Scrubs -Queen Helene - Apricot Natural Facial Scrub
woman81 6/4/2008 11:34:00 PM
I love this product! I first tried this out on a visit to Sally Beauty Supplies about 2 years back. Being new to the states, I wanted to make sure I knew where all my local hot spots were for cosmetics and skincare. I used this for about 3 months and when I went back to London (my hometown) I was told that my skin has never looked so clear. After my scrub finished I replaced it with St.Ives invigorating cleanser (as the Queen Helene brand was nowhere to be seen in London) as also has little gritty bits which could work as a scrub (although maybe not quite as large as QH). Don't get me wrong, St.Ives is lovely however, I prefer the Queen Helene scent over it anyday. Almost immediately after I used the QH scrub I notice a glow to my skin. I use this in conjunction with C+C deep action cleanser now. I tend to use this in the shower every morning, making sure I never rub into the skin but just ever so gently move my palms in a circular motion while it touch the surface of the skin, and then finish off with the C+C so that it really cleans deep down. Since my teen years my forehead has always had little tiny zits that never really come through but you know they're there! I don't know whether it's because of the QH scrub or the jojoba oil I've been using as a moisturizer but for the first timer ever I have a smooth forehead!!! It's such a lovely scrub, and for about $2.50 with a delicious apricot scent you can't go wrong!Try it!
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Cleansers -Ponds - Fresh Start Daily Exfoliating Cleanser [DISCONTINUED]
woman81 5/29/2008 12:12:00 AM
I tried this product out after reading MUA reviews and really liked the idea of clay and bamboo as part of the ingredients. I had been using C&C deep action cleanser for about a year and really liked it, but felt my combo shiny sensitive skin needed a little something more! After about a month of usage, I decided this cleanser was not for me. It does clean well, but I felt it dried out my skin, which is good in a way as I initially started off with shiny skin, however, it also made my skin look really dull and lifeless.I wouldn't repurchase this and I have since gone back to my C&C cleanser and will put this cleanser up for swap.
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Lipstick -Prestige - PL-30A Fire
woman81 5/26/2008 11:28:00 PM
I LOVE this shade. About 12 years back when I was a teen, one of the first lipsticks I exerimented with was a beautiful coral pink shade from Olay (then known as Oil Of Olay). I loved how that shade looked on my NC42 skin and was complimented often. However, as I began experimenting more with different lipstick shades, I left the coral pink color to a backburner and found pink shades which even to this day I adore! Whilst doing so, I completely forgot the name of the Olay shade, and when I decided to go back to it , Olay's cosmetics were nowhere to be found!! I've tried many coral shades after that to try and find that perfect shade to no avail until yesterday!I just walked past the Prestige counter and at a glance thought 'Prestige' was infact 'Prescriptives'...until I realized I made a mistake. I continued to browse through the different shades they held as I'd never heard of this brand before and PL-30A Fire caught my eye.Through the see through window, PL-30A FIRE looks like a very pigmented and bright coral color. There is no symbol to show wether this shade is frosted/cream/ matte, so to new users this can be a little daunting. For the price of $5 and change I decided to give it a go. This shade is gorgeous! It is a sheer but very moisturising coral shade with a tint of baby pink, used with a burnt orange liner, this looks so lovely on my skin especially for the summer! I find the packaging gorgous. It's a (not too long) silver tube with a clear window at the bottom for the actual shade to show through (not a colored sticker), very sleek and sexy for the handbag.As a previous reviewer mentioned, the smell is nothing special, infact the smell reminds me of cheap lipsticks and I would have taken one lippy off that but am so pleased with the color, I'm leaving it on.For the price however, I will definitely repurchase!
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Cleansers -Ponds - Deep Cleanser and Makeup Remover With Cucumber Extract
woman81 5/4/2008 12:54:00 AM
I had read such great reviews (before I discovered MUA) about Pond's cold cream cleanser (original version) that when I saw they had brought out a cucumber scented makeup remover, I thought this may be the stuff for me. I initially just wanted to use this as a makeup remover for my eye area. I have oily skin on my face, but weirdly enough my under eye area is quite dry. However, I had heard that this stuff is lighter than the original version so it seemed ideal even if I had wanted to use it as a facial cleanser. I saw an offer on Amazon, 3x 10.oz jars for $20 which seemed pretty good. You must be wondering what made me take a risk on product I had never tried before and buy huge quantities of it??! Firstly, I'm a sucker for bargains! and secondly, I think Pond's has always been a classic, safe brand in my eyes. My grandmother used to use their moisturizer and she used to have wonderful skin so I thought what the hell! Anyway, I tried this stuff out under my eyes and it is great! Non drying, smells deliciously like fresh cucumbers and is moisturizing. What I do is scoop a little of the cleanser (with clean hands) onto the back of my left hand and with a cotton pad, I sweep a little at a time and rub gently over my eyes wiping off all the makeup. I find, if I just rub the cleanser directly into my eyes and then wipe off that I'm more likely to get it into my eyes (with the rubbed off makeup) and irritate my eyes. It removes all traces of makeup (waterproof makeup, eyeshadow, the whole shebang) and I find that the cold cream part acts as a soothing moisturizer/night cream for my eyes. SO, as this was working great on my sensitive eye area,I was intrigued as to what it may do to the rest of my face. Big mistake. I repeat, I have OILY skin! I applied the same technique I use for my eyes to the rest of my face and wiped off, ending the cleansing step with a final cotton pad soaked in toner. However, after a week I noticed my pores were clogged and I had horrible blackheads all over my face to the point where my face just looked dirty. I put it down to the mineral oil in this product, (which I only found out too late can cause blackheads etc esp on oily skin.) I will continue to use this as an eyemakeup remover though as it works great for that. l'm going to have to SWAP one of the jars though as it lasts AGES! I'm not even halfway down my first jar which I opened about 5 months ago, but bear in mind that I'm only using it for my eye area. This may work better for dry skins but I wouldn't recommend for oily skins.
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Lipstick -Ruby & Millie - Purple
woman81 5/4/2008 12:21:00 AM
I love fuschia and pink colors on my lips but I bought this a while back (In Boots-London) as I was intrigued by the color. It's not quite as cool as your everyday purple, nor is it warm enough to be a plum, but this matte but moisturizing lipstick works beautifully on ALL skin tones. I have makeup bags full of different color lipsticks but only one lipstick in this unique shade. My skin has very yellow undertones and I love the way it looks on me. I have even been asked a few times what color I'm wearing on my lips by random strangers! The packaging is very stylish. The lippy comes in a long, thin chrome like case which doesn't take up too much space in your handbag and looks very sleek. I don't know where to purchase R+M products in the US (Where I'm residing now) but when I take a trip back to London, I'll be sure to purchase again!Costs around 10.00GBP.
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Blush -NARS - Desire
woman81 4/28/2008 1:03:00 AM
This blush is gorgeous! I am MAC shade NC42 and this color is exactly the same color of my cheeks when I naturally blush! Funny though, as it is a VERY cotton candy pink in the pan, but on me it turns a very bright hue of peach. I think this may be due to the fact that I do not apply powder (after moisturizing) before applying this brush therefore, the oil content on my face is rather high changing the hue to a warm one rather than the cool pink it is in the pan.( I will try applying it after powder and see if there is any difference and update later). I actually decided on this shade rather than 'Mata Hari' based on MUA reviews as I read MH was more of a warmer shade and I am so happy I did as I absolutely love it! The staying power is great, and it seems like the pan will last a long time. This blush is one of Nars' matte blushes, which I find works better for me (than any kind of shimmery blushes) as I have visible pores on my cheeks, therefore the matte texture really takes the attention away from them. It will also be great for the summer time as I tend to have shiny skin which worsens in the summer. I also own Exhibit A which is a beautiful matte coral color on me and I find the pigment of the 'Desire' blush is not as strong as the 'Exhibit A' therefore, the pan may not last as long as 'Exhibit A' (as I need a few more strokes with my brush before application). In my opinion, this blush is universal as I feel it will look just as gorgeous on darker skin tones as it will on very fair skin tones. I have tried many brands of blushes, and in my opinion NARS blushes definitely rank amongst the best.
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Treatments (Eye) -Burt's Bees - Royal Jelly Eye Cream
woman81 4/27/2008 10:18:00 PM
Damn!I really wanted to like this product, as there is nothing greater than an 'all natural' product when it comes to skincare but this eye cream is UBER greasy ( which I could even look past if it worked!) and It not only smelled VERY waxy but also made my eyes sting within an hour after application. I applied this eye cream once before bed and the next morning there was a huge dry patch which resembled excema underneath my right eye. I wouldn't even say I have extremely sensitive skin either so this came as a surprise to me. I have since stopped using this product. Do not use this if you have sensitive eyes/eye area. This would probably work better for older people or for someone with normal skin. Just goes to show just because a product is made up of natural ingredients does not necessarily mean it's going to work for everyone.
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