Health & beauty
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- Points: 146395
- Reviews: 557
Here are all my reviews:
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I have used MANY eye creams--I have lost count. When it comes to choosing a good eye cream, it's worth the price to invest in high-quality eye creams. I believe EVERY person should start using eye creams in their early 20s. You don't need any of the fancy bells and whistles, just something that's going to hydrate and keep the skin firm. This is a great eye cream to try, but women of all ages will be able to see the benefits. Ole Henriksen takes pride in creating (mostly) natural products that people of ALL ages and skin types can use. He has a line for people who want to develop a faithful skin care regimen and who wants to maintain and improve skin their condition. This eye cream has cucumber extract to tighten and firm skin, but also cool on contact and reduce puffiness. There is aloe extract to greatly soothe the skin and comfort it. Copper extract (which makes it blue) also firms the skin. This eye cream also has botanical blends to brighten the area around the eye. The best part? Since it's a natural eye gel, it's SAFE to use around the ENTIRE eye area, above and below. Most people don't realize that you SHOULDN'T use any eye creams above your eye on your lid because they often contain ingredients that can irritate your eye. Therefore, this is a great gel to use on your brow bone to keep your lid and upper eye skin looking firm and tight. Although a jar of this gel costs $38, you get a LOT of product for a much cheaper price than typical luxury eye creams. Although it's typically recommended to use this at night, I don't see a problem using it during the day (there is a day version available that comes in a tube, but I think they just want you to buy more and spend more money). This is very hydrating but it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy. In fact, I like this because my eye area is typically normal to dry and this is great at hydrating, soothing, and prepping the skin for make up. I don't like how it kind of makes your eye area slightly sticky though, but for my firmer-looking skin with fewer lines, I can deal with it.
June 5, 2012
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Just to let you know, I have terrible skin. I work my tail off with my faithful skin care regimen and I can assure you I have tried it ALL. My skin is extraordinarily difficult to maintain and almost impossible to balance. Our skin is a living organ, but my skin seems to have a mischievous mind of its own. It's constantly changing from oily, to dry, to oily AND dry, to dry combination, oily combination--just everything but normal. Not to mention I have rosacea, eczema, hormonal acne and super large pores! That's my back story. I had heard many good things about Ole Henriksen's Sheer Transformation. I received a deluxe sample of this cream with eager hopes of seeing any results. And results I did see! What I ADORE about this cream is how SHEER and lightweight this moisturizer feels. It's a cream, but it's great for even the driest skin. The name 'sheer' is a really good description of this product. It's very hydrating, but it's so lightweight that it doesn't clog my pores and cause breakouts--which is HUGE for me. Second, as Ole is known for, this is a natural hydrator, so it's suitable for ALL skin types, even the most sensitive (like mine). It's very soothing because it has botanical blends in it which nurture the skin. Also, these botanicals lighten dark spots and hyperpigmentation, so this is a GREAT addition if you are exfoliating or using products with lightening ingredients like hydroquinone or hexapeptide-2. After using this product, I saw an improvement in the speed of time of lightening of dark acne scars that I got on my chin from hormonal flare-ups. The lightening of the scars continue to improve to where I can cover it up with concealer far more easily without having to cake it on. If you do use a lightener with an ingredient like hydroquinone, you want to stop that after three months and give it a rest. It's recommended to use a botanical brightener for the next three months to maintain the brightening so your skin has time to rest. Then after three months, you can resume the hydroquinone. Sheer Transformation is a GREAT product to use during that time of rest, and you may even see better results if you use Ole's Truth Serum. Ole Henriksen is a firm believer that if you have even skin tone and texture, you will automatically look younger no matter what your age, and I believe this to be true. This is a hydrator that will help you accomplish that. My biggest gripe about this is the price for a jar. It's $45 for a 1,7 ounce jar which is about the size of a standard perfume bottle. You will go through this way too fast and before you know it, your jar is empty. Although this hydrator will deliver wonderful results in a short amount of time, you have to really be convinced into investing such money into this product. DO ask for samples if you go to Sephora. Secondly, yes it is a jar. You are more likely to introduce bacteria and contaminate the product. Do use a spatula in retrieving the cream out of the jar, or make sure to wash your hands very well in warm water. The only way you're going to ensure the best results possible is if you don't ruin the product with bacteria.
June 5, 2012
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I love most of Ole Henriksen's products because not only does he use a lot of natural ingredients, you actually see results after using his products, even though they're pricey. I've used these wipes several times on myself and on people I've applied make up on. Although they do a decent job at removing makeup and they do brighten the skin with vitamin C, I have grown sick of the scent of these. To me it smells like some kind of fruity-candy smell and it's way too sweet for my palette. (The scent is describe as a citrus-vanilla scent.) My biggest gripe is the price of these wipes. It costs $15 for a pack of 30 wipes. Honestly, I could get a pack of my typical drugstore wipes that cost $15 for the same amount and not only do I think they work better at removing make up, but I don't have to deal with that obnoxious fruity smell. All of Ole's orange Truth line is supposed to brighten, even tone and firm the skin, but I just don't see this product as worth the high investment. It's better just to go with the Truth serum if you want to see results.
June 5, 2012
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One of the most in-demand products available in the beauty industry are lip plumpers. We all seek fuller lips without having to splurge on risky cosmetic surgery. However, we usually become disappointed with the temporary and mostly unnoticeable effects of lip plumpers. Too Face Lip Injection Extreme promises to plump the lips for an effect that lasts several hours; but what sets it aside is its promise to offer long-term results with faithful use. The instructions recommend you use it twice a day, in the morning when you're getting ready (to give it some time while you're working on your routine) and at night before you go to bed. If you have ever used a lip plumper, you may be used to the tingling feeling. This is definitely a different feeling than other lip plumpers though. I quite like the feeling that Buxom lip gloss gives your lips. That is definitely more of a tingling feeling. However, the Lip Injection Extreme is more of a stinging feeling than anything. The Buxom gloss tingling is quite strong and the Lip Injection extreme is just a little stronger, but it's not bad if you're used to Buxom already. After a few uses, it won't sting as much to wear it bothers you. If you've never used a lip plumper before, this might be WAY TOO intense for you. Try the original Lip Injection glosses instead. The Lip Injection Extreme also causes an increase in blood flow which causes a increase in color to your lips. I like that this gloss can be worn alone, or under other lip gloss and doesn't feel sticky. This gloss also hydrates and doesn't dry my lips out. I've been using it for a couple weeks now and it's hard to say whether it's doing much of anything on its own because I also happen to use the Buxom glosses during the day. After using both glosses, I have noticed that my lip lines are more plumped out for longer throughout the day. I have noticed that I do get MUCH fuller lips using the Buxom glosses, as opposed to the Lip Injection Extreme. However, I must consider the possibility that the Buxom gloss works so well because the Lip Injection Extreme is already at work. So it's hard to say whether Buxom is better on its own, or because it's had that extra help from Too Faced. My biggest complaint is not only the price for uncertain results, but mostly due to the fact at how HARD it is to find this in stores AND online! It's almost impossible to find it in Ulta or Sephora and even both websites often are out of stock of this product. I have seen it on Amazon, but there's no guarantee where that came from and there's no ability to return it if you're dissatisfied (not to mention you have to pay postage yourself). With this product, I notice my upper lip is slightly more plumped than normal, but I don't see huge results with this. I'm still sitting on the fence whether or not to repurchase this. Fortunately, one tube goes a long way so I'll have a lot more time to see whether it's going to deliver. The reason why I got this was because I was hoping to try to plump out and diminish the lines in my lips. My lips are fortunately quite full, but those lines drive me crazy! Let's see if this works.
May 29, 2012
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This is a VERY fast-acting stain if you want rich color fast on your lips. The gloss doesn't last very long, but the stain does. So this is a great stain to have to keep a popsicle-like color on your lips as you touch up with another gloss if you want shine. I love that this doesn't leave a disgusting taste on your lips like other lip stains can. Since this gives a very strong stain, I recommend using this under ANY foundation, not just powder foundation (which is usually recommended to put stains on prior to powder foundation). This includes liquid foundation as well if you want more of a natural and very light color.
May 29, 2012
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As I've mentioned in a few other reviews, I haven't been the biggest Stila fan, but I greatly respect and admire the changes and improvements that Stila has been making. I love that Stila has made several shades of their new illuminator, so there's a perfect one for all people of different skin tones. These blend very well too. The best thing is that there are several different ways you could wear this. You can mix a little with your foundation for an all-over glowing finish. You can wear this above or below your foundation on your cheekbones or where you want to highlight (as a make up artist, I recommend applying this BEFORE your foundation and then blending for a more natural and ethereal glowing finish). You can use this under powder blush for added shimmer. You can wear this on your brow bones too. I like that this doesn't dry my skin and it's also not overly shimmery. You can build up shimmer if you want more. I love the rose-gold because there aren't many illuminators like that shade, but it's perfect for adding very subtle color to your complexion.
May 29, 2012
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I do make up and sell it, and I can't tell you how many people I have come in asking me how to conceal tattoos. This is one of my FAVORITE concealers because it is EXTREMELY pigmented and long-wearing. It also looks incredibly natural and is easy to blend. A little goes a VERY long way with this, so a little tube will last you forever. There are a lot of full-coverage concealers in the market, and what is supposed to be a good thing often tends to be a bad thing for most people. What I mean is that in ALL makeup, the more pigment a product has, the more drying it can be for people. Therefore, since full-coverage concealers have the MOST pigment, they can be the most drying. However, this is not the case with this one. This gives a natural finish that blends with your skin well (as opposed to a matte finish which often looks extremely cakey) Also, I've noticed that this line of concealers blend better with most skin types than others, so you're more than likely to find a perfect shade with the Stila concealer than anything else. This concealer will cover EVERYTHING and is very easy to build for more coverage. This is my favorite concealer for covering tattoos.
May 29, 2012
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I got a deluxe sample of this. Although I admire what the brand tries to accomplish by making their products all natural, needless to say I have never been the biggest Boscia brand. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this, it joins the list of other Boscia products that have failed me. There are simply more cons than pro's when it comes to me. First, I don't like the universal shade. It's a bit too light and too beige. I have a light-medium olive tone and this is not only too light, but too pink on me. I even applied olive-tone foundation on top of this and I looked incredibly pink. If you have a perfect beige (or even more pink) tone, then this is good for you. (Which I find weird because Boscia is a Japanese brand and most Japanese people are more yellow-toned rather than beige or pink-toned). This BB cream is supposed to 'warm up' to your skin and adjust a bit in color, but I did not see anything. In fact, I think my face looked worse after several minutes of letting the color adjust than when I put it on immediately. I do like the way my makeup looks on top of this TEXTURE-wise (it smoothed over my skin), but the color is terrible. Plus, this isn't a BB cream suitable to be used as a primer (which is rare because nearly all BB creams on the market can be used as a primer). It does an okay job at smoothing texture, but it doesn't do nearly a good job like what a primer can do. Next, this BB cream offers little-to-no noticeable hydration. BB creams have a reputation for being labeled as tinted moisturizers with extra benefits, but this did not do anything. I agree with the others in saying that this is likely better for people with oilier skin types. This is an oil-free BB cream so that will benefit that group best. Also, what's with the random 27 number in spf??? What I did like was that this also offers UVA protection at a high level (PA ++). UVA rays are what causes our skin to age prematurely. Another thing I liked was that this did not emphasize any dry flakey spots like Miracle Skin did because they are both similar in texture. The tone is best for light-skinned people with oily skin and beige undertones, but that's basically it. It will even out your skin tone slightly, but do not expect any sort of decent coverage. It does not conceal imperfections like it claims to. However, the thing I liked most was that this contained physical sunscreens as opposed to chemical sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens are absorbed into the skin and can cause free-radical damage because the particles absorb the light. This BB cream has physical sunscreens which REFLECT the light so fewer free-radicals are produced. This also does offer some anti-oxidant protection to neutralize the free-radicals that occur on a regular basis. To sum everything up in a nutshell, unless you're VERY curious to try this, I would skip it unless you're very oily, light and beige. If you're not in that group, there are many other BB creams that are much better and offer better protection and benefits.
May 29, 2012
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Don't get me wrong, I wasn't the biggest Stila fan in the past. I'm not a huge fan most of the products. Also, normally in the past I have ALWAYS went against felt-tip liners as well, because they do not go on very well with my eyes and they drag on my skin. This has become one of my favorite eyeliners. First off, this is truly waterproof! I cried like a baby during a movie and this did not run, even though my eyeshadow did run (LOL!). Second, this is very smudge proof! I wasn't paying attention and forgot that I was wearing eye makeup, so when I scratched my eye, I remembered about my makeup and panicked-- However, my eyeliner did NOT budge or flake off! You have NO idea how many liners I've used that rub off easily even when they claim that they don't. I work at a Sephora and this usually sells out so fast because we only receive one or two at a time every month or so. So the tester I used was quite old and it was still rich and bold as if it was brand new--not dried out a single bit. Therefore, this has completely redeemed all felt-tip liners in the world because this is an amazing liner. The finish is semi-matte--not too shiny, but not completely matte. I do wish it was more matte though, but it's much more matte than other liners. The tip is AMAZING and firm so you have total control of your pen. The hype is all true with this liner! I definitely will consider ordering other colors from online. Stila has found my attention (try the perfecting concealer--that is divine too!!!)
April 11, 2012
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As I mentioned in a couple other recent reviews, it has taken me a few years to rediscover Smashbox and the products because I wasn't too keen on them originally. Halo is a WONDERFUL loose powder if you want a lot of coverage, but you don't want to have that dry, powdery feeling on your skin. This has moisture particles IN the powder to hydrate your skin all day. Halo is one of the best powders if you want a bit of coverage, but don't want to wear liquid foundation, OR if you wear liquid foundation underneath and Halo on top for super FULL coverage. I like the shades options that Halo has. There is fair, light, light/medium, medium, medium/dark, and dark. Personally, I think Smashbox tends to run a bit darker in their makeup than other brands, so people who have very pale, alabaster/porcelain skin may think that the fair might be too dark. Light is a great shade for me, but I noticed that the light/medium is better for more olive skin because it runs much more yellow. The price of $59 may seem like a bunch to people, but I like that you do get a large product AND a kabuki brush. Also, I like that you get to twist the top to shave the product for new, fresh powder every single time. This powder doesn't look too powdery on my skin either. Yes, it's a powder and just about all powders will leave a powdery finish, but this give a tolerable finish that doesn't look cakey or powdery, especially if you buff it in well. What I don't like about this product is how MESSY it can become! Be careful with how much you twist the top to shave the product because the powder can get all over the container. Also, the container is very bulky. It's not very travel-friendly because of its size. Although this a great investment for Smashbox fans, unless you use powder often, I personally would try something a little more friendly to your wallet.
April 11, 2012
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