Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Avocado Oil
melinda_ 12/15/2012 10:22:00 PM
My skin: dry but acne prone with adult acne. Very sensitive to products I.e. very breakout prone especially from products. I use benzoyl peroxide 2x a day so my skin can get rather parched. I used to use LRP Toleriane Fluide but just can't justify the price right now. I have been unable to use any other oils on my face without breaking out. I decided to try using this to remove my makeup because my cleanser doesn't do a good job of that on its own. I take about a pea sized amount of it in my palm and warm it up and spread it out, so it's not super concentrated, and then I rub my hands over my face for awhile in circular motions. I give it a good massage. Then I wipe off the excess oil and makeup with a tissue. After that, I wash my face with my bp cleanser. This has works well for me. I havent gotten any breakouts from this. Lately I've been using it as a moisturizer and leaving it on. I can't say yet how well that's working out, because it's too soon to see if that breaks me out. It works well on my hands that are dry from overwashing and the cold weather. I use the yellow one (can't recall the brand) which is refined. I'd like to try the unrefined type at some point but am afraid it will cause breakouts.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Powder Brush
melinda_ 12/15/2012 10:03:00 PM
I cant believe I haven't written a review for this. First, I want to thank MUA for introducing me to this product as well as other great DS products. Prior to MUA, I only used HE makeup and would never have dreamed of using anything but, and now, almost everything I use and love is DS! Anyway, onto the review... This brush is amazing for applying powder, powder foundation and I imagine it would be good for liquid foundation from the reviews but I've yet to try that. Why it's good: -it does NOT shed. Never ever. I've never experienced this with any brush before. -it gives me a flawless and airbrushed finish. -I have to use less product because it seems to be more efficient at distributing the product. -of course the price is a plus. It's $3!! It's sold at Target so go pick one up. 1000+ reviews cannot be wrong and it's so inexpensive anyway.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -AcneFree - All Day Acne Control Foam
melinda_ 11/16/2012 2:48:00 AM
Would I buy this again? Yes, yes, and YES!! I am beside myself over this Bp foam. This is hands down thee best Bp I've ever used In my entire life, and trust me, I've used them all. Here's a partial list of the ones I can recall off the top of my head: clearasil, topix benzaderm, acne.org, Persa gel, proactive, benzac, rx ones and numerous generic versions of Bp. This one is amazing. It's more effective in preventing and eliminating acne than all of them but it goes one step further -- it actually also moisturizes my skin. Prior to using this, I was using another 5% Bp ( lower % doesn't work for me) and I was also using moisturizer on top ( LRP Toleriane Fluide) and while it worked on my acne, except for TOTM acne which I sometimes still got, my skin was sooo flaky and dry even with the moisturizer. Also, the Bp seemed to just sit on my skin in this disgusting thick layer. With this, I can apply tons of it and it feels like nothing is on my skin. It really penetrates. My skin also feels as smooth as a baby's butt. It got rid of all of my dry flaking skin literally overnight. I'm simply amazed. I don't even use moisturizer anymore because I don't need it. I think it's because of the botanical ingredients which I researched and they're really good for your skin. They hydrate and help soothe it. Theyre antioxidants that also kill not only p.acnes, but staph, yeast and other bacterias. I had a pimple that had erupted and it hurt. I usually don't get them anymore, so I was pretty upset. I used this and the acnefree 5% gel on top of it before I went to bed. As soon as I applied it, the pain went away. It really soothed it. When I woke up, it was completely GONE! I seriously couldn't believe it. I never expected that. Even 10% usually takes a few days on spots like that. I can apply tons of this and it doesn't dry me out. Ymmv, but I am impressed. This foam vehicle takes a bit of getting used to but it's easy to adapt from gel to this. Only squirt a little in your palm or on your finger and spread it on one area of your face at a time. The one thing is, since I use a lot, some white stuff pills but I find if I keep running my hand over my face as if I was rubbing the product in, even after its dry, that they completely go away. I hope they never stop making this. I'm going to stock up like crazy. Interesting twist: I had run out of my LRP and was looking into other moisturizers because it's so expensive and my skin was still dry anyway. I had a few in mind but was scared because just about every moisturizer breaks me out. I prayed I'd find something for my skin because I couldn't handle the dryness and couldn't handle it if I broke out again. I lost my debit card during all of this pondering over which moisturizer to buy, and was unable to access my money to buy moisturizer, and I was feeling upset. My skin looked so dry and bad and I just got the pimple I wrote about above. I happened to have a Walgreens gift card, so I went there hoping I'd magically know which moisturizer to buy. I bought this on a whim until I could get my debit card to order solvere or something like that online. I only had exactly enough money to buy this. Literally. I only had four cents leftover. The clerk said I was lucky. She had no idea... And neither did I. Now I don't even need a moisturizer. Magic. Gift of god....something.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Simple - Kind to Skin Refreshing Wash Gel
melinda_ 8/28/2012 2:16:00 AM
I got this to use with the acne.org regimen and expected it to be gentle because of the reviews here and what the label says. It totally stripped my face and dried it out. I returned it the next day. This may be good for people with oily skin or who dont use topical acne producs. I bought cerave foaming facewash and thats been good going on 3 weeks now. Its much more gentle with my anti-acne regimen. My skin is normal but acne prone and sensitive.
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Sunscreen -Clinique - Super City Block SPF 25
melinda_ 8/4/2012 9:23:00 PM
Okay, I used to use the City Block 15 that was DC'd so I'm checking their new version and hoping it was the same. But it's NOT. Le sigh. Came across this tidbit when I was looking into it: "The ingredient of concern is angelica archangelica root oil. According to our investigation this ingredient may have some antioxidant ability but it contains photosensitive constituents that increase the chances of UV-radiation caused damage. It is puzzling why Clinique would put a light-sensitive ingredient in a sun protection" http://www.nvwah.com/products/clinique/p_clinique_super_city_block_oil_free_daily_face_protector_spf40.html So much for it being oil free too. So basically it can cause damage that I'm trying to avoid. Umm..no thanks. Wanted to post this so others know they may be getting more sun damage from this product. The search continues for me.
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Shampoo -Suave - Professionals Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo
melinda_ 7/12/2012 3:31:00 AM
Wow! This is the best dry shampoo I've ever tried and I've tried a few. For the price it's hg. I paid under $3.00 at Walmart. Even if it weren't so cheap,I'd pay more because it's that good. Seriously. I have fine but oily hair that needs to be washed daily. Sometimes I get oily under 24 hrs which is annoying and this works for me! It's not like other dry shampoos that leave powder or granules in your scalp that you can feel when you rub your hands through them either. I feel nothing but unoily hair. It can leave white if you spray too close to your head, but that can be taken care of with rubbing it in your scalp which you should be doing anyway. Then you brush it out after a few minutes and it's not there. I have blonde hair ( dirty blonde with highlights). I'm on my 3rd day of not washing my hair which is a damn miracle for me. I'm impressed. This has the exact ingredients as dove dry poo but is a few dollars cheaper. Just an FYI. Ps -- it even holds up after showering. Usually, I get oily after one when I use a shower cap or towel but not with this. It didn't affect it all. Update: I still really like this a lot, but it's drying out my hair down the shaft a bit which sucks. I wish I could figure out how to make it stop doing that...Other than that, yeah, I can go 3 days or more w/o washing my hair which is like a miracle for me, but I don't want dry hair either so...
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Revlon - Crazy Shine nail buffer
melinda_ 7/12/2012 3:20:00 AM
This is amazing! I can have shiny, nice nails without the chemicals of polish. Yes! Easy to use too.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cerave - Moisturizing Lotion
melinda_ 7/4/2012 10:53:00 PM
I don't know why his is recommended to people with acne prone skin since it has comedogenic ingredients. That's annoying. I tried it awhile ago and it broke me out. If they removed the cetereths it would probably be amazing! Too bad.
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Brows -Milani - Brow Tint Pen
melinda_ 5/22/2012 8:54:00 PM
I didn't like it. I use brow stuff to give more color and definition and this looked weird and unnatural. It was difficult to use. I returned it. I'm sticking with W&W brow kit.
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Hair Color -Wella - Color Charm Demi-Permanent Hair Color
melinda_ 4/12/2012 12:43:00 AM
I've used this many times when I've dyed my highlighted hair darker. It comes out very nice. It doesn't damage my hair and it lasts. The only problem is the colors run really dark. Like others said, get a few shades lighter. I got level 6 and mixed it with a 7 and it came out very dark brown on me, close to black. My hair is porous and just soaks up the color and it lasts for many many months on me, without lightening. Since I usually dye highlights, I don't use ash because it could turn green because highlights are porous. I also have pretty fine hair to boot. I later tried a 7or an 8 (I don't recall, but I've probably tried both at separate times) and it STILL came very dark. Right now, I'm in a blonde phase, but if I decide to go darker, I'll try a 10N and see how that goes. When I go darker I'm usually looking for a dark blonde, not brown. Level 10 would end up an 8 if my calculations are right, but I'd do a strand test to see how it turns out since they go so dark. I used to mix it with half clear to dilute it, but it still comes pretty dark. I think I'd use 1/2 10 N and 1/2 clear or 1/2 NG next time to see if that makes it come lighter. Definitely use a few shades lighter and do a strand test your 1st time. Also, don't use pore filler if you're highlighted because then you'll really grab color and your hair can turn much darker than you want. That's only for grays and for people whose hair has demonstrated to not grab color. It only gets 4 lippies because I wish they had even lighter blondes, so a level 13 could be a 10, for example.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -TheBalm - BalmShelter Tinted Moisturizer
melinda_ 3/12/2012 12:41:00 AM
The 2nd ingredient is Isopropyl Myristate which is listed as a 4 or 5 on the comedogenic list. Avoid if you are prone to acne.
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Treatments -Clean & Clear - Persagel 10
melinda_ 2/26/2012 4:59:00 PM
Edit: 11/2012 -- I only use this for spot treating now. I currently use acnefree BP foam and I love it so much. I still recommend this but I prefer the 5% for all over. I love this. I've tried every other BP product out there, benzaclin and every other RX BP, Dan's, etc. But this is the one that works the best for me. My skin loves BP, meaning it is the only thing that works for my acne -- to treat and to prevent it. I was worried about drying so I came up with a system. I squeeze out some BP into my palm and then I add my moisturizer. I mix it together very well and then apply to my entire face at bedtime. My skin looks amazing! It's not even very dry from this. I find the 10% does work better -- I don't care what the studies say about 2.5% working just as well, because for me, it's just not true. Unforunately, Dan's BP makes my skin react like I'm allergic to BP, even though I am not. I use a BP face wash 2x a day and have used BP for my entire life with no problem. I decided to try Dan's after I'd been using this, because I liked the idea of a lower % and because of all the good reviews here. I also liked the price and wanted to support the community, but I couldn't tolerate it even though I slather on 10% every night. I think his vehicle is too drying. This is more emollient. Or I'm allergic to something in his filler list. I would've thought I was allergic to BP if acne.org BP was the first one I tried. I'm just saying this so others who tried that with no prior BP use can know that they *may* not be allergic to BP. I really wish acne.org would come out with a different formula because I'd buy it. Acne.org BP also made me breakout so something in it is bad for me, personally. When I get any pimples, even big ones, I put this on them and they are literally gone the next day, 2 days max. Love this stuff. Update: 3/28/12 I'm still using this but I've modified how I use it. I now use it straight. I came off spiro 3 months ago, and apparently my hormones are acting out, so buffering it isn't going to cut it. I'm really trying to use if daily, at night, but my skin is a bit dry because it's getting used to it. I'm basically doing the acne.org regimen with this. I'll update once I finally work out all the kinks in my regimen. I wish I could use Dan's but it is too acidic for me. I wish it wasn't because it's a good deal and I like the site too. :(
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Lip Liners -Wet 'n' Wild - #666 liner
melinda_ 2/26/2012 2:30:00 AM
I love how lip liner makes my lips look! I can't believe I went so long without this knowledge. And I love this color. It's perfect for my heavily pigmented lips. I can't wait to try the other colors. Update: 3/12/12 I'm still so in love with this! I line my lipline and then fill it in with this and it really makes my mouth look so much better. I feel like I can't do w/o it. I love how it looks with lip gloss over it. It also looks good with lipstick on top and I think it holds up better that way.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Shimmer Pencil
melinda_ 2/26/2012 2:27:00 AM
I love this product! I have it in copper. It's so pretty on my blue eyes, but I can imagine it bringing out any eye color. The staying power is good too. I plan on trying all of the other colors now. I also plan on trying it like the reviewer below me suggested and using it like an eye shadow -- why didn't I think of that! Update: They had a sale at Rite Aid and they were $.69 each so I bought more. I like the navy one. I never thought I'd like navy eyeliner but I do! The only issue with the navy one is that it drags more than the copper. I'm playing around with using a lighter for that. I got the ice blue one too. It's nice, but it may be a bit too frosty for my taste. The silver is very very frosty and shimmery and I'm not sure I'm crazy about that. The copper is my favorite. It's beautiful. I also like the navy if I can get it to be creamier with the lighter.
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Foundations -Garnier - BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One
melinda_ 2/24/2012 2:26:00 AM
EDIT 03/06/12 I've been using this for over a week now and... it broke me out. Ugh. I think it's from the mineral pigments, because mineral MU and me don't mix well. It could be something else, because there's a lot of ingredients I don't recognize. I also noticed that it had little pieces of GLITTER in it that would show up on my face when the light hit it a certain way. I'm glad I noticed this, because I don't want glitter on my face. I don't understand why they'd make a BB glittery. Base shouldn't have glitter. And it wasn't just shimmer, but decent sized pieces of actual glitter.Umm...No thanks Also, the glitter didn't wash off. I'd even notice it the next day.. It's a shame, because I liked how it made my skin look. It'a back to TM, BB, until I find a better one. It also made my skin pretty oily -- even with powder. Returning it. I just bought this on sale for $10 at CVS. I think I really like it! I've never used a BB cream before and I see from the other reviews that this isn't like them, but I DO use TM's, and this is like that. I like it. My skin looked better on it. I didn't notice a difference from BB TM, which is much more expensive. In fact, I think I like how this made my complexion look better. It's too soon to see if it breaks me out yet, but if it does I will update. I ALWAYS update my reviews if something changes, especially if I get breakouts. Like others said, it may be too orange, so they may want to come out with something a bit more neutral. It did make my skin have a sheen, but when I touched it, it didn't feel oily, so I don't know about that. I plan on wearing it for a longer period of time and updating about that and if my skin reacts badly to it.
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