Treatments -L'Oreal - Professionnel Serie Expert Absolut repair 
roroluca 12/21/2011 10:09:00 AM
My Hair: Typical Asian hair - coarse, shoulder-length, never dyed (permed a few times), straight. Most importantly, it's very COARSE. Reading the reviews on here, it appears that this mask is best for those with really dry hair (I only suffer from the occasional split ends) but those with THIN hair as well. I tried this mask in many different ways (using a hair mask, after shampooing hair twice, using different shampoos, using this mask for 5 min or even as long as 15 min). This didn't do anything that an ordinary conditioner does for me. I think the thick texture of this product did not suit my hair - experience has told me that lighter products work better on my coarse hair, for some reason. That being said, I would highly encourage you to either get a sample of this or consider other masks (I have had GREAT results from the Aveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment) if you have thick/coarse Asian hair like mine!
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Polishes -OPI - Red Hot Ayers Rock
roroluca 8/21/2011 8:04:00 PM
While I love this polish, I wouldn't necessarily purchase it again. This is a very vibrant, bright red color with a slightly cool undertone. It looks great against my NW35 skin, however, I believe a red with more orange undertones looks even vibrant against my tan yet cool-toned skin. This shade is PERFECT for nights out, a gathering with friends, or on days when you just want to let you hair down. Lose your inhibitions with Red Hot Ayers Rock - this color frees you of constraints
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Polishes -OPI - Baguette Me Not
roroluca 8/21/2011 8:02:00 PM
An awesome, feminine color to wear in autumn. The lipstick equivalent of this nail polish would HAVE to be Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle. This polish color is a sophisticated burnt rose shade that exudes the elegance of French women. I am a die-hard lover of various red and pink nail polish colors on a woman's nails so I completely fell in love with this color. If you're more of a neon nail-color girl, you may not like this; however, I urge you to give it a try because you literally feel like a different person after wearing this!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -NARS - Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
roroluca 8/15/2011 5:58:00 PM
Wow, I was impressed by this eyeshadow base once I received a small sample of this at Sephora. I had never used much eyeshadow at all before using this eyeshadow base but I don't even want to try any other kind for two reasons: 1) I still have PLENTY of this remaining after daily use for almost 8 months and 2) it works SO WELL. Now I have very oily skin. Seriously, even applying a light layer of Milk of Magnesia doesn't keep the oils at bay after the first 2 hours. My eyelids are no different - even light washes of light-colored eyeshadows crease on me and eyeliner fade SO FAST without primers on my lid! Fortunately for me, I already had a sample of this eyeshadow base so I didn't need to try out various drugstore versions (and possibly be disappointed) before I discovered this gem. From personal experience I can tell you that this will last overnight and that I even like taking a bit of this base and applying it onto my brows (I have very sparse, light-colored brow hairs) so my brow pencil's pigment actually stays on my brows for the whole day. amazing. I would actually like to try the E.L.F eyeshadow primer someday too because I've heard good anecdotes about that. But I'll buy that once I run out of this baby which probably won't be until another year or two later!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment
roroluca 8/15/2011 5:53:00 PM
Oh my goodness .. Aquaphor, to me, is BETTER than Vaseline because Aquaphor is water-based and it doesn't linger unwantedly! I LOVE using this as lip balm at night and wake up with such supple lips! Another (strange) use it for my skin, particularly my neck, in dry, cold winter weather. My neck occasionally breaks out in patches of red rashes and one layer of aquaphor over those troubled areas calms down the itchiness AND gets rid of the awful red color overnight. Amazing. P.S. I bought a tube of this 2 years ago and still have more than half left. FABULOUS!!
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Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Carbon Black Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner
roroluca 8/11/2011 2:33:00 PM
This is the first liquid liner that I actually liked! I tried another felt-tip liquid liner from Dior a few years ago and I was really disappointed at how expensive it was for its mediocre results. While I do need to use a few strokes of this over my lid (which I prime with NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base beforehand) AND layer it with a powder eyeshadow to make this liner stay on my eyes for about 10-12 hours, I would ideally love a black liner that I didn't always need to line with eyeshadow. A strange thing that occurs with this product is if I only line my eyes with this in one stroke and then curl my lashes, this liner starts to "disappear" in that it I can see small patches of my skin showing underneath the liner! It's absolutely necessary to go over your line a couple of times for the black to really stick to your lids with this liner.
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Fragrances -Jo Malone - Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne Intense
roroluca 8/10/2011 3:11:00 PM
This was the first time I've smelt Jo Malone perfumes and its rather limited availability in the suburbs where I live was the reason why I hadn't been able to give this a try earlier. First, I do think you need to like the scents of rose and/or vanilla before you like this. I'm trying to remember how this smelt on me when I gave it one spritz at the Jo Malone store at Heathrow duty free - it was hauntingly beautiful, the Arabian rose mixed with the sweetness of a deliciously expensive vanilla. In a few hours it developed into something a tad darker, not getting sweeter (thank god). All in all, it was an oasis taking a whiff of this from my wrists when the scents of people (lol) on the airplane overwhelmed me. At Heathrow Duty Free, it was 64 GBP - roughly $103 USD. It is considerably cheaper to purchase this at duty free rather than online where it is $135. I do so wish I had known the price disparity and just bought this at duty free! But honestly, I wouldn't mind paying $30 more to get my hands on this fragrance.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Ormonde Jayne - Osmanthus
roroluca 8/10/2011 3:02:00 PM
Ah Osmanthus ... I must admit, this one surprised me a lot. When I first read glowing reviews about it here among other places, I thought I wouldn't be interested in a floral fragrance. But it is SO much more than just a "floral" fragrance!! Luckily the glowy reviews of Osmanthus were still stuck in my head because I chose to get a free vial of this scent when I ordered Ormonde Jayne's Ta'if EDP fragrance (a gorgeous sweet, Arabian rose fragrance). Osmanthus is like poetry - spritzing this gives me something of a heartache. It is a pure floral yet theres a deeper understated maturity about it. It's not overly sweet, yet it tempts you with its natural succulence. I say if you are really interested in trying this, please try emailing the ladies at Ormonde Jayne - they are so kind and lovely, they've sent me countless free vials of their perfumes when I've asked them politely! In spite of what I wrote above, Osmanthus doesn't induce me into a permanent state of nostalgia. It is my favorite OJ fragrance of all time. I can't wait to purchase the full size EDP soon. And OJ perfumes just last and last and last.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -100 Percent Pure - Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
roroluca 8/10/2011 2:55:00 PM
First of all, this is one of those rare eye creams that you get a full OUNCE of. I had a full 7 months of use with this eye cream, applying this in the morning and at night. And I'm not one of those people who uses a huge dollop of eye cream - I used about the size of a grain of rice for both eyes. I actually like the smell of this eye cream - it's like hazelnut coffee cream! But sadly, I didn't see ANY benefits, especially a reduction in dark circles, after 7 months of using this eye cream. Its price point MAY convince me to repurchase another eye cream from this line in the future, but not now. Also, I dislike the pump packaging because for the last MONTH, while there was still quite a bit of product at the bottom, no more product would come thru the pump! So it was definitely annoying to try to shake this glass bottle to get the product on the bottom to come out of the opening. Eye creams in jars are at least much more convenient in that you can really use every last bit of product.
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Polishes -Essie - Mademoiselle
roroluca 8/10/2011 2:41:00 PM
This really IS a lighter, more polished color of the color of my nail bed! I've painted this polish on one hand and comparing it to my other non-painted hand, I have to say the difference is subtle. But at $8, Essie Mademoiselle definitely adds a little "something" - it really would be great for work, especially in a more conservative environment. I find flesh-tone, nude polish to make hands look like a mannequin, which isn't always good (can look a little freaky), but this lightens up the color of your nail bed and just makes your nails look PERFECT. Yes, I do need 2-3 coats of this polish BUT it doesn't streak so I have no qualms whatsoever :) Plus, I find I don't necessarily even need a top coat with this polish. Less work for me!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Chanel - Seashell glossimer
roroluca 8/10/2011 2:34:00 PM
This is absolutely GREAT as a shimmery nude gloss for a full-on smokey eye look or with darker shadows. I use this gloss when I want to make the rest of my face stand out and look like I have very full, plush lips. Unlike Chanel's Pink Teaser Glossimer (which I purchased last summer), the glitter particles here are very fine and this gloss isn't tacky. This gloss is GREAT to apply over slighty colorful lipsticks as well - like Chanel Rouge Coco in Camelia and Mademoiselle - because its light color and shimmer will make your lips appear fuller. Of course, my favorite method of using this glossimer is: 1) layered over a pink lipstick like Revlon's Pink in the Afternoon OR 2) on its own. Yes, it is pricy for a lipgloss that I used up in 6 months (!) but that's because this was my lipgloss of choice when I went out at night. I'm NW35 and think this color works particularly well on cooler-toned women.
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Conditioner -Pantene - Nature Fusion Moisture Balance
roroluca 8/10/2011 2:29:00 PM
Ugh, what is wrong with this product? I've been using this for a full year now and while I tried to love it - it has a fresh, slightly floral smell and is thick and creamy - it makes my thick, coarse Asian hair feel like straw, NOT to mention that it makes my hair frizzy! I've NEVER had problems of frizz (I always air dry my hair btw - I can count on my fingers how many times I have had a hair dryer on my hair) before using this conditioner. So I think this product is best for those with fine hair, but most DEFINITELY not for someone with thick, coarse hair like mine. It may sound contradictory but I've had the best results from other Pantene conditioners that were almost liquidy, and not creamy.
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Masks -Boscia - Clarifying Detox Mask
roroluca 5/27/2011 10:11:00 AM
What a great value for its price! One tube of this lasts a full year - with weekly use during summer, autumn and spring - and this works as well as the first day I got it ;) In fact I have this mask on my face right now!! Yes, they say to just apply a thin layer but I apply this until I can't really see the texture or skin tone (whichever comes first) of my face. I have a somewhat large face too so I use about a quarter-size amount on forehead, each cheek and nose & chin. I tend to breakout most in my T-zone area, especially the forehead, so I concentrate this mask there. I think this mask works best after a shower. Probably something to do with all the steam opening up your pores; that's not something you get after you just wash your face over the sink! I've tried this mask a few ways and I get, by far, the BEST results if I apply this after I'm completely done with my shower and rinse off after 5 minutes (or until it gets hard to smile). I don't find applying it any longer than 5 minutes makes much of a difference. ALSO one important thing to know is that this mask is probably best for combination to oily skin. I have very oily skin and this is a lifesaver in the summer and hotter months. Even though my skin turns more combination in winter, I would NEVER use this mask in the winter because my skin simply is not oily enough. Another great side effect of this mask (maybe it has also been in conjunction with my Retin-A) is that I have really diminished the appearance of blackheads on my nose! :) If you have oily skin, PLEASE give this mask a try! It's such an excellent value for the amount and you just need 5 minutes after a shower.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Insolence
roroluca 7/16/2010 11:29:00 AM
Love the mix of florals here, especially the violets. I would care to not overspray this perfume but there's a hint of class that works well with any outfit that this is one of my more versatile perfumes. It's not cloying or too strong but packs just enough confidence for you to do what you want without second guessing yourself.
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Polishes -Chanel - Particulière
roroluca 7/16/2010 11:27:00 AM
This went on really opaque during the first coat; 2 thin coats are just perfect for me! Although I prefer the OPI wide brushes, the formula of this polish is just so creamy and opaque that I didn't mind the shape of these bristles at all. Wouldn't repurchase though because I can see myself getting tired of this color and oddly this color looks darker on my nails than it does in the bottle but still - it has a slightly cool tone that Essie Mink Muffs lacked and a dimension of interest that other dupes lacked. Very pleased with Particulière.
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