Lipstick -FLOWER Beauty - Lip Service Lip Butter in Princess and The Peony
sloanepeterson 5/18/2013 7:47:00 PM
This lip butter is quickly becoming my favorite everyday go-to color. For a lip butter, not necessarily a lipstick, it is very well pigmented. It goes on very creamy and stays creamy for a good hour. I love the packaging, I think it's very cute and looks luxurious, even if the lid doesn't stay on in my purse. I'm very excited, based on this product, to try other products in the line. The Princess & the Peony is a light-medium pink with a blue base. It's cool toned but looks good on my warm-toned skin (N3 in Mac Face & Body foundation). It's just subtle enough to be worn everyday. Makes a great daytime lipstick and is appropriate for a work environment. I highly recommend it for ladies looking for an understated, everyday, very pretty pink lip.
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Moisturizers -Clean & Clear - Oil-Free Dual Action Moisturizer
sloanepeterson 3/18/2012 12:49:00 AM
I have been using this product for about 2 weeks and I am very happy with the results. I have adult acne, mostly on my chin, and this 0.5% Salicylic moisturizer has been clearing up my acne fairly rapidly. I even see diminished redness of my acne scars. I was encouraged by the results so I also bought the Clean & Clear 2% Salicylic acid acne mark treatment and have been using the two together with good results. My acne marks are beginning to fade. The moisturizer itself is moisturizing enough for my oily-sensitive skin. I have experienced no dryness from this product, and only a little "purging". It has made my skin significantly softer and more even-toned. It's dirt cheap, I paid less than $5 at Rite-aid. I have also been using this in conjunction with Rite-aid renewal 2% acne scrub. The lotion is lightweight, spreads smoothly, and is extremely tingly for about 15 minutes after it is applied. Since I have been having such good results with salicylic acid, I'm currently looking for a product with a higher concentration so that my acne scars will fade even faster. Definitely recommend this product for both acne-clearing and moisturizing of acne-prone skin.
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Lip Gloss -Chanel - Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss - Triomphal (517)
sloanepeterson 11/30/2011 7:59:00 PM
This gloss is from the 2011 Holiday collection, Les Scintillances de Chanel. This is absolutely the most exquisite, cherry-red color I have ever seen. I don't usually go for reds, but this color looked so gorgeous on my NC-25 skin, that I had to have it. I'm certain that this is a limited edition color, but I wish it were permanent because I would buy it again and again. The pigmentation is excellent, it truly wears like a glossy lipstick. It doesn't really compare to Dragon, as that one looks more like a straight red and this one is more cherry-red and slightly cooler-toned. The picture I uploaded is Triomphal (on the left) next to Dragon. It has microcopic gold flecks and looks slightly shimmery (in a good way) and very glossy. It wears for an astoundingly long time on me, 3-4 hours, and when it fades there is a nice cherry-colored stain left behind, and my lips still look plump. The packaging is very rich-looking, in a sleek gold and black case. I only gave packaging a 4 because it has a paddle-like applicator, and I would have preferred a brush. It looks best when you apply a lip liner, and I've found that Chanel Carmin lip liner is the color that works best with this gloss. I just love this color so much and highly recommend it as a really breath-taking holiday red. I wore it on Thanksgiving and received great compliments on it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -New York Color - Individual Eyes 938U Union Square
sloanepeterson 11/30/2011 4:53:00 PM
This is a pretty good little palette for the price! This one, #938 Union Square, is created for brown eyes. I got it even though I have green eyes because I was looking for good, cheap neutrals. It has four shadows, an cream e/s primer, and a cream illuminator. This palette comes with a little clear card over it that recommends where you should apply the colors The lightest shade is a highlighter that I frequently use for allover the lid. It is a matte, flesh-tones color. This one can be a little bit chalky if you put it over the primer. But if I blend the primer well over my lid, this doesn't happen. The second color is a light, matte brown. This makes a great lid color or crease color if you are using the "highlighter" shade allover the lid. The third color is a slightly shimmery, darker brown. Again, a beautiful crease color if you are using either the highlighter shade or the light brown on the lid. The fourth color is a dark, aubergine purple. This color is great in the crease if you have used the brown colors to blend up on the lid. It is better to use as a hard-crease color and for the outer corner. It also makes a pretty eyeliner if you want to use it with an eyeliner brush or wet. The three darker colors blend the best, while the lightest color must be worked with a little not to look chalky. I recommend this palette for anyone looking for neutrals on a budget. I got this at 40% off at Riteaid, which frequently has this deal on NYC. So I only paid about $3 for this $4.99 palette. This is a good product, as far as ds products go. It is better quality than some of the Revlon eyeshadows I've tried.
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Moisturizers -Lumene - Vitamin C+ Nourishing Day Cream
sloanepeterson 9/11/2010 3:16:00 PM
This moisturizer is one to stay away from. The thing I dislike most about it is that it finishes very greasy and I can't do anything to make my makeup look good over this stuff. I have oily skin and I am shiny if I wear this under makeup no matter how much powder I put over it. I've been using retin-a with this in the morning and it is not moisturizing enough to keep my skin from flaking, despite how heavy and greasy it is. It is also pretty irritating to my skin after I wash it, because as soon as I put it on it burns slightly and leaves my skin red for a while after I use it. I haven't seen any benefits to using this cream so far. I don't think it does anything in the age-defying department & whatever Vitamin C is in there is not doing anything to help smooth my skin or make it more even-toned, as it is supposed to. I'm still using this because I don't want to waste the product but i'm literally counting the days until my new moisturizer arrives in the mail & I wish I had returned this one after using it for a few days. I thought I'd give it a chance, but it hasn't helped one bit. It's more of a nuisance to use than anything else. I've just ordered Nature's Gate Oh What a Night moisturizer since it is the highest rated moisturizer here on p'ville and I'm hoping I will be able to use it as a day cream as well. I will chuck this stuff as soon as the new one arrives.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Eyestudio Quad - Irresistibly Ivy
sloanepeterson 3/31/2010 10:14:00 PM
These new Maybelline Eyestudio quads are fantastic eye shadows. I've read around here that people are not too crazy about the regular mayb eye shadows but I have a feeling this formula is different. Of the four colors that come in this quad, only the highlighter color is disappointing, and it is not the color but the fact that it is not pigmented enough. I put quite a bit on and it didn't really show up. However, the other three colors for the base, crease, and liner are HIGHLY pigmented. I got no fallout and they did not move around on my eye or get muddy. The package suggests the placement of the colors, although I played around and switched the base & crease colors. There is a coppery gold, an intense green, and a golden burgundy. The colors are extremely shimmery, and the consistency is quite velvety. I did a look using all four colors and I loved the way it turned out. This is one Maybelline e/s product that does not disappoint. Highly recommended for a drugstore eye shadow.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Bath and Body Works - True Blue Spa Lay it On Thick Shower Cream
sloanepeterson 3/31/2010 9:41:00 PM
I absolutely love this shower cream. As mentioned before, the smell is fantastic, it just makes you want to wash over and over again. It lathers very nicely using your hands. Unfortunately it doesn't lather for me when I am using my natural sponge and for that I almost gave it a four b/c I need to use my natural sponge if I hope to exfoliate. But, really it's too nice to only give a four. The best part about it is that your skin feels so silky after you rinse it off. It must be especially moisturizing, far more than BBW's triple moisture shower creams, because when you put moisturizer on after using this in the shower your moisturizer is twice as effective on your skin. This is a lovely product and definitely makes for a very nice shower experience. Would buy again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cerave - Moisturizing Lotion
sloanepeterson 3/29/2010 5:05:00 PM
I'm really not that enthusiastic about this product. Ordinarily, I would not use anything that even remotely resembles Cetaphil, which this one certainly does, but I recently began using a retinol at night and when doing my research, time and time again this was mentioned as the moisturizer to use when using a retinol. I read that I should choose a moisturizer with no "active" ingredients, and this was recommended as the most mild one. I'm not crazy about the texture, because this (just like cetaphil) feels to me more like a watery sort of gel than an actual lotion or cream. I feel that it half-sinks into my skin, but there is still a bit of a sticky layer on top. I don't think makeup takes well on top of this. The best thing I can say about it is that even with using the retinol I am never dry (though I have oily skin) and it hasn't broken me out. The retinol cream I've been using is moisturizing enough not to have to put this over it at night, so I only use it in the morning after cleansing. I gave it a 3 on price not necessarily because it's expensive, but because it's pretty darn expensive for a d/s brand. A lot more than Cetaphil and costs more than it's worth imo. I will probably try to find something else to accompany my retinol regimen once this is used up.
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Gels/Soaps -Bath and Body Works - Triple Moisture Shower Cream-All scents
sloanepeterson 3/29/2010 5:27:00 AM
I got this shower cream in coconut lime verbena. I had happened to wash my hands with that scent of soap in BBW's sink and absolutely loved the smell and how it stayed on my hands after washing. I decided to get the triple moisture body shower cream, body cream, and spritz b/c I loved the scent so much. The shower cream has a really nice, creamy, thick texture. It leaves my skin quite silky once I've rinsed it off and my skin is still wet. An interesting tidbit that the SA told me when I was asking questions about it is that if you use the shower cream and the body cream combined, you are "guaranteed" softer skin in 30 days. I find the shower cream very refreshing. I don't feel squeaky clean afterward, but I don't really like that feeling anyway. I do feel moisturized and I do really like using the shower cream and body cream together. My only complaint against it is that I could not use it successfully with my natural sponge. My previous shower get had lathered beautifully when I applied it to my sponge and rubbed my sponge on my skin. This created no lather when I did that. However, it does create more lather when you simply use your hands, and the texture of the cream makes it feel very nice to wash with your hands. All in all, a really good product and there are so many lovely scents to choose from.
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Hair Removal -Unlisted Brand - Skintimate Moisturizing Cream Shave - Dry Skin
sloanepeterson 2/21/2010 5:43:00 AM
This is the best shaving product I've ever found at a drugstore. Nothing compares to how creamy it is, it lives up to the name. Superior to foam and gel, your razor will glide over that Chewbacca-esque limb like water off a duck's back. Afterward, my legs were silky-smooth and I loved the feel of running my hands over them again and again. I hate shaving. I mean, I HATE shaving. Given the money the very first beauty procedure I would have done would be head-to-to waxing of every crevice, orifice, and surface save my head and brows. This is definitely the only product I've ever used that has made me relax and take my time while shaving to take care that no hair goes unremoved, simply because the process feels so good. There are two scents, I got Cashmere Rain (the pink one) which I think is divine. The scent is powerful and something between baby powder and that Victoria's Secret beauty rush cotton candy smelling stuff. It's slightly more expensive than the brands gels and foams but every bit worth it if you ask me. This will really double the power of putting lotion on your legs after a shave. Hells yes I'll buy this again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -L'Oreal - Bare Naturale Gentle Lip Conditioner
sloanepeterson 2/21/2010 2:41:00 AM
This was an impulse buy about an hour ago because RiteAid was having a 40% off on L'oreal lip products. I got it in Soft Blush, a nude/pink color that looks very pretty in the tube. On my lips it literally looks clear. There is no color at all. I can't even say it enhances the color of my lips. Maybe there is more color payoff in the other shades but absolutely none in this one. I bought it because it's supposed to be a lip conditioner with color, but I don't think there is any conditioning at work here. It's not sticky, in fact it slides a lot. It's not creamy, if feels like a gel almost. I agree with the poster who said that it feels like little more than Vaseline. It's not even close to being worth the regular price they are charging. I got it at 60% of that and I'm still thinking of returning it. Seems like a waste when i can get something much better.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Neutrogena - Ageless Restoratives--Total Skin Renewal Power Cleanser
sloanepeterson 2/16/2010 6:00:00 AM
Well, in all fairness to this product, I'm using it in conjunction with a bunch of other changes I've made to my skin routine lately, so I can't give you a 100% accurate description of what this alone has done for my skin. What I can say about it is that your skin feels really good and smooth after using it once. I can't speak to long-term effects, since I haven't been using it on a consistent basis and am not likely to, but the immediate effect of using it is certainly a softer texture to the skin and a brightening/healthy glow effect. I particularly like whatever cleanser they are putting into those little pads, it's very good stuff. But I don't think you're getting any more skin "resurfacing" than you would with your ordinary microbead exfoliator. Your skin simply feels super soft and smooth after using it. I can say that it did not make me feel tight or dry, and with my acne-prone skin it did not have any negative effects such as redness, rashes, or enhanced breakouts. I'd say it's a nice thing to use before doing up your makeup for a night when you want to look special, just because your skin will look good underneath. Sort of like a scaled-down everyday woman's version of getting a barrage of skin treatments to look good for an awards show ;-) I got it as a gift, wouldn't have occurred to me to buy it, and probably won't buy it again. I think I need a much stronger product to get some serious skin "renewal" done.
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Blush -Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Blush in Flame
sloanepeterson 2/12/2010 5:18:00 AM
Honestly, I saw this on the counter and it was exactly what I was looking for - in an eyeshadow. Yep, I bought it because the color is absolutely beautiful and I wanted to wear it on my eyes. It is between pink and red. The night of the day I bought it I wore it as an eyeshadow and it was beautiful with my light green eyes. The color is extremely potent. I have also used it as a blush now and the color is so pretty but really only use a dab! I swear, dip your brush in just dab at a time and lightly sweep on or under cheekbones but do not load up your brush and then apply because the color is potent and you will have clown cheeks! It doesn't come off easily either so do it light layer by light layer if you want to apply more. Honestly, this color is gorgeous and it is only a tad shimmery, not as sparkly as it appears in the box so it won't look too sparkly on the skin. Lovely as a blush or a shadow and I'm sure it will last forever because the color is SO strong.
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Eye Shadow -Cover Girl - Smoky ShadowBlast in Silver Sky
sloanepeterson 2/12/2010 5:04:00 AM
I completely agree with NicoleCL below and hope that I, like she, can return this product to the Riteaid I bought it from. The advertising campaign - brilliant. I've never really been able to create the perfect smoky eye with the powder shadows I've used so I thought I'd just follow the directions in the advertisement and come out with the stunning look that Drew Barrymore is sporting. I saw the ad in a magazine one day and the very next day I was out looking for it. I actually drove to four, count 'em FOUR, drugstores and at the last one I had all but given up my search when I saw them out of the corner or my eye on the bottom shelf of some poorly-place display shelf. Lo and behold they were buy one get one 50% off so I got two, one in a beige/brown shade and the other in a chartreuse/copper shade. I tried the beige/brown first. I did use I shadow primer with a bit of neutral color and used the light beige shade on the lid. There barely seemed to be any color at all over and above the concealer shade of my shadow primer. I applied that light shade at least three times before I moved on to the slanted brown side that goes in the crease. Applying it was a hassle because it goes on unevenly, like not enough in the inner corner, too much in the outer corner, then you apply more on the inner and then it's too much, etc. After I just ended up slapping it into my creases I spent a considerable amount of time using my fingers (hopeless) and then ultimately q-tips to try to blend it out to be even and pretty. Then end result was entirely unremarkable. On my fair peach/olive skin it ended up being a rather gray sort of beige/brown. I did use the same stick on a friend of mine who is much paler than I am, and spent a good amount of time doing here eyes with it as well, needing to blend it out. It actually looked really good on her, much warmer and a lot less gray, but the amount of time it took me to get it to look that good definitely makes this product not worth the trouble. Ultimately, my complaint is that this does not create a "smoky" eye. It is a much longer, more complicated, and messier way to create a look that I can much more easily create with powder: simply a light eyelid with a dark crease. I have not opened the second color and I'm not going to. I'm going to see if I can take it back and spend my $13 dollars on a trusted shadow! EDIT: I changed this from 3 lippies to one, because once I read the reviews for this shadow on it's other review page (general, no colors) I saw that many ppl who felt the same way I did only gave it one. It made me realize that three lippies is way too generous for a product that I did end up returning because it was so bad.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Clinique - True Bronze pressed powder bronzer - Sunkissed
sloanepeterson 2/12/2010 4:31:00 AM
This is absolutely my HG bronzer. This is my second year of using it, and I'm sure I'll buy this again when it runs out. I have skin that is basically fair but can also tan in the sun, and I can use "Sunkissed" all year around. I use this as both and all-over bronzer and a blush. Once I've applied loose powder, I take a kabuki brush and dust the ends in the bronzer and just dab it all over my face. I have a hint of sun-kissed tan and glow but there is no telltale shine or shimmer, just a healthy look. I also dust under the cheekbones for blush and it doesn't look like you're wearing blush, just contours the face. I think this color is perfect for all light to medium skintones and doesn't make you look oily, shiny, or fake-baked. It's about $24 usd and well worth the price. Love it.
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