Eyeliner -NARS - Stylo/ Nuits Blanches
kelbelle01 10/3/2010 9:56:00 PM
I really wanted to love this product. The application is super easy and the thin tip creates a beautiful line. However, I'm really surprised that nobody else had this problem, it smudges like crazy! Granted I do have slightly oily lids - but I've tried liquid liners from a ton of different lines and this has been the first to smudge to this extent. If you have dry lids - I'd say definitely try this product. If you're someone who shares my trouble, perhaps you ought to investigate another line (or at least keep your receipt for returns!).
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Powder -Borghese - Mineral Loose Powder Foundation 
kelbelle01 5/22/2010 4:26:00 AM
I love this product for a couple of reasons - none of which has to do with coverage. I have very sensitive skin for which I have to use physical sunscreen. Let me tell ya - that stuff leaves your face ghostly white! So to combat the sickly look, after I apply my sunscreen, I dust this mineral powder all over my face and neck. This powder has zinc oxide in it (yay more sun protection!) and is cheap so why not blend it over your neck? It gives me a lovely sunkissed glow that lasts all day. This is on my face when I go for afternoon runs and it still looks good afterwards! Of course it'll come off when you blot your sweat with a towel, but the point is that it doesn't get streaky looking when rivulets of sweat is pouring down my face. Graphic, I know, but I wanted to get my point across. So if you want sun protection and a powder that evens out your complexion with a slight bronzing finish, this is the product for you!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Topix Glycolix Elite Sunscreen SPF 30
kelbelle01 5/22/2010 4:15:00 AM
I've waited a long time to write this review - after jumping too quickly to conclude that a certain other ss was my holy grail. I decided to be a bit wiser this time around. With that said, I will say that after nearly a year's use and two bottles under my belt, this is as near a holy grail ss as I will get. So here's the bad. Yes, it's a physical ss with 17% zinc oxide so it's going to have a white cast. As I have naturally pale skin with yellow undertones, it looks really weird unless I put it on my entire face - eyelids and all - and neck. I top this ss off with a mineral bronzing ss powder which gives me a lovely tan glow so I don't have to look quite so unnaturally pale, and which adds extra ss protection. The good is that if you can only wear physical ss, if you are prone to break-outs, and if you have ridiculously sensitive skin that is alternately dry and oily, this is the product for you. It doesn't melt into your skin like nothing, but neither is it the grease bucket that vanicream sadly is. Its ss protection is unbeatable as zinc oxide is the only ingredient that gives full uva and uvb protection. Titanium dioxide misses one of the wavelengths. If your skin is not quite so finicky, obviously you are privileged enough to be able to use a formulation with a much more sophisticated silky smooth finish. But if your skin is like mine, this product is simply amazing and as an added bonus, is much cheaper than some of the other products out there.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neutrogena - sensitive skin sunblock spf 30
kelbelle01 5/7/2009 4:06:00 AM
I don't know how I feel about this product. The pros and cons are similar to other reviewers. Pros: This will not burn or irritate your skin at all. Trust me, I've tried practically everything out there for my sensitive skin. There is a very very slight whitish cast, but as I'm very pale skinned, it actually helps even out my skin tone. This may change come summer as I darken though. The price is very nice - speaking as someone who usually pay around $40 for facial sunscreen. Cons: Even though it says it's noncomedogenic (sp?) I feel like I break out more when I wear this. It also turns greasy and I have to blot my face at least every 2 hours when I wear this stuff. I normally have dry/normal skin. I can't imagine anyone with oily skin wanting to come within a mile of this stuff! So I'm still on the fence about this product. I have a lot left and I think I'll keep using it until it's all gone. I really hope it isn't this that's breaking me out. I can deal with the grease for the utter comfort this feels on my skin - but I don't want to deal with grease and breakouts!
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Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Age Shield Face SPF 70
kelbelle01 3/13/2009 2:52:00 AM
UPDATE: :(. I've noticed that when I wear this on my neck, it'll settle into little creases and it looks REALLY weird. Also, on days when my skin is dry, the pilling gets super out of control. *sigh. I'll use this stuff up but my search for that perfect daily ss begins again. OLD REVIEW: I can not believe how much I love this product. My background - very sensitive skin from Retin A use. I have combination dry and sensitive skin that gets oily by the end of the day but still have dry flakes. I know. It's REALLY weird. I thought I couldn't use chemical ss because I've reacted - burning sensation, small bumps, redness - to every chemical product thus far. So I was using physical ss except for those are either super drying and make me look very pasty or they're in an ultra emollient base and it's like an oil spill on my face. To top it off, physical ss were clogging my pores - even the Neutrogena "noncomedogenic (sp?)" Sensitive Skin one - because either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide clogs pores (can't remember which is the culprit). So yes, I've established that I have sunblock issues. And let me tell you, I've tried everything. Caudalie, Clarins, Vanicream, Shisheido, etc. I actually bought this for my mom, bc she's ok with chemical ss, but left on a trip to NY, didn't bring ss, and remembered I left this in my purse. So for 3 weeks I've been using this product and my skin has not burned nor had any crazy reactions. This is most peculiar because I've been traveling and that usually makes my skin very reactionary. But it's been lovely and I wanted to post this review for anyone who's tried it all and all but given up - please just try one more. It might not work for everyone bc everyone's got different skin reactions, but the price alone warrants a trial. BTW, if you buy from Target and you develop a reaction, they let you return it. But only if your reason is an reaction and not just a I didn't like the way it looked kinda thing. Lesson learned? I guess I'm not allergic to all chemical ss! Tip: This is very liquidy but dries super fast. You need to makes sure to rub it in VERY quickly because once it dries, and if you have blotches you haven't rubbed in yet, it will pill like crazy and leave white streaks. Also, I find this great for everyday wear, but I wouldn't wear this alone to the beach. For the latter, you need very thick physical ss for the best UVA protection.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Stila - Perfectly Peach Palette (Fall 2005)
kelbelle01 1/15/2009 7:46:00 PM
I feel a bit torn about this pallet. I love how light and compact the packaging is, and if I actually used all the eyeshadows and blush I would agree that this is a most wondrous product that saves a ton of room and hassle in my makeup bag. Unfortunately, I only use two of the e/s and love only one of them. I bought the pallet because the middle e/s, the deep peach, looked so beautiful I couldn't resist. Unfortunately, as another reviewer noted, it comes out waaaay too sheer and glittery and thus looks like an iridescent/shimmery wash on my lids. Rather cheap and tarty looking I think. Perhaps I would like the color better if I hadn't had my hopes up too much from the lush color in the pallet. The other two e/s came out exactly as I expected however. The green - which I love - it's a true sage mossy green for which the shimmer sheen actually enhances. The pale peach highlighter comes out white on my skin and it's a mediocre highlighter - the shimmer a bit too obvious and harsh compared to other options out there. The blush is unremarkable. Subdued, and not a pretty flush peach, considering all the pretty shades of peach this blush could've been, I'm really rather disappointed. I only paid around $15 for this at Nordies Rack, and even at that that price, I would not repurchase.
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Treatments (Eye) -Burt's Bees - Radiance Eye Cream with Royal Jelly
kelbelle01 1/14/2009 2:33:00 AM
This product completely sucks. Whatever antioxidants it may contain is made completely moot by the fact that the jar packaging makes it impossible to keep said ingredients stable. Furthermore, the jar/pot is clear which, if you leave it in a place that gets any sunshine, again, unstable. I went through this "natural" phase when I was living in SF and reading literature that talked about all the horrible chemicals and etc. that we're putting on our faces and in our bodies. So I started phasing out a couple of my basics (eye cream, lip balm) with Burt's Bees and other "natural" companies. *sigh. I used Burt's Bees for 2 months and during those two months I kept looking more and more tired. I couldn't understand what the cause was - I thought it was just the beginning signs of natural aging - until I went on a trip and forgot to pack this eye cream. For a week I just used normal Cetaphil face lotion around my eyes and within that week I looked a bajillion times better. Gone were the creeping fine lines and vague puffiness. Now, I know that it's different strokes for different folks. What "natural" ingredients that may irritate my skin may be perfectly tolerated by other people, but I started reading Paula Begoun's reviews a year later and she mentioned Burt's Bees contains a number of commonly irritating ingredients. If I can save anyone the bother that I went through, please don't use this around your eyes!!!
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Cover Girl - Line Exact
kelbelle01 1/14/2009 2:11:00 AM
My experience has been the exact opposite of many disappointed reviewers. I often find that sometimes when a product underperforms, it might be because it's been exposed to extreme heat/cold or is near/past expiration date but the store sells it anyhow. I had a terrible experience buying Monistat (to use as primer!) only to get home and see that it had been expired for 10 months! Then I had to return it to the CVS with snickering clerks - ugh it was so embarrassing. Anyhow. I love that this product is small, compact, and basically works like a sharpie. I've had this for 5 months and so far it has not dried out. I only use it about once a week though and I make sure that it is tightly capped once I'm finished. The black has always come out consistently - seriously like a sharpie - and if I use a light touch I get a very thin line (although it takes a lot of control to do this!). If you push down harder you get a thick(er) dramatic line. Again, like a sharpie! I shake the pen a little bit before I use it. I don't know if it's necessary but I just do it. I like to use liquid eyeliner because the other liners, gel, whatnot from Bobbie Brown to Almay always end up smudging a bit by the end of the day. This eyeliner stays put and comes off easily at the end of the day with a bit of water.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Desert Essence - Tea Tree Oil (100% Pure Australian)
kelbelle01 1/14/2009 1:55:00 AM
From the rave reviews here and my best friend's recommendation, I decided to purchase some tea tree oil for my little brother who suffers from moderate to severe acne. He was using Retin A but is super forgetful about using sunblock so I wanted to switch him to a less, erm, sun-sensitive acne remedy. He used tea tree oil for two entire months with nothing to show for it except extremely dry skin and that weird sting/tingle when you put it on. Plus he reeked of astringent afterwards - not that it would've mattered if the oil had actually worked! So now he's back on Retin A and boy does that stuff work. Kudos to those of you who tea tree works for, but if you're using a product already that works, don't switch over to tea tree just because the grass looks greener!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Lotion
kelbelle01 1/13/2009 4:26:00 AM
I love this lotion! I have extremely sensitive and irritable skin that stings even when I put on something as banal as ... Olay fragrance-free moisturizer or Clarins sunblock. I prefer the lotion a bajillion times over the cream. I used to use the cream because I thought it would be more moisturizing than the lotion, but the cream always felt weird sitting on my skin and I think it clogged my pores. Oh, I use this for my face by the way. The lotion is perfect. It moisturizes AND so far (touch wood) it has not caused any irritation. During the cold and dry winter months I like to put a thin layer of this lotion on, wait the requisite hour or so, and then apply my Retin A. It's kept my skin clear without excessive dryness! My only complain is that I wish it contained some antioxidants. Why do all antiaging moisturizers have to contain so many unnecessary irritants?!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Desert Essence - Jojoba Oil - 100% pure
kelbelle01 8/24/2008 4:05:00 PM
UPDATE: Jojoba oil makes me break out :(. It doesn't sting my face or anything, but I've noticed a consistent pattern with using jojoba oil and clogged bumps/blackheads. *sigh. This still makes a great makeup remover though! ****************************** I have extremely sensitive and dry skin from using Retin A on my face and retinol around my eye. The more I use these products, the more sensitive my skin becomes to random ingredients in most moisturizers - ie fragrance and whatnot. Even Cetaphil creme was not compatible with my skin! But a friend highly recommended this oil (from Trader Joe's) to me and I thought why not. I've been using it for two weeks and it's amazing! It has united the best of both worlds. I now have clear blemish-free skin from Retin A without suffering the irritation and dryness. I use the Retin A 4 days a week at night and on the other nights I wear a mask of jojoba oil mixed with pure (natural) vitamine E. It's super sticky and somewhat smelly, but hey it works! I also use this oil as a deep oil cleanser to remove makeup and etc. before using my regular cleanser every night. I love love love jojoba oil!
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Vanicream for Sensitive Skin SPF 30 and SPF 60
kelbelle01 7/24/2008 3:07:00 AM
This is one of the few sunscreens that do not sting my face, dry out my skin, and or other nasty irritations resulting from skin sensitivity. I use retin A and on top of that my skin has always been very sensitive to chemical sunblocks. However, a lot of physical sunblocks with high spfs can be very drying on my skin. Vanicream is great in that I haven't broken out or gotten tiny irritated bumps on my face from allergies. If you have sensitive skin and you've reacted to almost everything out there - this is THE product to buy. Trust me. I've tried everything from shisheido to jasons naturals. The only other product I've liked as much is Clarins (the one that comes in the bright orange bottle - not the cityblock or whatever the small white bottled one is called). Unlike Clarins though, Vanicream goes on clear but be warned it is grrrreasy. I have to use 4 sheets of blotting paper to even begin to minimize the shine. It helps if you dust a little bit of bare essentials mineral veil over - it's sheer and just absorbs the grease. I love that this product is sfp 60 though, and unlike the moisturizer plus sunscreen formulas (they all seem to contain negligible amounts of sunscreen), actually does its job. Highly recommended, but please have blotting papers on hand.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Paula's Choice - Soft Cream Concealer
kelbelle01 4/4/2008 3:03:00 AM
I've been buying this concealer as small sample sizes every time I order skin stuff online. I'm trying to wean myself off of concealer as dailywear for I'm convinced it leads to more fine lines than you would normally get. Buying sample sizes lets me have a "fresh" concealer every few weeks or so when I need it. So here's my problem. I have fine "dehydration lines" that most liquid concealers settle into. I think that's because liquid concealers contain something that helps them dry matte and stay put. Anyhow, whatever the case, with this concealer, I use only a TINY - really, emphasis on the tiny - amount on the darkest part of my circles. The part closest to my nose and tear ducts. It will not settle in lines if you stick to this featherlight approach. I haven't tried a heavy application so I'm not sure what those results are like. I have moderately dark undereyes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Jan Marini - Age Intervention EyeLash
kelbelle01 4/4/2008 2:50:00 AM
A "beauty consultant" recommended this to me two years ago but I didn't believe anything like this product was possible. Then last year, I noticed my dermatologist carried this in his office - he's fabulous and that did lend it a bit more credibility but still I was skeptical. Then finally when I read the quite vehement comments on Beauty Brains' website I decided to try it. Some of the comments were just so intense it couldn't have been faked. So I bought one discounted online still 130ish but that's better than the usual 150-60. I really didn't expect to see any results for a couple of months but within the first week my bottom lashes were much longer than before. It's been three weeks now and I'm positive both top and bottom lashes have grown in length. It's not like my boyfriend and friends have noticed long but I see a difference. I'm hoping that by 3 months - the magic number for many MU reviewers - I will be hearing some "Wowzers! Your eyelashes are really long!" from the friends and boyfriend!
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Eyeliner -Paula's Choice - Constant Color Gel Eyeliner in Espresso
kelbelle01 1/23/2008 2:05:00 PM
I was so excited about this product. Then I receive it in the mail and it's totally not the color I expected! Unlike some of the other reviewers, the green tone was not very visible to me. The color in the pot does not look like the color on the website - the latter which shows a visible green hue. As for the product itself, the gel goes on smoothly and is much better than my Bobbie Brown gel pot. This gel is also much more inexpensive! I like to use it during the daytime for a softer, natural look. As for the staying power... it's okay (still smudges a bit) on my upper lid but nothing stays put on my lower lid! It looks so lovely when I first put it on and an hour later, smudges at the corner of the eye on my lower lid. I would probably not repurchase bc I really want something with a visible green tinge.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No