Styling Products -L'Oreal - EverStyle Curl Activating Mousse
rodelinda 6/14/2012 11:20:00 PM
It did a good job defining my curls, but left a really nasty buildup on my hair after using it for a couple of weeks.
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Treatments -Perricone - Cold Plasma - Face
rodelinda 2/7/2012 12:08:00 AM
It works really well, but I just can't get past the smell. We got some turkey fat on our cloth napkins last Thanksgiving, and it took several washings in hot water and bleach to get the rancid turkey grease odor out of them. I can't smear a cream that smells like rancid turkey grease on my face, no matter how great it is.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Badgley Mischka
rodelinda 10/30/2011 6:28:00 PM
I've enjoyed sampling the other five-star fragrances from Perfumes: The Guide, so when I saw that discounters carry mini parfum bottles of Badgley Mischka for under $10, I had to order one. (That's practically free, right?) I'm so glad I didn't pay more. It's very similar to Coco Mademoiselle or Miss Dior Cherie, except that while those two fragrances last all day and then some, Badgley Mischka goes through its entire life cycle of generic fruitchouli to synthetic laundry musk to nothing at all in under two hours. Perfume longevity is rarely a problem for me, so I'm not sure if this is the shortest-lived pure parfum in existence or if there's more to it that I'm just not capable of smelling, but we're definitely not meant for each other.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Vol de Nuit
rodelinda 10/29/2011 3:55:00 PM
Mitsouko and I simply don't get along. Shalimar is lovely but a bit too opulent on me, and besides, it's my mother's fragrance. Apres l'Ondee is a stunning floral, but I'm more of an oriental gal. L'Heure Bleue stays cold and aloof and never quite settles on my skin. But oh, Vol de Nuit is perfection.
It smells so similar to L'Heure Bleue at first that I get a little nervous. Then the magic happens. While L'Heure Bleue stays one-dimensional, Vol de Nuit warms and turns polished and golden and epitomizes pretty much everything I love about older classic perfumes with their powdery amber and vanillic benzoin and complexity and nostalgia. It also gets bonus points for having the most beautiful parfum bottle in the fragrance world. I would encourage fans of Caron's Nuit de Noel to also try Vol de Nuit, because they have a lot in common, both in scent and in overall feeling.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -By Kilian - Sweet Redemption
rodelinda 9/21/2011 2:22:00 PM
Pure Redemption is bottled sunshine. If you like orange blossom and vanilla, definitely try this one. The orange blossom is sweet and citrusy, and the vanilla is creamy and grounding and so smooth. I've seen some reviewers complain about an odd bitter or menthol note in the middle stages, but it just smells like a light dusting of myrrh to me, which gives a little complexity to an otherwise fairly straighforward scent. Overall, this is one of the happiest fragrances I've ever smelled. It puts a smile on my face every time I spray it on.
Notes: orange blossom, vanilla, myrrh, opopanax, benzoin, incense.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Amouage - Reflection
rodelinda 9/20/2011 3:08:00 PM
This was a blast from the past for me, and certainly not something I expected from Amouage, a company known for its dense, complex fragrances. It's pure Salon Selectives hair products from the 1990s - remember the really fruity generic scent? That's Reflection in a nutshell. It's not awful, but I'd never be able to wear it without remembering the smell of high school.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Olay - Olay Complete Ageless Skin Renewing UV Lotion SPF 20
rodelinda 6/29/2011 5:42:00 PM
I've used dozens of different face moisturizers, including other Olay products, but this is the first one to cause a red, burning rash around my nose and mouth. Skin irritation aside, I also disliked the unpleasant tingling when I first applied the lotion. It seemed to do an okay job moisturizing and didn't leave my face greasy, but obviously this isn't the right product for me. Guess I'm going back to L'Oreal Revitalift Complete Day Lotion.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Kate Walsh - Boyfriend
rodelinda 4/18/2011 1:48:00 PM
Boyfriend makes me feel like I'm being suffocated by patchouli. I hate it. My husband hates it. Normally I use spray samples as air freshener around the house if I'm not going to wear them again, but I bagged this one up and tossed it in the trash.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Hilde Soliani- Conaffetto
rodelinda 4/18/2011 1:26:00 PM
I was expecting a sugary gourmand fragrance when I sampled Conaffetto, and I was glad to discover that I was wrong. You can definitely detect the candied almonds, but they're blended so perfectly with orange blossom that the finished product smells more like sweet flower nectar than candy. It's simple and carefree and happy. I think I need a bottle for this summer.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Francis Kurkdjian Absolue Pour le Soir
rodelinda 3/26/2011 4:44:00 PM
I wasn't a huge fan of Cologne Pour le Soir, so I didn't have high hopes for this one. The first time I sampled the Absolue version, it was awful -- a cuminy, skanky mess that I couldn't imagine wearing in the company of another person. I'm not sure why (I would usually toss something that I disliked so much), but I gave it one more chance a few weeks later, and I'm glad that I did. There was still a reasonable amount of skank, but it blended with smoke and honey and other notes to create a very intriguing fragrance. I don't need a bottle because I couldn't see myself reaching for it often, but it's one of the more interesting fragrances I've smelled in a while.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Pacifica - Tibetian Mountain Temple - Solid Perfume
rodelinda 3/26/2011 3:58:00 PM
It's funny -- I've spent thousands of dollars on niche perfumes over the last decade, and this $8.99 solid fragrance that I buy at my local grocery store is one of my favorite discoveries. I love ginger and orange together, and the vetiver and patchouli give the fragrance some warmth and depth without veering into Deadhead territory. It stays very close to the skin. You're never going to offend anyone around you wearing it. The ingredients list is so tame and natural that I don't mind letting my toddler dip her fingers into the tub and spread a little on her wrist just like I do. I wish it had a little more lasting power and came in a retractable tube instead of a tub, but those are very minor complaints about a great inexpensive product. I'll buy this one again and again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Absolue pour le Matin EDP
rodelinda 3/22/2011 2:04:00 PM
Absolue Pour le Matin is pleasant. It starts out as zingy citrus and fades quickly to a airy skin scent that no one besides you will ever smell unless you shove your arm against someone's nose. It's definitely office friendly, if not particularly interesting. I found it to be similar to TDC's Bergamote, so if you're a fan of that one then you might like this too.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee
rodelinda 3/20/2011 2:12:00 PM
I'm glad the reviewer below also got a chemical vibe from Vanille Insensee, because I was starting to think I was alone. I appreciate that it's trying to be something more transparent and interesting than your usual run-of-the-mill cake batter vanilla fragrance, but my skin really brings out some sort of awful sharp chemical note that's lurking in the background. My husband thinks it smells like Avon Skin So Soft. I sampled Diptyque Eau Duelle, which is a very similar fragrance, and had much better luck with it.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Nez a Nez - Bouche Baie
rodelinda 3/14/2011 4:53:00 PM
Bouche Baie smells like fruity cough syrup for children. I can't think of anything else to add to my review, except that I threw my sample away because I knew I would never want to wear it again.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Regina Harris perfume oil
rodelinda 3/13/2011 7:32:00 PM
This smells like pretty much every New Age or Indian import store I've ever been in. If you're scared of "smelling like a hippie," this is not the perfume for you. It's mostly headshoppy incense, spice and wood with a dash of rose thrown in. I like it, but it's not a crowd pleaser (unless you run with a very specific type of crowd). I'd wear it to have fun on a chilly day rather than at the office.
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