Skincare - Face -DHC - Acerola Lotion (toner)
sharis 2/7/2009 9:34:00 PM
I've been using this for a couple of years now and really like it. It's a very soothing toner of sorts. I agree not to use a cotton ball for best results. I don't think this is meant to be the kind of toner that takes off the last bit of your makeup. It's more of a treatment fluid. Like the last reviewer I pour a bit into the palm of my hand, smoosh with my other hand then smooth it on my face . It dries quickly and is feels very nice and soothing. No sticky residue either. I think it's slightly moisturizing but not by much. It does seem to brighten and clarify skin tone. It does not break me out which is a huge issue for me. I hate the glass bottle though. I don't like glass bottles in the bathroom. To heavy and clunky and too much risk of breakage. A nice pink plastic pump bottle would be my pick.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Stila - Liquid Liner
sharis 2/7/2009 8:20:00 PM
I'm not one for liquid liner but this is really nice. I got it as part of a kit and thought I would try it out but didn't expect much. I have never found a liquid liner that I could apply and then actually go out in public so I expected much of the same. The felt tip applicator is very easy to work with and gives a nice, smooth, fine line. I was shocked at how easy it was to get a nice result. I normally do a fat smudgy line with BB or Fluidline, etc so this is a different look for me but it's nice. This seems to hold up well and I had no smudging or flaking.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Solvere
sharis 2/6/2009 7:23:00 PM
I have been using this product for several months now and I'm very happy with it. It is a very light moisturizer so for winter I add a drop of hyaluronic acid to it and that does the trick. This is non greasy and sinks in quickly and completely. Best and most importantly this has not caused any breakouts. That thrills me beyond words because it seems almost everything breaks me out. I do wish it was in a pump bottle of some sort but I can live with the jar. This is a great deal for under $10! I fyou are acne prone and not horribly dry this is definitely worth a try. Thanks to the skincare board for this great rec!!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Zoya - Professional Lacquer
sharis 1/25/2009 3:04:00 PM
It's so interesting that there is such a wide range of experiences with this product. I think there may be a wide variation in product depending on color. One thing I noticed on the website was that each color is rated for opacity which is something I have never seen before. This makes me think that there are several formulations so that may explain the different experiences people are having with this polish. I was interested in this line because it is toxin free and I am trying to clean up my act a bit as far as the chemical load I inflict on my body and environment. I only bought one color, Dianna, and it's a mini that came with the lip balm in a coordinating color. The first thing I noticed upon application (pedicure) was how SMOOTH this formula was. I actually found it to be just a bit thinner than most polished I have used (mainly Chanel but also OPI, Essie and Milani) I applied two coats and the application looked like glass it was so smooth. Two coats was enough to get good, even coverage. I did not use a top coat (never do) Overall I was quite impressed with the formula and application. The color is another story. Dianna is a lovely shade of red but just too blue-based for my skin tone. I added a third coat and that seemed to help some (making it a bit more of a neutral red) but it still doesn't work for my very warm, fair skin. I found this formula to hold up well during my first week of wear. No chips and only 1 little wear mark. I don't wear polish on my hands so I can't comment on performance for a manicure. I will definitely try out some more colors from Zoya. I just wish there were better swatches available online.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - HIP Kohl Eyeliner in Teal
sharis 1/25/2009 12:18:00 PM
I was torn between the Teal and the Navy but ended up with the Teal since I tend to favor greens over blues for my brown eyes. What a good decision! This is a gorgeous, deep teal green that looks fantastic on me (If I do say so myself!) Yes, application is a bit messy but I read the tutorials and found that the "pressing on" method seems to work fairly well. I did wipe the tip of the applicator off on the inside rim of the container and that seemed to take off a lot of loose powder. I had a couple of q-tips ready and a fluffy brush but only had to remove two tiny tiny specks off of my cheek. I've only had it on half a day now but so far it's holding up very well. I only have it on the inner rims (water line as some call it), upper and lower, and it looks just applied. No fallour or migration or smudging (and everything smudges on me so this is amazing!) Anyway, this color is beyond beautiful and I can say without hesitation that all brown-eyed beauties need to have this in your case. (I bought the burgundy also and don't like it nearly as well and burgundy is my very favorite liner color on my eyes usually) Edit: I am taking this down to 3 stars. This is not holding up very well on my inner rims. After a day the stuff is migrating from the outer third of my inner rim so it looks really weird like I forgot to line the outer third. It also is glopping up in the corner of my eyes. I just seems to have this light halo of teal all around my eyes. Hmmm, I will play with this some more but so far I don't think this is going to be a winner for me. ( I may go back and try the gold color since that will be less noticeable if and when it migrates.)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Matte lipstick in Mauve It Over
sharis 1/25/2009 12:12:00 PM
I was so happy to FINALLY find this especially since it's free through Jan 31 at Walgreens. I was holding out for this color because I adore MAC Kinda Sexy and heard this was similar. It is very, very similar. Swiping them side by side the Mauve it Over is, well, more mauve. The Kinda Sexy has a bit more peach in it. Still, similar enough that if you love one you will love the other. I haven't tried Revlon lipsticks in years but this appears to be high quality, feels good on and wears well. It feels lighter and more moisturizing than the MAC Matte formulation but it also looks less matte which may or may not be a good thing. I may look at some of the other colors next time these are BOGOF. (Not that it's not worth full price but I never pay full price at the drugstore since things go on sale so often it's just a matter of holding out a coupld of weeks usually.)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - HiP Metallic Duo - Gunmetal #306
sharis 1/10/2009 10:27:00 PM
This is my first HIP shadow duo and I'm very pleased. I bought this because I heard the olive shade was a dupe for MAC Smoke & Diamonds. Well, I have not seen S&D in person but what this looks like to me is a very close to MAC Greensmoke. Luckily Greensmoke is one of my favs of all time so I am happy. The Gunmetal olive green is just a touch more olive than Greensmoke. They are nearly identical on my hand and on my face you cannot tell the difference. The forest green color is beautiful as well and it makes a nice liner with the other color in the crease. The formula is nicely pigmented and blends beautifully. I am looking forward to wearing this one a lot!
I'm including a pic with the two swatched together although the lighting is making them look a bit more different than they look in real life. Still, pretty darn close. (Gunmetal olive on L and Greensmoke on R)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Double Extend Beauty Tubes
sharis 1/4/2009 12:39:00 PM
I am a huge fan of tubing mascara and have been using Kiss Me for many many years. I have also used Fiberwig and Mirenesse but always came back to Kiss Me. I haven't purchased drugstore mascara in many,many years because I got so tired of everything smudging on me. I was truly excited to hear that there was a drugstore version of the tube mascara and couldn't wait to try it. It took me three weeks to actually find this stuff so when I did I snapped it up even though it was not on sale (and I NEVER buy drugstore products unless they are on sale.) I can't begin to say how disappointed I am in this stuff!! First of all the brush is just way too big. I tried both with the primer and without and both sucked. This stuff completely removed the curl from my lashes and made them all stick together and look spikey. Even after combing them out my lashes just looked bad. But the really bad thing is that this stuff just FEELS BAD on. My eyes aren't itchy per se but I keep rubbing them and blinking heavily. I have no idea what is up with this stuff. My lashes feel heavy and gross. This is so weird. I've never had this kind of issue with a mascara in my life. This does not smudge which is great but otherwise this is a complete bomb for me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Stila - Stila Sun SPF 15 Bronzing Powder - Shade 02
sharis 12/29/2008 8:49:00 PM
Well, WOW! I got the #2 as part of a set and I am blown away. I was prepared to give it away because I have such major issues with bronzers. EL Bronze Goddess is my HG and really the only bronzer I have ever found believable and wearable on my skin. I'm not sure what came over me but I grabbed the compact and ran to the bathroom, picked up my trusty SB#1 brush and floofed some of this stuff on. OMG! I love it! I am pretty light and thought for sure I would look like a dirty, ugly terracotta pot like I seem to look with most bronzers but not so! I look healthy and vibrant and just plain fabulous. I am not yet ready to say I am kicking my BG to the curb but I am thinking this stuff is at least going to give BG a run for it's (or my!) money. (FYI, It is a similar shade to EL BG in that it is brown with some red in it and no orange or pink. It is slightly more brown than the BG.)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -MD Skincare by Dr. Dennis Gross - Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel
sharis 12/25/2008 12:02:00 AM
I hate that I love this product but I do. There are so many great AHA products on the market that do not cost an arm and a leg like this product does but I swear this one makes my skin look better than anything else I've ever tried. It's makes me crazy to say that because there is no scientific reason why this is so but it appears to be. I held off buying them, heck I wouldn't even use the samples I kept getting from Sephora and other places because there was NO WAY I was going to pay $125 for 60 pads of anything so why even try them I thought. Well, one of the skincare sites had them on sale like 60% off or something crazy like that and I believe I had had a glass or two of wine....yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it...so the next thing you know a box shows up on my doorstep with these pads in them, lol. Ugh did I mention that I hate my love for these things?! Oh well. It is what it is I guess. I use them only every other night alternating with Taz and my skin looks so good. I've stopped using them a couple of times just to see....beleive me I have looked for any reason to stop using this crazy expensive product but I can't find it. These babies make my skin clear and bright smooth and soft. Oye. Guess I'll just keep waiting for them to go on sale again and stock up. (I am going to try the PTR Un-wrinkle pads and see if they do the trick. The reviews are fantastic and their price is much nicer.)
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Napoleon Perdis - Palette Patrol
sharis 12/23/2008 8:29:00 PM
I am a big fan of NP Eye Patrol shadows so I jumped at the chance to get this palette at a huge discount. This is a two part palette with the top level having three lip colors and three shadows and the lower level a pink blush and a bronzer. I would definitely call this a "warm" palette. I'm not sure a cool-toned beauty could pull this off but if you love warm colors this is a good choice. The lipsticks are not highly pigmented...I almost wonder if these are glosses but I'm too lazy to go look it up. There is a warm mid-tone pink which actually reads very cool on me, a light bronzey color and a burnt orangey-rose color that I really, really love. The shadows are a dark reddish brown, a coppery color and an off-white. All have slight shimmer. I love NP shadows and these seem to be the same good quality of the singles I have. My big gripe with this palette is the component. It sucks! I can not get the lower level to come out of the compact. I mean, I am having to fight with this thing to get it to work. It should just slide out easily but it doesn't. Hmm, wonder if this is why the discount? It's exasperating! I can't even get the bottom part open now. Ugh!! If the colors were not so fabulous I would be chucking this out the window. I may just try taking the palette apart and using it only at home. The colors are soooo pretty I know I am going to get a lot of use out of this one either way.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lavanila - vanilla grapefruit
sharis 12/23/2008 4:59:00 PM
Oh no!! I bought this (2 bottles!) without sniffing because I recently got the Vanilla Spice and really liked it. I love grapefruit too so I figured this was a sure bet. Oh and throw in "natural" and how could this go wrong, right? Yeah, well so much for that. I sprayed this on about a hour ago and have a raging headache and feel sick to my stomach. What the heck?! I don't understand this? I think it's the vanilla. It is VERY strong in this version (vs. the Vanilla Spice) I get very little grapefruit. Oh well. Guess I'll be putting these up for swap or giving them away.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Leiber
sharis 12/16/2008 1:42:00 AM
Perfumy indeed. Not horrific but not exactly pleasant either. Perhaps Judith should just focus on bags which she does very, very well. Fragrance? Not so much.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Milani - All
sharis 12/15/2008 9:25:00 PM
Yep, best drugstore brand there is! I own nearly all the colors and all the quads and I just love them all. (Well, that purpley palette is questionable as I'm pretty sure no one should have those colors on their face in any capacity but all the rest are just perfection.) Great pigment, long lasting, no creasing all for like $3. What's not to love?! Much better than NYX if you ask me. These fit perfectly into the MAC palettes and most MAC MA's can't tell these from their own stuff, lol! Just bring some more shades and a couple of matte colors wouldn't kill ya you Milani people. Are you listening??
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Christian Dior - Hypnotic Poison
sharis 12/15/2008 9:04:00 PM
Well, I have been bad-mouthing this scent for years but I tried it again a couple of weeks ago (by mistake) and I don't know what's happened over the years but now I love it. I was lucky enough to swap for this so I'm very happy. I can't describe scent to save my life but I think others have done a pretty darn good job. I get no licorice (which is a very good thing) but just warm, sweet, loveliness. Maybe a tad on the sweet side for me but I'm pretty sure I will get over it, lol. Sorry Hypnotic Poison for all my nasty comments over the years about your soul-choking stench. You used to make me want to gag but now well, I think I love you :-) Edit: Bumping this up to 5 stars. I wear it almost daily and just love it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No