Skincare - Body -Queen Helene - Almond Scented Massage Lotion
laureg 5/14/2013 12:36:00 PM
Amazing! A great product and great value. This stuff moisturizes beautifully, and there's a very generous amount of product in the tub. I've repurchased now for several years, and will continue to do so.
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Primer/ Corrector -Laura Mercier - Foundation Primer Radiance
laureg 5/13/2013 1:08:00 PM
Sorry to be a naysayer, but this is so very NOT the primer to use if you have oily skin or an oily t-zone, or if you are very pale. First off, for the pale girls- this stuff is tinted, shows up to be very orange, and will appear that you are wearing very poorly matched foundation. For the oily girls- it all starts out looking great, and at first it was impressive how lovely my skin and makeup looked. Fast forward to lunchtime, and my makeup was pretty much sliding down my face. My makeup lasts better with no primer than it does using this product. The "radiance" part of the primer also likely contributed to making my skin look even oilier than it actually is in real life. To be fair, I wore this consecutively for a few days, just to give it a chance. I was so disappointed. For such an expensive product, this was a huge fail. Luckily, I learned my lesson from a luxury sample and wasn't left regretting the purchase of a full size.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure - Red Zin
laureg 5/10/2013 6:35:00 PM
Gorgeous! This is a beautiful, deep red with a touch of brown. It's such a classy and polished color. I didn't expect to like this polish as much as I do (I wasn't sure how the brownish tone would work on me), but will definitely be wearing this as a versatile, seaonally-neutral all-rounder that looks great with anything.
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Polishes -Essie - Demure Vixen
laureg 5/6/2013 4:56:00 PM
I have "Demure Vix" and not Demure Vixen (Vix is apparently the drugstore version, Vixen the salon version). This is such a lovely, unexpected and unusual color. It's a cool toned, light, dusky mauve with pink shimmer. I'd describe it as a neutral with an extra. It's become a favorite of mine and I wear it a lot, so much so that I've bought backups since it's such a hard color to find. The polish is quite sheer, so to get around this I usually apply a coat of Essie "Ladylike" as underwear, then one coat of Demure Vix. I find this combo makes the polish opaque in two coats, since Demure Vix on its own seems to require 3-4 coats for opacity.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Dry Skin Therapy Calming Creme
laureg 4/17/2013 1:40:00 PM
Man, this stuff is great! It moisturizes so well and keeps my hands soft for hours. I've been neglecting my hands, which have also taken a terrible beating due to the weather and dryness this winter (cracking, eczema, dry scaly patches, etc.) and this cream has helped significantly. As a first-time user, I am so impressed! I will definitely purchase again.
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Skincare - Body -Nelson's Homeopathic Products - BACH Rescue Cream
laureg 4/4/2013 4:01:00 PM
I am quite impressed with this unassuming little cream. I picked some up for a rash I have on my hands, after reading on several people’s sites and blogs about the homeopathic benefits of the cream and because of not wanting to use any prescription creams or steroids. This cream has been doing an amazing job of healing my hands, so I decided to try it on my face. It is very soothing, nourishing and moisturizing, without being greasy. It hasn't caused me any breakouts or skin issues, and my skin just seems to glow with color and health when I use it. The tube itself is on the smaller side (around 25 ml?) and cost $11 CAD, but this compares well to the cost of several specialty “higher end drugstore” moisturizers out there. A definite keeper.
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Toners -Neostrata - Toning Solution Level 2 (10% Glycolic Acid, 2% Salicylic Acid)
laureg 3/21/2013 2:22:00 PM
I'm on the fence about this stuff. I have used the level 1, and find that stuff to be pretty amazing and my face loves it. I started using the level 2 due to clogged pores, thinking the bha would help. My skin is not liking the level 2 at all, and I think it may be too drying and just too much of a good thing, which made my skin problems worse. I stopped the level 2 solution and started using the Vichy Normaderm Tri-active for acne instead, which has an aha/bha combination, but in lower concentrations. That is having a much better effect on my face. The level 2 solution is working wonders for my chest and back though, so for that reason I would continue to repurchase.
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Treatments -Vichy - Normaderm Tri-Activ Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care
laureg 3/21/2013 2:14:00 PM
So far, so good. I've been using this for about 3 weeks to treat adult acne, closed comedones, etc. on my maturing skin. In the last year my skin has been the worst I've ever experienced, and is changing due to age, hormones, oil production levels, etc. The Normaderm is doing a nice job of clearing up and keeping my skin issues under control, although it's very drying. To get around that, I cleanse in the AM, then use an HA serum combined with a few drops of Argan oil. I top it off with the Normadern, then sunscreen. I think the Normadern is working so well right now because my skin isn't used to it yet. I may have to switch things up if/when my skin is accustomed to it and it stops working.
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Top/Base Coats -Unlisted Brand - American Classics - Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat
laureg 1/30/2013 7:03:00 PM
This is one of my HG products, and I don't think I could get along without it if they discontinued it. My current routine (thanks to the nail board gals) is as follows: a coat of base/treatment, a coat of gelous, two/three coats color, another coat gelous, then fast-dry topcoat. My manicures wear like iron, with no chipping and only minor tip wear (I change my polish about every 5 days or so). The gelous makes my nails super hard, and I've noticed that I can grow them out longer than I used to without them looking wonky and lopsided. My nails tend to flatten and widen at the tips the longer they get, and the gelous has helped them to maintain a nice, round C curve. I've gone through a few bottles now, and will continue to repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Annabelle - BB Skin Perfect Concealer- Medium
laureg 1/30/2013 6:47:00 PM
Love! This stuff is an industrial strength concealer, and can be sheered out or applied heavily, depending on the need (helloooo dark circles!). The application and wear is flawless, and even when applied on the heavier side, it doesn't look cakey. This retails for about $13 CAD regular price, and there are always drugstore sales. For a drugstore concealer, I am very impressed! One word of warning though- this does lean towards the yellow side, so may not work for those with pink or peach undertones.
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Polishes -Sinful - Nirvana
laureg 1/23/2013 12:09:00 PM
I haven't used a lot of Sinful Colors in the past, so am not sure how this polish stacks up against the rest of the same line for application, formula, etc. The color itself is lovely, and is pretty darn near an exact dupe for Chanel Particuliere- so close, in fact, that you wouldn't need to own both. That said, I found the polish itself to be very streaky, with an almost "dry" texture, if that makes sense, and it left brush stroke streakies. I also needed 3 coats for it to be completely opaque. Any lingering streakies were solved by topping with a coat each of gelous and SH top coat. All in all- a pretty color, but I'd rather spend a little more for a polish that has a nicer application and is opaque in two coats.
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Shampoo -L'Oreal - EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner
laureg 1/15/2013 5:56:00 PM
I've been using this for a few months and really like it. I've NOT, however, been using it as intended. I had originally tried this as a cleansing conditioner with bad results- my hair was limp, oily, and just felt "not clean" after. Now, I wash my hair with shampoo first, then follow up with this as a conditioner. This stuff is very moisturizing and smells great, and my hair is bouncy, soft and nicely conditioned after using. I have repurchased, and will continue to do so.
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Lip Gloss -Yves Saint Laurent - Volupte Sheer Candy #7 Sweet Fig
laureg 1/10/2013 7:11:00 PM
This product is simply gorgeous. From the packaging to the product itself, it's a lovely splurge. Sheer Fig is a beautiful dark red, without pulling any pink or purple. It's lighter in tone than Clinique's Black Honey gloss, but the same type of idea. You get a decent amount of product, and the product is a cross between gloss/balm/lipstick. It wears surprisingly well, is light in texture, and, well, to repeat- just plain gorgeous. I would repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Yves Saint Laurent - Volupte Sheer Candy Lush Coconut
laureg 1/10/2013 7:01:00 PM
This is so beautiful. Light texture, wears well and the color is so pretty. It's a shimmery, neutral nude, definitely more on the light brown side (I'd almost call this color pale but toasty), and it looks so pretty. I would repurchase despite the cost, because darn it, this product is so nice that now I'm hooked.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Yves Saint Laurent - Volupte Sheer Candy Glossy Balm
laureg 1/10/2013 6:58:00 PM
I bought some of these and they are soooo pretty, but such a guilty splurge because they cost a lot (to my mind) for a lipstick. I have this in No.1 Lush Coconut and no.7 Sweet Fig, and just love both. They wear beautifully, yet are very light. They last a decent length of time before reapplication and the colors are gorgeous. Definitely a luxury item, but so, so lovely. I would repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No