Mascara -Elizabeth Arden - Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment Mascara
poppydoll 12/20/2012 5:39:00 PM
One of the very few mascaras I've repurchased over and over. Pros: - Light formula, holds curls - Separates lashes very well - Zero clumps, no flakes - Leaves lashes very soft and fluttery - Layers well with other mascaras - My short/sparse/stubby lashes have grown considerably longer and thicker since using this - The growth formula doesn't irritate my eyes the way other serums have Cons: - Does not add volume - Not incredibly versatile. More of a daytime look since it doesn't add much drama - Formula can dry out pretty quickly This is a very natural looking mascara that I wear everyday. I actually just got this because I loved the formula, and the resulting longer and thicker lashes was just an added bonus. It doesn't add volume but a volumizing mascara on top of this (whenever I need it) fixes it right up. Will continue to buy
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Differin Gel
poppydoll 11/27/2012 3:17:00 PM
Long review below! Hi guys, I'm about to enter my 10th week on Differin 0.1, and it's pretty awesome. I had adult acne from hell this year and it completely shat all over my confidence and self esteem. There were days, even weeks (I work from home, thank god) where I wouldn't leave the house. I couldn't look in mirrors, my face hurt when I would take a bite of food, and my face was just the reddest, lumpiest, bumpiest thing ever. I'm not gonna lie, acne made me cry and I'm not really one for tears. Timeline below; my skin is combo/slightly dry, acne prone, sensitive. Week 1: Only applied twice the first week. Small pea sized amount, slight dryness/stinging. Week 2: Applied 3x this week. Face was starting to peel/feel very dry and would burn like holy hell after I applied moisturizer, but that feeling dissipated after a minute or so. I could also feel my skin getting more sensitive. Week 3: Applied 3x this week since my face still wasn't ready to handle a dose every night. Skin is flaking, but not too bad. Still very dry (having to apply moisturizer throughout the day). Blemishes are getting smaller, and less frequent. Week 4: Applied 5x this week and finally starting to see some improvement. I'm still breaking out but they definitely heal up quick. Skin is flaking less, and dryness is now tolerable. Week 5 Applied every night. Despite still rockin' some pimples, the clear areas of my skin have smoothed out considerably. I've stopped following Differin with my moisturizer at night. Week 6/7: I'm down to 2-3 pimples on my face at a time and still a few clogs. Huge improvement over the 20+ I had all over my face for the past year. (Gross, I know.) Still applying every night, but a bigger pea size. No longer need to apply my moisturizer throughout the day. Week 8/9: The best week of 2012 for me. I'm finally CLEAR. No pimples, no bumps, not even a single clog and my pores are next to invisible. I still have a hell of a lot of acne scars to take care of but I don't care. I haven't felt or seen my face this smooth in years. At this point Differin no longer makes my skin feel dry or sensitive and I'm barely flaking. As many others have reviewed below, the key is to start slow and then gradually increase applications whenever you think your skin is ready. I think this really decreased the amount of irritation, dryness, and flakiness I experienced. Also make sure you're still looking out for culprits! Even though my skin was improving, I was still getting clogs and I only started to see a great deal of improvement after switching up cleansers and eliminating some products. For everyone out there suffering with acne, I feel your pain. Medication is very individual; what works for one might not work for others, but the only way to know for sure is to give it a shot. Just be patient and you'll see results! :) Update: 5/14/2013 Hey guys, I just wanted to give a quick update now that I'm 9 months into using Differin. I thought my skin was clear before, but I have to say the results have improved a lot since then. I can confidently say I'm 100% blemish and clog free and have reduced applications to every other night. I love this stuff.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Boscia - Purifying Cleansing Gel
poppydoll 11/24/2012 3:50:00 PM
I have very acne prone, sensitive, and combo/slightly dry skin that can't tolerate any sulfates. I was previously using Dermalogica's Ultracalming Cleanser which was very gentle, but clogged my pores (many of which would grow into pimples) and didn't do a very good job at removing my make up. The only reason I stuck with it was because the few clogs it caused were more pleasant than the massive zit outbreaks that many other cleansers would give me. I'm currently using Differin and I love how this cleanser foams up like crazy yet remains very gentle. It takes off every stitch of make up without drying the crap out of my face and my skin feels so smooth after. I normally wait at least a month before I review a product, but after only 2 weeks of daily use, my face has cleared up. This is huge, considering I was a face full of zits for the past year. I have no active pimples, and my clogs have seemingly dissolved. Of course, I can't give all the credit to the cleanser since I think Differin is the star (thats another review) but it has definitely prevented any new clogs/pimples from forming and letting my prescription do it's job. I can't say enough about this cleanser - it foams, it cleans, it's natural, it's gentle, and a bottle will last a long time. So. In. Love.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Cover FX - Powder FX Mineral Powder Foundation
poppydoll 9/8/2012 12:25:00 AM
I will buy this for as long as they continue to make it. I've always been prone to a blemish or two but I was hit with a really bad case of adult acne this year. This was the only medium/full coverage foundation I could use that did not aggravate my acne or cause further irritation/breakouts. For background, I have combo (will lead to the drier side once winter hits), very sensitive, acne prone skin. Pros: - Great coverage. I have a lot of scars and hyperpigmentation and this covers them up pretty well without a concealer. With concealer, my skin looks pre-acne. - It is ridiculously easy to use. I'm blind as a bat (-8.00 both eyes) and can still apply this quickly on days I don't want to bother with my contacts. I just close my eyes, buff, buff, buff and voila, full coverage done. No cake face. - Excellent colour match. I'm yellow and M40 is flawless. I dont know my MAC colour but I used Agent 04 in Tarte TM. - Has great lasting power on my combo skin (6-8 hours) but if needed, touch ups are a breeze - No irritation/breakouts - Feels great on skin. I don't feel like I'm wearing anything Between this and PurMinerals, I would have to say PowderFX is the definite winner in terms of lasting power and coverage. PurMinerals disappeared from my face after a few hours and I literally had to pile it on for the same amount of coverage. For my combination skin, I can already tell this will be a bit drying when winter hits, but in this sweaty summer, it's perfect. I think this will be very beneficial to ladies with oily skin as it controlled my t-zone very well. I've previously used foundations from Chanel, MUFE, MAC, Tarte, Dior, Revlon and numerous other DS brands, and with the way my skin is behaving now, PowderFX is my perfect match.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Shiseido - Eyelash Curler
poppydoll 8/24/2012 4:25:00 PM
I love it. I have sparse lashes and this is the one curler that gets every single one of them up and pretty. This is the first eyelash curler I fell in love with and after about two years of testing out other brands, it is still my favourite. I find this curler to be very noob friendly as it curls with ease, doesn't pinch, and lasts a pretty long time. For the shape of my eyes (quite large for Asian, round but still slanted), I find this to outperform Shu, Revlon, Sephora, Tweezerman, and MAC. Even though they all performed quite well, Shiseido is the winner winner chicken dinner!
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Liquid -Chanel - Mat Lumiere Long Lasting Luminous Matte Fluid Makeup SPF 15 
poppydoll 8/24/2012 2:45:00 PM
After 6 months of frequent use (used on and off for about a year), I've finally come to the conclusion that this was clogging my pores and one of the things contributing to my horrific breakouts. My skin has gone completely apesh!t this year and after eliminating everything from my regimen and starting from scratch, I can definitely say this foundation is a pore clogger for me. I have sensitive/combo/slightly dehydrated/acne prone skin. Pros: - Purchased this in 30 and the shade match is purrrfect. - Offers medium coverage and hides acne scars pretty well - Good/great lasting power depending on the season when used with a primer (6 hours in sweaty summer before I need to blot, no blotting needed in winter) - Packaging is pretty; I like the pump and the look of the glass bottle - Blends well - Photographs beautifully Cons: - Expensive..I think it was over fiddy bones before taxes - Can sometimes feel like you're wearing foundation but that only happens when I don't wear a primer underneath - Pore clogger I previously used Pro Lumiere which didn't give me any problems, but now that it's been discontinued, I will need to take a moment of silence to mourn its loss :( I think this would be a great foundation for gals without problem skin. It blends very well, can hide pretty much anything, and holds up throughout the day. Unfortunately for me, I will continue my search for something else.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
poppydoll 8/20/2012 3:59:00 AM
I have a love-hate relationship with coconut oil. Love it on my legs, completely hate it on my face. For reference, I used the one from Nutiva and the smell is divine! Pros: I have very dry, itchy legs and a homemade coconut oil exfoliator does an amazing job at keeping them moisturized. I don't need to moisturize at all when I step out of the shower, and the effects actually last a couple days. It's also fantastic when used as a hair conditioner (I use as a mask and then shampoo) but I'm torn because my soft, newly conditioned hair can't touch my face or my back. Why? Because.... Cons: Coconut oil clogs my pores and breaks the hell out of me. Even when ingested, I get little pimples that pop up the next day and anytime that stuff even gets near my face, it turns into a war zone...like Battle of the Zits. I have combo/slightly dry sensitive, acne prone skin. Im so very sad as I've heard only fabulous things about coconut oil and its many health benefits, but I consider acne to be the devil reincarnate. I will try ingesting it again when my face completely clears up (hopefully soon) for the touted health benefits but will only repurchase for the sole purpose of moisturizing my legs.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Bioderma - Sensibio H2O (aka Crealine H20 Solution micellaire)
poppydoll 7/24/2012 4:53:00 PM
Sadly, this did not work on my sensitive, combo/slightly dry acne prone skin. I was completely turned on by the concept of a water like makeup remover for sensitive skin and wanted to love this product oh so very much. Unfortunately, it caused one of the worst break outs I'd ever had and with prolonged use it dried the holy crap out of my skin. I used this sporadically for about 8 months and upon first use, I remember it being very nice. After awhile, I noticed a tiny break out whenever I used it but didn't connect the dots because I figured, if it's formulated for sensitive skin it should be fine. For about 3 months I kept conducting experiments with Sensibio with sad, sad results but the last one I did must have really pissed off my face because hell broke out in the form of zits all over my cheeks. I don't know why I kept waiting for my face to heal only to have it ravaged by the same product but I just had to make sure it was definitely the product and yup, it was. It didn't remove foundation completely, but it worked beautifully on the lighter, everyday stuff. The cute bottle made dispensing the product very easy and I found it to be reasonably priced. Will definitely not repurchase for myself, but my sister with normal skin uses it and loves it.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Dermalogica - Ultracalming Relief Masque
poppydoll 6/24/2012 1:16:00 PM
I generally have sensitive/combo/acne prone slom, but I used this mask after I had irritated my face into oblivion. The knowledgeable ladies on the SC board have helped immensely in pinpointing my skin type as I was doing everything all wrong. After months of daily glycolic use and harsh cleansers and treatments, I finally realized that every single thing I was doing was contributing to my explosive acne. My cheeks were red, inflamed, bumpy, dull, itchy, dry. I switched everything back to Dermalogica's Ultracalming line (why did I stray? DURRR) and have seen a big improvement. My skin was still dry and rough, so I applied this mask from a sample I received and it is fab. The texture is slightly creamy and it instantly soothes. It felt sooo good on my skin, kind of like that feeling you get when you take your socks off at the end of a hot day. You just wanna go aaaah! The next morning the roughness/bumps on my cheeks had disappeared and the redness from my acne had gone down considerably. Product is expensive and after my face heals I can't see myself using it often (hence 4 lippies), but it is definitely a savior in times of need lol.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neostrata - Foaming Glycolic Wash (AHA 20)
poppydoll 5/31/2012 5:12:00 PM
Depending on your skin type this product can either be a total hit or a huge fat miss. My lovely mum recommended this to me and said this cleanser was responsible for getting rid of her dark spots and tightening up her pores. On her normal, slightly oily skin this was a godsend, but after only four days on my combo/sensitive/acne prone skin, my face blew up. The first day felt great but this quickly became very drying and irritating for my skin, and it also left 5 pimples behind for me to make friends with. Will definitely not repurchase for myself, but I must admit my mum's complexion has improved.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Smashbox - Hyperlash
poppydoll 5/29/2012 8:00:00 PM
This product is incredibly underwhelming. It's not completely useless, hence the two lippies, but for something over 20 bones it certainly isn't special. It holds a curl well enough, lengthens okay, but doesn't do much for volume. For my sparse lashes it was definitely lacking, but this might suit the lucky gals who already have full lashes. I would still use this if I had absolutely nothing else on hand, but if it were to go missing I probably wouldn't give a crap. I find CG lash blast fusion to perform much better than this and I don't even like that one too much. Edit: this can't hold a curl at all. I was using this mascara paired with other ones cus I didn't want it to go to waste, but it turns out hyperlash really is useless on its own. Downgraded to one lippie!
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Cleansers -Dermalogica - Special Cleansing Gel
poppydoll 3/26/2012 1:13:00 PM
Pretty disappointed with this. Dermalogica products are a hit for me so it was a little disheartening to find one that was a total miss. I have sensitive, combo, acne prone skin and this cleanser rinsed very clean (not squeaky) but it also clogged the hell out of my face. The first two months were fabulous, but then after that I started breaking out on my cheeks and as time went on I had clogged pores like you wouldn't believe. Did trial runs to make sure this was the culprit and sadly, it was. Total time product was used; approx 5 months. Pros: Cleans well without stripping skin Pump packaging Cons: CLOGGED PORES which later led to a lot of breakouts Expensive Will not be repurchasing or using up the product I have left, but I will add that this paired with Dermalogica's Precleanse leaves your face clean and completely spotless. After applying toner, there was never any residue.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dermalogica - Ultra Calming Cleanser
poppydoll 8/14/2011 2:41:00 AM
I first used this in highschool when my skin went haywire and broke out in an arsenal of cystic zits. I was previously using ProActive for my acne-prone skin, but had to stop because after years of use it started to dry the hell out of my face. My cousin, who happened to be an esthetician, recommended this to me saying I had sensitive skin (which I didnt believe) and I flat out denied her the first time since I had always used stronger, sudsy products. Out of desperation, I finally decided to try it, and I have to say it is responsible for healing my face. I'm not sure why I ditched it after it was so good to me, but years later my skin started acting up again (zits/itchy dry skin that was also oily) and this again came to the rescue. It does what it's name says, it's calming and very soothing. The consistency is creamy and it does not lather up at all. I remember when I first tried it, I absolutely hated the fact that it didn't get sudsy because I felt like it wasn't cleaning my face, just pushing grease around. But there's no fragrance, no soap, nothing about it irritates my skin. My face does not feel tight after I wash it off, which was a feeling I had to get used to as my previous products always made me feel squeaky and tight. I always have a bottle on hand in case my skin starts to burn or get crazy itchy (winter time) and it has always helped. I would only recommend this to people with sensitive skin though, as my sister has used it (normal skin) and although she says it's not terrible, it's not good for her either. She thinks it's kind of useless whereas I wouldn't be able to live without it. I heard Cetaphil was comparable but unfortunately, the product left some sort of a film on my face and it just didnt feel as nice. Dermalogica's UltraCalming Cleanser is the winner for me! :D
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Clinique - Brow Shaper
poppydoll 8/13/2011 6:41:00 AM
Let me just start by saying I am an eyebrow noob. I used to only do the basics (eyeliner/blush) but now have completely fallen in love with all things makeup. Since I started adding more products to my daily routine, I decided to try filling in my brows because they looked lonely and light. This gives me the perfect hint of colour and it looks so natural! I was actually surprised at how easily I was able to apply it, and it lasts all day. I'm not sure how other brushes are but the bristles on this one are stiff and the brush in general is very user friendly. I tried playing around with several pencils before this one, and I realized I just do not have the skill to make pencils look as nice and natural. My eyebrows are quite full (as full as Asian brows can get) and I find this to just add a little more oomph, without creating any other interesting facial expressions. Bottom line, this powder is pretty much idiot proof. I received this as a gift for New Years and have barely made a dent in it. Will definitely repurchase whenever (if ever :P) I use it up.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Decleor - Cleansing Milk
poppydoll 8/13/2011 12:16:00 AM
My first Decleor product. I originally went to get another bottle of Dermalogica's UltraCalming cleanser but since they were out of stock, the SA recommended I try this out. First, I have to say that the scent is absolutely intoxicating. It smells so good that I sneak whiffs of it when I'm putting on my makeup. It's a light scent that I don't find to be heavily perfumey..you know in Pocahontas when she's got wisps of wind flowing all around? That's what I imagine happens everytime I open the bottle. Anyway, I would say this would be best suited for someone with dry to very dry skin. It was a bit too much for my skin at the time I tried it as we were getting into summer, but I am going back to this when we are back in the cold, cold winter. Cleansing properties are decent...I wouldn't just use this on it's own as I do wear a bit of makeup (didnt take mine off) so I'd use this after a precleanse. No breakout, no irritaton, quite mild for me actually. The packaging is nice and pretty and it dispenses the product without creating a mess. In terms of cleansing milks I will continue to keep this product in mind until I find something better. It is a good product but it is not amazing (except for the smell). For now, I will repurchase :)
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