Conditioner -Pureology - PRECIOUS OIL SOFTENING CONDITION
mxk2 12/29/2012 1:18:00 PM
I absolutely loved how this conditioner made my hair look but oh man is it strongly perfumed! And it lingers - every time my hair swung near my face I got a strong whiff, it was getting a headache from it. Needless to say, back to Ulta it went. It made my hair soft, shiny, and bouncy without weighing it down, but I just couldn't take the wretched strong perfumey scent BLECH!
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Tinted Moisturizer -Senna - Barely Base Tinted Mineral Moisturizer SPF 20
mxk2 3/30/2012 3:26:00 PM
Received a sample container of this from my local boutique, was hoping it I would like it because sunscreen is 100% physical. Unforunately, it did not work for me. The shade Light was too yellow and a little too dark for me. Also felt heavy on the skin and I felt greasy all day, even after blotting and re-powdering. Tried on two separate occasions with same results, so will not be purchasing. Did rate a 2 for use of all-physical sunscreen and does seem like a quality product; however, just didn't work for me.
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Treatments (Eye) -Estee Lauder - Verite Special Eye Care
mxk2 11/8/2011 9:35:00 AM
Outstanding eye cream!! It is not silicone-based, which is important to me, as my skin does not do well with silicone-based products. It is totally fragrance-free (seriously - ZERO fragrance), no coloring agents, no irritants, and my concealer blends beautifully over the top of this. After I had been using for about a week or so, I noticed my under-eye area actually started to look better - smoother, less dry, just overall better. Heck yea I'd repurchase - and I already have!
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Devita Solar Body Block 30
mxk2 11/2/2010 5:10:00 PM
This sunscreen is fabulous! It feels like a moisturizer going on and dries down in a couple minutes to a light, pleasant non-greasy finish. Light almond scent (no horrid sunscreen scent) and absolutely no white cast! Love that the sunscreen is all physical in a gentle, good-for-skin formula. BUT this is not waterproof/sweatproof. I do not use this for exercising or when I know it's going to be a sweaty time outdoors - I bust out the Blue Lizard for those times - but I knew that going in and I don't expect this to perform as a "sport" sunscreen. It is brilliant for routine day-to-day use and feels really lovely on the skin. Have repurchased multiple times and will continue to purchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Deodorants -Secret - Clinical Strength
mxk2 6/8/2010 4:16:00 PM
Yes! A deodorant that works! I have the unscented version, and it is indeed unscented. Really (I mean really!) keeps wetness away, and I CAN'T SMELL MYSELF! Even if no one else could smell me (not really sure...), I could smell a faint odor on myself as well as my clothes with other deodarants, but there is none of that with the Secret Clinical. I've noticed no white stains on my clothes with this product. Pricier than most other deodorants but absolutely worth it. Definite repurchase.
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Sunscreen -Origins - Out Smart
mxk2 3/26/2010 8:59:00 PM
Beware that this tinted sunscreen contains bergamot - a known photomutagenic and photosensitizing agent.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Radiccio
mxk2 2/13/2010 8:30:00 PM
I looked like I stepped right out of 1986 - this is a bright purple-toned hot pink on me. I know hot pink seems to be all the rage - but I can't stand the look because I've been there, done that, and never want to do it again. NOT EVER. Texture is great, so I gave it a 2 for that....
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Sunscreen -Clinique - City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 25 SPF
mxk2 2/13/2010 3:43:00 PM
I need to prefrace this review by saying I have used varying incarnations of City Block for about a decade - so I know my City Blocks. I finally used up the last of the Sheer SPF 15, which sadly is now discontinued, so I purchased the Sheer SPF 25. What the h*ll happened?!? The tint of the previous versions (even the 25) was perfect for those of us with lighter skin. This stuff is too dark and too golden for me. Second, it is greasy/oily - I can actually see a thin layer of oily on my hand when I squirt out a bit on the back of my hand so I can apply it. It also "balls" on the skin - the older versions never did this. Finally, while the previous versions of City Block had a soft, pleasant scent (a bit reminiscent of a coconutty-type scent), this stuff smells like....Band-Aids - yuck! I was so surprised at the changes I actually purchased a second tube, thinking perhaps I had gotten a bad or old tube, but it was the same story with the second tube. BOO HISS Clinique - you ruined what was previously as far as I'm concerned the best physical-only sunscreen on the market.
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Shampoo -Aveda - Smooth Infusion
mxk2 2/2/2010 5:01:00 PM
While I love the Smooth Infusion Style Prep, this shampoo is not for me. I have fine-textured, below-shoulders hair. I tried this shampoo on mutiple occasions, and I could not get a good lather without using a lot of product - and this is just too expensive to use more than a small dollop. The scent isn't that great, either - not horrible, but not necessarily pleasant, either. The bigger problem was it weighed down my hair, and after using a couple shampoos in a row my hair felt kind of gunked up and yucky. Glad I only bought the travel-size bottle, the rest of which hit the trash can. PASS!
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Liquid -Clinique - Almost Makeup [DISCONTINUED]
mxk2 1/26/2010 12:42:00 PM
I'm undecided whether to pick up a tube after sampling and comparing to Px Traceless (which I have quite a few tubes of, since Px announced it's going out of business), so this review is mainly a comparison between the Almost Makeup and Px Traceless, LM Tinted Moisturizer... The Almost Makeup in shade Light looks good on me, better than the lighter shades they have. It's a good shade for me, but not the perfection that Px Traceless #2 is . It blends easily and dries to a nice finish fairly quickly. Definitely need powder with this one (which I normally use anyway). It gives more coverage than Traceless, which is neither good nor bad, just different - the Almost Makeup is more of a lightweight foundation as compared to a sheer TM-type product. It wears fairly well - needs touch up/blotting to get rid of the oily break-through after a couple hours, but so does everything else on me (even Px Virtual Matte requires me to blot by noon ). I put it on at 6:00 a.m. and washed my face before bed at midnight (yea, long day...) and I noticed my face still looked pretty decent 18 hours later - not fresh as a daisy, but not bad at all after all that time, so the foundation does stick around (I blotted and powdered later in the day again, though). It does feel a bit heavy - it is not weightless like Traceless. To me, this feels *exactly* like LM Tinted Moisturizer on my skin in terms of coverage, blending ability, and how it feels on the skin. I think it's better than the LM, though, because the color match is better, and it didn't rub off on a tissue when I blew my nose - when I wore the LM, I found it wore off very easily on collars, tissues, etc. - and it's a lot less expensive than the LM. Another advantage of the Almost Makeup over the LM or Px is the sunscreen is broad-spectrum, and the last time I checked it was all-physical blocker (might have changed, not sure, and I just have a sample jar with no ingredient list right now). The Almost Makeup would be too heavy for me to wear in the summer, though (just like the LM was). Yesterday I wore it with no moisturizer underneath and it's January and it felt heavy and got oily, no way will this work for me in the summer. If any of you have dry skin, though, the Almost Makeup might be a good choice. Update 6/8/10: Bumping to 5 lippies. I'm really liking this a lot and am using it regularly. Yes, it does feel a bit heavy on my oiler skin, but it offers a bit more coverage than Traceless (but is still on the sheer), which I find I am needing lately, and it lasts well on me (no wearing off like the Traceless or the LM). I will definitely purchase again, this is quickly on its way to replacing Traceless as my HG product.
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Lip Treatments -MAC - Lip Conditioner Stick SPF 15
mxk2 12/1/2009 12:34:00 AM
I have this in the clear version (untinted). As a lip balm, I don't like this, but for **sun protection** for the lips, it is great! I swipe this on before exercising outdoors and it keeps my lips hydrated and protected from UV rays. It is kind of heavy and isn't exactly clear (it has a bit of a white tinge to it), but it does the job I want it to do and isn't too expensive, one stick lasts a long time. Will repurchase.
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Treatments -Aveda - Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother
mxk2 10/1/2009 6:51:00 PM
I really like this Aveda product. As already noted in other reviews, this is *not* a styling product, it isn't going to offer any hold. In essence, it's a silicone smoother-type product (dimethicone is the second ingredient). Normally I can't use silicone serums because my hair is just too fine for them and ends up lanky/greasy-looking even when I use a small amount, but this Smooth Infusion is different - it isn't heavy and doesn't seem to weigh my hair down too much when I only use one pump for my below-shoulders hair. After I work it into my wet hair, I can comb out tangles easily, and when I style with an iron, my hair glides over the plates, looks shiny, and my style seems to hold longer (I have hair that is *very* resistant to styling, it's very slippery and styles just slide right out). I do mix with a small dollop of Aveda hair gel for hold. A very good product and a great find for us gals who normally have to steer clear of silicone smoothers because they're too heavy. Did knock off one point for price. Edited 10/23/09: Added a fifth lippie - I can definitely see how much better my styled hair looks with the Aveda after switching back to my other product temporarily, this product absolutely deserves a full five points despite the price tag.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Hot Tahiti Lipstick
mxk2 9/28/2009 11:36:00 PM
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous lipstick with my coloring! I have rather pigmented lips, and on me this reads as a mix of red-coral-berry. It's not warm, it's not cool, and I can't really describe the color any better than that but I can say when I put it on, my eyes sparkle and my face just lights up (which is exactly what a good lip color should do!) It is one of those colors that will always look appropriate, a great uplifting splash of color that never looks overdone or out of place.
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Hair -Kerastase - volumactive mousse
mxk2 5/30/2009 12:41:00 PM
This didn't really do anything for my hair - $30+ for a bottle of nothing. Didn't add volume, didn't help hold a style - nothing. I do find the smell pleasant and it does add a bit of shine, but overall a do-nothing product at a ridiculous price.
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Lipstick -Clinique - High Impact Lip Colour SPF 15 - Cider Berry
mxk2 12/12/2008 6:24:00 PM
Beautiful neutral red with my coloring! It is neutral, and by that I mean neither overtly cool nor warm. Very easy to wear red, perfect for daytime/office wear. The texture is nicely creamy and is not at all drying on the lips. I don't consider this is long-lasting lipstick, but is nicely pigmented for a cream formula and lasts a fair amount of time.
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