Treatments -Sexy Hair Concepts - Big Sexy Hair - Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner
val3ntine 3/27/2008 2:14:00 PM
I got this in an Allure box. I love the trigger bottle and the fine mist it puts out, but I hate the product. For some reason, my hair feels kind of dry and sticky whenever I use it. I tried to like it, but I ended up dumping it out so I can refill it with a homemade leave-in conditioner.
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Lemony Flutter
val3ntine 3/13/2008 11:25:00 AM
Lemony Flutter is the exact consistency I want in a cuticle butter. It's like a putty. It's too thick for me to use as a hand cream, and I don't want my entire hand smelling like lemon. I wish they would sell this in an even smaller container. At the store, I was given a hand treatment that went: Rubbed Lemony Flutter in all over the hands Without rinsing, scrubbed hands with Ocean Salt Rinsed, then applied King of Skin and rinsed again. My hands felt amazing all day. I would do this once a week.
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Helping Hands
val3ntine 3/13/2008 10:59:00 AM
I bought this after I did a hand treatment demo at the shop. I asked the SA what the difference was between the hand creams, and she said that Helping Hands withstands washings more than their other creams. She was right. With other brands of hand creams, my hands feel great for about an hour after applying it but then I have to reapply all the time. Helping Hands lasts for hours. You do have to wait a few minutes for it to sink in though, so it's not like you can just put some on at your desk and go back to work. The pink color is a little weird looking, but I like the scent. It's not overpowering and I think it smells a little bit like Cosmetic Lad. It also works great as a foot treatment and hair pomade. $20 for hand cream is way too much though. It makes their body lotions seem cheap by comparison (those are also $20, but for twice the amount) By the way, do any of Lush's lotion products get anything less than a 5 rating for price?
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Charity Pot
val3ntine 3/13/2008 10:41:00 AM
The smell was a big disappointment. I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet, but it smells.... like lotion. It has a generic scent that drugstore lotions typically have. Luckily after I put it on the flowery-ness goes away and it's a very very light cocoa butter/almond scent, and even that is barely noticeable. I really love the moisturizing qualities of this lotion though. Not greasy, goes on easily, and skin stays moisturized all day. If you don't like the strong, crazy scents of Lush products, you may enjoy this lotion. But if you buy Lush partly because of the unique scents, you'll be disappointed. I'm unsure as to whether I'd buy it again. I might, if only to have a fabulous lotion with no scent. And kudos to Lush for being able to offer a product where 100% goes to charity!
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Misc Beauty Tools -Bare Escentuals - Refillable Mirror Compact
val3ntine 1/9/2008 9:36:00 PM
There has got to be a better way! First, I'm always afraid that when I open it, the compact will fly out of my hands and spill. You open the mirror part first and then pull on a tiny tab on the inner lid to get to the sifter. It's opening that 2nd lid that's scary. Second, the brush is awful. I try to lightly tap the brush into the powder, but I feel like it just dumps powder on the first part of my face it touches. I can't believe this empty container costs over $20. Luckily I got mine in a swap.
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
val3ntine 1/9/2008 9:29:00 PM
I have been using this for over 5 years - since I was 19. I started wearing it when I was 19 and living in New Orleans so I was desperate for something that could handle the humidity, sweat, and my super oily skin. Like many foundations, if you don't apply it right or get the right shade, it will look weird. The shape of the brush you use matters! A kabuki brush gives thicker coverage while a powder brush or tapered brush is a little more sheer. I hate the BE brand brushes because they shed so much so I use other brands.
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Brows -Anastasia Of Beverly Hills - Anastasia Brow Gel
val3ntine 1/9/2008 11:04:00 AM
I got this in my Allure beauty box. I think it's too stiff and you have to apply it just right or else it gets flaky. I prefer a soft brow wax.
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Foundations -BeneFit Cosmetics - Play Sticks
val3ntine 12/10/2007 11:04:00 AM
I am so glad I tried this. I have oily skin, and I am very picky about foundations. I wear BareEscentuals when I need/want full coverage, and when I have "good skin days" and want something lighter or a matte finish, I use Playsticks. Instead of waiting for my moisturizer to sink in completely like I need to do with BE, I moisturizer and put on PlaySticks right afterwards. All I do is make a few "dots" with the stick and blend it around with a foundation brush and the blending is easy because I just moisturized. This way, it doesn't look thick at all, it's almost sheer. It stays all day.
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Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - High Beam
val3ntine 12/10/2007 10:54:00 AM
This just didn't work for me. The makeup artist put it on my cheekbones and my chest and it looked pretty. Over the course of the day, however, my face itched. I didn't think much of it until I went to wash off my makeup and saw that the place where she had put the highlighter - in a "L" shape along the side of my eyes and top of my cheeks - was flaky and clumpy. And the places on my chest actually had a pimple (I never get pimples there).
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Eye Primer -BeneFit Cosmetics - F.Y. Eye [DISCONTINUED]
val3ntine 12/10/2007 10:49:00 AM
I have oily eyelids. Up until now, the only shadows that stay on my eyes were bareMinerals loose shadows that I used with water. Now I can use anything because with this base I can go about 8 hours before a touch-up. The base is a peachy color in the pot, but it doesn't show when you put it on. It's not greasy either, it dries to a powdery finish. It's expensive for such a little pot, but I can see this lasting an entire year.
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Eye Shadow -Neutrogena - Mineral Sheers for Eyes-ALL
val3ntine 8/31/2007 8:28:00 AM
Let me start off by saying I have a really hard time finding eyeshadows that stick. I have oily skin and most eyeshadows disappear within an hour. So when I received this as an Allure freebie (in Sand), I didn't think I'd get much use out of it. But these shadows are surprisingly strong. They last just as long as BE mineral shadows, and some of the other high-end brands that work for me. They are much more blendable, better texture, and (for me) last longer than L'Oreal HiP. And I can't believe they're only $5 each! The value of what you get for the money gives it 5 lippies all around.
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Lip Treatments -Smashbox - Smashbox Lip Treatment
val3ntine 5/29/2007 2:11:00 PM
I've never bought a high end lipbalm, but I got this in my Allure Beauty Box and will definitely buy it again when I run out. It's not waxy or sticky and comes in very complimentary colors. Mine is "Beam." My only complaint is the case. I've had it for less than a week and the outside layer of the lipstick tube is rubbing off, like a clear rubber paint coating that is coming off.
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Makeup Brushes -Bare Escentuals - Flawless Application Face Brush
val3ntine 5/12/2005 5:16:00 PM
Blegh. I hate this brush. I was soft when I first used it, now it's so hard and prickly. Plus, it sheds all over my face and clothes and house when I use it. Even cheap synthetic drugstore brushes don't shed this much.
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Scrubs -Natural Esscents - All Body Scrubs
val3ntine 11/23/2004 11:09:00 PM
This scrub *does not* foam at all. It is made with oil, sugar, and fragrance. That's it. You can make the same thing at home if you want, but at least the prices are very fair in that it is $15 for a 16oz jar, which is only a tiny bit more than what it would cost to make it. Here's the recipe: 1) Sweet Almond oil, $5 for 8oz? at Whole Foods, or $5 for 16oz from a soap supply website. OR you can even use olive oil. 2) Fragrance oil, $5 from a soap supply site, Whole Foods, or the soap section of a craft store. You only need ~10 drops. 3) Sugar. $0, from your cabinet. 4) Mix 2 part sugar, 1 part oil, plus ~10 drops fragrance per 8oz. Stir. 5) You can add shredded soap to make it soapy.
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Lotions/ Creams -Jaqua Girls - Sinfully Rich Body Butter in Marshmallow Cocoa
val3ntine 11/17/2004 10:17:00 PM
This is the "Sinfully Rich Body Butter" - I hope it's the same product. First of all, packaging was adorable. It came in a blue and brown box with a little bow ribbon at the top. It looks very classy and cute on my vanity! I didn't like the scent when I first sniffed it - something seemed oddly perfume-y. But now I crave the scent! It smells more marshmallow than chocolate to me, but it's sugary sweet either way and makes me want to eat it up. It is very rich and thick but sinks in nicely and doesn't make my skin sticky. Because it's so rich, I use it at night. Therefore I can't comment on the scent's staying power.
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