Treatments -Kiehls - drawing paste with azulene
justcait 6/30/2012 8:54:00 AM
I love this stuff. I get occasional spots, and also ingrown hairs, and it's amazing at drawing out the infection and clearing it. It doesn't control oil, but then that's not what it's for - it seems to somehow bring the infection to the surface so it speeds up spot healing. It's not cheap, but one pot lasts for ages and I don't mind paying for the results I get from this.
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
justcait 6/30/2012 4:48:00 AM
This review is for using benetint as a lip tint, not a blush (I don't use blush, I have skin that's quite prone to redness all on its own without help from blusher). I don't see the point of this as a lip tint. It goes on looking lovely, a natural red rosy glow. And about 5 seconds later it's gone. So, if I wanted to apply it every 10 minutes I'm sure it would continue to look great, but I can't be bothered especially as the packaging isn't that handbag friendly. It might be because I have quite pink lips to start with, so the effect isn't that noticeable so as soon as it fades I might as well not have it on. And the brush is VERY ticklish on my lips and if I use fingers it doesn't seem to apply properly. For the price, there are other better lip tints out there.
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Lips -Stila - Pomegranate Crush Lip and Cheek Stain
justcait 6/30/2012 4:44:00 AM
This is a GREAT lip tint. I've tried so many of them, and lots of them either leave your lips feeling unnaturally sticky, or are freakish colours. Pomegranate Crush gives a fantastic 'my lips but better' colour, and it's really easy to apply - it doesn't dry too quickly so you can get the colour evenly applied, it layers if you want more colour and it doesn't dry out my (very very dry) lips. It lasts for quite a long time as well - not all day, and lip balm / eating will remove it, but it certainly lasts longer than any lipstick I've ever tried and compares well with other lip tints for staying power. The packaging, I admit, is a bit fiddly but not bad enough to turn me off the product - there isn't an instant dispense after you turn the end to bring more tint into the brush so you need to work out how to get a constant flow into the brush - basically if you turn it a couple of times every time you use it, there is always some near the end of the brush and you get a consistent flow of product. If you turn it too much you get a massive gloop into the brush, if you don't turn it every time you get a gap in the flow and then you have to create a gloop to get it flowing again. But once you figure it out it's not that hard to use.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Burt's Bees - Tinted Lip Balm
justcait 6/30/2012 4:37:00 AM
The normal Burt's Bees lip balm (both pot and stick) do nothing for my very dry lips, but I wanted a tinted lip balm that wasn't pink or orange so I tried this (Yes To Carrots, I'm sorry, I wanted to love you but your red is too orangey). So, enter Burt's Bees tinted lip balm. I really like it - it's a great colour (Red Dahlia) which leaves a natural-looking 'my lips but better' colour, just a slight hint of colour because it's quite sheer. AND it actually makes my lips less dry, so it wins on function as well as form.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Darphin - Hydraskin Intensive Moisturizing Serum
justcait 6/30/2012 4:01:00 AM
My skin hates this product. It gives me itchy red patches. I don't know which of the ingredients I'm allergic to, but given the fact that it did absolutely nothing to improve the tightness in my dry skin (and I did persist - I used it consistently for a month) I don't see the point in putting up with the irritation it causes, particularly not at this price.
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Treatments -LUSH - Jasmine & Henna Fluff Eaze Hair Treatment
justcait 6/30/2012 3:55:00 AM
I use this hair treatment as my regular conditioner every time I wash my hair because my hair is quite long and fine and gets split ends very easily. It's amazing - it leaves my hair super shiny, sleek and manageable, not frizzy and fly-away as it can be sometimes. It's also not very alkaline, so it doesn't give me dandruff as many drugstore brands tend to. And it smells nice :o) The way I use it, as a conditioner for my normal wash, the pot lasts for a couple of months, which makes it more cost effective than the suggestion on the pack (which is to use a whole pot for one deep condition) - you really don't need as much as LUSH say you do, and I have a LOT of hair. I'm on my 3rd pot and I will definitely re-purchase.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Anita Grant Organic Carrot & Wheat Germ Cleansing Oil (Unscented)
justcait 6/30/2012 3:48:00 AM
I LOVE this cleanser. It gets all my makeup off easily, it's completely natural with no nasty additives that upset my skin and it keeps my skin in good condition, without drying it out or making me break out... It does need super hot water and a wash cloth to remove it properly but it explains that clearly on the package. And it does sting my eyes a little bit, so some care is needed when removing eye makeup. For the price I haven't found any other natural cleanser that works as well.
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Cleansers -Eve Lom - Morning Time Cleanser
justcait 6/30/2012 3:44:00 AM
This cleanser is ok. It removes my makeup reasonably successfully, although still with a bit of scrubbing required to get the eye shadow out from between my eyelashes. It doesn't make me break out, provided I remove it with really hot water and a wash cloth (cold water leaves a greasy residue). It doesn't leave my skin feeling dry. It doesn't sting my eyes or make my skin itchy. But it's just not as spectacular as the price would suggest. It doesn't do anything to make my skin less prone to dryness or occasional spots, and it's not particularly pleasant to apply (very greasy in texture - as if it has beeswax in it). And the packaging is quite annoying - although the product is easy to dispense out of the bottom of the tube, the tube stands on the same end as you dispense and you can't get the product out cleanly without leaving some on the tube, so it gets dirty and messy unless you wipe it every time you use it. If it was half the price I'd re-purchase, but at this price I won't buy it again.
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Cleansers -LUSH - Angels on Bare Skin
justcait 9/4/2011 12:57:00 PM
I absolutely love Angels on Bare Skin. It makes my skin feel so good - cleansed and fresh without feeling dry, and no breakouts whatsoever. The smell isn't for everyone, but I like it. The only downside is it doesn't remove eye make up, but I'm not taking a lippie off for that, because it has so many other good points.
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Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - They're Real
justcait 9/4/2011 12:52:00 PM
I was a bit cynical when I first tried this, because mascaras that volumise normally make me look like a prostitute. But I was pleasantly surprised. The brush is really easy to use, and it makes my lashes look long and defined, without being too thick. The downsides: It dries very stiff and very quickly which means two layers is not an option, and I can feel it when I blink (which is annoying) plus I'm not convinced that it's worth the money. Also, because it does dry so quickly, getting it to unclump is a bit of a challenge - I usually have to clean up with a separate dry brush straightaway (or wipe the mascara wand pre-application so not too much goes on) otherwise I get stuck together lashes.
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Skincare - Face -Liz Earle - Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
justcait 9/4/2011 12:44:00 PM
So many people rave about this cleanser, so I gave it a try. Now, having almost finished the standard size bottle, I'm not going to use it again. I've done everything properly - dry hands and face, massage it on my face, really hot water on a clean cloth to remove it, etc etc, but no joy. My skin looks worse than it did before I started using it - it used to be clear and now I get regular breakouts and much more redness. Also, it's no good at removing make up- I have to use a separate eye make up remover and all I wear is mascara and eye-liner...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
justcait 9/4/2011 12:37:00 PM
I REALLY wanted to like this - I've seen so many amazing reviews and people swear by it. But it doesn't work. I had to use a bucketload of primer under it to stop my pores from looking huge, it always looks powdery even when I use a small amount and blend and blend with the brush (and yes, I'm doing the swirl and tap and blend thing, and the brush is the proper Bare Minerals brush, which was over-priced), plus it makes my skin itchy and red. And the palest colour is still a touch too dark for my very fair skin. So, sadly, given the price, I've stopped using it.
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