Bronzers -Bourjois - Delice de Poudre
phospholipid 1/5/2012 8:06:00 PM
I came across this bronzer from Lisa Eldridge videos and boy, I'm really impressed! Finding a matte bronzer is rather hard, compound that by finding something suitable for fair skin. This one fits the bill for both! The texture is rather dry I find but not too terribly layered on top of my sunscreen. It goes on totally matte although I can see some hint of shimmer particles on the compact, not much at all. The bronzer leans warm/neutral on my warm-toned skin. The scent is deliciously foody. Shade #51 suits my fair, NC25 skin. Overall will buy again but alas! Bourjois is not readily available in the US. It took me months to finally ask a family member to purchase this for me from Canada.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Bourjois - Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation
phospholipid 1/4/2012 11:52:00 PM
My new HG foundation!! So very sad that Bourjois is not readily available in the U.S. Hunting down this foundation has been quite a journey, but a worthwhile one indeed. The coloring is perfect for my NC 25/Chanel VA B20. It is perhaps even more flattering than Chanel/MAC on my yellow-toned skin. I've been wearing Chanel VA and I thought the match was good, this one is even better. I wear Shade #52-Vanille. Coverage is sheer to medium, easy to spread and buildable. The pump bottle is perfect, no shaking needed like the Chanel VA. It has some artificial fruity scent which dissipates quickly, so it does not bother me at all. The finish is semi-mate, quite luminous, which I like. On my dry-combo skin, I found that I don't need to powder and it does not accentuate dry patches. It does, however, somewhat crease on the sides of the nose and everywhere else there's a fold. The price is the surprising fact. Bourjois is not drug-store priced as I thought, at least not in Canada. I paid $25 USD for a bottle of this, VAT not included. Overall will purchase again. Good shade, texture, finish and packaging but not readily available in the U.S.
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Palettes -Edward Bess - Back to Basics
phospholipid 1/4/2012 11:43:00 PM
I bought this after an overwhelming good reviews all over the beauty blogs. The palette was back-ordered for a full month before I received it. The CS at Edward Bess is very courteous and prompt in all of their convo, they even throw in a free lip gloss and waived the shipping because of the back-order. My kudos to them!! When I finally received this palette, I was expecting a high-quality product. Nonetheless, I was disappointed. First, the packaging, while expensive-looking, is actually quite cheaply made. The push-hinge of the closure does not work very well. Flip over the palette and you'll see it is made in Taiwan. Go figure.. Second, the brush is also sub-standard. I found the fluffy one is not as soft, and made of cheap bristles that it shed and feels rough to the skin. I wouldn't really mind this so much, actually, because usually the brush in a palette is an afterthought. Third, the supposedly star product, the highlighter, is full of chunky glitter. It is not as refined as what I would have expected. And fourth, the deal breaker, is the heavily scented product. I know a lot of women love the fig scent, but the fragrance is way too strong and it lingers and does not dissipate, even after I wipe the product off. I didn't find the fig scent to be delicious, it is totally artificial & strong. This is coming from someone who does not mind the scent of lipsticks/mascaras from Chanel, Guerlain and Lancome (or even Burberry which some has described has that old-woman scent). As far as the colors, they are all very sophisticated and understated. The shades are all wearable, albeit sheer (especially on the glosses). The consistency of the gloss is very tacky, which I'm not fond of. Somewhere in the review I read that EB glosses are of the same consistency as Bobbi Brown's (which I love) but I found EB glosses to be stickier and hard to put on (aka much of it stays on the brush and not on the lips). The consistency of the e/s is very nice and smooth, but perhaps too soft that it crumbles a bit. Overall, good shades, but disappointing smell, packaging, and texture. I do expect more reading from all the hype. I definitely won't purchase this again, nor any of EB glosses/lip products, but I'd consider his eye shadows/other products that are not scented.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Dermalogica - Gentle Cream Exfoliant
phospholipid 1/28/2011 6:46:00 PM
Wow, I'm a believer of this product. I'm suffering from cystic acne before/during my 1st tri, and a bit leery of products containing AHA/BHA that stays on skin overnight/longer. This fits the bill since it only takes 10-15 minutes to activate, and then you rinse the product off. I saw significant improvement on my acne by the second time I use this, so I guess this is a keeper! The texture is almost like clay mask, white & pasty. I'm glad someone below mentioned to SHAKE the tube well before using, it significantly improves the texture. It is due to the pulverized diatomaceus that is the 2nd ingredient listed on the box. Leave this on for 10-15 minutes on freshly-cleansed skin, and then rinse off with warm water. I should mention, rinsing this off can be a bit tricky -- imagine rinsing off a clay mask. I would suggest using facial cloth to help with removal. I think, next time I will spritz my face with toner with this mask still on the skin to activate & encourage the water-soluble AHA to work and so it won't dry out so quickly while on skin. It has a pleasant, faint, herbal scent that fades away once rinsed. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result so far. My only gripe is the tube packaging; it can be hard sometimes to squeeze the product out.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle 05
phospholipid 7/3/2010 3:13:00 AM
Oh, how I *love* Rouge Coco! It has made a believer out of me, a gloss girl. Mademoiselle is everything I hope a Bobbi Brown lipstick would be: a nice pinkish brown YLBB shade that is natural and goes with everything. I think this lipstick delivers and more. The winning combo in Rouge Coco is bar none the texture, the finish and the pigmentation. The texture is very light yet moisturizing and not drying. The finish is semi-mate, with a sheen to it that it doesn't wear me down. The pigment is very rich, it lasts quite a bit and fades to a beautiful stain. On my lips it is the perfect rosy pink beige wash, two coats of mascara and a blush finish the look easily. I will definitely get this again. I'm very excited that Chanel has revamp their lipstick line with this superb line & am looking forward for new colors in the future.
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Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Coco in Cambon #31
phospholipid 7/3/2010 3:04:00 AM
Oh, how I *love* Rouge Coco! I'm an avid gloss girl and Rouge Coco can be that one lipstick line that I'll wear exclusively. Cambon is a semi-matte, fresh, azalea-cross-strawberry pinkish red that is a great pick-me-up color. It made my teeth whiter and my pale skin rosier (if there's such thing). It looks great straight from the tube and as a stain, with or without gloss on top. For more of a casual look, I'd put on sth greasy like Kiehl's #1 balm, blot, and apply this using my fingers. When I wear it full-on, it faded into a beautiful stain that lasted all night long. The texture is very moisturizing, without being greasy/drying. It is very pigmented, a little does go a long way. I love how they embossed the word "Chanel" on the lipstick. I do detect a subtle hint of raspberry flavor, an upgrade from normally the old rose flavor that Chanel lipstick has.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Chanel - Quadra Eye Shadow - 19 Enigma
phospholipid 7/3/2010 2:52:00 AM
After a long hiatus, nothing makes me more excited about makeup than Chanel! It's weird since my staple has been more of a Bobbi Brown, Stila or GA, yet the color palettes and the texture of Chanel makeup is really superb. This palette contain 4 colors that I would have never paired together, yet somehow, they work with each other. The peachy-pink base almost shimmer when the light hits it, nothing glittery, just a very understated sheen. The greyish-chocolate khaki with gold shimmer works so well with the base, and to add to the intensity, you can either layer the greyish-taupe either on the crease or around the corner, or vice versa. Then for a finishing touch, use the deep plum-purple shadow to smoke up the Cassis eyeliner (which comes with the collection). The texture is soft yet crumbly, so I tend to pat the shadow rather than swipe it over the lid. Very blend-able and build-able, it has a nice satiny sheen to it when I'm finished blending them. And, as with any other Chanel makeup, I'd toss the applicator that comes with it but keep the velvet pouch for totting around in my handbag. For $56, it's totally worth it; this one I will reach over and over again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lansinoh Lanolin
phospholipid 10/2/2008 9:02:00 PM
Bar none, this is the best lip balm, for chapped anything (skin, nipples, and lips :-)) I wish I can stand the smell, but when my lips are really chapped, I use this. Enough said..
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Mascara -Guerlain - Le 2 de Guerlain
phospholipid 9/17/2008 3:34:00 PM
So I got a sample of this mascara in a Japanese magazine I came across (American magazines should do this!!!) and it was fabulous! I am especially attracted to the smaller brush as it gets to my skimpy lashes effortlessly. Then I committed myself to a full tube. First, the consistency of this mascara is very wet: there's no way my curl going to show up and it doesn't, but I curl my lashes anyway. Second, since it is wet, it smears a lot until it dries.. so try to blink ever so gently (which is a pain in the you know where.. esp. when you're late for work in the morning). Third, it smudges when the day is hot (which is rare in my part of the country). So why do I keep using this: because it is non-wp and it removes easily with my regular facial soap. It gives me a break from my hard-core wp mascaras from Shu & Maquillage. Also, my lashes somewhat look more natural with it, maybe because it does not hold curl. The brushes are also very nicely designed, in fact, I kept my sample brushes (washed thoroughly, of course) and use it to comb my lashes afterward. Overall, I'll keep this for now, but for $35, there must be a better non-wp mascara out there, right?
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Lip Treatments -Korres - Guava Lip Butter
phospholipid 3/12/2008 1:15:00 AM
For $9, this lip balm is pretty pricey! Especially since it contains synthetic ingredients unlike what they claim (all natural - just look at the box). In any case, I'm here to review the product, not to review the marketing. The lip balm itself is pretty decent & leaves a nice, glossy finish. It's somewhat thick and occlusive to give chapped lips a nice barrier. However, it is somewhat thin that it dissapears in an hour or so. Constant repplying is a must and not as appealing, considering the packaging is in small jar (read: tons of lints and sometimes little hair get in it, yuck!). The guava scent is nice, but DH doesn't like it (he said it's too artificial). It is somewhat opaque, too, so if you have very chapped & dry lips, bits of it can settle in the crack and leave whitish streaks. Not nice. Overall, it is not the best lip balm I came across (the best so far is Lansinoh which heals my cracked lips overnight, no matter how bad it gets), but pleasant and nice enough. I probably won't be repurchasing, so my search for the HG lip balm continues.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Jo Malone - Vitamin E Lip Conditioner
phospholipid 2/23/2008 7:02:00 PM
This winter, I'm in search for something more portable and palatable than pure lanolin that I usually use for my lips. I tried this one in store, it seems nice, albeit the artificial honey smell. But it was enough for me to order online when Jo Malone had free shipping promo. After using it for a week, I can say that it is fairly moisturizing, but rather thin and greasy (or glossy, whichever way you look at it) that it has to be re-applied numerous time. It is much like putting a straight oil on chapped lips, so it has no cushiony feel/protection and when it's gone, you end up with pieces of dried, but oily, part of your lips, if that makes sense. I highly doubt if the SPF is photostable, it may even induce some sensitivity. Also, although the flavor is strongly honey, sometimes I can detect the mint as well. I really like the tube packaging (means no fingery mess) but I don't think I'll purchase this again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Bobbi Brown - Overnight Cream
phospholipid 2/17/2008 10:07:00 PM
I'm one of those person who is skeptic and read ingredients carefully. But for whatever reason, I really like how this cream feels and how it performs. I've used this for about a month and I woke up each day with my dry skin looking plump and smooth. In addition, the fragrance is one of the main attraction on this cream, I can't believe I'm sold! Granted, it won't make me look younger, left alone erasing wrinkles and whatever antioxidant, protein activator, or even milk thistle extract won't repair any skin damage (the only real, clinical use of milk thistle extract that I'm aware of is for treatment of liver disease - anyone can Google-it up). Nevertheless, I like it. Not sure if I will spend another $60 for it, so I will probably go to CCO and find a jar that is more reasonably priced. Update on 3/11/08: I've finally finished the 7 mL jar that I used since Jan, using it continuously nightly. My skin are o.k. with it, it is nicely hydrated just like I wrote above. Nope, my wrinkles, age-spots, and whateverelse imperfection I've got are still there. Nice cream overall.
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Palettes -Bobbi Brown - Spring 2008 Pink Raspberry Face Palette
phospholipid 1/9/2008 12:53:00 AM
BB is very clever in recycling many shades of pink and I personally don't mind it since I think anyone can look good with a little pink. However, this palette is a reminiscence of her first Bridal palette and my suspicion was confirmed when I visited local Nordie last weekend. The Navajo e/s btw, comes in her sandwash grey e/s palette, so if you have that already, you're all set pretty much. The Fog e/s may look slightly cooler than the various greyish-taupe shade on sandwash palette, but again, it goes on almost the same color on my BB warm sand/2.5 skin coloring. Even the MA agreed that BB slate from existing line would probably do. Next, la pièce de résistance: the blush. It is gorgreous, albeit scary looking on the pan. No need to worry, like my fellow reviewers said, it is very sheer and actually mimicking natural flush. It is cooler/more violet than BB pale pink, so perhaps warmer toned ladies may prefer pale pink than raspberry. But since my skin is on the dry side, I may look into the pot rouge instead. Other winners in this palette are the lippies. Raspberry lip sheer and blue raspberry lip sheer are nice additions. But quess what, if you already owned BB 1st bridal palette, it also came with raspberry shimmer lip sheer! I bet that they look the same, sans shimmer. Nevertheless, these new shades are very wearable, pretty shade of berry pink, good with almost anything, esp. for a brunette like me. They are on the sheer side, and top off with the raspberry glitter gloss, they look fabulous! Sleek packaging is very nice, and the box is raspberry colored too! However, reality sinks in that I cannot justify my $55 purchase just for 2 lip shades. So I passed it with a promise that I will check the pot rouge next week.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bobbi Brown - Pink Quartz Glitter Lip Gloss
phospholipid 1/9/2008 12:37:00 AM
I guess everyone now has moved on to the new BB Pink Raspberry collection, but I'm still using my Pink Quarts l/g ca. Holiday 2007. First of all, I like BB gloss for its staying power, it is fairly thick but feels comfortable on the lips. Best yet, her coloring is always appropriate for any lippies that I wear underneath. For example, this gloss looks as gorgreous paired with BB brown, tulle, and sandwash pink l/s. On its own, it provides a glittery, yet subtle pinkish peach, reminds me a lot of NARS Orgasm gloss but this one is less opaque and more wearable. The glitter is not tonal but more multicolor, so it sparkles when the light hits. I can even use it on its own on my fairly pigmented lips and it dresses up the lips nicely. Overall a good buy, albeit BB always jacking up the price ever so slightly (I still remember when BB gloss used to be $16 a pop, and now it is $19). And I'm not crazy about her the brush that comes with the lip gloss, either.
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Palettes -Stila - Golden Moon--Holiday 2005
phospholipid 7/17/2007 11:31:00 PM
This is one of Stila's best palette ever, and I can only say that after 2 years of continuously wearing it in different occasions. It is truly versatile, it has traveled with me through Europe and back. It can create casual, sheer, sparkly look and dark, smoky, sultry look with ease. It is still very beautiful now as it was 2 years ago. Bravo Stila for doing this!!
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