Polishes -China Glaze - Skyscraper
monetsgarden 11/22/2011 10:55:00 PM
First, the good: this is a gorgeous color. Dark cobalt blue with tons of silver sparkles, it looks like the night sky. I always get compliments when I wear it. The bad (and this is pretty bad): it chips more than any other polish I own. I can't get it to last more than 24 hours, literally. In the afternoon, I put on two coats of Skyscraper and a top coat, and the next morning I had big chips knocked off of the tips of my nails. Even with three coats, every time I turned around I'd find a big chunk of polish chipped off. Combine that with the fact that (like all glitter polishes) it's a total ordeal to remove it when you want to, and you have a product that's kind of more hassle than it's worth. At this point, I would probably only put it on if I had a special event that I particularly wanted to wear it for, and only on the day of. It definitely can't stand up to everyday wear, which is a shame because it's so, so pretty.
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Lipstick -Clinique - Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick - Berry Blush 415
monetsgarden 3/6/2009 8:31:00 PM
I agree with other reviewers that this color really isn't what I think of when I think of "berry," but it's very pretty nonetheless. It's a sheer, rosy pink with that great Buttershine texture and sheen. To me, it's very summery-looking and I can imagine getting a lot of wear out of it with casual, fresh, warm-weather looks.
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Lipstick -Guerlain - KissKiss Maxi Shine in 621 Cherry Shine
monetsgarden 2/12/2009 11:48:00 PM
This was a big disappointment for me. In the tube, Cherry Shine is a beautiful, sparkly, "ruby slippers" red. But on my lips, it was pure fuschia. I love Guerlain lipsticks, so sad I had to return this one but it just didn't work for me.
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Underworld Duo
monetsgarden 9/3/2007 12:49:00 AM
These colors are so beautiful, and I wanted so much to like this duo, but I just can't get it to work for me. (cool PPP, green eyes) I generally don't mind sheer shadows, but in this case the colors go on subtly and just look muddy on me when I try to build them, not striking and gorgeous like they look in the pan. I've tried several times to make this work, but sadly it's just not for me.
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Gels/Soaps -Fresh - Mangosteen Bath & Shower Gel
monetsgarden 9/3/2007 12:44:00 AM
I wish I could rate it 0 lipsticks, because this is truly one of the most bizarre and unpleasant scents I have ever encountered in a bath and body product. When I opened up my little sample packet and gave it a sniff, I thought, "Hmmm...odd," but was determined to give it a chance in the shower. However, when I actually lathered it up and applied it to my body, I literally recoiled and immediately washed it off, then buried my nose in my Lush Gratuitous Violets soap instead -- the scent was THAT BAD. Holy cow, how to describe? To me, it smells like some kind of savory food. It's a sour/tangy, almost fermented scent with some kind of strange herbal note. This sounds strange, but it actually reminded me of the sage and onions mixed together for Thanksgiving stuffing. Needless to say, I won't be purchasing this one!
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Lotions/ Creams -Korres - Body Butter - Guava
monetsgarden 7/3/2007 12:09:00 PM
This is a lovely cream -- thick and moisturizing, but it sinks right in and leaves my skin soft, not greasy at all. It has a light fruity scent, but is not strongly scented, which is a good thing for me. I will definitely repurchase.
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Blush -Bobbi Brown - Coral LE 2007
monetsgarden 6/27/2007 3:21:00 PM
Love this blush! As far as the color, I'm in the "it's a true coral" camp. I have pinky-peach and peachy-pink blushes and this is definitely different from any of them. I don't find it too glittery at all, and I'm a shimmerphobe where blush is concerned. The coral color and subtle gold sheen combine to give me a gorgeous glow that I love for summer. I think this is as close to a universally flattering color as you can get -- I'm a cool-toned PPP and use it with a light hand, and I can see it being gorgeous on darker skin as well.
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Blush -Kevyn Aucoin - The Creamy Moist Glow in Pravella (Stunning Petal Pink)
monetsgarden 6/8/2007 4:46:00 PM
I picked up Pravella from the VS semi-annual sale, and I'm so glad I did! It's a gorgeous pink with just a hint of peachy warmth. It's absolutely foolproof to work with -- incredibly easy to apply and blend and the effect is very natural, soft and pretty. It goes on so sheerly and smoothly, it would be really hard to overdo it. The texture is very creamy but doesn't leave me feeling greasy at all. The container is tiny, so I'm glad I got it on sale, but a little goes a long way. Cool-toned PPP, for reference.
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Deodorants -Secret - Platinum Scent Expressions
monetsgarden 6/8/2007 4:39:00 PM
Very impressed with this deodorant! I have it in Kuku Coco Butter. The scent is nice -- kind of a tropical fruit/coconut combination --- although I was hoping for a more beachy, straight coconut scent. The staying power is fantastic. I put it on at 7:00 am, and at 9:00 pm after my evening workout, I still smell like I just got out of the shower. I'll definitely repurchase to try other scents too. **Update** I found the one drawback to this great deodorant -- it leaves a horrible white residue on sleeveless tops (with which you're most likely to need it). I will still use it a lot, but I'll have to find something else when I'm wearing something sleeveless, especially in dark colors. :(
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Mascara
monetsgarden 3/22/2007 4:55:00 PM
Oh my poor eyes...as far as performance, Diorshow wore well and looked fine (although not markedly better than my drugstore mascara), but I've had a horrible allergic reaction to it. I wore it for two days, and on the afternoon of the second day, I started noticing that my undereye area was feeling a bit itchy. As the evening wore on my upper eyelids began to itch as well, so I took my makeup off, but the damage was already done. I woke up the next morning with severely swollen, red, painfully itchy eyelids. I don't generally consider myself sensitive and I've never had this type of reaction to anything before, so if you do have sensitive eyes, be careful!
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Lipstick -Paul & Joe - Lait Fraise 046 - Parisienne Chocolate Collection Autumn 2006
monetsgarden 3/21/2007 1:19:00 PM
Sephora describes this shade as "soft rose shimmer," which would have been great. It's actually a sheer matte bubblegum pink, which is not my cup of tea. As with all Paul & Joe LE lipsticks, the packaging is gorgeous, it was disappointing to have to return it because I didn't like the color.
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Lipstick -Paul & Joe - Rouge Pivoine 02
monetsgarden 3/15/2007 4:31:00 PM
Rouge Pivoine is gorgeous and very unique. Despite the name and Sephora's description, it's really not red -- on me it's a rosy raspberry tinged with gold, really striking and wakes up my whole face. It's not bright or scary at all, definitely a daytime shade even for a PPP. I think I'll be reaching for it constantly as it's perfect for spring!
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Lipstick -Paul & Joe - 13 Rose D'Or
monetsgarden 3/15/2007 4:26:00 PM
I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn't do anything for me. On me, it was pure peach with a gold sheen, which is a pretty color, but definitely didn't flatter my cool-toned skin. I can imagine this would be gorgeous on warmer-toned ladies.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Paul & Joe - Rose Caramel 05
monetsgarden 3/15/2007 4:21:00 PM
This is one of the prettiest lipcolors I've ever used. I don't find it to be brownish at all, on me it's a shimmery nude-toned mauve that really flatters my skintone (cool PPP). It's actually a lot like Nars Masai lipstick in lipgloss form. I love the formula -- and I am not a lipgloss fan, but this is perfect -- not overly shiny, not sticky, great pigment. I will definitely repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Mud Flats Soap [DISCONTINUED]
monetsgarden 2/20/2007 5:20:00 PM
I always feel weird giving a bad review to something everyone else loves, but...the scent of Mud Flats absolutely turns my stomach. I can deal with dirt scents, freshly turned earth actually smells really nice. But this smells like barnyard mud or something -- absolutely horrible. After the first time I used it, I had to wash with something else to get the scent off of my body and out of my nose, because it was literally making me nauseated! It may well be great for the skin, but I just can't get past the smell to find out.
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