I don't know if this sound silly ..But i really need to ask some one ..what is you favorite brand to buy your body care and your make up from??
what do you think of Avon? or Arbonne???
Most of you are American so You know better than me I used to buy my stuff from a swedish company in Egypt called Oriflame ..www.oriflame.com

soI am now confused what is better what i sthe good brands but not expensive too tell me what do you think and what's your experinces??

good topic...
I have no idea who I use for cosmetics...(hehehe cosmetics is what my husband calls one of our cats .. named "cosmo"...he's always running around saying.."where's cosmetics".. or "there's cosmetics in the litter box")... anyway.. my cosmetics come from wherever my family buys them from and gives them to me as birthday/christmas gifts. They do a great job purchasing that stuff for me since I have no clue what to buy!!!

Speaking of that...what is a good waterproof pencil eyeliner???? My pencil ran out and i think it came with a starter kit or something so there was no specific brand name on it or anything.....

I have never really cared for Avon and never tried Arbonne. I have a general rule about cosmetics, I won't buy them unless I can try them first AND return them if I don't like them. If you have a Sephora or department store nearby go to the make up counters and try different stuff out. I pretty much use MAC exclusivly, its more expensive but worth it. It lasts a long time and if you don't like it after you buy it, they let you return it. In the long run this method is cheaper than buying and throwing away products you can't try or return.

However if you really want to get drug store brands, Loreal and Lancome are owned by the same company and the quality is good. I think you might like Loreal.

I have very sensitive skin and Clinique is the only product that doesn't make me get a rash.

That being said, I feel so bad for you!!! I would hate to not be able to get my Clinique where I lived. Why don't you contact one of the email addresses here and see if you can order from some of their sales reps online? I was shocked to see that they don't have a rep in the US. Good luck.

I know that The Body Shop are in the states now but I think it is mostly done, on line or through having a Body Shop party, all their products are natural and not tested on animals and are really, really good. Haven't got a website addy but will try to find one for you, or just try googling it

I brought with me all what I needed but most of my stuff now are over besides I didn't bring much thinking they must have better brand here in US ..when I bought a face cream at firt i bought Pond ..I knew it since they sell it in Egypt too But I never tried it there and when i bought it here and used it was horrible very greasy and oily and I don't like that so I looked again at another face cream and I thought Olay might be good so I bought it more expensive but it was really good ..not greasy or oily easily absorbed by my skin ..I tried Loreal face cleanser pretty good and I tired Deevo It was great ..
next time I go to the store i will look at the brand JP talked about and i will try it ??
which make up brand do you think is the best ?

I found it it's www.thebodyshop.com

If you could see my junk make-up box, you would see tons of products I have tried and thrown in the reject pile. For myself, I like MAC the best. Other good brands are Lancome and Clinique.

If you go to a department store Salwa, they will do a complimentary make over on you so you can try the products and then only buy what you like. Also if you have Rite-Aid, I believe you can return cosmetics there too if you don't like them.

Sephora is like a make up candy store for women, I can spend hours there!

for Makeup I buy Clinique as I have allergies and the have great products. I also use their makeup remover and moisturizer from them. You can get them at Lansing Mall, Meridian Mall in Okemos at the Department stores.

I like Avon's Planet Spa line http://shop.avon.com/shop/search.asp I adore the brown sugar scrub. I dont have to use my buff puff and my skin is soft, smooth and so clean. I use the shea butter and olive oil products from there for the rest of my body.

For Shampoo I love Avada products. Douglas J Salon sells it, there are two close 1) East Lansing inside the bottom of the hotel off M.A.C. ave 2) Okemos, Okemos road and ??? cant think of the name, by the fire station across from Triple Goddess Bookstore.

Good Luck

Wendy

for Makeup I buy Clinique as I have allergies and the have great products. I also use their makeup remover and moisturizer from them. You can get them at Lansing Mall, Meridian Mall in Okemos at the Department stores.

I like Avon's Planet Spa line http://shop.avon.com/shop/search.asp I adore the brown sugar scrub. I dont have to use my buff puff and my skin is soft, smooth and so clean. I use the shea butter and olive oil products from there for the rest of my body.

For Shampoo I love Avada products. Douglas J Salon sells it, there are two close 1) East Lansing inside the bottom of the hotel off M.A.C. ave 2) Okemos, Okemos road and ??? cant think of the name, by the fire station across from Triple Goddess Bookstore.

Good Luck

Wendy

I use Nivea and Jason body care products. Chanel,Covergirl and Lancome cosmetics.




Yes I have heard MAC is good.




Bodyshop has good body scrubs and butters.

Christian Dior's DIORSHOW mascara is the best thing everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, and it smells like roses!

I bit the bullet and went to Sephora.. and I got several expensive (but worth it) brands of make up! I got Bare Minerals (people have a love-hate with this like any make up, depending on your skin type and such) make up, Bare Minerals mascara in Espresso (I am blonde, brown mascara just looks better!), and Smashbox lip tint in Black Cherry. For lipgloss, I cannot reccomend anything more than plain old Victoria's Secret! plumstruck is a good color and Juiced Berry tastes like Flintstone vitamins.

Sephora is too expensive for me - I lean more towards drugstore brands for those that I know are tried and true - Maybelline mascara, a few items from Jane (can't wait to see their new mineral makeup), a Prestige eyeliner and Benefit blush. I also love Origins products expecially the frothy face wash and mini scrub. Nightmare moisturizer has been Clinique Turnaround creme forever - it's the best after using 10-0-6 astringent - same as when I was 15! I also just discoverd a new line of Suave smoothing shampoo that smells SO good and it doesn't hurt that it costs about $2.50. I use about a bottle a week so I can't go for the Aveda priced brands.

i love dior show mascara too! lasts long and makes the lashes look great...but sometimes i would get a lot of flakes on my lower lid........ so i switched recently to something else but am still not happy. i'm thinking of going back. do you have that problem ever, jp?

i also love sephora. i have to be careful in there or i walk out speding $300!

as for my makeup and hair, i go expensive. but remember, expensive makeup such as these have high pigments and last a really long time! i have a few eye shadows i've had for a long, long time. (longer than they recommend but i think they're fine) chanel, dior, mac, nars, and i have an estee lauder liquid eyeliner thats amazing.

but i use maybelline eyemakeup remover.
and i use DDF skin care cleansers. also expensive but helps me.

hair i use PHYTOspecific. different from their regular line.

I haven't had that problem with the mascara at all, its by far my favorite, Do you use the waterproof or regular one? I have been using regular and really love it, it makes my eyelashes look really full. People often ask me if I'm wearing fake lashes, nope! I'm like you too..expensive make up only because honestly its worth it and it ends up being the same in the end. I have been hearing alot about Nars, I might just have to try that.

Have you tried the sephora house brand products?

I use plain old Cover girl or Mabelline. I haven't found enough of a difference when I've splurged for the more expensive brands to justify the extra cost.

Ducked in to say I'm an Arbonne girl. LOVE it. Would be glad to answer any questions about it - just PM me!

*ducks back out, with a wave!*

I use a combination of Clinique and Arbonne. If you really like Oriflame products, you will probably like Arbonne as well.

I think I was using the waterproof. I can't remember. I'll give it a try again then. I remembered it being definitely the best I've had so far in my life. Magazines always swear by Maybelline mascara but I never saw what the big deal was.

Nars has some good eyeshadows, blush, and concealer. I haven't tried anything else on the nars line.

I haven't tried sephora house stuff either. Probably should....any good luck with anything?

For me it's waterproof Loreal mascara. I've tried so many (expensive and inexpensive) different brands, but for some reason none of them works for me.

I can even shower in the gym with mascara on without looking like a racoon afterwards...

For eye makeup remover I use Nivea, it's not oily at all.

I'm going to need mascara like that for my wedding.

I am a MAC addict and also use Bare Minerals for cosmetics.... as for skin care, I swear by IMAGE - I use it on my clients and I use it on myself.... it's result oriented facial products that are moderately priced and extremely effective.

**as a side note, I was thinking to post this yesterday when talking of shampoos tho it had nothing to do w/ shampoos - but DO YOU ALL KNOW THAT *WATERPROOF MASCARA* IS MADE W/ TAR??? Yes, the stuff you drive your car on - that's why it doesn't come off and is really not good for your eyelashes.
Just my trivia for the day..........
Noura

It worked for mine

The one I prefer (even though all the Loreals are ok) is the "double extend".

That's all I use because my eyes tend to tear up a lot. WOW!!

I was just going through my "junk" makeup bag this past weekend. I even had some MAC stuff in there that I thought I'd love but ended up not liking. Like JP..I'm pretty exclusive to MAC but I also use Clinique, NARS, Dior and Lancome. For skin care I use Clinique. I love their moisturizers and cleansers because they're fragrance free and hypoallergenic. I have very sensitive skin so this is important. My advice would be to forget about the drugstore skin products. I've never had any luck with that stuff. Sure MAC, Clinique, etc. are more expensive but well worth it. They also last forever. Most makeup counters will let you sample stuff before you buy. Maybe schedule a makeover at the MAC or Clinique counter and see how you like it.

JP...I tried the DiorShow mascara...LOVE IT!!!

gosh. I think I didn't want to know

Now what, all the other ones come off and end up on my cheeks after half a day!

Salwa I really think as far as what cleansers and moisturizers to use depends alot on your skin type.

I have very sensative & oily skin and my dermatologist recommended using a mild oil free cleanser by Neutrogena or Cetaphil. I used to use Porefection Cream Clay cleanser by Avon, but they changed it and the new one sucks. I tried the Clay cleanser by Origins and didn't like it. (anyone know of another clay cleanser, plz let me know)

I don't wear anything on my face other than the clarifying powder by Clinique & a Chanel blush/bronzer.

I have used Clinique, Chanel, Lancome, Borghese & Bare Minerals eye shadows & liners.

I'm not really big on mascara. My eyelashes are so long that I don't have the patience for putting it on, I just put kohl and go. When I do, I have used Clinique, Lancome & Borghese mascaras. I've tried the Cover Girl & Maybeline stuff but hate it. It clumps up and dries out too quick for me.

where can I get the Chrsitian Dior Mascara I need one now but do youthink I can find one in Macy??? How much does it cost ?

i think its $25 or $30

sephora.com

how long it takes for shipping in this website I need th emascara before this friday?

Try Dermalogica Clay cleanser - it's really good.... it's professional and will probably cost abt $25ish - you'll have to find it at a salon or spa that does skin care & uses their products or you can order online.

I found the Mascara "Diorshow Unlimited " at Macy's I will go to the mall today and buy it

congrats!

nice! let us know what you think:D

I just had to say after reading your post it brought back sooo many memories for me! I went to school in E.L. and I was just reminiscing on all those places. I used to go to Douglas J and the Meridian Mall all the time! I miss Grand Ave!!!!

I did choose this brand because of all your comments about it ..and good Mascara is something every woman are looking for it so Iwill tell you what do I think..

I actually haven't tried the house stuff too but looking for someone that has. Try the regular formula, I have found that all waterproof mascaras flake on me.




Glad you liked it!!!!



Actually Diorshow Unlimited is different than Diorshow. But if they have the unlimited then they will have the regular one too. The Unlimited version has a smaller brush that works better for curling the lashes, the regular version is the one that has the awesome thickening brush. I would definitly get the regular one.

Let's talk about make up!

Yesterday I was puttingmy hand cream and I have just bought it 3 days ago and I told Mark this Cream is wired it makes me feel itchy in my hands Mark looked at it and then he Said " Salwa,It's hand... cream for Old people to remove the brown dots in thier hands"..
That was Funny ...

Did you get your mascara?

I Could't go to he Mall today Mark have alot of work "he is still working now at home too" so he didn't have time to drive with me to the mall .."I don't drive" tomorrow we will be going
By the way I decided to buy the one you recommended not the unlimited I really want Mascara that makes my lashes longer and heavier so I will get the DiorShow one..
Thanks for the advice

I never ever thought of this aspect of moving to a new country.

Not that our men wear makeup ( )....................but are there specific Egyptian male type products that they may miss too? Usama sells haircare products so I'm sure he'll be able to still get that stuff from his distrubuter when he's here but as far as cologne goes, he actually makes his own. Has anyone heard of this before? He made some perfume for me and suprisingly enough my daughter loves it. lol. His friend taught him how...you take the real cologne and mix it with something....I forget if it's rubbing alcohol or water or a combo of both, then I think you heat it and then put it in the fridge for a few days and voila, it supposedly smells as potent, if not more, than the real thing and you've just about tripled the quantity. Never seen a man do this before but when he'd get dressed the last thing he'd do is spray this stuff ALL OVER....like over his clothes, his hair, everything. lol

Doodle, my cousin has a salon in Chicago and he brings in alot of his products from Jordan. He can't even keep it in stock, people really love it. You would naturally think that you could find better products here but when I was in Jordan, my hair never looked better!

I know one of the places he orders from is out of Germany but I'm not sure of the others. I had to take a lot of showers each day there and the water is brutal on your skin/hair and I was so upset about it looking so bad while in the flat so he sat me down and used this good conditioner on me and made me sit with it for a full hour. When I rinsed it off it was sooooooooooooo smooth. I'll have to ask him if he can send me some so I can tell you the name, though it's in arabic I think.

Yeah I didn't really care for the water either, it was brutal on my skin. However I got my hair done at the salon every few days and they used filtered water there so it helped alot!

I get lost in and around MSU all the time! I moved here 12 years ago from the Detroit area. I lived in Bunkerhill out in the country for along time. Now I live out this way. When I go back to the Detroit area, I get lost now as everything is totally changed. It is strange to go back and have everything so different.

Do you ever come back to East Lansing?


Wendy



I just had to say after reading your post it brought back sooo many memories for me! I went to school in E.L. and I was just reminiscing on all those places. I used to go to Douglas J and the Meridian Mall all the time! I miss Grand Ave!!!!
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I miss my hair dresser too much he d my hair fantastic only for 4 dollars and it did look really great now I go to Macy to get my hair done and pay 40$ and it was horrible I do my hair by myself now ..in the salon I used to go toCairo the girl there used to do my eyebrows really perfect ,,when I I wnet to macy's salon she did it horrible that I had to go home and do it again!!!!

I usually wax my eyebrows myself. I tried to teach my daughters how to do the legs etc but found they enjoyed me withering in pain too much to do it correctly... LOL I go to Douglas J for the waxing otherwise.


I do hair and found Bonnie in the Okemos Douglas J is very good. I have very curly hair and unless done right I can look like drag queen bozo!

When I was in Jordan, I found a salon that straightened my hair correctly with the blow dryer. I have trouble doing my own hair, so it was nice to go there and have it done. Here they do not seem to be able to do it without frizzing it out. So I wear the curly look. They also did the hair removal with the sugaring there or the string method they don't do that here either.


Wendy

When I got to Jordan, I was armed with my straightener because no one has ever been able to straighten my hair with just a hair dryer. The second day I was there my cousin convinced me to go to the salon with her and get my hair done. I was just amazed with the results. The stylists there are great but thats not the trick to getting straight hair with a blow dryer, its actually the blow dryer itself. The ones they have work at a higher temprature with more power. I recently got one that works just as good, its made by Babyliss, expensive but ohhhhhh so worth it.