Lotions/ Creams -Vaseline - Pure Petroleum Jelly
minkalover 3/6/2013 2:23:00 AM
So many great uses for this product...it's a face and body moisturizer, a lip softener, an eye make up remover, it can be mixed with powder shadows and blushes to create all different kinds of lip glosses, and if you have a baby it can keep their bottoms soft and free of diaper rash. It's cheap and the packaging is good too. You can find it in almost every country. I love it!
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Shampoo -Garnier - Fall Fight Shampoo
minkalover 12/18/2012 3:14:00 PM
This shampoo does what it says, which is to prevent hair breakage. I regularly apply bleach to my hair, so I have to take care of it and keep it hydrated. I also have very thick hair and alot of it. Since using this shampoo, my hair breakage after washing and combing has been reduced significantly. No longer do I comb out 7-8 strand clumps, it's more like 2-3 now. The consistency of the shampoo is creamy, not detergent-like, and it smells like apples and grapes. For best results, I follow the instructions on the bottle which say to massage the shampoo into the scalp at least one minute before rinsing. I just saw my hair dresser about 2 weeks ago and she said how my hair looked and felt less damaged. I will keep using this product!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Trader Joe's - Lavender Sea Salt Body Scrub
minkalover 12/13/2012 5:47:00 AM
I've recently discovered Trader Joe's and I'm loving their bath and body products! I picked up this tub of scrub the other day to combat dry winter skin and for the anti-stress effects of the lavender scent. I have to say I'm very pleased. This smells so good and calming...it lingers and lasts well into the next day. Skin softening properties are in peak performance, and it has a convenient flip top which I love, especially when your hands are coated in oily scrub. My only word of warning would be to thoroughly clean out your tub the day after using, because the oils in the scrub coat everything and you might slip and injure yourself. At $6 a jar, this product absolutely cannot be beat. No complaints here! Just chilling out and relaxing in a tub of lavender scented bliss.
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Self Tanners -Jergens - Natural Glow
minkalover 7/10/2012 5:42:00 PM
I love this self tanner. I have used many self tanners and this is the one I always come back to, although I prefer the foaming formulation to the cream. Before I apply this product, I shave with a good razor and then apply a moisturizing lotion combined with a couple of drops of baby oil gel. Once that is massaged in thoroughly, I apply my Jergens self tanner. Make sure it's massaged in well, so there's no streaks. I've found that if I follow this procedure, the self tanner lasts all day, even through a rain storm! The only gripe I have is that is does have a smell, but really, what self tanner doesn't? All in all, it's a great product!
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Bath Treatments -Origins - Ginger Float
minkalover 5/3/2012 6:02:00 PM
This is heaven in a jar! For me, there is nothing like an awesome bubble bath to take the edge of the week off, and I need a quality product for that. Yes it's expensive at about $25 a jar, but if you only use it once or twice a week it should last about 5-6 months. You have to hand scoop the product out, but one generous scoop is all you need. As soon as you crack open the jar, the most beautiful, relaxing, lemony sugar ginger scent emerges and takes over the whole house (my man can smell it all the way at the back door when I'm in the bathroom using it). The consistency is that of banana pudding, and it's thick irridiscent swirls fluff up into a magical tub of scented bubbles as you disperse it under the water. This product is definitely worth the price. Once you try it, you will go back again and again.
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Shampoo -Organix - Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo
minkalover 5/3/2012 2:30:00 PM
The beauty advisor at Walgreen's talked me into buying this. I love the way it smells, and the packaging is unique, but it just doesn't get sudsy enough to really clean my hair. I've also had this problem with Jason brand shampoos. I've been trying to wash my hair only every other day, to ensure the natural oils stick around and it doesn't dry out at the ends. However, I feel like I need a more detergent-y type of shampoo to do this. I need it to be clean for two days, not oily and greasy halfway through the first day. So as much as I love the idea of organic shampoos, I'm going to have to switch back to Herbal Essences.
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Brows -E.L.F. - Eyebrow Kit
minkalover 4/20/2012 2:40:00 PM
This product is the best! I have naturally dark eyebrows, but when I put on this product my brows look amazing, arched, and defined. I can defininitely tell a difference when I use this product and when I don't. Whenever I just need a little definition, I use the powder by itself. You cannot beat the price either...$3! It's better than Smashbox, IMO.
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Eyes -NYX - jumbo eye shadow pencil-black bean
minkalover 2/20/2012 5:23:00 AM
My makeup routine would not be complete without NYX Black Bean. I use this product every single day. This is what I use for eyeliner. I apply a L'oreal pencil first, then I use this on my water line. It literally lasts all day long. I could not make it without this product! Better than any eyeliner out there.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Burt's Bees - Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme
minkalover 12/29/2011 3:31:00 PM
Yes, this product is waxy and sticky, and I would probably never use it during the day (you literally have to keep your hands away from your hair and face until it has thoroughly sunk in). However, this is probably the best moisturizing hand cream I have ever used. My hands are in ice and water a large portion of the day, and in addition to that, I am an almost fanatic hand washer. All this adds up to very dry hands and horribly long/dry/ratty looking cuticles. This cream totally renews my hands and cuticles and makes them look young and healthy again. The almond scent is not my favorite (sometimes I can handle it, other times it reminds me of a cheap hotel's bathroom) which is the only reason I can't give the overall rating a 5. However, since I can't afford a manicure once a week, this is my go to. I also like that Burt's Bees is more natural and uses essential oils. Used in conjunction with their Lemon Butter Cuticle Balm, my hands have never looked better.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Hidden Fantasy by Britney Spears
minkalover 11/8/2011 5:45:00 PM
I grew up in the Britney era, and have seen her many ups and downs. So naturally I've tried many of her fragrances over the years, and never thought good ol' Fantasy could be topped, until I received this little gem in a swap. (thanks leociccone!) This scent is absolutely beautiful. Not strong, not overwhelming, just lovely, clean, warm, and calming. I did some research on Hidden Fantasy online, and discovered the two notes that I find most endearing and original (the orange and the cloves) are the ones that repel most others. I'm an Angel junkie, so it's hard for me to adapt to and love anything else, but there is now room on my vanity for this one. It also prompted my classmate to tell me that I always smell good! Definitely my new favorite.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Origins - VitaZing SPF 15 Energy-boosting moisturizer with Mangosteen
minkalover 10/20/2011 4:31:00 PM
I really wanted to love this, because I'm an Origins junkie and use their products almost exclusively. The sales girl told me she could see I was a "girl on the go" and recommended this to me for days I didn't want to wear makeup but still needed a little coverage, and of course, sunscreen. It went on smoothly, adjusted to my skin tone, and seemed to wear fine throughout the day. I loved it, other than it breaking me out! I've used it twice now, and have woken up the next day with breakouts, bad ones. I guess I'm going to have to give it away. By far my least favorite Origins product, and I've tried all of them.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Revlon - Extra Life Top Coat
minkalover 10/6/2011 4:24:00 PM
Very pleasantly surprised with this product. I recently painted my nails and discovered I had no topcoat left, so I made a quick run to Kroger and picked this up. It was not expensive, so I figured it would probably just be your average topcoat that would last a couple of days at most. Turns out I was wrong! My home manicure lasted for 7 days, with nary a chip or smear. That's pretty good for a bartender! My hands are in ice and water all day. It lasted so long it even prompted my coworker to ask if it was a Shelac manicure! The only gripe I have is that it doesn't make nails super shiny, but other than that, I'm very impressed with this product!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Paul Mitchell - Straight Works
minkalover 10/2/2011 5:22:00 AM
Oh, how I love Straight Works. This product is amazing! I have wavy hair and this gel tames it like no other straightener I have tried, both drugstore and high end. One tube lasts a long time, and it doesn't leave hair feeling sticky, tacky, or dry. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 lippies is because it's a bit expensive and the packaging isn't so great. The tube is shell thin and too delicate. My last tube of it broke in half and I had to put the product in a plastic spray bottle that I had laying around the house. I will definitely repurchase Straight Works and would recommend it to anyone who has unruly hair.
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Treatments (Eye) -Rimmel - Lash Accelerator Serum
minkalover 9/29/2011 11:59:00 AM
I'm a bit on the fence about this one, because it does have face validity by doing what it says....promoting lash growth, however it's the side effects that negate the positive for me. I've been using it for 3 days, and it does make my lashes feel/look longer and fuller. I quickly realized that this product was going to be for night time use only..the consistency is a bit sticky and gunky. Too much so to be applied under makeup. I do my night time ritual of cleansing and moisturizing, then apply with the nifty wand to both lashes and some thin spots on the arches of my brows. This product doesn't bother me at all until I wake up in the morning. My eyes are almost swollen shut and red underneath. That's a big con for me! I have longer lashes but I have to apply more makeup and treatments to reduce the massacre underneath my eyes? No thanks! For that reason I'm not re purchasing...I wish there was a way Rimmel could improve on the sensitivity problem with this product, because it has made my lashes look better than ever.....The search continues!
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Brows -Smashbox - Brow tech
minkalover 9/25/2011 10:55:00 AM
Love the brow powder, hate the wax! I wish Smashbox would offer it in just the powder, instead of combining it with the wax that I absolutely abhor and refuse to use. I love the spectrum of colors that are available (any hair color should be able to find a match) and I love that the powder goes on so smoothly with any angled brow brush. The only thing that puts me off purchasing again is that half of the compact is filled with that nasty wax, so lately I've been using a soft brow pencil and blending out. Smashbox should take notice of what their loyal customers are requesting. Brow powder only please!! Wax seperate!
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