Skincare - Face -Boscia - Clear Complexion Treatment with Botanical Blast
ventanabluesky 7/8/2011 5:56:00 PM
This is a very nice product for those with mild breakouts. I personally feel that it works much better than Boscia's Willowbark breakout treatment. I am oily but dry out easily, and this product does not give me dry flaky skin, it just seems to shrink the blemishes I have. It is a clear gel and a little goes a long way. It's light and my moisturizer and makeup go on without any problems over this. I don't think it would work very well for those times when I get large cystic pimples, but for the occasional breakout it works great to reduce the duration of my blemishes.
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Foundations -Boscia - Boscia B.B. Cream SPF 27 PA++
ventanabluesky 7/8/2011 5:25:00 PM
I really like this product! I have really oily, blemish-prone skin, and I've never had any success with tinted moisturizers as a light foundation, and most sunscreens contain chemical ingredients that make me break out like crazy even if I use them one time. This B.B. Cream provides light coverage--it doesn't hide my acne scaring, but it does even out skin tone and make the scarring appear lighter--and sun protection without a lot of chemicals. I haven't had any breakouts with this cream. In fact, I think it has as soothing effect on the skin. I do need to blot/apply powder over this a few times throughout the day, but I generally have to do that with any foundation I use (even mineral powder) because I am so oily. I have very light olive-toned skin and this matches my skin fairly well. I think the trick with applying this is to start with a small amount, work quickly and spread it evenly across the skin. I hope they will make it in more shades because it truly is a great product!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Meow Cosmetics - Pampered Puss Mineral Foundation
ventanabluesky 7/28/2010 3:06:00 AM
I gave this foundation another try after an initial sample test and I have come to love it. It is by far the best mineral foundation I have tried, and I have tried *a lot* of them (BE, Laura Mercier, EDM, and Korres, to name a few more popular ones). I use the Pampered Puss formula because my skin is very blemish-prone and I wanted the product with the least possibility for irritation. Most other mineral foundations make my skin dry and itchy, but this does not. It is layerable and provides very natural, nearly-flawless coverage. I don't have an easy skin tone to match (very light beige-olive), but several of the Meow colors work for me. The company has excellent customer service and helpful online forums to boot. I'm also really oily, and I do still need to blot with this foundation several times throughout the day (which is true of any foundation I use), but I have found that their equilibrium primer powder works great under the foundation--it's skin-soothing and keeps me looking shine-free for longer than I would without it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Garden of Wisdom - Skin Buffet Oxygen Rich Anti-oxidant Gel
ventanabluesky 7/23/2010 4:47:00 PM
This is a must-have product if you suffer from acne and sensitive skin and are looking to get off of the benzoyl peroxide/salicylic acid rollercoaster once and for all. In my case, both BP and SA irritate my skin horribly, although I would use BP anyways because it seemed to be the only thing effective in reducing the amount of acne I experience. This product works as a replacement for BP by doing basically the same thing that BP does: adds oxygen to the skin and pores. Since p. acnes bacteria like to thrive in an environment with no oxygen, the added oxygen helps to reduce and kill off the p. acnes bacteria. What makes the Oxygen Rich Gel so special is that it does this without all of the additional, irritating ingredients and preservatives found in most BP creams and gels. It does not dry out my skin at all (most other BP creams would dry my skin horribly), and other treatments such as moisturizer or makeup go easily and smoothly over this product. Also, no more bleaching sheets, towels, and clothing with this product, which is an added bonus. I have been using this product for over a month now, and the fact that it keeps my skin just as clear as BP without all the irritation speaks volumes to its effectiveness. HG all the way! I feel I must also mention that Garden of Wisdom has the best, most personal and caring customer service that I have ever experienced from any skin care company, ever. These ladies will take the time, either in email or on their awesome forum, to help you choose products and work out a skin care routine, and answer any sort of questions you may have about a product or ingredient. This is a truly amazing company.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Perricone - Intensive Pore Minimizerf
ventanabluesky 7/4/2010 4:22:00 PM
This is a new toner/treatment for visible pores from Perricone. It contains DMAE, ALA, and salicylic acid as the active ingredients. I replaced my regular toner with this product and changed nothing else in my skincare routine. I found this product to be extremely harsh on the skin. It did tighten pores, but it also left my skin stripped of all moisture. The exfoliating action of this product was also very harsh, and left my skin painful, red, inflamed, and even peeling and bleeding in some places. I have acne-prone skin and while using this product my skin erupted in large, painful pimples. I thought that with time my skin would become used to this product, or perhaps was "purging," which is why I continued to use it, even though the bad effects were evident after three or four days' use. As my skin continued to worsen with use, I did more research and discovered that the form of alcohol used in this product is known to be very irritating, SD alcohol 40-B. I stopped using this product after three weeks of use and have reverted to my old toner, Boscia's Clear Complexion toner, and will NOT be using this Perricone product again. A harsh, irritating product and a complete waste of $50.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Korres - Yogurt Cream (Yoghurt Cream)
ventanabluesky 11/29/2009 7:58:00 PM
I reluctantly bought this moisturizer when Sephora was out of my usual Korres moisturizer, the materia herba anti-ageing moisturizer for normal-oily skin. I was skeptical, but the Yogurt cream ended up being a good match for my skin type. I have extremely oily skin and most moisturizers just sit on top of my skin and look greasy, but this one absorbs nicely and leaves me well moisturized with a matte finish. It's especially a nice match for me in the winter, when "oily and dehydrated," (description on the packaging) describes my skin perfectly. It is soothing and moisturizing, and takes care of any dry patches I may have while not adding any extra oil. Importantly for me, my mineral makeup goes on easily and smoothly over it. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that I still like the Korres Materia Herba Anti-Ageing cream a little better. I wish the Yogurt cream came in a pump rather than a jar, which I don't like sticking my fingers in repeatedly. Also, I find the scent of this cream a little strong. It does dissipate eventually, and a little bit of a strong smell is a small price to pay to have my challenging skin well-moisturized. Overall, I would still highly recommend any oily-skinned girls to give this cream a try.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Aveda - Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo
ventanabluesky 11/29/2009 7:40:00 PM
I have had good results with some other Aveda shampoos, and since I have thick, coarse, and dry hair, I thought this shampoo would be a winner. It's definitely moisturizing, but it leaves a sort of oily-feeling residue that does not rinse out. It left my hair rather limp and without volume, which made it difficult to style. Though it is not specifically made for dry hair, I've had much better luck with Aveda's Shampure shampoo and conditioner--they leave my hair soft and rinse out clean. Maybe the Damage Remedy would work well on someone with extremely damaged hair or a different hair type than mine, but to me this one just felt too heavy and oily.
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Shampoo -Aveda - Shampure
ventanabluesky 11/29/2009 7:32:00 PM
I think that the Shampure shampoo is the best of Aveda's many shampoos. I have coarse, dry hair, but this shampoo is very gentle and leaves my hair soft and free of build-up. I have tried Aveda's other shampoos for dry hair (Dry Remedy and Damage Remedy), but both seem to contain an ingredient which leaves my hair with a heavy, almost oily residue that doesn't easily rinse out. Shampure lathers nicely, rinses out easily, and leaves a clean and not-overpowering scent. I still rotate this shampoo with a few others to prevent build-up, but this is the shampoo I use the most and that I come back to when others start to leave a film. It's a great staple shampoo.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Boscia - Intensive Eye Treatment
ventanabluesky 6/17/2009 1:26:00 AM
For some reason with me and Boscia products, it's either that I love them and they become staples in my beauty routine, or I hate them and have to return them. I love their Amino AG eye treatment and decided to try this in the winter because it is supposedly their most moisturizing eye cream. I didn't find the application as smooth as the Amino AG, and sort of had to tug at my skin to apply it. But the real downfall of this product is that it develops some sort of film that flakes up where you've applied it. Trying to apply mineral makeup or even a cream concealer over this eye cream was a flaking, pilling nightmare. I've since moved on to Caudalie Contour Cream for Eyes and Lips and Korres Evening Primrose Eye Cream for when I need something very moisturizing for my eye area, and I find that both of those are more moisturizing, long-wearing, and compatible with makeup than the Boscia Intensive Eye Treatment.
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Primer/ Corrector -Laura Mercier - mineral primer
ventanabluesky 6/14/2009 12:12:00 AM
This is a really nice, high-quality mineral primer. It definitely increases the ease of application and staying power of the Laura Mercier mineral foundation. I don't know that it necessarily shrinks my pores or controls oil, but primarily what I find to be the big benefit of this product is that it does an amazing job of evening out my skin tone. I have pretty blotchy skin and after applying this product, my skin appears much more even in color, with no visible redness. I apply it with the Laura Mercier flat brush. I love the packaging of the LM mineral products, they all come with a twist top on the inside of the lid, allowing you to close off the sifter holes so that the product doesn't create a mess and it's easy to get just what you need into the lid to swirl your brush into. My only complaint about the jar to the primer is that it is small, and not easy to get the product from the lid onto the flat brush, which is much bigger than the primer jar. Other than that, a great product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powders -Laura Mercier - Mineral Finishing Powder
ventanabluesky 6/13/2009 11:55:00 PM
This finishing powder is amazing! I have extremely oily skin, and no matter what make up I wear, I usually have to blot faithfully each hour or I look extremely shiny. With this powder, I only have to blot every 4 or 5 hours. I actually feel more comfortable and confident when wearing this powder because I know I don't have to worry about getting a greasy face. I apply it with the Laura Mercier velour puff. A little goes a long way, and it gives my make up a very soft, airbrushed look. It truly is translucent and doesn't change the colors of my foundation, blush, or bronzer. Finally, the packaging is great. The inside has a swivel top that you can use to close off the sifter holes, so you can easily carry this with you and not have to worry about it making a mess. I will be using this product for life!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Korres - Mango Butter Lipstick in 14 Pink
ventanabluesky 6/1/2009 11:21:00 PM
This is hands-down the best lipstick I have ever owned in both color and formula. The #14 pink is described on the Sephora website as a "vibrant rose," and I think that's a fairly accurate description. I would say it's rose bordering on a fuchsia-red. In the past I have had a difficult time finding a red lipstick to suit my coloring (warm dark brown hair, light brown eyes, very light olive skin). Blue-reds always seemed too harsh, and orange-reds too orangey. This color sort of bypasses both of those choices but still comes off as a vibrant shade of red. It's definitely a "going out" color rather than one you want to wear to the office. The formula of this lipstick is great. I suffer from perpetually dry and cracked lips, and the mango butter in this lipstick keeps my lips soft and smooth. It has a slightly "wet" look while still being very richly pigmented. If you suffer from dry lips and lipstick tends to dry out your lips more, I would highly recommend any of the Korres mango butter lipsticks. Two other things I love about this product is that it is free of harsh chemicals like parabens and propylene glycol, and the metal packaging is solid and sturdy. This totally feels like a luxury product in every way.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Korres - Deep Colour Mascara - All
ventanabluesky 6/1/2009 10:57:00 PM
I really like this mascara. I have fairly long and thick lashes, so I simply need a mascara that will lengthen and separate, as well as make them darker, and this mascara does all of those things very well. I can put this on very quickly in the morning with very little effort--no clumps on the brush or on the lashes, and it lasts all day with no smudging. It has a pleasant earthy smell (main ingredient is rice bran) and like all Korres products, no irritating chemicals.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Tsi - La Organics
ventanabluesky 4/25/2009 2:34:00 AM
I like this line of perfume because they use 100% natural ingredients and no chemicals or synthetic fragrance. For whatever reason, most perfumes seem to smell the same to me and I have some sensitivity to them. I don't have this problem with the tsi-la perfumes and, unlike a lot of "natural" fragrances, they do seem to have some decent staying power. I've tried the Fiore d'Arancio, Kizes, and their newest scent, Misaki. Fiore d'Arancio is a sweet citrus, a bit too sweet for it to become something I wear all the time, but ok. I didn't like Kizes at all, which was more of a true citrus, almost a unisex scent. On my skin it went slightly sharp and smelled a bit like a citrus bathroom cleaner. Not good. However, I LOVED the Misaki. The company says it's a lavender fragrance, but to me it was very complex. It did start off very lavender-y, but within an hour it had mellowed and the green tea and neroli started to come out. It wore much longer than the other two scents I tried and just seemed to get better the longer it stayed on my skin. Since they're so expensive I'll try all the tsi-la fragrances before I make a final decision, but Misaki is a very strong contender at the moment.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Boscia - Jujube Rejuvenist Whipped Body Crème
ventanabluesky 1/25/2009 8:14:00 PM
I have been on a quest for the perfect body moisturizer for quite some time, and with this product I have finally found my HG lotion! I have exceptionally dry skin in the winter with some patches of dermatitis, so I need something that provides a lot of moisture without any irritating ingredients. This fits the bill perfectly. It's not greasy or oily, absorbs easily and quickly (waiting to put on your clothes), yet moisturizes very thoroughly. I find the lotion has a very mild, barely-there herbal smell and feels very soothing to my skin. It's a bit on the expensive side, but having finally found this product there's no way I want to be without it! Highly recommended!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No