Shampoo -Aquage - Sea Extend Volumizing Shampoo
miamigal 9/9/2012 11:56:00 PM
Possibly the worst shampoo I have ever used in my life. Left my hair dry, yet coated at the same time, and stringy. I bought it online due to the great reviews on here and it went straight in the trash. I will stick with Enjoy shampoo.
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Moisturizers -Cerave - Renewing Lotion
miamigal 8/20/2012 1:07:00 PM
This lotion is like the guy that does not wow you at first, but then grows on you. There is not really any smell and the texture does not feel especially luxurious. However, after a month of using this as my after shower body lotion, I have almost no ingrown hairs on my legs (due to the salicylic acid) and the dry patches on my elbows are gone. This is definitely a keeper for those with ingrowns, bumps or dry patches.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Solar-TiZo3 Facial Mineral Fusion SPF 40
miamigal 8/19/2012 4:07:00 PM
Living in Miami, I must wear sunscreen every single day. Mineral sunscreen is the only way to go for me; chemical SS irritates my skin and eyes. I tried this on the advice of my dermatologist, and bought it at her office. I have since found that it is fairly hard to find at real stores; you have to get it online or at the derm. This is my HG SS. It is very cosmetically elegant, as it just glides over the skin, with zero absorption time. It is not greasy at all and also does not dry me out. It has the tiniest bit of pigment that ever so slightly blends skin flaws. I have gone through 2 tubes, and it is a keeper. With every day use, it lasts 5-6 weeks. It is definitely pricey ($39 at the derm, about 30 with shipping online), but I do not mind paying for a product that gives good protection and is non-irritating.
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Hair -Unlisted Brand - Agadir Hair Oil
miamigal 5/23/2011 2:27:00 PM
This review is for the Agadir shampoo. I could not add that product to P'ville since I have less than 20 reviews. I waited until I had used this for a week (7 shampoos) since I often like a product for a couple of uses, but then stop liking it. I have fine (but lots of), naturally wavy hair that is stick straight (how I like it) due to BKT. My main problem with shampoos since getting BKT is that sodium chloride free shampoos tend to weigh my hair down and leave it looking greasy. I have tried Alterna, L'Anza, Finesse, Pureology, Kenra and many others without the results I wanted. Finally, the Agadir shampoo meets all my needs: Sodium chloride free, but leaves my hair silky, with volume, and not greasy. I wash every day because I work out a lot, and it is neither drying nor too moisturizing (no buildup). I do not love the scent, as it is kind of musky. However, the scent does not stay on my hair after it is rinsed, so I can deal with the smell since it is only in the shower. I think that bottle and label are kind of cheap looking for a $20 shampoo, but I can live with it for beautiful hair. I got this at CVS, so I love that it is easy to find as well.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Plus White - 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel
miamigal 5/10/2011 1:27:00 PM
After visiting a new dentist for a cleaning, where the hygienist tried to sell me on $560 Zoom whitening (including trays for maintenance), I turned to MUA. I found the reviews for this product, and watched Kandee Johnson's video. So, I went out and bought the kit for $11. I tried to find a mouthguard to do the custom whitening trays that Kandee suggests, but could not find one. So I just used the included trays. Per Kandee's instructions, I used my finger to apply. Then I put in the included mouthguard. Those trays are a little awkward, since the top and bottom are connected (so your mouth is essentially locked shut during the treatment). I use it in the shower, as Kandee suggested. I have been using 1x a day (though the instructions say twice a day) for about 10 days, and my teeth are definitely whiter. Not professionally whitened white (yet), but very noticeably whiter. The crest whitestrips never did much for me, and left my teeth and gums very sensitive. This is much more effective, and my teeth and gums are only the tiniest bit sensitive from the treatments. MUA and Kandee saved me $549 with this product! :)
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Alterna - Bamboo Shine Luminous Shine Shampoo
miamigal 4/5/2011 7:26:00 PM
Background on my hair: fine but lots of it, wavy naturally but straight through BKT. My hair loved Redken All Soft shampoo before BKT because it was moisturizing without weighing down my hair. Unfortunately All Soft has sodium chloride, so it is incompatible with BKT'd hair. My battle with shampoos since getting BKT has been finding something sodium chloride free that does not weigh down my hair. All the high end formulas designed specifically for BKT'd hair are just too heavy for my fine hair. So, I have been through Pureology (the regular one weighed down my hair and the volume one was not moisturizing enough), Finesse (worked well for a while, then built up), Aveeno (left my hair greasy and straw-like at the same time). Finally, I found this, which leaves my hair light feeling with volume, while moisturizing and adding shine. I do not like the smell much (smells like Aveda if Aveda were using cheaper ingredients), but can live with it for this beautiful hair. The light is reflecting off my hair, and my hair still feels lightweight with volume. Love so far. Hope that it does not cause buildup. UPDATE: After a few uses, this left serious buildup and left my hair a greasy mess. Returned to Ulta.
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Sunscreen -DDF - Enhancing Sun Protection SPF 30 [DISCONTINUED]
miamigal 9/27/2010 5:38:00 PM
HG! I have been searching for my HG daily sunscreen since i moved to Miami. I only wore facial sunscreen on the beach up north, but the sun is so strong down here, it is a must for every day. I have very sensitive skin, and chemical sunscreens either make my eyes burn (even if the product is not anywhere near my eyes), or sting my skin. So, I have been searching for the perfect physical sunscreen. This has been hard for me since i have combo skin, and many physical sunscreens are very oily. Not this one! At first, I balked at the price, but I finally paid the big bucks after trying all the DS physical sunscreens. The packaging kind of stinks, as it is in a bottle that stands on its lid, causing all of the thinly textured product to pool right under the opening. So, when you open it, much more spills out than your really need. Given how pricey this product is, it is really a waste. And you cannot stand the product on the other end due to how the bottle is shaped. So, that stinks. But, the product itself is fabulous! So light, absorbs right in. I do not notice any color enhancing properties on my medium toned skin, which is fine for me.I hate foundation and do not even wear tinted moisturizer, so i was not really looking for a product with color. What I love is how light and non-oily the product feels. This is my HG, and I want to make it yours also, so that they never discontinue it. :)
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Concealers -Garnier - Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller
miamigal 9/11/2010 1:18:00 PM
I was expecting to love this product due to all the rave reviews, but I hated it. As soon as I rolled it only, my undereye area became dry and parched. Also, the color did not blend in with my medium toned skin at all (it said that it was for all skin tones, so I guess that my CVS has not gotten the different shades yet). Even if it were the right color, it was so drying and uncomfortable, that I could not wait to get it off. The packaging is nice, with the roller ball. Too bad the product is so awful!
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen SPF 30 Sensitive
miamigal 9/4/2010 11:10:00 PM
Since moving to Miami, I have been trying to find a perfect, every day sunscreen. I cannot tolerate chemical sunscreens, so I have been trying a number of physical blockers containing titanium and zinc oxide. So far, everything has been too greasy or too drying. But then Blue Lizard came along! I cannot say it is perfect, though. Application is tricky, as it is very thick and takes a while to absorb. My best strategy has been to dot it on my cheeks, forehead and nose, and then blend. Once it finally absorbs, though, it is not greasy at all, and I even forget that it is on (which has never happened with me and sunscreen before). It is neither greasy nor drying. I do not wear foundation, so I cannot comment on how face makeup would go over it. My powder blush goes over it fine. As for sun blocking power, it does the job as it should. While not my HG due to the slow absorption issue, I think it is as close as I am going to get. UPDATE: After two weeks of use, I realized that this was breaking me out. I do not get pimples frequently (maybe one every other month), so I was surprised when I started getting deep down pimples (that could not even be popped). Sure enough, I stopped using this for a few days, and the pimples stopped forming, and the couple that had formed immediately went away. So, I am downgrading my rating to a 2, only giving it a 2 because it does block the sun. Off to Ulta today to try to find another physical blocker.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Matrix - Biolage colorcarethérapie Delicate Care
miamigal 8/29/2010 7:14:00 PM
UPDATE: This left buildup on my hair after a couple of weeks of use. So revising my rating down from a 4 to a 2. Original Review: After I switched from thermal reconditioning to BKT, I had to stop using all of my favorite (and very expensive) shampoos, since they have sodium chloride in them (a no no for BKTed hair). I was not willing to spend very much since I had to discard my arsenal of shampoos that cost, in total, hundreds of dollars. So I ended up using Finesse for about 6 months. I think Finesse is great, but my hair started getting tired of it. So, I picked this up at Ulta. First of all, I love the smell. I cannot stop smelling my hair. It is a subtle smell, but long lasting. Secondly, my hair is super soft and shiny. My hair is fine, but there is lots of it. Many moisturizing shampoos weigh down my hair, but not this one. The packaging is so-so, as the bottle is tall and thin. It keeps falling in my shower organizer. If it were not as tall and thin, it might be more stable and stay upright. But packaging is not as important as the product. This is a keeper!
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Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 With Pure Screen for Sensitive Skin
miamigal 8/29/2010 4:26:00 PM
I can only use physical blocking sunscreens because my skin is sensitive to chemicals. The problem I have been having is that with my combination (dry/oily) skin, most of the physical screens either make my skin greasy or dry. This sunscreen falls into the latter category. Within an hour of applying, my face was so dry that it itched. I could not wait to get home and wash it off. I just returned it and bought Blue Lizard Sensitive. I am starting to feel like Goldilocks. One is too moisturizing, one is too drying. I need to find the one that is just right. :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neutrogena - sensitive skin sunblock spf 30
miamigal 8/29/2010 4:21:00 PM
I moved to Miami recently, and the sun is much stronger here than in the Northeast. Whereas I only wore sunscreen when I was spending the day in the sun up north, I really need it every day here. So, I began my quest for the perfect daily sunscreen. Unfortunately, my skin is very sensitive to chemicals, so I need a physical blocker (and those tend to be heavy). I started my quest with this one. It has no odor, and applies easily. It does leave a bit of a whitish cast, but since I am medium toned, the slight lightening did not bother me. What did bother me was the oil slick that my face turned into every time I used it. At first, I tried to accept it as a "healthy glow", but after making my way through most of the bottle, I decided that it really is too heavy for daily facial use. It definitely did block the sun, which is a plus. I would continue to use this on my body, but not on my face. My skin is combo dry and oily, so finding something perfect for my face is challenging.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No