Foundations -Hourglass - Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation
psmitty 3/12/2012 9:52:00 PM
Yech, not for my skin! I've enjoyed Hourglass products before and use their primer regularly. For sensitive, acne-prone skin, oil-free products are appreciated! I was very disappointed in the look and appearance with this. It felt very dry and tight, obvious I was wearing something. It oddly settled into every pore, leaving white dots. I don't even have big pores! It looked like foundation, no matter how I blended- especially on my nose. It also transfered easily onto kleenex. For the price especially, it's very disappointing. Very glad I got a sample instead of purchasing! Almay's skin clearing foundation looks much better, lasts longer and is about $50 cheaper in Canada. No thanks, sorry Hourglass! Try Smashbox Studio Skin if you're looking for a natural-finish, oil-control liquid foundation.
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Treatments -Joico - Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm for thick or coarse hair
psmitty 3/8/2012 7:32:00 AM
Hands down the best conditioner I've ever used. I've loved the regular Moisture Recovery conditioner for years and thought it was the best. I found a 1 liter container at a supply place for around $25 CDN, so thought I'd give it a try. I only need a small amount, so this will likely last me ages. I have thick, straight hair that isn't too damaged. I can use this every day and it never weighs my hair down. It makes it smooth, soft and with volume. I switch up the Moisture Recovery shampoo with Head and Shoulders Dry Scalp. Most conditioners, even expensive ones, make very little difference, make my hair heavy or ends dry. This is absolutely perfect! I would definitely repurchase again, especially if I can find it in the large size for a reasonable price. Highly recommend!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -TiGi - Bed Head After Party
psmitty 3/8/2012 7:24:00 AM
Wow, very effective! The packaging is unnecessary (I just tossed the big cap), but overall impressive product. I found it on sale at a supply outlet and it's fairly large, so value was reasonable. It makes my thick, straight hair very smooth, soft and manageable- no greasiness at all. I just put a dime-sized amount on my hand, rub my hands together and rub through dried hair starting at the ends. For the difference it makes, I would certainly buy again.
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Skincare - Face -Olay - Age Defying Protective Renewal Lotion
psmitty 3/8/2012 5:50:00 AM
Great stuff! I agree with a previous reviewer- I haven't seen this on the shelves for a while. Perhaps Olay brought it back? In any case, I'm a long-time devotee to the daly renewal cream with BHA. It works amazingly well for my very sensitive, acne prone skin. This is similiar- it sinks right in, provides a smooth base without making me oily. It's reasonable, especially on sale. No breakouts. I will continue to repurchase!
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Lips -Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain (All Shades)
psmitty 3/6/2012 7:28:00 AM
Absolutely love this product! The price makes me choke, so I'd only buy if I had a gift certificate, etc. It's excellent for many reasons; - very workable shade selection with brights and neutrals - extreme lasting power and even wear - matte, non-sticky feel but glossy look - easy to apply - can be layered for depth - not drying at all It really does last, which no stain really does on my lips. I have shade 4 and it's a perfect plummy mauve for my pale yellow skin and dark hair. I may purchase the neutral brown shade when I can justify, which might be a while! If you've been frustrated with poor lasting power, stickiness, dryness and fake shades, give it a try. Love it!
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Christian Dior - Addict Extreme
psmitty 2/29/2012 4:57:00 PM
Very sad result! I'd been reading about these for a long time and had high expectations. It's very clear from advertising this claims to be a long-wearing product. I used Extreme powder foundation for years and was so impressed with the lasting power. This lipstick actually lasts significantly less than the majority of glosses and balms I have and fades unevenly. It's more like a pigmented tinted lip balm that slides right off. I bought Black Tie, an incredible deep but sheep plum. I let it set for a while. I sipped juice, then ate a few pieces of candy. I noticed some had come off on the rim and even worse, I had red rings around my lips with nothing on the middle! Horror! Highly embarassing. So many products last much longer. The best I've found are Bobbi Brown Creamy Lipcolour and Anna Sui Rouge V. For the price and the claims, I'm actually pretty pissed off. I would certainly not purchase again. Try at Sephora and go get a coffee before buying, see if it's still there before buying. Hopefully it will work better for you!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -NARS - Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Club Mix
psmitty 2/25/2012 9:13:00 PM
Lovely matte brownish purple, but unfortunately pigments settled into my lines. This happens to me with Nars lipstick too. Strange, since I'm 30 and by no means have deep lines. It faded on the smooth part and left really dark, obvious clumps in the creases. Yuck! I will not repurchase. The pencil format is a pain too.
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Mascara -Guerlain - Le 2 de Guerlain
psmitty 2/20/2012 7:59:00 PM
Gross! Clumpy, fragranced, unflattering. It's extremely expensive for such an underperforming product. Glad I had a gift certificate for this! One light coat clumps like crazy on me, one of the worst mascaras I've tried for this. It hurts my eyes to distraction and they're not sensitive. A big fail, especially for the price.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Bobbi Brown - Creamy Lip Color-Blue Raspberry
psmitty 2/20/2012 9:38:00 AM
Love this shade and formula. Creamy lipcolors are my HG lipsticks in lasting power, moisturizing feel and look. No perfumey taste either! It's like a pigmented, very long-lasting balm on me. It doesn't transfer much onto cups and lasts a good several hours- rare for me. It's creamy and thick, but doesn't feel sticky, heavy or unnatural. It's especially amazing in the winter, during which most lipsticks look dry and feathery. It applies evenly with no mirror. The shade is a lovely pigmented pinky rose on me. Rose Petal looks good on me, but Italian Rose looks awful. I have very pale yellow skin, dark hair and pigmented lips- IR looks too orangey. This is perfect with yellowy or neutral skin tones. A blueish tone isn't really noticeable, except for really neutralizing orangey tones. Perfect shade for everyday and neutral enough to wear with lots of colors. Love it!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Seedy Pearl Eyeshadow
psmitty 2/20/2012 9:02:00 AM
I really wanted to like this! It was recommended by an SA as a base for my hazel eyes and pale, yellow skin. It looks like a light purpley/silvery shade in the pan, but goes on purpley/pinky/red. It had very little impact on my pale skin- you can barely see it except for an unappealing reddish tint. There are so many similar, better shades out there for yellow skin. I can see this working with dark skin. Cloud by Stila works much better on me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Christian Dior - Diorsnow White Reveal UV Shield SPF 50 PA +++
psmitty 2/14/2012 5:27:00 AM
This is the only high-SPF sunscreen that hasn't broken me out! I've used sensitive skin versions from Kiehl's, Lancome, Neutrogena, Vichy, Clarins, MAC (prep and prime 50), Banana Boat, Coppertone and the list goes on. They all broke me out. Desperate for sun protection, I picked this up in the US for around $50- it's not available in Canada. It comes in a small, flexible tube with a pump top, making application easy. It has a light scent, but it fades quickly and doesn't bother me. It controls oil ALL day, no blotting. It is extreme, though- my normally very combo skin gets dry with this alone, so it's not moisturizing. I use a really light moisturizer underneath to avoid dryness. I find it best to apply when my face is a bit damp so it spreads more easily. All-in-all, I will continue to stock up on trips and pay the amount. It worked very well on a hot cruise- no burning whatsoever. To find a high SPF screen that makes my sensitive, acne-prone skin happy is a big deal!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Chantecaille - Mood
psmitty 2/11/2012 4:58:00 PM
The packaging is cheap-looking, but I love the blush- such a perfect shade! I have very pale yellow skin and most blushes go ruddy or are too cool. This is a natural-looking fresh pink that instantly makes me look fresher and more awake. It lasts all day. No breakouts as of yet. Pricey, but it's very hard to find an oil- and bismuth oxychloride- free blush that looks good with yellow tones.
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Foundations -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full-Coverage Foundation SPF 15
psmitty 2/8/2012 3:07:00 PM
Sorry to be a dissenter! It's acceptable on my oily skin, but not fantastic. It does get points for an amazing shade match- I'm very pale yellow and Fair is a match. I've read reviews claiming it's "ghost like"- well, I guess that's me! I also like the squeezy packaging, lack of parabens and natural look. It does, however, make me greasy and has limited coverage. I blot very frequenly with this. It's advertised as "full coverage", but on me, it's light to medium. It also gathers into my fine smile lines and I'm only 30 and can cake up on peach fuzz, which I don't have much of. I much prefer Smashbox Studio Skin for look, wear and oil-control. UPDATE: Ok, that does it! I'm downgrading this! I'm upset by Tarte's false claims (much like their "1000x more moisture" lip product) of waterproof and wear. I shoveled show for about 5 minutes- when I looked in the mirror, milky spots were all over my face where the snow particles hit it. I had taken particular care applying and using a great base. This was not rain, being submerged in a pool or sweat, just a few snow particles. I walk outside a lot and exercise- the humid summer would be a big embarassment. Seems others have not had this issue? Sure, it hasn't broken me out and the shade is great. But for this to wear so poorly, collect in my minimal fine lines, patch up and run with moisture no matter how many different ways I apply (even with primer, setting powder, alone, etc), it is a big fail. Tarte, make sure your claims are accurate! I have no problems with other foundation lasting, like Studio Skin, Almay Skin Clearing, Alima Mineral, Lorac Wet/Dry, etc. Really confused by the good reviews for lasting power, wish it worked for me!
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Tarina Tarantino - Fleur De Lash in Black Opal
psmitty 2/8/2012 2:25:00 PM
This mascara did very little for my lashes. Sure, it wasn't too smudgy, but it provided frustratingly limited volume and length. It was so wet, my lashes clumped together and additional coats were impossible to build. I prefer a dryer mascara that is buildable. Glad it was a sample! I wouldn't buy if it was in a drugstore for $10, so I certainly wouldn't at that price. There are much cheaper mascaras that do much more!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Unlisted Brand - Scotch Naturals - Water Colors nail polish
psmitty 2/3/2012 5:32:00 PM
Really wanted to like this, but sadly it wasn't effective. No matter how I applied, it came off in patches within a few hours. By day 2, just lumps and patches of polish are on my nails. Worst lasting power I've ever experienced in a nail polish. Too bad, I love the concept and the healthier ingredients.
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