BB Cream -MISSHA - M Perfect Cover BB Cream
telos7 6/26/2012 11:26:00 PM
As a newcomer to BB creams, I've been using this product much more often than expected -- above all as a daily summer sunscreen. It looks darker than my NC15-ish skin but ended up matching pretty well, and is of more spreadable consistency than Missha's Cho Bo Yang BB cream -- odd given CBY's lower SPF. My one personal gripe is that, as someone who transitioned to mineral makeup years ago, I don't much like smearing product over my face, period. That fact makes this the perfect summer product, since sun protection is a must. I don't love Perfect Cover so much, though, that I'd also wear it on sunless days.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -MISSHA - Cho Bo Yang BB Cream
telos7 6/26/2012 11:06:00 PM
As someone who doesn't need much coverage (my go-to makeup is Alima mineral foundation and blush) I think of BB creams as enhanced sunscreens -- and had high hopes for this almost unanimously praised version. With quite fair Asian skin (NC15-ish) even in summer, I felt confident ordering Cho Bo Yang in its lighter shade, Natural Beige. Turns out I'm still a couple of shades too dark for it. I agree that coverage is great, like a substantial liquid foundation, but for me it verges on mask-like, though I used only a 1/4-pea-sized amount of product over my entire face. Still, I'll be keeping this BB cream as a winter sunscreen and if that works well consider trying the darker shade. Two nagging questions: why is this BB cream so much pricier ($46) than Missha's Perfect Cover ($30)? And what in the world makes it the "Herbal Prescription BB Cream," according to Missha's website?
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -MISSHA - Super Aqua Oxygen Micro Essence Peeling
telos7 6/26/2012 10:44:00 PM
I've always found MISSHA products pretty gimmicky -- but was the fool again for giving in to this one. The bubbling, "tickling" action of this peel cleanser as you wait -- which the instructions explicitly, teasingly warn of -- belies the fact that it is a thoroughly ineffective, inactive product. Not only did it not exfoliate or clean my pores as claimed. Leaving it on for the 5-10 minutes recommended actually resulted in a worrying heating sensation, and even after rubbing and washing (again per instructions) my skin felt slightly sticky. It does contain hyaluronic acid, which lends your face some dewiness as immediate aftereffect. The question is, who'd buy a $22 *cleanser* for that?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Alba Botanica - Green Tea Hawaiian Spf 45
telos7 6/26/2012 10:04:00 PM
This goes on SO smoothly, without white streaks, and who doesn't love a green tea infusion? It even gives your bare skin a nice sheen -- but only because it never entirely dries, so be careful with delicate fabrics which it can smudge (especially when mingled with sweat) like a body oil. Note, too, that it's not waterproof, and only weakly "water resistant" though thus labeled. After I put it on to spend 90 minutes in an outdoor pool (it was a 90-min. swim class so I'm not exaggerating duration) I emerged with a conspicuous tan, bikini lines and all. Luckily my skin type tans more than burns, but I'd bought this product to prevent a tan!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Desert Essence - Foaming Bamboo Face Scrub [DISCONTINUED]
telos7 6/24/2012 11:59:00 PM
This was my favorite scrub ever -- inexpensive, effective, and brilliantly formulated with pure ingredients. I've never found anything else like it and wish they'd bring it back.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Trader Joe's - Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo
telos7 5/29/2012 10:37:00 AM
Seems to clean well and I love the scent and tingle. Given the low price, I'd encourage those with non-dry/coarse hair types to try it. However, my own experience echoes Gaijin's review below: this shampoo dries out my hair and scalp when used regularly. It now joins the shampoo rotation, to be used no more than once a week.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - Rodeo Fanatic
telos7 5/29/2012 10:29:00 AM
This was the answer to my long search for a deep, classy blue that doesn't fall flat on the eye like many familiar royal blues and teals out there. Rodeo Fanatic's shimmer is more like a sheen, not at all sparkly -- for grown-up glamour that still pops. The bottle I got require at least two coats, though, and I had to be more careful than with other CGs with application, because of a weird gloppiness that goes on thin (go figure).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - Mad About Hue
telos7 5/17/2012 1:11:00 PM
When I wear this polish I actually find myself admiring my own nails. As others have noted, the claret-rose-red color is luscious and classy. I use just two coats beneath a top-coat; even a single coat gives you a deep rose-petal wash.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -The Body Shop - coconut body scrub
telos7 1/2/2006 3:16:00 AM
Wanted to try the cocoa butter version but caved in to this sale item. Contrary to recent reviews, though, and in spite of my general pessimism about TBS products, this product has been serving me well. It has indeed cleansed, scrubbed, and moisturized. The gel-like consistency hasn't at all detracted from its scrubbing powers. The beads are fine but effective -- sandy enough, in fact, to scrub yourself raw if you really want heavy-duty exfoliation. The coconut oil it left on my skin was, for me, the best part -- a satiny yet clean finish. The scent, which I'd described as sugary milk, I can do without, but it doesn't last long.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Weleda - Skin Food
telos7 1/2/2006 2:58:00 AM
My positive sentiments essentially echo those expressed below -- but with one major caveat. This cream does not really absorb well -- i.e., it's so rich that even when I use it overnight, my face in the morning remains oily and sticky (albeit well-moisturized and without new blemishes). And when I do use it in the morning, my face looks drenched -- not just "buttery soft" as another reviewer writes below, but drenched in a glistening film -- all day long, unless I rinse my face midday or resort to blotting tissues. I also experience the redness others mentioned -- although it's not an issue when used overnight. In winter, and/or windy weather, this has the effect of making tiny stuff in the air (e.g., dust particles, and maybe free radicals?) stick to my face. Don't get me wrong: I'm thriilled and grateful to find something so perpetually moisturizing -- but one starts to wonder, when the absorbable part seems already to have been absorbed, whether the non-absorbable part is just clogging pores. I use this a few nights a week; used daily, in my experience, can lead to a new crop of whiteheads.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Aubrey Organics - Blue Green Algae with Grape Seed Extract Facial Cleansing Lotion
telos7 1/2/2006 2:40:00 AM
I have combination skin and have been using this cleanser for a few weeks. My breakouts have definitely reduced in frequency and duration while using this. It does leave a slight residue, but that's probably the coconut ingredient and/or natural oils leaving a moisturizing barrier. Anyway my face feels clean afterwards and not dried out. I'm eager to try the Green Tea & Gingko cleanser so may not repurchase if I end up preferring that. All in all, though, this product has been a pleasant surprise.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Urban Decay - Sniper Blemish Zapper
telos7 8/9/2005 1:39:00 PM
Well, I don't think they make this anymore, but after trying various blemish-targeting products, this is still the one I go back to. Leave it on overnight and the acne will either calm itself and sink a bit (if still in an early stage) or begin to peak out at optimal popping point. Sure, it doesn't smell good, and the dispensing mechanism can be frustrating (as other reviewers have noted), but it does the job way better than most. And while it's no HG or miracle-worker, it's always worth a try!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -St. Ives - Apricot Radiance Deep Cleaning Cream Cleanser-Combination Skin
telos7 8/9/2005 1:05:00 PM
[Actually **1/2] I really want to love this but honestly, after months of use, think it's just a bit above average. It smells pleasant and fresh, the beads are sized well and not at all abrasive, and just a small amount will suffice to foam up nicely. But it can dry out skin even in summer, pores are not cleaned thoroughly, and it does not defend against blemishes. I will finish using this tube, because I do love the texture and my face does feel clean for about 10 minutes before dryness sets in (but I can just seal it in with moisturizer, right?), but I won't be re-purchasing. And although I'm curious to try the Moisture-Rich and Age-Defying formulas, I hate the fact that this entire product-line contains parabens!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Vichy - Norma Derm
telos7 8/9/2005 12:50:00 PM
I'm not sure which products in the Normaderm line the reviews below are referring to, but mine will discuss the Normaderm Anti-Blemish Intensive Treatment Cream -- a long-lasting sample tube of which I've been using for several weeks now, whenever I've had a small breakout here and there. Unlike some items reviewed below, this is not a concealer but a light-green topical cream. Its box says "Salicylic Acid / Maximum Strength" and declares that it "treats acne breakouts and blackheads." Unfortunately I've seen no such results (but what else's new?). At best, it dries out a thin top-most layer of skin, while the actual bubbling, festering acne remains untouched -- and maybe even irritated, aggravated. Some of my acne has enlarged, yet not to the bursting/poppable stage, alas. Still, it does vanish into the skin, and might be doing something, and isn't worse, at least, than most other products. The benefit of a generous doubt leaves its second lippie intact.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -The Body Shop - Banana Nourishing Shampoo
telos7 8/9/2005 12:31:00 PM
After a year of use, I still find this shampoo to be satisfyingly 'nourishing' (as the name claims) for my thick, coarse hair. Because I don't wash my hair everyday -- as that'd be damaging and over-drying -- many shampoos for my hair type leave my scalp a bit oily after a day or so, but with this shampoo my hair's softness and shine last several days. Nor have I experienced the residue/build-up some other reviewers note. (I haven't tried the banana conditioner; rather, I follow this with the Garnier Fructis Fortifying Deep Conditioner 3-Minute Masque -- which ends up overriding, unfortunately, TBS's yummy banana scent with its own less yummy green-apple-Jolly-Rancher scent -- but the two make a great pairing!) One lippie taken off for TBS' continued use of parabens in their products.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No