Skincare - Body -Sally Hansen - Airbrush Legs in Light Glow
tobybear 6/15/2013 11:41:00 PM
I have to add my two cents here because this product is amazing. Like many reviewers here, I have pale legs with blemishes I'd like to hide. I've been picked on by friends and family for my long, skinny, "white enough to bring down airplanes" legs for years. It's made me so insecure about my legs that I will not wear shorts in public unless I've covered them in self-tanner ahead of time. Even then, I'm too insecure to wear them anywhere other than say, the grocery store. But airbrush legs is so amazing, so much better than self-tanner, that I actually like to look at my legs now! For coverage, I was looking for something to conceal a few tiny, blue-green veins that show through my super pale skin, as well as bruises, extremely minor scars and most importantly the broken red capillaries around the sides of my ankles. All my imperfections were blended away beautifully with the exception of the redness. The redness was merely diminished, but I am still happy with the results because it truly looks like someone gave me new legs LOL. I was so embarrassed about those capillaries. I'm only 31 but I've been watching it get worse since I was in my early 20s. Keep that in mind if you're looking to cover any reddened areas, it may not do the trick for you. As far as application goes, I had zero issues. I tried spraying it in my hand and rubbing in circular motions as if it were regular lotion and it blended just fine. I also tried spraying directly onto my legs and that was fine as well. It dried quickly and as others have pointed out the staying power is great. Color wise, the light glow matches fine. My legs are a bit darker than the rest of me but I don't think it's noticeable unless I point it out to people. It does look much darker when you first start applying, but just keep blending and it will lighten up a bit. Now about that shimmer...yes, I sparkle. But who cares about sparkle when my legs look awesome??? I'm very pleased with the product and so glad I finally tried it.
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Toners -Merlot - Merlot facial toner
tobybear 5/26/2013 4:33:00 PM
I purchased this on a whim ages ago, used it once and then determined that there wasn't any point to toners so why even bother?! Well, recently I was purging some products from my shelves and stumbled across this toner. Since my initial purchase, I've learned a lot more about my skin and what works, etc. After skimming the ingredients, I moved the bottle from trash to keep section and decided to give it another try because I noticed that the ingredients were all compatible with my rosacean skin. I'm so happy I kept this! I've been using a.m./p.m. for about two months now and I'm very pleased with what it's doing for my skin. I saturate a cotton round and then gently swipe all over my clean face, let dry (because I use so much, my face is usually fairly damp afterwards) then apply a small amount of my aloe vera gel. The first few times I used it, there was a bit of stinging which I think might have been the ascorbic acid or witch hazel. But after a few days my skin adjusted and now it just feels refreshing. I love this stuff! It's reducing the redness and giving me a much more even toned, healthy, fresh look. I thought at first it might be just wishful thinking, until I went sans makeup in public for the first time in ages and my sister commented on how great my skin looked! Granted, I do still have old red marks from scars but I'm confident that with time they'll fade. But regardless, I'm keeping that Merlot for sure because my face is definitely looking better. The ingredients may be simple, but they're giving me such relief from my rosacea that I'll keep repurchasing! I'm so happy to finally find something that reduces that horrible sunburned, red stained look from my face that doesn't come with a high price tag or tons of random ingredients that lead to clogs and flare ups. :-)
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Concealers -Everyday Minerals - Mint Concealer
tobybear 3/2/2013 6:24:00 PM
I am shocked that I've never reviewed this! The EDM Mint Green concealer has been my HG concealer for around 4 years. I've got Rosacea and red marks from old breakouts, so I have lots of redness to cover. This stuff works like a charm for me! I never wear makeup without it, unless I'm going to be home all day with no company. It took a bit of practice, but I finally figured out the best application for my skin: I moisturize, then wait about 5 min for it to sink in completely. Then I just do the whole swirl and tap, a light dusting over entire face. Too much will leave you looking like a ghost, and if your skin is dry it will look cakey, chalky and show every single crease and line in your skin. Then I top it off with my EDM semi-matte base in Ivory and that's it. Like I said, it does take practice to know how much to use, and you better blend, blend, blend. There were definitely a few times in the past where I ended up with a greenish cast by midday lol. I've got my method down, now, though and I love this stuff! Total & complete HG for me. Tones down all my redness; when I worked in retail customers would randomly tell me that I had such a lovely complexion...all I could think was thank you Mint Concealer :) because without it I would be a blotchy, speckled red hot mess. Oh yes, and I almost forgot...don't expect this to cover actual raised blemishes. IME, it doesn't work. Best to just use your normal concealer for those bad boys.
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Eye Shadow -L.A. Colors - 3 color eye shadow palette Iris
tobybear 10/27/2012 8:54:00 AM
I purchased this with the intention of using just the purple as part of my costume makeup for Halloween this year, as I have to dress up at work and pass out candy to the kiddies. Looking at the color in the palette, and considering the 1.50 price, I thought it would appear loud and/or garish on my pale skin. SO. WRONG. Instead, all three colors turned out to be absolutely gorgeous. Especially that deep blue purpley color on the far right of the palette. I loved it! Vibrant shades, (applied over an inexpensive ELF primer), they weren't chalky, blended easily and I wasn't left with tons of fallout to clean off my face. Forget about Halloween makeup, these are going in my makeup bag as part of my regular rotation.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -TRESemme - Vitamin B12 & Gelatin Anti-Breakage
tobybear 9/2/2012 10:11:00 PM
This conditioner is awesome! It leaves my hair soft and silky. I actually got a compliment on how healthy my hair looks. I got a big bottle for only 3 bucks. Def buying this again.
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Styling Products -TiGi - Bed Head After Party
tobybear 6/17/2012 9:55:00 PM
I decided to try this because it came in a two for one package, and I'm really glad I did because it works great. I have super frizzy hair, especially during the summer, so I'm kind of a product junky when it comes to hair stuff. I've used this in combination with my Tresemme heat protectant spray and my Organix serum, as well as by itself. Either way, it smooths frizz and gives me shiny, silky hair. The packaging is mess free and easy to dispense. Definite rebuy when I run out.
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Styling Products -Got 2 Be - Guardian Angel Heat Protect N' Flatten Flat Iron Balm and Gloss Finish
tobybear 2/7/2012 1:46:00 PM
"Long-lasting sleek, frizz-free locks with luminous shine effects"....? Not for me, but maybe my hair is just too coarse and frizzy. I bought this on a whim, and I will not rebuy because my hair is just as frizzy about an hour later, and it's no longer straight, either! I was surprised to look into the mirror later in the day and see my waves waving back at me. I tried it on second day hair to see if that made a difference, but nope. My hair was nice and soft, but for the price, I'll just stick to Tresemme next time. I love the package though- they lured me in with that cute curvy bottle lol.
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Hair -Organix - Reparing Awapuhi Ginger Dry Styling Oil
tobybear 2/5/2012 12:39:00 PM
Oh my gosh, to say I'm in love might be an understatement! This gave me such beautiful hair...I really, really hope it's not a fluke. I rubbed about a quarter sized dollop between my palms (yes, I know that's a lot but I have coarse hair) then ran my hands through my damp hair several times, then blow dried. My hair was nice, not quite as frizzy as usual and super soft. The instructions don't say to use with a flat iron, but I put more on my ends and flat ironed just to see what would happen. The results were amazing. My hair was sleek yet still looked full, not weighed down at all. I have not worn my hair down in ages because it just looked so terrible, but after using this I was able to ditch my ponytail finally. I was about to just chop all my hair off again, but if this keeps working I may let it grow for a while. If you have coarse frizzy hair, give this a try because it might be just what you're looking for.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Eucerin - Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Creme
tobybear 2/1/2012 9:36:00 AM
Yup, looks and smells like butter. I found this to be very moisturizing, too much so, actually. I would wake up in the mornings with a filmy feeling still on my skin, and when I splashed water on my face in the mornings I could sort of feel it- sliding off? Even if I just used a small amount, it never seemed to sink in completely. But wow was my skin soft and supple! The downside? Cystic acne and clogged pores. My poor chin is so reactive, this stuff just didn't sit well in that area so I started skipping it during application. But then I noticed that my cheeks were starting to look congested, too. EEEP. Apparently it must be meant for dry sensitive skin, not oily sensitive skin. So, beware if you have a case of the oilies.... It's awesome as a cuticle cream, though! It gets 4 lippies and a def rebuy because I'm no longer ashamed about my ragged cuticles. Seriously, my cuticles were a warzone! Torn, dry and ragged no matter what I tried. They look so much better now so I will be buying another jar soon.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Softsoap - Moisturizing Body Wash Cherry Blossom & Oriental Bamboo
tobybear 1/30/2012 10:48:00 PM
I love this bodywash, it just takes a small amount to make a nice lather. It smells wonderful and the scent really lingers; I love how I can still smell it faintly on my skin after a shower. Super cheap, too since I can find it at the dollar store as one of those extra 25% deals.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Burt's Bees - Sensitive Night Cream with Cotton Extract
tobybear 1/29/2012 10:02:00 PM
I was using (and loving) my Merlot Grapeseed face lotion, but decided it just wasn't cutting it anymore so I decided to give Burts Bees a try instead. I'm so glad I did!!! The consistency is perfect for my oily skin, and the ingredients appear to agree with my rosacea. Or at least, it's not making it worse...but I feel like my skin looks less red now. The lotion feels nice and light, sinks easily into my skin and sits perfectly under my makeup. (Yes, I use it during the day even though it's marketed as a night cream.) My face feels moist and supple without feeling suffocated like with other lotions. There's not much of a scent, and what's is there doesn't linger. And no SPF, because it's a night cream. My skin just looks so much nicer when using this- maybe it's because my other lotions were irritating my skin and I just didn't realize it. I just purchased my second tub. Love, love, love :)
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Honey
tobybear 7/23/2011 8:08:00 PM
Honey is so awesome! I love this stuff! Supplements and gentle skin care have reduced the amount of pimples I get, especially those huge, painful bumps that always pop up around my chin. I had gotten to the point where I was down to one or two a month as opposed to four or five (finally) but one is still one too many for me, you know? So when I woke up one morning with that aching, bruised feeling on my chin and a small red bump forming, I just randomly decided to give honey a try. All I had at home was the cheap dollar store honey in the bear shaped bottle, but I was so upset with my skin I just didn't care. I slapped some honey on my chin, waited a few minutes and then washed it off. The next morning, I was shocked to see that my bump had become a small red dot on my chin, hardly worth calling a pimple. And my chin wasn't hurting anymore, either. Normally those things spend a few days as a painful red spot before becoming a huge ugly cyst, then the pain goes away, then it slowly shrinks and heals. I couldn't believe how quickly honey sped up the whole process! I didn't have to deal with any of that, the honey worked. Now I use organic honey, and it helps calm my skin a bit when it's red and irritated, which is something the cheaper stuff didn't do for me. But I mainly keep the honey around to help control my acne, because when all else fails and a zit rears it's ugly head, I've still got honey in my corner. If you're reading these reviews and haven't tried it yet, then stop reading and get you some honey!!!
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Mineral Oil
tobybear 7/23/2011 7:32:00 PM
This was great for removing my makeup. My foundation just melted off my skin with a few swipes, and I followed up with my usual cleaner. It also left my skin feeling soft and hydrated. I was looking forward to using it long term so I could get some of those lovely results other reviewers were talking about but I woke up with a weird little rash the next morning so I guess mineral oil is not for me. If you don't have sensitive skin it would be a great inexpensive makeup remover though.
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Styling Products -Farouk CHI - Chi Straight Guard Smoothing Creme
tobybear 6/18/2011 1:35:00 PM
I like this smoothing creme; it was just a tad expensive though. I paid 15 bucks at Walgreens and then saw a two pack at Target for the same price. oops. Anyway, I tried this several different ways and I got the best results using it the first way it's recommended on the bottle- with your blow dryer. (Go figure) I've tapered down my blow drying to about once a week in winter, but since it's summer I almost never blow dry cuz it's too darn hot. But I gave it a try and it actually works well. I smooth a nice glob into damp hair, blow dry, and my hair is super soft, but still pretty frizzy. Then I straighten using my Coconut Milk serum and I end up with soft, sleek, shiny hair. (My normal hair texture is wavy and mega frizzy, so to me sleek in summer means minimal frizz) I'm a little sad that it still took the addition of another product, but the end result is amazing for my hair! Much better than with my Coconut serum alone! So shiny and pretty I want to wear it down but it's toooo hot. I also tried it on damp hair, then let it air dry. Meh, didn't work, my waves looked pathetic lol. Then I tried straightening my air dried hair using the cream, and the results were only slightly better. Overall, it works best with the blow dryer for me. And the product does come out tacky and gunky when I use the pump, no matter how many times I clean it. So now I just unscrew the lid and problem solved.
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Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lansinoh Lanolin
tobybear 1/17/2011 11:28:00 AM
This is amazing stuff! For the first time in years I haven't had to deal with dry, flaky, peeling lips. Like reviewers before me, I feel as though I've tried everything and nothing truly works. But for the past four days my lips have felt and looked amazing, smooth and with a nice little sheen. It also doesn't spread to the area around my lips, which is nice because I break out pretty easily when that happens with other balms. It is thick and difficult to squeeze out of the package, but who cares???? It works! I can't believe what a relief it is to not be self-conscious about my flaky lips. It was a bit expensive for me at ten dollars, but since I need such a miniscule amount it will be cheaper than lip balms in the long run.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No