Concealers -Too Faced - Absolutely Flawless Concealer
lil_me 10/9/2011 11:03:00 PM
$20 @Sephora There are a few sunspots around the corners of my eyes that I wanted covered. I asked the SA to recommend a heavy duty concealer and she came up with this. I really do like it. The concealer comes on a flexible plastic tube with a pinhole opening. I just squeeze a teeny tiny amount of the product out right onto the sunspot. I then lightly dab and tap the product to blend onto the skin. It works great and lasts all day if I don't disturb it. I recommended it to my cousin and she was totally impressed. It covered her sunspots entirely! Initially, she was going to get a heavier foundation, but now she won't need it. I have a back up in my purse for an emergency! btw- no break out, no fragrance.
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Cleansers -Burt's Bees - Sensitive Facial Cleanser with Cotton Extract
lil_me 10/3/2011 11:33:00 PM
$10 Ingredients— Cotton Extract: Softening Cotton Extract helps skin replenish its outer layer and minimize the effects of potential irritants such as harsh soaps or cleansers. Making it the natural ingredient to pick for sensitive skin care. Ingredients: aqua (water, eau), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), sucrose stearate, cetearyl alcohol, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, gossypium herbaceum (cotton) flower extract, oryza sativa (rice) extract, beta vulgaris (beet, extrait de racine de betterave) root extract, quillaja saponaria bark extract, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, yucca schidigera leaf/root/stem extract, artemisia umbelliformis extract, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, yucca schidigera leaf/root/stem extract, artemisia umbelliformis extract, euphrasia officinalis extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, saccharum officinarum (sugar cane, extrait de canne à sucre) extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, silica, sucrose, fructose, glucose, coco-glucoside, inositol, maltodextrin, citric acid, benzoic acid, trehalose, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, CI 77947 (zinc oxide), alcohol denat., phenoxyethanol ***************************************************************************************************I got this from Bzzagent to try and review. I tried this tonight after a long day at work. It comes in a large squeeze plastic recyclable tube. The texture is smooth and thick. I have acne prone combination skin so I'm a bit skeptical on how this would clean my face. I had on a tinted sunscreen, powder, non waterproof mascara, waterproof eyeliner, and lipstick. I had a little bit of difficulty rinsing this off my face with warm water. I'd say I rinsed for a good 2 minutes, which is kind of long for rinsing! After rinsing, I looked in the mirror and noticed some cleanser still around my nostrils. Even though it did not rinse clean, I guess it felt nice and smooth. Most of my make up came off. The waterproof eyeliner was a little challenging but it was about 85% removed. My skin feels comfortable, but I'm sure there is some residue left if I used a toner to finish it off. No fragrance detected. No redness nor tightness. It is said to be allergy tested, soap free, non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested, and hypo-allergenic. This would work for me in the winter most likely. Now that I am in my forties, I can't deal with cleansers that over stripping my skin. I might need to use a separate eye make up remover before using this. It would also probably work better in the shower. The reason I would not repurchase is because it's really too thick. A cleansing milk may work better for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Desert Essence - Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing Pads
lil_me 8/12/2011 2:13:00 AM
$3.99 50 pads. I enjoy using these when my pores feel clogged. Recently, I've got my 11 year old to use it around his nose to keep his pores clear. Seems to be gentle enough for him. The texture of the pads could be improved if it's thicker and a bit softer. Overall, it is very good for the money. The smell is slighty overpowering but it does not linger very long. I have repurchased tis many times already.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Boots - Expert Anti-Redness Serum
lil_me 8/12/2011 1:31:00 AM
$7.99 @ Target. After doing two chemical peels, I wanted to soothe some redness around my chin and nostrils. Nice texture and feel upon application. Non greasy. 2 days later, I developed some clogged pore on my cheeks. My period is coming in about a week so I'm wondering if that may be the cause of the clogged pores. I will resume use a week after my period ends and see if it's this serum that's the culprit. 9/17/11- I decided to give this another chance. It's been about 2 weeks and for some odd reason, my jawline has tons of clogged pores all of the sudden. I don't know what happened. They just appeared one night. So, I guess it will go into the trash for me.
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Treatments -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - 65% Lactic Acid Peel
lil_me 8/3/2011 9:43:00 PM
I was sitting in my car yesterday and took a peek in the mirror. I did not realize how terrible my skin texture really is. The huge pores, acne, blemishes, and now age spots! I am jacked up! I've done a TCA 15% on a few spots a couple of weeks ago and the peeling stopped. The age spots around the outer corners of my eyes are about 50% lightened. I figured it would be ok to do a milder lactic peel on the rest of my face. 08/03/11- trying this 65% lactic peel I received today on my entire face right now! I am feeling the burn! I will update you guys with the results later. I am using a fan brush to apply the gel-like lactic acid. Ok, I just washed off the peel after 7 minutes. Still a bit burning and slightly pink. My skin looks thick, dull, and course. Weird... Will try and update either tomorrow or in the next couple of days.... 08/04/11-woke up this morning with a tight face. Still a bit pink. Some new spots surfaced and I'm wondering if it is from past sun damage... No peeling yet. In the evening, I used the Quasar MD to see if it would help with the redness and healing process. It did look less red after the treatment. I put some Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair on and Weleda Calendula Baby Cream on before going to bed. 08/05/11-woke up with a super tight face! Usually, my face is quite oily or shiny when I wake up. but there were no signs of oil anywhere. Dry as the desert... Not so pink anymore, but I can barely open my mouth without feeling like it's going to crack. The nasolabial folds are dark for some odd reason. Skin feels really thick and leathery. The dark spots on my cheeks are flat, but very visible. Before the peel, I had a few spots (I'd say about 4-5 small blemishes on each cheek), but after the peel, I had about 10-15 on each cheek! Some of those are about the size of an eraser head! Those could not be covered by my Too Faced heavy duty concealer. On a positive note, my forehead looks great! 08/06/11-woke up to thick dry leathery itchy skin. I washed my face and noticed the skin softened up quite a bit. I thought to help the exfoliation process along by using a soft Terry washcloth and buffed ever so gently in circular motion. Jackpot! The softened dead skin sloughed off and my new skin radiantly peeked through!!! Holy moly! Most of the ugly blemishes on my left cheek either disappeared or is about 80% faded! My right cheek's blemishes faded about 50%. My gigantic pores are vastly improved! I didn't know my pores would smooth out at all... That's definitely a plus! Overall, smoother and tighter skin. I can't wait to do another peel, but in a lower concentration. I think 65% was a bit too high. My nasolabial folds are still a bit tender but a light tinted moisturizer took care of the redness. 08/07/11- minor tiny flakes here and there. A little bit of redness in lower half of face. Still a bit tender and pink in the nasolabial folds. My cheeks are very soft. I guess my forehead and temple area is super tough. There was no tightness, redness, or flakes in that area. 08/11/11- no more flakes! I'm just trying to stay out of the sun. Pores look really good and I think with monthly maintenance peels, I should be good. 08/15/11- I diluted the 65% lactic acid with equal parts of water. Left it on for about 3 minutes. Neutralized with a baking soda solution. Washed with their green tea/ pomegranate cleansing gel. Used witch hazel as toner to rebalance skin. There was a tiny bit if tingling during the peel process. Good so far... 09/17/11-My skin looks really quite good. I am using mineral foundation powder now instead of liquid foundation! Thank goodness! I have done 2 peels since 8/15/11. I left the peels on for about 2 minutes so I didn't get the drastic peeling like I did after my 1st peel. That was crazy, but it was very effective and I loved the result. I just can't afford the downtime! My pores now are less visible and texture is greatly improved. My redness is also less visible. I ordered the fade peel, mandelic peel, radiance peel, and the mandelic/salicylic peel so that I can rotate between them. I can't wait to get them and try them out! I will do longer timed peels when my face can tolerate it. Oh, the age spots around my eyes are easily covered by a light layer of concealer. I have a feeling those will fade more soon! Yay! 10/11/11- I have now tried the mandelic~1 time, mandelic/salicylic~ 2 times, and the Radiance peel~ 1 time. My skin is starting to look much better. I will do the peels, including the lactic, in rotation because it is evident to me that my skin needs this type of exfoliation. Scrubs and cleansers are just not enough and too abrasive in the long run. My skin gets sensitive and turns red easily. The weird thing is, the peels are strong stuff yet my skin seems to recover faster from the peels. I don't know how else to explain it.....
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - TCA Peel
lil_me 7/30/2011 10:45:00 PM
Sometime in February 2011, I noticed three hyperpigmentation spots (1/8 inch spots) appear around my outer left eye and a slight smudge of hyperpigmentation around my outer right eye. HORROR! What to do? I tried 4% hydroquinone for several months and nothing! Ack! I hurried and made an appointment to the dermatologist and scheduled for IPL! It lightened it somewhat for about two weeks, but it came back looking like I never did anything to it! What to do now?!? I went online and came across MUAC TCA peel. Sounded like something I could try. I've done glycolic peels before (10-25% I think), but it's been a while. I ordered the TCA on 7/19 around midnight and got it on 7/22. Pretty fast shipping! I tried it that night on spots only. I wanted to see how strong this was before putting on my entire face. I applied a thin layer and neutralized it in three minutes instead of the recommended 5 minutes. It's a good thing, too, because the spots darkened considerably and looked like leather! I was praying that it would peel, but nothing happened for quite a few days. The spots were dark brown and could not be covered up with concealer. I was starting to regret doing it. 07/29/11- the scab started to form and peeled off in the shower. The spots are still there, but it lightened about 50-60%! I am gonna do is peel again at the end of next month and continuing until these darm spots disappear! I don't think I'll use it on my entire face. I just ordered the 65% lactic acid for weekly rejuvenation. 08/05/11-the age spots round my eyes are about 70% lighter. I will update again when my skin finishes healing. 08/11/11- even though it is lighter, I can't cover it completely with concealer. I'm sure I need a few more treatments and I'd better stay away from the sun. Unfortunately, I'm in southern California and can't avoid the sun... 9/17/11-My skin looks really quite good. I only use mineral foundation powder and a light swipe of concealer on my fading age spots around my eyes. I've done 2 -2 minute lactic 65% peels since 8/15/11. I'm waiting for the new fade peel, mandelic peel, radiance peel, and the mandelic/salicylic peel to come in. I will use these in a rotatic basis for maintenance and freshening up.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Fusion
lil_me 8/11/2010 12:43:00 AM
Ingredients: Water/Eau, Glyceryl Stearate, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire De Carnauba, Triethanolamine, Synthetic Wax, Acrylates Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Propylene Carbonate, Polyethylene, Oleic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Nylon-6, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Simethicone, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Ethylparaben, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Trisodium EDTA. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarines, Black 2, Iron Oxides. ******************************************************************************** I received this from Buzzagent to review and to spread the word aobut this product. It's the regular formula in black. I have tried many mascaras and I just can't say that this stands out over any of them. The formula is creamy, but on the drier side. The black color provides a soft, natural look. The wand is thick with plastic bristles which is supposed to help volumize the lashes, but I didn't experience it. The lengthening is probably more notable. I normally prefer a waterproof versions as I have oilier skin and basic formulas tend to smudge on me. Overall, I think this a so-so mascara. I would not repurchase unless it is the waterproof version and on sale.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Hada Labo TAMAGOHADA Daily Foaming Wash
lil_me 5/18/2010 7:13:00 PM
I purchased this from www.sasa.com $11.50 for 160ml ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is as described on sasa.com: HadaLabo TAMAGOHADA Daily Foaming Wash is infused with some keratin softening agents like AHA and BHA, which help to remove blackheads and impurities inside pores. It also improves dull skin tone and rough texture. Weak acid, low irritation, no fragrance, oil and alcohol. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After I removed my makeup with my trusty cleansing oil, I finished off my cleansing routine with this foam cleanser. The foam's texture is slightly dense, soft and smooth. Everything about this product is exactly as decribed by the company..no color/scent/oils, etc. After effortlessly rinsing the cleanser, my skin felt soft and smooth. No tightness. I could easily use this every night without fear of over drying my fussy skin. It may last a couple of months if used every day. I may repurchase, but I find the price a bit steep for a drugstore cleanser.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Unlisted Brand - Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid
lil_me 5/18/2010 6:50:00 PM
I purchased this product from www.sasa.com for $11 170ml This is what was described on Sasa's website for this item: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HadaLabo GOKUJYUN Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion is infused with super hyaluronic acid which deeply penetrates into skin. It keeps on moisturizing and softening skin, meanwhile enhancing skin’s water-binding ability, leaving skin supple, smooth and radiant. Weak acid, no fragrance, and no colorant. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I heard that this toner/lotion sells 1 bottle every 4 second. Well, of course, I had to try! To my surprise, I found that I really do like it and can understand why it sells like hotcakes! The texture is somewhat watery, but has a bit of a slip to it. I find that 2 small 'shakes' into the palm is sufficient for my entire face/neck/throat area. As instructed, I patted and pressed the solution onto cleansed skin. In about 10 seconds, the toner is completely absorbed. My combination skin feels wonderfully hydrated, but without the oil!! No scent detected. I would say it is safe for sensitive skin users, too. The redness in my face seemed to have subsided a bit! What's not to like? I LOVE this!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -LORAC - Oil-free foundation
lil_me 11/25/2009 1:39:00 AM
I picked this up at www.loraccosmetics.com for $7.50 in S2 Light ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (5%), Titanium Dioxide (5.88%) Inactive Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Behenyl Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Talc, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Glyceryl Ethylhexanoate / Stearate/ Adipate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methicone, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Tripeptide 3, Trisodium Inositol Triphosphate, May Contain (+/-):, Iron Oxide (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The website claims: LORAC's Breakthrough Performance Oil-Free Anti-Aging Foundation with SMS Complex and SPF 14 combines pre-aging, anti-aging, hydrating, and smoothing ingredients along with antioxidants to help skin appear youthful, rejuvenated, and radiant. Formulated to Help Prevent Aging: With time, the skin experiences cellular and structural changes. The change originates below the surface of the skin, gradually resulting in a relaxation of the skin and alterations of the dermal structure. The first signs of aging occur on the skin's surface as aesthetic problems like dryness, dehydration and the first wrinkles start to appear. The SMSystems helps to counteract the signs of aging by increasing cell turnover, and promoting skin's natural ability to produce collagen; which has been shown to strengthen the skin's structure. This systems is designed for all ages and all skin types to help create a youthful, radiant complexion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I read a few reviews and some said they did not get much coverage. I would have to agree. The coverage is pretty sheer, but buildable to light-medium. The texture is almost gel-like. I could probably get away with this coverage on a good skin day. I think it's ok for some light skin redness, but it would definately not be able to cover any blemishes. It did not seep into any lines or pores. It did not oxidize on my skin, but it faded quickly. I'd say it lasted about 5 hours. I tried this with the Lorac Aquaprimer and it did not help make it last all day. My cons would be the light coverage and the inability to last through a normal day. It's an ok product, but not super. I would probaly not repurchase this.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Smashbox - High Definition Healthy FX Foundation
lil_me 11/25/2009 1:11:00 AM
I picked this up at www.smashbox.com for $38 in L3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: 5.0% Octinoxate (2-Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate), 3.2% Titanium Dioxide. INGREDIENTS: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Dimethylacrylamide/Acrylic Acid/Polystyrene Ethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4-Isostearate, Dimethicone/Divinyl Dimethicone/Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Lecithin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Ribose, Sodium Chloride, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Alumina, Propylene Carbonate, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbitan Laurate, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Ascorbyl Palmitate. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As stated on their website, this foundation is: "an oil-free, weightless formula packed with anti-aging, revitalizing, and firming ingredients that work overtime to provide cellular nutrition for skin. UVA/UVB SPF 15 offers sun protection, vitamin C fights free radicals, and new cell-energizing Ribose renews the appearance of skin. Our unique, patented bio-delivery system gives you time-released moisturization and firming benefits that last all day. Skin is refreshed and revitalized for a flawless future. Best of Sephora Award Nominee for Best Foundation." I absolutley LOVE the durable slender plastic pump packaging! This is about as far as the love goes... Though they say it's oil free, it felt a wee bit oilier than my Maybelline Instant Age rewind Foundation. After about 10 minutes and a light blot with a tissue, it was fine. I did have a light oil breakthrough by the afternoon. It was nothing too bad, but I did touch up with a bit of powder. The color was ok. I probably could have gone a shade lighter. For reference, I'm a NC30 in MAC/120 in MUFE HD. I didn't feel any firming benefits. I've had this for about 2 months now and have used this maybe 5 times. I look at the pretty little bottle everyday, but find myself reaching for another foundation. The foundation is good, it is not HG level. May not be repurchasing this.
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Liquid -Maybelline - Instant Age Rewind foundation
lil_me 11/25/2009 12:54:00 AM
Walgreens for $4.29 (clearance) in the color nude ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (4.5%) Inactive Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Polyglycerol 4 Isostearate, Talc, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Tribehenin, Dimethicone, Phenyltrimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, PEG/PPG 18/18 Dimethicone, Laureth 4, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Methylparaben, Diazolidiny Urea, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Propylparaben, Silk Powder, Retinyl Palmitate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Caffeine, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Propylene Glycol, Panthenol, Alcohol Denat, May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Mica ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was at Walgreens killing time and came across this little gem on clearance. Recently, I tried the Maybelline Super Stay foundation and was really quite impressed with that formula so I thought I would give this a try. I am glad I did. It looked a bit thick, so I started with a pea size amount pressing gently around the nostrils, cheeks, and chin areas first. The texture was actually quite nice. It did not accentuate the pores around my nostrils or cheeks at all! It did not look heavy or cakey. No notable scent. A tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny bit of shimmer. SPF 18. I have not had a huge problem with the color transferring or oxidizing. It lasts all day for me, which is about 15 hours. No oil breakthrough. It does not seep into any fine lines. I'm totally impressed! There is caffeine in it and supposed to make the skin more firm. I don't see or feel it, however, I did not really expect it to. I did find it to make my skin look smoother and less red. Maybe, it does make my face look less fatigued by mid afternoon. Should I dare say this is better than my Nars Firming foundation??? It is!! Is it better than my Smashbox High Defintion foundation?? It is!! How about Make Up For Ever HD? Really close. Actually, I have been using this more than my MUFE HD...yikes! Let see...are there any cons? The main one would be the packaging. The un-hygenic, pumpless, GLASS bottle is a HUGE turn off. I hope they are going to re-do the packaging and still continue to use this formula. It is quite nice. Overall, I would recommend this. Too bad it is on clearance. I don't plan on buying another one so quickly since I just got this one about 2-3 weeks ago.
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Foundations -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Foundation
lil_me 10/30/2009 10:44:00 PM
Only at Sephora $40 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ingredients: All shades contain: Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Mica, talc, PEG-10 Dimenthicone, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenyl, Trimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Lauroyl Lysine, Dimenthicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Cyclohexacyloxane, Methylisothiazolinone, Sorbitan Sesquileate, Silver Oxide, Propylene, Carbonate, Parfum (fragrance), Methylparaben, Fagus Sylvatica Extract (Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract), Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, [+/- CI 77891 )titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides). -Apply directly on skin. Small quantity is sufficient to make up the whole face. -Perfect and mattify application by dusting with HD powder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sephora website states: HD Invisible Cover Foundation What it is: An oil-free medium-to-full-coverage liquid foundation that covers skin imperfections flawlessly while remaining invisible on-screen and in real life. What it does: Creates a soft-focus effect, designed to meet the coverage concerns of those in the spotlight. It creates a complexion that looks flawless, even in bright or harsh lighting. What else you need to know: This Sephora-exclusive foundation comes in 25 different shades to suit all skintones. Size: 1.01 oz ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I love this! For me, this lives up to the hype. I chose shade 120 (I am a NC30 in MAC). The oil free, yellow-toned formula glides onto my skin. Currently, my skin issue is some redness around my nostrils and chin areas. I only need a small (1 pea size) amount (concentrating mainly around nostrils, cheeks, chin--then blending to rest of face) and the coverage is natural. I've tried applying with my fingers for a soft medium HD finish and also used a damp taclon foundation brush for a sheerer finish (2 small pea sized drops because some was absorbed into the brush). Long lasting (10-16 hours) and natural looking. No need for powder to set on most days! Amazing! No detectable fragrance. Nice sturdy plastic pump dispenser! My only con MAY be the price, but I've used more expensive foundations before and was left with less than superior qualities. I would repurchase in a snap! YAY!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Maybelline - SuperStay Makeup - New Version
lil_me 10/30/2009 9:36:00 PM
Walgreens $9.99 (BOGO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Isododecane, Dimethicone, C30 45 Alkyl Dimethylsilyl Propylsilsequioxane, Glycerin, Silica, PEG 10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin 3 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Nylon 12, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Chlorphenesin, Ethylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Paraffin, May Contain (+/-): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77499, CI 77492, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As stated on the drugstore.com website, this foundation claims: Micro-Flex Formula Zero-Transfer 24HR Wear Withstands heat, sweat and humidity Zero-Transfer*: won't rub off Flexible, breathable, all-day comfort Oil Free - Non pore clogging Suitable for all skin types *based on laboratory testing Made in U.S.A. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am going through some skin issues and for some reason am wanting to try liquid foundations again. I stopped using liquid foundations for years after discovering mineral makeup. Now that I'm over 40 (42 to be exact) I am now longing for a radiant dewier glow ...now mind you that I still have oily skin, but I don't crave the all-over matte look as I once HAD to have. I am now discovering that matte skin makes me look much more fatigued and dehydrated=OLD looking. This oil free foundation is quite nice. I can get sheer to natural coverage and minimal oil break through. No heavy feel yet...it's still fall here in San Francisco. I may need to make some edits to this review in warmer months ahead if the wear gets heavier. It does not settle in my pores or fine lines too much. That's pretty good because most foundations, even mineral ones, tend to get in the pores around my nostrils. It wears for hours, but I'm not sure it would really last through 24hrs... maybe 10-16 hrs at most. I chose the color nude. Normally, I'm a NC30 in MAC. No pink or orange tones, which is quite amazing for a drugstore brand. No annoying noticable fragrance. Overall, I'm satisfied with the formula. My only cons are that it does not come in a pump dispenser and it is contained in a glass bottle. I would repurchase. But first, I must try Revlon Colorstay!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -NARS - Aqua Gel Hydrator
lil_me 4/24/2009 8:19:00 PM
$76 3.4 oz @ Nordstrom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Squalane, Dimethicone Copolyl, Dimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Alcohol, Tocopherol, Citrus Dulcis (Orange Oil), Potassium Hydroxide, Silica, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed Oil), Pyrus Cydonia (Quince Extract), Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Propylene Glycol, Melilotus Officinalis (Sweet Clover Extract), Lavandula Hybrida (Lavandin Oil), Prunus Persica (Peach Kernel Extract), Aloe Barbandensis (Aloe Barbandensis Extract), Lilium Candidum (White Lily Extract), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Per the Sephora website, NARS claims the Aqua Gel Hydrator as being a "ultra-luxurious lightweight gel-cream mask is comprised of 87% water to deliver intense hydration to dull, dehydrated skin. Once massaged into the skin, tiny molecules of water suspended in the gel-cream burst, releasing the water and sealing it into the skin for an optimal moisturizing effect. When left on overnight, this water-rich treatment leaves skin looking luminous, smooth, and dewy." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~As I was @ Nordstroms (yet again!), I wanted to walk past by the NARS counter, but I just could not... I peered through some foundation colors and the SA approached me asking if I would like a light makeover. Since I had 1/2 hour to kill, I thought-- why not? So, I plopped myself down on the chair and she recommended the Aqua Gel Hydrator. It felt nice and light. Soooooo, of course, I purchased it. It seemed like a lot of money at first, but you get quite a bit of product--3.4oz. Normally, most lotions and creams go for that price, but you only get 1.7oz so I found this to be a pretty good deal! ~ PROS: light refreshing nicely scented hydrating makes my skin glow in the morning! ~ CONS: clogged pores....(BOO!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I really wanted to like this, but I got little white heads and clogged pores all along the outer side of my cheeks afer using it for 1 week. This would have been a nice summer hydrator.
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