauseating sour milk. I *really* miss Powdered Sugar Cookie and Lemon Meringue Pie.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Cover Girl - Line Exact
jo515 8/20/2007 7:38:00 PM
Application is a breeze, but I wish I'd bought Black instead of Smoke. Smoke dries to a bluish-greenish-grey....significantly less 'neutral' than I was hoping for. Still, I'm impressed with this product; I'll toss the Smoke and purchase the Black.
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Powder -LORAC - wet/dry powder makeup
jo515 5/30/2007 4:09:00 PM
I wear Shade W1 (Porcelain) and couldn't be happier with the shade, tone, texture, and coverage of this product. (I always find it amusing when reviewers "can't imagine" whose skin a shade might fit. Some of us *are* that fair-skinned. In fact, LORAC's powder/foundation is the only powder/foundation that suits my fair skin. Shiseido's Level 100 comes sort of close. MAC's Studiofix works but breaks me out like nobody's business.) The packaging is cheap, but I don't think that's particularly important if the product works. And work it does. I start with a good layer of sunscreen/moisturizer and press the powder/foundation with a sponge onto reddish areas around my nose and mouth. I then dush a light layer of the powder with a brush over my skin. I touch up throughout the day, but the product never looks cakey. SPF would be an added benefit, but its absence won't prevent me from purchasing again. UPDATE: Two years later, I'm still using this stuff and have never strayed. And the packaging is still terrible :)
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Moisturizers -Avene - Hydrance Optimale SPF 15
jo515 1/17/2007 11:13:00 PM
Another rave for this product. It's rare that I repurchase any cosmetic item, color or skincare. I just purchased my third bottle. (Each lasts me approximately 2.5-3 months...daily use over face and sometimes neck.) I have very fair, sensitive, combination skin that is prone to hormonal breakouts. This product has done wonders for my skin....'normalized' it, almost. After six months of continuous use, I'm less oily and less irritated. The delicate scent was slightly off-putting, at first, but I've since taken to it. I no longer notice it. It has a creamy texture that isn't greasy, isn't oily, and doesn't 'sit' on the skin. A real find. An expensive one, but one that I'll continue to repurchase.
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Eye Shadow -Chanel - Dunes Quad
jo515 9/9/2006 12:53:00 PM
Wow. I lovely quad that accents my eyes with soft, neutral, lovely color. Other reviewers have described the colors well. I'll emphasize only that the matte brown shade is a cool coffee tone--not a hint of red (perfect for my ultra-fair--MAC NW15--skin, which can look sick and allergied in too-warm browns). I use a very light sweep of the peach tone as a base, the slivery-taupe as a crease color, the cool matte brown as a liner, and a very light sweep of the ecru as a finishing/blending shade over everything. (I also add the shimmery white shade from the Influences quad to the inner corners of my eyes.) I can't say enough good stuff about Chanel eyeshadows--and this quad in particular. Expensive but a must-buy for those who want to look lovely and natural.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Everyday Minerals - Foundation Matte Formula
jo515 7/8/2006 7:44:00 PM
I've spent a lot of money trying to find the perfect mineral foundation. Bare Escentuals wasn't light enough (even its newest very light shade wasn't right for my skin), itched, and did an eerie, ugly corn-on-the-cob thing to my skin (my pores looked like craters!). I then tried Jane Iredale (both the loose powder and pure pressed) but found the finish too "glowy." Enter Everyday Minerals. I purchased the sample kit earlier this week and have been using the Matte Foundation in Fair. It's absolutely perfect for my skin--in tone, shade, and finish. It offers more coverage than JI's foundations but avoids BE's crater-effect. It matches my ultra-fair (barely MAC NC15) skin perfectly and doesn't change as it mixes with the oils in my skin. The finish, also, is perfectly matte but not dull. No breakouts, no irritation. I think I've finally (!) found my HG (and will definitely be purchasing the regular-size product when my samples run out). Update 1/18/07: I repurchased and (still) love it.
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Moisturizers -Eucerin - Redness Relief Perfecting Lotion with spf 15
jo515 5/15/2006 5:30:00 PM
An unqualified rave for this product. I had a terrible experience with LRP's Rosaliac (made my skin feel tight and dry and even made the bumps and redness worse), so I gave this product a try last week. It's just perfect for my skin. But--and it's a big "but"--I am extremely pale. I'm barely a MAC NW 15, and no other product lines offer a foundation that's light enough for me. So, the whitish cast that this product *does* leave doesn't bother me in the least. In fact, I really like it. It makes my skin look smooth, uniform, matte, and even. It's so wonderful! And it doesn't break me out. Overall, the perfect daytime moisturizer for me. 1/18/07 update: I've since switched to Avene's Hydrance Optimale spf 15. The Eucerin just wasn't moisturizing enough for me.
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Moisturizers -La Roche Posay - Rosaliac
jo515 5/15/2006 5:26:00 PM
I had very high hopes for this product, as I like the other LRP (sunscreen) products I've tried. But it did little to help my easily-irritated, redness-prone, ultra-pale, acne-prone skin. In fact, my skin always felt *more* irritated after I used it. I always applied it sparingly, and only at night, in my redness-prone areas (cheeks, chin). But I'd wake up with tight, dry, taut skin. The bumps and redness also looked worse. I gave it a week and then gave up. I've since found Eucerin's Redness Relief Daily Perfecting Lotion (spf 15), and my skin's in heaven. The problem with Rosaliac, I think, is the amount of alcohol in it: Alcohol Denat. and Cetyl Alcohol are among the top ingredients. The Eucerin lotion contains Alcohol Denat., but it's much lower on the ingredient list. Plus, it has soothing glycerin. Won't buy the LRP product again.
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Treatments (Eye) -Philosophy - Hope in a Tube - High Density Eye and Lip Firming Cream
jo515 5/13/2006 4:08:00 PM
I love the texture of this product, but my skin doesn't react well to it. I used it without a problem on my combination, acne-prone skin for about three weeks (once daily). And then the mayhem began. I have pimples on my eyelids, pimples in my inner eye area, and pimples in my upper cheekbone/temple area. I am no longer using the cream and feel angry that I spent so much money on it.
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Liquid -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17
jo515 5/6/2006 9:29:00 PM
Perfect shade (W1) and perfect texture, but I think it's breaking me out. I'm definitely not a "warm"--I'm ultra fair (a MAC NC 15), prone to redness and breakouts on my cheeks, and look better in whites and pastels than warm browns, yellows, and greens--but WI looks much better on me than C1 (too dark, wrong tone) and N1 (perfect tone but, again, too dark). Very strange. I will continue to spot-use it on places I don't typically break out (around my nose and mouth), as it evens out my redness really well. FYI: If you're a W1, none of the True Match powders and concealers will work for you. The tone is right, but they're much too dark. Thought I'd warn you before you spend any money...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Powder
jo515 5/6/2006 9:20:00 PM
The appropriate powder for my foundation shade (W1) was much too dark. Very strange. It also turned orange on me. Went right in the trash. A shame, as it felt lovely and silky on. (Luckily, I got it free with purchase of the foundation at my local grocery store.)
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