Fragrances -Annick Goutal - Eau de Ciel 
sdportugal 2/13/2012 4:01:00 PM
I have been wearing Ciel since it was created 26 yers ago. It smells like summer in a bottle. Summer in the countryside, not the beach. On me, it is all freshly cut grasses and linden (lime blossom). It is innocent and refreshing and not at all sexy. That's OK, I have plenty of sultry fragrances. I generally wear it during the warmer months, but it is also nice on a winter day, when I am feeling as if winter will never end.. When I think about it, I have probably purchased over 50 bottles of Ciel. I go through a lot of it because I use it on my linens and my dogs (I know... I am ridiculous).
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Sephora - sephora by OPI brightener
sdportugal 3/22/2010 9:45:00 PM
I'm a nail polish junky, but I never wear polish on my finger nails. I just don't like the way it looks. Still, I want my hands to look pretty, so I tried Sephora Nail Brightener. Now I wear it all the time. It's genius. I apply one thin coat and it makes my finger nails look totally smooth and healthy without too much shine. Anything that takes less than a minute and makes such a big difference is totally worth it in my book. I have already repurchased.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - GOLDEN ENCHANTMENT
sdportugal 3/22/2010 6:53:00 PM
As others here have explained, Golden Enchantment is a gold, holographic polish. I appreciate the fact that it is subtle enough to wear over other colors without changing them dramatically. I particularly like it layered over cream pastels to add a little dimension to them. I especially like it with For Audrey and Peri-Wink-le. The only problem I have with it is its incredibly strong odor. It disappears after it dries, but it's pretty intense. Still, I'll always have a bottle of this around.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - Rich & Famous
sdportugal 3/22/2010 4:47:00 PM
I never even knew this brand existed until I ventured into a beauty supply shop last week and saw the China Glaze display. The polishes were inexpensive and I thought they probably weren't that great, but at $5.00 a pop... I figured I'd give them a whirl. So glad I did because all 4 polishes I bought are awesome. Rich and Famous is the pink I've been looking for, for the past 20 years. I didn't want sparkles or neon or weird duochrome effects and this is it. It is a bightish, medium pink cream and it's perfect. It looks great on my pale winter toes, so I know it will be spectacular come summer. The application is comparable to much pricier brands. I achieved bottle color in two, streak-free coats. It's super shiny and wear is minimal after a week. This has replaced Lippman's Pop Life (which never totally satisfied me) as my go to pink at a third of the price. Great product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - For Audrey
sdportugal 3/22/2010 4:27:00 PM
I just bought this today so I can't attest to its wear, but the color is gorgeous. I compared it to a Tiffany box i have and it is ever so slightly greener. It would look better if my toes were tanned, but I'm still pleased with the finished look. It applied beautifully... no streaks (impressive for a pastel cream) or bubbles and the viscosity was perfect. It dries quickly, but not so much so that I couldn't clean up my cuticles with an orange stick before it set. I can't believe I've never tried China Glaze polishes before. The color range is vast and application rivals that of the many bottles of polish I've forked over $15 to $25 for. I'm a convert.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - Secret Peri-Wink-le
sdportugal 3/22/2010 3:36:00 PM
I've bought a ton of nail polish recently and this one tops them all. It's the perfect combination of blue and purple. This is exactly the color recommended for bridesmaid dresses because it looks beautiful on all skin tones. The formulation is also excellent. Two coats created the bottle color and it applied very evenly. I cannot believe I spent a fortune on Rescue Beauty Lounge and Butter polishes when this color was available for $4.99. I will definitely repurchase.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Looking For Love
sdportugal 3/21/2010 4:40:00 PM
I've been on the prowl for a pale blue polish. I realize Looking for Love is supposed to be lavender, but the shop where I purchased it had six bottles. Three of them were lavender and the other three were baby blue. Obviously, I bought one of the blue ones and was so excited to try it. What a disappointment. I didn't have trouble with streaking, but four coats barely registered any color, so I can't recommend puchasing this. However, all was not lost. When I buy a bottle of polish that doesn't work out, I just mix it with another bottle of the same brand to salvage it. I added about ten drops of Mesmerize (a medium, bright blue cream) to it, and now I have the pale blue polish I was looking for in the first place.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -SpaRitual - Thunder Road
sdportugal 3/20/2010 11:54:00 PM
Thunder Road is described on various websites as "periwinkle shimmer". It is neither periwinkle nor shimmery. It is in fact, a lavender cream. I would have given it 5 stars if it were more wearable. Unfortunately, on me, it only looks pretty when I have a tan. That being said, application is streak free and 2 thin coats provide a completely opaque finish. SpaRitual makes incredible colors that wear like iron in a non-toxic formulation. Far and away my favorite nail polish brand.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -SpaRitual - Mystic
sdportugal 3/20/2010 11:40:00 PM
Finally, a putty colored polish that doesn't make my toes look like death. Brown and gray are apparent in equal measure and it's one of the few polishes I would ever wear on my fingernails (I'm more of a pedicure girl). Application is gloriously streak free and it is completely opaque in 2 thin coats. Even the bottle is gorgeous, and the rubber top is super easy to hold. My all time favorite nail polish brand and at $10... a bargain.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -SpaRitual - Fall in Love
sdportugal 3/20/2010 11:14:00 PM
I just discovered SpaRitual polishes at a local shop a few weeks ago. I love the formulation so much, I've already purchased 4 different shades. Fall in Love is described on the SkinStore website as "auburn shimmer with a hint of green". I'd describe it as a brownish, coppery shimmer. I don't see much red in it. and the green is slightly detectable in bright sunlight, but I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't looked for it. It's a really wearable shade (I'd even call it a neutral) that looks great with my tanned or my very pale, untanned skin. It applies smoothly, dries quickly and wears like iron (even in sand and surf). I'll be wearing this one a lot. Highly recommended.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Living Proof - Full Thickening Cream
sdportugal 3/15/2010 7:11:00 PM
I have long, highlighted hair and lots of it, but it's fine. I'm always on the look out for thickening products because the weight of my hair makes it appear rather flat. I am really pleased with this product and have been using it for a month. I follow the directions to the letter, using a dime sized dollop and blow dry, directing heat underneath my hair. (I don't need lift at the roots, but if you do, you will need another product in addition to Full Thickening Cream.) The results are excellent. My hair is full and stays that way for a 3 days. That's especially important to me because my hair is dry and daily washing wrecks havoc on it. I will definitely repurchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Korres - plum lip butter
sdportugal 3/9/2010 10:28:00 AM
This product is just about perfect. I find it very moisturizing and love the hint of color it provides. It's sheer enough to be applied neatly without a mirror, but the color can easily be built up for a more dramatic look. The scent is very light and disappears entirely after a few minutes. Plum, for me is the ideal YLBB shade, but I like Wild Rose and Guava as well. Great product at a very reasonable price.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sephora - Sephora by OPI - Under My Trench Coat
sdportugal 12/16/2009 10:43:00 PM
I've been looking for a taupe nail polish forever, so I was thrilled to find UMTC. Most taupes are too cool for my skin tone. The subtle gold micro shimmer in UMTC warms up the color and makes it work for me. A really beautiful neutral.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Brumes Duo
sdportugal 10/16/2009 12:07:00 AM
I've bought so many products in attempt to create the perfect smokey eye, but I've never been very successful. Then I tried Brumes and I achieved the look I've been going for on my first try. I am amazed at the range I can get from these two colors. They can be applied sheerly for a day time look and then can be easily built upon for a super sexy night time look. I love the way these colors make my green eyes pop. Like all Nars shadows, this duo blends beautifully and lasts all day or night. Will definitely repurchase.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Frederic Malle - Carnal Flower
sdportugal 8/23/2009 3:18:00 PM
I think the reason I've never reviewed Carnal Flower is because I don't have the words to explain why I love it so much. It's not just because it smells delicious, or because it makes men swoon. It has something to do with the way it becomes a part of my skin. It's as if it isn't just sitting on the surface, but somehow is radiating from within. I love many fragrances, but no other feels as personal. I've been wearing Carnal Flower for 3 years and it is the scent I reach for most often. It is the only fragrance I own that I wear both day and night, summer or winter. It starts out really powerfully with a blast of camphor and crushed green stems. The dry down is an incredibly creamy tuberose. I detect the coconut and Juicy Fruit notes, but I wouldn't classify this as an overtly sweet scent. Less noticeable on me, are the jasmine and orange blossom notes, although I am sure they contribute to the overall complexity of the fragrance. Its staying power is excellent, but it stays fairly close to the skin.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No