Polishes -Revlon - Totally Toffee
smarie22 10/1/2010 9:38:00 AM
I actually like this color...it is a pinkish brown with a hint of purple. It reminds me of mud, but in a good way. I have yellow undertones in my skin and this goes with it nicely. I love it for it's unexpectedness. It's not a shocking color, but it's not exactly a pretty color either. It's an edgy neutral, which I like. I think this is a color you could get away wearing to work that still makes you feel a little rebellious and anti-conformist, without being too dramatic.
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Blush -Chanel - Joues Contraste - In Love (US version)
smarie22 9/2/2010 1:49:00 PM
This is a gorgeous pinky coral with a hint of gold shimmer. It goes on like a dream and looks super sheer and natural on my NC30 skin. I'm in love with In Love. So so easy to apply...it's as close to fool proof as blush gets, and it lasts all day.
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Naturelle SlickLine Conditioner
smarie22 1/28/2010 3:16:00 PM
This is currently my favorite conditioner. The sales rep at Sally's rec'd this to me one time. I was skeptical having tried a billion hair products in my time with little to no pay-off. This stuff is awesome. I have thick, dry, long, color-treated hair. I use literally a handful of this after shampooing on towel-dried hair and let it sit while I wash/shave and rinse it out. My hair feels like glass afterward--my hair is smooth and soft and super shiny. The best part is this stuff is cheap compared to many of the HE products I've used. I love it--and it smells soooo good that my kids (boys, no less) steal it to wash their hair with!
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Masks -Pangea Organics - Facial Mask - Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry
smarie22 7/8/2009 10:18:00 AM
This is the best mask I have ever used. I look like the Creature from the Blue Lagoon when I have it on (my kids and SO freaked out last night when they saw the green mud/grass smeared all over my face and neck), but I don't care. This is the most soothing and refreshing mask. It is heaven. I love the packaging--can't wait to plant the box. This product truly delivers--it exfoliates, soothes, tightens, tones and clarifies all without irritation. I highly highly recommend this mask. It's well worth the money. I look forward to putting this on each week. It is expensive and not very big--but if used once a week, this should last between 3 and 6 months.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - J.R. Liggett's Old Fashioned Shampoo Bar Damaged Hair Formula
smarie22 5/22/2009 10:50:00 AM
I really liked the idea of this and was hoping it would work, but it didn't. I tried using this for about a month, and then gave up entirely. I have long, damaged, dry, thick, color-treated hair (which is why I bought the Damaged Hair Formula). I only used this on my scalp/roots. I usually only wash my hair about twice a week. At first, I applied the bar directly to my roots and then lathered it in. Sometimes I noticed lather, but much of the time this didn't lather at all. At the time I bought this, I also bought a new blow dryer, Enjoy conditioner, FF Glossing Creme and a Marilyn pro round brush (all of which I love)--I was on a quest to finally have good hair! I would spend about 45 minutes blow drying my hair in the morning (I have a lot of hair). When I was done, my hair didn't look good at all--my roots were stiff and waxy and made my hair lay weirdly on my head. This happened EVERY TIME. I tried lathering in my hands first and then applying to my scalp. I tried rinsing for a really really long time to make sure I got this all off. I even tried using an ACV rinse afterwards to reduce the build- up, but nothing worked. It could be because of the hair dye, or maybe from styling it but I really really didn't like this (and I really wanted to).
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Makeup Brushes -Essence of Beauty - Kabuki Brush
smarie22 5/19/2009 9:33:00 AM
I can't say I'm crazy about this brush--although I do think it's loads better than the BE kabuki (which is terrible!) I have had this brush for a few months...I think it's scratchy and it takes forever to dry. It was softer at first (and I do wash it at least once per week) but it irritates my skin when I use it to apply powder. At least it wasn't expensive--and it's not a terrible brush. It is decent for the price. It just didn't work for me.
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Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Pears - The Original Transparent Soap
smarie22 5/17/2009 11:36:00 AM
I love love love this soap. I have had issue after issue with my skin over the past year. I have spent all kinds of money on all kinds of products trying to find the specific cocktail of items on my quest for the ultimate holy grail--perfect skin. Well, my current routine is the closest I've been in a loooooong time and it includes this soap. I ordered this on-line--it was fairly inexpensive. I received a 3-pack of this. It is a large amber colored clear bar of soap. I think it's pretty to look at and looks nice on my counter. It has that retro/old-fashioned feel to it. I use this morning and night...the soap lathers well, it's gentle and non-irritating, it cleans well (I use this after either mineral or jojoba oil cleansing at night and it removes the oil residue). This leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed rather than dry and dehydrated. My skin feels calmed and soothed after washing with this soap--it feels much more luxurious on my skin than it's cheap price would indicate. It also doesn't leave behind a soap residue (like so many face soaps do). I also love the smell--it has an herbal, clean old-fashioned fragrance. The best part is that the scent is natural and comes from essential oils (rather than man-made fragrance). This is a simple wonderful soap, and my skin is so much happier now.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Burt's Bees - Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF 30 Non-Whitening
smarie22 5/11/2009 9:55:00 AM
Update: Downgraded this--I really really don't like this and I think it started to break me out.
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Self Tanners -Unlisted Brand - Malibu - Hemp Golden Glow Bronzing Moisturizer
smarie22 4/16/2009 3:14:00 PM
I love this stuff. I got a bottle after reading the raves on MUA before going on a cruise. I didn't really notice anything special so I applied it before the cruise and on the cruise and then sent it to my proverbial product graveyard (aka the cupboard beneath my sink). I recently saw this in the "product graveyard" and decided to pull it out (although I'm not sure why). I've been using this every morning for the last couple of weeks on my arms and legs. It's extremely moisturizing so there is not need to use a lotion at the same time. Before the cruise, I was applying this over lotion which might have led to the poor results I got. This time around, the results are awesome. I have the nicest, light golden brown, streak free tan on my arms and legs. It's not splotchy or orange--it's very natural and pretty and so easy to apply. I also really like the pump top on the bottle. 2 squirts perfectly covers each leg and one squirt covers both my arms--if you stick with this daily, it really is great. This stuff is better than any of the other gradual tanners I've tried and you get a ton more for less $$$. Definite repurchase.
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Blush -Silk Naturals - -Heavenly Glow
smarie22 4/14/2009 4:06:00 PM
Super pretty color--it's like Orgasm for medium toned skin (I'm around NC30/35 w/yellow undertones). It gives me a gorgeous glowing flush. The packaging is really annoying. I like to apply this with my 187, and it's kind of a pain because it's a loose powder. I would definitely recommend this to medium skin tones who want that "Orgasm" look.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Expensive Pink (Veluxe Pearl)
smarie22 4/14/2009 3:52:00 PM
I love this color. I have a couple of other MAC eyeshadows, but they really haven't done much for me (probably cuz I didn't do my homework on MUA prior to buying them). So this time, I decided to haul at MAC and I did some research for pinky peachy salmony shades. I ended up getting Expensive Pink and Paradisco (along w/Rubenesque pp--already hg). I am rapidly becoming a MAC convert after my last purchase.
Expensive Pink is such a pretty color. I am NC30/35 w/blue eyes, dk brown hair and yellow undertones. This color really brightens my eye area and makes my eyes pop. It's totally work appropriate but also can be jazzed up for a night out. It is a fairly pigmented color and layered over a base really makes this stand out. But with a light hand, this can be fairly subtle. It pairs with so many other colors and is extremely versatile. It is a velvety powder and not shimmery, but not really flat either. I love this color (and now want more MAC shadows!)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -MAC - Paint Pot in Rubenesque
smarie22 4/14/2009 3:44:00 PM
I love love love this stuff. It's my first paint pot. I did some searching on p'ville and narrowed it down to this color (and I am sooo glad I did--thanks again MUA.) This is a shimmery, cream to powder eyeshadow/base. It has a pinkish, peachy, golden hue to it in the pot but on my eyelids it looks mostly gold (NC30/35 w/yellow undertones). Upon application, it is very sheer and shimmery (not glittery, more like glowy) and provides the prettiest wash of eyebrightening color. It's so subtle. But--the craziest thing is that I barely notice this stuff on my eyelids but it makes my eyes jump off my face. I get compliments on my eyes (not on my eye make-up) all the time when I am wearing this.
The texture is soft and velvety--I use my finger to apply it. You hardly need any product so this will last forever. It applies like a dream, my eyeliner sits well over it (both gel and pencil) and sets pretty quickly. It lasts all day without creasing or smudging. I love this stuff. It also works great as a base for bolder e/s--I have tried this with bronzes and pinky peachy es colors over it and it looked spectacular. I would highly recommend rubenesque.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Silk Naturals - Tempt Tryst
smarie22 4/13/2009 9:54:00 AM
This is a great product. I've been looking for a finishing powder--I was using silica powder, but decided to start wearing TM for my day look and to save $$$ MUFE HD foundation for special occasions--so I needed to find a powder. On a recent binge of ordering, I decided to purchase a well reviewed lippie from Silk Naturals. I checked out their site and ordered two lippies plus a bunch of samples. The company is wonderful. Lots of info, extremely responsive and courteous. Fast shipping. Generous samples. Even some freebies and guides were included with my order--I was really impressed. This is my daily go to finishing powder. It looks very yellow and shimmery in the pot, but leaves a very natural finish over my TM--I do have yellow undertones in my skin and this blends in well. It leaves me soft-looking--it's not too dewey and not too matte. The only thing I don't like is the packaging (hence the 4 lippies). It is more of a pain than most powders (small jar/lid w/sifter top). But it's nice and light, blends well, is very low $ and doesn't break me out. I am going to order a full size jar today. Like this product, love the company.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Bourjois - Happy Light [DISCONTINUED]
smarie22 3/30/2009 12:14:00 PM
This didn't break me out, provides okay coverage and a nice finish. I am so glad I held onto this and gave it another shot. Will update if my opinion changes. You can find this on-line for $15 too (another plus!) It's decent and not too expensive, but I don't love it. I just don't use this on a regular basis...will update if that changes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Unlisted Brand - Aspirin Mask
smarie22 3/23/2009 1:34:00 PM
I tried this about 1 year ago (when my skin mas really freaking out) and wasn't impressed--I was new to this site, skin care (and breaking out) at the time. I tried everything under the sun and if it didn't work quickly, I moved on to some other product. So, the first couple of times I tried this, I was not impressed. However, I went to a derm and got my skin into a manageable place and then began product shopping again. I have a routine I love, but noticed that I'll get a minor breakout every now and then. So I decided to try this mask again. I dissolved 4 Aspirin in a few drops of water and mix it with Cerave cleanser (which prevents my skin from drying out really well). I left this on my face for 10-15 minutes and then massaged into my skin with wet fingertips very gently until most of the aspirin was rubbed off. My skin was so soft and glowy afterwards, I was hooked. Now, I use this once a week. It really helps to manage the minor breakouts I get that my daily routine does not seem to prevent. This is easy, convenient, extrememly portable and very cheap. I really notice a difference when I skip a couple of weeks. I do sometimes find notice more blemishes surface a day or two after using this product...but it's different than breaking out. I can tell that any gunk under the surface is brought out with this mask. I do a few extractions a day or two after the mask to remove whatever gunk has surfaced and my skin looks great.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No