Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous False Fiber Lashes~Waterproof 
pixiesdust13 6/15/2012 3:53:00 PM
HG mascara! My favorite mascara had been discontinued, so I searched for the past three years to find long lashes in a tube. I bought countless high-end (dior, buxom, etc.) mascaras thinking price would make it perform better, but settled as I thought my lashes shrunk for some reason or other, and the problem was me! Welcome, L'oreal voluminous fiber lashes waterproof mascara! My lashes almost touch my eyebrows, and I no longer need a primer to extend my lashes!!! I've finally given up my search for my HG mascara! Can't believe how much money I will save now, too! :) However, I will continue to investigate whether or not L'Oreal does test on animals, and may resort to my search again due to my personal values.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Benzaclin Gel
pixiesdust13 3/27/2011 4:04:00 PM
I've suffered acne for years and getting off birth control pills has made my skin a nightmare! I got samples of benzaclin from my derm on Thursday along with a six percent benz. peroxide cleanser, and today (Sunday) my acne and cysts are completely GONE! Only two and a half days, and my face is completely acne free right now! When I went to the derm I had a total of seven active pimples on my face. I was hesitate at first to try this, because benz. peroxide never worked for me in the past or dried out my skin, but WOW... HG prescription!!!! I wish I went to the derm long ago, but I tried to take matters inot my own hands. The only downside as others have mentioned, my skin is dry (not as dry as it has been with other over the counter treatments though), but it's so much better than having bumps all over my face! Even if I didn't have insurance, I would have paid hundreds of dollars for my visit and this magic HG, because I've wasted much more than that on over the counter cures that never made my acne budge!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Moisturizing Cream
pixiesdust13 9/22/2010 2:31:00 AM
HG status! Never, ever breaks my sensitive, acne-prone skin out! Routine: PM: Cleanse w/cetaphil cleansing bar, tone with witch hazel, followed by this cream gem! I don't use this during the day, because the lack of sunscreen. UPDATE: Been using this cream for awhile now (though I stopped using the bar), and it still doesn't break me out. Word of warning: it looked horrible and made my makeup come off in a greasy mess so fast... so it's a no,no under makeup for me!)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Cetaphil - Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
pixiesdust13 8/6/2010 1:28:00 PM
HG status! I'm a perfectionist, and unfortunately when I have a skin problem I try every product under the sun to combat my "issues," which I have finally realized (after damaging my skin in the process) is not the way to go. Simple is better! I used to use Proactiv, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, you name it. Ladies, this is THE BEST cleanser I have ever used, period. I've been using this for the past six months, and I never really thought a cleanser helped keep my breakouts in check until I got too lazy to buy some more when I ran out. I used the cetaphil liquid cleanser instead- big mistake. I earned myself three huge breakouts. I finally went back on this bar, and never broke out since. So, I am 100% confident in attributing this product to preventing breakouts. Plus, if you ever travel, you don't have to worry about taking this with you anywhere, since it's liquid free! My current routine: PM: apply cetaphil liquid cleanser to dry skin, rinse offf, use cetaphil bar, apply witch hazel with cotton pad, moisturize with cetaphil cream in tub (also HG).AM: cetaphil bar, witch hazel, cetaphil lotion! UPDATE! Still HG status! I love how you can document your experiences with Makeupalley to not only help others make informed beauty choices, but yourself if you ever think about returning to a product, you can remember what happened- good or bad! Okay, so I tried going all natural and stopped using my cetaphil bar. Result: 4 huge cysts. You would think I would learn a lesson and stick to my above routine, which works! My skin is definitely thanking me for it now with clear skin again! UPDATE: I no longer use this bar, because my skin has been too dry lately, and this makes it unbearably tight in the dry, winter climate I live in, so I switched to Paula's Choice resist cleanser.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream (Night)
pixiesdust13 7/4/2009 2:25:00 PM
Heaven in a tube! I had this active scab on my face for 2 weeks and it hasn't gone away, probably because I wear makeup everyday and over exfoliate the scab. Anywho, I bought this yesterday and I woke up to brighter skin and my scab has drastically diminished overnight! Get this? This morning I applied a glob of this stuff on every 2 hours or so and it keeps getting smaller! Nothing has ever worked this great. Don't buy a scar cream, get this bottle and slather it on! I will update if anything changes! Can't wait to keep using it! Edit: I think this may have contributed to more acne. Dropped my rating. Edit again: Well, I think I was wrong. Another product may have contributed to my acne. I'm using this day and night now.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara Waterproof
pixiesdust13 3/15/2009 12:26:00 PM
Oh my goodness! I've been combating racoon eyes for the last three weeks and blaming my Paula's Choice concealer the whole time. I wouldn't think that a waterproof mascara would do this to me. It's so embarrassing because after class I have to dart straight into the bathroom to fix the inevitable damage. I've added tons of powder over my concealer and nothing worked. After reading reviews of other's racoon eyes this junk is going straight into my garbage right now!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Stick -Bobbi Brown - Foundation Stick
pixiesdust13 4/18/2008 5:47:00 PM
I'm very glad I ignored the reviews on this one. First off, I haven't tried this as an all over foundation. Instead I use BB tinted moisturizer all over and the stick as a concealer. Good price if you use it for this purpose! Sometimes I put too much and it looks cakey if I have a scar from a blemish I wrongly picked, but right now my skin's clear and it looks wonderful! If you have any active acne it will make it smoothly disappear, too. My husband even noticed the change. I used to use mineral makeup because I was afraid of breaking out. No breakouts with this stuff, though :) BTW, go to a cosmetics counter and have someone color match you versus ordering online. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Earth Therapeutics - Clari-T Acne Serum
pixiesdust13 2/20/2008 2:54:00 PM
Thank you MUA!!!! Hands down this is the best acne treatment ever. It must be the tea tree oil, because I've tried other things with benzoyl peroxide with no results and dry skin. I use ceptaphil mixed with asprin and then this magic stuff, followed by ceptaphil lotion and I have clear skin. You can order it off earththerapeutics.com and get free oil blotting paper and shipping over $20, too. By the way, does anyone know if they are out-of-stock of this stuff, because I just tried ordering it and it's not on the site!????? I don't know what I would do without this.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
pixiesdust13 10/17/2007 10:06:00 PM
I have been using my SKII spray foundation for months now and yes, it is my HG. However, it was getting a little too costly and I'm suffering from a bad breakout spell now... so I thought BE and my complexion would make great allies in my breakout war. Oh yeah, I'm taking dance classes four days a week and the sweat and chemicals just might team up against my complexion. I was about to give up on BE when I had a slight orange mask-like cast on my face and exaggerated dryness and bumps to go along, however I talked to a Sephora rep and she helped me out. First off, I returned the kit because the light was waaay too dark and I prefer to use my own bronzer, concealer brush and powder brush (all from Sephora) instead. So I bought the $25 full size fairly light 1.2 and juice beauty's tinted spf moisturizer (comparable to Clinique's tinted superdefense) and I'm a new born believer. I apply my juice beauty moisturizer (let it soak in), then my JB tinted spf, use my concealer brush to cover up my bumps and imperfections and then dip my powder brush in the foundation and lightly buff it in. I do like this better than everyday minerals (maybe I never found the right color). I just have to be careful, because if I apply too many coats I can look cakey. So hopefully when my acne goes away I will like this stuff even better. P.S. I love the "meet the browns" eye shadow kit and the gold eyeshadow
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals in 1.2, fairly light
pixiesdust13 10/17/2007 10:03:00 PM
I have been using my SKII spray foundation for months now and yes, it is my HG. However, it was getting a little too costly and I'm suffering from a bad breakout spell now... so I thought BE and my complexion would make great allies in my breakout war. Oh yeah, I'm taking dance classes four days a week and the sweat and chemicals just might team up against my complexion. I was about to give up on BE when I had a slight orange mask-like cast on my face and exaggerated dryness and bumps to go along, however I talked to a Sephora rep and she helped me out. First off, I returned the kit because the light was waaay too dark and I prefer to use my own bronzer, concealer brush and powder brush (all from Sephora) instead. So I bought the $25 full size fairly light 1.2 and juice beauty's tinted spf moisturizer (comparable to Clinique's tinted superdefense) and I'm a new born believer. I apply my juice beauty moisturizer (let it soak in), then my JB tinted spf, use my concealer brush to cover up my bumps and imperfections and then dip my powder brush in the foundation and lightly buff it in. I do like this better than everyday minerals (maybe I never found the right color). I just have to be careful, because if I apply too many coats I can look cakey. So hopefully when my acne goes away, I will like this stuff even better. UPDATE: The lightest shade is too dark for my PPP skin (alabaster in bobbi brown foundation all other foundations from the counters are also too dark for my skin but bobbi brown)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Pure Vitamin E Oil
pixiesdust13 10/17/2007 9:35:00 PM
I'm suffering from a bout of breakouts right now and last night it dawned on me to smear Vit. E all of my face in desperation. Before puncturing my little ampule with a safety pin I checked out the below the reviews and decided to risk smearing the greasy goo all over my complexion. I was scared to go without my proactiv repair lotion, so I smeared that on top after I let the vit E soak in for an hour. So I look in the mirror this morning and though I saw no miracles in the reflection, I was shockingly pleased. My smaller blemishes were healing and my skin felt and looked a little smoother. Note: Normally when I try a new product as gooey as this one I would break out the next morning. Well, it's day two and my face is lathered up for another round. I will keep everyone posted! UPDATE: HG! My breakouts are gone since adding this to my routine... NIGHT: 1) remove makeup with a luke-warm wet washcloth 2) Wash with Proactiv cleanser (I wash for about 1 min) 3) Remove cleanser with luke-warm washcloth and water 4) Proactiv glycolic toner 5) Let toner dry and smear on Vit. E ALL OVER 6) Let E sink in for about 10 minutes 7) follow with estee lauder night recovery for eyes (in the brown container) 8) Follow with Proactiv repair lotion and let dry be4 going to bed (also, I know this sounds crazy, but I've been sleeping with a towel over my pillow to keep the bleach stains off the pillow and excess dirt off my face) MORNING: 1) remove leftovers with luke-warm washcloth 2) wash w/ Proactiv cleanser for 1 min 3) follow w/Proactiv toner and let dry 4) apply Juice Beauty's oil free lotion and let soak in for 5 minutes 5) apply Juice Beauty's tinted mineral moisturizer in light 6) let soak in for 5 minutes and apply makeup *By the way, I was shopping at target last week at night and a stanger asked me what I used on my eyes (the only thing I added to my eye routine was the vit. E) UPDATE*** April 18th: I don't use this anymore. I'm not sure if this broke me out or not, but I'm too afraid to use this on my face again. I would absolutely put it under my eyes, though.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Dr. Hauschka - Daily Face Care Kit for Oily/Impure Skin
pixiesdust13 5/21/2007 1:13:00 PM
I've been using this kit, along with all the other Dr. Hauschka products (makeup, bath, hair, body care), for about two weeks now and my skin is finally starting to look better. Now, I was on my period, coming off birth control and on proactiv. I broke out of course, but my breakouts were NOT cystic (like they usually are), rather they were on top of the surface of my skin. Purging I guess. My skin is looking a lot healthier now and it feels better too. In fact, I splurged on all of the full size bottles! In conjuction with this I also started to do an internal cleanse (burdock, dandelion, apple cider vinegar, colon/liver cleanse and natural acne pills). I believe if you have acne, it's your body's way of saying Help me! Something inside isn't working right. Please give this a try if you suffer from breakouts and for best results, do an internal cleanse. Update: After spending almost $500 on Dr. H, the acne came back with a vengence after about a month and a week of use. Maybe it was the stress, hormones or my lack of discipline with the supplements... but my face looked horrible. I desperately wanted to love Dr. H so I tried my best to stick it out for another two weeks. However, I was in the drugstore with my husband and he kindly asked if he could buy me a clean & clear advantage kit (comes in silver tubes in a purple box for $20). I caved in and used the kit with my leftover proactiv solution and the acne cleared up in 3 days! Now I'm switching skincare systems left and right trying to find the perfect balance between natural and acne-fighting... if anyone has stumbled across something, let me know! Hopefully when I'm older (I'm in my twenties) I may be able to return back to Dr. H... but there's now way in hell I'd risk this kit again unless I fixed the problem inside and out first.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Dr. Hauschka - Translucent Bronze Concentrate
pixiesdust13 4/29/2007 8:28:00 PM
I love this bronzer. HG status! Before applying my makeup, I spread this on my cheek bones, forehead, eyelids and nose and I absolutely glow. It looks very natural, especially compared to powder bronzers. Best bronzer I have ever tried! Update: I just ran out of my beloved bronzer (right before the expiration date!) and I am heading to the store tomorrow to buy my second bottle. By the way, don't let the price throw you off- I used mine religiously for a whole year!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Burt's Bees - avocado hair treatment
pixiesdust13 4/14/2007 3:36:00 PM
I jumped on the Burts Bees bandwagon about a year ago and I splurged on ALL of their products. Today I really don't use any of thier products anymore. Too bad because I love the "all natural" concept and cute packaging. Anyway, I bought this avocado stuff in a cute package with a shower cap and comb. I really only use the cap and comb now, because the product did absolutely nothing for my hair! I even had to condition afterward (i have really thick and wavy hair). I would never recommend this product to anyone.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -SKII - Air Touch Foundation [DISCONTINUED]
pixiesdust13 12/23/2006 1:51:00 PM
This is the BEST foundation I have ever used and I will NEVER EVER use another bottle foundation again. It's a hefty $150 initial price tag, but once you buy it (and I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love with this product)you will never have to waste your time or money on other foundations that can't deliver these results. Plus, at Saks they give you a free monthly facial, as long as you keep up the purchases. I have dry, acne prone skin, but with this foundation on I look FLAWLESS. It saves time in the morning, you don't have to touch it up, the refills are not so bad at $80. It's like spending $40 per month on beautiful skin. Trust me on this one, this is the best beauty product I've ever owned. Update: I think I might only use this foundation for special occasions/night. I'm not sure if this is clogging my pores or not, because I use so much of it. For day, I'm sticking to Everyday Minerals...for now.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No