Styling Products -L'Oreal - EverStyle Volume Root Lifting Spray
ora613 8/15/2012 12:37:00 PM
Wow!This is the first time in my life that my thin, fine hair has felt really abundant. My hair is neither oily nor dry from this product, and surprisingly soft to the touch. Not jut an HG; a game changer.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Roger & Gallet - Carnation Soap
ora613 7/31/2012 11:04:00 AM
Is it me, or have the Roger & Gallet floral soaps lost some of their power? I recently bought Carnation (my favorite soap ever) lily of the valley and almond blossom and all were very weak. I used to use them as sachets, now I open my linen closet and all I smell is linen. These soaps used to perfume the bathroom after use, now the scent is overpowered by toothpaste. What gives?
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Milani - Baked Bronzer in Glow
ora613 7/5/2011 12:45:00 PM
I'd never worn bronzer, being content with my PPP skin, which never gets tanned. But this looked so appealing in the ds, I bought it. Wow! Love at first brush. I did my face with usual porcelain foundation and powder. Then brushed this at random on forehead, nose, chin, collarbones, tops of cheeks--where the sun might shine. Applied some blush, and voila, a face that really glowed. Love this so, particularly since really pale skin is aging, and using darker foundation is even worse. Back in the Jurassic age Ultima II made a cream foundation with pinky-shimmer in it. Glow reminds me of it. People used to stop me in the street to tell me what beautiful skin I had (despite long-term acne). No such reactions yet, but Glow makes me feel great.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Rimmel - Eye Magnifier - Exact Definition - Extreme Black
ora613 3/6/2011 11:25:00 AM
Worst. Mascara. Ever. No length, no volume, no definition. Honestly, my lashes look better with nothing.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -E.L.F. - Bubble Gum Pink
ora613 11/22/2010 12:52:00 PM
To be honest I bought this for my 3-yr-old granddaughter. But I'm amazed to say that I like it for myself. It's really a very tender pink color, not at all garish. I'm wearing it on my toes now, and will use it on my hands in the summer. I did get some streaking, but I think it was because I was in a hurry and didn't let the layers dry at all. Anyway, a fun polish, but I need something more Barbie for my little sweetie.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -E.L.F. - Champagne
ora613 11/22/2010 12:46:00 PM
My go to polish for work and "serious" occasions. I don't like the look of unpolished nails, or clear or very sheer. Champagne is perfectly neutral without having the chalky look of many nudes. Everything else about it is first-rate. I have gone from super-expensive n.p.s down to ds brands, and n.p. is one product where I find that the price you pay is irrelevant to quality. Viva ELF!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -E.L.F. - Coral
ora613 11/22/2010 12:08:00 PM
This color looked so pretty in the bottle but it is so 60's pearlized. It was like wearing white frosted nail polish with a sheer overlay. Otherwise I liked the application, lasting power, etc. As the first ELF polish I used I thought they would all be ghastly. Fortunately, the other 3 in my stash were all great. Can't beat ELF--even if half the products fail for you, the others are awesome. You can get an entire makeup wardrobe for the price of 1 Tom Ford lipstick!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Annick Goutal - Matin d'Orage
ora613 8/30/2010 1:18:00 PM
I ordinarily love gardenia fragrances, both high end and low. Unlike tuberose, the flower has an underlying freshness to cut the candy. But I can't even smell the gardenia in this, not even fake gardenia. I suppose it is overpowered by marine notes--my least favorite, and an odd bedfellow for gardenia. Like all AG perfs, this one is almost homeopathic; the concentration of oils is really weak, and it disappears as fast as you can spray it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Garnier - Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream
ora613 8/26/2010 6:07:00 PM
It's nice and refreshing and not at all greasy. But where's the sunscreen? This is not nearly moisturizing enough for night. Don't tell me I should use this with another sunscreen or moisturizer or serum or whatever. I already use primer, foundation and concealer. I may be an mu junkie, but enough already...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Rimmel - 8 Hr Mousse Blush All Shades
ora613 8/16/2010 3:53:00 PM
This is my first non-powder blush, and I love it. Why did it take me so long to discover cream/ liq/ mousse? This is the only Rimmel product I've ever really liked, and maybe other brands have similar or better blushes, but I am really happy with this in Frozen Cherry. Oddly enough it was the only shade left at the CVS sale, and as a redhead I usually go with peach or tawny blush, but wow, this is really flattering. So thanks, Rimmel, for introducing me to two good things: cream blush and a pretty, face-brightening color.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Robert Piguet Fragrances - Baghari
ora613 3/7/2010 10:20:00 AM
While Baghari was out of production, I lusted for it. Usually, I love the "old" fragrances by Balmain, Caron, etc. But this one I'd definitely categorize as "old lady," a term I don't bandy about--being one myself :) The worst of the offenses are the aldehydes, like Chanel #5 gone bad. I adore orange blossom and hoped for the best, but this isn't my cup of champagne.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Paris Hilton - Siren
ora613 3/1/2010 12:25:00 PM
I thought I'd hate this at first sniff--isn't Paris Hilton a synonym for tacky? But actually, it was not that bad; sweet and girly, but not overwhelmingly so. I'm just not a gourmand fan. I used up the sample but won't be buying.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri
ora613 1/4/2010 6:11:00 PM
OK, gets that one lippie because it dries really, really fast. BUT it goes on like a blob of soft plastic. If you don't wait a full 2 minutes the polish underneath will melt, streak, and pit. I tried this with different brands and different shades and had the same lousy results. Plus, they chipped fast (which I was grateful for since I wanted to redo the manicure). I don't see why anyone would use this when you can use any reasonable dry coat (Good to Go, Poshe, Seche, Out the door) follow up with CND Dry & Shine, and have a gorgeous, glassy, long-lasting mani in 10-15 minutes. If you are in that much of a rush to get out, leave nails bare and rub in some Vaseline. SH has some good, some aweful products. Sucker that I am, I will try the drops when I find them. EDIT Found the drops, and liked them a little better, but still not a really good top coat/ dryer. Giving up on this line, and I heard SH is too. The drops were 50% off at CVS.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Versace - Versense EdT
ora613 12/30/2009 4:57:00 PM
I have a lot of generic citrus perfumes (colognes, really) but this one is different--and deliciously so. The top is strongly lime to me, while most citrus is lemon and/or one of the oranges (bergamot, petitgrain, etc). It's clean without being antiseptic. I'm enjoying it now, in the middle of winter. It's fun to be counterintuitive with perfume. Yeah, I'd wear Tabu in the summer, if I felt in the mood. I'm glad I gave Versense a try, as I usually think of everything Versace, perfume, fashion, and Donatella, to be tacky.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Alpha Hydrox - AHA Souffle 12 percent Glycolic AHA
ora613 12/20/2009 5:57:00 PM
OMG, where has this been all my life? Really visible results and fast! This is the first time in decades that I've felt OK about going out in public with no makeup on. My skin is awesome, even-toned and soft, too. The only thing this miracle doesn't do is get rid of the deep lines at the sides of my mouth. Oh, well. I apply this at night, without a moisturizer on top, but it seems like enough. It's got a lovely texture, absorbs quickly. Only caveat, it stings a little for a few minutes. I even like that it's in a jar. I wash my hands really well before putting on creams, etc. and a jar lets you take as much as you need but no more. This is so impressive I am going to try AH's whole line as soon as I get through the rest of my economy-busting supply of stuff. Only other product I'd go for now is Walgreen's AH, that stuff of MUA legend, which, however, I have been unable to find.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No