Lotions/ Creams -Vaseline - Renewal Age Redefining Body Lotion
sumug 6/26/2011 6:09:00 AM
I just bought this for the first time after reading a lot of positive things about its efficacy. I normally never use lotions by Vaseline. Perhaps it's too soon to post a comment as I've only used it once last night, but anyway: It's sufficiently hydrating, and my arms are significantly softer and less dry-looking the next day. (It's summer time so my arms tend to appear dryer now). It leaves behind a mild but lingering scent of barn animals. I'm happy to announce that the scent is gone by morning, however, and I have hopes for this one so I won't give up just yet. Next time I will definitely mix it with something that smells very good or otherwise just not use it on my arms so I won't have to deal with the barn-scent. I prematurely gave it a rating of 3 because I know that it can't be more effective than Glytone Body Lotion and Alpha KM Anti-Aging Lotion, both of which I'm loyal to. But it's much cheaper, and easier on my reactive hands. So I'm cool with it for the time being.
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Polishes -Yves Saint Laurent - La Laque #19 Fuchsia Pink
sumug 6/23/2011 7:36:00 AM
This has to be the most elegant, classic fuchsia nail polish out there. It's a perfect, true fuchsia and I love it. Very sexy. Very glamorous by day or by night. Looks a bit iridescent in the bottle, but hardly iridescent if at all on the nails. It basically applies creamy matte, but has something a bit light-reflecting about it. Gorgeous!
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Sunscreen -Shiseido - Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 33 PA++
sumug 6/21/2011 1:45:00 PM
For the face, this product has been troublesome and dissatisfying. I'm not sure why everyone didn't vote unanimously on this being heavy, greasy, streaky, and white-casting. It offers great waterproof protection, I must say, and has a barely there, easy to cope with scent. I've spent 3 long summer days on a hot, sunny Mediterranean beach so far, using this (on my face and chest) and I tanned without burning. (I reapplied, of course). But it's just so heavy. And it takes some effort to blend it all in and then still, it keeps streaking. Definitely leaves white, migrating residues, no doubt. Too messy for a hot beach. If you're t-zone shine prone like me, you will go home with your face looking like a hot, greasy mess... And then on a personal level, it's breaking me out with a mild but visible, spotty rash on my cheeks and one spot under one of my eyes every time I use it. So I cannot bear to continue with it. Though I'm really loving it for my chest and I'm gonna keep it for that. I also bought the Shiseido sun lip and eye protection and they didn't impress me either. The eye cream is too runny and the lip protection is slightly drying and way too white, causing problems if you want to put some lip color on. I bought these to try for the first time this summer hoping they'd be lighter and less whitening than the Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream for face, and less fragrant. Less fragrant, yes, but it stops at that. I definitely prefer the Clarins. As for applying make-up over this stuff -- just forget about it. Unless you don't mind it if your eye make-up wanders off to places it shouldn't go. I've never tried it under foundation or concealer and never will because my skin would definitely be suffocated. It's fine under powder but powder is helpless over this stuff. Last but not least, I agree with everybody else about this being so water resistant that it's hard to wash off without using a cleansing oil. That's been fine with me, as I double cleanse my face every night starting with a cleansing oil anyway. I use shower oil to wash off the product that's been on my chest -- but I cannot even imagine using this on my back -- how on Earth would anyone ever be able to wash it off effectively??
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Chanel - Ombre Essentielle 51 Mahogany
sumug 5/2/2011 7:11:00 AM
This is the best deep, dark brown MATTE eye shadow I've been able to find - ever. I believe it should be universally flattering, which is not a common property of brown eye shadows as some can be too sandy or too taupey or too reddish or too mauve... This is a dark, smokey brown, and super for a smokey eye. It has a very elegant effect in general. The only problem is that you have to be careful with your application so it doesn't come on too dark as it is highly pigmented - so just use a very light hand until you get used to it. You can be a little less cautious lining your lower lids, though. I hate that I do this, cause it's so expensive, but the color is also fantastic to dust over the random white or grey hair that is starting to come out at the root. I first tried this cause I was desperate, and when I discovered how well it worked I went out looking for a cheap substitute to use on thin sections of my roots. I could not find anything so deep and pigmented so I still use the Chanel sometimes...
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Sparkle Eye Shadow in Black 17
sumug 5/2/2011 6:53:00 AM
I love this. It's very sheer, especially the first few times you're breaking it in. But it's also very buildable, which is great cause it's hard to pile up too much on that way, especially during the day when you don't want such a dirty or dramatic effect. The sparkles are subtle and will stay in place without migrating. The formula is very matte. The color acts as a sheer charcoal with a hint of silver all the way to a sheer black if you build it up. I match it with 3 liners - Sisley Phyto Khol Star in Black Diamond #1, Deep Silver #4, and Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Liner. Would definitely buy again only I can't imagine this running out any time soon.
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Lip Treatments -Laura Mercier - lip balm spf 15
sumug 5/1/2011 11:26:00 AM
I agree with most of these reviews. I think it smells lovely - sugary like cotton candy, and it goes on nice and smooth the first application, and it's fine if you're going to put lipstick on top of it right away. But as a stand alone lip balm, the hydration wears off a bit too fast, which is a shame because I adore the lasting hydration of Laura Mercier's Lip Silk and thought I could expect the same with this. No. For this price, (I paid over 30 Euros for it in Switzerland), and from this family of sugary lip balms with sunscreen, I definitely prefer the Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 by Fresh. I think it is a better version of LM's Lip Balm SPF 15. It's worth buying once for 20 USD, though. Since I wear lipstick daily, I still use this every morning. I'm just not that impressed with it and won't be buying it again.
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Scrubs -Fresh - Sugar Face Polish with Strawberries
sumug 5/1/2011 10:53:00 AM
Since everybody has already raved about this, I'm just going to add my 2 extra cents, which is that I use this mainly to exfoliate my lips, and I love it for that purpose a lot more than I like to use it on my face, though it is lovely on both. On my lips, I find myself using it a couple of times a week, and the effect is gorgeous (especially when applied without wetting the lips first). On my face, I find myself using it once every couple of months (because I have so many other go-to masks and exfoliants). The jar has lasted me ages. Like 3 years. And it's still good.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Shu Uemura - Pore Clarifying Foaming Cleansing Water
sumug 5/1/2011 8:55:00 AM
I love basically everything made by Shu Uemura but I would not buy this particular cleanser again simply because it left a bit of a soapy residue on my face. Of course I always use a toner after cleansing but still, I don't like feeling even the slightest residue on my face. It smells nice and fresh, the pump is great, the packaging looks refreshing, and I used it to double cleanse as step 2 after the Shu Uemura Balancing Cleansing Oil (Fresh). It definitely gave me a deep cleanse and did clarify my pores as stated, and it did not dry out my skin at all. It comes out as a light, foamy mousse. If you love Shu, don't mind a slight soapy feeling (I generally prefer gel cleansers), and need a gentle but pore-deep foaming cleanser then you might like this. My skin looked very clean and clear while I used this, but since I prefer gel cleansers I just moved on when I finished the bottle. The bottle is quite large and will last.
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Treatments (Eye) -La Prairie - revitalising eye gel
sumug 5/1/2011 6:15:00 AM
I am surprised this did not get many high ratings. I am not crazy about La Prairie (cause their caviar products are not compatible with my skin type), and with this particular eye gel I would not have known what to say about it until enough time had passed and I saw the results. This is an expensive eye gel but it works very well for puffiness. I leave mine in the fridge and use it in the morning. It stings a little bit when applied (and I'm not entirely sure why) but ever since I started using it over 2 months ago I really don't wake up with puffy eyes anymore. My under-eye area is also much lighter. The thing is, I started this along with YSL Temps Majeur Eyes at the same time, using the YSL at night (love that stuff too). I'm sure each one is wonderful used alone, but together or apart - I never get puffy eyes anymore. Even when I don't get enough sleep. And I'm someone who can wake up with VERY puffy eyes. So I definitely recommend this to people who are looking for something to reduce/eliminate morning puffiness and don't mind paying the high price. (I was totally splurging when I decided to buy both of these at the same time). It's not all that moisturizing though, which is fine for me during the day cause I don't want oil slicks under my eyes. It's moisturizing enough. And firming too. I don't use it over a serum either, and I can apply my makeup right on top of it with no problems. I suppose it can be used underneath another moisturizer or over a serum too with great results. P.S. I bought mine for 105 USD on the airplane duty-free. That's $50 less than retail. P.P.S. I've used mine once each morning for 2 months and it's not even near half-way finished.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Herbal Aloe Force The Skin Gel
sumug 5/1/2011 5:53:00 AM
Everybody needs this. It's an all-purpose cure-all. This stuff works better than the fanciest of the high end designer and pharmaceutical products. So far I've used it for rashes and eczema and cuts and burns. Worked better and faster than anything. It is a miracle healer. Again: Everybody needs this at home cause sooner or later it will come in handy and blow you away and you'll never be without it again. Amazing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Chanel - Gel Purete
sumug 4/17/2011 7:01:00 PM
I have combination/oily skin (T-zone shine) but I normally do not use cleansers for combination/oily skin. I use cleansers for normal skin and then everything I use after that (toner, moisturizer) is for combo/oily skin. I don't use cleansers for combo/oily skin because it's been my experience that they are all over-drying, all of them without exception, even though my forehead actually gets super shiny. This was no exception. It is overly drying. I like it otherwise, I just can't use it morning and night without worrying about getting too dry and flakey. I wanted to try it to see if it could actually be gentle but it is not. When I do use it I try to remember to use half a pump. So for those of you who, like me, have experienced that cleansers for combo/oily skin have been too drying for you, then this one will be too drying too. Like, flakey drying. This might be a hit for people with very oily skin, however. Either way, it is pleasant to use, smells fresh, and will leave your face squeaky clean if you're in the mood for that. Some days I don't mind washing my face squeaky clean. Just not every day. So I won't be buying it again. Oh and the bottle should last a long time cause it's relatively large and the gel is quite concentrated. One pump is all I ever use. And it's that one pump (or less) that is overly drying. And to be fair, it is purifying, and it does clean very deeply. Not bad at removing light foundation. But to be even fairer I must say that I noticed some of my eye lashes falling when I've washed around my eyes with this. NOT good. If anybody else has noticed this, PLEASE post. Because I could be wrong but it's never happened before and it only happens when I use this to wash off light eye make-up.
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Treatments -Murad - Acne Spot Treatment
sumug 4/17/2011 6:30:00 PM
I don't know what this can do for serious or cystic acne, probably not a lot, but this works well on those random bulging pimples that people with an otherwise clear face can get (and that includes me). I've had this product for a very long time, yet I felt compelled to review it today because I recently started working out again and got a huge red zit on my forehead which I suspect I got from resting my forehead on the mat (over a towel) while doing prone cobras. It got so big that I had to "expel" it. And that just made it worse, redder, and impossible to hide with make-up. But then I used this stuff (aggressively, like 3 times a day for a day and a half) and it dried it up so fast. Like, overnight. Then it peeled, completely flattened out, and faded. (Too much information, huh?) But I also treated it with liquid erythromycin and used my Retin A like I normally do. Still, this stuff comes in handy when swiping with liquid erythromycin doesn't do the job fast enough. Especially if you apply it on an "open" pimple. Icky, but true. It lasts a long time too. I've had mine for like over 2 years and it's half full and still works perfectly. But it does not work so well on hormonal chin break outs. (Does anything apart from Retin A?) Anyway, when it runs out, I would definitely buy it again. And by the way, I don't apply this when I'm stepping out. I apply it generously when I'm at home directly on the pimple, and it shows. Rubbing it in and then going out is a) less effective and b) will show, because the stuff crusts a little bit.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Christian Dior - Escale Aux Marquises
sumug 3/5/2011 8:47:00 AM
I love this scent so much. I can't get enough of it. It's even better than Escale a Portofino, which I love too. Portofino is more cologny, more lemony. Marquises is addictive like Portofino but lacks the cologny lemonyness. The fragrance is delicate, completely feminine, soft, subtle, and perfectly clean. It's gonna smell like Heaven come summertime and bare shoulders. I keep sniffing my wrists. I want to reapply all the time. I'm an Opium woman after sunset but during the day I like to smell subtle and clean. Oh this smells so good.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Russian Red
sumug 1/17/2011 7:27:00 PM
Best bright red lipstick on the planet - no doubt about it. Russian Red and Shu Uemura Red 165 are my 2 every day bright reds (blotted, un-blotted, mixed with darker reds) -- this is *the* bright red lipstick you've been looking for -- if you've been looking for a classic bright red lipstick. I've been using Shu's Red 165 since 1990 and just discovered Russian Red a little over a year ago - was so thrilled. Gives the best red stain when blotted.
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Lotions/ Creams -Nuxe - Reve de Miel Hand & Nail Cream
sumug 1/17/2011 7:13:00 PM
This is not a Gold Bond type of cream or anything that will really heal your hands if they're in bad shape for whatever reason. But it is pleasant to use, and I do like it for every day. It smells very Nuxey. It smells nourishing. On the tube it says 'for all skin types' but it should say 'for all skin types except very dry'. Absorbs extremely quickly. Will soften hands and provide comfort but doesn't give that "deeply moisturized" feeling. Try it if you're a hand cream junkie.
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