Conditioner -Sebastian - Drench
vix5586 4/20/2013 1:01:00 PM
Ok, I purchased this after reading the awesome reviews pretty much everywhere on the internet. My hair is curly, thick and dry and I straighten it. Since getting pregnant, my hair has gotten straighter but somehow dryer so I needed something new. I've never really found an HG shampoo or conditioner - and I've tried everything. I just finished washing, drying and flat ironing and so far, I'm really impressed. First off, yes, the bottles do suck can't argue there. The product smells nice- nothing special, but nice and clean. The conditioner is thick- which is a must for girls with thick dry hair! - and upon rinsing, my hair felt really clean, but super smooth and moisturized. I used only my Sabino Lok & Blok, which has no fragrance, and blew dry and flat ironed. My hair is noticeably softer and silkier than usual, smells really nice and clean, and most importantly has a very nice shine. Doesn't look or feel dry at all, especially the ends. This is only after 1 use, so I'm curious to see how this holds up after a few uses but so far, I'm feeling very optimistic...will update if my feelings change. Think this could be an HG though.... :)
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Treatments -Pur Minerals - under control
vix5586 10/21/2012 8:52:00 PM
I'm a Pur junkie. I love everything they do. That being said, I thought for sure this product would work wonders for me. Sadly, it didn't. I keep using it...determined to make it work for me. It makes my face feel really tight when I first apply it, but it just doesn't do anything. I'm just as oily within a few hours as usual. Sometimes, I swear I'm MORE oily when I use this.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Olay - Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System
vix5586 10/21/2012 8:49:00 PM
I really like this little tool. I couldn't bring myself to spend the money on the Clairsonic so this seemed like a good compromise for now. After seeing the good reviews here, I picked it up at Walmart for $29.99. I do not use this with Olay's cleanser- I use Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Cleanser and this brush on low every night. I use a make up removing wipe before cleansing, however the brush takes off anything left behind, which is a surprising amount. Once a week, I use it on high. I've noticed an improvement in my skin's smoothness and softness. I haven't had a breakout in about a month since I started to using this. Plus, it just feels so nice at the end of the day...like a massage for your face. I no longer have any desire for the Clairsonic. Great purchase. :)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Pur Minerals - mineral moisture complex
vix5586 10/21/2012 8:42:00 PM
I've always shied away from night creams because my skin is oily-combo. I was using Cerave Night Lotion, but found I'd wake up with my skin a bit oily in the t-zone and slightly dry around my mouth. I'm a huge fan of Pur's makeup, so I thought I'd give this a try. I'm in love. It goes on so silky and makes my skin feel so soft and satiny, not greasy. I wake up with moisturized skin that isn't greasy. It's a bit pricey, however, like all Pur products, a little goes a long way so I can see the jar lasting a long time. As for the "transforming you skin in 10 days" claims: I'm only 26 so fine lines weren't really an issue before so I can't really answer to that. I will say my acne-prone skin has stayed clear after about 3 weeks now of using this. I also use only Pur makeup and I have noticed a huge improvement in the smoothness and overall tone of my skin. This is my HG for sure.
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Cleansers -Simple - Kind to Skin Refreshing Wash Gel
vix5586 10/21/2012 2:01:00 PM
I had high hopes for this one. I really like the idea of a cleanser with no dyes, fragrances or harsh ingredients. I was previously using Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Cleanser for the spring/summer, which I liked and my skin has stayed in consistently good shape for awhile now- smooth and acne-free. I set out to grab Purpose liquid cleanser for winter (which I've used before with no issues) as I like to use something gentler during the cold months but saw this one and figured it'd be just as good. I used this cleanser 2x's a day for 3 days. It doesn't lather a ton, but neither does the Neutrogena so it didn't bother me. My skin felt nice after washing, clean but not tight. The first morning, I woke up with a bump on my skin. I figured it was coincidence. After the second day, I had some itching and redness on the sides of my face right after washing at night- not terrible, but still it was there. More bumps started appearing followed by my first zit in about 6 months. Each morning I woke up with another bump or 2. After 3 days of this, I panicked and switched back to my Neutrogena and the bumps immediately started going away. After a few days with Neutrogena, my skin is back to being smooth and the zit is almost gone. I don't know what it is about this cleanser, but my skin really didn't like it.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous False Fiber Lashes~Waterproof
vix5586 9/2/2012 10:16:00 PM
I bought this as an impulse buy. I liked L'Oreal Million Lashes Waterproof - not an HG, but a good everyday mascara- so I thought I'd give this one a shot. When first opening the tube, I was disappointed. I hated the brush. Besides being really long, the actual brush part just looks cheap and like it would make the product clump. I hate big, long mascara applicators. You're working with a tiny tiny area, why do we need a huge, long brush? Anyway, I applied it and while the stupid brush was hard to work with, the result of the product itself was PHENOMENAL! Holy crap, my short, stumpy little lashes actually look fake! As suspected, the brush does cause slight clumpage, however, it's easy to get rid of with an eyelash comb so no big deal. I'm getting used to the monster brush and I've used this now 3 days in a row, for at least 12 hours each day. I have seen not a single smudge and my lashes hold both the curl and the length from the moment I apply it to the moment I take it off. For the past 3 1/2 years, my beloved Clinique Lash Power has held the HG crown in my makeup bag. I find this gives more length than Clinique and is easier to remove (which was my one big gripe with Lash Power and why I didn't use it everyday). While Clinique's amazing teeny tiny brush will always hold a special place in my heart, I think this little $8.99 wonder has dethroned it...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Pur Minerals - Mineral Shadow in Burgundy Malachite
vix5586 8/24/2012 6:46:00 PM
I got this free with my purchase from purminerals.com. I had never tried their eyeshadows before but I gotta say I love it. This color is so unique and while it doesn't look like much in the pan, once it's on it's so pretty. On me, I was surprised it shows up almost an iridescent smokey, purple-y brown. I used it as my crease shadow today. I put it on at 7 am this morning (disclosure: I did use Urban Decay Primer Potion...oily eyelids=this is a must with ALL eye makeup) and it's 5:45 pm now and it still looks perfect. No creasing, the color is still dark. Very happy and plan to try more of Pur's eyeshadows.
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Blush -Pur Minerals - Mineral Marble Powder
vix5586 8/24/2012 6:37:00 PM
I've tried both the Spice and Pink marble blushes. Spice came in a kit I ordered where you chose your foundation and they throw in corresponding goodies. I wear Blush Medium foundation. From the minute I opened the box, I was confused with why they paired Spice with this foundation. I tried it anyway and just as I expected, this color made me look like a damn clown. The one I got had a lot of red in it. No matter how lightly I try to apply it, it looks like a red/orange streak across my cheek. I keep trying it thinking it's got to be something I'm doing wrong but after numerous tries, I've given up. I'm a diehard Pur Minerals fan and had yet to find a product of theirs I did not like. I have an olive-y complexion and normally I have a hard time getting blushes to show up on me but nothing seems to be able to make this wearable. I have discovered, however, that if I dab it on my lips under a sheer gloss, it creates a pretty lip color so I plan to just use it as that. I just got the pink in the travel size and so far, I really like it. Pretty natural looking color. I'm really surprised to read people saying these blushes aren't pigmented enough....these are truly the most pigmented blushes I've ever tried! Even with the pink, I have to be careful about applying very lightly. I have also noticed no smell at all with either blush. I'm rating this 4 lippies because I really do like the Pink, even if the Spice color wasn't for me as a blush, the formula is really nice and the small pans really do last a long time.
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Skincare - Face -Pro Activ - Daily Oil Control
vix5586 8/18/2012 10:49:00 AM
Eh this just didn't work for me. It just did nothing. My face gets just as oily as it normally does. I keep using it hoping it will start to work so I keep using it, but it doesn't. Not impressed. :(
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Blush -NARS - Orgasm Blush
vix5586 8/11/2012 10:39:00 AM
Honestly I don't get the hype with this product. Yes, it's pretty. But so are a lot of other blushes with much smaller price tags. I wasn't crazy about the texture (I can't put my finger on what I didn't like exactly, something just wasn't right) and there was a little too much sparkle for me. Don't get me wrong, it's nice. Just not nice enough to justify the price tag or the reputation. There's plenty of cheaper knock offs of this that look pretty much the same (my personal favorite is Milani Luminous...same pretty color, no glitter. A win win.).
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Blush -Milani - Baked Blush in Luminoso
vix5586 8/11/2012 10:27:00 AM
While this is a really pretty color, I found the product would just sit on my skin. Something about it just wouldn't blend the way I wanted it to. Maybe it's the golden shimmer? It also seemed to make my pores look bigger...and I have small pores. Again, I think this was the shimmer. So while I wouldn't buy this again and probably won't use it, it's not a bad product. It didn't break me out. It's just not for me.
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Mascara -Clinique - Lash Power
vix5586 8/11/2012 10:19:00 AM
I'm on my 3rd tube of this. It all started when I got my makeup done for my wedding. The makeup artist used all Clinique products and she used this mascara on me. I had originally wanted fake lashes, but she was able to sculpt gorgeous long lashes with this mascara. It was AMAZING. I still look at the pictures and can't believe that I'm not wearing fakes. I bought this on the spot. PROS: -Incredibly long wearing formula- will not smudge, can survive allergy-eyes and crying (I wore it to my wedding and to a few funerals...did not see a single black streak with either) I've also worn this to the pool. -Adds beautiful build-able length even to short lashes like mine -Lashes look like you just finished curling them until you remove it. Truly amazing. -Teeny tiny brush makes application SOOOO much easier. You can reach every single little lash with this Every mascara should have a brush like this. CONS: -Pricey for a small tube -Formula is on the dryer side and after a few months it dries out more and gets hard to work with. -Difficult to remove. Takes some effort and some good eye make up remove, which isn't the worst thing, but in my perfect world eye make up would stay on like you just applied it and then glide right off quickly with no effort. All in all, I will probably always have this on hand for special occasions. The cons are what keep me from using this every day.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous Million Lashes
vix5586 8/11/2012 10:03:00 AM
I was impressed by this. It was an impulse buy. I'm normally not a drugstore mascara girl. I have stick straight lashes that are on the shorter side and resist curl like non-other. I've found that drug store brands just can't get them to hold a curl for longer than an hour or two. My usual mascara of choice is Clinique Lash Power mascara. My first impression of Voluminous Million Lashes was that the brush scared me. It's huge. Ridiculously huge. I don't get why companies make the mascara brush so large when the product is being applied to such a small area. The one thing I love about the Clinique one is the tiny, tiny brush. It makes it so much easier to apply and control. After applying L'Oreal though, while not as easy as Clinique, it looked nice. Not a lot of clumping but it doesn't really add length. The staying power is where they win me over. My lashes stay curled ALL day until I remove it with makeup remover; there's absolutely no smudging or raccoon eyes with this, no matter the weather, temperature or even my tearing allergy eyes. It's also not terribly difficult to remove (my one gripe with the Clinique). I really like the formula...still not crazy about that brush. So I now use this pretty much every day for work. For special occasions though, when I really want my lashes to look long, I still turn to Clinique.
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Eyeliner -Clinique - Quickliner Intense Chocolate
vix5586 7/30/2012 6:52:00 PM
Fabulous brown eyeliner. Color is a deep chocolate brown with no red tones that a lot of brown eyeliners have. There's a very slight shimmer to it, which I love. Formula is creamy and glides on very easily then sets and stays put all day. Very minimal smudging on my oily lids. Never was impressed with any of Clinique's other liners, but they have nearly perfected pencil eyeliner with their Quickline Intense line.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neutrogena - Naturals - Purifying Facial Cleanser
vix5586 7/14/2012 3:09:00 PM
First off, I'm normally not a fan of Neutrogena's skin care products. They usually break me out, so the fact that I'm on my 3rd bottle of this stuff says a lot. I remove my makeup with a separate makeup remover then cleanse my skin with this. Cleans nicely and doesn't strip my skin. I don't depend on this to fight my acne (that's what benzoyl peroxide is for) but it doesn't irritate or increase my breakouts. I do agree with the others who said they could live without the fragrance. It's really just not necessary, but it doesn't bother me. I'm not one to get all crazy about natural ingredients and it does say on the bottle that 90% of the ingredients are naturally derived. It never claims to be 100% natural, just MORE natural than other products, I guess. But all in all, its a nice decently priced cleanser that does what it says it will. I recently tried switching to an different cleanser from another brand and immediately regretted the decision. My skin started getting these little bumps all over. I went back to this and within a day or two, the bumps were gone.
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