Sunscreen -Sofina - Perfect UV White Protect SPF 50+
rigashi 4/1/2009 9:15:00 PM
My HG sunscreen! :) It's a very liquid consistency that needs to be shaken before each use. It applies very smoothly, and it's very mattifying (like most milk sunscreens) so it works well as a makeup base. There's no fragrance, and I haven't experienced any breakouts due to this product. It is a bit on the expensive side, especially since I have to get it from Asia. Sometimes I'll use the OMI Sun Bears Whitening sunscreen, which works almost as well but is much much cheaper.
Btw this is waterproof (not just sweatproof), so you should use an oil-based cleanser to remove it completely. I use a cleansing oil.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear Pressed Powder
rigashi 4/1/2009 9:05:00 PM
I LOVE this product. I had stopped using powders for a long time b'cuz I didn't want to keep piling makeup on my face when my breakouts kept worsening (I stuck to just concealer). But I have normal-to-oily skin, and by the end of the day, my skin gets noticeably shiny. I picked the up the Translucent Light on a whim, and I'm really glad I did b'cuz it's worked extremely well for me! I use it as a finishing powder with my MAC187, and it makes my skin look flawless. My large pores are greatly minimized, and it has pretty good oil control. I actually like that it doesn't mattify completely since I really like the dewy look. It doesn't seem to give much coverage, but again I only use it to set my base makeup (bb cream and concealer). It hasn't caused any pimples, and there's been many nights where I've slept with my makeup on! As others have mentioned, there is a smell... but it's not strong and it doesn't linger on your face at all. The packaging isn't very sturdy either--the lid's essentially held closed with magnets--but I don't carry my makeup around so this is a non-issue for me. I would definitely buy this again!
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Pure Vitamin E Oil
rigashi 1/26/2008 4:00:00 AM
I bought the American Fare brand 28,000 IU 100% pure vitamin e oil. It's really thick and sticky, so I can't imagine what the consistencies of higher concentrations are like! But I originally bought this as a cheap way of conditioning my eyelashes at night. I don't wear mascara very often, but I still abuse them with my curler everyday. My lashes are softer and thicker, and hopefully stronger. A couple weeks ago, I also started applying a thin layer of vitamin e oil at night to my forehead (deep-set wrinkles inherited from my father) and on any dry patches on my face. Even though I use 2 heavy moisturizers together, the recent wind chill has been wreaking havoc on my poor skin, which I already attack with 10%BP cream twice a day. When I wake up in the morning, the vitamin e oil has mostly, but not completely, absorbed into my skin. After I wash my face, I can feel how soft and hydrated it is. So far I haven't had any breakouts, and if it stays that way, I think I'll start adding a drop to my moisturizer every morning.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel
rigashi 1/26/2008 3:46:00 AM
Apparently my face hates aloe vera. :( I had heard the raves about aloe vera gel as a moisturizer, so I snatched up a small travel size bottle at Target. I've been drinking aloe vera juice since I was a child, and my mom often used the leaves an as ingredient in homemade facial masks. I really thought I had found my HG moisturizer for a super-cheap price! It's a bit sticky, but it absorbed into my skin fairly quickly. I had been having issues with dry flakiness, but this stuff left my skin so hydrated and supple! Unfortunately soon after I had confidently bought a 12oz. bottle of this, I realized that this was causing some cysts! I really wish this had worked out for me~
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Paula's Choice - Skin Balancing Toner
rigashi 1/23/2008 11:11:00 PM
This is an awesome toner! I love that it has aloe in it. It cleaned any remaining residue off my face and closed my pores very well, and it made my skin feel so refreshed. It spreads quite easily, but I needed quite a bit of product to cover my entire face. It's relatively cheap for the amount you get though. Also, it doesn't really hydrate my skin or help my moisturizer absorb more quickly. This was my HG before I found my current HG (Shiseido softener), but I would definitely recommend this toner!!!
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Lip Gloss -C.O. Bigelow - Mentha Cinnamint Lip Shine
rigashi 1/23/2008 8:43:00 PM
I bought this b'cuz I loved the Mentha ones so much and I figured I wouldn't be able to find a cinnamon lip gloss anywhere else. I usually like cinnamon flavour, but I'm not a fan of the taste of this lip gloss. I do like the smell though, and I love how it makes my lips tingle. I would've kept using it if it didn't have a red tint.
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Lip Gloss -C.O. Bigelow - Ultra Mentha Lip Shine
rigashi 1/23/2008 8:39:00 PM
WOW. I thought the original Mentha was great, but this Ultra Mentha is even better! The tingling sensation is so intense, especially over my Lip Ice lip balm (which also makes my lips tingle)! This and the original are definitely my HG lip glosses! :)
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Treatments (Eye) -Lancome - High Resolution with Fibrelastine for Eyes
rigashi 1/23/2008 2:08:00 AM
I was in a pinch after running out of my previous eye cream, so I "borrowed" this from my mom's vanity. But she had gotten it as a GWP with one of her Lancome purchases, so I didn't feel too badly. :) At this time, I had been applying 10% benzoyl peroxide cream to my temples, so my outer eye areas and browbones were extremely dry and flakey. But this eye cream eliminated the flakes and hydrated my eyes! It doesn't feel heavy after application, and it spreads and absorbs quite easily. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the intense fragrance.
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Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Tea Tree Oil 
rigashi 1/23/2008 1:57:00 AM
I used organic tea tree oil from European Secrets. It was ~$10 for 14ml. I really, really wanted this to work for me b'cuz I was worried about the harsh effects of 10%BP on my skin... but unfortunately it didn't work out at all. I used a Q-tip to spot-treat my pimples twice a day for 2 months. As expected my skin purged all of the dirt to the surface... but then those whiteheads would never disappear. I just kept purging and the whiteheads kept growing in number. The smell is incredibly strong and medicine-y... but nothing I wouldn't be able to deal with if this product actually worked for me. But it did prevent any cystic pimples, and it did make my skin feel very tingly and cool. Perhaps in the (far) future I will try out a more popular brand, like Desert Essence.
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Treatments -Clean & Clear - Persagel 10
rigashi 1/23/2008 1:46:00 AM
I cannot live without this product! Although it is extremely harsh on your skin, I would much rather have clear skin than no wrinkles until I'm 40. (I use 2 moisturizers and SPF55+ sunscreen everyday anyway!) At first I didn't really like it b'cuz it would leave white marks after it dried, but I realized that I needed to apply a very thin layer. The only downside for me is that it dries out my skin very badly, which is troublesome since my cleanser is very drying as well. But this is the only acne treatment that has effectively eliminated my pimples, and luckily I haven't had any adverse reactions to this. I will repurchase until my skin stays clear for more than a year!
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Lip Gloss -C.O. Bigelow - Mentha Lip Shine
rigashi 1/23/2008 1:38:00 AM
I have finally found my HG lip gloss! It has no shimmer and no tint, which is great for me since I'm obsessive about wiping my mouth everytime I eat or drink. It's very shiny without being too thick or sticky, and the smell is just AMAZING! I love how my lips tingle when I apply it. :) I stocked up on these during the B&BW sale!
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Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme
rigashi 1/23/2008 1:26:00 AM
Currently I'm using Nivea Soft as a second facial moisturizer for the wintertime. It's so incredibly cheap: only ~$6USD for 6.8oz!!! I can pile this on my face without feeling any guilt lol. Truthfully Nivea Creme works much better at eliminating flakes or persistent dry patches, but this stuff is so lightweight and spreads very easily. Although it applies a bit sticky, my skin feels amazingly soft, smooth, and supple after absorbing! I've never used a moisturizer that leaves my skin so smooth. It does moisturize well enough, but unfortunately dry patches will reemerge after an hour (at least during harsh winter weather)... but that's why I use it in conjunction with another moisturizer (Shiseido The Skincare Night Moisture Recharge Enriched). Also, this hasn't made me break out at all. I wish it was better at hydrating my skin, but I just love how soft my skin feels after using this!
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Tinted Moisturizer -Shiseido - The Skincare Essential Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 [DISCONTINUED]
rigashi 1/23/2008 1:04:00 AM
This is such a great product! I use the Light colour, which is a perfect match for my Asian skintone. It has much more of a yellow-base than other TMs I've tried. It's very lightweight, and though it applies matte, it gives me a dewy, glowy look after several hours. I use a quarter-size amount for my entire face, but you get a lot of product for the price! I just use my fingers to apply, and it spreads very easily. It doesn't give a lot of coverage, but a thin layer evens out my skintone beautifully. Also, it makes my face feel a bit sticky, but I guess you can't really get a dewy look with a matte finish lol. If it weren't for bb creams, this would still be my HG face product. :)
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Toners -Shiseido - The Skincare Hydro-balancing softener lotion
rigashi 1/23/2008 12:37:00 AM
This is definitely one of the BEST toners I have ever used! It's definitely better at sealing in moisture and softening your skin than cleaning off any remaining residues or tightening your pores, but I have never used a toner that spreads as easily as this one, with so little product! And of course, it works! :) My Shiseido cleansing foam doesn't leave any residue, and my Missha cleansing oil clears off all traces of makeup... so hydration is mainly what I'm looking for. This hydrates my skin quite well--and it's all I need for moisture in the summer--but it also allows my skin to absorb moisturizer much more quickly. It's a bit on the expensive side for a toner, but it's well worth it for me!
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Xylitol, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metaphosphate, Fragrance (Parfum), Citric Acid, Dimorpholinopyridazinone, Citronellol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lysolecithin, Tocopherol, Thymus Serpillum Extract
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Cleansers -Shiseido - The Skincare Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam
rigashi 1/23/2008 12:28:00 AM
This is my HG cleanser right now! You only need a dime-sized amount to create a thick lather, and I love how squeaky clean my face feels afterwards. Foam cleansers have always been my favourite type of cleanser, but this is definitely one of the best I've ever used. It smells amazing too, and you get a lot of product for the price. It is very drying however, so it's very important to use a good moisturizer (even if you have oily skin). Also, it doesn't actively exfoliate your skin, but that's not really a concern for me since I use some sort of mask or scrub at least once a week.
The quality of water at my house is very poor, so I've been having breakouts ever since I moved here last August. (I've been getting pimples on my ear lobes, behind my ears, on my scalp, on my decollete, and bacne too. I desperately need a water filter.) But this cleanser has completely cleared up my skin! I ran out of it a week ago, and so I was using something else... within 2 days, 5 pimples and 1 cyst emerged! I ran to the mall to get this, and I started using this again yesterday... today, there are no more pimples and the cyst has been reduced to a tiny whitehead. Unbelievable. I will keep re-purchasing the entire Shiseido The Skincare line until my skin gets too old for it!
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, PEG-6, PEG-32, Lauric Acid, Polyethylene, Potassium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Gylceryl Stearate SE, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium Edta, Citronellol, Linalool, Trehalose, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No