Reviews of cosmetics

I know this is kinda random....but I felt like doing something different!! :D So, here is a (probably partial. ;)) list of some cosmetics I've used and my ratings, using a scale of 10. It will include: face cleanser, moisturizer, shampoo, hair conditioner, and make up.

Face cleansers:

(5) Neutrogena soap bars: These are OK....not the greatest, as they dried my skin out, but would probably work pretty well for those with oily skin.

(7) Cetaphil: I really liked their old formula....it was gentle, non-drying, and perfect for my skin. However, they have since changed their recipe, and now it makes me break out with acne; I think the fragrance is the cause.

(8) Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream: I really like this stuff. However, it is pretty expensive and is only for people with dry skin. It is VERY oily. I give it a bonus point for not having either of the SLSs. :)

(4) Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub: this stuff is not that great....it's extremely thick, oily, and filmy....I would recommend it for only very dry skin; skin that's even dryer then mine!! I find that it's hard to rinse off, too....def. not worth the price in my opinion!

(10) Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra Calming Moisturizing Cream Cleanser: this stuff is AMAZING!! I really like it. It's not too expensive and does an excellent job without drying while still removing all dirt/makeup. It also takes care of any break outs I get. (Which are mercifully few. :D) However, it probably would not work for oily skin, as it is a cream and is not oil free.

I've also tried one other face cleanser of Aveeno's and really liked it too.

Moisturizer:

(10) Burt's Bee's Radiance Night Cream: I love this stuff....it does an awesome job making my skin very smooth without any dry feeling. It's also very natural, which is great! It's only drawback is the price...which is pretty high. However, a 2 or 3 oz jar lasts me for 6 months.

(7) Olive Oil: works OK....makes your skin very greasy and shiny looking!! Not to mention you smell weird after using it. :D But it is very cheap...which is great! So if you don't mind the smell and shininess, go for it!

(10) Neutrogina Intense Moisture Day Cream (with SPF 15): Great stuff!! The best yet...I think it compares with the Burt's bees night cream. :) And it's not nearly as expensive, although the ingrediants are not as natural. However, it does not make my skin break out, and that's quite an accomplishment!! :D I'm also trying the Neutrogina Night Cream; I'll come back with the rating for that later. :)

Shampoo:

I don't remember all the ones I've used....so I'll just review the ones I do remember.

(5) White Rain: very cheap, easy to find, and does a pretty good job of cleaning. However, there are def. better options. :)

(6) Suave: again, cheap, easy to find, and does a pretty good job. Slightly better then White Rain, IMO.

(10) Burt's Bees Shampoo: best I've used yet. Doesn't cause my forhead to break out (I'm allergive to SLS), makes my hair very soft and shiny, has a pleasant smell, and doesn't strip all oil off my hair. It's also very natural! However, it is pretty expensive, although a little goes a long way. :)

Hair Conditioner:

Again, I don't remember all of the ones I've tried...here are most of them though.

(3) Suave: CHEAPO!!!! The scents are either totally unappetizing or too strong, both of which are not great. ;) I don't think it does anything for hair anyway...I didn't notice a difference!

(10) Burt's Bees Conditioners: these are as good as their shampoo!! My hair really loves these formulas. I feel that they make my hair very manageable, and when you have thick hair that's really nice. ;)

Burt's Bees Deep Conditioner is also great, although I'm not sure if there is a difference between that and the regular conditioner.

Makeup:

I'm not going to review each individual product....that would take too long! Instead I'm just going to review the brands, list what I've tried, and tell you what I liked. :)

Maybelline:

I've tried their liquid mineral foundation, mineral mousse blush, mascara, mineral and regular face powder, lip gloss, and eye shadow. Of those, I would recommend the foundation (it gives very sheer coverage, which is all I need. ;)) mascara, regular powder, lip gloss, and blush. The eye shadow is too glittery (which tends to be messy and get all over your face!) and powdery. The mineral powder is just awful, IMO...it looks sooo fake!!


Rimmel London:

I've tried their blush, eye shadow, and powder. So far, I'd recommend all! I've not found anything about any of them that makes me wish I'd chosen differently. The powder especially is very nice.

Covergirl:

I've tried their mascara and eyeshadow. Both were fine....although the eye shadow was a bit on the powdery/glittery side. Not too bad though. The mascara is probably the best I've tried. It makes your lashes look nicer without making them look and feel heavy/too dark.

Bonnebelle:

I've tried their lipgloss and mascara. I like their prices....and the product is decent, too. The lipgloss is great, especially if you want shine and moisture.

OK, so there you have it: most of the products I would recommend and the ones I do not. Hope you enjoyed it!!


Have a great evening and night!!

~E

Here lately...

I've been reading the blogs of ppl I don't know and that I found out about through Jenna's/Bethany's blogs and something caught my attention and got me to thinking. I noticed that a lot of those blogs had one common theme: Lord of the Rings. (LOTR) Now, I love LOTR. It's a wonderful, imaginative story that is well written, and in the case of the movie, well made with good actors/actresses. However, God no longer allows my conscience to read/watch it. Why? Well, that's what I want to talk about today....

LOTR has several questionable aspects to it. There is a "good side" that has many powers ...so where is God in it? Only God is the source of "good power". So, where does that power come from? Certainly not God...He is never mentioned in the book or movie. Therefore, I must conclude that their power comes from "magic", which we all know is basically witchcraft and comes from Satan. (And it doesn't matter wether it's "good witchcraft" or "bad witchcraft"; it's all witchcraft and evil!)

And that leads to my next objection....witchcraft. All the spells (cast by both the good and bad side), curses, the men in the "Paths of the dead" that are dead and yet living, the Ringwraiths, Gollum (shivers), Sauron, Gandalf, Elrond...all are the result of or use witchcraft, since they don't involve the power of God. Gandalf is a wizard (Leviticus 20:27 "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.")...Elrond uses telepathy...Gollum is nothing less then a demon....the Ringwraiths are pure evil...does a Christian have any business watching that? I don't think so....and I'm sorry I ever saw it.

Also, many ppl try to make LOTR into an allegory and stuff God, salvation, etc. in there somewhere but it simply doesn't work, IMO. It's not like Chronicles of Narnia, where Aslan obviously represents Jesus and all the power comes from him. (BTW, I do have some questions about CoN, too...so don't automatically jump to the conclusion that I'm being hypocritical. :D) Also, J.R.R.T. specifically states that his book is NOT an allegory. If you read the intro/prologue in the book, you'll find it there. At least I found it in my book. Therefore, you really can't make it into one. :-\

There is something very strange about LOTR, too....it captivates. Most young ppl I've met who have seen and liked it are obsessed with it. My brother and I certainly were. It consumed our thoughts and conversation a good part of the time. (Not all the time, but a lot!) There is something wrong with a fictational story that has that kind of effect on more then a few ppl, IMO.

And then there's the moral side of it....the whole story is rather humanistic, IMO. Here is a quote from Gandalf: "Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends." Last time I checked, we all deserve death. Anyone who says anything else is being humanistic, IMO. Really, a lot of stories like LOTR are humanistic....everything is done in the strength of ME! In reality, we are nothing on our own. Only God can strengthen us enough to do what we do. Also, Arwen's and Aragorn's relationship is rather improper. I mean, a kiss or two is one thing, but I think they carried it waaay too far. (That's only in the movie though. Of course! Hollywood has to have it's romance.) Another thing: Frodo is the only one who could carry the Ring for as long as he did without being corrupted. Why? Because he had less evil in him. HUH? Romans 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Everyone is equally evil.

One thing that is "good" about LOTR....the good side does win and the evil is abolished once and for all. However, again, the victory isn't attributed to God, and so therefore it can't really be truly "good", KWIM?

I hope that I presented this well, and that I don't sound too "preachy". That's not my intention, really it isn't. I just want other young ppl to understand the underlying issues of this story. If you have any questions, suggestions as to how I could present this better or have a sounder arguement for my points please leave me a comment!! I'm very open to suggestions. :) I'm not too good at presenting arguements in a loving, convincing manner. Also, this is certainly not exhaustive...please go look up LOTR's connection to witchcraft on Google. That's how we found out about it! Dad started questioning it, decided to do a little research, and "Bingo"! He had questioned rightly. :) Pray about it, ,too...allow God to speak to your heart and don't allow your will to get in the way either. That way, God can speak to you. ;)

Awww, I just got kissed....by my DOG!!! :D :D :D (Heehee, thought I'd insert a little humor in there. :D)

In Christ,

~E