Polishes -Wet 'n' Wild - FastDry - Ebony Hates Chris
spaghetina 7/13/2012 1:48:00 PM
LOVE this one-coater black. HATE the scraggly brush. Aside from the brush, the formula and pigmentation of this polish are unbeatable. It's thick enough to give perfect, opaque coverage with minimum effort, but without being gloppy, and at $1.99 when not on sale, the price is pretty unbeatable. Drug stores often have B1G1 50% off sales, making this gem even more affordable. It always blows my mind when someone pays premium polish prices for a basic black, when this guy is sitting there for a buck and change.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Dorothy Who?
spaghetina 7/13/2012 1:43:00 PM
Dorothy Who? is sparkly blue at its very best. In low light, it shimmers and glistens with every twist and turn of your hand. In the sun, it will blow your mind. I layered it over ChG First Mate, and I loved it. Would I buy it again? Heck yeah, I would!
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Polishes -Wet 'n' Wild - FastDry - Blue Wants to Be a Millionaire
spaghetina 6/25/2012 3:46:00 AM
I have this on right now, and cannot stop staring at my fingers. As others have mentioned, this is a denim blue with a scattered rainbow-y, holo-y twinkle. I can't speak to how many coats it takes on its own because I layered it over 1 coat of Wet 'n' Wild Fast Dry Ebony Hates Chris (a perfect, creamy black 1-coater), but 2 coats over black is stunning. Sadly, I did accent nails with ChG Dorothy Who? and the sparkle of that particular polish outshines Blue Wants to Be a Millionaire, but in a different way. Both were sitting in my untrieds so I thought I'd kill 2 birds with one stone, but next time, I'll pair this one with another accent color or let it really shine alone. For less than $2, I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to own this.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Iconic High Definition Lash Curler Mascara
spaghetina 9/28/2010 10:56:00 PM
I am not a mascara fan. Not because there's anything wrong with it in particular, but because I basically have no eyelashes to speak of, and those beautiful tubes of mascara pretty much only serve to remind me of my inadequacies. I have typical Asian lashes that are short, sparse, refuse to hold a curl, and even if they did stay curled, there wouldn't be any point because you'd still never be able to see them. Even curling with a hot curler is easily undone with the weight and wetness of a coat of mascara. Enter Iconic. When an MUA told me that it was supposed to pull my forward-pointing lashes upward, I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes at her in disbelief, and told her it would be a waste of time to even try it on me. But both she, and the other MUA that was working on me kept insisting, and I finally gave in. One coat went on each eye, and I was unimpressed and uncurled, except that I could clearly see that my lashes were much glossier. I left the mall without that tube of mascara. Fast forward. I was in my bathroom, looking in the mirror, and became intrigued by the glossy lashes I could clearly see. I leaned in, and to my amazement, I saw long(ish), curled, perfectly separated lashes. It's a miracle! I don't know how this stuff knew what direction to pull my lashes in, but it sure did something right. Plus, there's no clumping, and they're slightly spiky, which I know some people don't like, but I sort of do. For someone who isn't generally a fan of mascara, the fact that I'll be buying a tube speaks volumes.
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Gels/Soaps -Softsoap - Pink Grapefruit Splash- body wash
spaghetina 4/16/2010 10:28:00 PM
Was this discontinued? I can't find it anywhere anymore. :( It's a shame because this was one of my favorite scents in the Softsoap body wash line. I actually stopped using it as body wash, not for any particular reason, but began using it to refill my hand soap dispensers, and it's been a wonderful hand soap. The smell is a perfect rendition of true grapefruit, and the little moisture beads ensure that it's not drying.
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Gels/Soaps -Softsoap - Pure Cashmere Moisturizing Body Wash
spaghetina 4/16/2010 10:23:00 PM
I LOVE the smell of this stuff. As someone else said, it kind of reminds me of the beach, and I would buy it again for that reason alone. It rinses clean, but not so much that my skin is squeaky (read: dried out). I can't speak to its moisturizing qualities because I have never, and will never rely on a body wash to add moisture to my extra dry skin, but it didn't make me any drier, which is a good thing.
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Fragrances -Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue
spaghetina 8/27/2009 5:48:00 PM
If I'm ever actually seeking out a headache, I know where to find it, and it comes bottled up inside a glass spritzer of Light Blue. Seriously, within moments of applying this stuff, I start getting a migraine. It's sort of a shame too because I really loved this the first time I smelled it, which is why I bought a whole bottle of it. A whole, huge, now 99.9% unused bottle of it. It initially smells mostly of apples to me, and then dries down to something softer, and much more wearable. If I can put up with the headache and down a few Advil, then I fall back in love with this perfume, but it's never worth it to me. Edit: In response to those saying that perhaps the reason behind this fragrance being so headache-inducing is because people are purchasing fakes, I'd like to clarify by saying that I purchased this at the counter at Nordstom. It is in no way a fake, but it still gives me a headache from the sharpness of the top notes. Even walking into an elevator after somebody has worn this and stepped out is enough to bring on a wave of nausea, and it happens often, as this is such a popular fragrance. I really wanted it to work on me, and I wish I'd tested it on myself before purchasing a whole bottle, but mine is definitely real, and it definitely gives me a real headache!
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Conditioner -Suave - Radiant Brunette
spaghetina 11/5/2007 9:11:00 PM
Let me start by saying, I don't think this stuff performs anything like the John Frieda line. I bought it after reading all the reviews, and thinking that if it were really so wonderful, I could save myself $8 on buying the JF shampoo and conditioner. First, it doesn't smell the same. It's similar, but it's like they took the scent from JF, and then mixed in cheap men's aftershave. Don't love it, not that I love the smell of JF either, but this is worse. Second, the JF BB makes my hair intensely soft and sleek. It's not weighed down or greasy, and I have to force myself to not touch my own hair all day. This stuff made my hair feel almost dry. The shampoo definitely didn't feel the same in the shower, and so I slathered in the conditioner hoping I'd feel that familiar slippery texture from the JF once rinsed out, but that didn't happen. I did notice, however, that my fine, limp hair did have a bit more body with this stuff (although the JF doesn't weigh it down and doesn't make it look greasy at all, as others have reported), and the ends seemed a lighter brown (and this is my natural haircolor at a dark brown/almost black, so I don't know how that happened) than with the JF, but it's probably because my hair was drier than when I use the JF. All in all, would I trade my John Frieda for this stuff? Hell no. JF's Brilliant Brunette is much better, in my opinion, but would I use this in a pinch or buy it on vacation to toss out when my trip is over? Sure.
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Shampoo -John Frieda - Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Moisturizing Shampoo
spaghetina 11/5/2007 9:02:00 PM
I love this stuff. decided to try the Brilliant Brunette line after being a Pantene girl for a couple years. Using that, my hair started looking really dull and thin, and the texture was almost wirey and fried feeling, despite not having colored my hair in probably 4 years. It was also coming out in handfulls in the shower, which is never a good thing, but the only reason I'd stuck with it for so long is because I loved the smell. Stupid. Anyhow, I picked up a bottle of the JF shampoo and conditioner after reading good reviews on the shine shock, and figured I'd try the whole line. All I can say is, I can't believe the difference in the texture of my hair. This stuff makes it smooth and so damn soft. It's so soft I want to touch it all day long, and I have to remind myself that people will think I'm nuts if I keep running my fingers through it. I can't say that it's amazingly shiny, but the texture is a vast improvement over the Pantene days. I don't love the smell, since I like more floral/fruity scents, but it's not sickening.
In an attempt to save a couple bucks and to see what the hype was about, I picked up Suave's knockoffs of this line, and I'm not particularly impressed. The smell is similar to the JF stuff, but it's as if someone added cheap men's aftershave to it, and it doesn't leave my hair nearly as soft. I don't think I'll be straying from this for a long time, if I can help it.
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Conditioner -John Frieda - Brilliant Brunette Light Reflecting Conditioner
spaghetina 11/5/2007 9:01:00 PM
I decided to try the Brilliant Brunette line after being a Pantene girl for a couple years. Using that, my hair started looking really dull and thin, and the texture was almost wirey and fried feeling, despite not having colored my hair in probably 4 years. It was also coming out in handfulls in the shower, which is never a good thing, but the only reason I'd stuck with it for so long is because I loved the smell. Stupid. Anyhow, I picked up a bottle of the JF shampoo and conditioner after reading good reviews on the shine shock, and figured I'd try the whole line. All I can say is, I can't believe the difference in the texture of my hair. This stuff makes it smooth and so damn soft. It's so soft I want to touch it all day long, and I have to remind myself that people will think I'm nuts if I keep running my fingers through it. I can't say that it's amazingly shiny, but the texture is a vast improvement over the Pantene days. I don't love the smell, since I like more floral/fruity scents, but it's not sickening.
In an attempt to save a couple bucks and to see what the hype was about, I picked up Suave's knockoffs of this line, and I'm not particularly impressed. The smell is similar to the JF stuff, but it's as if someone added cheap men's aftershave to it, and it doesn't leave my hair nearly as soft. I don't think I'll be straying from this for a long time, if I can help it.
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Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Good-bye Cellulite
spaghetina 10/26/2007 7:42:00 AM
I can't speak as to whether or not this product works, so why am I writing a review, you ask? Because I *have* used it, but I had to stop after applying it morning and night for 4 days. I thought the smell was going to kill me. I was putting it on before bed every night, and I'd lay there, sick to my stomach, unable to sleep because the scent was impossibly strong. I'm not generally the kind of person who gets headaches from perfumes, in fact, there are only a few things that have ever been tryly headache-inducing, and this one is the worst of them all. It lasts forever, and well, it's just disgusting. It's floral, cloying, sharp... I wish I could have continued using this, but not being nauseated is more important than wintertime, cellulite-free thighs. Maybe, if in the future I'm really in desperate need of a product, I'll pick this back up since I bought 3 tubes of it, but for now, keep that smell away from me. Just thinking about it makes me feel ill. I'd give it a -5 for smell, but it gets 3 lippies only because I don't want to ruin the ratings if it does actually work after 4 weeks.
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Makeup Brushes -Sonia Kashuk - Travel Kabuki Brush
spaghetina 10/26/2007 7:17:00 AM
I gave this brush 4 lippies because it feels SO darned good. That said, I haven't had great luck applying powder foundation with it (MAC Studiofix). I know it's not necessarily meant for that, but you'd think that it should work just fine. It does an ok job, but so does a sponge.
The design of the brush itself is really nice. The handle is a sleek metallic-looking black, and has a sheath that you pull up over the bristles before putting the cap back on. It's not totally foolproof or perfect because there are times when errant bristles will get smashed when putting the cap on, but it's not a tragedy. For $18, you get a really nice 'buki that, as far as I've felt, is very comparable to pricier brushes. I love Sonia's brush line!
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Makeup Brushes -Sonia Kashuk - Contour Blusher Brush
spaghetina 10/26/2007 7:11:00 AM
I LOVE this brush. Yes, really... l-o-v-e. For the longest time, I was contouring with an old Clinque brush that came a gift set from about 10 years ago. That Clinique brush held up really well, and even though bristles had broken and splayed, they'd broken and splayed in the perfect way, making what was once a blush brush into the perfect contourer. Well, I figured that it probably wouldn't last forever, and so my search for a new brush began. I went through a lot of MAC brushes, trying to find one that I liked that wouldn't break the bank, but settled on trying the Sonia Kashuk first. Well, I haven't needed to purchase anything else because this brush has just been fantastic. It's great for contouring (of course) but also for applying blush to very specific areas, and works beautifully with highlighters. The quality of the bristles is amazing. They're soft and supple, full, but not too full, and a nice length. I have no problems picking up enough of whatever I'm swiping it across, and it deposits color evenly. I loved this brush so much that I went out and bought 2 more - one for my mom, and another one for myself just in case!
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Bronzers -Physicians Formula - Pearls of Perfection Multi-Colored Bronzer
spaghetina 10/19/2007 4:19:00 AM
First, to anyone who used the "sponge applicator" in the container, let me ask this: Why the hell are you using that?! It's not an applicator, lol, it's to keep the pearls from shattering or being jostled too much. You know that piece of cotton they stick in the top of pill bottles? You're not supposed to pull off chunks and take that with the medication either - it's there to keep the pills from knocking around. I laughed out loud when I read the reviews people were giving for the product because they tried applying it with the sound barrier sponge. That said, this is actually a really great product. I bought it in light to medium, I believe, and it works great on my NC30, Asian skin. I swirl my cheapie Sonya Kashuk blush brush from Target around in it, then brush it over my forehead to give me a little color, and it's just the right amount. It's not muddy looking, or orange, or dirty... just subtly bronze. Unless you're not paying any attention at all, I don't see how you can get the pearls stuck in a brush, but if you do, what's the big deal? Shake it over the jar, and it'll fall back in, right? I was using Wet 'n Wild's med/dark bronzer for about a month before this, and that was working just fine, but this has less of an orangey tint to it. And though the WnW really doesn't read as orange on my skin, this is definitely a more "tanned" look. Is it my HG bronzer? I don't know that any bronzer would be HG for me because I don't always need or use it, but if there ever came a day when that changed, this would probably be it.
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Highlighters -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Shimmer in Golden Poppy
spaghetina 9/10/2007 12:59:00 AM
Just picked this stuff up, and I have to say, it's great! For anyone looking for a true gold shimmer anywhere, cheeks, eyes, lips, collarbones... this is the product for you. There aren't any large glitter chunks, although the product is a little dual-personaltied; part is a larger shimmer particle, and part (most) is a super, super finely milled gold powder that imparts a gorgeous sheen. After wearing it for a little while, the larger shimmer particles get toned down (or fall off?), leaving behind a beautiful, golden hued sheen. Not shiny, not greasy-looking, not glittery, just glow! I tried a friend's MAC pigment in some sort of gold shade (at least, I think it was a pigment, I can't even remember now), and it was EXACTLY like this, but you can bet it cost more than the $2.99 this cost me. The packaging is fine, unlike some of the other WnW products, where the packaging is just abysmal. It's a little square cube, as someone else mentioned, with a sifter top, that allows you to just shake out a bit of the product at a time. I bought another color, but haven't tried it yet. If it's half as impressive as this was, I'll be back to review that one too!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No