Cleansers -Clinique - Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
mousquerader 11/16/2012 2:15:00 PM
Amazing makeup remover. I purchased this because I felt like my previous makeup cleansers were too drying and harsh, and I didn't like how it burned my eyes when trying to rub off mascara. I rub my finger tips into the balm until it starts melting a bit into an oil, and then I rub it all over face (without wetting it) in circles for a minute. It quickly dissolves waterproof mascara and the notoriously hard-to-remove Revlon ColorStay liquid foundation, with ease. I then rinse with warm water, and it surprisingly comes off quite easily for something that feels so oily and petroleum jelly-like; I don't even feel like there is residue left over. I went over it with a toner, just to be sure it got everything off, and there was not a speck of makeup on the cotton pad! I highly recommend this wonderful product as a fast, gentle, non-drying makeup and sunscreen remover. At $28.50, it's a bit pricy, but it's a nice-sized 3.8 jar, and only a little bit of product is needed each use, so I feel like it is worth it. I will never be without this again!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -L'Oreal - Youth Code BB Cream Illuminator
mousquerader 8/25/2012 12:32:00 PM
I have never been interested in BB Creams before, Asian or western versions, but after testing out a sample of L'Oreal's version from a magazine and wearing it out for a day, I decided I liked it enough to purchase a full-sized version of the product. I'm still not buying into the "BB Cream" hype I view this product simply as a tinted moisturizer with some sun protection thrown in. It's a bit expensive for a tinted moisturizer, especially one from the drugstore, but I like the product. While I do have acne-prone skin, I don't break out too frequently, and my skin is pretty even on its own most of the time. My face, however, is a lot lighter than the rest of my body (thanks to AHA Souffle), so I find that this product does a pretty good job at evening out my skin tone overall. It doesn't look like I'm wearing makeup, according to my boyfriend it just looks natural and dewy. Currently, I do have a few somewhat reddish zits, and while this doesn't completely cover them, it does reduce the appearance of it a little. I didn't expect full coverage, however. Overall, it makes my skin look REALLY nice, and I'm very pleased. I don't really have large pores to begin with, but it looks like it dramatically smoothed out the appearance of my skin. As for staying power, I think it stays pretty well throughout the day. Whenever I use a napkin or a tissue, I've noticed that the product doesn't rub off as it would with some foundations I've used before. The product may look a wee bit shiny if you wear a moisturizer underneath, but I've found that if I wear this product alone, it gives a sort of matte yet dewy look... not greasy as others have described. I don't have oily skin, however. I probably will not wear this without my daily Cerave AM, however, simply because it has higher SPF and more active ingredients for sun protection (whereas the L'Oreal BB cream has only two physical ingredients). I use the medium shade, and I have tan/olive skin. It doesn't look orange or ashy on me at all, and I haven't found that it oxidizes, either. Overall, I would buy this again.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Garnier - Pure-Clean
mousquerader 8/22/2012 2:20:00 PM
I really like the silicone-free and "natural" aspects of this conditioner. What really sold me was the fruity, refreshing smell. It makes my hair smell great for DAYS. It doesn't build up, and I'm not sure if it's my shampoo not doing a good job, but whenever I use this all over my head, scalp to ends, it feels a wee bit greasy. It's perfect, however, if I use a regular conditioner near my scalp and this Garnier conditioner for the lower parts of my hair and ends, so I still get the benefits of all the oils in the conditioner and the wonderful scent lasting in my hair for days. I don't think I would buy this again, however ideally I'd have a conditioner that I could use for the entire head.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Sally Hansen - Naturally Bare Honey Wax
mousquerader 8/12/2012 4:35:00 PM
Didn't remove a single hair... I followed the instructions and tried both room temperature and warmed wax didn't change a thing. I even tried it on my face, since I figured the hair is more fine and easier to remove, but nothing the Veet strips for face worked better. :/ Waste of money. I have thick coarse black hair if that helps. Avoid this product it doesn't do anything. At least it is easy to wash off.
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Hair Removal -Unlisted Brand - Veet Ready to Use Wax Strips for Face and Bikini
mousquerader 8/12/2012 4:33:00 PM
It works pretty well. It didn't get everything, but I think that might be because some hairs were too short, so it required some tweezing.
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Conditioner -Organix - Moroccan Argan Oil Renewing Treatment
mousquerader 3/8/2012 2:03:00 PM
It smells really good and comes in the cutest packaging, but unfortunately it doesn't work very well, even as a regular conditioner. Even when I use heaps of this in my hair, it hardly feels like it's coating it enough. It doesn't make my hair any easier to detangle like regular conditioner does. As far as hydrating it, I haven't noticed a difference either. I'll continue to use it until it's gone, but I wouldn't buy it again even if it was 50 cents.
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Hair Color -Revlon - Frost & Glow Highlighting Kit
mousquerader 2/20/2012 3:31:00 PM
I could write another long rave review, but pictures are worth a thousand words... so... :) http://img.makeupalley.com/7/6/3/0/2186200.JPG I used this kit twice; the first time using the cap method (and pulling out hair from every marked circle) and leaving in the mixture for a little over 20 minutes, and the second time using the foil method for bolder, lighter highlights (left it in much longer, like an hour). This is the kit for "honey" highlights.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Cerave - Hydrating Cleanser
mousquerader 7/8/2011 2:43:00 PM
I've been using this product for about a year now. I first discovered it when my friend gave me a small bottled sample which he got from his dermatologist. I've been hooked ever since. I alternate between AHA 12% and Retin-A gel on a daily basis for mild acne. I have somewhat dry skin because of these products. This cleanser seems to hydrate my skin a bit and makes it feel smooth and soft rather than dry and tight after washing, which is good. It doesn't seem to leave any residue. It removes makeup very well, even waterproof mascara the trick with stubborn mascara (such as DiorShow Black Out *cough*) is to take a half to full pump of the cleanser and rub your eyelashes gently for a minute, then rinse. I've tried Cetaphil in the past, but it doesn't do as good as a job as Cerave does at removing makeup (in my experience). Purpose is another good cleanser that removes makeup thoroughly it's a no-frills cleanser and doesn't have any hydrating properties like Cerave does. I am pleased with this cleanser and will be repurchasing.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel
mousquerader 10/11/2009 5:11:00 PM
Aloe vera gel is definitely a staple for me. It's a great alternative to those gunky commercial gels or mousses that can leave hair dry, stiff, or flaky since it washes out very well and doesn't make my hair stiff no matter how much I put into my hair (I scrunch the gel into my hair while it's still wet after a shower). As for skin care, I like applying a thin layer to my skin in the AM and PM as a moisturizer (in addition to sunscreen in the day); I noticed that it helps to absorb oil so my face is a lot less shiny, and I think it helps heal acne as well. I love spreading aloe vera gel on right after I apply extra virgin coconut oil to my entire body, usually after a good shower and especially after a shave. A combination of that helps minimize any irritation from shaving. Aloe vera gel is also great to have on hand for burns... very cooling and soothing!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - JR Liggett's Old Fashioned Bar Shampoo
mousquerader 10/11/2009 5:03:00 PM
I decided to try this shampoo bar in an attempt to be more "natural" with my beauty products. In the beginning I was a little skeptical because I didn't think a shampoo bar would work very well... at first after I rinsed it out, it felt all tangley, but surprisingly my hair was easy to comb through (not that I comb my hair much anyway). My thick, wavy hair naturally dries less poofy and instead in more defined waves. I've been using this for a few months and am on my second bar now. I won't be going back to regular shampoo and conditioner. This shampoo bar is sufficient, and I like how I don't have to spend extra time conditioning my hair because with this my hair doesn't need it anymore. My damaged, heat-styled-to-death hair looks and feels healthier, cleaner, and more moisturized; people have told me that my hair looks shinier as well. I also like how it rinses out cleanly and doesn't leave residue on my skin, which is important because my back breaks out if I'm not careful to wash and scrub it after conventional use of shampoo and conditioner. It's an economic choice also... I don't mind blowing 6 bucks on a little bar that lasts a long time because I only need a little bit to lather my scalp. I definitely recommend this and have even gotten my roommate into shampoo bars (different brand though).
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Wet 'n' Wild - Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer--Sunkissed
mousquerader 6/18/2009 9:44:00 PM
I like that this product claims to be a tinted moisturizer but can double as a light foundation. It covers pretty well--maybe even just as well as my MUFE Mat Velvet liquid foundation--and it looks good in photographs. This shade seems to match my tan, olive skin very well in real life (it looks really good!), but in photographs it is obvious this shade of the tinted moisturizer is more pink-toned, so my face and body are two different colors. It's not that big of a deal, but I've read in a review for the tan shade of this same product and someone said the tan is more yellow-toned than this, so I'll try that next. I don't really think it's fair to take a lippie off just because the tone is slightly off in pictures, but I will take one off for lasting power. I put slapped some of this on my face and went out to eat one day, and by the time I sat down at the restaurant my friend commented that my makeup seemed to have worn off a bit (it faded so you could some of my mild acne scars); then again, it was a super hot summer day, so I might have just sweated it off, but eh... Otherwise, it's great! I'm very acne-prone and this has done nothing to exacerbate it, by the way.
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Cleansers -Purpose - Gentle Cleansing Wash
mousquerader 4/24/2009 1:18:00 PM
I love this cleanser. It does exactly what it says it's supposed to do. Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser used to be my go-to gentle cleanser, but this has replaced that. I like the consistency of it, and I don't need to use a lot of it (although I do feel like I need quite a few pumps of Cetaphil to feel "clean"). It also is very effective in removing makeup without any fuss. I like to use it with my Clarisonic brush to make sure it all gets off, but I don't even need the Clarisonic to get it off 100%--Purpose does it all without leaving a trace behind. It's also good at removing waterproof eye makeup (although I did find it ineffective on Wet 'n Wild's water proof creme eyeliner), and while it claims not to sting eyes, it does irritate my eyes a tiny bit, but it's not a problem so long as I squeeze my eyes shut really well as I massage my eye area over with Purpose. My only complaint is that I can't lock the pump so that if I travel, it won't squeeze/leak/waste any product; at $7, I don't want any of it to go to waste. It could just be me not knowing how to do that, but seriously, it shouldn't be that difficult; I can do it easily with every other cleanser bottle I have... like Cetaphil. But all in all, it's a great cleanser that I highly recommend.
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Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner - Black
mousquerader 4/24/2009 1:09:00 PM
I was surprised at the quality of this $4 drugstore product. I went to Walgreens looking for the liquid eyeliner by Wet 'n Wild because I heard it was good (and inexpensive), but it seemed to be sold out so I decided to buy this instead. I went home and applied it without any difficulty. It came with a stiff, flat/angled brush that made it easy to apply the cream liner. I didn't need a lot of product to get the effect I wanted. I might have messed up a little, but it was easy to clean up with a cotton swab and some water. Normally if I put on pencil eyeliner or something, it would just smudge on my under eye area after some time, and I thought the creme liner would have the same result, but nope, I was wrong! After a few hours, the creme liner was just as inky black and fresh as when I had first applied it. Amazing. It really stayed put! I found it a little difficult to wash off with my Purpose gentle cleanser, however, which is usually very effective in removing all of my makeup (even eye makeup) in one go without any fuss, so I had to use jojoba oil to wipe it off. But I'm not complaining...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
mousquerader 4/24/2009 1:01:00 PM
I've been using this for a few years, and at first I thought it was a pretty good mask. Now that I've tried the likes of Proactiv's Refining Mask and DDF's Sulfur Therapeutic Mask, the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque has been bumped down my list. It's a decent product, however. I love how it feels a little tingly when it's on and how fresh and clean my skin looks after I wash it off. The pores seem to be smaller and clearer, and I think the sulfur does a little bit to help prevent and treat any acne already under the surface. Like many people here, I like to use it as a spot treatment, but I've found that Proactiv or DDF's sulfur masks are *much, much more* effective for this purpose. I think they might have done something different with the formula because when I first tried this years ago, it flaked off and seemed to be pretty effective on my skin, but now it doesn't flake at all and also doesn't seem to work as well. Is it coincidental? I'm not sure. Anyhow, this mask is still a great alternative if you don't need as much strength on your blemishes, or if you're in a financial pinch.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara Waterproof
mousquerader 3/30/2009 6:52:00 PM
It's a decent mascara. It makes my black eyelashes just a little bit more defined, but it's not much of a difference. But usually after some hours of wearing, there are grey/faint black smudges on my under eye areas, which I think is a little weird because I curl my lashes, so I don't think they actually touch any skin anywhere. It could just be my skin's natural oil that's dissolving the mascara, but I've never had this problem with other waterproof mascaras before, so I think something's a little off on the formula here.
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