Skincare - Face -Ole Henriksen - Truth Serum
luxed2 5/11/2013 1:03:00 PM
Been using for about a yr and it hasn't bothered my rosacea. My skin gets more and more sensitive as time goes on, so c serums I used a few yrs ago now irritate me. Maybe SAP is the way to go for me since all other types of vitamin C irritate me now. Onto the results: this stuff makes my skin glow, look plumper, brighter, more clarity. I tend to get clogged pores easily and have seen mentioned on the board that SAP may be good for acne. Honestly results with this c serum are more noticeable than c serums I've used in the past.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Vivite - Replenish Hydrating Cream
luxed2 11/25/2012 12:19:00 AM
Rosacea, clog-prone skin here. So far no clogs and it calms redness. Moisturizing without being greasy. This contains green tea, licorice and bisabolol - 3 ingredients that my rosacea loves. A little goes a long way and the 2 oz jar lasts forever, so I think the price is decent. I always buy online during sales.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid
luxed2 7/2/2012 6:57:00 PM
I just have to comment on the below review stating this could not possibly have spf 50 with 11% titanium dioxide. Very uninformed review. Multiple particle sizes and a special antioxidant boost both the uva & uvb protection. Also, I doubt LRP would make this claim if it weren't true. I use the tinted version of this currently but I have also used the non-tinted one. I've tried practically every physical sunscreen out there and this sunscreen provides one of the highest protection levels against burning & pigmentation, better than sunscreens with high % of zinc oxide. Same deal w/Skinceuticals PF which also uses multiple particle sizes & a special antioxidant.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios 50 Tinted Mineral Ultra Fluid Sunscreen
luxed2 6/5/2012 8:37:00 PM
A bit dark for my nc15/20 skintone but still wearable due to transparency. It gives my skin a light golden glow. For those familiar with Skinceuticals Physical Fusion this one is a bit darker, but has a near identical consistency and finish. Even though the only active is 11% titanium dioxide, this protects me from pigmentation way better than any other physical sunscreen I've used (I can't even count), even those with high % of zinc oxide. LRP really knows how to formulate sunscreens I guess. They claim PFA 21 but I'm not sure how that translates to PPD, or if they are one in the same. I googled the antioxidant in this, 'cassia alata leaf' and found that it 'protects cellular DNA from UVA and UVB and supports natural repair of cells.' All I know is that if I'm not getting pigmentation, the UVA coverage has to be great.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Phyto - Phytolisse Perfect Smoothing Shampoo
luxed2 6/2/2012 1:49:00 PM
For reference my hair is straight/slightly wavyish from ears down. Very thick, tends to get very poufy & frizzy on the bottom half. Pros: controls pouf/frizz until next wash, even in humid weather. Makes my hair look like I've had a professional straightening treatment, very sleek & shiny. This shampoo works without any other products in my hair so I don't need the mask or serum, nor any other styling product. This justifies the cost for me because styling/finishing products are not necessary. Cons: It leaves a coating on the hair, making my hair take a really, really long time to dry. (I have very thick hair though that takes long to dry anyways, so you might not have this problem if you don't have thick hair). There are no cones in this, so it's not a cone type of coating, just whatever is in it that controls the frizz I guess. This is why I took 1 lippie off, but I will repurchase due to the end result.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Alkemia Paradise Perfume Oil
luxed2 5/26/2012 9:46:00 AM
Pina-colada, suntan lotion type scent but not in a heavy synthetic way. Notes are madagascar vanilla, coconut and monoi tiare. Smells very sweet in the bottle but once it begins to warm up on the skin it becomes less sweet. It smells very creamy and buttery to me. As with all of the scents I've tried from Alkemia, all of notes retain a presence and are long lasting.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - CJ Scents - Sunshine
luxed2 5/6/2012 8:11:00 PM
Pretty much what everyone else has said, and absolutely amazing layered with Roca Lemon Cloud.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Tressa - Watercolors Shampoo in Mocha Drench
luxed2 4/30/2012 8:30:00 PM
Mocha Drench is for neutralizing red/brass in deep brunette hair. I have brassy highlights in my dark brown hair that I need to tone down and I'm too lazy to go back to the salon. Also, it's just a few highlights in the front, not my whole head so I figured I would just try this shampoo since the highlights aren't *that* bad or overly noticeable. Just one use made a difference, not huge but it definitely toned the brass down a bit, and the highlights blend in better with the rest of my hair. I'm sure after I use it a few more times it will tone some more. It's a pretty nice shampoo as well, lathers a lot but feels conditioning and didn't dry my hair out. Sleekhair.com has a description for each color in the line. The Hazelnut is for toning orange/copper in light brown hair. I might try that one as well to see if does anything.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Clinique - Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector 
luxed2 4/15/2012 1:49:00 PM
This was reformulated last year and it no longer works to control oil as well as it used to. Whereas the previous formulation kept my t-zone matte almost all day long, the new version only works for about an hour or two. This used to be the best t-zone mattifier out there, ime. Why do companies always have to reformulate? The products always seem to get worse. I never used this as a primer under foundation so I can't comment on that. I just use it on my t-zone over sunscreen. I gave it 3 stars because it does make your skin look smoother and a bit blurred but for oil-control look elswhere.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - MD Solar Sciences Mineral Screen Tinted Gel 30+
luxed2 4/12/2012 9:19:00 PM
This is supposed to be very waterproof and I need a tinted physical s/s for the upcoming humid months. Currently I'm using Elta Physical but it doesn't hold up too well on those hot, humid summer days. (I have also recently tried Skinceuticals Physical Fusion which has a lovely finish but it clogs my pores if I wear it everyday). I didn't have any problems with this pilling as the below user did. Underneath I've been using a green tea serum, moisturizer and then the sunscreen. I don't wear makeup over this. It gives a nice smooth, matte finish and I noticed that my t-zone doesn't get as oily as it does with other s/s. Usually I'm touching up my t-zone with primer or powder every few hours but I can go almost all day with this. As far as the tint goes, it looks like a medium/dark beige straight out of the tube, but once rubbed in it really blends in with your skin and leaves just a hint of color. I think many skin tones could wear this, but nc15-20 is probably the lightest that could get away with it. This does not irritate my rosacea at all and so far hasn't clogged me. The only con would be the small 1.23 oz tube. Btw, I also tried the spf 50 untinted gel from this brand and it was way too drying, sucked all the moisture out of my skin even with moisturizer underneath. This one isn't like that at all and has a much better texture.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Alkemia Seduction Cacao
luxed2 4/10/2012 9:05:00 PM
I recently ordered a bunch of samples from this Etsy seller. Seduction Cacao is a simple, soft, dark cocoa and light musk scent. The cocoa smells very natural and I would say this is light enough for the summer. It might be interesting mixed with the patchouli vanilla. My favorites out of the samples I ordered were Seduction Vanille and Aphrodesia (check out my reviews on those) but I may order this in the near future as well. Overall I think this is a great company with well-blended, non-generic perfume oils that are long-lasting.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Alkemia Vanille Patchouli
luxed2 4/10/2012 8:52:00 PM
I recently ordered a bunch of samples from this Etsy seller. There are several -not too sweet- spicy, smoky vanillas to choose from, which is what I'm into right now. This is more patch than vanilla and I like it the other way around. However, I may try layering it with more vanilla and I'll also revisit after it has aged some. It might also be nice layered with their Seduction Cacao scent. Just not an immediate fb necessity. My favorites out of the samples I ordered were Seduction Vanille and Aphrodesia (check out my reviews on those). Overall I think this is a great company with well-blended, non-generic perfume oils that are long-lasting.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Alkemia Vanille Amour
luxed2 4/10/2012 8:42:00 PM
I recently ordered a bunch of samples from this Etsy seller. There are several -not too sweet- spicy, smoky vanillas to choose from, which is what I'm into right now. My favorites are Seduction Vanille and Aphrodesia (check out my reviews on those). I didn't enjoy the Vanille Amour as much though because it's a bit too close to a christmas potpourri type scent for me. Notes are: Madagascar and Tahitian vanillas and Tonka nestled in with a warm melange of ancient Ottoman trade spices (cardamon, ginger, and Grains of Paradise). It's actually not *too* bad in the drydown - a soft, spicy vanilla, however not fb worthy. Overall I think this is a great company though with well-blended, non-generic perfume oils.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Alkemia Seduction Vanille Perfume Oil
luxed2 4/10/2012 8:25:00 PM
I recently ordered a bunch of samples from this Etsy seller. There are several -not too sweet- type of vanillas to choose from, which is what I'm into right now. Seduction Vanille was my favorite. Notes are 'Tahitian vanilla orchids, jasmine flowers, and crystalline sugar cane, enhanced by a blend of delicate white and vanilla musks'. I find this one hard to describe because even though it's heavy on the jasmine, it's not a floral perfumey-type scent. All I can think of to describe this is 'candied jasmine', not unlike violet candies. At first it is all overpowering jasmine but as it dries down the sweet notes come through turning it into the candied jasmine as I described. Highly addictive. This is very strong and long lasting. I put it on before I went to bed, woke up in the middle of the night to a cloud of the scent, and could still smell it all day. Overall I think this is a great company that makes well-blended, non-generic perfume oils.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Alkemia Aphrodesia Perfume Oil
luxed2 4/10/2012 7:57:00 PM
I recently ordered a bunch of samples from this Etsy seller. There are many -not too sweet- spicy and smoky vanillas to choose from, which is what I'm into right now. Aphrodesia was one of my favorites and is a grown-up sexy vanilla. It's under the musk & spices category. Notes are 'deep eastern spices warmed with creamy vanilla and a few drops of golden frankincense'. The frankincense is the least aggressive of the notes so it's not a heavy incense scent, but it's definitely there and keeps it from being a typical sweet vanilla spice scent. Overall, I think this is a great company that makes well-blended, non-generic and long-lasting perfume oils.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No