Post to share

Interesting. I had heard about this dry shampoo and was going to try it when I ran out of "PSST", but now I think I'll pass....The girls at College Fashion HATED TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. Read about it HERE

Have any of you tried it and liked it?

Random of the day

Just popping in to show of the nail polish Santa put in my stocking. I can always count on the following things being in there: socks, a toothbrush, body wash, a nail file (sparkly red this year), and nail polish. This color is called "Grey Suede" by Revlon. I'm kinda digging it, even though it's just a neutral. It is EXACTLY my skin tone, thus goes with everything. (Sorry it's not the best photo quality, it's from my phone camera.)

Hope everyone has a great New Year!

Disappearing act

So this summer I managed to screw up the sunscreen somehow and developed some darker spots on my upper lip, kinda like a merged freckle, and a spot on my temple. It's one of those things where I don't think anyone noticed but me, but I obsessed over it. So I decided to try a few products claiming to lighten sun spots and correct skin tone. I started with a drug store brand.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti Sun Damage ($13.50 for 2.5 oz at drugstore.com)
3.5 stars (34 reviewers) on drugstore.com
This one came in the Allure beauty box I ordered and discussed HERE. I tried it for few weeks this summer, but unfortunately there were no noticeable changes at all. It was a decent moisturizer, but I have slightly oily skin so I didn't use it during the day. I wish this had worked, it's so much cheaper than my final test below.

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector ($49.50 1 oz)
4 star rating on Clinique.com (400 reviewers) and 4 star rating on Sephora.com (750 reviewers)

Photo taken from Clinique.com

I bought this last month at Sephora in a gift set that came with some "Even Better Skin Tone Correcting moisturizer with SPF 20" (a bit thick for my everyday use, but not bad), and a travel size "All About Eyes" serum, which I lurve. The lady at Sephora said customers RAVED about this stuff, so I felt ok about purchasing.

I use a very small dollop at night, concentrating on the spots I need help on. No use wasting it on the rest of my face when it's so pricey. The box says it can take up to 12 weeks for this stuff to really give you results, but I am seeing some improvements after about a month. Now, part of this can also be attributed to me spending less time out in the sun, but there seems to be more improvement than my normal summer-to-winter lightening of skin. The spot on my temple is a bit stubborn, but the darkness on my upper lip (which was by far the most embarrassing) is definitely lighter.

VERY IMPORTANT CAVEAT: You MUST wear sunscreen when you are using this. If your makeup has at least SPF 15 or 20 (which most nowadays do) then in general you should be ok, but if you are going out for any extended period of time (for a long walk, a jog, etc) then you really, really need to wear stronger SPF. If you don't, then the dark spots will return. The packaging even says "Sunscreen necessary". So don't spend $49.50 on this and then forget the sunscreen, undoing all the improvements.

Winner, even though it's the most expensive is Clinique. I just didn't see results from Garnier. Are there any brands or lotions you have tried that worked? Share in the comments.

Need a last minute stocking stuffer?

So I had a $20 coupon to Sephora the other day and ran in to replenish my Clinique facewash, toner, etc. To use the $20 I had to spend $40, so I looked around the travel size section in the check out line and stumbled upon these:

Photo courtesy of Sephora.com

 

 

 

The Korres Lip Saver Roll ($19.50). Since I am totally obsessed with any and all items chapstick/lip butter/lip soothing related I decided to try this out. SO glad I did because I LOVE them. They are silky smooth with fun pops of color. I like them much better than the Burt's Bees tinted chapstick. I haven't been disappointed by any Korres products so far. They are "green"--free of all the synthetic goo that is often found in makeup, and they smell great, and most importantly, they WORK. Each individual one retails for $10, so if you are looking for a last minute stocking stuffer this is a great deal!

Sigh. Oh Gwen. Why?

Here's a post from Allure.com regarding Gwen Stefani's son Kingston. I'm with the Allure blogger, I don't care that he's got his nails painted. Paint em black, don't paint em, whatever. It's about the same as getting stickers or face paint or something like that.

But I take issue with the fact that the sweet boy is 4 (FOUR!) and he's already had his hair bleached platinum like Mommy. I just don't know about that. T and I always joke that our kids will have mo-hawks as soon as there is enough hair, but it's just for fun. I'm not putting dye in my baby's/young child's hair. Or is the mo-hawk the same thing?

Thoughts?

Cyber Monday!

There are a few deals I wanted to mention for Cyber Monday. Note that some of these links won't show anything until tomorrow morning, but at least you will have them!

Target It will be a surprise tomorrow! The website claims "as good as Black Friday" though, so I will be checking out!!

e.l.f. cosmetics 55% off site wide with $25 purchase and code BCG55 11/28 to 11/30

Sephora free shipping on orders over $25 with SHIPNOW through 11/29

Stila Online Warehouse  80% off! I would hurry on this one, the good stuff will go really fast.

Ulta 10% off on 11/29

I know it's a short list, but I just pulled the links for beauty products and Target. You can go to College Fashion to see some other deals and steals.

Gonna have to purchase this

If it ever cools down in Louisiana and I ever get to WEAR a sweater, I'm going to need this: The Hollywood Fashion Tape Sweater Saver

I bought a battery powered one last year at Target. It was a total piece of criz-ap, and now doesn't even run at all.

Thanks to this blog for the tip!
http://www.beautybets.com/2010/11/sweater-saver-hollywood-fashion-tape/

Sephora Gift sets

As hard as it is to believe, it's almost Thanksgiving. And the catalogs, they are a coming in the mail. I got a flyer from Sephora last week. They actually have some nice gift sets to choose from this season. A fun thing to do is buy a few sets and combine to gifts for friends. Here are a few of my favs. They by no means cover all that is available--there are 145 sets for sale right now. The names of each should link you to Sephora where you can purchase. And I'll go ahead and say that I got all the pics off Sephora's website (if you can't tell!)

Fresh Sugar Set ($28) Cause we could all use a little sugar during the holidays. Fresh products also get great reviews in beauty mags and blogs.

Sephora Glitz and Glam Sampler ($39) For all those holiday parties where you need to look your best. Great deal for all these products as well. I'm probably going to purchase this for myself.

Marc Jacobs Lola Set $70 is an extremely good deal for a spray and body lotion. The spray alone is usually $68.

Stila Lip Glaze Set ($25) I have this and it's fantastic. Would also be fun to break up into stocking stuffers for girlfriends.

OPI 18 mini set ($48) Another fun one to break up for stocking stuffers. Lots of cute colors too! You all know how I lurve me some nail polish...they also have a full size set of 6 ($42) HERE

Korres Never Enough Set I think these would make great teacher/coworker gifts. Each person could get a body wash and matching body butter. I really like their guava scent. And that body butter is THICK.

Philosophy The Gingerbread House ($20) I love Philosophy body washes. They smell like you could eat them. And the bottles tend to last for-eva.

Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Wanderlust set ($28) This stuff smells FANTASTIC. A great hostess gift as well.

They also have a wide variety of cologne, shaving, and skin care sets for men. If you are a Sephora VIB or Beauty Insider, then check out their sales starting Thursday of this week. I believe they'll be having a special event at the store Thurs night as well. You can enter VIB20 at checkout online to get the deals.

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure new colors

Just left Rite Aid and Sally Hansen Salon Manicure brand has got some really, really cute colors for late fall/early winter. I tried to find a pic online, but couldn't find any!! Sorry about that.

Anyway there are a few shades of "greige" (grey/brown that I PROMISE you will get you compliments), chocolate brown, a gold glitter one (it's not trashy though, it's cute and fun), and some fun mauve/wine colors. $6.99 a bottle....and p.s. Rite Aid appears to have lower prices than Walgreens. Go check it out!

Update on Pantene....

So a few weeks ago I posted about Pantene showing some signs of improving their product line. Feel free to review HERE. I have updates. They are sad updates. I tried a few days or so each of the Medium-Thick Frizzy to Smooth Shampoo and the Color Preserve Shine Shampoo and Color Preserve Shine Conditioner.

I give the Color preserve shine about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. While it DID make my hair appear shiny, the texture was way out of whack. It felt stripped down and squeaky, if that makes any sense. It only took about 4 days of use for me to stop using this one. I started to get nervous of breakage. So, won't be buying this again.

The Medium-thick shampoo I will rate a little higher at about a 6. When I blow dried my hair it was pretty dang straight without much effort. But again, something was just not right with the texture and shine. Now instead of being squeaky and shiny, it's kinda dull. It just doesn't FEEL right, you know what I mean? And no amount of conditioner helped. So, I doubt I purchase this again. I may keep it around to use as emergency backup shampoo, but otherwise I'm going back to my expensive Brocato brand.

Kinda bums me out! I was all excited for a cheaper shampoo option. HOWEVER, the styling cream I previously mentioned still works great. So maybe for now Pantene is getting it right with the products but isn't quite there with the shampoo.

Did any of you try it and have a better experience?? Let me know in the comments.

Selenium

Y'all! Check out THIS POST from Amber Katz at Beauty Blogging Junkie about a supplement to help hair growth! She started taking selenium supplements and her hair grew 3-4 inches since August. What!? That's awesome!

I'm trying this. The supplements I have tried in the past (i.e. fish oil which is supposed to be good for hair, skin, and nails) made my skin FREAK THE F OUT. So. I will let you know how it goes for me!

She who can do no wrong

Y'all know about my Reese Witherspoon girl-crush, right? It's bordering on fanatic these days...and half the time it's not even anything to do with her MOVIES. Ugh she's just so dang fashionable and cute. I hope when I'm a mom of two I look like this. Thanks to Frugal Fashionista though, I can at least have her outfit. I basically have this whole outfit minus the army green jacket. I would have never thought to put the olive with the orange, but it looks good. CLICK HERE to get to their page. I really do love this blog, it's so helpful to find affordable outfits that look just like what the celebs are wearing!

Photo from FrugalFashionista

Things I'm glad I purchased

So. I have been wanting a trench for quite some time, and finally this season I found one, at Old Navy no less.

Photo courtesy of oldnavy.com

And let me tell you. This trench has popped up in my Lucky mag, my Allure blog, the Wardrobe diaries blog, Frugal Fashionista blog, and a few other places. Not too shabby for an Old Navy $49 trench!

Here is the link: OLD NAVY. I got a small because Old Navy stuff tends to run bigger. I also used retailmenot.com to get coupons, and got the coat for $33 instead of $50.

Anyway. I know it's not beauty, but I was so pleased that something so affordable has popped up in so many places! :)

Things I wish I had thought of first

I don't know why I can't think of stuff like this first, but I can't. But it's straight genius. So. This pic to the left is from this weekend. I went to visit my friend K in Houston, and we were going to the Houston Ballet. I would like to draw your attention to my feet------------>>.    Yeaah buddy check these bad boys out. These are the highest pair of heels I have ever purchased. The men in the house were impressed, but concerned. I was asked "Can you actually walk in those?" Ha. Yes, for the record I could walk. These are in no way, shape, or form "going out" shoes...they are walk to a restaurant, sit down, walk to the ballet, sit down. :) BUT they are so cute that they are worth it.

Anywho. This post is not really about these shoes, but about how I managed with these shoes. I came upon a new product at Rite Aid...Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats. Flats in a bag, gals. It's awesome. So they come in this handy clutch, which fit in my small purse. The clutch was slightly bigger than my cell phone with the shoes in it.

If your feet get tired, or it's raining and you need to run, or WHATEVER, you just pull them out of the bag...and viola! Instant flats. These things saved me from an almost certain fall down the stairs at the Houston Ballet. When I got up for intermission, I didn't want to trip over everyone ELSE trying to squeeze out of their seats and shuffle up the stairs. So I slyly pushed my real shoes waaay under my seat and slipped these bad boys on. Made things much easier! They would also be great for work. Stash these in your work bag or in your desk, and you have a backup in case a new pair of shoes (or an old pair for that matter) causes problems. For all my mommy friends out there these would also fit in a diaper bag, and you wouldn't even notice they were there.

The fabric and sole are thin, so if you abuse them (i.e. try to wear them as real shoes), they may not hold up. They are normally $12.99 but currently on sale at Rite Aid for $9.99. I highly, HIGHLY recommend. Sure wish I had thought of it. I'd be RICH. :)

Well look at Pantene. Steppin it's game up...

I'm pretty sure I remember when Pantene got big in the late 1980s. They've been around forever, but I remember buying Pantene with the gold cap thinking I was all hot shiz. The two-in-one shampoo/conditioner. Anyone else? And it has that smell that is just...Pantene. And then it just wasn't working that great, and I moved on to better shampoos...Well. Ladies, Pantene has stepped their game up.

Photo courtesy of www.pantene.com

First of all, it has won one of Allure's Breakthrough innovations for 2010...specifically, the Pantene Pro-V Fine Hair Solutions Flat to Volume Shampoo and Medium-Thick Hair Solutions Frizzy to Smooth Shampoo. Winning a breakthrough award is kinda maja, because the Allure editors started with 150 submissions, cut that to 63 contenders, and ended with 12. Only 12. And it has to be something new, something novel. No other shampoos made the cut, and Allure is not one to shy away from the expensive stuff. So, pretty good start...especially for a drug store brand!

Here's how it works. The peeps at Pantene figured out that hair really can be separated into 4 groups: fine, medium/thick, curly, and color/chemical treated. So all the products are designed and separated into these 4 groups, with the intent of working on this hair TYPE. They also have a "restore healthy lengths" and "Original" line, but I don't know much about that. I guess other shampoo companies do this, but it's not as obvious. Most bottles don't say "Fine hair" or "Thick hair" specifically. I think that they should, and why it's 2010 and this is JUST now occurring to beauty product developers, I don't know.

Now. I have not tried the shampoo...YET. I plan to, especially after the Allure shout out. My Brocato shampoo is awesome..but it's $20+ a bottle (I KNOOOOWWW...) This stuff is $7. So much better on my wallet.

I HAVE tried the Medium to Thick Straighten and Smooth Creme, and I really, really like it. It makes my hair straight as a board, and it STAYS that way. I have naturally wavy hair, so if all I do is blow dry it just looks straight. If I flat-iron it does NOT frizz, even in humidity, and it stays basically two days. If my bangs didn't get so grease-tastic I could go without washing. A little goes a long way, so you don't need to overdo it or your hair could feel kinda weighed down. They have a smooth/straight creme for fine hair, so as the bottle says, don't use it if your hair isn't medium/thick. It's only $5.99. Seriously, I spend over $6 on a glass of wine at a restaurant...this is nothing compared to most product costs.

Photo courtesy of www.walgreens.com

There really are a bunch of new, interesting products from Pantene I want to try. There are other styling products I think would work great with my hair...and thanks to the new labeling I don't really have to wonder "Does this work for my hair type?" Cause it's WRITTEN ON THE BOTTLE. Everything is so inexpensive as well, which makes me feel better about tossing it if it doesn't work out. I never try the high end stuff cause I hate to waste the money. But I'll be testing a good bit of this line.

Pantene has some neato stuff on their site to help you out. First, there is a little tutorial to help you pick what works best for you (since I have both colored AND medium hair, it may be hard to choose) HERE. They also have reviews and vids from other women HERE. Test it out, it's pretty fun to run through!

Pantene, who knew??

(sidebar: I SERIOUSLY need to figure out how to get into R&D in the beauty world. It's like my dream job. DREAM.JOB.
sidebar 2: That pic of me with my godson that some of you were so sweet about and RAVED about my hair? Yeah. I used this cream, twisted my bangs to the side, and then curled the ends with a 1" curling iron. Easy.)

Pshhhh....Who needs Band-aids?

Let's just start with a few points.
1. I'm sorry I am so lax on blogging. I have a list of products I must discuss, I really do (including my hairstyle the other day that some of you just RAVED over...) I have just been crazy busy with work. Will try to get better.
2. I am so tired of being hot. Today it was 95...NINETY FIVE...in Baton Rouge. Ugh. I can't take it anymore. SUMMER WE BROKE UP. GO. AWAY.

Now. Let's talk products. This is not so much of a product, but an idea. Some background. The transition from summer to fall involves changes in makeup, clothes, scents, foods, and, one of my favs...shoes. The flip flops get pushed to the back of the closet in favor of flats, heels, and boots. Now. Typically this is not a huge issue. If you work in an office, you are pretty well equipped to wear close-toed shoes. However, if you work from home you may have some issues. I may or may not have spent 99% of the past couple of months completely barefoot. So when I went to work a few weeks ago with my new ballerina flats, I had some blister management to take care of.

Typically, I prevent blisters and such with Band-aids. Pretty standard procedure, right? Well. Thanks to two dancer friends (A and K) I have found something better, cheaper, and sturdier than Band-aids. Plain old first aid tape.

Photo courtesy of walgreens.com

There's paper, cloth, waterproof, you name it. I personally prefer the cloth. It's basically transparent once on your foot (see the pic below? You can barely see the tape). And it stays on MUCH better than a bandaid.

And this stuff is cheap. I was wasting money buying Band-aids. I mean, they are handy for having in your purse in an emergency, but Band-aids are really meant to protect cuts not stop blisters. Blisters are formed by friction between your shoe and the upper layer of skin (science lesson o' the day), so all you really need to do is prevent rubbing directly ON the skin. That is easily accomplished with tape.

And let's just talk savings here for a second. My hubs, T, has recently gotten ALL KINDS of interested in our personal finances, so we're trying to budget a bit better. The little things add up. If one Band-aid is 1", and 30 come in a box for $4, that's $0.13 an inch.  Compare that to $4.50 for 20 YARDS (720") of tape...that's $0.006 an inch. You basically get 720 Band-aids for the price of 30. I mean, you can even triple layer the tape if you need to make SURE you don't get a blister (one layer stopped it for me). For reals. Cheap cheap cheap.

I may be totally late to this party. But when something like this occurs to me, I just have to share.

Chanel's fall nail polish line

So the break up with summer is going well. I have quite enjoyed the purple polish on my toes, and plan to hit up the greige nail polish this weekend.

While I CANNOT afford Chanel ($23 a bottle? No thanks) THESE are exactly the colors I'm loving this fall. I would recommend you all check out Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure ($7.50 a bottle at Walgreens). They have a great selection at a MUCH MUCH better price.

Photo courtesy of Allure.com

Here's the Allure blog post: Chanel's New Fall Polishes are Here!

Excellent tips that I didn't know about....

Esp the swiping of polish remover before the base coat even if you don't have polish to remove.

From Allure.com. Manicure Tricks Too Good To Skip

Coupons and Sales from College Fashion

Hi everyone. Rather than retype the links and credit College Fashion with each one, I will just direct you to their site:

Coupons and Sales: Labor Day  by College Fashion

These girls are very good about posting coupons each Friday. This weekend is no exception. Enjoy, and Happy Labor Day!

Dear Summer, we're breaking up

Dear Summer. It's not you. It's me. I just can't handle the extreme heat, humidity, and daily rainstorms anymore. I appreciate you showing up after that super cold winter and all, but we've reached the end of our road together. I know August isn't over for 3 more days, but I'm done. Plus, I'm interested in someone new. His name is Fall.

Fall took me out, showed me all these adorable new clothes. He bought me skinny jeans yesterday at the mall. And a scarf. He showed me lovely purple/violet eyeshadows on the horizon. He showed me BOOTS. Boots I tell you. I can't resist that. (Side note--Fall is a little metrosexual. He may even be gay with his love of makeup and fashion. I don't care. I love him anyway).

But oh Summer...he really got me with this. NAIL POLISH. I kinda obsess over nail polish in general, but this fall's colors are basically bowling me over. I adore them. More than I adored coral and turquoise blue polish. This fall it's all about greige, eggplant, browns, and mauves! See for example, the Essie collection ($6.50 each, $17 for a four pack at Nordstrom):

Courtesy of Just Beauty Supplies

And this runway look from CND in 2010. This, my friend, is the color GREIGE. It's my new fav color.

Courtesy of Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

Now, I'm no big spender on nail polish. OPI and Essie are the top of my price point at $9 a pop. If I was, however, I'd buy Chanel's Paradoxal ($50)

Photo courtesy Amazon

So here's what I have for fall in my current collection (I told you I was already interested in Fall)

Left to Right: Revlon Plum Night (good copy of Chanel Paradoxal, $6.99 drugstores), OPI Matte Lincoln Park After Dark (on sale $6 at Trade Secret), Sephora by OPI Meet You for Drinks ($9 Sephora), Sephora by OPI Metro Chic ($9 Sephora), Sephora by OPI Under my Trench Coat (My absolute FAV. It is impossible to find an outfit this color doesn't go with. $9 Sephora).

Here they are on. Same order L to R. The OPI matte collection might not be for everyone, since you are not supposed to use a topcoat. However, if the matte just throws you off, add that topcoat and it looks like normal!

I will probably get something from the Essie collection (maybe the brown), but for now I will work with what I have in transition. My toes went plum last night. I credit the drop from 97 F to 80 F as the final break point for me. YAY FALL!!

p.s. Summer, check back with me around, oh, April and May 2011. You know how flighty I can be. I'll want to get back together by then.

Marc Jacobs Lola now in rollerball!

BIG news. BIG. Sephora finally finally has Marc Jacobs Lola in rollerball form. I'm so excited. I have been coveting this scent since it came out, but it's a tad pricey ($40 and up) so I've been waiting...for the rollerball!! I would describe the scent as floral...but kinda sexy and musky at the same time. It's definitely less sweet than Daisy (another Marc scent). I love it. While the bottle is absolutely gorgeous,

Photo courtesy of Sephora.com

the rollerball has many benefits. (I apologize for the poor pic quality below...it was the best I could get from Sephora.)

1. It's easy to travel with, even flying, because it is only 0.24 oz.
2. It's half the price at $22 compared to $48 for 1 oz.
3. The rollerball makes for easy application--just roll it across your wrist or other pulse points. Perfect delivery of the right amount of perfume.
4. Don't be worried about not having enough...I have Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Daisy in rollerball form and haven't used them up yet. You'd be surprised how long 0.24 oz can last.

Rollerballs, as far as I know, can ONLY be purchased at Sephora. Thanks to the Grizas, who just sent me a Sephora gift card...good timing, cause this baby is SO mine now.


Side note: I am sorry for the lack of posts. Working on a proposal for work...haven't had much time. I know it's almost fall and the beauty mags and blogs are going nuts...I promise to update. I have a list of blog topics. If there is anything you guys want me to check into for fall, let me know! I will be glad to research. :)

Review: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid

I have a new favorite face sunscreen! I got this in my Allure summer beauty bag that I bought a few months ago. I just now got around to trying this out (here near the end of summer, but it stays hot for months down here...so I can still use it). I present to you:

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid in SPF 70

I was already a fan of Neutrogena, using their regular face sunscreen all the time. However, this newer liquid has some definite benefits over the sunscreen. 
1. It's sheer, just as advertised. I didn't try to wear it under makeup, but I can totally see this being a viable option. It's like a serum. It comes out white, but once you rub it in it's clear. 
2. It soaks more into the skin, so I got improved, longer lasting coverage.
3. Comes in a nice, small package that easily fits in a small cosmetics bag or purse. A little goes a loooong way too. 
4. THIS IS THE KICKER. No burning once I started to sweat. NONE. I don't know about all of you, but even if it says "PABA free" it still burns a little bit right at the beginning of wearing it, especially around the eyes. Not this stuff. Based on that ALONE I have switched to this product as my primary face sunscreen.


Price is $12, but it's on sale at neutrogena.com for $9.99, so it may be on sale in drugstores as well. 

Photo courtesy of www.neutrogena.com

Smartphone App for Allure Giveaways!

During the month of August, Allure is giving away free stuff every week day. There are MANY awesome items, but registering each day online is kinda a pain, no?

Well. Allure is now utilizing the Microsoft Tab app for smartphones. It's simple to use. You download the app (works on any smartphone...I have a Droid), and then once you register once with your info you can register for all remaining giveaways simply by scanning the tag with your phone. The instructions for use are HERE at Allure's website.

The catch is you need to keep your August edition of Allure for the whole month. Allure will send you a text reminder if you'd like so you will remember to scan that day. You can go through the mag and scan the tags on each page of items you're interested in, and then they will remind you when it's the day for that item! If you don't want a reminder, just hold on to the magazine and scan the tag on the calendar in the back of the mag on the appropriate day. It's MUCH simpler than going online every day!

Good luck! And if you think this stuff never works...well, my friend LG's sister wins stuff ALL.THE.TIME. So try it out!!

Hop up out the bag, turn my swag on...took a look in the mirror said "What's up what's up?"

If you have any shopping to do at Sephora, hold off til Aug 6-8, and then use this coupon code: VIBLOVE

You will get a "Swag bag" (hence the post title) with seven 100 beauty point samples (i.e., bigger and better) including items from Clarins, Laura Mercier, Smashbox, Urban Decay, and Sephora. It's a good deal. Supplies will likely be limited, so order earlier than later.

Enjoy!

Review: Suave Cocoa Butter with Shea

I recently ran out of my standard St. Ives Mineral Therapy lotion, and decided to try a new and less expensive brand, Suave.

It's consistency is a little thinner than I normally like, but it goes on smoothly and doesn't get greasy or sticky throughout the day. It doesn't smell like much (a slight hint of cocoa, but not overpowering), but I like neutral lotion so it doesn't compete with my perfume. It stays on throughout the day, and my skin doesn't feel dry.

For $4.99 at Walgreens (purchased myself), I'd totally buy again. It can also be found at any other drugstore or grocery store.


Photo courtesy of www.suave.com

Lemming alert...Essie Turks and Caicos

Sometimes, I am a beauty product lemming. If I read or hear enough about one thing, even if I know it is probably just a fad, I have to seek it out. This is one of those products. You may have seen this in Allure, or online on different blogs as I have been for a few months now.... It's in the new spring 2010 collection from Essie and is called Turks and Caicos. Yes, it's mid-July I'm late joining the party. Truth be told, I wasn't sure where to buy Essie. Found out I can get it at Trade Secret, Paris Parker Aveda, ULTA (sometimes), and essie.com. It's $8 a bottle, so same price range as OPI.

Anyway, I'm glad I was a lemming, cause I really love this color on my toes for summer. I'm going to the beach this weekend (HOORAY), so I needed something bright. It reminds me of Tiffany blue.

As far as application goes, I think I like OPI or Sally Hansen a little better, but this is still a good product. I definitely needed a base coat, two coats of color, and a top coat though. I probably could have even done with THREE coats of color, but oh well. Overall, I'm pleased with this purchase.

Excuse the lovely foot shot...I really wasn't sure how to take a decent pic but show off the color. Hope it's ok!

Review: John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner

I got a full size bottle of John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Repairing shampoo and conditioner in my Allure beauty bag (paid for myself). I am now starting to see it and the hydrating version in the drugstores, so I thought I would review it for you.

Overall, I liked this shampoo and conditioner. I've been using it during my weeks in Nashville, because the water up there is a bit harder than the uber-soft swamp water in Baton Rouge. It made my hair very soft and easy to blow dry. I didn't try to style it super straight or super curly. I don't think the style would hold well due to my hair being so soft, so I just let it be semi-straight/semi-wavy. I haven't tried it when it was raining, but I have when it's HOT (900 degrees HOT) outside AND I walked to work. My hair was still in good shape by work and remained so throughout the day. I put the conditioner mostly on the ends and avoided my scalp, and it made the ends feel very smooth. The one thing I noticed the first day was that the shampoo made my bangs difficult to style and VERY flat. I had to texturize them a bit with dry shampoo to keep them from matting to my forehead. Day two I tried to keep it out of my bangs, but this is difficult since most of the time my bangs are the ONLY part of my hair that get greasy and thus need washing. Alternative would be to use a small amt of different shampoo on bangs, but that's kinda a pain. The best part of this shampoo came the next day. When I woke up to go to the gym, it was STILL smooth and fairly decent looking. This is so not the norm for me...usually when I wake up my hair is all over the place. I don't know if I could have made it the whole day without washing it, but I definitely could have made it at least half the day. If my hair was super long I bet I could have gone all day without washing.

I would recommend this product if you have slightly longer hair that is medium to thick. I think it would just cause fine, short hair to flatten into nothing (like it did with my bangs). Overall, it does what it claims: Keeps hair smooth, blocks frizz, and helps repair split ends. If you are going to try some major style following use be warned that it may not hold. If you are just wearing it down, straight, etc though you should be fine. In Baton Rouge (soft water) I am very careful to keep it out of my bangs and avoid conditioner on the roots.

It ranges in price from $5-$7 at drugstores.


Photo taken from John Frieda website, www.JohnFrieda.com

Link: How to find flattering sunglasses

I found this good slideshow on InStyle.com about how to find flattering sunglasses for your face. Pretty useful, just wanted to share the link!
How to find flattering sunglasses from InStyle

p.s. the rest of their Summer Accessories 2010 is pretty good too!

Matrix Biolage Delicate Care Organic Certified Oil

Remember VO5 Hot Oil from back in the 80s and 90s? Well, one of the products I got in my Allure beauty bag is a bit of a throwback to that...Biolage Delicate Care Organic Certified Oil. It is designed to preserve colored hair and repair sun and other damage. You can put it on before shampooing, like I did, or you can put it on after home coloring (Coco, you may want to test it out!). I also found this blog review The Mourning Reviews, where the author discusses using it as a touch-up for shine. I don't know about this...it's straight oil so I can see adding it to dry hair and things going awry!

Here are the steps for pre-shampoo use:
1. Apply to dry hair before shampooing from mid length to ends. I didn't really soak my hair, I just put enough to make it look a little damp.

2. Apply heat for 5-10 min. I just ran the hair dryer over it for about 5 min.
3. Shampoo, condition, and style as usual. My end pic is below. I will say that I used my straightener, so this is not the result after just blow drying.

 In general, my hair does feel pretty smooth and soft, but not much more than using a thick conditioner. It's not any shiner than normal. Perhaps a longer heat treatment or starting with more damage would show a greater difference. I do like the product, and will probably use this whole bottle, but I doubt I go searching for it in the salons. From the prices I see online, it runs as high as $25 for this little 1.7 oz bottle. However, I used the tiniest amount today, so I can see this stuff lasting ages.

Disclosure: I bought this myself. I wasn't paid to review this, but if anyone out there wants to give me a job reviewing beauty swag I'd be glad to do it.

I LOVE when I forget I ordered something!

Uh, so I totally forgot I ordered this Allure summer beauty box that I blogged about HERE. I got it in the mail today and I am PUMPED. Look at all this stuff!! ALL full size, ALL good stuff. Shampoo, conditioner, hair moisturizing oil, hair cream, a bunch of different moisturizers, eye shadow, highlighting powder, lip glosses (8 of them!), toothpaste, For $40!!!

Everything is full size, and the bag is actually sturdy and cute (I may get it monogrammed, not sure yet)! It has a waterproof lining as well, which is a big bonus. So excited---and let me just say the first thing I plan to try is the Garnier skin renew moisturizer. It's supposed to tone down sunspots. I currently have one on my upper lip that looks like DIRT and it is SOOOO embarrassing. So this stuff will get put to the test ASAP! (And to think I was about to go out and spend $50 on Clinique dark spot corrector!)

YIPEE! Will let you know how all the products turn out!!


Photo courtesy of http://www.garniernutritioniste.com/en/

Review: Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara

Hi all! Sorry for the semi-delay in postings. Haven't tried much new stuff lately, so haven't had much to discuss. I wanted to tell y'all about my results with Revlon Grow Luscious mascara. For starters, it's $8.99 at Walgreens, which is a pretty decent price for Revlon. The product claims to "compliment the natural lash growth cycle" and "94% of women instantly see longer lashes" (but isn't that what mascara is supposed to do?) Ok.

So I tested it out. While I have not been using it long enough to determine that it "complements the growth cycle" I highly doubt this claim. It's not like it has Latisse in it or anything. I bought the waterproof version, but it easily came off with makeup remover. It did make my lashes look very long and thick, so in that respect this mascara is a winner. There were issues though. First, it's clumpy and somewhat hard to apply evenly. You know how when mascara is getting a little old it gets harder to work with? This is like that right off the bat. Second, it's flaky. I noticed black mascara flakes around my eyes after wearing all day. Third, the flakiness led to itchy eyes.

In general, I give this mascara a 4 out of 10. When it was on, it looked great, but the clumpiness and flakiness were too much to contend with. I doubt I purchase again...in fact, I doubt I even finish the current tube.


Photo courtesy of www.walgreens.com

Small self-tanning lotion test

Now that it's summer, I'm sure a lot of you are like me and are trying to obtain and maintain a tan. My husband has the luxury of having Native American in his blood, so he basically turns dark brown immediately and never EVER burns. I, on the other hand, am Irish, English, and German; thus I burn like crazy. We both know the risks of skin cancer no matter what the skin tone, so we are good about slathering/spraying on the SPF 30 all the time. He still tans though where I remain pale as a ghost. So what's a girl like me to do? Fake it.

I have recently tried two of the self tanning lotions available at drugstores. Nivea Body and Jergens Natural Glow. I have heard numerous reports of how well Jergens works, but I wanted to try the "firming moisturizer" component of the Nivea. I tried Nivea for a week, and I really didn't like it. It gave a slight color change, but the lotion was super thin and SLIMY. If I sweat with it on, it felt like it was just running down my legs...pretty gross. It also had a very strong self-tanning smell (I don't know what that stuff is, but it stinks). Now I'm using Jergens. I like it much better. It consistency is much more like regular lotion. It does not feel slimy at all, and the smell is basically non-existent. I think the color change for me is pretty slight, but enough to just have a little glow. I have seen other friends who use it and look like they have been in the tanning bed, so it may depend on how consistent you are with using it (I only put it on in the morning). I am not using it on my face. I don't think either were designed for that. They do make self tanners for the face, but I think I would break out. I just use a bronzer powder on my face.

Are there any self tanners you guys use that you love? Let me know in the comments. My vote goes to Jergens!

Where have I been?

Rarely do I find a product that makes me wonder how the F I've been livin my life. The Droid was one of them. Beauty-wise it was the Clinique three step system I discovered after college. This new discovery is much more simple. I don't know why I've never thought to try these. Dr. Scholl's gel inserts. REALLY SIMPLE, right?

So I spent 4 years after college running around work in heels with zero inserts and zero support. And it hurt, but my feet just got used to it. Since returning to grad school, my work shoes have turned into flip flops in the summer and the same two pair of boots in the winter. I NEVER wear heels. And then I realized I could barely make it an hour with my girlfriends out for dinner with them on, and I have some REALLY cute heels that were sitting all sad and forlorn in my closet. Not acceptable. So I saw these while in Walgreens (they are $9 for a pack) and tried them out.

Seriously y'all. Where.have.I.BEEN?? These things are awesome. My feet don't hurt; they don't slide around in the heels; I can last longer than an hour without wanting to saw my leg off.

My bangin yellow heels with the flower thank me. And will be happily making an appearance at girl's night out tonight (SATC 2, naturally). But for real. Try these things out. They have a bunch of different styles. It's SO WORTH the $9. I'm going to probably buy a pair for every pair of heels I own eventually.

Consumer Report's top sunscreen on the Today show

Morning! You all probably remember my recent post all about sunscreen. Well this morning on the Today show they had Consumer Reports on to discuss their top brands. The winner? Target's Up and Up Continuous Sport Spray! I just checked the Target website, and a twin pack is $9.44! That's a really great price. On the segment, the Consumer reports rep said it provided great coverage and protection with the best price point. I will definitely have to check this out. I shop at Target all.the.time...so it's an easy grab.

Walgreens brand took second place, and Banana boat took third. BananaBoat is one of my personal favs, we have about 10 spray cans in the house right now. The link to the full article from the Today show is HERE.


Photo courtesy of Target.com

Allure Summer Beauty Box

Hey everyone! So Allure is doing a summer beauty box at their virtual store. I read about it HERE on their blog.

I just ordered mine. It contains 11 full-size bottles of products I already use, such as Aveeno SPF 70 sunblock, Colgate whitening toothpaste, Stila lip glosses (EIGHT of them), Neutrogena sheer SPF 70, and a few other products I'm excited to try, like the Biolage hair oil and Biore moisturizer!

It's $39.99 and comes with a small tote. The sunblocks and moisturizers alone at Rite Aid would be at least $10 a pop. The lipgloss set is $25. I like that they are all full size bottles too!

The only bummer...it says 4-6 weeks for delivery AFTER you order it. But, summer is just beginning so I know I will still use the sunscreen up before the end of August. Hopefully it will arrive much sooner than that.

Go to the ALLURE VIRTUAL STORE to find yours! I would purchase soon if you want one, I think there is a limited amount.

My sister has some awesome hair.

So my sister has some pretty awesome hair. It's very long, naturally pretty auburn, and lately I've become obsessed with it. So I thought I would ask her how she styles it and keeps it looking so damn healthy and shiny, because I plan on trying to grow mine out as well. Please reference exhibit A and B below. Sorry for the pic quality! I tried not to make them too fuzzy.

Here's her rundown. I've put the big stuff in bold:
"sooo my hair...really i've just almost completely quit drying it...i dry it maybe once or twice a week. I think it has a lot to do with the cut, i just told her I wanted layers, so my hair had movement and that I wanted my bangs short to swoop across my forehead...when i do dry it i try not to straighten it too much and the pic i just have it bobby pins criss crossed like middle back on one side.
when its wavy...yours is probably easier because yours is more naturally wavy than mine. but i just get outta the shower and spray a little bit of this "beach wavy" spray i have...i can't remember what brand it is but it's blue. then i twist both sides, just a big chunk and twirl it and then pull it all together and twist it and clip it like a bun in the back....a clip does better than a ponytail bun because with a ponytail it just crimps. but anyway, i'll go to work or school with it like that and let it dry out all day and then take it out when it feels dry and l just go pretty much, sometimes i have to fix a few pieces with my straightener but that's all. anyway i know this has gone on wayyy to long about hair. haha."

So based on this, here's where I am already in the healthy-hair bad zone: I've been coloring mine on a frequent basis since 10th grade (12 years now). I have tried to back off drying it, but I still have to a good bit, AND I straighten it. I'm sure all that heat doesn't help the already weak hair. So, I'm going to try her tips and see how it goes. I'll keep you posted! I'm not sure if any of you have similar hair, but if you do, maybe these tips will help you. Do any of you have great hair or know someone who does? I'm sure you do! Share your secrets in the comments. Plus, I just wanted give a nod to my cute baby sis. :)

Enjoy!

Maybe 50 IS the new 30. Which makes 30 the new what?

Whoa. Read this blog post from Allure. I thought the Golden Girls were 70 or something. Nope.

Sex and the City's Golden Years from Allure

Veerrrry interesting.

Review: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Hi gals. So I've been to Sephora AND Rite Aid today, so hopefully over the next few weeks I will have a bunch of reviews. I've been a bit of a slacker lately, I know, but this girl is trying her damnedest to stay on a beauty budget. It was tough in Sephora today, but I do have a few finds and a list of things to try soon! Anywhos.

In keeping with my budget, I tried Sally Hansen Total Manicure today. $10.99 at Rite Aid. It is supposed to be every coat of a normal manicure in one bottle, and I think it lives up to its name! I tried "I Pink I Can", shown in the picture. In two coats, I got shiny, even coverage. It has a good application brush that covers almost the whole nail in one swipe, which is very good for getting a smooth coat.

I've got it on my toes and nails, so we'll see how long it lasts! So far, I'm very pleased. Two coats got me exactly what I normally get with four (base, two color, top). I mean, it's not OPI, but it is very good for Rite Aid. I would say it's better than Revlon, which is my other drugstore go-to brand.

I think this is also great for vacation/traveling. You can touch-up easily with just one bottle. Also, I have eighty-bajillion pregnant friends right now...just think gals, your husband may not be all about pampering you a pedicure with 4 complicated coats...but two? Even a dude can do that. :)

They have lots of cute colors, brights and neutrals...and I saw a NEON YELLOW that LG aka Keisha would LOVE. Neon!! I'll be interested to see what the fall colors are, but the summer ones are very fun! :)

Enjoy ladies!!

Update: Day 2 of manicure with two coats. I have shopped, cleaned, cooked, used a drill, used a hammer, went to the gym, worked on my computer all day (read:lots of typing) AND did laundry. Manicure status? One tiny chip in my thumb, and that was my fault for trying to pry something open. I fixed that this morning, and it looks good as new. Great product!

Pacifica products on sale at Sephora!

Pacifica is having a sale at Sephora. Buy two full size body washes or lotions for only $25! Normally this would be $40. I LOVE LOVE their Tuscan Blood Orange scent, so I will definitely purchase this. I think the Lemon Blossom will be my second choice. Nice and light for summer!

No special code needed, runs through June 23. Click HERE.