Moisturizers -Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
tiii 9/28/2011 11:50:00 PM
This is the first moisturiser in my life I have had to refill. Enough said? Ok, you want more, here it is. I live in Sydney, so in summer it's humid and in winter it's cold and dry. My skin is sensitive, with parts that are oily and sensitive and parts that are normal (i.e my skin is high maintenance). I usually hate the feel of moisturiser - it sits on my face and feels greasy. Also in summer I have to wear proper SPF so I need something that will go with that. A lot of products have not met these conditions, either making my skin flaky or oily or breakout. This is perfect. It absorbs very quickly and feels very smooth and non-oily once absorbed. I'm touching my forehead now after applying it 5 hours ago and it feels exactly the same as it did when I first applied it - no greasiness. Does it have silicone in it or something because it even feels silky and non-oily on my 'normal' cheeks. Also this, in combination with a nice cleanser cleared up my hormonal acne I was getting on my chin once a month for *15 years*. Honestly I wanted to keep looking for another product (because I love buying them) but I don't think I have to. My only gripe is that I got a huge non pump pack without realising. It's fairly expensive for my budget, but I consider it to be a good investment. I would *not* recommend this for a person with dry skin, because you'd need a ton. Nor would I recommend it for someone living in a permanently cold environment, it's too light.
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Deodorants -The Body Shop - DeoDry Dry-Effect Deodorant
tiii 6/27/2011 8:50:00 PM
** edited to add: I've decided that this makes me feel like I'm sweating more. At first I didn't realise what was going on. I'm not actually sweating, but there's something in the ingredients that makes me more aware of the sweat... and I don't really like that, so I've revised my rating down to 3 ** I'm not generally a big fan of deodorants in any form, firstly because I don't sweat very much at all and secondly because I wear perfume and often deodorants smell bad. However I am a swing dancer so it is usually a sensible thing to have on even if it's just to stop being paranoid. I bought this when I was stocking up on basics at the Body Shop, not having read any reviews for it and I actually really like it. I bought the green lid one which is fresh and not too floral or masculine. I don't feel like it's a big commitment product, the gel stick thing is easy to put on and is dry straight away. The faint lingering frangrance is nice and best of all it doesn't have any aluminium in it. I should say that I understand that aluminium is the thing if you want to stay completely dry (I used to use Mitchum). Agree with other reviewers that they need to work on the twisty thing at the bottom.
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Fragrances -Fragonard - Miranda
tiii 2/26/2011 10:17:00 PM
My sweetheart loves any perfume with a prominent vanilla note and I simply love any floral ambers so this one really works for me on a number of levels. Upon reading the description one might think Miranda is one of those generic inoffensive girly numbers, however as always Fragonard does such a wonderful job of combining these elements to create a fragrance that is not complex yet intelligent, romantic and adult. On my skin, this opens with a clear, balanced vanilla with a subtle dry floral bloom supported by a spike of ylang ylang. I don't particularly notice a coconut, however my sweetheart picked it immediately. The vanilla stays true throughout the drydown, a quality I really appreciate. The coconut and vanilla combination does sound a little simplistic and gourmand, however the component that enables Miranda to rise above the generic is the spiky twist of oppoponax and ylang ylang. In this composition the oppoponax acts like an afternoon breeze, shaking the heat and sweetness off the vanilla, and letting the balancing ylang ylang and rose through. As a Sydneysider I always appreciate a fragrance that I can wear in the heat of summer and although I do like to wear this during the day, this absolutely shines in close company with good friends on a summer's evening. Note: according to Fragrantica this contains coconut, jasmine, opoponax, ylang-ylang, rose, vanilla, amber and sandalwood.
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Hair -Revlon - Nutri Color Creme
tiii 2/26/2011 9:15:00 PM
I have dyed light creamy blonde hair and my HD recommended the platinum version of this to me. I've tried maybe 4 or 5 different toning shampoo/conditioners in my time, but unlike all the others this actually works really well. Even better is that I only use it about once a week. I use more than my HD recommended and I also leave it on for about 10 mins if I can, but the big pump pack has lasted me months so I think it's been value for money for me.
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Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Oil Free Moisture - SPF 15
tiii 2/2/2010 7:55:00 PM
I've tried a lot of SPF face moisturisers and I can finally say this is the one I use every day without any trouble. I can't do SPF 30 on my face (I've tried maybe 10 different products and have realised it's the higher SPF that's stuffing up my skin). I can't smell a scent at all (this is a good thing) - maybe it's a diff formulation in Australia. Yes, it does go on with a sheen, however I expect that for any moisturiser with an SPF in it, because of the chemicals used. It does dry well and after about 5-10 mins there's no sheen at all. I never need any further makeup if I don't want to put any on. Finally I think the consistency is excellent - light, easy to apply and the bottle is great to bump around in my bag. In short - I can't understand the bad reviews here because this is a simple, cheap, effective, light, and SPF face moisturiser that is better for me than every other chemist brand I've tried.
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Polishes -Bloom - Nail Polish in Real Red
tiii 12/16/2008 12:11:00 AM
Ditto about the compliments, people ask me and are very suprised to hear it's not a high-end brand. I wanted to write a review for this because for years I would hunt this red down and go through bottle after bottle of it. I always noticed it was out of stock more than all the other colours. I suppose you could say it is my HG red (although I have strayed recently due to wanting a quick dry). A department store MUA introduced me to it which is very lucky because I never would have expected to find such an excellent polish in this range. Don't get me wrong, I love those colours that Bloom put out but I suppose I feel a little older than that range now. The red shows up as being darker indoors (flouro lighting) and a bright true red outside. I like this because it means it doesn't look too bright at work. It really benefits from two coats. My gripes are that it doesn't last in the bottle - it dries up a while before the bottle finishes and that's with me using it very regularly. I would make it a smaller bottle. Secondly it's a thin polish. Although I believe that is what helps the colour (if it was thicker I don't think you'd be able to get as much luminosity) I think people are generally used to having a slightly thicker formulation. Really I have nothing to complain about, it's my go-to red and it's worked on me for years.
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Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Happyderm [DISCONTINUED]
tiii 12/15/2008 11:56:00 PM
I bought this to keep in my desk at work. I needed something that would give me a little moisture when the aircon got too extreme. You know it's taken a year to get through it and I have to say it's nothing special. I tend to use it on my dry legs and my arms and hands when I've realised I look like I have scaly crocodile legs. I think the whole promotion of this as 'happy' is the point here - it's pink and in a little cutesy bottle and yet tries to be sophisticated in it's description of how it works. It just doesn't cut it for me, and I think after this I'll try for something that comes across as being more practical. The scent is fairly strong and I wouldn't want to use it as my daily moisturiser because it would easily out-pong the rest of my face products. It's not an unpleasant scent, simply a little strong for the product. The texture is ok - light and easy to spread. It soaks or dries fairly quickly too. I say dries because for some reason it seems as if it has alcohol or something in it. I couldn't say exactly but it seems too light to me. The packaging is reasonable but I'm left with a good 1cm of product down the bottom of the little bottle that I have to access by doing the old unscrew and poke method. Look, this has been handy to keep at work because it dries easily and isn't sticky but i really wonder whether it's doing anything at all apart from being pink.
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Lip Treatments -Carmex - LipBalm
tiii 12/10/2008 10:34:00 PM
I've been using carmex for about 20 years and have always seen other brands become more popular but I don't know why. This is an excellent all year round lip balm, with good consistancy and a lovely old-timey medicated smell. I sometimes get coldsores and wouldn't really vouch for its effectiveness over an antiviral medication. It is excellent, however, for softening and healing the scars. I have always thought the smell is a combination of menthol and cocoa butter/vanilla, but I would understand if some people preferred a more sophisticated scent. I quite like the vintage appeal - as if it's been made to work and nothing else. I appreciate the little tub too especially the font and general appeal of the label. That tub bangs around in my bag for months without opening so I can vouch for its portability.
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Eye Shadow -Besame - Plum Dandy
tiii 12/9/2008 12:08:00 AM
I have a number of besame products purchased during the sale. I have to say that this eyeshadow shade is one of my favourite shades I have found in any brand. I'm fair skinned with mousy brown highlighted hair and blue eyes and this colour suits me for both day and a subtle evening look. Even though it sounds really dark and the sample colour above looks really purple-y, it goes on quite light and can be layered to creater a darker effect. It has a shimmer in it and on my eyes it doesn't appear to be matte, but more of a pearl I suppose. I usually use it over the Shimmer Beige. It's just a lovely colour. The packaging is beautiful but as with all of their little cases they are a pain to open. That really doesn't deter me as I purchased the product for its vintage appeal. One thing is that I take them travelling a lot and all the colours have chipped away in the package a little bit so they're probably better suited to sitting daintily on a vanity.
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Brows -MAC - Eye Brows Crayon in Fling
tiii 12/8/2008 11:45:00 PM
I have both this and BeneFit Brow Zings and I was about to write a review for Brow Zings thinking that it's the one I use more often, but realised that I use this baby pretty much every day! So here is the review... I have highlighted naturally mousy brown hair and fair sparse (invisible) eyebrows. This is the first eyebrow product I own that matches my colouring so well I have started using it before work every day. It gives a very natural and defined look that is excellent for day wear. It's very easy to apply (ltakes less than 1 minute) and sticks on my face all day. it's not in precious packaging either - I can throw it around in a bag if I'm staying out or travelling without having to worry too much about it being broken or the lid coming off. I still use Brow Zings if I need a more defined evening or vintage look but this is excellent for day-to-day wear.
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Sunscreen -Nivea - Light Feel Daily Face Veil SPF 30+
tiii 12/8/2008 11:28:00 PM
After buying this product at Priceline, I am still searching for a non tinted moisturiser with SPF. The product looks and feels very light and creamy to touch however it 'dries' to a chemically sheen on my face. It also balls up when I touch it. I have used body sunscreens that are 'gel' style formula and this seems to be a similar product but it starts off as a cream. It really doesn't suit me at all. I just applied it at work as a touch up and 15 minutes later I still have a shiny face. I'm not confident that it will stay put under makeup either which is the reason I purchased it. The positives are that it's clear and the packaging is small enough to carry around (car, bag, desk at work). I think it would be great to use as a body moisturiser/sunscreen on chest/neck and other exposed bits though so I'll keep it for that.
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