Skincare - Face -Trilogy - Rosehip Oil
luxferi 4/19/2013 5:12:00 AM
I like this oil a lot. It's a little heavier than jojoba oil, I find that it doesn't sink as quick but on the plus side you need a little of it so a small bottle can last ages. I got some laser treatments to get rid of some small bumps on my face and as an aftercare, used this oil morning and night and the burn marks healed beautifully. Now I use this daily in the morning only and my skin is calm and moisturized. No smell that I can notice. Yep, really like it a lot.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Nizoral AD Shampoo
luxferi 3/19/2013 11:01:00 AM
I had the worst dandruff ever. Tenacious, too. And this cleared it up in just two weeks. What I like about it is that it's more of a treatment, leaving you free to use your preferred choice of shampoo for daily washing. I disliked drugstore shampoos like Head and Shoulders because it's always too heavy for my fine, limp hair - I needed the extra volume boost too. It's very easy to use - squeeze out the clear pink liquid, spread around my scalp, massage it in a little, and leave on for about 5 minutes. Then I rinse it out and use my everyday shampoo. It works perfectly! Very happy with it.
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Treatments -Shiseido - Tsubaki Conditioning Treatment
luxferi 3/17/2013 2:47:00 PM
Edit 30 March 2013: Okay, I spoke too soon. It's too heavy to use everyday. On the upside, it makes my hair so soft. So if you have a lot of hair, and they're moderately damaged, this will help you. Not changing rating though because it's a good shampoo. Actually I don't know where to put this review because it seems there's another review page for Tsubaki shampoo but since this one has the Head Spa (golden colored series) picture, I'll post my review here. I bought the Head Spa shampoo. Previously I was using Avalon Organics Biotin shampoo because I have fine, thin hair and not a lot of it. Most shampoos like Pantene or even Head and Shoulders (I tried that because I have dandruff too) were too heavy. My hair couldn't be grown longer than a bob, anymore than that and it would look weighed down. The Avalon Organics was doing okay for me until they reformulated recently and now it's a completely different animal. It gave me itchy, flaky scalp and dried my hair out. Yeah, I did get volume, because my hair was so dry, but I don't think that's good. So I was out for a new shampoo to address both the dandruff issue AND something that is conditioning for my hair, yet lightweight enough not to weigh it down. I picked this one because on the translated sticker at the back, it says it works to prevent dandruff. I wasn't expecting a lot. I bought it at a local Watson's - just the shampoo, no conditioner because I have some Avalon Organics one left. Not a bad price - RM30+, which is around USD10. It's a big bottle with curved body which I'm not very fond of because it doesn't look that great - but the results I've had with this shampoo made that irrelevant. It blew my mind! I was expecting another shampoo that will weigh my hair down but not this one! Even when I shampoo every day, it never weighed it down. I don't use any conditioner anymore... this is good enough. The smell is lovely - floral but not too strong. But I'm a floral fragrance kinda girl so it appeals to me. I run my fingers through my hair - no tangles - silky soft.... yet fluffy and full. It's never a combination that stays with me. Or never even happened to me, ever. I'm stunned. So yes, I love this shampoo. I plan to buy the Extra Cleansing with Essential Oil (the one with a round, clear body showing the golden liquid inside) next. It's supposed to be the clarifying one. As for dandruff, this will fall under another review as I'm using Nizoral to solve the problem. That one gets a 5 star from me too.
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Cleansers -Shiseido - Ultimate Cleansing Oil
luxferi 3/4/2013 2:06:00 AM
Expensive and gives me milia all around my temples. I've switched to DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and never looked back.
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Concealers -MAC - Studio Finish Concealer
luxferi 2/15/2013 10:51:00 AM
EDIT: 4th March 2013: Unfortunately, this concealer gives me milia. I didn't want to believe it at first, because I like it so much, but there it is. The evidence is staring at me in the mirror and I don't use any eye cream. I'm not sure what it is exactly in the ingredients that gives me milia... maybe the shea butter? My skin: 30 years old, starting to get fine lines (which my previous concealer from Everyday Minerals seem to highlight) with dark undereyes circles. My skintone: Fair-medium. NW20. Shell Blanc in Everyday Minerals Jojoba base. Before I bought this, I wanted to save money and bought two leading drugstore concealers that seem to receive good reviews: Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer and Revlon PhotoReady Concealer SPF 20. The Maybelline is thick and goopy and did settle into aforementioned fine lines, and Revlon's consistency is great and easy to use but didn't offer much coverage. I have an old tube of Lancome Effacernes but it too, has less than the coverage I need. Enter MAC. I'm generally not a beauty product snob. I buy both high end, low end and everything in between, as long as it gets high reviews and work for me. I saw that this received the highest amount of reviews, so I went to try it out. I love it! I pat this on in the bathroom using my ring finger, utilizing natural sunlight (I don't want to pile on too much) and my undereye circles are 95% camouflaged. NICE! I looked closer. The fine lines showed, just barely. DOUBLE NICE! Pretty great product, and it blew all the other concealers I have bought and tried. Will buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Burt's Bees - Beeswax Lip Balm
luxferi 2/4/2013 9:06:00 AM
Love this lip balm. I'd bought all kinds over the years and none had made me have the discipline to put it on on a regular basis as this one. I put it on last thing at night, right before bed, and in the morning my lips are soft and smooth. I adore the peppermint as well. I have a few stashed around so I'm never without it.
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Treatments -Avene - Triacneal
luxferi 2/3/2013 11:07:00 AM
I'm in love with this product! I think this, on top of me taking Neocell, Super Collagen+C, Type 1 & 3 (see my review about that) is making my skin super healthy, smooth, firm and supple. At first I used this every 3rd day, alternating with Avene Eluage. I always mist my face with Avene Thermal Water first - I think it helps with toning down any irritation. My skin is very sensitive and prone to rosacea, and it helps. Besides, Triacneal's consistency is thick and hard to spread over dry skin, but a light mist of water eliminated that. Over time, I worked it up to using Triacneal daily with no irritation whatsoever. My pores are now smaller, my skin tone more even, and overall more supple and youthful. I still look like my age (30) but damn, I look better than I had when I was younger! It's affordable and easily available, plus it caters to sensitive skin - what more can I ask for? Stellar product! I'm now on my third tube and will continue buying more. The only con I can think of is the tube design is a little hard to squeeze out of (especially at the end of it when you're trying to squeeze out the last of it!) but it's a minor complaint.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Neocell Super Collagen Powder
luxferi 2/3/2013 10:57:00 AM
I wish I'd discovered this gem 10 years ago, in my twenties. I kept thinking that for what it has done for me now, imagine if I took it religiously for years, what would it have done then? Of course, I'm not sure if it existed 10 years ago... Anyway, I bought this from iherb.com - Neocell, Super Collagen+C, Type 1 & 3, 250 Tablets $16.94. 3 tablets twice a day, every day. I have two reasons for taking it: 1) my lower back and knee have recently started to hurt and 2) I want it to be able to improve my complexion. Here's my report: 1st week: Hmm... skin looked slightly firmer, pores were still the same. My lower back was recently injured so it hurt more than my knee. 2nd week: Almost the same, except my husband told me my forehead looked a bit more lifted and smoother. I could feel my lower back's pain leaving me at a rapid pace. Before taking this, it would take a month or so for any trace of pain to completely leave. To have it leaving me so fast is a relief. And a surprise! 3rd to 4th week: Lower back was even better. I could lift relatively heavy things (but not too heavy! I forgot and injured it again after lifting a 5 gallon water dispenser bottle) but the pain left rapidly - like two days after that. Skin looked clearer and pores became smaller. Now at 3rd month taking it: On top of my regular skincare, my skin is now firm, supple and pores are a whole lot less noticeable. On top of that, my back is painless. I can carry my 2 1/2 year old son more often now when he asks for it - yes I still get a little sore after that but I don't notice it anymore. This is so great!! It didn't get rid of small fine lines at the inner corner of my eyes, but I'm pretty happy about what it has done for me so far. I already bought 4 more bottles (iherb.com has a bulk discount) and will continue taking this. It's so much more affordable than all the popular bottled collagen stuff selling at drugstores now and IMHO, easier to take in pill form because I can load a week's worth in one of those pill boxes and take them whenever it's convenient. The most important thing about it is to give it time to work. I believe it will benefit in some way or another. So yes, 100% will buy it again. :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Everyday Minerals - Jojoba Base
luxferi 12/15/2012 8:53:00 AM
My skin type: Sensitive combination, starting to show signs of aging like fine lines, loss of elasticity. My concerns: Fine lines, large pores, broken capillaries, uneven texture My skintone: Neutral, but on the warm side. NC20-NC25, Light Medium in Intensive, Shell Beige in Lucy Minerals I've always been a big fan of Everyday Minerals. Before this, I was using their Intensive line in Light Medium, but of course, that's discontinued, and found out that two new bases have been rolled out: IT base and Jojoba base. Due to IT base's bad reviews, I opted for jojoba's samples instead. Many other reviewers are right: you need to buy samples. Where in the past I would select the second lightest neutral color and have it match, this time, it didn't. I thought I would be under Neutral undertones, but instead, the Warm undertones suited me best. I ended up getting Shell Blanc, and it matches me perfectly. The texture is a lot finer than Intensive. I don't know how to describe it, but it feels CREAMY. It's so lovely to use and I look forward to use it every day. My pores are blurred (yes!) and with careful build-up, my broken capillaries can be semi-covered. I would say its coverage is light to medium. Nothing like Lucy Minerals' amazing coverage, but it's a whole lot easier to use than Lucy's. I find that I do have to use a bit more than I was used to with Intensive formula. Hmm.... But the most amazing thing about this Jojoba formula is that I actually look younger. Yes, seriously. It must be the teeny-tiny light reflecting particles I could see on a close-up... it's not glittery, but it's definitely there, like a shimmer. Fine stuff. Because of this, I'm happy to have switched to this and is more than glad to slap a HG label on it. :) Definitely recommend it!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara
luxferi 6/9/2012 2:47:00 PM
Best drugstore mascara I've found to date. It won't give volume and length with much finesse, in fact it pretty much clumps when layered a little too thickly, but I don't mind because the effect it gives my lashes is worth it. My eyes look instantly awake and larger.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Salux Nylon Japanese Bath Towel
luxferi 5/22/2012 8:57:00 AM
I bought these a year ago (three of 'em) and they are still going strong. I would love to buy them again but really, they hold up so well to daily showers. And the bubbles you can get with these! Seriously, one pump and you're in bubbleland. But I think the best thing about these is how smooth and silky my skin feels afterwards. I don't have to buy a separate body scrub, which is money saved. Totally love. Totally HG.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Avene - Eluage Cream 30 ml
luxferi 5/8/2012 5:17:00 AM
About me: 30 years old, combination skin, mildly acne prone, very sensitive with rosacea. I've been using Eluage for about a year, and this is my second tube. In the beginning I started off using it every 3 days, then 2 weeks later I switched to every other night, and finally when no irritation shows up, it became a nightly routine. I use a pump and a half to cover the whole face and neck. It has a margarine-like consistency - it's creamy, but not too thick, smells great (it can be a concern to some who are sensitive to fragrance in skin care, but personally it doesn't affect me) and does not irritate my skin at all, and that's saying something because I have rosacea. Some people mentioned the cast it gives - and maybe it's because I have yellow-toned skin, but I don't notice it at all. I use it for the dual purpose of controlling random pimples and anti-aging benefits. First of all, I need to mention on the upfront that retinol does not work overnight. I see the effects slowly... surely, but slowly. My skin was dull and darker in some areas - this certainly made the cells turnover a lot faster because I now need to exfoliate twice a week. It isn't until about 6 months to a year later that I realized just how good my skin looks. It's really subtle... my pores are slightly finer, my skin is baby smooth, makeup goes on easily, and my skin tone evened out. Pimples are a lot less (though I attributed that to my 2% salicylic wash twice a week - this acts as a chemical exfoliant for me too). All in all, my skin is HAPPY. Thriving, and happy. Oh, and I need to make a note that I spray my face with Avene Thermal Spring Water twice daily - once in a the morning and once in the evening before applying Avene Eluage. The water helps keep my skin calm. However after I'm done with this bottle, I'm going to move up to Triacneal, which contains 0.1% retinaldehyde and 6% AHA. I highly recommend the Eluage, especially for sensitive skinned folks and/or retinol virgins. Just start off slow, and you'll be good.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -E.L.F. - Zit Zapper
luxferi 5/8/2012 3:35:00 AM
This ELF Zit Zapper works TONS better than stuff with benzoyl peroxide. Granted, it doesn't work on huge, hormonal cystic pimples around my chin, but I cleared that up using The Pill. Anyway, for the random stress pimples around my face, I find that this works so well. I apply Avene Eluage in the evening, and then I just dab a little of this whenever and wherever needed. Go to sleep, and the next morning, the pimples are either gone or shrunk. And this lasts forever! I've been using it for 6 months and I still have 95% left. Great deal!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Olay - Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System
luxferi 9/17/2011 9:27:00 AM
My skintype: Very sensitive, mild rosacea, thin skin with broken capillaries. Combination. I used to use this everyday and it gave me such smooth, soft skin... but then my rosacea flared up badly and I was told I shouldn't use face brushes if I have rosacea. Instead, now I use Avene Eluage daily to exfoliate and only use this Pro X brush once a week, and this works very nicely for me. As long as I'm being gentle with my skin (don't press too hard and just skate lightly across my skin with the brush), my skin can tolerate it fine. I use Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser with the brush. I really like it... just placed an order for two replacement brush heads. :)
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
luxferi 9/15/2011 3:58:00 PM
I bought this based on Lisa Eldridge's recommendation on YouTube. The brush is remarkably well made and comfortable to use, unlike those stiff, slanted and uber thin brushes. I can never use those. Too awkward for doing my left eye with my dominant right hand. The brush on this is shaped with slightly round tip, not too stiff yet not floppy. It's a joy to use! The gel liner itself is also superb... it's completely budge proof (I'm really happy about that because my previous eye liner pencil transfers to my Shu Uemura curler every time I curl my lashes) and stays there until I remove it as the end of the day. The only thing is that I can't line under my eyes very well with this, it seems to give off too harsh a line so I revert back to good ole eye liner pencil for that. Very happy with this purchase! :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No