Moisturizers -Chantecaille - Nano Gold Energizing Cream
woodstock 1/23/2008 8:44:00 PM
As a skincare junkie, I've never used a cream that give me such good result. I'm absolutely in love with this cream. As the other reviewers said, it is a balm texture and there is indeed a metallic smell which can be a turn off for some people. I have combination skin that get blackheads very often. This cream is very calming and has healing properties. After using this for 6 weeks, I've noticed that the overall health of my skin has improved a lot. Less blackheads, less sensitive and have a nice glow. This cream is not that moisturizing, so I need to pair it up with an hydrating serum in winter time. My skin can probably use it alone during summer time. This will be my staple all year round night cream. As a side note, I've used La Mer (cream, concentrate, gel cream, oil absorbing lotion), as well as La Prairie...and a bunch of other expensive stuff. The nano gold cream is by far the best cream ever. Hugh rave. An additional note is that I have a friend how have very sensitive skin with normal skin. She is in love with this cream as well as it makes her skin less sensitive. Her skin was all red by using SKII facial treatment mask and the gold cream calm her skin overnite. Not even the La Mer Concentrate can do that. This cream is just magical :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios Fluide Extreme SPF 40
woodstock 7/10/2004 9:03:00 PM
This maybe the best sunscreen on the market but still it is not perfect. It is a great move for LRP to make a fluide version, which I believe is adopted from the asian sunscree. However, it adopted the texture but not the finish. Comparing with the superb cosmetic elegance of asian sunscreen, this still has a lot of room for improvement. But considering the reliable protection it provides, it does worth to scarify the cosmetic elegance. Comparing with fellow european sunscreen, this got the best texture and finish. But I still find my skin shinny and I will defintely won't call the finish matte. I must powder over it to cut the shine. And this is not safe for acne prone as while using it, my skin keep congested that I have to use a clay mask everynight to prevent my skin from breaking out. Although I can prevent myself from breaking out, I can't prevent to have blackheads causes by it. It is still heavier than my skin can take. Afterall, it is still a good sunscreen (the best one balancing shiness and protection) and I prefer it more than Ducray SPF 30.
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Cleansers -Jason Natural Cosmetics - jason super-c cleanser with Ester-c Perfect Solutions
woodstock 7/10/2004 8:57:00 PM
This cleanser is cheap which is a plus. The fragrance in it is natrual but not synthetic but I hate this scent. Although it contains BHA, I don't feel the exfoliation action from this. I much prefer the MD Forte Cleanser which uses AHA. This cleanser is supposed to use on dry skin then add water to form a lather. I found that applying it on dry skin is quite hard to spread. It is a gel texture and comparing with the lotion texture of MD Forte, the gel texture is sticky and really hard to spread. I have oily/acne prone skin. Used that for a week and didnt find it improve my skin anyhow. Oppositely, I found that my skin is more congested while using this vs using MD Forte. End up using it as a body wash.
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Cleansers -DDF - Sensitive Skin Cleansing Gel
woodstock 5/18/2004 5:34:00 PM
This cleanser does not deserve all this rave. I try it base on the rave here and found it so so. Yes, it is gentle but this cleanser give a fake cleanse feeling. It foam a film on your skin which is hardly noticeable, but I'm very stingy to film so I can feel it. This film gives a false impression that your skin is clean does giving the slippery feeling. For my combo/oily skin, this film gives me a suffocating feeling and I don't like this unclean sensation. I prefer my non-foaming ELlen Lange cleanser which is gentle and non-stripping. Do a better job than this as well. Even the Nuxe Cleansing Gel or Topix Resurfix Cleanser are better than this.
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Skincare - Face -Avene - Soapless Gel Cleanser
woodstock 5/18/2004 5:22:00 PM
I hate this packaging. I'm unlucky to get a malfuntioned cap which cannot be turned. The safety knob is higher others. Anyway, I finally open the bottle by breaking the cap. This is a cleansing gel foaming cleanser. I hate the fact that it is heavily fragranced. It is more drying than other foaming cleanser thou. The pH is at 7.2 which is a little bit high in my opinion. The cleaning effect is okay for my combo/oily skin. However, I did get breakouts after a few days of use which I suspect is the fragrance. I don't understand why a sensitive skin product will contain fragrance especially for one that smell like laundry detergent. A foaming cleanser is irrtating already and with fragrance, just a disastor. Avene advertised as being gentle and I don't find it that way.
Ingredients: Avene Thermal Spring Water (Avene Aqua), Water (Aqua), Decyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 20, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sacosinate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Benzoic Acid, Cetrimonium Bromide, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil (Cucurbita Pepo), Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Green 5 (CI 61570), Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Yello 5 (CI 19140), Zinc Gluconate.
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Powder -Aromaleigh - Pure Cover Foundation Powder [DISCONTINUED]
woodstock 4/23/2004 10:58:00 PM
This is drying my skin out and settling into line and pores. I did moisturize my face before it and wait 15min. My cheeks broke out within 2 days and there is a lot of clogged pores on my chin which are very very very tiny. There is only 3 ingredient in this product and I believe mica is the one that broke me out. I've also heard 3 other persons broke out from this. besides the breakouts part, it is so hard for the application comparing with Jane Iredale PurePressed. Jane Iredale blend in better as well. However, Aromaleigh got better oil control since it is a lot drier.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tools -Shiseido - The Skincare Cleansing Massage Brush
woodstock 4/23/2004 10:49:00 PM
Dermatologist and almost all beauty magazine has been saying that using a washcloth, mitt or brush for your skin is not good. I'm a follower of that but since I've seen so much rave here, I go to my neighboring sephora and pick up one of there. Well, I regret that I did. Even though this brush feels and work gently, I do find my skin getting more sensitive. And accroding to the Shiseido website for d-program, they line for sensitive skin, they don't even recommend rubbing ur face with fingers but just gently lather the foam to your face. So I can't understand why are they making this product. I obviously don't find it improve anything for my blackheads. A waste of money IMO
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Cleansers -Yon-Ka - Gel Nettoyant
woodstock 4/23/2004 10:44:00 PM
This gentle cleansing gel is slightly foaming, not a lot. I somewhat like it but feels like there is something missing from it. Moreover, I need to use 2 passes in order to get myself clean with it. This fragrance is wonderful and I like that fact that it is natural fragrance, not synthetic one. Got vitamin A, lavender in it as well. It is a good cleanser, but just not good enough for me to repurchase.
Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Glycereth-5 Lactate, Cocamidopropylbetain, Sodium Methyl Cocyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Caster Oil, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lacandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Litsea Cubera Fruit Oil, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil, Propylene Glycol, Zinc PCA, Butylene Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butyleparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Ethoxydiglycol, Blue 1/CI 42090.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Shiseido - Ultimate Cleansing Oil
woodstock 4/23/2004 10:34:00 PM
In a pump bottle style. This is a cleansing oil specially designed to removign makeup and sunscreen. Well, it did take off makeup, but my skin is just not as happy comparing the time I'm using Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil. I don't like the strong fragrance in this product as well. Will not repurchase.
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Cleansers -Shiseido - Anessa Super Sunscreen Cleansing
woodstock 4/23/2004 10:26:00 PM
I pick this up during my trip to Japan. This is meant for removing sunscreen as sunscreen is like makeup which you need special care to take it off eventhough the film is not easily seen. This cleanser is in oil liquidy transparent form. This cleansing oil is defintely not a good one. My fav Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil is better than this. Won't repurchase.
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Cleansers -Fancl - Mild Cleansing Oil
woodstock 4/23/2004 10:22:00 PM
I really like this cleansing oil. I've used DHC, Shu, Kesalen Patheron, Kanebo, Shiseido and Fancl is the best. It got a thicker texture and the gentlest on my skin with everything removed. So sensitive skin friendly. I also like the fact that there is no preservative and it doesn't not contains mineral oil
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Sunscreen -Shiseido - Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++ [DISCONTINUED]
woodstock 4/23/2004 10:18:00 PM
This will be consider as the best sunscreen in US market. Asia and Europe are superior to those in US market in terms of cosmetic elegance and protection. I pick this up as I'm out of Ducray SPF 30 and waiting for Anthelios SPF 40 fluide to arrive. Got 13.9% Zinc Oxide and 7.4% Oxtinoxate which offer high UVB protection. Eventhough it is PA+++, which only Zinc Oxide alone, it will only yield a ppd about 8-10. Which is considerably low comparing to the European Sunblock which got PPD of 15 and above. I really like the texture and finish of this product, matte and only a tiny bit of shine. However, i don't like the fragrance in it. And it costs more than me ordering european sunscreen from France with shipping cost included. The low UVA protection and cost are the reasons why I won't repurchase. Also there is some pore clogging ingredients like stearic acid, isostearic acid, Dextrin Palmitate. In order to obtain the fluide texture, alcohol is used as well. So if you are sensitive to alcohol and fragrance, pass on this.
Active Ingredients: Oxtinoxate 7.4%, Zinc Oxide 13.9%
Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, polybutene Glycol/PPG-9/1 Copolymer, Dimethicone Copolyol, Dextrin Palmitate, Xylitol, Methyl Glutathione, Zinc Myristate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Thiotaurine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Ectoin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Isosteari Acid, Stearic Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Silica, Alcohol, Trisodium EDTA, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide.
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Conditioner -KMS California - KMS Silker Reconstructor
woodstock 4/23/2004 9:28:00 PM
I test it out seperately with the silkier shampoo so I know the true nature of this conditioner. It is not moisturizing enough for me hair. My hair just don't look silky and smooth with it. It also gives me a flakiness problem which I don't have with Matrix Sleek Look or Redken Smoothdown.
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Shampoo -KMS California - KMS Silker Shampoo
woodstock 4/23/2004 9:25:00 PM
I can't believe what all those raves here are. This shampoo strip my hair and definitely not making it silky. I prefer Redken Smooth Down/All Soft, or Matrix Sleek look, Keratase over it.
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Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios "L" Total Block for Sun Reactive Skin
woodstock 4/7/2004 9:07:00 PM
I've used quite a lot of european sunscreen and this is certainly not qualify for the high rating in productville. It is less shinny than the Anthelios XL (both cream or lait), and it is less greasy. It is only less doesn't mean it is the best on the market. Better than the most greasy Anthelio XL doesn't mean anything. Comparaing with Lancome UV expert, L'Oreal UV Perfect, Ducray, SVR 100B. I wouldn't say it is cosmetic elegance. There are better one out there which you don't need to powder over and this LRP Anthelios L is not on my list to repurchase. I end up using this tube on my body as my face deserve something better.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No