Cleansers -Bioderma - Sensibio H2O (aka Crealine H20 Solution micellaire)
yoyoko 2/25/2012 4:17:00 PM
I stock up on this every time I'm in Paris as it's cheaper and easier to find there. This is an excellent makeup remover for a few reasons: - it's unscented. - it never leaves a film on my face. - it does not sting my face or eyes, unless I accidentally get some in my eye directly (in the past, I have over saturated a cotton pad and then basically squeezed out its contents into my eye - not recommended!) I have not used other micellar waters so I can't compare it, but because I find the price reasonable and I usually get enough to last me a while, I've had no reason to stray. My only recommendation is that you decant it into a bottle that allows you to control the amount that comes out better. I use a little travel bottle from Muji, which allows me to squeeze a generous drop at a time. Otherwise, a whole lot comes out rather quickly. As others have mentioned, this will not take off waterproof mascara. It'll take off quite a lot of it, but to make life easier, I recommend using a bi-phase remover. I like to use the Bioderma when I get home to clean the day off.
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Shampoo -Liz Earle - Botanical Shine Shampoo
yoyoko 2/25/2012 3:51:00 PM
This is my favourite SLS/SLES-free shampoo and I have repurchased it numerous times. My husband has dry scalp issues and whilst this does not cure the flakies, it is much better than other shampoos at not aggravating it (we use various oils massaged into his scalp for that). I wanted to share how I use it because before I was told this, I thought it was pretty mediocre. The incredibly lovely sales assistant at the Liz Earle store (some of the nicest SAs in London there!) explained to me that you need to double wash with this. I use about three to four pea-sized dollops to massage this into my scalp. I used to have extremely long hair and that was enough because I never really suds up the lengths of my hair with shampoo - only the scalp. Once you've done the first wash and rinsed the shampoo out, do it again with about the same amount of shampoo. This second wash will lather a lot more and feel more satisfying, if you're after the sudsy experience that shampoos with SLS/SLES give (although it really doesn't lather nearly as much as the SLS/SLES shampoos). If you struggle with tangled hair, I would tackle that with conditioner, rather than trying to use the shampoo to work through the tangles. I find this shampoo is very good for my scalp - it is not drying and so I do not struggle with my scalp getting oily soon after a wash. It smells delicious and fresh and because I use much less of this than I used to use with SLS/SLES shampoos, that helps mitigate the cost a bit. The price is my only complaint because it's hard to stomach a £8 shampoo! However, until I find something better, I'll be going back for more.
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Skincare - Face -Shiseido - Facial Cotton
yoyoko 2/25/2012 3:26:00 PM
I received a bulk pack of these cotton pads from my sister (who is always in the know about good stuff!) and I don't think I can go back to other brands. I use them only for removing makeup as I apply toner using a spray. Reasons I love these: - the edges are not seamed/stitched together. This means that no sharp edges are ever created (I would sometimes scratch my skin because of the seams on other pads). - they do not disintegrate. No fluff comes apart, ending up on the skin. - they're not very dense. This means that less product is required for a saturated pad. I only wish that the cotton used was fair-trade.
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Lip Gloss -Pixi - Lip Booster
yoyoko 12/29/2010 6:28:00 PM
I received this as a gift with purchase when I bought some other Pixi products, and it has quickly become a favourite! I keep reaching for it because it makes my lips feel so good - extremely plump and moisturized. On the website, the description says: "Maximizing lip gloss to instantly treat & restore lip vitality. Provides maximum hydration and helps restore collagen, adding volume to improve lip contour. Improves lip fullness 40%, decreases lines 30% and improves lip moisture 60%." I don't know about restoring collagen, but personally, I do feel it has done its job at moisturizing and improving the fullness of my lips. (We're not talking about a bee-stung look or anything, though!) I also think it decreases the look of the lines in my lips, but who knows whether any of these effects are lasting. My lips have been in terrible condition this winter, and I think that this lip booster has been one of the best products for tackling the wrinkly, dry, peeling issues I've been having. I have this in the colour Maxi, which looks like a frosty nude in the tube, but I tend to wear it over a lip stain (the Pixi lip blush, actually, which I also recommend), so the colour (if any) does not show up at all. This means it's easy to apply on the go, which is nice. It makes my lips look very shiny and glossy. The smell is pleasant and sweet - kind of like candy. Some might find it too sweet (I quite like it), but the smell doesn't last for the entire time that the gloss is on your lips. I have no idea how it tastes as I try not to lick my lips (since I find that dries my lips). =) Initially, I found it quite noticeably tacky (the consistency is quite thick and gloopy), but it hasn't really felt that way recently - maybe I'm used to the texture now. I'd say it is stickier than a more watery and slippery gloss (and long hair will catch in it!). Like other reviewers, I'm not a fan of the click-brush applicator, but as someone else has said, it probably keeps the product itself in a more hygienic condition than a lip balm pot or a gloss tube would. Unless you're using a new wand in a tube gloss every time you apply it, all lip products have this problem and different companies seem to tackle it in different ways. I personally prefer this to having a pot that you dip your fingers into, but I'm a germophobe. =P Of course, it would be nice to be able to clean the brush! For £12.50, I would normally consider this too expensive, but it's so good that I really do think it's worth the price. It's a definite repurchase for me.
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Hair -Avalon Organics Botanicals - Therapeutic Lavender Nourishing Shampoo
yoyoko 10/29/2010 6:49:00 PM
I really tried to like this shampoo. I was on the hunt for an SLS-free shampoo to replace the naughty ones I've been using my whole life, but this made me dread washing my hair. Although the smell is lovely, it made my long hair very tangled. It also does not lather very much at all so I ended up trying to compensate by using a lot of it (which didn't really make things that much better). It now sits on the ledge of my bathtub half-used, which is such a waste. This might work for you if your hair is not prone to getting tangled; otherwise, I would not recommend this at all.
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Hair Styling Tools -Unlisted Brand - Tangle Teezer
yoyoko 10/29/2010 6:34:00 PM
I've only had this for a few days, but I love it already. It is so effective at what it does that sometimes I question whether my hair is actually being brushed. For this reason, I like to use my other hand to create a bit of a sandwich wtih my hair in the bristles, but frankly, even when I don't do that, I know it is doing its job because my hair ends up being smooth and tangle-free. It is leaps and bounds better than a wide-tooth comb. As for the design, like others, I wish it had a handle. I bought the travel-sized one, which comes with a protective cover, so the bristles are protected and it doesn't catch on things in your handbag - genius! I would definitely recommend this as it even allows me to comb through my wet hair without using a detangling spray or leave-in conditioner.
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Green People Day Solution SPF15
yoyoko 10/29/2010 6:23:00 PM
I've been using this for about six months now and I really like it. I use it as a moisturizer and sun cream, but usually apply some kind of serum underneath it. On the days that I don't use a serum, for my skin (mostly normal, with a small tendency towards some oiliness in the t-zone), it feels moisturizing enough. I don't have my picture taken very often, so I couldn't say whether it results in a white cast on your skin in photos, but I have not noticed a white cast with the naked eye. I tend to massage it into my skin quite well, so even though it looks quite white to begin with, it does sink in. The consistency, I would say, is thicker/denser than your average cream. I think that's why it takes a bit more massaging to get it absorbed than some other creams that are lighter and more watery. For the price and the ingredients, this is the best moisturizer + sun cream combo I've found (recommendations welcome!). It does *not* cause break-outs (I left out the "not" accidentally when this first went live!), and it's perfectly fine under makeup, too. A lot of people like La Roche-Posay, but I'm not convinced by the ingredients in their products, to be honest. The only improvement I would like made would be some way of telling how much of the product is left. I love that it's a pump, though! And the only strange "side effect" I've experienced is that, (perhaps because it is a physical sunscreen), parts of my face gets sweaty in a way that it didn't used to (I swear my nose did not used to sweat!). But as long as I don't have to run and break a sweat to catch my train in the mornings, it's usually no problem (exercise later in the day does not result in this strange sweating!). Edited: I removed one star because I have since found lighter formulations with higher SPF.
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