Conditioner -Suave - Professionals Almond & Shea Butter
mka71 5/20/2012 11:42:00 AM
Great product for a reasonable price. Just as good or better than many high-end conditioners. It is doing a great job of conditioning and protecting my hair, despite daily heat styling. It feels softer and I've had less breakage since I started using this. Not wild about the coconutty scent, but it doesn't linger, so no biggie. Will definitely repurchase.
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Cleansers -Oxy - Oxy 10 Balance Maximum Strength Acne Wash
mka71 3/14/2011 12:19:00 AM
Having battled acne since age 13 I feel like I've tried everything. I've come back to this after years of using other products and my skin (at age 39 still combo and acne prone) has never looked better. It is slightly drying, but less so than other BP products. Definitely an HG purchase for me. Re the debate about whether BP cleansers are effective, I believe they are if you work them around on wet skin for 2-3 minutes. It seems to be just enough treatment for me without overly irritating my skin.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Ponds - Dramatic Results Age Defying Cleansing Towelettes
mka71 6/12/2009 11:46:00 PM
I've been using these for about a year now and they have been very effective. The combination of the Glycolic acid and Retinol (old formula) worked wonders on my skin. It became more clear and much more even. However, since they changed the formula (which now seems to mimic all the Olay towelette ingredients) they are not nearly as effective and no longer provide the same benefits for me. I've noticed in some stores there is still some remaining stock with the previous formula, and I buy them whenever I find them. Had they kept the formula the same, I would definitely buy again. Another case of a company ruining a good product. Thanks a lot, Ponds.
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Fragrances -Christian Dior - Dune EDT
mka71 12/13/2007 12:50:00 AM
I've worn this on and off for the last 10 years. It's a bit strong at first but dries down to a sweet mix of spice and soft musk. As another reviewer said - it's a bit hard to describe, so you could call it mysterious. I get compliments on it regularly. However, over the last year or so, I find that it causes me to sneeze if I wear it too many days in a row. Nevertheless, it's a staple in my collection.
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Fragrances -Avon - Rare Gold
mka71 12/13/2007 12:25:00 AM
Well, I wanted to love this, given all the great reviews. It's just too strong on me, even though I was careful to spray from a good distance - and it was just one spray. To me there is something a little musty and overpowering about it. By the end of the day, I couldn't wait to wash it off. The bottle looks nice on my dresser though :/ At least I got it on sale.
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Liquid -Almay - Line Smoothing Makeup
mka71 2/17/2007 7:38:00 PM
I love this foundation. I'd been using American Beauty's Natural Finish makeup for a while, which I really liked, but after a time I think it began to break me out. Anyway, decided to give this a whirl and I'm so impressed. Nice texture wears through the day very very well. The Neutral shade turned out to be a perfect match for me - fair with slightly yellow undertones. And three months in, no breakouts - fingers crossed. I apply it with a make up sponge. It layers well, depending on how much coverage I need. It would be great if they put a pump dispenser on it, but other than that, it's fine. Definitely worth sticking the Q-tip in there to get the desired amount. Update 12/12/07: Still going strong with this. No bad reactions. I do need to use a little extra moisturizer under it in the winter. Happy customer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Zia - Foundation in Moonstone
mka71 7/1/2006 1:11:00 PM
I found this to be like the Dermalogica treatment foundation. A bit difficult to spread. Feels somewhat heavy on the skin and ultimately it made me break out after about two weeks. The shade was a good match though. Bummer.
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Liquid -Dermalogica - Treatment Foundation
mka71 7/1/2006 1:05:00 PM
Wanted to love this. Didn't spread very easily. Gave me good coverage, but I ended up breaking out from it after about two weeks.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
mka71 7/1/2006 12:46:00 PM
Had a dreadful experience with this product. The color match done on my in the store was fine, but they buffed so much onto me that it looked like I had a plastic mask on my face. Accentuated my pores a bit and clung to some dry patches on my cheeks. The overall effect was nice and I bought some thinking that I just wouldn't apply as heavily as they did. That night as I was washing it off, my face started to itch terribly. The itching stopped so I ignored it while reciting to myself that "it's natural minerals, they can't be harmful." The next morning shortly after I applied it again, my face was back to itching. By the end of that day, I had a pretty nasty rash brewing and returned the products (after some "discussion"). Took about a week to heal over. I learned that the Bismuth Oxychloride in it is quite irritating to some people. I experimented with some other bismuth-free MMU forumlas b/c I so badly wanted one to work for me, but had similar reactions although not nearly as severe. I think the mica bothers my combo/sensitive acne-prone skin as well, so I went back to liquid foundations. MMU is definitely not for me. (This was about a year ago, but wanted to share my experience.)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -American Beauty - Perfectly Even Natural Finish Foundation
mka71 7/1/2006 12:20:00 PM
I have to join the chorus of praise for this one. This is my HG makeup - fingers crossed. I have combo/sensitive skin that is very prone to acne and rashes. I've been using for a month and no bad reactions from this yet. It has a smooth consistency and provides good medium coverage. I apply lightly (with those cheapy latex-free makeup sponges) and this evens everything out very nicely. This stuff also layers well if you have some angry spots you need to cover a little more and don't want to use a separate concealer. Wears well throughout the day. I still usually blot with oil-absorbing papers around lunchtime, but I've always had to do that with my skin type. It would be much better if it came in a pump dispenser - they should think about that. Until then... I dip a q-tip into the bottle and place the needed amount on my make-up sponge - doesn't take too much. It's a bit of a pain, but it helps me keep it hygenic. I'm happy to put up with doing this since this formula is so great. Update: Ultimately, this did cause me to start breaking out, even after I thought I just needed a new bottle. Didn't make a difference, so I had to stop using it.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Complete Moisture Cream Sensitive SPF 15
mka71 7/1/2006 11:58:00 AM
I have combo/sensitive skin that is very prone to acne and rashes. I've been using this for two months and so far so good. I use about a nickel size amount and pat it all over my face and neck before I apply foundation. It absorbs pretty quickly and doesn't leave a white cast. Just enough moisture for me. I wish this particular formula was SPF 30, but since I'm not outdoors a whole lot, this is probably fine. (I tried the SPF 30 version from Olay and I'm pretty sure it gives me breakouts.) I also wish it came in a pump dispenser, but the squeeze bottle is probably sufficiently hygenic.
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Lotions/ Creams -L'Occitane - Honey Harvest Massage Nectar Body Milk
mka71 7/1/2006 11:46:00 AM
Love this stuff. Yes, it's a bit pricey but if you can indulge yourself now and then, this is nice. The lotion sinks in quickly, unlike the related body balm. And it smells great. I'm not normally a big fan of honey scents, but this one is lovely - a bit strong at first, but then fades to a delicate scent. In that way I'd say it's a nice moisturizing base over which to layer the perfumes I use. It may be too light of moisturizer for mid-winter, but for the rest of the year, I'd say this is ideal.
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