Mascara -Estee Lauder - Sumptuous
rubie 3/27/2010 4:11:00 AM
Overall this is a highly effective mascara. This is the only non-waterproof mascara I have ever tried to date which successfully stayed on my lashes all day without even one smudge. It thickened my lashes very well and application was easy. One huge problem is that this mascara stings my eyes and made my eyes red from allergic reaction. My eyes are very sensitive to many makeup products (i.e., mascaras, eyeliners, shadow bases, concealers, foundations) and I wear contact lenses. My one and only favorite mascara is Maybelline Volum Express WP, comes in a silvery blue tube.
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Treatments -Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair (Serum) 
rubie 3/27/2010 3:59:00 AM
My expectation was quite high given rave reviews on this product. Unfortunately, it did not work on my skin as it was too harsh. I felt a slight sensation at the first application--which is to me usually a sign of allergic reaction to cosmetic products--but gave another chance for the next day. After two applications, nasty bumps and zits began to develop around my nose, face-to-mouth lines, and the chin. Immediate discontinuation of the product helped my skin condition to get back to normal after 3-5 days. I do not recommend this product to those with sensitive skin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Estee Lauder - Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser
rubie 3/27/2010 3:44:00 AM
My skin was overwhelmed with this cleanser after a few times of use. It surely does a great job in cleansing and made my face squeaky clean, taking all the make-up (foundation & concealer) off in one easy step. The cleanser has nice smell, foams very well with a very little amount, and is quite refreshing. I did not feel that this cleanser made my face dry or tight first. Oh-yes, I really wanted to love this product and continue to use. However, by the third time of use, it was a different story. My face started to become dry, look "tired" with pronounced pores, and began to develop sensitivity to skin care products. I immediately switched back to my old fav--Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash--and the problem was gone. I do not recommend this cleanser to those with sensitive skin.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - DiorShow Mascara Waterproof
rubie 8/9/2009 5:17:00 AM
The biggest problem with this mascara to me is that it is NOT waterproof at all. Living in a tropical climate, I need to use waterproof (truly) mascara daily and that factor is so critical for me in choosing mascara. My fav is Maybelline Volum' Express (x3) waterproof mascara because it is truly a waterproof mascara and never irritates my very sensitive eyes (I wear contact lenses). On the other hand, DiorShow WP gives me raccoon eyes everytime I use it. With Shu Uemura lash repair as a base, it manages to stick with my lashes for hours but I still cannot agree with CD selling this mascara as "waterproof." Other than that, this mascara is impressive. The feel of the wand is so elegant, application is smooth as butter and lengthens my lashes dramatically so effortlessly. And it never clamps. Another great thing is that this mascara never irritates my eyes! I would love to give 5 lippies if this mascara is sold as non-waterproof, but Dior says so, and it does not do what it claims, unfortunately. I won't recommend this mascara for those who need truly waterproof mascara.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Carol's Daughter - Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner
rubie 4/5/2009 6:27:00 AM
I am very surprised with the low over-all rating for the sister product of this leave-in conditioner: Tui Leave-In Conditioner, because Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner is the very best leave-in conditioner I have ever used. This new line of Black Vanilla haircare products of Carol's Daughter are specifically designed for heavily damaged, color-treated hair, which exactly what I needed. This leave-in conditioner is very light and smells heavenly--yet does surely what it claims. My hair immediately gets moisturized, smooth & sleek, and softens. It also adds wonderful nice shine to my hair. Compared to many other high-end 100% natural haircare products, Carol's Daughter products are priced reasonable, which is another plus. The container comes with a spray pump--a nice improvement to the old Tui Leave-In Conditioner. I highly recommend this product. FYI, I have a ton of hair, very thick and coarse, "almost" straight hair.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -MAC - select cover-up
rubie 3/19/2009 5:44:00 AM
This concealer creases on my lids and does not cover undereye discolorations though it gives quite good coverage for the rest of the facial area. Accentuates the lines around my eyes because it creases badly. Texture is a bit dry to be used around eyes. Don't even think about putting a bit of powder over this concealer to set it as it just makes fine lines around the area scream. The colors are too yellow and that applies to all the MAC concealers and foundations. Makeup For Ever's full coverage concealer (in tube) is 100% better as it never creases, completely waterproof, and you can adjust coverage level freely. I just don't think that MAC's concealers are in high quality.
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Lip Treatments -MAC - Lip Conditioner Stick SPF 15
rubie 3/14/2009 7:43:00 PM
The product name "lip conditioner" is a bit misleading as its conditioning & moisturizing power is not strong at all to me. I like the very light feel and non-greasy, non-sticky texture of this product--and the hint of fragrance which is elegant, but that is all about it. The packaging is feather-light and feels bit cheap after paying that much money for one lip conditioning stick. I understand why this product is well-received by the young ones in their teens and 20s because their young lips do not need much moisturization & conditioning. This product does not do what it claims for a bit more "mature" folks and with that price I expect quality. I should exchange this with a pot or even tube version. EDIT: Today I have found NIVEA "A Kiss of Moisture Essential Lip Care" in a nearby drugstore (in stick). With $2.99 this product gives more moisturizing power than the MAC lip conditioner stick. I'll definitely keep the NIVEA and return the MAC conditioner stick.
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Hair Color -Clairol - Nice n' Easy -new formula
rubie 2/27/2009 3:26:00 AM
I picked up "117 Natural Medium Golden Brown" to put over my partially bleached/highlighted hair (done at home). I had used Garnier Nutrisse Black then Darkest Brown/Soft Black previously to get back to black hair after almost a year of having hair with red/purple streaks. Though I liked Garnier Nutrisse very much, it pushed my hair too dark. Garnier hotline recommended me to go to a salon to lighten my hair before going back to use a boxed dye, but I was determined not to. So, I highlighted my front & side hairs twice and had bleach shampoo twice as well. Nice n' Easy was picked up as part of the second & final processing to tone down bleached parts while lighten the rest of my hair a bit. The final result was gorgeous! The product was easy to use and the texture of the dye was just perfect--not too creamy yet not runny. It was smoother than Nutrisse and the amount of the dye was more generous than Nutrisse--I have long, thick hair but one bottle was enough to process whole head. My scalp did not feel sensitive to this dye at all while Nutrisse gave me a bit of reaction at the second time of use. My hair was very smooth and shiny after the process. Generous amount of conditioner included is wonderful. The quality of conditioner is as good as that of Nutrisse, I think. Gave 4 stars only because the chemical smell of the dye was a bit strong, compared to Nutrisse. However, that's a minor point. I want to try "Natural Instincts" for the next time. (Note: I have few grey hairs but have started to see more at front and on the top of the head area recently. I certainly appreciate hair dyes more nowadays! ;-))
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Eye Primer -Too Faced - Shadow Insurance, Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
rubie 2/25/2009 2:15:00 AM
Somehow I never have luck with shadow base products. MAC paintpot and this... I am just not fond of the strong tacky feel these products give on the lids after application. Eyeshadow does neither glides nor blends smoothly. Given, silicone is the main ingredient of these products, I do not feel that I have to put anything on my lids in addition to my favorite 5-star Clarins Instant Smooth which I can put all over my face. This kind of product might work better with those in 20s and younger who do not have to put anything on the lids and around eyes to begin with. At my age, I need something more emollient around my eyes. One good thing about this product is that it does NOT irritate my eyes and the skin around the eyes (I am a contact lens wearer with very sensitive skin).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Unlisted Brand - Wei East China Herbal Eyes Alive
rubie 12/4/2008 7:02:00 AM
Wow, this product stings my eyes like crazy! I feel as if I were drenching menthol around my eyes though the texture is quite light and feels neither greasy nor heavy. Since it's so strong that I cannot wear this cream directly on my cleaned, bare skin--I have to put this product after putting eye cream--which does not make sense. I do not feel comfortable using something that is so strong like this around my delicate eye area. To make matters worse, I have found more wrinkles under my eyes right after application. I do not recommend this product for those with sensitive skin. (FYI, I am allergic to many cosmetic products)
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Hair -Carol's Daughter - Hair Butter
rubie 12/2/2008 7:03:00 AM
I am reviewing for the "Healthy Hair Butter." I chose this one because the other two similar hair treatment products--Tui Hair Smoothie & Khoret Amen Hair Smoothie--had too much fragrance in the product. I am very happy with this (almost) non-fragrant version of hair treatment product in terms of smell. I have tons of very thick and coarse (almost straight) hair that needs to be tamed and hydrated. I usually do not like any leave-in conditioner type product because it really weighs my hair down, taking off all the lightness and volume of the hair--which is no-no. This product is remarkable as it gives the very right amount of taming and hydration on my hair--yet, never makes my hair look like half-drenched and greasy! The feeling is very silky and light yet Its moisturizing power is superb. It also makes my hair look shiny and healthy! What could I ask for more? The key to make the best use out of this product is to follow the direction closely. You need very small amount--put the very little amount in the palm of hand and rub hands together really well (which helps the product to soften and spread easily), then apply SPARLINGLY. You can use this product as often as you want--both in the morning and in the evening before you go to bed. When I put this on my hair over night, I felt that the product was still pretty much on my hair in the morning, which is amazing! Waking up with silky, shiny, well-hydrated hair is indeed a great way to start a day. The staying power of this product is remarkable. It really worth paying $16 for a 8fl. oz jar. One jar will definitely last forever. Great buy!!! *** I prefer to use this hair butter on dry hair rather than on wet hair because water and oil do not mix. I don't want to waste the product! :-)
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Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF45
rubie 11/18/2008 10:05:00 PM
This sunscreen stings my eyes like crazy. Unfortunately, this is not the "it" sunscreen for me.
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Liquid -Lancome - Teint Idole ULTRA [DISCONTINUED]
rubie 11/15/2008 6:33:00 AM
Beautiful HQ foundation. This is one of the very few foundation that "perfectly" matches to my very tricky skin tone (Bisque-0). It glides like silk on the face, gives a great coverage--yet I can easily adjust the coverage level (from moderate to full). Its coverage is so good that I do not need a concealer when I use this foundation though the key is that this never gives any heavy, mask-like, made-up look, which is amazing. The result is very natural and lasts so long as Lancome claims. When I looked at myself in the mirror at the end of the day, I looked even better than how I looked in the morning right after application! (I personally like how the natural oil from the skin affects foundation as the time goes by--I think that's exactly how you assess the true power and effectiveness of any foundation) Great HQ product. It is definitely worth paying $38 for this wonderful foundation! UPDATE #1: After few days+ of using this product, it turned out to be that I have a slight tingling, sort of stinging sensation on my skin whenever I use this foundation. And it turned out to be almost painful when I re-applied sunblock in the middle of the day over this foundation! I felt as if my face were burning. Recalling back, when I initially tried this product at the Lancome counter, I did not notice any strange sensation on my skin probably because the MA used the silicone base primer (La Base Pro) before applying foundation on my face. I am truly impressed with the superb performance of this foundation and I am dying to keep it--but, cannot take a risk of damaging my skin. Sigh. I am very sensitive to many cosmetic products and here goes again; hence, I had to take 2 stars off from my original perfect rating. However, I still highly recommend this awesome liquid foundation for those who do not have sensitive skin. UPDATE #2: After having a very close look of all the skin care products I use prior to foundation application, I have found that the mixture of particular sunscreen I use daily (Banana Boat Ultra Defense in spf50) and the Teinte Idole ULTRA causes the burning sensation on my skin. The other sunscreen I use daily--Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion in spf30--did not cause any problem. How interesting! Living in the tropical climate, I have to use sunscreen daily regardless underneath makeup and need to re-apply during the day. As many of you know, the Banana Boat Ultra Defense is not designed specifically for the use for the face. But, as it is so light and does not even irritate my eyes, I developed a habit of mixing the Banana Boat and Eucerin sunscreen to apply on the face. This practice has never caused any problem with my makeup products until now. Now I am curious if the Lancome sunscreen would have the same issue or not!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Clarins - Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch
rubie 11/15/2008 5:32:00 AM
This is the best primer on the market hands down. It gives great coverage, smooths out the skin so well so quickly--and you only need so little to cover the entire face. Gives nice matte finish, which I like. I love the fine, very light, and sort of creamy texture of this primer--yet it never be sticky. This primer seems to moisturize my skin, never gives that uncomfortable drying feeling. With this I only need the very little amount of foundation. AND more importantly, this primer never irritates my very sensitive skin (I am allergic to so many cosmetic products). I will definitely re-purchase this product. Highly recommended! This is Clarin's best selling product.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Lancome - Le Stylo Waterproof Long Lasting eyeliner
rubie 11/12/2008 6:13:00 AM
This product never stings my very sensitive lids & eyes; but unfortunately, does not stay on my lids for more than two hours, giving me raccoon eyes. Somehow I have very difficult lids for eyeliners--even the MAC fluidline, Bobbi Brown gel liners didn't stay on my lids.
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