Lipstick -Neutrogena - Moisture Smooth Color Stick
kelly32 1/5/2013 8:19:00 PM
I was so excited to try these out since I loathe wearing lipstick on my dry lips and I hate the sticky feeling of most lip glosses. I purchased the Watermelon and Caramel colors at Ulta. They feel very nice going on and are somewhat moisturizing at first. However, both of these shades are SO frosty, and on my 40 year old lips, frosty does not look good. I personally find frosted shimmery shades sort of defeat the purpose of a tinted lip balm since, as the product begins to wear off, I can feel gritty shimmers left on my lips which just further dries them out. I'm going to return them and try the ones from Cover Girl instead, since the swatches I've seen do not look frosted.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Ulta - Dual Action Cleansing System
kelly32 1/5/2013 6:20:00 PM
I recently purchased this and I'm very pleased. I have never used a Clarisonic, so I have no comparisons to that product. However, I have dry, sensitive, acne prone skin, and at 40 years old, did not want to take the chance after hearing some people experienced broken capillaries using the Clarisonic. So, I went to Ulta with the intention of buying the Olay brush which gets good reviews here. I noticed this brush system by Ulta and it appeared to do the same thing as the Olay. The Olay brush was $30 plus the cost of replacement heads. The Ulta brush was on sale for $17.50 and I purchased a two pack of replacement heads for $5.50. I'm very impressed with the results. The brush head is SO unbelievably soft, and does not scratch the face at all. In fact, even with my sensitive skin, I can use this twice daily with no irritation. This system only has one speed, but it is more than enough to cleanse your face safely. My face just feels all around cleaner and clearer, and breakouts have been greatly reduced to almost non-existant. This is great for using in the shower, but I also use it sink-side and it does not spray cleanser everywhere! A really great buy and much cheaper than the Olay and Clarisonic.
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Liquid -Clinique - Stay-Matte Oil-Free Makeup
kelly32 6/12/2012 4:09:00 PM
I was surprised that I really like this foundation. I am 40 with dehydrated, sensitive, acne-prone skin that can get oily in the T-zone. I was a long time (10yr) faithful user of Clinique Soft Finish until they discontinued it. I hunted and hunted, high end and low, for something that would work for me. However, everything I tried either made my face itch like crazy or made my skin an oil slick. It seems like so many foundations made for dry skin end up having the opposite effect on me and make me a shiny, oily mess. So, I went back to Clinique with the intention to buy Even Better. However, the SA warned me it could cause oiliness too, and so I grabbed this one thinking it would make my skin very dry and I would hate it. However, it is perfect. If you are dry, definitely moisturize first. While it is not nearly as moisturizing as my Soft Finish, it isn't too dry either and I find it keeps my face moist enough in the humid weather, but ends up looking satiny, not matte. The coverage is great and while I'm not sold on the color, it does blend in just fine. I'm pretty sure this might not work for me in the winter and I might just try Even Better then when my skin gets really dry, but for summer, this is perfect. This will never be Soft Finish for me, but Clinique has the only foundations that don't make me break out or itch like crazy.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
kelly32 6/7/2012 5:50:00 PM
I have tried the regular Colorstay in the past and found that I didn't love it, but it worked in a pinch if I ran out of something else. I thought I'd give this new formula a try since it is getting good reviews. I hate to buck the trend, but this did nothing for my skin. I chose the color Nude and though it was a tad light for me, it blended in just fine. I do like the idea of a creamy, gel-like consistency and the formula did not feel heavy on the skin. I would definitely say this is satin...not matte, not dewy. However, my 40-year old skin tends to be on the normal to dry side and within one hour, my skin was flaking and itching and felt overall tight. I moisturize well and usually don't have this problem with foundation, especially in the summer. This made my skin feel like dead of winter skin. I was surprised to see reviews saying this has great coverage because I found it to be rather sheer and needed layering for any discoloration. I would say if you do not have dry, sensitive skin and not a lot to cover up, this would be a great choice. Something in the ingredient list of this one does not like me.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -John Frieda - Precision Foam Color
kelly32 5/12/2011 5:05:00 PM
My haircolor is a light bleached blonde (though not platinum). I'm not really loyal to any brand in particular, but I do prefer ash shades to keep my haircolor cool as it tends to pull golden shades strongly. I received a coupon in the mail to try this product for free. Honestly, I don't love it and I don't hate it. The claims as to the ease of use are dead on. Normally, it takes two boxes of a haircolor to completely saturate my strands, and with this, one box covers with some liquid left over. I did find the formula pretty strong and my eyes watered quite a bit. Since my roots are dark blonde, I never expect a box color to bleach my roots blonde enough to match the rest of my hair, but with most brands, I get pretty darn close. The claim that this product will reduce splotchiness is just plain wrong. It didn't bleach my roots any differently than any other home haircolor. I also never expect to look exactly like the shade on the box. However, I purchased Medium Natural Blonde and while it didn't pull any gold shades on me, the color is just "dirty" looking. It actually appears more grey ash than any ash shade I've ever used. So, while I don't hate it necessarily, for $12, I definitely would not purchase this again!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Unlisted Brand - Careprost~Generic Brand Latisse
kelly32 1/22/2011 2:11:00 PM
I started using Rapid Lash first about 3 months ago. I had started noticing a little growth after about 4 weeks, but I experienced quite a bit of irritation with this one; very red, irritated eyes in the morning. I then purchased Careprost as a group purchase with other MUAer's (great idea, btw) and started using it about 1.5 months ago. I use one drop on top of the bottle well for both eyes and both eyebrows. My eyebrows have started filling in spots that I thought would never return due to overzealous plucking in the past. My eyelashes have also started to grow, and better yet, are curling all on their own! I look forward to seeing the full results. I have had far less irritation with Careprost than I did with Rapidlash. *** EDIT: Like other ladies on here, it took about 8-10 weeks for the side effects to really kick in. The darkening above my lash line turned very dark and my lash line always looked swollen like I hadn't slept in days. I already suffer from migraines, so I can't say if this had any impact on those or not. I stopped using the product and after about a month, my "careprost" lashes started falling out and my lashes look far shorter than what I started with before Careprost. It took about a month and a half for the purple line to fade away. My lashes also seem more brittle. I've gone back to using Ardell lash conditioner which I have no problems with in terms of side effects. Honestly, having long, lush lashes was NOT worth looking like I was on drugs! I will stick to basic lash conditioners from now on and enjoy the lashes I do have. So, bottom line, use with caution!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Olay - Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream
kelly32 2/27/2010 1:20:00 PM
At 38, I was looking for something that would help moisturize my parched skin and provide even a little anti-aging benefits without spending a fortune. Even though it is relatively pricey for a DS brand, the price, if it worked, would have been negligible. I purchased this along with the FF serum. The first day I tried it, I noticed some mild itching and was hoping this my skin's way of adjusting to the products. I used both products again that evening and the next morning. Shortly after putting it on the second day, my face not only started to itch horribly but I broke out in hives along my jawline. Needless, to say, it is going back to the store. This line gets some pretty good reviews here on MUA but does have preservatives in it. If you are someone with fairly sensitive skin (normally, I'm not!) then patch test this first! Darn, I was so hoping this would work out and I would notice some of the same affects as other users.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Olay - Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum - Fragrance Free
kelly32 2/27/2010 1:18:00 PM
At 38, I was looking for something that would help moisturize my parched skin and provide even a little anti-aging benefit without spending a fortune. Even though it is relatively pricey for a DS brand, the price, if it worked, would have been negligible. I purchased this along with the micro-sculpting cream. The first day I tried both products, I noticed some mild itching and was hoping this my skin's way of adjusting to the product. I used both products again that evening and the next morning. Shortly after putting it on the second day, my face not only started to itch horribly but I broke out in hives along my jawline. Needless, to say, it is going back to the store. This get some pretty good reviews here on MUA but does have preservatives in it. If you are someone with fairly sensitive skin (normally, I'm not!) then patch test this first! Darn, I was so hoping this would work out and I would notice some of the same affects as other users.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -L'Oreal - Excellence Creme
kelly32 5/29/2009 12:46:00 PM
I have dark,dirty dishwater blonde hair naturally that I've bleached to a light ash (cool) blonde for years. Almost a year and a half ago, I decided to go brown. I ended up hating it and went back to blonde within a few weeks. The problem was, my hair, no matter what I used thereafter, always came out with warm, gold and brassy highlights, almost an orange tint. Since I have a cool complexion this clashed like nobody's business. I've since used many ash shades, purple color correctors, etc, but always come out slightly orange. I bought this the other day at the grocery store in shade (8 1/2 A Light Champagne Blonde) because it was on sale and a this point I figured I was stuck with warm hues. Oh my word, did the color come out beautifully! I finally have the cool beige, light blonde I have been trying to get back to for so long ! A bit more expensive than some brands but completely worth it to me and I will be a loyal user to this shade for as long as they make it. Like all haircolor, it is a tad drying so be sure to deep condition for maximum longevity.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Ormonde Jayne - Ta'if
kelly32 4/20/2009 3:53:00 PM
I should preface this review by noting that I usually abhor rose as a note in fragrances. A lovely MUA'er sent me a sample of this and I was sure I wouldn't like it. OH my, this had me at hello even before it touched my skin. This is definitely the rose scent for non-rose lovers. This is such a lovely spiced rose with fairly good longevity on my skin. The top notes are stronger with spiced rose and a citrus burst. The drydown is a slightly powdery (not heavy as I also hate powdery scents), modern rose that is just swoon worthy. I've tried OJ woman and Champaca as well and while both were pleasant, they didn't resonate with me the way this one does. Well crafted, though rather expensive.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - Ambre Narguile (Hermesessence series)
kelly32 4/7/2009 6:05:00 PM
A wonderfully generous MUA'er sent me a sample of this one recently. Before this lovely concoction even touched my skin, I knew I was gonna love it. This starts out as a sweet, boozy, fruity scent which smells at times, of warm, sugared apples and at other times, sugared plum. It quickly morphs into almost an exact match (to my nose) of Frapin 1270 (which I LOVE). The drydown of this one again morphs to a warm ambery tobacco. Though the price is expensive for a perfume, you could easily get by with a decant or the 15ml travel bottles as this is some serious stuff. I lightly dabbed it on from my sample and 10 hours later, it still has sillage. And for my skin, which tends to eat up fragrances, this is amazing. For me, I wouldn't need both AN and Frapin as they are so, so similiar. I think AN actually edges out Frapin a bit since it lasts forever and in the end, is probably more cost efficient even though the AN is double the price. I also like that AN morphs into a lovely tobacco in the end where Frapin, though complex as it is, stays rather true to scent throughout. (Hmm, yeah right, I love perfume and will probably end up with both!) This is definitely in my top 5!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - The Different Company - Bois d' Iris
kelly32 4/4/2009 5:37:00 PM
This is my second favorite Iris fragrance behind Iris Pallida. It has some of the same earthy qualities of Iris Pallida with a splash of woods thrown in for good measure. This is not a powdery or sweet iris, nor do I find it metallic. Rather, this is more of a mix of floral, rooty iris and woods. My only qualm with this lovely beauty is that it ranks as the lowest perfume I've ever tried in terms of lasting power. No matter what I spray it on, it seems to be gone in under 30 minutes. For this reason, I would buy decants but probably would never spring for a FB. Shame my skin won't hold on to this one, as it would be among my favorites.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Frapin 1270
kelly32 3/23/2009 5:26:00 PM
A lovely MUA'er sent me a decant of this lovely creation. Though I had never sniffed it before, the notes sounded intriguing. I am NOT one for any kind of fruity notes in fragrances as they tend to sour on me. However, this one is an absolute masterpiece and it was pretty much love at first sniff (and considering the mass amount of perfumes I've tested recently, this is rare!). This starts off as a boozy, cognac scent mixed with a fruity grape wine to my nose. The drydown sweetens up just a bit but the light vineyard grape smell remains, though it isn't in the least bit cloying. The top notes of cognac mellow significantly and I get the occasional scent of wood casks. Some have mentioned that this is very sweet. I find this odd as my skin pulls everything sweet and this is nowhere as sweet as say, Chergui on my skin. I've been going niche perfume crazy in the last few months and acquired quite a few decants that I'm enjoying. This is only the third actual fragrance that is truly FBW in my opinion. For a cheaper alternative, Dior Midnight Poison smells very similiar in the drydown but lacks the cognac, wood cask top notes that smell divine to me. And finally, as luck would have it, this one has good sillage for me and my skin actually holds on to this scent for hours and hours. Fumerie Turque is the only other perfume that does this for me.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Hilde Soliani Bell'Antonio
kelly32 3/11/2009 7:36:00 PM
On the search for a memory scent, I was desperately wanting something that reminded me of my grandpa. One of my fondest memories was of sitting on his lap as a little girl while he smoked a pipe. I had gone through lists of many different perfumes looking for any that listed tobacco as a note. I have tried many and while some became scents I liked greatly, none ever truly imitated the smell of fresh pipe tobacco for me. Most were more of a cigarette, cigar or campfire smell. Until I met this great beauty. I ordered a sample and readied myself for disappointment, but the moment I opened the lid to that precious little vial and took a whiff, I knew I had found what I was looking for. The listed notes include tobacco and coffee. On my skin, I don't detect much in the way of coffee at all. The fragrance is rather linear and smells mostly of pure pipe tobacco to my nose. Some have mentioned this as being dry and rather austere but I actually detect sweetness (though not as sweet as say, Tobacco Vanille, which I would have liked if not for the strong clove). I was worried that the smell of tobacco would not be something I, or others, would want to smell but happily not only do I feel sexy as heck wearing this, my DH absolutely swoons when I wear it. Though he likes most anything I wear, this and L'Artisan Iris Pallida send him over the edge. Though I've been buying mostly decants of everything I like, I finally found a scent I can say is FBW to me all the way.....
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo
kelly32 3/10/2009 6:52:00 PM
I decided to give this one a try since it seems to garner "cult" status with so many. The moment it touched my skin, I immediately understood what everyone was saying and was welcomed by the scent of Play-doh. Not exactly as scent I would look for but it did spark memories of childhood. Within five minutes or so the play-doh had subsided and the scent became very spicy...now I'm intrigued. Though still not sure I would ever want to wear this, I was so taken by the strange scent I kept sniffing my arm. However, within about 10 minutes I was overwhelmed by the scent of cherry cough syrup mixed with Play-doh. (alone they were interesting, together they were nauseating) A complex and very fascinating fragrance, yes...Would I ever want to go around smelling like this....no. It wasn't a complete scrubber though so I did give it a 3 for pure interest sake.
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