! Yes They're Fake ! Cosmetic Plastic Surgery & Product Report

Product comparison actually began many years ago for me. I used to compare the different soaps, shampoos and lotions that my mom or grandmother bought. I would cleanse one arm with a soap or cleanser and the other arm with another; I'd rinse and dry and compare the softness, smell, moisturization and appearance of my skin afterwards. I think it all started after viewing those Irish Spring or Ivory soap commercials when they'd do the same to show water beading and softness. Something in my head clicked, I guess. And I have been doing it ever since. How neurotic is that??

I would be typing for days and this page would never get published if I were to name every possible product and procedure available on the market today. However, I can add new products as I try them. There are several categories of skin care: Natural, Drugstore, Department store or Boutique, Specialty and Prescription or dermatologist supplied. I don't tend to lean towards the 'natural' options and concoctions you can make at home or buy. The skin has allergic reactions to a lot of 'natural' ingredients, mostly witch hazel (astringent qualities), peppermint, eucalyptus, nut oils and many others. It solely depends upon the person. In laboratory environments, products are tested repeatedly for allergic reactions and sterility.

Now, drugstore finds aren't bad. I have used a lot of products from pharmacies and what not and they are just fine. Nowadays, the selection is broad and many items are now available without prescription or department store prices. As a matter of fact I use a few right now. The plus with buying department store brands is being able to try before you buy, little bonus gifts, plentitude and the fact that you can return it if you don't like it. The downside to purchasing specialty products is waiting for it to arrive plus having to order it from the representative. I am not going to preach the use of a certain product line because it really is individual. In fact, many individuals mix and match different products from the different lines.

The worst thing is when you finally think you know your skin, a season changes or your get a little older and your skin care needs change. Go figure. So, always be on the look out for new products as your skin changes. I can't stress enough the importance of cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing your skin! You may think that you are too busy to settle into a skin regimen. Well, once you get used to applying your products and after you start seeing results you won't think it so difficult after all. But, definitely...Take care of your skin. Please.

Products from A-Z & 1-2-3...

Remember, these are my opinions on these particular products and this is the way they react on MY skin. The results may be completely different on your own. I will update this site as soon as I get some extra time to even think.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
1-2-3...

*click a letter for the products beginning with that letter*

A
Almay: 1 coat gel eye pencil in charcoal: great for that smoky-look & blends superbly.
Arbonne International:

Bio-matte® Oil Free Cleanser: "a light oil-free cleanser which meets the unique needs of oily and oily combination skin types. Rapidly dissolves dirt and oil with no need for a second cleansing". Believe it. It works! I once thought that foaming cleansers were IT. I was wrong. This cleanser removed my make-up and facial oils without over-drying.
Bio-Hydria® Gentle Exfoliant: "Refined delicate, moisturizing exfoliant, with the exclusive Bio-Hydria® Complex. Gently removes dead skin cells to cleanse without drying". This exfoliant was the only product which I felt that fell short. It contains small beads of an unknown origin probably for looks because the percentage of the physical exfoliant to carrier is quite small. The jojoba in it helps moisturize. Bottom line - I didn't like it for me. Although It did NOT aggravate my skin, I would recommend it to sensitive skin - NOT FOR ACNE prone skin.
Arbonne Toner: LOVE IT! It contains peppermint (small amount), lemon, plantain and witch hazel to clean and constrict pores. Comfrey, rosemary and papaya extracts soothe the skin. This stuff is awesome!
Bio-Hydria® Naturesomes: Enriched serum works to rehydrate, retexturize, strengthen and firm the upper cell layers, while diminishing fine lines and wrinkles and the visible effects of environmental strain." I think this stuff is what helped the texture of my skin. It is very concentrated so the sample lasted me a long time.
NutriMinC Night Serum with Bio-Hydria®: "Helps your skin look firmer, younger and healthier. Bio-Hydria® Complex, a proprietary blend of beneficial plant extracts and Alpha and Beta Acid Complex, visibly conditions and soothes dry, dehydrated skin. Enriched with Vitamins A, C and E". This stuff is pretty sweet too. I liked the texture.
NutriMinC Night Cream with Bio-Hydria®: "Works overnight to increase moisturization and cellular repair while you sleep. Revolutionary, plant-derived skin protectants add elasticity, , softness and smoothness. Minimizes water loss and aids skin metabolism. Enriched with vitamins A, C and E.
Bio-Matte® Oil Free Moisture For day SPF8: "A light, botanically based oil free day moisturizer for oily and oily combination skin types. Designed to act as an under make-up preparation and sebum regulator." I like it! It is light and airy, hence its description. I think at least an SPF of 15 should be used though, not a measly 8.
Bio-Hydria® Eye cream: "A remarkable eye cream helps to revitalize the delicate eye area. helps to soften and smooth fine lines and wrinkles and aids in reducing under eye darkness and puffiness." Personally, I don't know how it could help in reducing under eye circles and the stuff is highly concentrated although I am not sure I would buy the eye cream for myself.

Aveda: so far I've only used Aveda oil for my hair, but I hear great things about the other products.

B
Babor: My Esthetician uses mostly Babor products. I will gather more info. On these later, although they are pretty "old school".
Bath & Body Works: I have found the ULTIMATE LIPSTICK!!! (okay, actually my cousin turned me on to it) It is their Feel Good Lipstick (two-sided!!) in Shimmering Chardonnay. The colors are a bronzish-purplish color on one side and an icy pink on the other. You can mix and match to make it more pink or more purple, lighter or darker. It is very moisturizing and doesn't dry your lips out afterward. Also, it has real staying-power! I wore this lipstick skiing and it stayed on all day with only two applications. Stop by and try it!

Beauticontrol:

Regeneration Gold for Eyes: I have been using this product for quite awhile, it seems to work pretty well. The lines around my eyes have diminished.
Skin Solutions Acne Wash: This is a great product for those of you whose skin does not mind Salicylic acid. Although, it does not remove my make up well (I use Clinique Foaming cleanser for that) it does keep the excess oil at bay.
Perfecting Wet/Dry Finish Foundation in CL nude 6069: silky, neat compact with separate sponge container. It has an awful "make up smell" though.
Spectaculash Thickening Mask in black: basic, not any thicker - a dud.
Extra Help Concealer in light: covers okay but does not stay if not heavily powdered - which then looks cakey. However, it works great for making yourself look "dead" for Halloween.
Lip Shaping Pencil in Berry 6473 & Mauve 6467: pretty good, nothing special, although the colors I was sent are kind of bright for my taste.
Eye Defining Pencil in espresso 6467: I like this color even though it is a little hard to blend. It's a keeper.
Beauticontrol Lipsticks: I don't think I have ever seen such a horrible selection of lipsticks in my life. I have a plethora of blister pack samples of orange, brown and pink lipsticks that my Grandmother wouldn't even wear. Plus the color stickers barely resemble the actual color of the product.
Unbelievable Blush in Plumberry 6100 & Chic Rose 6098: These "smell" like make-up, a little rough but they blend okay.
Sensuous Shadows in Amethyst (really bold & 80's)/Frosted Rose/Taupe: pretty smooth, nothing spectacular. Same product in Fawn/Vanilla/Wisteria: I like the names and I like the colors but you really have to blend well.

Benefit: A company which has been self-described as "cool & up beat" created by the Ford twins. Their products have catchy, clever names. My personal favorites are: Roadkill, Vixen, Shell Shocked, Frou Frou and Espionage. They have a wide selection of products. Hats off to the Ford twins! Although I hear their products are prety mediocre. I have only tried a few of them
Biore:

Biore Cleanser is pretty much average. And that's all I have to say about that.

Biore Self-Heating Mask is pretty *groovy* in the fact that it self heats. I wish it would stay hot longer though. This is the only feature I like about the whole product. My skin feels clogged and oily after I use it.

Pore Strips: All this does for me is hurt and irritate my skin when it is pulled off. What did you expect? After all, it IS an expensive form of Duct tape.

Bliss Spa:
Bobbi Brown: I find Bobby Brown Cosmetics too yellow/orange for my skin. Sorry, Bobbi.
Body Shop: This place has tons of neat stuff! I am a bath-freak! So, any product having to do with this, I must have. I once got a friend of mine a HUGE gift-basket of items from this store. Well, I almost kept it for myself. I love the essential oils, the salts, the potpourri, bath soaps, bubble bath, you name it!!! You can't go wrong with the Body Shop. The quality is high and the variety is substantial.
Branden Kosmetiks of Germany: Lipliner in 17 Dusty Mauve: pretty cool color. Smooth. Doesn't feather or smudge - inexpensive.
Borghese: Do you like to indulge in facials but can't afford to get one often? This counter has it all. Lots of pretty (if mud can be called "pretty") jars of different colored products, all for the taking. The salespersons are often eager to slather their products on you. Expensive but worth it.

C
Cellex-C: I have been using this product recently and have noticed nothing. I of course stopped the Kinerase to see if the Cellex-C was working. Well, all I gained was my skin drying out and looking old because I stopped using my Kinerase. It may work for you, but it doesn't for me. Some people have written me and say they swear by it
Cetaphil: I just recently starting using this as my skin is exploding. I think I have Adult Acne and I absolutely HATE it!!! Is was suggested to me to try Cetaphil for Oily skin. It is "made for dermatologists" - what ever that is supposed to mean, is hypo-allergenic, non-comedogenic etc etc and it about $4.50 USD from the corner drug store. I have only been using it for about 4 days and notice no difference so far, still breaking out - it must be hormones.
Chanel:
Clinique: Okay! With this line, I have tried practically all of it....

Facial bar soap: Cool container, but it gets either gooey and ruined if you keep it in the shower or dried to a crisp if you take it out. I don't think it foams or cleanses well enough.
Foaming cleanser: Yeah! This is a wonderful product, leaves your skin feeling clean without over-drying it.
Clinique clarifying lotion (toner): This stuff is a bit harsh. Really burns, and my skin isn't sensitive. Sensitive skins: BEWARE!
Stop Signs Anti-aging serum: Not worth your time; besides the fact that it doesn't work, your skin breaks out when you use it. When I returned it the salesperson said "oh, it will happen at first, give it a bit" No. It will still clog your pores because it is a dud product. Myth #1 people! If it makes your skin break out, there's a reason.
Daily Eye Saver gel: this stuff feels good and that is the extent of it. You can roll it off your face after it dries it is so thick.
All About Eyes: It is a mediocre eye moisturizer, but other than that it doesn't DO anything. You should get an all in one product that moisturizes and has AHAs or Vitamin C (which, by the way, has not been proven to actually absorb into the skin). By the way, Marc likes it. He can have mine.
All About Lips: Good lip plumper and exfoliator but don't overuse it. It will dry your lips out. Trust me on this one.
Clinique Facial or Body scrubs: Mediocre, kind of oily. Good idea though and their exfoliating beads are spherical silicone which is better than jagged crushed up bits of shell or peach pits.
Turn Around Cream: This is a good one. Loaded with Salicylic acid, this cream, when applied nightly has great results. Great for average, slightly dry, slightly oily skins. This products evened out my skin tone, keeps blemishes at bay and when combined with regular exfoliation will relieve your skin of its dry patches. But, it dries my skin out too much in the winter. I mostly use it for my chest, shoulders, hands and feet.
Anti Acne Spot Treatment: THIS BURNS. It will drive you nuts until it finally eats through the top layers of your skin. It only makes your boo-boo worse! It makes any blemishes super red which are even harder to get rid of. Oh, sure the pustule (gross!) is gone but now you have a big red spot that lasts for weeks.
Lip Block with SPF15: It's okay. Like chapstick with a little sunblock. My boyfriend swears by it, but he IS a b-o-y.
Emergency Clay Mask: Hey, this works pretty good. Don't use it too often or it may dry out your skin but it is good for black heads if you exfoliate pretty well after.
Moisture Surge: This stuff feels good if your skin is parched and dry, but beware it is thick and "rolls off" as well.
Moisture On-call: Pretty cool, light and great as a facial "pick me up" on a long flight.
Moisture On-line: My favorite when it comes to needing a little extra moisture on those dry days or when your skin is betraying you.
Soft-pressed powder blusher in 21 Plum-Gorgeous: at first I got this as a sample and thought it was just a telescoping makeup brush. Upon further inspection - alas! there was blush! Well, in this applicator it is difficult to tell how much pressure you are exerting to get the pressed blusher on the brush. Hence, it comes out chunky or piecey and not at all smooth. Cute idea but no cigar - plus the color I was given has rich brown undertones. Eek.

Covergirl: (Noxema) brow & eye makeup pencil/crayon in Midnight Brown: comes two to a pack, a little dark for me, but a good basic product. Smudges easily though.

D
E
Estee Lauder:

Diminish anti-wrinkle cream - Learn it, live it, love it. It works. period. I once used it on my forehead EVERY night. Smells good, too!
Estee Lauder eyeshadows: high quality, nice color selection. Their moisturizers are a bit too heavy for me, But, I'd recommend it for mature skins.
Blush All Day in Raspberry 02: too brown for me but very silky to the touch, blends well and comes in a neat compact with a little mirror.
2 in 1 eyeshadow wet/dry formula in 06 Storm duo (grays): blends well, nice shades, very silky.

F
G
Glyderm: (buy from a dermatologist or web-site)

Glyderm Gentle Cleanser: It's okay. My friend in Denmark swears by it. It isn't "foamy" enough for me.
Glyderm Cream: a gentle exfoliating cream for nightly use on dry skin. /Lotion: a gentle exfoliating lotion for nightly use on normal skin.
Glyderm Lotion Lite: exfoliating lotion without moisturizers for normal to oily skin. Sensitive skins, beware.
Update: 9/29/00: I have been using the Glyderm Lotion Lite for the last two weeks and have noticed a significant change in my skin's texture as well as any hyperpigmentation are seeming to fade quite rapidly. Thank goodness because I have some past blemishes that stubbornly scarred my skin a little and I am now reaping the benefits of Glyderm. Also, I have been having fewer breakouts.
Glyderm Body Lotion (with Glyco-Citrates which means nothing to me): A mildly keratolytic, lightweight formula, absorbed quickly into the skin to alleviate dryness. I like this stuff, expensive to use on entire body though.
Glyderm Vernix Lotion: A special blend of ingredients (don't ask, they didn't tell me either) to moisturize dry, chapped skin. Works great!
Glyderm Hydrotone: A low pH moisturizer for dry or mature skin.
Glyderm Hydrotone Lite: A low pH moisturizer for normal to oily skin.

H
I
J
Jane: Eye Zing in "in the buff" & "plum perfect": I love their eyeshadows! They have really cool colors, come in little convenient pots and don't "cost an arm and a leg".

K
Kiehl's:
Kinerase: (N6-furfuryladenine) 0.1% Cream. This is a GREAT product. I used to have a little acne damage and a few red spots from past blemishes that would not go away!!! But, I received some samples from my Surgeon's office and after a few weeks I saw serious results. I think it keeps me from breaking out, as well. I have started a few people on this product myself and they are happy with it. Also, my Danish friend uses it and she loves it!

L
Lancome:

I use a self tanner by Lancome that works well. It produces even color and has vitamin E in it. It doesn't produce an ugly orange color like most self tanners. If you don't mind the smell, this one should work well for you.
I have finally found a great foundation that matches my skin, lasts all day and doesn't make me break out. Their Teint Idole in beige III (and beige dorie) is wonderful. The saleslady at Nordstrom let me have a rather large sample and told me to come back on such and such date (free gift week!) if I liked it. Well, I love it and use it to this day.

L'oreal:

My boyfriend recently discovered a great new product by L'oreal called "Line Eraser with Pure Retinol" and I love it! If you have spots or unevenly textured or toned skin, go out and buy this. You can get it at the pharmacy or select grocery stores. This works - fast! And it doesn't overdry your skin like 'some' products we know.
L'oreal Crayon Petite automatic lip liners in Roses/Mauves: These are great lip liners. You can line and fill your lips in with these colors, there's a good selection and can be used for that "stained" look. The color lasts a long time and you never have to sharpen!

M
MAC:

Mary Kay: I was sent some samples of the Mary Kay Time wise Collection by representitive, Deb Johnson and here is my opinion.

Timeswise 3-in-1 cleanser It says it is safe for sensitive skin, clinically tested for skin irritancy and allergy free, fragrance-free and non-comedogenic. I thought at first that it was going to be really heavy for my oily skin. It felt like a clay mask and looked like one as well with a few turquoise beads mixed in here and there. The beads are supposed to be for exfoliation but they are too few and far between to make any difference. After I dried my skin, it did not leave it tight and dry nor did it leave it greasy. It felt well-balanced. Although, I was told it could remove make-up, I found this not to be so for me. I still had residue after using a toner to test this factor. The 3-in-1 cleanser is supposed to be a cleanser, a scrub and a toner. It is a cleanser, at best - but mediocre. I would bet that it would be beneficial with prior make-up removal. Note: Fragrance-free doesn't mean it doesn't smell like anything. It mean that irritating perfumes are not present, but some people are allergic to the additives that remove fragrances. I thought it smelled great and had a wonderful texture.
Mary Kay Triple-Action eye enhancer 100% fragrance free, non-comedogenic and tested for non-allergenic. I am not sure what this is supposed to do. It was supposed to give the illusion of lessened lines. I don't know if it is supposed to diffuse light like the other light diffusing products on the market. I thought it did nothing for me.
Timewise Eye cream Also 100% fragrance free, non-comedogenic and non-allergic. It was mediocre. I liked the smell and texture and it did seem to puff out my lines but I did not use it for long enough (only one sample) to see added benefits as promised by the product. Even prescription products take a few weeks to show results so perhaps this product really works.

Maybelline: Honestly, Maybelline products are too pinkish for my skin tone. At least their foundations are. I have found a few good eyeshadows but for the most part, it isn't my cup of tea. However, it is a good line if you are on a budget.
Shinefree pressed powder in #3 light beige: it has a very rough feel to it, "cakey" in fact & rubs off on clothing and others.
True Illusion oil-free Make-up SPF10 in true fawn: Neat texture at first then you start noticing that any of the tiniest facial hairs (come on, we ARE mammals, people!), the smallest pores and the minutest of flaws actually look phosphorescent. It settles into the crevices or anything in your skin and almost looks as if it contained Mother of Pearl. Weird.
COOL EFFECT cooling cream eyecolor in pretty cool (pinkish) lilac breeze, steely gaze (gray steel): a water based formula, very pretty colors but they do kinda smudge though, but they are sweet. They have shadow eyeliner pencil but I haven't tried that yet.

Max Factor: High Definition Kohliner in ebony: very "map-pencil" like, doesn't blend very well; more of a pronounced line resulting in an 80's look. Ha!
Murad: Complete analysis of one woman's Murad Regime - coming soon. It's positive, ladies!!!

N
Nat Robbins: This line has some cool products. One thing I learned from experience is that the cream eyeshadows make a great lipstick. Seriously, and it doesn't dry your lips out and stays on for a while.
Neutrogena: This entire line dries out my skin. I don't even like the foundations. The cleansers are harsh. They may be good for a teenager but I'll pass, thank you.
Pore Refining Lotion: It did NOTHING. My boyfriend used it as well for a lot longer than I did and he didn't care for it either. Sorry. *Tip: Use either a clay mask (white clay) and let dry then scrub your pores with a soft brush (like a soft nail brush) OR use salt (dead sea salts or Epsom salts). This will clean your pores, reducing the appearance by unclogging the blackheads from their treacherous hold.
Nivea: Nivea Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 4 in medium to dark and fair to light creme. First off, SPF 4? Why bother? You at least need SPF 15. I thought these tinted moisturizers were too greasy. Even their lotion is too greasy for me. The colors, om the other hand, were quite frankly orangey. They did not match my skin tone and when I did blend it in properly, they completely disappeared and gave no color, coverage or beneficial properties whatsoever other than clogging my pores needlessly.

O
Oil of Olay:

I remember my grandmother using their lotion back in the day. Now, I think the cleansing lotion is too heavy for my oilier skin, but would be great for mature skins.
All Day Moisture Foundation for normal to dry skin in 82 Deep Honey: First off, this does not match my skin. They are supposed to have olive skin tones along with tones for people of color and very-pale-never-go-out-of-the-house tones. But. the drugstores NEVER have more than a few shades. It doesn't blend all that well anyway; it's pretty thick.

Orgins: What I wouldn't do to win a shopping spree in this store! Bath products galore! Lovely, wonderful, smell good, expensive and beneficial products, oh my!

P
Philosophy: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEIR LASH DARKENER!!! I received a free sample called, The Supernatural Lash Darkener. It isn't your every day run of the mill mascara. It does NOT clump and is a gorgeous black. Washes off with water.
Physician's Formula: Great stuff for what it is. Originally created for scar cover up. More natural shades. I use their Fineline Brow pencil in beige-brown. More of a lt. brown/dark blond color. I swear by this and apply it everyday to fill in my struggling brows.

Prescriptives: They have quite a few great products including and not limited to:

I LOVE their eyelining pencil in 'Iron Grey'. Well I adore the color but I think the pencil cakes a lot :(
Eyeshadows: Prophet (bronzish), Tea leaves (greenish) & Golden (speaks for itself).
They will mix a foundation to match your skin tone on the spot. However, again the tones are too yellow for me.
Their eyeshadows are a little expensive for what you get, I mean come on, it's eyeshadow. You buy the container initially with the eyeshadows and buy the refill (the size of a quarter) shades thereafter.

Pond's: They have a great night/day moisturizer in a neat little bottle called "Prevent/Correct". Two sided and filled with a wonderful concoction of AHAs and moisturizer. This product is light and airy and doesn't make me break out. Pond's also carries a Cleansing Towel product that is great for quick cosmetic or grime removal. I could deal without the scent but oh well. It is great for travel and works wonderfully if you have no access to water and cleanser.

Q
R
Revlon: I use a few products by this company like...

their concealer, which is great!
Their New Complexion Powder in medium beige is silky, light to medium coverage but rubs off on everything.
New Complexion Oil-free make-up with SPF4 in natural tan (more like "orange-sunless-tanning-lotion-tan"): What's the point in having an SPF4? I have used a few drops of this mixed with the same product in sand beige to match my ever changing skin tone. It is rather smooth to apply and I really liked this product but it turned orangey by mid-day, I suspect from excess oil in the T-zone. Plus it really didn't match my skin tone. :(

RoC: They have a good Retinol anti wrinkle product called "RoC Actif-Pur with Retinol". It effectively removes texture or color irregularities but dries the skin out if you're not careful.

S
Shiseido:
Smashbox:
St. Yves:
Stila: Convertible Color cream blush in Rose & Mauve: smooth, blends well and doesn't clog your pores. I like the Rose color best. It looks really natural.

T
U
Ultima II:
Urban Decay:

V
Victoria's Secret:

I love their Pear spray, candles and bubble bath. (I don't fit into their bras, unfortunately)
The cosmetics are pretty good and they let you try before you buy...
I like Silkwear Java #49 eyeshadow. So, if you're ever in the neighborhood, drop on in and sample the goods.
Draw Me A Line lip pencil in 21 Foxy Brown: too soft, never retains a point, very smudgy and too brown. Need I say more? I'll pass.

W
X
Y
Yves Rocher:
Yves St. Laurent:

1-2-3...
3 Custom Color Specialists: Jungle-icious lip gloss: I signed up and I got a GREAT zebra print cosmetic bag with products including this lip gloss - all for free! Great color, not too sticky & has staying power!

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