Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Alien
mharvey816 5/4/2007 10:44:00 PM
I've had a sample of Alien that an SA stuck into my shopping bag months ago, but never got around to trying. Then a co-worker stopped by my cube last week, and she smelled absolutely divine. "What's that you're wearing?" I asked "It's incredible on you." She was almost embarrassed to say "Alien" because if someone's not familiar with fragrances, they might think it was a crazy thing to say. But I immediately thought of my untested sample, and vowed to try it out post haste. I was so pleased to find that it smells just as wonderful on me as it did on her. It's everything I had wished Angel could be, and what Tom Ford Black Orchid is for a while before it starts to fade. I love it nearly as much as I love Poison, and I think it's because they could almost be sister scents. Definitely a YMMV fragrance, but don't think it won't work on you just because it might not have on someone you know. I also love that it comes in refillable containers, and that the refill bottle is reasonably priced ($67 for 2oz). I never want to run out of Alien!
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Fragrances -Estee Lauder - White Linen
mharvey816 4/30/2007 2:08:00 PM
I adore this fragrance so much that it compelled me to write a glowing review. I can see why others would not love it, but for me, it ranks in my pantheon of must-have "big" scents like Chanel #5, Poison and Giorgio. It's just so refreshing for me to "discover" a floral that isn't fruity. This one definitely is a big floral, one of the best of its kind.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - Chanel No 18
mharvey816 2/19/2007 2:21:00 PM
Maybe it was just me and my sample, but not only did I not get any rose, all I got was cumin. Cumin for over an hour. I despise cumin. It was like wearing Taco Bell Mild Sauce all morning. The only bright side is that's $175 saved.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Winter Delice
mharvey816 2/10/2007 10:26:00 PM
If Old Spice (which I love) and Donna Karan Black Cashmere (which I love even more) had a baby, it would be Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Winter Delice. Unlike the normal EDT nature of the Aqua Allegorias, this one lasts a very long time on me, even in the cold dry winter air. It's an LE, so harder to find, but well worth the effort and cost, IMHO.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Cle de Peau - concealer-ivory
mharvey816 9/16/2006 10:44:00 PM
All my favorite concealers get discontinued -- the original Bobbi Brown Essentials in the tiny compact, the fantabulous Shu Uemura Mark Cealer in the tube. But I've got the rosacea nose and the adult acne, so I have to have something that covers and lasts. This is my new HG concealer, and I'm not sorry I paid the $68 plus tax. This is the first concealer (even the two above could not do this for me) where I can just use it on my specific areas, and not have to do anything else (no foundation, no powder). It actually succeeds in making me look like I'm not wearing makeup, while perfectly covering all the red, all the pink, all the yucky acne (and acne scars). And it lasts all day, despite oil and sweat and everything else that conspires to ruin your look as the day goes on. $68 for concealer is outrageously expensive. But for me? Worth. Every. Penny.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Garnier - Lumia Permanent Haircolor [DISCONTINUED]
mharvey816 5/8/2004 8:13:00 PM
This is my current HG hair color, so naturally, it's been discontinued. It's much less harsh on my hair than Garnier Nutrisse, and the color fades just enough in 4 weeks so that the roots aren't so noticeable just before you're ready to color again. You might be able to find some at Big Lots before it's gone forever...I stockpiled a year's worth at half the retail price.
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Liquid -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17
mharvey816 1/13/2004 4:29:00 PM
N1 was a perfect match for this NC15 girl! It goes on easily with fingers, doesn't take much, layers beautifully over redness, and lasts all day without any powder touchups. A pump would be nice, but it's not too thick to get out just by shaking it with a finger over the top. I highly recommend the sample packs as the most cost-efficient way to find your shade. Once I knew N1 was the best one for me, I bought two full bottles at once.
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Palettes -NARS - Holiday 2003
mharvey816 11/11/2003 5:57:00 PM
This is the first NARS palette I have purchased in several years (I only already own Rapture and Emotional Rescue) and I'm completely in love with all the looks I can create from it. My only slight criticism (why I took off one lipstick for packaging) is that the eyeshadows (esp Night Star) go all over the place when you touch a brush to them, and get in the other products a little more than I care for. Other than that, it's the best new NARS palette yet!
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Cleansers -Olay - Daily Facials
mharvey816 6/21/2003 9:28:00 PM
This is my HG for cleansing at the end of the day. It takes off all my makeup without stripping my skin, and it's so portable that I can always take it with me on trips. If they ever discontinue this product, I will be inconsolable.
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Concealers -Trish McEvoy - Even Skin Concealer
mharvey816 6/19/2003 8:21:00 PM
Although this product is somewhat spendy ($33), it provides great coverage and is a decent amount of product for the price. It is two separate pans, with one shade slighly lighter than the other, packaged in a Trish medium charger mirrored compact (no storage bottom included). It reminds me of the Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, except this product is creamier and easier to work with on both stubborn blemishes/redness and undereye circles.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Jane Iredale - Pure Pressed Base
mharvey816 6/19/2003 8:18:00 PM
I'm in love with this product after receiving a nearly new compact in Bisque as a swap extra. It is the perfect shade and coverage for my acne-prone combination NC15 skin. I can use more where I need it (i.e. nose, blemishes) by using a sponge, otherwise I just brush it all over lightly with a fluffy powder brush. I never would have tried it if I hadn't gotten it in the swap, since the retail price is $36, but after being able to see how great it is, I might have to buy some!
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - Eyeliner Pencil
mharvey816 6/2/2003 11:08:00 PM
I have Stray Dog in the regular pencil and Uzi in the automatic pencil. Both colors go on smoothly and look great, but I find that the automatic pencil lasts much longer than the other pencil. What a shame that the automatic version has been discontinued.
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Brows -Hard Candy - Powder Brow Pencil
mharvey816 6/2/2003 11:04:00 PM
This product is great when I'm looking for more defined brows with a look that matches my hair (golden red/brown). It draws a soft powdery line that blends nicely without looking too obvious. The shade I prefer, Sugar, has become rather difficult to find lately, so I bought 3 at my local Macy's when they had it on sale recently. The included sharpener is definitely the key to keeping a good point without chewing up the whole pencil to get one.
UPDATE 4/24/04: Apparently this item has been discontinued by Hard Candy. Sure glad I went and bought 6 more of them back when Macy's was selling them at 75% off, because it is still my number 1 HG brow color product. I have no doubt I will use all the ones I have stockpiled, and hope to find something half as good when they are all gone.
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Eyeliner -Lancome - Le Stylo Waterproof Long Lasting eyeliner
mharvey816 6/2/2003 10:59:00 PM
I never would have tried this if I hadn't received it in a swap, because $21.50 for an eyeliner is ridiculously high, IMHO. Yet this is now one of my HG eyeliners, esp now that I've found them for much less $$ on eBay! It goes on smoothly with no tugging (even on my somewhat "mature" eyelids), and lasts all day with no smudging or sliding, even on my oily eyelids. The Bronze shade is esp flattering on my green eyes, and it's often my reliable choice when I'm in a hurry and need something that will last until I take it off.
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Primer/ Corrector -Becca - Mattifying Primer
mharvey816 6/2/2003 10:49:00 PM
This is the first product of its claimed type that actually does for me what it claims to do. It works on me almost exactly the way my beloved discontinued Lancome Imanance Mat TM would (only without any tint, of course). I bought a tube after a makeover and it's worked out wonderfully under all kinds of foundation. The SA warned me that it needed to be shaken within the tube before dispensing, and I've always done that before every use. Perhaps that's why it seems like the samples often don't work out as well -- just a theory!
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