Foundations -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
klyde 8/18/2012 12:18:00 AM
I use one pump/squirt of this foundation and mix it with 4 pumps of the photoready primer (either color, doesn't seem to matter) and my skin has never looked better. I can't believe it - my nose and forehead are covered with small acne scar pits (think orange rind) that really show with anything shiny. Most of the credit probably goes to the silicone-based primer, but adding in a bit of this foundation evens out my skin town just enough. If I add more, it starts to look heavy. I don't notice much shimmer if any. The primer seems to fill in the acne scars and leave a matte finish. I was using Smashbox HD foundation and I really like that too; it has more of a slightly moist/dewy finish and the silicone in it also minimizes the acne scars. I feel like the Revlon Photoready is much more matte and stays put throughout the day, not transferring onto clothes or moving around like the Smashbox HD tends to do. Also, it seems like (I know this sounds weird) the moist-finish type silicone products (like the Smashbox HD foundation and gel-type primers) irritate my eyes even if it's not close to them; as if it gives off fumes. When I use silica microspheres like MUFE HD powder, or the Revlon PhotoReady primer, my eyes are not irritated. I use the 006 medium beige in the Revlon and L4 in Smashbox. The 006 medium beige is on the light side for me, but I can't tell what other color might work -- they all look lighter or pinker. Medium beige seems the best if you want a medium-yellow-toned beige.
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Lotions/ Creams -Vaseline - Creamy Formula
klyde 11/11/2010 2:12:00 PM
Wow - HG lotion and cream! I have all kinds of stuff around the house and in my car (like Amlactin, Eucerin, Udderly Smooth, Main n' Tail Hoofmaker, various health food store creams...) to combat my dry skin and nothing was working that great. Then I found had an old tube of creamy petroleum jelly (like 10 years old) from the DollarTree and I used some. Poof! I was converted. Suddenly my skin is soft and supple, not greasy. I can not resist using it on my face and around my eyes. I have been using it all over for several weeks and my skin never felt better. I bought more at the DollarTree - they have two versions, one by Personal Care, and the other I guess is generic - it's black and white, dist. by Greenbrier and has a slightly milder scent. Both are great.
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Foundations -Smashbox - High Definition Healthy FX Foundation
klyde 6/24/2010 2:52:00 PM
Update - I'm still loving this after using it for 3 months none-stop. I use this in L4 and got it from Sephora, but I've been going through it so fast I started getting it cheaper on ebay, and also got L3 and L2 for experimenting with on lighter areas. I like to use it over a primer now and sometimes I use Make Up Forever's High Def powder or more primer on top if it starts to look oily. If it separates, I just stir it, no big deal. The scent is a bit weird, but it doesn't bother me and I'm extremely sensitive to scents. I am surprised by the bad reviews. But I like sheer coverage on my less-than-perfect skin (blotchy with acne scars that look like huge pores). Since I'm 48, less is more, but I've always had trouble with foundation looking uneven on my uneven skin. This foundation is loaded with silicone, so it glides on and blends easily - I can even wear it on my neck which is unheard of. I can hardly see it, but the ruddiness around my nose is gone and my skin tone is more even. I like that it has SPF 15. Silicone is the answer if you want smoother looking skin. It is inert and fills in pores; sits on top of skin because it cannot be absorbed. Silicone makes a great primer. I dropped my Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich (which I also like, but it's a thicker coverage). Maybe I'll pick it up again this winter.
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Liquid -Bobbi Brown - Moisture Rich foundation
klyde 6/5/2010 4:59:00 PM
I read some of the reviews for this and I feel like I'm using a different product. I don't get a dewy look at all, but a nice matte (but not dry) finish. I have medium toned skin and got the Natural #4 which is a very good match and darker than I usually go (I think I was going too light). It feels weightless, has SPF 15 which I normally do not like, but it doesn't bother me except that I can't use it in the eye area. I also tried the Luminous foundation and it was at least one shade lighter (in same color Natural #4) and greasy looking on me. One of the reviewers wanted this in a tube (BTW Bobbie Brown does have a tinted moisturizer in a tube) - I'm sick of throwing away plastic tube and bottles and I don't think pumps work very well, so I actually prefer its simple glass bottle. Until I can find a foundation that erases my acne scars (so far this one is the best, but it's not perfect), this will be my HG foundation.
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Brows -Anastasia Of Beverly Hills - Anastasia Brow Powder
klyde 1/2/2010 9:08:00 PM
Holy Grail! I've tried powders, pencils, lipink (kind of like fingernail polish) and even graphite pencils, and this is by far the best. Wish I had found it years ago. I have medium brown hair with a few tiny highlights and lots of grey (white) hair coming in. Knowing most pencils are too red or orange, I chose the ash blonde which is perfect. I almost got the medium ash, but I think it would have been too dark. I didn't try this for a long time because it is expensive and I thought it would be just another brow powder. But this Anastasia brow powder lasts a long time, does not settle in my pores, is the perfect color, and gives me great looking brows that look natural. I have sparse brows with some white and this seems to cover the white ones. I just got this two weeks ago and already purchased a second one to carry in my purse. Awesome product to replace hundreds of not-quite-good-enough brow pencils and powders.
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Blush -Sukí - Pure Cream Stain in Sandstone
klyde 9/23/2009 7:04:00 PM
I really liked this while it stayed fresh, but after a few months it went rancid. At first, it was a nice, natural finish, and not drying. Then it got hard and gooey, smelled bad, and was unusable. I still had a lot left. I had two colors, and it happened to both of them. I think spending $40 on something that doesn't last even half a year is ridiculous. If that doesn't bother you then it might be worth it. Today I scraped off the top sticky layer and put the rest of it in a small plastic pop-top pill caddy. It doesn't smell totally fresh, but the consistently underneath the top layer seems okay. Maybe it will last longer than in the glass jar. I like the matte creamy pale pink color, but it is probably too pale for my medium-toned skin.
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Mascara -Wet 'n' Wild - Lash Intense
klyde 4/13/2009 2:27:00 PM
LOVE THIS I needed a mascara that I wouldn't ruin by using powder around my eyes beforehand - which ruins it by making it clumpy for future use. I figured I could wash the wand after use and keep it separate from the mascara tube, since the mascara has a secure top. Viola! This is perfect. True, it is more lengthening than thickening, as another reviewer noted. But it makes my 47 year old lashes look long and black; doesn't clump or flake, and comes off relatively easily. I really like the wand and the style of the brush/comb. Another great product from WnW.
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Conditioner -Aubrey Organics - Swimmer's Normalizing Conditioner for Active Lifestyle
klyde 1/28/2009 12:16:00 PM
I thought I ruined my hair by swimming regularly (starting recently) in a highly chlorinated pool, but then I got this and the Swimmer's Shampoo and my hair is soft and shiny with volume. It has a nice, light scent and a light, "whipped" consistency. I love the shampoo too. I also sometimes use the Calaguala Fern leave-in treatment. I have fine, highlighted hair, so the chlorine is pretty hard on it. I also love that this company does not do animal testing! Highly recommended!
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Shampoo -Aubrey Organics - Swimmers Normalizing Shampoo for Active Lifestyles
klyde 1/28/2009 12:12:00 PM
I thought I ruined my hair by swimming regularly (starting recently) in a highly chlorinated pool, but then I got this and the Swimmer's Conditioner and my hair is soft and shiny with volume. It has a nice, light scent. I love the conditioner too. And the rosa mosqueta moisturizer. I have fine, highlighted hair, so the chlorine is pretty hard on it. Highly recommended! (I used Ultra Swim shampoo at first because it was the only thing I could find but it seems to be harsh.)
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - EXTRA VIRGIN Coconut Oil (All brands)
klyde 1/26/2009 3:00:00 AM
I have been using this before swimming to protect my hair. I lean my head upside down, put handfuls of this semi-solid oil on, twist up my hair, and put a cap on. It's been working great and is not hard to wash out. Great stuff! I thought my hair was wrecked, like chemically changed, before I tried this. Now my hair feels and looks great again. (Love the packaging because glass is easy to recycle or breaks down if thrown away.) Also started using Aubrey's Swimmer's shampoo and conditioner and they are gentle yet wash this oil out and leave my hair soft.
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Moisturizers -Aubrey Organics - Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Moisturizing Cream
klyde 1/26/2009 2:53:00 AM
LOVE IT! I bought this along with Aubrey's swimmer's shampoo and conditioner (also love) - this cream was an impulse buy. The scent seems toned down since I used it 15 or so years ago and it's very yummy. I am super sensitive to scents but this one doesn't bother me. The consistency is luxurious, sort of "whipped." It does a wonderful job of moisturizing my face, neck, chest, and dry hands. I am a swimmer and it's the middle of winter now. I use it all the time and really enjoy it. And no worries about animal testing with this line.
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Foundations -Prescriptives - Custom Blend [DISCONTINUED]
klyde 12/17/2008 12:25:00 PM
This is just OK, IMO. I got this a few years ago after my perfect liquid Bobbi Brown formula was changed. This custom blend was okay, but a few weeks later I got the $3 Wet n' Wild liquid foundation in Honee and it seemed exactly the same! The WnW maybe has even a better (matte but not too dry) finish. I used the prescriptives foundation up because it was such a big investment, but never liked it as much as the WnW. Waste o' money.
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
klyde 12/1/2008 6:15:00 PM
WOW I've been using EVOO for a few weeks now and it is wonderful. My skin feels much softer and far less dry than before. It seems to work best after washing/rinsing/showering, so that my skin is moist. It seems to "sink in" best this way, seems to sort of sit on top of my skin more if it is not already moist. I have been putting it on my poor old, dried-out hands and it's been really helping. Of course I can't touch anything for 5-10 minutes. I just went on a trip and I forgot moisturizer, so I put a spoonful or so EVOO from the kitchen in a cup and it lasted for days. I did not miss having any other product.
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Concealers -Borghese - Artista Exact Match Concealer
klyde 11/16/2008 1:24:00 AM
I find myself using this more and more often and I really like it. I finally realized that the dark shade is perfect as foundation/cover for my forehead and nose (where it always shows if it's too light), the medium shade is perfect for concealer/highlighter around my eyes, and the light shade is great for my deep-set eyelids. I don't put much else on the rest of my face as, at my age, less is more and using this concealer to even out a few places and then some lightweight powder is usually best. I am light-medium complected, and bought the light shade of liquid foundation which turned out to be a bit too dark and orange. But I love this concealer and its perfect little brush - they came with the foundation. I would be the whole thing again just for the concealer and brush. I think it was around $13 at Costco. I also love that Borghese does not use animal testing (hey, CoverGirl, Olay, and L'Oreal still do) and their synthetic brushes are awesome.
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Concealers -Sukí - SukiColor - Liquid Formula Concealer
klyde 11/10/2008 4:43:00 PM
So far, I like this pretty well. I got the linen because the natural tinted moisturizer is too dark and pink for my light-medium caucasian skintone. Linen is a better color for me, but a bit light, so I am mostly using it to conceal down the middle of my face (inner eye area, laugh lines, etc.). Then I put on plain cornstarch or a lightweight powder, some blush (using deeper tones for contour and brighter ones for "pop"). This seems to work pretty well for 47-year-old skin, when less is more. Back to this concealer - so far it seems to add color but be lightweight, it's longlasting and matte, smells fresh. It's fun to use because I feel good about Suki's philosophies and it feels more nurturing than other makeup lines. Not sure if it's an HG yet, sometimes my eyes feel dry, or I see the concealer pooling in my lines, or wonder if it wore off too soon, but I just need to experiment. I'm rating it high for now and will update. I love the glass pump it comes in, I just pump out a tiny bit at a time and turn the top so it is locked and won't dry out.
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