Styling Products -Davines - Universal Polishing Coat
namm1gr1s 3/31/2007 9:04:00 PM
I loathe putting styling products in my hair mostly because I hate the way most hair products smell. The Universal Polishing Coat for Wizards is one happy exception. It is a non-greasy, addictive smelling styling wax with a lot of slip. I find that I can wear this in my dry, wavy, untreated hair and then reapply the next day without problems. The trick is to use it sparingly. A dime sized amount will do just fine. If you have fine, oily hair I would stay away from this product. The smell is tough to describe but the consensus among my friends and random people seems to be that it smells--mmmmmm-goood! It's sweet but not stomach curdling so and the staying power is moderate and subtle. The tin is huge, pink and looks very girly. I can't imagine running out of this.
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Eyeliner -Sue Devitt - Eye Intensifier in Surat
namm1gr1s 1/30/2007 7:58:00 AM
I bought this because I liked the unique color (similar to Chanel Vega-good comparison)and the creamy consistency. I usually use BB gel liners or LM cake liners but I really enjoy using this pencil. I can smudge it on my lid as an eye shadow and it really stays put until I take it off. I don't like to wear a lot of makeup on my eyes so this is appeals to me as being both a liner and a shadow. Now I want to get more of these eye intensifiers!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Q10 Night Cream
namm1gr1s 1/6/2007 1:55:00 AM
My beloved wintertime friend Eucerin Sensitive Facial Skin Q10 Active Night Anti-Wrinkle Cream is impossible to find these days. I found Nivea Q10 Night Cream to be a happy substitute. I've been so busy lately my complex skincare rituals have been reduced to washing off my makeup, cleansing then slathering this on and going to sleep. Oddly enough, my skin looks even better than before. Highly recommended for dry, sensitive skin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Corrector
namm1gr1s 1/6/2007 1:38:00 AM
I was not a big fan of Bobbi Brown's line. I liked her gel eyeliners but nothing else caught my attention until I chanced upon the corrector. My undereye circles are pretty dark and many late nights have left me looking particularly haggard so my clicky pen (YSL Touche Eclat/ Kanebo/ Guerlain) + LM Brightening Powder combo wasn't making a difference. The SA matched me to either light bisque or bisque. For some reason even though bisque looked unappealing and darker than what I normally wear, it wondered wonders on my undereye circles. The light bisque even though it looked like a better match didn't quite look right when I tried it on. I think it is a good idea to go to a counter and try these on because I would have never picked Bisque otherwise. As many reviews pointed out below it's important to moisturize well and then put it on sparingly. Honestly, I thought the using all three corrector, concealer and powder looked fake and aged me. Less is more. I use this and LM Brightening Powder and people have stopped asking me if I'm tired :) So even if I feel like hell, at least I look presentable. Mission accomplished.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Mavala - Nail color cream
namm1gr1s 1/3/2007 5:00:00 AM
I heartily second the review below!
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Eye Shadow -NARS - India Song Duo
namm1gr1s 1/3/2007 4:57:00 AM
I'm a eyeshadow neophyte. For those who have perfected their eyeshadow technique this may be too basic but that is precisely why I like it. It is basic so that it can be versatile. On my GA LSF 4/5 I can use the vanilla creme shadow as a highlighter/wash and then later create a wearable daytime smoky eye. A couple flicks of my trusty Trish McEvoy #29 and I'm on my way. The walnut color is gorgeous as a liner as well. This is one of my favorite NARS duos.
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Concealers -Make Up For Ever - Extreme Camouflage Cream
namm1gr1s 11/11/2006 1:41:00 AM
I bought this in #6 and it matches my GA LSF #4/#5 complexion well. I like that you can layer it, it's not oily, the pigmentation is superb, squeezy tube doles out product slowly and it easy to carry in your bag. I use it to cover hyperpigmentation marks leftover from hormonal acne. It has excellent staying power if you use a primer then layer it on with a nylon concealer brush (don't use your finger-the brush works better for spots) and then set it with powder. I also like Cle de Peau's concealer in Beige and Shu Uemura's Nobara foundation (used as concealer) but sometimes when you are covering pimples or marks it's nice to use something less creamy but just as pigmented. It can be used as an undereye concealer in a pinch and works nicely mixed with a highlighter pen like Touche Eclat, etc. I really like Make Up Forever. It's not that easy to find in my area but I've never been disappointed with anything that I've tried of theirs. This concealer worked well for me and I will definitely repurchase although I doubt I will run out soon. Rave and possible HG.
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Moisturizers -La Vitton - Face Rejuvenating Oil
namm1gr1s 11/2/2006 4:10:00 PM
Based on the rave reviews I bought the set for normal/dry skin. I think the face rejuvenating oil is okay but nothing special. It hasn't wreaked havoc on my skin but it hasn't done anything positive either. This is a more of a basic essential oil. I much prefer Decleor aromaessences, Sundari oils, Clarins or even plain Rosehip Oil for a more noticeable effect. In my opinion, this oil is a bit thicker in texture than most essential oils that I have used. It seems to take a bit longer to absorb. I will probably use the rest of it up on my body not my face.
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Makeup Brushes -Trish McEvoy - #29
namm1gr1s 10/25/2006 5:25:00 PM
I have several Trish McEvoy brushes and makeup brushes in general but this brush stands out as one of my favorite brushes that I use constantly. I'm a klutz when it comes to applying eyeshadow and I usually stay away from anything more complicated than a sheer wash of color on the lids. This brush has made me want to try more complicated eye shadow combinations because it distributes the perfect amount of color onto the lids and blends like dream. This is without a doubt my favorite eye brush. I like this brush so much that I am thinking about buying another one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Fresh - Umbrian Clay Shampoo
namm1gr1s 7/31/2006 10:14:00 PM
I have used most of the Fresh hair care line and have not been impressed with any of them except for this shampoo. I have dry hair and a dry scalp that sometimes acts up due to stress or hormonal fluctuations and my scalp becomes irritated and flaky. I have used dandruff shampoos, Neutrogena T-gel, Aveda Scalp Benefits/Remedy, Giovanni Tea Tree Shampoo but nothing works for me like this umbrian clay shampoo does. I think it smells good and I let it sit in my hair for a bit before I wash it out. It definitely dries your hair out a bit in a clarifying shampoo kind of way so I would not use it more than once a week and I would follow it up with a good deep conditioner or leave-in. My hair is untreated so I don't know if it would strip color. I also swim and another added plus is that it helps get that horrible chlorine smell out of hair like nothing else and I've tried lots of swimmers shampoos too~ I do think it's expensive but as a reviewer below noted a little bit goes a long way. I will repurchase if I ever finish the tube.
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Self Tanners -Avene - Tinted Extreme Compact 50B 15A
namm1gr1s 7/21/2006 10:28:00 PM
I have this compact in Sable/Beige and it has quickly become HG for me and will be a staple in my summertime routinue. I am wear LSF GA #5/ SM Cream Fdtn 01/ Chantecaille Real Skin in Bliss in the summer and have found Sable/Beige works quite well for me although it is a bit orange. The packaging it very similar to Real Skin but it is a bit smaller and there is a real mirror instead of a blurry metal surface. I live in sunny SoCal and if I'm not careful I get freckles and burn then tan so a good sunscreen is a must for me. I've tried all sorts of Euro and Asian sunscreens but my skin can't tolerate the chemicals on a daily basis and my bank account can't tolerate the prices. This is very pricey (IMHO) but I use it every day and it's SPF 50 so I'm willing to shell out the ducats. I'll save the heavy duty Mexoryl and Tinosorbs for when I'm at the beach and in the ocean but for everyday this rocks my world :) *edited* I've found if you are not careful to cleanse well with a cleansing oil then this can be a pore clogging. Still HG for summer though but requires a more labor intensive cleaning (cleansing oil, cleanser, exfoliation) UPDATE: Demoted from 4 to 3 stars because I really think the color match is too orangey.
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Masks -Erno Laszlo - sea mud mask
namm1gr1s 7/21/2006 10:09:00 PM
My mother is obsessed with Erno Lazlo products and gave me this mask about 5 years ago to try out. I have dry, sensitive skin but I find this mask to be very helpful as a deep cleansing treatment during the summer months when I wear a lot of oily sunscreens. If you do have dry skin it is best to use this only 1x max otherwise it will dry out your skin. My oily skinned friend used it after a long day at the beach aggravated her acne and it calmed the redness and soothed her skin. I don't know if this has been discontinued but I liked this mask enough to buy a backup tube and to use it every summer for the past five years. Be warned that the mud will stain towels so be sure to wash it off in the shower or use a dark colored face cloth.
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Treatments -Avene - Ystheal+ Creme
namm1gr1s 5/20/2006 5:53:00 AM
I've been using this every other evening for the past three months and I really like it. When I first started using it I tried to use it every evening and it irritated my dry, sensitive skin. So then I started using it every three days and increased it to every other night and my skin looks brighter and my pores a bit cleaner. I really like this product you really need to use it consistly for about a month to see results but I think the results are worth it. I've used retinoids and Differin in the past but found them too harsh for my skin. Ystheal is a better option for my skin. I will stock up when I run out.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Weleda - Everon lip balm
namm1gr1s 5/20/2006 5:46:00 AM
I have so many lip balms but this has been my HG waxy type of lip balm for almost 8 years. It's gentle, has a short ingredient list and smells lovely. I usually keep this in my bag in the summer because I don't have to worry about it melting. This one of my favorite lip balms. I hope they never discontinue or change the formula.
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Lip Treatments -Shu Uemura - Principe Lip Serum
namm1gr1s 5/20/2006 5:39:00 AM
I bought this at the Duty Free in Asia a long time ago. I put it away and forgot about it. Lately I've been wearing more lipsticks instead of lip glosses and I have found that this is the perfect base for lipstick. You only need a miniscule amount (grain of rice example is very appropriate-if you are using too much you will get that white cast) and you smooth it onto the lips and give it a bit of time to absorb and then apply your lipstick. I am obsessed with lip products and have tried many different types. This is HG for me as a lipstick base. If you are looking for a moisturizing lip balm or a lip treatment I would look elsewhere.
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