Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Neocutis Bio-restorative Skin Cream with PSP
sanduhra 6/10/2013 3:06:00 PM
I have dry, thin, sensitive, acne-prone skin, and I've been on the market for a good anti-aging moisturizer for a while. This cream is AMAZING in its moisturizing properties. It's perfectly emollient, spreads like butter and does not break me out! For someone with dry AND acne-prone skin, it's like finding a unicorn in the wild. I really can't get over how awesomely soft and clear my skin is. Also, the pump is sanitary and precise - better than any other pump I have tried in a cosmetic product. While the price is certainly higher than drugstore brands, a little does seem to go a long way. It's worth every penny. The only issue that might prevent me from repurchasing is the scent, which I feel is almost as intolerable as Philosophy's Hope in a Jar. Although it's slightly less offensive than said scent and disappears after an hour or so, it's obviously not ideal. I'm so tired of experimenting with moisturizers at this point, that I might repurchase, but I'm not committed. I'll finish this bottle and see how I feel.
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Treatments -Philosophy - Turbo Booster C Powder
sanduhra 4/11/2013 2:09:00 PM
I have loved every Philosophy product I've ever tried; they are basically the only ones that work without irritating my sensitive, dry, acne-prone skin. I use When Hope is Not Enough serum, Hope in a Jar moisturizer and Help Me topical retinol treatment every day, and the regimen has done amazing things for my skin. Based on the rave reviews for this product, I purchased with high hopes and used a couple of times mixed with Hope in a Jar. Unfortunately, it stung on application and caused some lingering sensitivity/irritation. Given that my skin is already pretty good, I didn't think it was worth pushing past the initial week of discomfort to see what this product could really do. If you have sensitive skin that you're pretty happy with, this product may not be the best investment. I may try this again if I experience changes in texture or complexion down the road and get really desperate, but I will not be using this in the immediate future. Oh well.
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Primer/ Corrector -NARS - Pro-Prime Multi-Protect Primer SPF 30 PA+++
sanduhra 2/26/2013 4:59:00 PM
Love the SPF and how it didn't pill while applying bb cream over it. Seriously, for a glorious day, I thought that fortune had finally smiled upon me. But I broke out as early as the next morning AND saw that it had exacerbated some of the drier areas of my face. This is going back. Proceed with caution, if you have combination/dry skin.
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Pressed Powders -NARS - Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder
sanduhra 2/26/2013 4:41:00 PM
With sensitive, acne-prone combination skin tending on the drier side, my skin reacts (belligerently) when I experiment with new products. I use two products on my face only - bb cream and stick concealer - and have rarely found success with powder. It usually doesn't stick around long enough to offset the danger of clogged pores. This. Is. Different! Like the first reviewer, I initially thought that my brush wasn't picking anything up and kept swiping to no avail. Eventually I just applied whatever, not having high hopes. I thought I noticed that my skin looked softer and more even, but I was feeling pretty skeptical, and I didn't feel any product on my face. But by 3PM, I noticed something interesting: there was no oil in my customary forehead oil slick. NONE. And in pictures, I just looked GOOD. My skin glowed, but not in the typical feature-erasing flash that most powders produce. This is the real deal. It controls oil, creates a diffuse glow, keeps makeup looking flawless and does not irritate skin. Repurchasing FOREVER.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Philosophy - Hope in a Jar - for all skin types
sanduhra 1/7/2013 11:04:00 AM
I have very sensitive, acne-prone combination skin, and this is the ONLY adequately moisturizing day cream that I have EVER tried that does not break me out. Seriously. The only other facial lotion that works is Olay Beauty Fluid, but it's just not moisturizing enough, and I get dry, flaky patches on my face in the fall. I have tried Kiehls Ultra (dry skin rash & broke me out), Clinique Dramatically Different Gel (drying, broke me out), Mario Badescu Collagon Moisturizer (broke me out), Cetaphil Daily (broke me out), Neutrogena Calming (broke me out) etc. Just to name a few. I hate the smell, but I hate pimples/rashes a lot more. This doesn't seem to be moisturizing enough around my mouth, though, so I've been using Yes to Carrots Repairing Night Cream there during the evening. I'll be trying the dry skin version after I run out of this jar, but I will repurchase forever. Hallellujah, Philosophy.
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Concealers -NARS - Custard
sanduhra 1/7/2013 10:40:00 AM
I was looking for a stick concealer that gives excellent coverage for the occasional pimple without looking cakey. This works really well and conceals ALL DAY. We're talking 9+ hours. And in terms of natural coverage, people have commented on my "flawless" skin and asked me if I'm even wearing any makeup when I had this on over a pimple or two! But, as with most sticks, it's a bit chalky/dry and requires some careful blending. It does not seem to irritate my sensitive, acne-prone skin or exacerbate the blemishes I apply it on. It also perfectly matches my Asian (yellow undertone) skin tone, which is exciting in and of itself. I would not use this under the eye, as it's kind of too dry to give convincing coverage, but for skin imperfections, this does the job. This is a keeper.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Yes To Carrots - Repairing Night Cream
sanduhra 1/7/2013 10:24:00 AM
I got this product because I was experiencing some flaking/extreme irritation around my upper lip/chin area that Philosophy's Hope in a Jar (normal skin) was not resolving. This healed the dry spots, but I noticed that the rest of my skin became duller than it was with HIAJ. I now exclusively apply this around my lips/chin and HIAJ on the rest of my face, and the combination works well. It is a bit of a hassle, though, and I'm not a fan of the subtle play-do scent, so I'm considering HIAJ for dry skin next or just using Aquaphor on my dry patches, since I already use it for my lips, rather than repurchasing this cream. BUT I have very sensitive, acne-prone, combination skin, and this does NOT break me out or cause any irritation. It's moisturizing enough for my dry patches and does not break me out in my oilier regions!! If you have sensitive skin and are just looking for anything that gives you moisture without the risk of a rash/acne, TRY THIS. I've also heard this works even with eczema.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Mario Badescu - Alpha-Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion
sanduhra 12/31/2012 1:49:00 PM
A MB SA recommended this to me when I told her that the Glycolic Toner was causing dryness/sensitivity. I now use this about 5 days out of the week - twice a day - and it is great. As others before me have noted, it just normalizes the skin. It also does a great job removing the rest of the stuff my cleanser failed to pick up (I use a Clarisonic, too!). I skipped toning for several years, but I'm so glad I picked it up again. It doesn't break me out, it doesn't leave a residue, and my skin feels very fresh after using this. I also love the mild scent. WIN.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Kiehls - Ultra Facial Cream
sanduhra 12/18/2012 1:38:00 AM
I have combination skin, and this is way too greasy for my T-zone and not moisturizing enough for my chin/cheeks. In fact, I think it actually exacerbates greasiness AND dryness, which is bizarre. I would experience flakiness in my cheeks/mouth area and oil in my t-zone. To compensate, I've tried using this on only the drier parts of my face, and it has still not been moisturizing enough. I would recommend this for people with fairly balanced skin - not too dry and not too oily.
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Moisturizers -Mario Badescu - Collagen Moisturizer w/ SPF 15
sanduhra 12/18/2012 1:33:00 AM
I really love Mario Badescu skincare products, so, at the urging of an SA, I thought I'd try this bestselling SPF moisturizer out. This was great for the drier areas of my face (cheeks, around the mouth), but it was much too oily for my t-zone during the day. While it absorbed well in my cheeks, it just sat on my forehead and developed into a pretty noticeable oil slick by lunchtime. I would use this as a night cream, but I'm afraid the SPF might clog my pores. Also, I experienced occasional cysts while using this (I would have at least one somewhere on my face at any given time), and my skin has been clear since I've stopped applying this. While I really love the scent and how soothing it is on the areas of my skin that can actually absorb it, it's not worth the consistent cysts/oily t-zone, especially given the relatively low SPF. This would probably work well for those with evenly dry skin, but, just as a warning, I would strangely NOT develop cysts on the oily parts of my face; rather, I'd develop them in the cheeks, where the moisturizer seemed to absorb the best. So for those with sensitive skin, proceed with caution...
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Shampoo -John Frieda - Full repair shampoo
sanduhra 12/7/2012 12:11:00 AM
This made my fine hair pretty stringy/tangled, AND the extremely strong scent gave me a headache on par with some of the most offensive perfumes. Seriously. This has got to be the strongest fragrance I have ever encountered in a hair product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Tom Ford - Neroli Portofino
sanduhra 12/4/2012 4:07:00 PM
I got a sample of this and initially loved it. I'm not sure that I agree with previous reviews that this is masculine. I find this to be fresh and citrusy in a very feminine (but not sweet) way. I would definitely purchase EXCEPT it has no lasting power on me. While other Tom Ford scents typically last all day on me, this one evaporated in a couple of hours. While lovely, this is not worth the hefty pricetag.
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Polishes -OPI - Forever Wild
sanduhra 12/4/2012 2:58:00 PM
This is an awesome color for the fall. It ranges from a dark wine red (one coat) to a deep purple - almost black (two to three coats). I like to go for at least two coats for the darker look. While some blackish polishes look a little scary, this looks REALLY refined, and I get tons of compliments. I work at a pretty conservative financial firm, and I would say this is still appropriate for work.
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Lotions/ Creams -Philosophy - Hands of Hope Hand and Cuticle Cream
sanduhra 11/30/2012 4:46:00 PM
Don't be fooled by the lightness of the formula. This is extremely moisturizing. In fact, this is the best hand cream I have ever used. Unlike other creams that soften your hands mostly by sitting as an emollient layer on top of the skin, this absorbs quickly and completely and actually improves the texture of your SKIN. I would actually liken this more to a hand treatment than a daily cream, in terms of its effectiveness. I hate the waxy/sticky feeling of hand creams immediately after application, but this is not a problem with Hands of Hope. The softness lasts forever, and you don't even have to use very much. I will say, however, that it took a couple of applications to truly see the benefits, so if you've tried it and not been very impressed, keep using it for a couple of days. I was initially skeptical of the product, as it absorbs so quickly, but I am now convinced. I've applied this at night, expecting the light formula to wear off by the morning, only to wake up with incredibly soft hands. This is superior to Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream in everything but price. But for those of us with very dry hands, it's very worth it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Revlon - Colorstay Brow Enhancer
sanduhra 11/30/2012 4:37:00 PM
This is a great budget brow enhancer. I have very sparse eyebrows and a lighter skintone, and it still looks quite natural (I have this in blackened brown/taupe). The highlighter is subtle and versatile as well, though I would not use it liberally on other areas of the face, as it's pretty pink. I would definitely purchase this again, as I find the dual-purpose packaging pretty convenient for traveling/makeup bags. The only complaint I have, however, is the twist-up functionality. It makes the makeup sticks somewhat unstable, as they tend to wobble inside the packaging. It is very noticeable with the highlighter end. But overall, good value/convenience for the price.
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