non-fannish, non-political post

[tzikeh]

Pimp me into your favorite bath or beauty product, if you would be so kind.

Comment here about one (1) hair or skin or nails or makeup etc. product that works exactly as promised, when you *never in a million years* would have believed that it would. It can be anything from a shampoo that promised to help curly hair stay curly, to foundation that doesn't streak when you sweat, to lip color that doesn't feather, etc. Hell, if you found a cream that promised to reduce cellulite that *actually did it*, I want to hear about it. Mostly I'm just terribly terribly mistrustful of all these zillions of products' claims and I want some opinions on the good ones.

P.S. point your friends over here too - the more the merrier :-D

Comments

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

Burt's Bees makes a line of colored lip balms that make me really happy. I use the watermelon color, which is faintly rosy. Tastes of mint, as all Burt's Bees lip balms do. And it doesn't feather, and it looks good, and it feels nice and slightly tingly on the lips.

:-)

[copernica3.livejournal.com]

Seconded! Just enough color to add something to my face, but not heavy or thick at all, and it tastes good. I like the nutmeg one best.

[misspamela.livejournal.com]

I love L''Oreal's Infallible makeup. It totally stays put and has excellent coverage without making you look like you could chip your face off.

[gblvr.livejournal.com]

I recently started using Murad skincare products, and I absolutely love them. I have combination skin, and usually wind up drying it out in an attempt to control the oily patches. The cleanser is nice -- cleans without drying and still takes care of the oil. I don't use toner, but moisturizer is a must for me, and theirs smells nice and has SPF 30.

They are a bit pricey, though... a 6.75 oz tube of cleanser is around $25 at the website, and will be more at a spa/salon.

[watergal.livejournal.com]

Redkin All Soft Shampoo and conditioner. They make coarse hair all soft. Really. (There is a "hair masque" and an overpriced spray-in intensive conditioner too, but the former didn't do much and the latter didn't do enough to be worth the price. IMVHO.)

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Seconded. If your hair is also dried out and brittle at ends this product will make it feel soft and silky.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

I'm very pleased with Maybelline Mousse foundation. It's lighter than pancake, but provides a bit more coverage than liquid.

Also, Maybelline Forever lip color does pretty well at providing lasting coverage without drying my lips.

[elynross.livejournal.com]

And seconded! I started using this after you told me about it, and it's my new favorite makeup thing. *g*

[danceswithwords.livejournal.com]

MAC lipstick is wonderful. Actually, all MAC makeup is excellent (though not cheap). I'm not much of a lipstick wearer, though, and I recently discovered when I was a bridesmaid that MAC lipstick will stay put for hours and even survives sucking on a water bottle over the course of an entire afternoon. And they have some great colors.

[corinna-5.livejournal.com]

Philosophy Curly Head hair serum. Does wonders to define and defrizz my curls, and you only need a tiny bit.

I also love Lush bath ballistics -- the Butterball is great for dry skin, especially if you have a loofah handy as well. I use their Dream Cream for a body moisturizer, and it's delightful.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle/Anti-Blemish line. It's wonderful -- gentle enough to avoid aging your skin, and strong enough to keep adult acne under control.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Rusk's "Thickr" shampoo and conditioner. It really does seem to work. Both my kid-unit and I have thin, fine hair and the Thickr products give both of us a lot more body.

And I'll second the Lush products. I have their Slammer shower gel and it's great for waking me up in the mornings (it's lime scented). I also have a bottle of Sonic Death Monkey, which among other things smells like coffee chocolate, and oranges. Sadly I hear they are discontinuing their gels so buy some fast if you want to try it.

[thermidor.livejournal.com]

Isn't Sonic Death Monkey awesome?!

Thanks for the head sup on the discontinuation!

[esorlehcar.livejournal.com]

Queen Helene Mint Julep masque. It's dirt cheap and it works wonders - sucks out dirt, oil, and even blackheads, softens and smooths your skin, even reduces redness. I went two weeks without it here in LA because it took me a bit to find a place that carried (mainly because I'm used to getting it at the death jewel and was looking at grocery stores and Target), and it was amazing how much difference I noticed going without it.

It's worth noting that Amanda doesn't like it, though, not because it didn't work for her, but because she found it painful. That being said I have very sensitive skin and it's never bothered me (there is a very strong tingling sensation as it dries, but nothing I would describe as painful).

[lydiabell.livejournal.com]

OMG, I used to use that stuff years ago, and it's great! I had no idea it still existed.

[zoerayne]

Two things:

1. Maybelline Full 'n Soft Mascara is the best thing ever. It doesn't dry out or flake. Since mascara is pretty much the only makeup I ever do, I think it's a godsend.

2. JASON Natural NaPCA hand & body lotion. I generally hate lotion, because it's all greasy and makes me feel like I've been working near a deep-fat fryer, but the older I get the drier my skin is getting--especially living in an arid place like Colorado. This stuff hydrates well, especially if you use it regularly, and it doesn't feel greasy at all.

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

Olay Total Effects. Best moisturizer ever, and doesn't make me break out like everything under the sun. Fine lines and so on, just disappear like they got sucked back into my face.

[adjectivegirl.livejournal.com]

Seconded, and the Makeup Removing wipes I save for special occasions when I want to get all squeaky clean and yet glowy.

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

i have this german nail repair microcell 2000 which is the only product i've ever found that actually hardened my nails..and i think i must have tried everything on the market!

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

1) Proactiv. The infomercials do not lie to you.

2) Lubriderm Daily Moisture with SPF15. Light, non-greasy moisturizer and sunscreen in one easy step.

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

Proactiv. The infomercials do not lie to you.

Oh yes. I actually did a happy dance after a few weeks of using it.

[ladysorka]

Burt's Bees Garden Tomato soap and toner for oily skin - the only thing I've ever tried that actually keeps my face blemish free. Including prescriptions.

JASON's aloe vera hand soap. It says it won't dry skin, and it actually doesn't. I haven't needed hand lotion in months - accept for the week's I've stayed at hotels, and my hands have gone back to cracked in days.

[cynicalgrl.livejournal.com]

I love Ahava hand cream - really works on my dry hands and smells subtle/great!
Origins's Salt Rub body scrub - always makes me feel beautiful, esp on days when I don't.
Expensive indulgence - Super Line Preventor+ by Prescriptives - makes skin smooth and makeup last longer (even me w/combo skin). I love this product! But it's not always in my budget ($75/$52).
I just started using the new Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging/Anti-Blemish Cleanser and Moisturizer which I'm really liking so far. And someone I hadn't seen for awhile just told me I "glowed" (which at 40, I'll take!)
MAC lipglass in colors, plus they really have the best eyeshadows which last. You can go natural to freak easily.
Johnson & Johnson 24-hour body lotion keeps me soft and clean smelling.

I know that you wanted one, but I got carried away. BTW - have you on my RSS feed! Love you, you ROCK!

I am a bath & beauty product whore!

[thermidor.livejournal.com]

For washing my face - Cetaphil. Great stuff.

Just because they smell divine- LUSH's Honey I Washed the Kids and Red Rooster soaps.

MAC eyeliner. Gorgeous and wears well.

Re: I am a bath & beauty product whore!

[kirbyfest.livejournal.com]

Second on the Cetaphil. Every dermatologist I have ever met recommends it, though they also recommend rinsing it off rather than tissuing it off (the bottle talks about tissuing it off. Yech.)

Body Shop tea tree oil soap, for them that have trouble with blemishes on their chest/upper back. Works beautifully and smells fresh. They used to have a great scrub, too, but it was discontinued.

Olay Total Effects gets recommended to me by the whole world, but breaks me out liek whoa. I have the weirdest skin (I can't use any of those relaxing deep moisturizing shampoos either, like the Redken recced above, because they break me out almost instantly).

Re: I am a bath & beauty product whore!

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

See, I was told by a dermatologist and several friends with dry skin that Cetaphil was the way to go, and it turned my cheeks and forehead into an outpost of the Sahara. But enough people I know swear by it that I'd be comfortable reccing it to someone even though it totally didn't work for me. Also, cheap enough that if it doesn't work out, oh well.

[tv-elf.livejournal.com]

Thirding the Cetaphil.

Also, for hair? Bumble & Bumble gives my hair a swishy hold that gets comments.

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Hi, my name is Katherine and I have the world's worst skin. No really.

I have combination skin that not only loves to get zits and blackeads, but it's also very sensitive. It's nightmare to find products that fight the zits and oil but don't leave my skin raw and chapped.

Foundation: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer. Light coverage, oil free light moisture, spf 20, goes on matte, lasts the day and does not give me zits or blackheads.

Day Face Lotion: Olay Complete -- Sensitive Skin SPF 15. Light, non-greasy, color & fragrance free, no PABA. Does not clog pores.

Night Time Lotion: Olay Active Hydrating Cream -- Original Oil Free. Absorbs quickly and leaves skin soft and satiny. The perfect kiss of moisture for oily skin. Does not clog pores.

Cream Cleanser: Clean and Clear Sensitive Skin Deep Action Cream Cleanser Just enough salicylic acid to disolve sebum, but not enough to irritate the skin. Rinses off easily with water and leaves no greasy after feel. Cleans skin without stripping it.

Face Mask: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Face Mask If Queen Helene is too hard on your face, this is your product. You do not leave this mask on until it dries tight. You leave it on for 15 minutes then rinse off. Your skin will be nice and smooth.

[loreleif.livejournal.com]

Bare Escentuals foundation. Looks wonderful, doesn't cake, doesn't sweat off or look painted on. Love it!

Also, I'll second the Proactiv rec. Cleared my skin like nothing else; was slightly drying, but I'm thinking I may go back to it now I've found a super-light moisturiser to use (DDF).

[sunshine-queen.livejournal.com]

Oh, dude, totally second the bare escentuals. It's absolutely amazing stuff.

[deejay.livejournal.com]

AWAPUHI spray, by Paul Mitchell (available in most hair salons). A couple of spritzes and you can totally kiss your staticky frizzies goodbye. Worked on my permed hair in Seattle's eternal dampness, and still does just as well with Florida's vicious heat and humidity-driven flyaways. Smells great, too.

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

Just the one?

I second the rec of Burt's Bees lip balm. It does a much better job than name brand lip balms like Chapstick, and it comes in either a tube (my preference) or a pot.

Escents (http://www.escentsaromatherapy.com) Longing for Lavender facial scrub, with ground walnut shell, of all things, making it a bit coarser than the usual scrub. I use it as a daily cleanser, because every other product on the market, even the ones that say they're especially for dry skin, dries out most of my face(my T-zone, of course, remains resolutely oily). I virtually never wear make-up, so I don't need a heavy-duty cleanser, but on the occasions when I do wear it, this takes it off nicely. Also takes off that filmy residue you can get from sunscreen. Very, very gentle, and doesn't either parch my skin or give me a rash, unlike everything else (and I've tried a lot of different products. But then, I have allergies).

Escents Moisture Veil SPF 15 day cream is great. It's light and doesn't feel greasy going on. There's a wee bit of a shine on your skin, but much less than with most sunscreens, and it stays put as long as you're not sweating buckets. Good everyday cream, not a beach option, but it's a nice light cream that's gotten me into the habit of wearing sunscreen.

Escents also does something called the Sweet on Orange Salt Scrub, which is for your body, not your face. It smells divine (real aromatherapy oils, not fragrance oils), and it's basically a suspension of sea salt and jojoba oil. Wipe off the salt, and your skin is soft and moisturised. Plus you smell like an orchard in Florida.

Zoya has really nice formaldehyde-free nail polish (no, I hadn't known there was formaldehyde in most brands of nail polish before either), although I'm not crazy about their shade selection. They've got a couple of really nice shades, but they don't have a huge range of great shades like, say, O.P.I. Zoya's Armour (or possibly Armor. I think they're an American company, so they probably spell it wrong) topcoat is intensely fabulous. Nothing chips it. Most durable topcoat I've ever used (better than O.P.I.), and no formaldehyde.

Lush's (http://www.lush.com) Big shampoo does exactly what it says, makes your hair, well, big. Mafia wife big. Which, when you're like me, and have thick, straight hair which drags down under its own weight and has no body unless you keep it really short, is a big advantage. Sadly, I can't use it currently, as it is contra-indicated for colour-treated hair. I'm using the Rehab shampoo, as my hair is currently bleach blonde and short, so it kind of needs the rehab. Pretty much anything in the Lush haircare range is a good buy. It's expensive, but it's not overpriced (I find a lot of their soaps and face stuff are overpriced for what you get, but not the hair stuff. It's worth every penny). Lush makes up for its high prices by being very liberal with samples. They'll give you little plastic sample containers of shampoo etc, or little chunks of the solid shampoo etc, always enough for several days worth of use. Get samples of several different kinds of hair gunk, and see which works best for you.

Speaking of hair, Got2B Glued spiking glue is terrific for styling short hair, and not very expensive (it's a drugstore brand). That stuff stays like rubber cement, but washes out easily when you shampoo. I used something from a different company when my hair was longer, but I can't remember now.

[askye.livejournal.com]

Seconding Got2B Glued spiking glue. It's one of the products I use on my hair and it works great when my hair gets a longer and harder to spike properly.

now for the real makeup

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

As for actual make-up, I rarely wear it, but Clinique lipsticks tend to be pretty long-lasting without drying out your lips or getting feathery. I don't think I've ever actually bought Clinique lipstick (my mother loves their yellow face lotion, but she always waits until the gift with purchase promotions to buy it, so she can give the goodie bags with lipstick and stuff in them to my sister and me. We have her well-trained). Personally, the Clinique lotion doesn't do a lot for me, but some people swear by it. Sorry, got off-topic. Yeah, the shades which come in the freebie bags are usually really nice.

Maybelline automatic eyeliner (the kind where you twist the top to get more of the stick available. It looks like a real automatic pencil, NOT the kind that needs sharpening. I find those drag on the skin around your eyes) is good, and reasonably priced, with nice shades. I don't wear eye makeup a lot, but this stuff's good for not flaking below your eyes after a long day and making you look like a raccoon.

I rarely bother with powder, but Guerlain Les Meteorites is fucking fabulous. It's a tub of different coloured pressed powder spheres, and you swirl a big round brush around in the tub, then dust it over your face. It's not a full-coverage powder, but it gives your skin this sort of irridescent glow. Looks amazing, I wear it when I want to brighten up, but don't want to look like I'm wearing powder, which is probably why it's so damn expensive (I was given it as a gift a few years ago, and still use it for occasions. It lasts forever). Their pressed powder is also very good, more coverage, but not chalky looking like so many powders. Again, far from cheap. Ironically, present last year from the same relative who gave me the Meteorites.

[lapillus]

Aveda's Be Curly does a great job of getting wavy hair to dry into Duereresque ringlets.

Also for coloring I really do recommend old-fashioned (no brand in particular) henna. The color stays well, does a decent job of covering grey and leaves your hair in beautiful condition and happy for ages.

[barkley.livejournal.com]

And on the flip side, Aveda's Hang Straight is doing a great job of de-frizzing my frizzy-wavy hair. I've tried a bazillion de-frizzers, and this is the first one that seems like it actually works.