Treatments -Aphogee - Two-Step Protein Treatment (formerly Treatment for Damaged Hair)
nualab67 4/16/2012 11:47:00 PM
Let's be clear. There is nothing as good as this. Nothing. No protein re-structuring product has the force of this one. Not Redken Extreme, nor Paul Mitchel, Nor Nexuus - nor the list of other high end mega potions. This one is cheap, and weird to use - but it is PROFESSIONAL quality. So not made to lure the over-the-counter lovely packaging, nice smell crew. To use: shampoo hair. Towel dry. Distribute loads through all your hair (be warned it is sticky and slimy and odd smelling). Then pile your hair on top of your head and settle down for a long session with the hairdryer. I have a hood dryer so that it is easy. But either way, loads of heat for a long time. This stuff sets rock hard. Solid. Then keep applying the heat. Reckon on minimum 1/2 up to one whole hour. It's the heat that catalyzes the protein to form new "hair" and replace the old, treated apology for hair I had before. Then gently moisten all the hair - which is now set rock solid - SO DO NOT USE THE HEAT WITH THE HAIR LYING DOWN YOUR BACK IF YOU ARE GOING TO HANG YOUR HEAD OVER THE BATH AFTERWARDS. Moisten thoroughly until the hair begins to soften. Then rinse it all out. Finish with a conditioner - yes, this is not a conditioner in the sense of all those things you buy that add moisture, silicones and softness. So you need to finish with your regular conditioner. That's it. Oh yeh - and say welcome back to hair that is like real, live, lovely hair. The sort of stuff you had before you bleached it, bombed it, fried it, pulled it. dehydrated it, curled it and stripped it of all meaningful life. I repeat, nothing else on this planet is as good at this stuff for reviving dead ex-hair and returning it to its living state. Happy revival.
19 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Unlisted Brand - Lilash - Purified Eyelash Stimulator
nualab67 4/1/2009 10:32:00 PM
Amazing. Brilliant. Here I am, a relatively old doll, with the eyelashes of a five year old bambi! After one month there was considerable difference. After three months (and a home eyelash dye kit) my eyelashes are FABULOUS. I do ocassionally add a lash conditioner to thicken them, and sometimes curl. But even without all this, they are long and hugely thick! I apply once a day about 5 days out of seven. And I use a home eyelash dye kit (aabout $10 on Ebay) because it means my lashes are a) dark and b) the dying thickens them a little bit further. Lilash is might expensive. I buy it for around $100 on Ebay. But Oh My Gosh - this stuff works. And with careful use it will last over six months. I had previously given 5 stars to Jan Marini lash conditioner. But I will be downgrading that to 4 stars. This stuff - on my lashes at least - is way more effective. And no sting ever. ps. very useful also for filling in any sparse areas of the eyebrow.
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Eyes -Jan Marini - Age Intervention EyeLash
nualab67 12/14/2008 8:24:00 PM
Just like everyone says - this stuff really works. I bought a tube for $99 on Ebay. About six months ago. It is still going because I don't use it daily - maybe 3 x per week. Only on the top lashes. And on the outside edge of my eyebrows which were thinning (getting to that age now!!!). So now I have the eyelashes of bambi and the eyebrows of Madonna in the 1980s! I use this stuff 3x a week, and dye my lashes dark brown with a home kit about once every six weeks. Hola! Hola! Just gorgeous. Don't bother with mascara at all except if getting really dolled up for a night out. And ocassionally curl my lashes. The combination of this great stuff (expensive but worth it) and the tinting means i'm all done and gorgeous on the eyelash front before I even get out of bed in the mornings. Rare to find something that works this well. Will re-purchase. I reckon one tube lasts about 9 months with careful use. And the eyelash tint kit (a professional version off Ebay) was $20 and will last *forever*. So that is about $130 a year for fantastic lashes. Cheap at the price! Update: One year on and I have discoverd Lilash. The Lilash was defintely a superior product for me. Lashes VERY much thicker. So I am downgrading the Jan Marini to 4 stars and recommend you buy the Lilash instead.
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Skincare - Face -Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair Concentrate
nualab67 9/10/2008 9:19:00 PM
A bit of an HG for me. I am in my early forties and keep coming back to this product despite the price. If you look for it on Ebay it is one of the few products that barely sells at a discount at all. A little bit maybe - but essentially it remains so hugely popular after all these years that everyone wants it. It makes my skin glow and soft and radiant! I wear a little bit every night under a light coating of some expensive night cream or other (pick up whatever Chanel, or Lauder or Shiseido is a bargain on Ebay). Sometimes I have wondered if it is the night cream that is doing the job. Or maybe one of my other treatments (Retin-A or copper peptides). So I discontinue for a while. But within a week or two my skin just looks worse. A bit rougher. A bit less glow. So I end coming back to it. I know it has a reputation for being super calming and healing. I cannot say for sure. But I do know that use a number of treatments which others say are too aggressive for their skin (Retin-a at highest strength, Skinbiology copper at highest strength, scrubs with marble grains) and I have never had a problem with inflammation or peeling etc. So I would guess that this Lauder product is the magic that gives my skin the calm and strength it needs. It does not have an especially nice texture or smell. No smell at all really. It is a rather unassuming, boring serum, grey colored and goes on with no fan fare and seems to dissear like water in a minute or two. But, after several years of trying life with it and then trying life without it, it seems likely that this stuff really does have something magic about it. An essential part of a rather complex regime which makes all the other parts work well together. And in the end you can't argue with the Ebay price - that's a open market place which tells you the real worth of something to the young and not so young ladies out there. And by that reckoning, this is something a bit special.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair (Serum)
nualab67 9/10/2008 9:18:00 PM
A bit of an HG for me. I am in my early forties and keep coming back to this product despite the price. If you look for it on Ebay it is one of the few products that barely sells at a discount at all. A little bit maybe - but essentially it remains so hugely popular after all these years that everyone wants it. It makes my skin glow and soft and radiant! I wear a little bit every night under a light coating of some expensive night cream or other (pick up whatever Chanel, or Lauder or Shiseido is a bargain on Ebay). Sometimes I have wondered if it is the night cream that is doing the job. Or maybe one of my other treatments (Retin-A or copper peptides). So I discontinue for a while. But within a week or two my skin just looks worse. A bit rougher. A bit less glow. So I end coming back to it. I know it has a reputation for being super calming and healing. I cannot say for sure. But I do know that use a number of treatments which others say are too aggressive for their skin (Retin-a at highest strength, Skinbiology copper at highest strength, scrubs with marble grains) and I have never had a problem with inflammation or peeling etc. So I would guess that this Lauder product is the magic that gives my skin the calm and strength it needs. It does not have an especially nice texture or smell. No smell at all really. It is a rather unassuming, boring serum, grey colored and goes on with no fan fare and seems to dissear like water in a minute or two. But, after several years of trying life with it and then trying life without it, it seems likely that this stuff really does have something magic about it. An essential part of a rather complex regime which makes all the other parts work well together. And in the end you can't argue with the Ebay price - that's a open market place which tells you the real worth of something to the young and not so young ladies out there. And by that reckoning, this is something a bit special.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Goldwell - Kerasilk Conditioning Treatment
nualab67 7/13/2007 9:42:00 PM
Amazing Stuff. I buy the large, salon bottles from the salon supply stores and have been doing so for nearly 20 years! Yes, ladies, 20 years. Which gives you too much of clue as to my age. It is a superb condtioner. Absolutely does what it says on the bottle.- turns my color treated, ultra dry hair in to SILK. If you use a lot then it will weigh hair down. But there is no way on God's earth that something could be as moisturising and silkening as this stuff and NOT have the consequence of some weighing down. Just go real easy on the quantity and you'll be fine. For nearly two decades this has been my HG conditioner. Heavenly scent, a tiny amount goes a long way, leaves hair INSTANTLY detangled, silky baby soft. If you want a treatment (not a condtioner - they are not the same thing as a treatment *changes* the nature of you hair deep down but will not necessarily give instant cosmetic results, where as a condtioner will give you all the razzle dazzle for a night) then Paul Mitchel's Hair Treatment is the best. See my review on how this works from the inside out. Goldwell Kerasilk, my HG *conditioner*. Paul Mitchel Hair Treatment my HG *treatment*. Alternating these makes me a very happy bunny indeed. Oh, and a long haired one at that. Hop. Hop. Hop.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Paul Mitchell - Hair Repair Treatment
nualab67 7/13/2007 9:14:00 PM
This stuff is Hair In a Bottle. My hair is frizzy to start with. Add to that, its chemically treated to within an inch of its life. So a conditioner is a must if it is to look half decent after a wash and blow dry. Really, I am trying to say, I have *problem* hair. My favourite conditioner up until now was Goldwell Biosilk, that I could only buy in hair salon supply shops. This did exactly what we are always asking of our conditioners. It smells devine, a small amount goes a long way, it is an instant de-tangling, ultra softening, baby smoothing formula. The only word which can apply, is that it is super silkening. So why would I look elsewhere? Because, this stuff conditioned superbly, but it did not TREAT the issue. Once it was washed off, I was usually back to square one. To put this in proportion, if my hair is usually a 0/10 - frizzy, friable, dull, distressed nightmare - then the real change, deep down, that this made to my hair was maybe a 4/10. But the Paul Mitchel, Hair Repair Treatment? This stuff is a miracle. It DOES NOT condition. It does not make your hair all luuuurvely, and silkly and soft. It does not even smell especially wonderful. BUT, after a few washes of using it (towel dried hair, leave on for 3-5 minutes), MY HAIR IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. Now my hair is an 8/10. It is more like real hair. Like hair that other people have. Like hair that is not chemically treated at all. And if I skip it for a few washes then the effects still last. The magic, miracle proteins in this stuff somehow rebuild hair from the inside. I still need some serum after washing. But my hair now has a new lease of life. So great is this stuff, that the long hair I had always dreamed of - but which split ends and ultra frizzing would not allow - is becoming my reality. Do not buy this if you want a "conditioner". Or if your hair is not in a parlous state. But DO buy this if you want a TREATMENT, and HAIR RESTORATIVE that will re-build your damaged, distressed hair week by week. Hair in a Bottle. Now I'm off to be a Rapunzel.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Fusion Beauty - LipFusion Lip Plumping Gloss
nualab67 6/27/2007 1:58:00 PM
OK. Let's be clear. I have tiny, ickle, wickle, little lips. Every keen to find something where Father Chemistry can help out Mother Nature, I experimented a while with lip plumping glosses. Most burned. Most did nothing. So good old MUA to the rescue, I see a few reviews for LipFusion which intrigue me and I buy. I bought the colored gloss in Sweet. This is a very delicated pale pink color with a hint of orange underneath. In all honesty there is not much color - just a gentle, pretty lightening of the lips. I have noticed that when I am tanned, my lips appear to be a little paler (in contrast to my skin, I guess) and have a soft pale peachy/pink tone to them naturally. This absolutely enhances that look - tan or no tan. Experiences: REALLY nice to use. Not sticky just ultra, ultra moisturising. Very nice smell, consistency and packaging. And this stuff lasts pretty well for a gloss. So the price is high, but for gloss factor alone it is a winner. Regime. I use the colored gloss about three times in an average day. My tube of Sweet has lasted me about nine months. Every night I put on a thick slick of the XL clear booster version (comes in the big silver tube. ) I do this pretty much every day for the past 6 - 9 months. Plumping Results: Well, there are some. It is not overwhelming, but remember I have naturally really small lips. Top lip especially. But I'm no fool. I would not go on using this stuff if it didn't do something. And I would say that a) there are small results immediately - a couple of millimeters. And b) over time my lips are a little improved all round. Not magic. But definite gentle effect. Overally Results: My lips are sooooooooooo soft. Brilliant all winter. Gorgeous all summer. Even regardless of the plummping effect, this gloss is such a pleasure to use and is so outstandingly good for the condition of my lips (all that collagen, I guess) that I would use it for that alone. I don't shout about it from the roof tops. But I have just re-purchased (good bargains on Ebay). And keep several in my handbag, on the little shelf by the front door (for last minute top ups) and by my bathroom sink for last thing at night. I'm 40 now (shhhhhhh! don't tell anyone) and need all the help I can get. This is a definite keep which makes me look and feel pretty and 18 again!
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -The Body Shop - Brow and Lash Gel
nualab67 5/14/2007 8:34:00 PM
Why does anyone buy this or recommend it? Bought it on the basis of a rave review in a magazine (by the editor, so no doubt a vested interest). Was looking for something to make my lashes thicker and, above all, glossier when I wasn't wearing mascara. I have dark lashes and almost never wear mascara. This stuff was useless. No, it was worse than useless. If it had just done nothing, then it would have been useless. In fact it promptly unculed my curled lashes and left them limp. No thickening. Absolutely no gloss. No nothing. Just a good lash straighener! Total rubbish. I'm quite cross about it. Save your money. (Tip. Maybe it is obvious, but a quick dab of clear lip gloss does exactly what I want for my lashes. I curl them - shiseido curler is great - then a tiny amount of clear lip gloss. Beautiful lashes. Cheap and easy)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Yves Saint Laurent - Touche Eclat No 1
nualab67 8/18/2006 9:57:00 PM
I give this product five stars, but somewhat reluctantly. Yet the fact is that for the past few years I have re-puchased over and over. And given that it is so expensive it must be doing something right. It has only very light coverage, but it does reflect in some mysterious way that is hard to understand. I mean that it does really make my under eye look better. If you are looking for a concealer with good coverage this is not for you. If you are looking for a beautiful, light, natural lifted look around the eye or other areas (eg lip to mouth lines or around top lip to enhance cupid's bow) then this stuff is great. I am now 40 and do not like to wear foundation. I love having great skin and getting a natural look. If someone is up close to me, I don't want them to see make-up - just me. And along with great skin care, good quality self tan, a fantastic blusher (Origins pinch your cheeks) this is always what I use. It enhances rather than hides. I have pretty dark circles some mornings and so I use something a bit more heavy duty underneath (eg dior skinflash), but this always goes on on top. It just has "it". A lovely light texture that never shows up on your skin, and a very subtle enhancing lightening quality. Altogether a quality product for looking beautiful and radiant without heaviness. But the price is awful for the amount you get. And the coverage could be a bit better. I always use no.1 the lightest shade. I have light to medium yellow based skin and this works well on me. Although it looks so light ( and slightly pink) on the brush, it does actually blend so well that I should think no.1 would be right for most caucasian skins.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Talika - Lipocils
nualab67 11/8/2005 10:02:00 PM
Wow! Bought this based on some reviews here which claimed this actually worked. I wasn't very hopeful, actually, because I have quite thick lashes already and imagined that it would only have effect on sparse or short lashes. But because I don't like to wear mascara if possible - labour saving and in general if I can enhance nature rather than cover it up then all the better - I thought I would give this a go. Used my usual testing technique: One eye only and for several months at least. I am always suspicious of any claims made based on application of both sides of the face as it is very hard to remember acurately what the situation was like before the product was used. And I always like to test over a long period of time as I know that everything fluctuates over time and if I used, say, a skin cream at a time of month when my skin was usually better, I might be misled by the results. So, one eyelash only and for three months. Oh, and I only applied it at night as I don't have time in the mornings. A really thorough test, in other words. And the RESULTS: Outstanding! My already quite thick lashes are certainly thicker on the eye being tested. There are more lashes in number and those which there are are thicker and longer. Really. I only applied to the top lid but will now be testing out the bottom lid too. Once I know what works there, I will be re-purchasing and applying to both eyelids. I guess that in two months or so they will be equally full and thick and then I will try using only every second night. It is not outrageously expensive - and worth it considering it does a really effective job - but always worth saving a bit of money and effort. Now, most days I just curl my thick, dark, long lashes and voila! No mascara will be needed. Good stuff. Can't vouch it works for everyone, but it certainly did for me. UPDATE After some time this stopped working. Worse than that, it did not do the same for the second eye as the first. Really not sure this is very good. Have stopped using it.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Dry Fast Top Coat
nualab67 9/8/2005 11:39:00 PM
Please believe me, absolutely the worst nail varnish or top coat I have EVER EVER EVER bought. I realise I am in the minority here. Based on MUA reviews I spent a lot of money purchasing the base coat and top coat and paying for shipping from the US to the United Kingdom. But its so awful I cannot find words for it. This stuff doesn't just chip and flake the way most nailvarnish is prone to. It peels right off. In just a few hours. And it leaves any colored nail varnish applied underneath damaged and matt. I've tried it every conceivable way. On clean nails of course. Allowing all the coats of varnish and color to dry properly. Being careful the first 12 hours. And still it is beyond awful. I feel bad giving something a 1 * review because I know it is so extreme. I have never been driven to it before with any product. But this stuff is easily the worst nailvarnish I have ever used. And the base coat is equally awful (nice pale white color but utterly fragile and no good even for toenails). My advice is SAVE YOUR MONEY. Sorry.
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Blush -Origins - Pinch Your Cheeks
nualab67 9/4/2005 8:12:00 PM
I cannot live without this stuff. Its too expensive for what it is - the tube is tiny. But its amazing. I like the original color - a realy winter flushed, snow bitten, blue based red. It comes out of the tube a deep, deep wine color but blends into the skin like you really are flushing from the inside. There isn't the least hint that the color is sittin "on" the skin the way it always looks with powder blush or often with cream. This really is a tint. A true tint. I cleanse my face in the morning and then apply some moisturiser. Then I begin to work magic with this little baby. Careful dotting on the cheeks - especially the apples - a little on the nose and forhead. Then I might build up the color a little on my cheeks. Let me say I am super super without any flushed cheed color at all. And I really look bad without blusher. Blush is the one thing I would take to my desert island. Seriously, if I could only take two things from my burning house it would be a credit card and this stuff. That's how badly I need blush. I have yellow undertones to my skin and you who share this problem will know how without blush one can tend to look a bit ill. I know the product has limitations. 1) it takes a bit of practice to apply and get the full depth of color. 2)it is overpriced. But, I apply it in the morning - look utterly natural and gorgeous all day! (thanks to the fact this stuff really "sinks in" and becomes part of the skin and it is there at the end of the day until I take it off with cleanser. And so its worth the $11 price. And a bit of practicing. Becasue the two things I really really really want in a blush it has better than anything else I have ever tried (and my friends, I have tried them all): utterly gorgeous natural looking color that lasts for 18 hours. If you're pale or yellow undertones to skin I recommend this very very highly.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -Au Courant - Instant SunlessTanning Mousse
nualab67 9/1/2005 8:15:00 PM
My Holy Grail of self tanners. I am fair skinned and pretty much never tan in the sun, so some form of self tan is essential in the summer months if I want to wear nice skirts, dresses, shorts and little tops. And in the winter months I like to keep a bit of healthy color on my face and hands as I do really become deathly pale without. Au Courant is perfect. What I look for is something which has all of the following: No Smell. Easy to apply. Streak Free tan. Even Fading. And Convincing Color. Any product which does not fulfill all of these is useless to me. The smell thing is really important as most self tanners are either stinky with the self-tan chemical or perfumed to high heaven (St Tropez amongst the worst). This lovely light mouse is real easy to apply - I use a large synthetic sponge (one in each hand) with a few blobs of mousse on each sponge and do all of my legs and torso, neck and back and then each arm. I only use my fingertips for the face and so there's no need to scrub hands afterwards. The mouse has a strong but natural color guide so you can see exactly where you have and haven't applied (essential). This color guide also means you have INSTANT tan while the underlying color develops. No need to apply a thick coat. Just a thin even coat will do the trick. Because it is easy to apply evenly, and because of the nature of the mousse, when the tan develops it is very even. When the color fades it is also even without strange white patches and scaley patches (ugh!) that so many others are prone to. And of course the color. Now lets be clear. It is not deep. In part, I am very pale and almost no self tan could be a deep color on me because the base is so pale. The end result after one application is light. After two it is medium. The outcome is delghtfully healthy and sunkissed but never as though you've been on a Carribean beach for a fortnight. But it is ultra flatering and ultra convincing. Sunkissed and golden and relatively gentle. One world of advice. It is ESSENTIAL - and I mean ESSENTIAL - that you exfoliate very very thoroughly prior to application. Without this, NO SELF TAN WILL EVER LOOK GOOD AND ALL WILL FADE BADLY. I use a kind of nylon loofah sponge all over every inch of by body with lots of soap. On my face I use a marble grained scrub. Then dry off roughly and then apply the Au Courant Mousse. Allow about 5 minutes to air dry - but this is not essential. The next morning I reapply a second layer and get dressed a few minutes later. Ladies, (and any gents interested) I put on my nice summer skirts and little tops and step out in to the world in confidence. Sometimes I top up again the next evening or morning. But essentially, I scrub/exfoliate every inch of me every three days and apply the double coat 6-8 hours apart. And that is how I feel really good in the summer. Two more plus points about Au Courant (as well as good smell, easy application, good instant color, good fade and good natural tan) is that 1) it is super skin conditioning. With loads of Aloe Vera I don't usually need any extra body lotions etc. 2) The color guide will gub off on light colored clothes - especially where they are tight like bras. And of course of white sheets. But it washes out really easily, even on a cool or short wash. So no worries at all. Bear in mind no self tan works without meticulous preparation = exfoliation and shaving etc. And all will take a bit of practice (eg have a damp flannel ready to wipe of areas such as heels and knees and elbows where color can be excessive). But with preparation and practice I guarantee that this is the best Self Tan that money can buy. Its not cheap. But it does about 12 -14 full body applications and frankly, if I buy something cheap which is a pain to use, or stinks all day, I know I'll never make good use of it so what's the point. And then I'd just end up spending the summer hiding in my jeans and long sleeve sweaters like I do all winter. May you all be sunkissed and sweet smelling.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Shiseido - Eyelash Curler
nualab67 3/29/2005 8:26:00 PM
Outstanding. For years I have been using a drug store brand curler and did the usual routine of standing in front of the mirror for a few minutes each morning waiting for some effect only to find it had worn off by the end of the day. Was even considering eyelash perming. Then this little wonder. It looks Low Tech but works like a dream. The rubber bit is convex not concave (sticks out a lot) and the metal clamp fits very well. I don't really know why it is so extraordinary but it really is. I clamp at the base for 10 seconds or less and get huge curl that lasts all day. If I only use a gently eyemakeup remover to cleanse my eyes in the evening then the curl is often still there in the morning. Ultra simple. Ultra effective. Wave goodbye to the thought of eyelash perming and buy this little baby (I got one for $7 off Ebay brand new) with confidence.
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