Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Pro Skincare Brush
merryjane81 9/4/2009 3:22:00 PM
I have been using this for about a month with the gentle brush (white). Before I began to use this, I had irritated skin -- a lot of dry patches and flaky skin from the use of vitamin C and retinol products. After using it for about two days, day & night, at 2 minute cycles, the dry patches and flaky skin were gone! In one month of usage, it has given me evenness in skin tone. So far, I am not sure that it has prevented any breakouts or reduced the size of my pores (I still have lots of black/whiteheads). Maybe it will with time... Will update if it does. One thing I love about the product is that I can use it in the shower. One thing I don't like about the product is that it's difficult to use on/around the nose area -- the brush is just too big for that area.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Skinceuticals - C E Ferulic
merryjane81 8/15/2009 3:20:00 PM
General comments: I don't like the packaging. It can be hard to use if you're a first time user. It also smells like hot dogs. It's liquid and once it's on your skin, it gets really sticky so you have to work fast or else it's really hard to spread it on your face. It leaves a thin film on your face which gave my face a glow -- it's shiny, but not oily looking. I've only been using it for two weeks so far so I'll update again later. For now, I'm giving it 4 lippies since it has ingredients proven to be effective in lightening the pigmented areas and helping sunscreen to work better. Week 1: I have sensitive skin, but it did not cause breakouts, dry patches, etc. It did not sting either. Week 2: My skin began to peel around the mouth area and the jawline. I also had dry patches in those areas and broke out a bit around the mouth area where my skin peeled. It also began to sting a bit. I tried to moisturize the mouth area and it helped a little, but still peeled like crazy. I had to stop using it for a few days for the dry patches to go away. Week 3: Because I stopped use for a few days during the latter part of Week 2, I was able to use it again without problems for the first three days or so of Week 3. However, the dry patches reappeared and my skin began to flake so I stopped use during the latter part of Week 3. At this point, I'm wondering if it's a phase or if I have to stop use every week. I'm hoping it's a phase because I really want to use this every day. Week 4: This week I was able to use the product every day without having to stop. No problems whatsoever on Days 1-3; beginning on Day 4, my face began to sting after use. The stinging sensation would subside after use of moisturizer. On Day 6, skin began to peel and flake a bit, but not as badly as it did in the beginning. _______ UPDATE: because of the dry patches, flakiness, and breakouts, I stopped using it completely at 8 weeks. _______ UPDATE: 4/19/2011. After about 2 years, I'm trying it again. This time, I started it slowly -- I put 4-5 drops on my palms and blotted it on my face. Instead of using it every day, I applied once every three days. After two weeks, I applied directly on my face rather than the blotting method. It caused dry flakes around the chin again. Also my nose is showing first signs of flakiness. I'm supposed to apply again tomorrow. I think I will use the blotting method again until the flakiness subsides. Will update later.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Peter Thomas Roth - Un-Wrinkle Eye
merryjane81 8/5/2009 12:52:00 PM
I have lines under both my eyes. Some are fine lines, but others are a little deeper. After using one bottle, it has minimized the look of the fine lines. I am hoping that it will eventually minimize the look of the deeper lines. It did not sting my sensitive eye area at all and it's full of antioxidents.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -DHC - Deep Cleansing Oil
merryjane81 8/5/2009 12:34:00 PM
I received a sample of this from DHC. While it may work well for many with acne-prone skin, this is caused cosmetic acne for me. After just two nights of use, I began to develop acne on my face. It did remove makeup well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Gowoonsesang - BB cream SPF 30 PA++
merryjane81 8/1/2009 2:32:00 AM
I am writing this review on behalf of my sister who is 23. She has suffered from acne since her teens. Until she began using this product, she had LOTS of acne on her cheeks. She began using this product and within a few months, the pimples on her cheeks were gone. Completely gone!!! She attends school 400+ miles away so I don't see her very often. When I saw her for a holiday weekend for the first time in about 3 months, I was so amazed I couldn't stop staring at her face. The only down side is that the color is a bit dark. Luckily, my sister's skin color is dark enough to match it if she uses just enough product to cover her face. I don't think I would be able to use this since my skin tone is few shades lighter.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Styling Tools -T3 - Evolution
merryjane81 8/1/2009 2:23:00 AM
I think this dries my hair a lot faster than my drug store brand blow dryer (1875 watts). I think it has also made my hair a lot silkier, but not too sure -- I use soft water to wash my hair so silkiness may have something to do with that. It's probably a little of both.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -L'Occitane - 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream
merryjane81 7/30/2009 8:33:00 PM
A bit expensive for a hand cream, but works well for dry hands. Can be a bit greasy for a bit after application. The smell is relatively mild and pleasant unless you apply this at night right before bed -- once, I applied this to my hands before bed and I couldn't sleep because it was so strong!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Styling Tools -Farouk CHI - Chi Ceramic Flat Iron by Farouk
merryjane81 7/30/2009 8:30:00 PM
It does what it's suppose to do -- straighten the hair. I thought it was a bit expensive for a straightener, but I've had it for over 3 years now. So I guess it was worth it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Ponds - Deep Cleanser Cold Cream
merryjane81 7/30/2009 3:33:00 PM
I've used both Shu Uemura's cleansing oils and DHC's cleansing oil. Both have made me break out. The Cold Cream does not. I think the reason why the Cold Cream does not make me break out is because it only has about 7 ingredients. Contrary to what most people have been saying about this product, though, it does not remove ALL make up. Also, it leaves a greasy film on your face after use. If you try using a warm washcloth to wipe the film off of your face (after you've already wiped with tissue), you will notice traces of make up on the washcloth. For these reasons I always wash my face again with a liquid face wash. For those who want to leave the film on their face/wipe with warm washcloth: I've tried both and neither has made me breakout. I took away a lippie because I don't like that packaging. I think the large jar is unsanitary. I hate having to dig my fingers into it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Advanced Skin Technology - Green Cream by AST - Level 3
merryjane81 7/29/2009 3:53:00 PM
I have extremely dry cheeks, but oily t-zone and forehead. I began using this twice a week for the first three weeks then every other night for three weeks then every night for three months so far. It has a gel-like consistency. After application, it feels a bit sticky on your face. This product did not improve my skin during the 3+ months I've been used it. It did not prevent any break outs and I did not notice any difference in fine lines. If I accidentally let the product near my eyes, it gave me crepey eyes, which took about a week to get back to normal. This product was also extremely drying for my skin. Maybe it's because one of the main ingredients is alcohol? Either way, since I've started using this product, the skin on my nose has not stopped peeling even though I haven't used the product on my nose for over 2 months! It left the skin around my mouth and the lower half of my cheeks extremely dry. I continue to use it just on my forehead only because I still have a lot of the product left and I don't want to it to go to waste. I still break out on my forehead and it hasn't made any difference. I recently purchased Skinceutical's Refining Night Cream with 0.5% retinol hoping this will work out better.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Orgasm Blush
merryjane81 7/26/2009 1:21:00 PM
Highly overrated! It's very sparkly with little to no pigment. If you use enough to show some color, the cheeks end up looking too glittery.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Skyn Iceland - Icelandic Relief Eye Cream with Biospheric Complex
merryjane81 4/19/2009 12:26:00 PM
I don't know what the hype is with this product. The SA at Sephora told me that this is their #1 selling eye cream. This moisturizes the eye area as well as a cheap moisturizer for the face. It didn't do anything for puffiness, dark circles or fine lines around the eyes. The only thing advertised about this product that's true is that it gives a cooling sensation when you first apply. This was a waste of $$. It has a souffle like texture -- white and very light. It may work for pre-teens, teens, and others who want to use eye cream as a prevention.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Light
merryjane81 4/14/2009 10:58:00 PM
I used to use Smashbox's regular primer (the clear one) before they came up with this. I have acne prone skin so I'm glad there is an oil free version now. Just as it says on the bottle, this leaves a refreshing feeling (a cooling sensation) when you put it on. Its texture is not as silky smooth as the original version, but if you leave it on your face for a minute or so, it will eventually feel silky on your face. Works just as well as the regular version. The foundation applies easily and stays on.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Perricone - Skin Clear Hydrator
merryjane81 4/2/2009 3:17:00 AM
I've been using this for about 4 weeks in the mornings and at nights (when I'm not using retinol). It moisturizes pretty well without being too heavy. This moisturizer is oil-free and pretty light so it's good for those prone to acne. It also has lactic acid, which is a type of AHA and it has DMAE. Both of these ingredients are anti-aging ingredients. So this moisturizer is good for those who are concerned about acne and fine lines. The scent is very mild so it shouldn't bother most people. I think the packaging has now changed. Mine is in a pump bottle, but I think the newer ones come in a jar. I think jars are unsanitary and because it may reduce the effectiveness of the ingredients, I took away a lippie.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Fresh - Soy Face Cream
merryjane81 3/28/2009 2:37:00 PM
NOT WORTH THE MONEY!!! I personally would rather use a moisturizer found in a local drug store, like cetaphil, oil of olay, neutrogena. While it has soy protein and tea extract, it doesn't have ingredients like AHAs, retinol, vitamin C/E, etc. I wouldn't use it even if someone paid me. I received a sample of this at Sephora. Good thing, because this is definitely not worth buying. I have combo skin, with my cheeks being pretty dry. When I used it before going to bed, I woke up the next morning with lots of little pimples (7+) on my forehead and a few scattered ones on my cheeks (not black/whiteheads, but mini versions of regular pimples). And my cheeks were just as dry as before. The consistency is really thick, which is misleading, because thinckness here definitely does not mean moisturizing. It also did not absorb too well into the skin -- I had to wait more than 30 minutes. While many complain about the scent, I thought the scent was fine.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No