Loose Powders -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Loose Powder
tabard 7/24/2010 3:21:00 PM
I considered purchasing the generic silica micropheres from bulk sellers, but I decided against it. It's important to make sure that the products you use on your face are pure. When you buy a product at a lower price point, it's possible someone took a shortcut somewhere or used a questionable source to make the price affordable. Since I had read some negative comments about the quality of the bulk sellers' product, I thought it would be safer to stick with a company that has produced makeup for years. That being said, I'm happy enough with the effect of the product to not be too upset about the extensive mark-up price. A lot of the finishing powders I have tried that get rid of shine (Mineral Veil, LM) have broken me out. This one hasn't and it really works without making my face tight or itchy. I think you have to use the right makeup brush for this to work. I first used what I believe is a blush brush and then, a tiny kabuki brush that came with Sephora's free BE foundation offer. In both cases, my face became quite oily and shiny. I didn't have success with this powder until I used my Clinique brush with it and really dusted the product into my face. if you're break-out prone and react poorly to powders with talc or corn starch, this may be a good one to try.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock spf 55
tabard 7/11/2010 12:26:00 PM
I always suspected that Neutrogena sunscreens broke me out. But I've been using La Roche Posay's SPF 15 and the possibility of finding a daily sunscreen that was cheaper intrigued me. Unfortunately, the Neutrogena did not work for me. First, the smell is annoying. I don't know why Aveeno and Neutrogena - two lines that target sensitive skin - insist on adding fragrance to their sunscreens. This Neutrogena product has a strong scent that lingers. Second, the product broke me out. I've found a great skin regimen and haven't suffered anything but minor monthly hormonal breakouts for years, The day after I used this Neutrogena product I began developing zits. Instead of disappearing quickly as usual, these zits lingered and left scars. I haven't had a facial scar from a zit for years!! The product also stings a bit upon application. I went back to using La Roche Posay. It is unscented, doesn't break me out and I usually get a $5 coupon from CVS, which diminishes the cost.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Sothys - Creme Reparatrice / Active Cream (Oily Skin)
tabard 7/11/2007 3:55:00 PM
I have been searching for a moisturizer that wouldn't break me out since I started using Retin-A gel last year. I'm usually combo-oily but the Retin-A made the sides of my mouth, chin and cheeks dry. I tried low-end (Nuetrogena), mid-range (Avene, LRP) and high end (PTR) moisturizers but all either broke me out or didn't moisturize enough. This moisturizer is great. I find it really heals my skin when I have the ocassional zit; and since I started using this (along with a honey cleanser in the ayem) I rarely have zits anymore. My skin also became red from irritation with the Retin-A and that redness has been pretty much alleviated - an unexpected bonus. Only a pea size drop is necessary to moisturize the entire face. But....the jury is still out in terms of Active Cream's moisturizing power during the winter months. I suspect if I use a bit more than a pea-size amount when it gets cold, it will provide adequate moisture.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -Beauty Without Cruelty - Revitalizing Leave In Conditioner
tabard 6/10/2007 2:57:00 PM
I only recently discovered that Aveda discontinued my summer staple, the Elixir leave-in condish, which lead me to search for a replacement. This one is terrific. I'm an African-American woman who wears her hair natural. BWC's leave in is great for shake n' go's - I mix it with Phytodefrisant with great results (no gel needed). It's also good for braid-outs - I always use gel for this, but I may try it alone or with the Phytodefrisant to see what happens. I love how soft this makes my hair feel; it also makes my curls pop. The leave-in is clearly providing moisture to my hair. However, I will probably switch to Kiehl's leave-in in the winter because the Kiehl's is more moisturizing.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Peter Thomas Roth - Environmental Repair Hydrating Gel
tabard 2/25/2007 2:34:00 PM
I wanted to like this moisturizer so much that I returned to it twice. It has a very simple ingredient list, which really attracted me to the product. But both times that I used it I found it drying, especially when I used it on damp skin. I believe it was the hyaluronic acid. I've also used Skinceuticals B5 gel and it has the same drying effect on my face. Apparently HA does this to some skins - I'd love to know why. This gel did work a little better for me when I used it on dry skin. I also suspect this moisturizer may have caused breakouts, but that could have just been a reaction to my skin being irritated by the drying effect of this product. FYI: I have acne-prone, combo-oily skin that I treat with Retin-A gel. I was looking for a moisturizer to combat the dryness that the Retin-A causes.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -NARS - Oilfree foundation
tabard 2/19/2007 5:30:00 PM
I have searched for years for a foundation with staying power that doesn't give me shine, look orangey or cause breakouts. This one has finally achieved those goals. I have brown skin with yellow undertones and although it looks very light in the bottle, Jamaica works well for me. The coverage lasts all day, plus it makes my skin look natural. I love that it doesn't become too tacky after I put it on, like most other foundations do. I'm acne prone with sensitive skin, which I treat with Retin-A. I've been using this for about three weeks and I haven't had any problems with this foundation causing breakouts A lot of people have complained about the foundation drying quickly. I'm mystified by that comment, but that may be because I basically use foundation like a concealer. i don't cover my whole face with it, I just paint it on places where I have uneven skin color. I also don't find that the foundation is thick. Like many have commented here, I would also like to have a pump on this product. Unfortunately, in this quest, all I got was the run-around from NARS. When I went to a store (Bloomies), the NARS countergirl suggested I contact the website. The website rep told me to go to a store and ask for a pump. But NARS does know that the lack of pump is an issue and is "working on" a solution, according to the website rep. Of course, that's not particularly helpful in terms of my immediate needs. I guess I'll keep asking for a pump until someone takes pity on me.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Make Up For Ever - Extreme Camouflage Cream
tabard 2/11/2007 2:19:00 PM
I hesitated to buy this product because its first ingredient is highly comedogenic and it contains sodium chloride, which is also a no-no for acne prone skin like mine. But I have skin that reacts negatively to Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide and talc, which leaves me with a limited list of foundations/concealers I can try. Since so many people seemed to have a positive experience with Full Cover, I decided to give it a whirl. I used Full Cover for several months before I realized that it was causing breakouts. I also didn't like how greasy it became on my combo-oily skin (I only used it during the winter months). While the concealer did stay put really well, my cheeks would have a lot of oil on them by the afternoon. (That's changed dramatically since I stopped using it.) The coverage was adequate, but a bit too sheer for me. The color also didn't work. It had too much of an orange tone to it, which a Sephora makeup artist pointed out to me one day when she applied my makeup after I had a skinphysical.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Phytomer - purifying cleansing gel
tabard 2/11/2007 2:01:00 PM
I initially hated this product. When I first used it, it dried out my face. And I hated its manly, marine-scented smell. So I returned it. But before I decided to return it I was noticing that after those first days of dryness, my T-zone oiliness seemed a bit more regulated. It also seemed to be calming my skin. For a few weeks, I used another cleanser, which unfortunately didn't do a good job of cleansing. So I decided to go back to this. One thing I discovered is you really don't need that much for it to cleanse effectively. A pea size drop works fine in the a.m. and a slightly bigger pea does the job for me in the p.m. I wear a waterproof European sunscreen and this cleanser washes it, and my makeup, off with ease. It also seems to do a good job of keeping my skin blemish free (but I use Retin-A gel for this as well). After years of searching for an effective cleanser, I think I've finally found one. I just wish it came in a fragrance-free scent.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Stila - Natural Finish Oil Free Makeup
tabard 6/16/2006 7:01:00 PM
Unfortunately after using the product for about a month, I realized that it was causing whiteheads the day after I used it. The finish of the makeup was very sheer - it's not enough to hide skin discolorations. The foundation also tended to fade as the day wore on. But it was lightweight and provided a matte finish. Hope this helps people like me who have sensitive, acne-prone, combo-oily skin.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Korres - 3-in-1 Milk Proteins Emulsion
tabard 5/8/2006 3:40:00 PM
I was afraid this would happen. The oils (or something) in this product didn't agree with my combo/oily skin. Ultimately, my face broke out from this stuff.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Jurlique - Silk Dust
tabard 5/6/2006 4:29:00 PM
I bought this product to sop up oil in my T-zone last year during the holiday season because of the great reviews on MUA. I had avoided purchasing it when I visited Australia because I was afraid it would look white on my skin. It doesn't. It disappears completely. Unfortunately, I discovered that this was the reason why my face was breaking out in blackheads. Apparently corn starch can be a breeding ground for bacteria. I thought the addition of witch hazel in the formulation would erase any concerns I would have about the product. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I've only now gotten rid of the last blackhead this product created. Update 3/17/07: I'm not sure if it's because I'm using a completely different regimen or something else was irritating my skin when I first tried this powder, but I went back to using this again a few weeks ago and it's not causing me any problems. It's great at sopping up oil around my nose. If I use this - I've been applying it by hand and brushing off the excess - it keeps my face shine free for most of the day. If I only brush on the powder, I get a bit more oily. I use the Lavender one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Korres - White tea fluid gel cleanser
tabard 3/9/2006 1:53:00 PM
The first time I tried this cleanser, I found it dried out my skin. But at the time I was using some products with alcohol as an ingredient and I think that was a factor. I stopped using this cleanser for awhile and then went back to it. I found that it wasn't drying this time, but after several days of use my skin started getting under-the-skin lumps and red inflamed spots. At first, I didn't know what the cause was. But through a process of elimination, I recently stopped using this White Tea cleanser and my skin totally calmed down. Judging by the experiences of other reviewers, I would guess that the problem was my own personal sensitivity to an ingredient in this product. But if you have sensitive, reactive skin, Beware!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Fresh - Umbrian Clay Treatment Bar
tabard 10/23/2005 1:05:00 PM
I'm surprised this product gets such mixed reviews. I used to use it as my morning cleanser, now I just use it 3x/ week as a mask. It's really helped me a lot in terms of clearing out my pores and keeping my skin smooth. (I use it instead of BPO for zits now since it heals them fast and doesn't give me the dark spots once the zit heals that BPO does; I also think it works as an acne preventative). For those who say they're still breaking out, I would suggest checking the ingredients in the other products you're using. I, too, was continuing to break out while using this product, until I stopped using the products that were causing the breakouts. Also a Sephora salesman shared with me a great trick to prevent the bar from crumbling. Instead of following the box's directions, wet the palms of your hands, rub the clay bar in your palms, then apply the clay to your face with your hands. My second bar didn't break until it was quite thin (and only then b/c I was traveling with it).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Murad - Oil-Free Sunblock for Face
tabard 2/8/2005 12:12:00 PM
Lovvve this. Like many women I have tried DDF, Shiseido, Neutrogena, Coppertone - anything out there any woman with combo/oily skin has ever raved about. Some broke me out, others left me an oily mess. This one actually works. I'm not too greasy (although I think this is due to other products I use). Most importantly I haven't broken out from it. I do wish it had a higher SPF for summer, but it'll do. P.S. : I am an African American woman in the middle of the skin color range. This leaves a greyish cast going on, BUT it disappears into the skin. (I even tried it on one half of my face one rainy day to make sure this was true; both sides looked the same.) Hope this helps someone. edited 2/07: OK, I have to fess up and say this made my skin look a bit grey after I used it for awhile. I also discovered that my skin tends to break out when I use physical sunblocks and this did, indeed, break me out after long term use. I ultimately returned it to Sephora.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Kiehls - Tea Tree Oil Toner [DISCONTINUED]
tabard 1/12/2005 1:06:00 PM
I used to love this toner. I went through two large bottles of it over the course of a year. Like the reviews say, it really cleans pores out nicely. What I also discovered when I started reusing the toner in December is that it also causes breakouts. I have acne-prone combo skin that's oily around the nose. I hope this review helps anyone who's been using this and blaming their breakouts on another product -- like I did.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No