Cleansers -Nuance by Salma Hayek - Chamomile Facial Cream Cleanser
nightlydevil 7/21/2012 7:52:00 PM
I was really excited to try this after reading the rave reviews. Unfortunately, it does not work for me at all. First of all, I don't agree that it smells good. It smells very soapy, which is weird for a product that claims to be soap-free. It always feels warm on my face, which I'm not entirely sure is supposed to happen. And it doesn't really feel like it's cleaning my skin - it's like trying to wash your face with heavy moisturizer. Anyway, I tried to ignore all of that because everyone said it was so amazing, but after using it for a couple weeks now (without changing anything else in my routine), I have to conclude that it's definitely breaking me out. It might work for someone with really dry skin, but if you're acne-prone, stay away.
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Skincare - Body -Neutrogena - Body Clear Body Spray
nightlydevil 2/10/2012 9:02:00 PM
I bought this to get rid of some annoying bacne. I can see that it's working, and that's really all that matters to me. Yes, it smells awful at first and you have to hold your breath, but once the alcohol evaporates it's really not noticeable. Mostly what I like about this is that it's very low-maintenance - it takes me about 10 seconds to spray it on before I go to bed.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Dove - Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner 
nightlydevil 11/10/2011 2:33:00 PM
This has really become my HG conditioner, I don't get the same results from anything else. For some reason it's been hard to find in stores lately, so I've been ordering it online (it's absolutely worth it). What can I say? It smells great, is super moisturizing without making my hair limp, and definitely seems to add shine. Try it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - c. Booth - Tahitian Monoi Dry Oil Spray
nightlydevil 9/28/2011 9:43:00 PM
I have a problem with buying too many products, getting tired of them, and giving them away, but I think this may be one of the rare few I'm going to use up completely AND buy again. I don't know how to describe the scent. I know it's supposed to be a floral, but to me it smells like candy. Not in a dessert-y perfume way though, because there's no chemical smell at all and it doesn't dry down to become cloying like many do. It's just sweet and tropical. I'll get little whiffs of it throughout the day and I never get tired of it. It's not much of a moisturizer (I think you'd have to use a LOT for that purpose) but it's a great scent.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Fresh - Brown sugar body cream
nightlydevil 8/12/2010 3:00:00 PM
This is a "meh" for me. I didn't buy it, I got a sample from Sephora, so I can't really comment on the price in consideration of how long it lasts. The price is definitely high for lotion though, so I would only buy it if I absolutely loved the scent. I do not. Everyone's saying lemon Pledge, but it smells to me exactly like ginger - sort of a spicy citrus. I happen to hate the smell of ginger, but if that's something you like, give it a shot. The consistency is pretty nice, so I can't say it's a bad product, it's just not something I'd ever buy for myself.
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Treatments -Organix - Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum
nightlydevil 8/4/2010 1:14:00 PM
I am so in love with this. And like many things I love, I probably never would have tried it without MUA! So...thanks! First off, it smells so good, I think they should spray it in pastry shops to subliminally convince people to buy things. Not very coconutty, more of a vanilla sugar type of smell. It lingers in your hair only a tiny bit, you won't go around all day smelling like cupcakes. The bottle is stylish, simple, and compact. The pump is alright - I have this fear of it coming loose in transit, but that hasn't happened yet. I usually use about 2 pumps for my long hair. It's important not to overdo it, of course, or your hair will get greasy and stringy. I comb it through damp hair, starting at the ends and working up about halfway to the roots, then blow dry, and it makes a HUGE difference. No frizz, very minimal split ends/breakage, and my hair is really soft and shiny. Great price too (about $5-6) considering how long it would take you to go through the whole bottle. I'd say that used every day, it could last several months. Please, please, please don't discontinue this!
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Conditioner -Trader Joe's - Balanced Moisturizing Nourish Spa Conditioner
nightlydevil 5/28/2010 7:44:00 PM
EW! Who likes the smell of this stuff??? Maybe they've changed the formula since all those glowing reviews were written, but it smells AWFUL. It's like musty, old lady perfume that's been sitting in the sun for awhile. I never would have bought it if I'd smelled it first, but I was in a hurry to get home and I remembered reading good things about it. I'll probably give it away since I can't return it. That said, I still gave it 2 lippies for working decently and not being too expensive. It's pretty much your standard conditioner. I didn't find it too drying like some reviewers, and so far it doesn't seem to weigh my hair down either. My hair is pretty healthy and manageable anyways, so that's not saying much. In summary: smell before you buy.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lemon Juice
nightlydevil 5/17/2010 2:11:00 AM
Holy crap, this stuff WORKS. I am absolutely shocked. I NEVER would have dared to put pure lemon juice on my face if it wasn't for MUA! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed it before me! I have just about every skin problem imaginable - sunspots, freckles, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, oiliness, occasional flaky spots, bumps, blackheads, minor acne (taking Rx pills for that). Mostly I just try to cover it up evenly and hope for the best, but that sucks because the more makeup you wear the less natural your skin looks. Lemon juice has gone a long way towards helping me wear less makeup when I go out - and I've only been using it for a week or two now. I can't really explain the effect, just that it seems to give a light exfoliation while bleaching the spots and redness. It doesn't really whiten my skin too much - it just evens it out. It does itch and sting for a while after I put it on, and my face is pink for about 10-15 minutes. I don't know if this is a good idea for people with rosacea or true sensitive skin. Otherwise though, unless you're very even-toned already, I would seriously recommend trying this. ***UPDATE*** It's still working just fine, though the effects are a little less noticeable now that my skin tone is more even overall. I find it works best if I take some time off now and then, like using it one week and not the next, and stopping use if my face gets too dry (it seems to soak up oil really well) or if I've just done a glycolic peel. I always use fresh-squeezed lemon juice I keep in the fridge - haven't tried the bottled kind, so I don't know if it makes a difference. ***UPDATE*** I haven't used it for a few months now. Maybe I'll try it again if my skin starts to look a little uneven. I don't think this is something you need to use all the time, just in short bursts.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Plus White - 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel
nightlydevil 5/13/2010 10:37:00 PM
I just wanted to let everyone know that this stuff has been recalled...I'm not sure if there was a bad batch somewhere or if it's been discontinued altogether, but I tried to pick up a tube at Walgreens tonight, and they wouldn't let me buy it! The clerk said there was a recall notice on the computer system. Sorry this isn't really a review (I gave it a neutral rating since I haven't actually tried it), I just though I'd get the word out and maybe save someone a trip to the drugstore. I hope I'm wrong - please post if you have more information!
9 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - 30% Glycolic Acid Home Chemical Peel Kit
nightlydevil 4/18/2010 7:41:00 PM
I've been using this for only about 3 weeks now, so I'll have to come back and update if anything changes, but so far I'm extremely satisfied. It's really not too expensive considering how powerful the product is, especially when you compare it to cost of going to a salon or doctor for a peel. I got the 1 oz. size, and I've used maybe 1/8 so far - I would estimate there are about 20 uses in a 1 oz. kit. It came with a little bar of green tea soap, which I like (except for the soapy smell) - it's gentle and cleans thoroughly. My experience so far has been that it takes almost a week for my skin to completely recover and start really improving in appearance. The first few days after I do a peel, it looks worse than it did before - splotchy, dull, pale, oily in the morning, red spots very prominent - so I wouldn't recommend doing this less than a week before a big date or event of some kind. My skin tends to be oily anyways, so it doesn't get too flaky. After about 5 days, it starts looking better every day: my pores are much less noticeable; the texture of my skin is much smoother; redness is isolated to a few small, stubborn spots; and my skin looks bright and glowing. No breakouts yet (FYI, I'm also on Solodyn to prevent acne). I can't wait to see how this will continue to improve my skin.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Aveeno - Positively Ageless Lifting and Firming Night Cream
nightlydevil 4/18/2010 7:06:00 PM
Clearly, this is a "love it or hate it" sort of product. I hate it. I was excited to try it because of the many glowing reviews. I even bit the bullet after I saw the price - I think it cost me somewhere around $20, which is insanely high for a drugstore product. Unfortunately, it's too late for me to return it, but I'm glad to be able to share my experience on MUA. This is one of the worst products I've ever used, least of all because of the price. Where to begin? It has a very strong, perfume-y fragrance. For a natural product, it sure smells like chemicals to me. It stung my face every single time I used it. Like an idiot, I kept putting it on every day, thinking my skin would eventually get used to it, but no. It didn't moisturize at all - I still found patches of dry skin here and there, which is weird, because my skin is on the oily side. It didn't make me break out as terribly as some other reviewers, but I do think it left me with redness and an overall uneven tone. Oh yeah, and it's only available in jar form - the most unsanitary packaging ever. I'm not going to tell you not to buy it, because it's obviously worked for some. But please, if it stings or burns, stop using it right away - don't force it.
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Conditioner -Aussie - Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner
nightlydevil 4/16/2010 12:17:00 PM
I was so disappointed by this. There are only two things I really want a leave-in conditioner to do: make my hair smell nice, and make it easier to brush without breakage. Let's break it down for a minute: Smell: I have to admit I kind of like the smell, but I could see how plenty of people would hate it; it's kind of like sunscreen, a sweet coconut smell that is nostalgic but not at all sophisticated. Price: Not bad, I think I got it on sale for like $3 at CVS. Shine: It did seem to add a bit of shine to my hair, but not enough to counter its disadvantages. Conditioning/brush-ability: Awful. I have pretty healthy, straight hair, and I can usually run a comb through it with no problems - even when it's damp. The places where I sprayed this stuff became sort of sticky and matted together, so I could feel my hair snapping as I tried to brush through it. ACK. Total dealbreaker for me. It actually ruined my blowout. My hair would have been better with no product at all. Despite the price, I will be returning this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Aveeno - Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
nightlydevil 3/2/2010 9:55:00 PM
I bought this about a month ago, after reading a lot of rave reviews on other sites, because I was looking to venture into the world of tinted moisturizers. Though I'm disappointed with it overall, I think it might work better for others. CONS: I'm surprised to see that a lot of people found the color too light; I use the Fair-to-Light shade myself and it's actually a bit dark and orange-y for my skin, which is fair with pink undertones. So that's one downside - only two color options. Because it's too dark for my skin, it ends up looking kind of streaky and does not blend in well along the edge of my face. I tried applying it with a sponge instead of my fingers, but it was completely absorbed by the sponge; there was no color on my face. As others have mentioned, it does have shimmer, which messes up the matte finish and leaves me looking greasy (my skin is already on the oily side to begin with). Any dry, flaky skin is emphasized by this stuff, so exfoliate first and use another moisturizer. Also, the smell is too strong and makeup-like for my taste. PROS: SPF 30, of course. It hasn't yet made me break out. Supposedly the formula evens out skin tone - I'm not sure if that's true or not, I can't see much of a difference, but it does prevent sun damage. It comes off quickly and easily with water (although I suppose that could be a big con if you get caught in a downpour). It feels pretty light, not like liquid foundation. I feel pretty comfortable applying it and not worrying about clogging my pores. I may try this again in the summer when my skin is a little darker to see if it matches my skin tone better, but the shine factor will probably be even worse then. There's one thing it is great for - highlighting/evening out my neck and chest area - and I might keep buying it just for that reason. I might recommend this for someone with normal/dry, light-to-medium skin with yellow undertones. I'm going to keep looking for something that matches my skin tone better.
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Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Primer
nightlydevil 11/23/2009 2:02:00 PM
It took me a long time to figure out that my skin is allergic to silicone/dimethicone, because I love the way this stuff feels on my skin; it also helps my makeup go on smooth and last all day. It is more effective than any other primer I've tried, but it's not worth the redness and breakouts. I'll be sticking with Korres' all-natural version from now on (Smashbox also makes an oil-free primer, but Korres is just as good and a bit cheaper). Do yourself a favor and try this before investing any money, especially if you have sensitive and/or acne-prone skin. You can probably get a sample at any Sephora store; if not, they make a travel size that's half the price. If it doesn't make you break out...lucky you!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Michael Kors - Michael
nightlydevil 7/19/2003 9:09:00 PM
This is one of my all-time favorites. It's really floral and creamy, as others have mentioned. It's also pretty strong. My advice to you is this - if you like the smell but you're put off by how strong it is, get the leg shine instead of the eau de parfum (there's also a leg shine to go for $10 at Sephora). It doesn't really do much in the way of leg-shining, but it's a great solid perfume. It's way easier to control how much you're applying because the scent is dialed down a lot.
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