Gels/Soaps -Burt's Bees - Naturally Nourishing Milk & Shea Butter Body Wash
nzf 10/23/2008 11:34:00 PM
I really, really love the smell of this. Sometimes I just take a deep whiff of it and feel happy. I'm not sure why, because it's not your traditional creamy, yummy, or perfume-y scent. It's really just its own thing. It doesn't last after you shower, which I guess is nice for other people, bad for me as I love the smell so darn much. It never dries my skin out, either. I feel good using a wash that is so chemical-free. I can see how some people might not feel clean afterwards...but if you scrub with your washcloth, that shouldn't be any issue! There isn't really any lather, but that's because of the ingredient composition. It's a bit pricey for how little you get, how much it takes to shower with, and how long the bottle lasts. But I love that smell...
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24/7 Liquid Liner in Perversion
nzf 10/23/2008 11:30:00 PM
This is a very good liner...I think Perversion (solid black?) is the one I have. It definitely lasts all day, even on my oily nasty eyelids, through ten and twelve hour days at work and school. It really doesn't budge unless you go up there and rub at it. The color is a very true black, I guess it dries somewhat shiny but I never put on such a thick layer that you can see it being shiny (I would probably prefer a matte finish, but it's no problem). The one con I can really think of is the bottle, and with liquid liners where application is the trickiest part, bottle and brush are a pretty big deal. The brush itself doesn't really have any taper to it; it's just a small thin brush that can easily have too much product on it. So I wipe some of it off along the edges of the pot (which seems to waste a lot of the already scant amount in there), but then the brush doesn't have enough product to let me draw a smooth line. I think more of a tapered paintbrush would fare better. Otherwise, the formula is just right, and it's pricey but I would buy it again.
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Lip Gloss -Revlon - Beyond Natural Cream Lipgloss, all colors [DISCONTINUED]
nzf 10/23/2008 11:24:00 PM
Like many other lip glosses this one made my lips crack up a little (but not as much as other products), and then the color would deposit under the cracks and bunch up. Aside from that, this is a pretty OK gloss. The flavor is a nice butterscotch that fades after a few minutes. The color is pretty sheer but on people with naturally light lips it would probably look very nice (not on my ugly pigmented lips, though). I guess it's a "cream" lipgloss because it looks kind of opaque in the tube, but still applies sheer. I wish it had worked for me, but otherwise a pretty decent product.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Fresh Brew
nzf 10/23/2008 11:21:00 PM
I bought this on a whim (desperately looking for something that would hide my ugly pigmented lips but not look too much like lipstick) and it really didn't work on me. I think on Asians and darker-skinned/olive-skinned people in general, Fresh Brew really doesn't work. It does look greyish and corpse-like. I'm not giving it 3 stars for the color, though. It applies ok, moisturizes somewhat decently. But the color hardly lasts and if you want to really cover your lips you'd need several coats. It also makes my lips crack a little, and then the color would clump up under the cracks. Very unattractive...make sure your lipstick isn't doing that. I'm not really sure who this would look good on, but some people are raving about it, so definitely try at a MAC counter before you blindly buy it online, like I did.
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Lip Gloss -Neutrogena - MoistureShine Lip Soother Cooling Hydragel SPF20
nzf 10/23/2008 11:15:00 PM
This is a pretty awful lip gloss. I expected better with Neutrogena. At first I thought...nice flavor, smooth texture, also has SPF! But somehow, either the consistency started to change, or my lips just had a really bad reaction to it. After using it exclusively for about a week my lips began to crust up and flake and peel something awful. It didn't hurt, but it was just really ugly and the more I used this gloss the more they crusted up, and the gloss would just cake underneath the flakes and then wear off after about three minutes. I think, like some people also mentioned, the sunscreen must have separated from the rest of the formula or something because instead of thicker gloss coming out of the tube, only some oily film would come out and crust up my lips again for three minutes. There's obviously no way to mix it, either. The color isn't noticeable, but I have ugly pigmented lips, so nothing shows up on them anyway. Anyways, after switching to Clinique's Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss, my cracked lips have repaired (within the first two applications) and they are smooth as ever! I highly recommend that instead. Considering how much more you get it's probably about the same price, except it's a better product along similar gloss-balm lines. Just no SPF. I gave this one to my little sisters.
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Lip Gloss -Clinique - Superbalm Moisturizing Glosses
nzf 10/23/2008 11:10:00 PM
This is the best gloss ever EVER. Many glosses have the same problems: they make my lips crack up and shrivel, they don't last for very long, they're too sticky, they're too thin, they're not moisturizing...but not this. These glosses are really moisturizing--they don't feel as waxy as a balm, they don't feel as slimy or sticky as a gloss. They're JUST RIGHT. I was using Neutrogena's Lip Soothers before and they tasted nice (plus SPF) but always made my lips crack up something awful. Then when I reapplied it would cake up underneath the cracks. Right when I switched to Clinique my crusty lips smoothed down! Some people complained about there not being enough color which I can probably see as true. I have pigmented lips so the color doesn't show at all (mango), but on a light-skinned person it would probably give you a lightly noticeable boost of color that would look really nice. I've given up on the ugly natural color of my lips, though. I just like this gloss-balm for its other benefits. Lasting power is not superb, but the moisturizing really makes up for it. I don't mind reapplying either.
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Toners -Alba Botanica - Sea Kelp Facial Toner
nzf 10/19/2008 1:44:00 PM
This is a horrible waste of money. It doesn't remove any dirt or oil or sludge from your face because it's like dousing a cotton ball in water and smearing it around--that's literally how effective it is for removing grime. You're paying $10 for a bottle of WATER. And because it's just a bottle of water, all that sludge is still gunking up your pores and making you break out (I've used this for about a month and a half now). The other toners I've used before were amazing at getting dirt off my face because I could see how dirty the cotton ball was after using it (Proactiv and Neutrogena's Pore Refining), and I know how dirty it gets because I am out in the day for many dirty, sweaty hours, often outdoors. This does absolutely nothing for your face, which is why scores of reviewers have reported it as NOT breaking them out: you wouldn't break out if you rubbed water on your face. One person reported it as having broken her out, most likely for the exact reasons above (that it doesn't remove anything from your skin). Alcohol might be drying in a toner but that's what we have moisturizer for. I'd rather dry out and thoroughly clean my face than break out everywhere. I'm returning this junk.
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Lotions/ Creams -Neutrogena - Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
nzf 10/14/2008 2:28:00 AM
This is a miracle product...I recently started working at an animal hospital, which means vigorous hand-washing every few minutes for ten hours at a time. I normally already have super-cracked dry winter skin too. This stuff is AMAZING. You only need a tiny bit rubbed all around and all those disgusting white cracks disappear and your skin is super soft. It's surprisingly very non-greasy (I was expecting it to be), sinks in nicely. As some people have complained that it's kind of tough to spread around, I find it's best to apply a little dab right after hand washing when your hands are slightly damp. Keeps them smooth forever until you wash your hands vigorously (then you need a little more). I think the smell is something that might grow on you, but if it's bothersome, there is a fragrance-free version. I'd describe it as kind of a...unisex smell, something that might remind a kid of getting tucked in at night and his parents have the cream on their hands. Well, that's kind of a stretch. But it's not a horrible smell.
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Lip Gloss -L'Oreal - Bare Naturale Gentle Lip Conditioner
nzf 10/1/2008 7:35:00 PM
This is a pretty boring lip gloss (although "lip conditioner" is a good advertising ploy, and keeps well in line with the whole "natural" thing). It doesn't matter what color you buy because the color doesn't show up at all...it really is just a clear gloss, maybe with a light hint of shimmer or something. Don't be fooled for a second by the Penelope Cruz ads where she has these gorgeous soft lips...she's wearing some kind of lipstick/liner underneath. The gloss looks decent when it's on, not overly shiny, but it really is no better than far cheaper glosses. The packaging is a HUGE pain, though. You have to sit there watching the little plastic tip while you twist the tube, and if you get impatient and twist too much, an overload of gloss just comes shooting out, and you can't do anything with it, so it ends up getting sticky and gunky once you close the cap on it. If you try to be careful and don't twist enough, nothing will come out. So, imagine trying to apply this quickly in class or a dark movie theater or something. Plus, the price is outrageous for how unremarkable of a product this is. Don't waste your time...
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Vincent Longo - Lip and Cheek Gel Stain
nzf 8/28/2008 10:58:00 PM
This is my favorite makeup product IN THE UNIVERSE. I originally bought it for use as a lip stain but once I tried it on my cheeks that's really what I've been using it for (I've decided that lip colors just don't look good on me, period). I know it's called a gel stain but it's of liquid consistency. Just dab a little on with the wand and blend quickly, then add more for very layerable color. The shades are very forgiving in the sense that they will basically all give you a nice flush, especially if you are medium/darker-skinned like me, but if you are buying this product in-store I would recommend printing out a swatch or something beforehand just so you know for certain what hue you are getting because they can look confusingly similar. I find it blends far more easily on a moisturized face and is very controllable in terms of where you want it, and it blends perfectly into surrounding skin and looks completely natural and wonderful. For a lip stain it gives you a good dose of very matte color as well, and this is where I would especially recommend bringing in a swatch with you to the store, because the hue shows up much more obviously on lips than cheeks. Staying power on the cheeks is wonderful, even after 10+ sweaty hours cleaning and working with animals it's still on me! So long as you don't rub it around constantly it will definitely stay put. On lips of course it has a tendency to fade somewhat quickly with both your mouth moisture and the things we inevitably eat during the day. It's a bit pricey, but I love it to death. Plus it's cruelty free!!!! VERY worth it, you'll never go back to another blush (especially not a powder).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Origins - A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer
nzf 8/28/2008 10:45:00 PM
I'm really surprised at the poor reviews this has gotten...I'm using it now for both day and night PLUS other products simultaneously and it hasn't given me a single pimple to date (you're talking about someone whose high school nickname had the word "pimples" in it). In terms of weight it feels light to medium-light, may take a while to sink in but it definitely does. It has this wonderful, yummy, very light key lime pie-ish scent that fades quite quickly. Best of all it has really improved my skin tone and texture. I had scars and bumps three years after my horrible high school acne issues and using this stuff day and night really diminished both the spotting and the roughness of the bumps from scars. During the day I use it with a separate sunscreen and I still don't get overwhelmingly greasy, plus I find it always fades the redness around my nose and mouth that I always have when I wake up...and I don't wear makeup. At night I have started to use it with a night treatment cream. But before, it was just the moisturizer alone, and I got great results. I think you guys are breaking out because you haven't cleaned your face well enough before applying...that's all I can think of. Try a toner beforehand--if the cotton ball is brown when you're done, it's your fault, not this product's. It also doesn't "get rid of wrinkles or do other stuff" (like someone complained) because it's not an anti-wrinkle cream. It does, however, have a lot of great essential and natural ingredients. Also, this stuff is cruelty-free! YES!!! What's not to love?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Maybelline - Great Wear Budgeproof Eyeliner
nzf 7/29/2008 3:47:00 AM
On my oily eyelids and deep-set eyes, this product didn't stand a chance. I'm constantly using up tons of different eyeliners...each one has a day in my greasy life to prove itself worthy. This one didn't. After a few hours it was all over the place and I looked like a mess. I shouldn't have wasted the money, but its "budge-proof" claims reeled me in. I paid the price for being a sucker.
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Moisturizers -Aveeno - Positively Ageless Night Cream
nzf 7/29/2008 3:42:00 AM
This stuff is pretty good at moisturizing. It didn't make me break out or itch or anything, but my mom got the Lifting and Firming version and that one made my face burn. So it's definitely gentler, though possibly less effective if you are looking to...lift and firm. Anyway, it has a nice pleasant scent, applies smoothly, moisturizes very well. I think this was the first night moisturizer I started using after I realized that, now in my 20s, I'd inevitably start seeing aging signs faster than I'd like. It did significantly improve my skin texture for the few months that I used it, and a little jar does last a long time (plus is a relatively cheap price for night creams, at least in my world). The only reason I wouldn't buy it again is because I am always on the lookout for that perfect cream that improves my skintone and preserves my 20-year-old self forever (I'm currently using Origins' A Perfect World). But this is really a very good cream for night moisture.
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Eyeliner -Revlon - Colorstay Eyeliner
nzf 7/29/2008 3:34:00 AM
Colorstay...not so much. I'm a big tester of eyeliners, constantly on the lookout for a non-liquid liner that really lives up to its claim of being waterproof or budge-proof. I have very oily eyelids and very deep-set eyes so most of my eyeliner ends up smudging all over my upper lid within a few hours of application, so I consider myself a good guinea pig for such claims. Colorstay doesn't even last ONE hour, and it's one of the worst ones out there, as it claims to be budge-proof but quality-wise, is equivalent to those 99-cent teen-brand pencils at ten times the price. On the upside, it does conveniently twist up, and applies smoothly. But what's the point if it ends up smudged somewhere else after you put it on? The only thing that stays moderately well right now is Smashbox's Jet Set.
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Eyeliner -Smashbox - Jet Set Eyeliner with Brush
nzf 7/29/2008 3:27:00 AM
I'm constantly on the lookout for pencil or gel eyeliners (basically, anything that's not liquid) that are really budge-proof. I get extremely oily eyelids within a few hours of washing my face, and I have such deep-set eyes that my eyeliner usually rubs off and smudges all over my upper lid by noon. But I really hate the harshness of liquid, so...I poked around online and read that Jet Set (waterproof) was, according to women the world over, "really and truly" budge-proof, and that they would wake up the next morning with perfect eyes. I don't know about that, because I wouldn't call anything truly budge-proof unless it's lasted a day on my greaseface lids. I should have known the claims were too good to be true. BUT, I'll say as of right now, Jet Set is the most budge-proof of the non-liquid liners I've tried, drugstore and department-store alike. I do get some tinges of grey that have smudged around by the late afternoon, but nothing so bad as what other liners have done (left an obvious imprint of my lid color higher up my brow). I figure powder might keep it in place longer, but I hate having ashy lids. This is better than the Stila Smudgepots, though, in terms of staying power (application is comparable). I'm not going to whine about the price because I really like Smashbox...good products and CRUELTY-FREE!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No