Moisturizers -Aveeno - Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer spf15
moncli 8/8/2010 1:00:00 AM
FINALLY a product that, for me anyway, does what I hoped it would! I bought this on a whim when I needed a d/s moisturizer and had very low expectations. I have super acne prone skin and thanks to years of tanning had developed such bad discoloration that my well meaning husband was always trying to "help" fix the foundation he thought I applied wrong. I've been using this for about five weeks and the improvement in the discoloration is amazing. I've used many other methods (exfoliation, peels, etc) and nothing has done what this has. I hate to call it miraculous because then it doesn't work for someone else and they're disappointed but for me it has been just that. I also have some fine lines and the start of some wrinkles and really feel like this does a great job at moisturizing and best of all it does not break me out a bit. I swear by it and will never be without it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - Love Letters
moncli 8/19/2009 11:47:00 PM
I don't generally comment on nail polishes because I'm not a fanatic. But I was intrigued enough by this one to review it....like many other reviewers said, it is NOTHING like it looks in the bottle. I was hoping for that jelly coral color and was disappointed by the first coat. It was almost clear, but next to my unpainted hand I could see the tiniest tinge of color, almost like expertly buffed natural nails. Second coat, a little more color, still quite sheer and not much darker but again, compared to the hand with one coat there was some difference. Third coat, perfect natural color. It somehow became a teensy tiny bit more opaque, still sheer but the perfect color for my "don't want to do my nails but don't want them to look undone" days. Overall, NOT a what you see is what you get color. But, in spite of that, I love it. It makes my nails look "polished" as in well cared for....a step above clear polish. The shine factor is fantastic and I can see using this quite often. EDIT: I got great wear out of this, today is 8/29 and I'm just now noticing some slight chipping.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - 55% Lactic Acid Peel
moncli 7/14/2009 9:17:00 AM
I was determined to wait until I'd used this peel more than once to write a review but I'm afraid I'll forget what I wanted to say after the first one, lol. First use was last night and this morning I do see some improvement. Not miraculous, but based on what I see so far, I'm fairly confident it will continue to improve. I am using it for hyperpigmentation/acne scars/a few large pores. I have temperamental skin and have never figured out if I'm acne prone, sensitive, or both. I started with the 55% because a few years back I had a series of spa peels and the woman doing them was stunned that nothing burned or stung. So, I figure I must have tougher than average skin and didn't want to waste time and money on the lower percentage. I applied the peel and immediately felt a lot of warmth, nothing uncomfortable. Did not see any redness. Left it on for six minutes (although instructions say to start with three, but I know my skin well enough that I was going by feel). By the time I rinsed it off, I was glad it was time to take it off but not by any means in pain. I used only cool water and the sponge they sent me to neutralize it, then washed with Cetaphil and applied my Cetaphil moisturizer. I did notice some flushing by that time but again, no pain. This morning I don't see a drastic difference, but the discoloration IS faded a bit. It wasn't terrible to begin with, but noticeable enough and always makes me feel like my face looks dirty. I also had some under the skin pimples, this morning they were either GREATLY reduced or gone. I have one cystic one on my jaw that has been there for a good month or longer, it is half the size. Keep in mind none of them were "open" or recently messed with, I think THAT would have been painful. My skin overall looks really nice and feels super smooth. Pores don't look a whole lot smaller but again, being the first use, if they look this much better after one use I'm sure that will continue to improve. Overall, I guess what I'm really rating today is the overall effect of this one peel, which in short is very promising. I'm super excited to do it again in a week.
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Liquid -Maybelline - Super Stay Makeup
moncli 7/13/2009 8:35:00 AM
I'm pleasantly suprised by this foundation but not in love, I bought it after I got some sun and needed something darker and the heat and humidity in N. Texas had me thinking Colorstay but I thought I'd try this instead. The coverage is a good, medium coverage with a nice finish, I guess it would be considered on the dewy side; it was a little more shine than I usually like but nothing bad. As far as holding up, I put it to two extreme tests, the pool and playing 18 holes of golf in 103+ temps. At the pool it survived well until I fully went under....before that it survived lots of splashes by my kids. At the golf course, it did rub off quite a bit (I had foundation on the shoulders of my shirt) but I can't blame it considering I was sweating a lot more than normal. Oddly enough though, when I finished playing the good news is my face didn't look like my make up had rubbed off on my shirt....It didn't look freshly applied, but I had enough left on my face to say it did stay for the most part. Under normal conditions, it does stay put pretty well. Love the d/s testers, don't mind the bottle but would definitely prefer a pump, of course. Hasn't broken me out which is always a huge plus. UPDATE: After another few days wearing this, I'm liking it more and more! The finish is a little more matte than I'd thought, but still good, not a powdery matte. Lasting power through the course of a normal day in 105+ temps has been great, coverage is perfect for me (and for reference, I have hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and current blemishes). Don't find it settling into pores or fine lines either.
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Foundations -Elizabeth Arden - Flawless Finish - Mousse Makeup
moncli 3/28/2009 5:18:00 PM
I don't hate this foundation, don't love it either. I bought it on a whim one day at Ulta for no really good reason...it's pretty sheer, stays on well, doesn't settle into lines. I'll use it up on my "good" skin days because it does look natural on when I don't need more coverage, but I don't notice anything spectacular when I wear it so I won't buy again.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Supre Hempz Hydrating Conditioner
moncli 3/28/2009 12:56:00 AM
I'm pretty happy with this shampoo and conditioner, I've been looking for a replacement for my beloved Nanoworks since I just can't justify the $$$ (have three kids who may need braces someday lol!). This is the best runner up I've found. I've also tried the generic version of this from Sally's and it's almost as good. I have fine, thin, color treated hair and it doesn't weigh me down a bit.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Supre Hempz Hydrating Shampoo
moncli 3/28/2009 12:55:00 AM
I'm pretty happy with this shampoo and conditioner, I've been looking for a replacement for my beloved Nanoworks since I just can't justify the $$$ (have three kids who may need braces someday lol!). This is the best runner up I've found. I've also tried the generic version of this from Sally's and it's almost as good.
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Treatments -Alpha Hydrox - Retinol Night ResQ
moncli 3/28/2009 12:54:00 AM
LOVE the entire Alpha Hydrox line, wish I'd started using it about 10 years ago. I've been on the quest for something that would deal with both my adult acne and aging skin and this system definitely does it. I'm careful to tell people not to expect miracles, because some things just can't be undone without more drastic measures (years of tanning and smoking) but there is enough improvement for me to say I'm happy with my skin, which is saying a lot. I've been using the AH foaming face wash and alternating the 10% gel and the souffle and had good results but wanted to kick it up a notch...this product did that. I now use it every other night and alternate the gel and soffle on it's off nights. My skin hasn't looked this good in years, I'm pretty close to being able to go from medium coverage foundation to light coverage....Acne is almost gone, pores are less noticeable, scars are fading, and even some of my fine lines are lessening. As I said, I don't expect this or any product to completely remove them but they're diminished enough that I'm not at all self conscious about them. This whole line is HG for me.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -SUN Laboratories - Ultra Dark Lotion
moncli 3/28/2009 12:49:00 AM
Boo hoo!!!! This is NOT the answer to my sunless tanning needs. Count me in the group who loved the color after application, then watched all that hard work go down the drain. The good side to this tanner: Smells fantastic, even after sleeping in it I had NO weird tanner odor. The color within an hour or two of application is gorgeous...I'll use it when I want to look good but don't care if it lasts. Others have mentioned the color guide being so muddy/green, and it is, but once it's blended I actually look tan, as in BROWN. The cons: Color didn't last. I did get some color, but maybe only a shade darker than normal, definitely not "ultra". I've used it three days in a row and no improvement. I'm fairly light, NW25, and I get plenty of color from other (much, much cheaper) self tanners but was willing to splurge for a true brown. I got it, I just couldn't keep it beyond a shower :(
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Lip Treatments -Revlon - Beyond Natural Liptint SPF 15 ] [DISCONTINUED]
moncli 3/28/2009 12:45:00 AM
I love these! I bought Nude and Neutral Pink. Neutral Pink is my lips but better, nude is a little less pleasing, a little washed out looking. BUT I love the way they feel, so I'll use the nude under other lipsticks or glosses and see how it looks. They smell and feel great. Don't wear for super long but they're just as good as any other balm, which is really what they are. Beautiful shades, I'll be buying more.
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Eye Shadow -LORAC - Eyeshadow Trio in Bronzed Bombshell
moncli 2/15/2009 12:51:00 PM
I got this trio as part of a kit, I wouldn't have bought them otherwise because on first glance they don't look like anything special. But once on they're gorgeous. I'm new to LORAC shadows and this was a great introduction, I love how soft the shadows are without sacrificing pigment or wear. These shades are shimmery and sort of sheer but buildable, I use the lightest one as my HG highlighter, the mid-shade is my day to day shadow, and the darker one is a no fail crease/liner. This is my favorite trio and I'll definitely buy it again when I run out.
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Lip Gloss -LORAC - Mocktail - Caffeini Martini
moncli 2/15/2009 12:47:00 PM
I love this, it's the perfect pinky brown for me. I'm a little older so I don't like lots of sparkle on my lips but this has just enough shimmer to look pretty and fresh. My favorite gloss, by far.
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Blush -LORAC - Powder blush in Soul
moncli 2/15/2009 12:44:00 PM
My HG, and I don't say that often. I went to Ulta one day and told the SA I wanted to find my perfect blush no matter how long it took, lol. A few hours later, this was it and a year later still love it. I tried just about everything in the store that day and this was the winner....I'm a fair/medium complexion but everything seems to oxidize on me and turn muddy or orange. Not this one. It's my day to day....I can't remember the last time I used one of my other blushes.
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Treatments -Alpha Hydrox - 10% AHA Gel
moncli 2/13/2009 12:59:00 AM
I've been using this along with the Alpha Hydrox Foaming cleanser for about a month now. I have adult acne or sensitive skin (haven't figured out which) and am almost always combating the whole range, from little bumps on my chin to full blown cystic pimples. I also have damaged skin from too many years of tanning and smoking (blech!) so suffice it to say, this product had it's work cut out for it. I won't call it a miracle product, because at this point I've accepted that there is nothing non surgical that will magically undo the fine lines, newly forming wrinkles, acne scars, etc....BUT I will call this very, very good stuff. I gave it 4 lippies because I'm not "transformed" however I think it really does do what it's supposed to, and does it well. I did have a slight purge period, maybe a week, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I'm not 100% clear but still see improvement daily....much fewer blackheads around my nose, hardly any of the little bumps on my chin and hair line, and the only real zinger I got since using this was during my period. It has really helped pore size too. Acne wise, the thing I'm most impressed with, well there are two things: 1) I have had this "thing" on my jaw for a YEAR, not even really a blackhead, but more like a black hole. Literally, a hole in my face but nothing would come out of it (sorry, gross, I know). It has gone away, completely. 2) I haven't dried out like most acne treatments....feel tight once in awhile but no flaking or peeling. Having said that, I think I did over use it at first and thought it made the fine lines look worse. I think that's because it is *slightly* drying if you don't have the right moisturizer and don't know if the souffle might be more moisturizing. Also, because of that, I've started only using it every other night and using a regular AHA moisturizer on the off nights. In spite of that though, once I started the every other night regime is when I noticed the improvement in the fine lines. Again, not miraculous, but enough to notice and make me feel better. Not such a difference in the "11" between my brows, but strangely enough that seems to be a little better during the day and worse at night, must be all the squinting I do, lol! I'm ordering the Night ResQ and hoping that takes this regime to the next level. Even if it doesn't though, I'm very happy with it. I don't look 20 again, I still probably look slightly older than my age but still tons better than I did before. There may be other products that do more, but at this price point I'm content to stick with this.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Sally Hansen - sally hansen natural beauty inspired by carmindy luminizing face primer
moncli 2/5/2009 9:43:00 AM
I've been using the Carmindy foundation for quite awhile, and really like it so I was hoping to love the primer....not so. Personally, I don't think the shimmer is overboard, it just didn't do much for me. My skin isn't oily in the least but after an hour or two I look like an oil slick...even when applying the minimum amount. It didn't extend the wear of my foundation either.
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