Self Tanners -Jergens - natural glow express medim/tan
pandorax 7/25/2012 2:56:00 PM
I LOVE this stuff. I use it every time I want to look tan, and it really does make me quite a few shades darker in just one day, with one application. I usually will put it on at night and sleep in it, and then wake up tan. I think it takes at least 8 hours to get the full result, but you will start noticing color within a few hours. The tan lasts about a week on me, although fades gradually during that time. I haven't had problems with streaky color, but I'm also pretty careful about putting it on evenly. The only pitfalls I've had are getting more concentrated color at my wrists, and my hands being pale because I just can't not wash my palms after putting this stuff on. But even that hasn't been that noticable. I would say, unless you are as porcelin pale as Nicole Kidman, don't bother with the light/medium express stuff, go for the darker version. I bought the lighter one to try it out and it just didn't give me much of a tan - no more than the foam gradual build up version. I am pretty light skinned and burn easily, but I do have some olive undertones, so maybe that helps it to look decent on me. I also use the Jergens foam sunless tanner that gradually builds up, and I like that a lot too (especially for my face), but this is the one I use when I want to look tan FAST.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Margarite Zinc Cream
pandorax 5/16/2012 2:45:00 PM
Just adding this product since so many people swear by it, will update later after I've tried it a while. But for now....it works great as a sheer foundation for light/medium skin, and is an acne treatment. So that's a plus so far!
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Misc Beauty Tools -Olay - Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System
pandorax 1/31/2012 4:33:00 PM
I recently accidentally left my beloved Clarisonic Mia in a hotel room, and it was never found :( Yes I am still crying over that one. I've been using wash cloths to wash my face and get a little exfoliation going, but my skin seems to be breaking out more ever since, and I know I'm not getting my makeup removed and face scrubbed as well as I did with the Mia. I don't have the funds to replace it just yet, so thought I would buy the Olay Cleansing System in the meantime. Here are my main comparisons: 1) The Olay has a somewhat similar looking design as the Mia, although smaller, lighter, and not as expensive looking. But it's pretty decently nice looking for a $30 product. 2) The Olay does NOT have near the power of the Mia. 3) The Olay brush head is much gentler, even gentler than the Mia sensitive skin brush heads it comes with. I prefer a stronger scrubbing sensation, especially since the Mia was still plenty gentle on my skin. 4) I washed my face once with my hands and face wash, and then again with the Olay, and I did see that it got more makeup off even though I had just washed - similar to the Mia. So that was good. For Clarisonic Mia users, the Olay will probably seem underwhelming, and it just simply does not come close in quality. BUT, it does seem to help with getting skin cleaner and getting more of your makeup off, which is why I bought it in the first place. Hopefully it will prove to be beneficial for my skin. I put that I would not purchase the product again, simply because when you know the difference, the Mia is way better, and I'd rather save my money for another one. But the Olay is a decent product, it will do for the time being, and for anyone who hasn't used the Mia already, you will probably like it just fine.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Colure - Shine Serum Plus
pandorax 9/14/2011 2:59:00 PM
I am usually not too enthusiastic about shine serums, since most of them feel greasy and weigh my hair down. But this stuff is amazing! My old hairstylist recommended it, and said to only use 1-3 teardrops of it at a time, and that really is all you need. I use It's a 10 leave-in, spray that into my hand a few times, then add 1 or 2 drops of this, and smooth that over my hair, especially on the more damaged parts. You can also put a drop or two in your hand and smooth it over hair before you flat iron. This stuff REALLY helps smooth hair and make it look and feel much healthier and shinier, so much so that I almost want to call it a treatment rather than a styling product. It is kind of a miracle worker. You can also put a couple drops in your conditioner and it makes your hair silkier that way too. I bought a 4 oz. bottle about 2 years ago, and I still have more than half of it left. I've even given friends small samples of it to try and I still have a lot left because you use such a tiny amount. For that reason, it's a great value, even though it costs about $30/bottle. The only place I've seen it is at Lash Girl Salon in Mission Viejo, CA, and online at www.colurehair.com.
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Treatments -Skin Biology - Super CP Serum
pandorax 9/14/2011 2:50:00 PM
I started using this unsure of what exactly it would do for me. I went straight to using Super CP because my skin is oily and pretty resilient when it comes to topicals. Plus I've been using retin-a and getting glycolic acid peels for a while. I'm surprised that people say this is "so strong" - to me it feels really mild, but again, my skin is tougher than most. My skin was breaking out a lot at the time I started using this, and it may have actually gotten worse for a couple of weeks after starting it. But I stuck with it, and although my skin is not perfect, it is MUCH clearer. Plus it seems a little less oily, and has a little more of a glow. Those are the main effects I have noticed after a month of using it. My routine is now - Super CP in the morning, moisturizer, and maybe a little topical BP/clindamyacin from the dermatologist. At night, retin-a and the BP. This seems to be working great for me. My understanding is you need to use something at night that exfoliates if you use Super CP in the morning. The Skin Biology exfoliators may be good, but I felt I needed something stronger, thus the retin-a. I have only been using for about a month, so I may not have been using it long enough to see any other effects besides clearer, slightly less oily skin. But even if this is all it ever does for me, this is great, and I will definitely continue! UPDATE: Ok, so it's been over 2 months now of using this, and I am seeing some additional changes. My skin looks smoother and my pores look a little tightened, kind of like right after you do a clay mask. This makes me a very happy girl. I'm going to try using this with a dermaroller next. I hope the changes continue!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Organic thermo fusion keratin treatment
pandorax 9/14/2011 2:26:00 PM
I've used this a few times now, and I have to say, it does help with my damaged hair. I've been trying to grow out parts of my hair that have gotten overly fried without having to cut it off (which would make for some oddly short pieces). This makes damaged hair look healthy and shiny, and kind of masks the broken off bits. It doesn't make my hair too flat or slick, just more healthy looking, smooth and manageable. Humidity doesn't affect my hair much with this either. It doesn't last as long as salon keratin treatments - the effects wear off in about a month - but for the price it is still worth it. Plus it is great that you can wash your hair right after the treatment instead of waiting 72 hours. Definitely be sure to have really good ventilation and a couple of hours to do the treatment. It takes some time and effort but it is not hard. And be careful to not let the fumes get in your eyes when you are doing the flat ironing part of the treatment cause it can sting. The formaldehyde in this does worry me a bit, but I intend to just use it until my hair is in better shape. And fyi, I henna my hair regularly, and this works fine over henna. I would imagine that it would work fine over any hair color, but like another reviewer said, be careful when coloring your hair over this. Since it does wear off after about a month, that would be a good time to color again, and then do another treatment. Might be good to do a test patch before coloring all your hair. If anything, I think it may help to seal in hair color a bit longer.
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Blush -Smashbox - Blush Rush in Chiffon
pandorax 5/4/2011 9:14:00 PM
I like to use a peachy pink blush, and this one is very pretty. It gives enough color without being too much, and has a very subtle shimmer to it. Never looks overdone.
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Eyes -Unlisted Brand - Careprost~Generic Brand Latisse
pandorax 5/4/2011 9:10:00 PM
I am so glad I found this product! I've always had pretty nice eyelashes, but my eyebrows had gotten much more sparse over the years, and one actually had a little spot where no hairs were growing anymore, or not much anyways, and I had to fill it in with pencil. After reading the reviews here and learning about the generic latisse, I thought I'd try it. I ordered from alldaychemist.com for super cheap (around $11 I think). The shipping costs were high, but this still only brought my order to about $35, which is not bad for generic lastisse. And it works!! My eyebrows quickly began to fill in, and the semi-bald spot completely filled in. For this alone I would give it 5 lippies, but I have also used it on my lashes and I can see that they have gotten longer too. Not sure about thicker, and they don't seem darker, but they do look great with mascara. Oh, and I have been very sporadic about using it - maybe 2 or 3 nights out of the week, when I remember and am not too busy or tired to do it. I use the two drops in the cap method, and that has been enough for both my lashes and brows. I clean the little brush they give you with alcohol after every use. Also, I have blue-gree eyes and I haven't noticed any pigment changes, which was my biggest concern with using it. So overall, great product, fast acting (saw results in 2-3 weeks) and not a bad price considering how much the non-generic costs.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Murad - Oil-Control Mattifier
pandorax 5/4/2011 8:39:00 PM
My skin tends to be very oily, and I've tried a number of mattifiers and potions to help control this. Nothing has ever worked for me - except this. I used to have to blot within an hour or two of washing my face and then every other hour after that. Now I blot once or twice a day. So it isn't perfect oil control, but it helps a lot, and for me, that is a big deal! I told a friend about it, and she now uses it every day too, also with good results. It isn't the most moisturizing product, so if you need more moisture you may want to layer a moisturizer on top. I love that it has spf 15 in it too. The price could be cheaper for the amount you get, but for what it does, I'll keep buying it, unless I find something better.
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Treatments -It's a 10 - Miracle Leave in Product
pandorax 5/2/2011 9:01:00 PM
I love this stuff!! My hair had gotten really damaged and dry with lots of split ends from heat styling. I was getting pretty bummed out about it and thought I was going to have to cut more off to get it healthier. I've been using this with and without keratin, and it makes my hair look and feel soooo much healthier. I have to say I think I like the keratin one even better so far, although both are good. It detangles, yes, but does much more than that. My hair now feels soft and smooth, looks much healthier, and it's the only styling product I use. It doesn't weigh my hair down much, but little does go a long way, so you don't want to overdo it. Using this and getting regular trims, I'm sure I'll be able to grow my hair longer much more easily. This stuff is saving my hair so I will definitely repurchase.
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Powder -Make Up For Ever - Duo Mat Powder foundation
pandorax 4/25/2011 4:55:00 PM
My favorite powder foundation to date. Much better coverage than any other powder foundation I've used (medium to full coverage), and great for every day use. Stays on pretty well throughout the day and does not break me out. I like that it is a pressed powder and you apply it with a compact sponge (instead of a loose powder with a brush) - makes it so easy and quick to apply, and good for carrying in my purse. For more full coverage at night I'll sometimes use with a liquid foundation underneath. Drawbacks are price (a little expensive, but so far it's worth it to me), it gets used up pretty quickly, and it does highlight any dry spots (like pretty much any other powder foundation), so exfoliation is important before using. Probably best for oily to combination skin.
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Treatments -Peter Thomas Roth - Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads
pandorax 4/14/2011 1:59:00 PM
These things are awesome. They really help keep skin clear on face AND body. And this is what I do - I use one full pad on my face, chest and back after I shower every morning. I rinse off of my face but I don't rinse it off of my body, I just leave it. It doesn't irritate my skin at all, and I haven't had any body breakouts since using it! I also use retin-A on my face at night (I guess my skin is pretty tough) and this is the clearest my skin has been ever. Which is amazing and wonderful. I've been trying to find something that works for a while now and this is working great. As for anti-aging properties, I'm not sure if it is helping with that or not, but the fact that it is helping keep my skin clear is good enough for me. Definitely will repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Mia
pandorax 2/18/2010 3:30:00 PM
I definitely recommend the Mia! I wasn't sure if it was going to make much of a difference in my skin, and I didn't want to get my hopes up, but it really does deliver. When I first used it, I thought it was so gentle and the exfoliating action seemed so subtle, I wasn't sure it was going to do much. But apparently it does! It exfoliates and cleanses the skin really well, and I have noticed a reduction in breakouts. It seems to keep breakouts at bay very well - not eliminated, but much improved! And my skin kind of shines after using, like I just got a facial. I use on my neck and chest too, also with good results. I haven't even used aspirin mask/scrub since using this - the Mia exfoliates even better. Some people have said their skin was too sensitive for the sensitive brush head, but mine skin isn't very sensitive and this brush head works well for me. I got mine for $123 at www.skin-etc.com, no tax and free shipping, so I thought that was a pretty good deal!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Fresh - Pink Jasmine
pandorax 1/19/2010 6:04:00 PM
I love anything jasmine, and this is one fragrance I always get compliments on. Perfumes smell different on different people, but this one works for me. It is expensive, but at least you get a pretty big bottle and it should last quite a long time.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clean & Clear - Oil Absorbing Sheets
pandorax 8/31/2009 3:33:00 PM
I never was a believer in blotting sheets - I thought, why not just use tissue? That works and it's free! But these little blue sheets have made me a believer. They really are so much more effective than just tissue. I know because I've tried blotting with tissue first and then using these after, and they still pick up oil. Plus they leave your face nice and calm and fresh looking. They have quickly become a new staple for me.
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