I love makeup! And whether you love makeup or not, chances are you wear it at least sometimes. Don't you want to make sure you're getting the best value for your $$$? That's what this makeup blog is all about.
I try products and give you an honest, unbiased review. From drug stores to department stores, I try different brands at different price points to give you the scoop.
I want your input too! If you'd like to review a product, I have a very simple form you can fill out. Click here, fill it out, and send it to me, and your review might be used in an upcoming blog. I think the more reviews we can get from people with different skin tones, types, and issues the better.
A Little About My Perspective... Everyone is looking for something different in cosmetics. Some are trying to look younger, some are trying to stay on top of the trends, and some are just looking for something quick and easy to get out the door to work in the morning. Here are some of my beliefs when it comes to makeup...
- Quality more than quantity.
- More $$$ does not necessarily mean better.
- Multitasking products are a very good thing.
- Makeup should be fun!
If you've read my makeup blog for any length of time you know I always get Sephora gift cards for Christmas. I love it, because it gives me a chance to try new products.
This year I picked Philosophy's Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Retinoid Pads. I've been extremely happy with the skin care line from Philosophy, so I wanted to give this a try. The main improvement I'm looking for in my skin is less redness, eveness, and brightness. I feel like my skin has gotten so dull, and I've read glowing (get it? Glowing?) reviews about this product.
It comes in two parts. There's a bottle filled with solution that you pour into the container with the pads. Then after you cleanse your skin at night, you use one side of the pad to wipe your entire face. You can use the other side of the pad for your neck/chest and the backs of your hands. After you're done with the pad you use your moisturizer. So it's very quick and easy to add to your routine.
But does it actually work? I noticed a difference after ONE USE! The first time I used it I noticed my skin was immediately smoother. After just a couple of days my skin was noticeably brighter and there was less redness. My husband noticed right away that my skin looked brighter and healthier.
This product did EXACTLY what I wanted it to do. I couldn't be happier with the results, and I plan to keep on using it.
I admit, I was a little nervous about it but more than that I was excited! Ingrid was very cool and explained everything to me before we got started.
You go into a private room, and you get to pick the scent of the oil they'll use for your massage. There were probably 7 scents to choose from, and they are actually in candle form to start then melt into the oil they use for your massage. Then Ingrid left the room while I got undressed and on the massage table. It's a big, cushy table, and there's a sheet and a towel to cover you up. In fact, during the entire massage the only part of your body that isn't covered is the part she's massaging. I was concerned about that going in, but it's done in a very respectful and discreet way.
So the massage itself is a combination of massage with her hands and massage with the hot stones. The heat and the pressure of the smooth stones feels amazing! Especially this time of year when it's cold, it just warms you up from head to toe. If there's a particular part of your body you'd like her to focus on you just tell her.
Apparently they even have small stones they can use on your face to help relieve sinus issues that so many of us have this time of year. I don't know why I waited so many years to do this! Now that I have, I will definitely be going back for another one. I have never been so relaxed as I was when I left BJ Grand Salon & Spa that day. I even noticed my muscles felt more loose for 2-3 days after the massage.
If you're not quite ready to commit to a full body hot stone massage, you can start on a smaller scale. If you're having a manicure or pedicure at BJ Grand Salon & Spa, you can add hot stone therapy to get a taste of what it's like.
I just received a BJ Grand Salon & Spa gift certificate for my birthday, and I think I may just use it for another Hot Stone Massage!
If you search YouTube for makeup you'll get a million different videos with a million different people telling you how to do it. It's fun to see what people are doing, but most of them are just a waste of time.
I have found one person I really like though. Michelle Phan. She's made over 100 makeup tutorial videos. They're full of good information and they're well produced and fun to watch. Some of her videos focus on a specific makeup look and the steps to achieve it. Some are tips and tricks like how to get the last bit of lip gloss out of the tube or how to fix a broken lipstick.
Here's one of her videos, so you can check it out for yourself...
I have waited for this day so long. I thought it would never come. We FINALLY have Sephora in Springfield. Okay, so it's not a full size Sephora but it's as close as we're going to get. So I'm not complaining.
A few years ago, JC Penney started putting mini Sephoras in their stores. I guess our number finally came up. Now I don't have to drive to St. Louis to get my Sephora fix!
Naturally, I have already stopped by the new store. In case you aren't aware, JC Penney has been doing a major remodel on their store. From what I've seen, it looks nice. Sephora is pretty much right in front of you when you walk in the doors. You don't have to wade through the whole store to get to it, which I like. Now if you're wondering "what is the difference between Sephora and Ulta?" Both specialize in cosmetics. However, while Ulta sells drug store brands and high-end cosmetics, Sephora sticks with the high-end stuff. Ulta has a hair salon in the store, Sephora does not. Ulta carries a lot of hair products, appliances, and accessories....Sephora has some hair stuff, but it's not their focus. Sephora really focuses on makeup and skin care products. Personally I prefer Sephora.
I picked up a couple of things while I was there (duh), and I'd love to tell you about them. Sephora has their own line of makeup, and several of their products are designed to teach. It's a great idea, I think, because so many of us are intimidated by different techniques. I mean where exactly is my crease, and what am I supposed to do with it?
I decided to try Beauty in a Box Natural Eye Tutorial. It looks like a little book, and opens up to reveal all the products on the right and a mirror and instructions on the left.
There are three eye shadows, a brush, an eyeliner, and a mascara in the kit. The brush is totally worthless, so you can just toss it as far as I'm concerned. Everything else in the kit I LOVE.
The instructions fold out and tell you exactly what to do with each products. The eye shadows are even stamped with numbers and the names "base," "contour," and "light." What could be easier? As for results, I am thrilled. I've always wanted to find the perfect combination of colors for this look, but I've never been able to put it together myself. It is the perfect every day look for work or the weekend. Easy, polished, not too much. I'm in love.
A couple of blogs ago I told you about the e.l.f. brand makeup available now at Target. It's SUPER inexpensive but nice stuff! The first time I saw the brand at Target it was only on an end cap and only kits and palettes were available. But I was there the other night, and now there is actually an e.l.f. section in the cosmetics department with more individual products. Yippy!
Since the stuff is so darn cheap, I decided to try a few things. I'll start with the Tinted Moisturizer. It's $3. THREE DOLLARS! It comes in a tube, and it's SPF 20. I've been using it for a few days now, and I love it. It's just perfect for summer when you want something weightless.
- It's undetectible on the skin.
- It doesn't have a harsh smell. I'm very sensitive to the way cosmetics smell, and this one is fine by me.
- As for coverage...it gives more than I expected. On a scale of 1 - 5 with 1 being sheer and 5 being full, I'd give it a 2.
If you're not trying to cover anything major up and you just want to even your skin tone, this works beautifully. I will definitely be buying more!
The other day I was itching for a new lip color. ..something fun for spring/summer. Naturally I was at Walgreens and did a little browsing around. I already own about every lip gloss color known to man, so I decided I wanted more of a lipstick. I came across Cover Girl's LipPerfection Lipcolor. The claim is this stuff makes your lips softer and actually makes them look better in seven days.
Well I don't really care about the seven days thing. I mean, the chances of me using the same lip color for seven days in a row is slim to none. I was interested in the the softer lips though. That's always a good thing.
Initially I thought this stuff was going to be great, because I really liked the way it made my lips feel. They felt nice and soft. Not sticky or greasy or goopy. Just soft and smooth.
Unfortunately, while they FELT good. They didn't LOOK good. The lipstick I got was a bright color, and it started bleeding. Yuck! I have many other lipsticks that do not bleed, so it must be the formula. Also, I applied in the morning before I did the show...only drank, didn't eat...and after the show I had an unsightly ring around the mouth! The lipstick had worn off in the middle. Not attractive.
However, the packaging is nice, and I didn't notice any strange smell or taste.
It's not that this product is horrible. It's just par for the course for a drug store brand in my experience: so-so quality.
If you're someone who's constantly looking in the mirror and are willing to reapply often, then this may be perfect for you. Use a lip liner first if you're using a bright color, and it'll be fine.
But if you're someone who wants to put on lipstick and not have to look in the mirror again for hours (like me), then either don't buy this or don't buy it in a bright color. It it's a more muted, neutral color, the problems won't show as much.
LipPerfection Lipcolor is about $7-$8 at drug and discount stores.
I was perusing a magazine the other day and saw something I just had to try...a new product from Goody. They've really been pretty innovative lately (in fact they even got an award for being innovative from Good Housekeeping). I love the Goody Spin Pin, and now I think I found another great product.
Remember those sponge rollers your mom used to put in your hair? Well my mom did. You'd wet your hair, put the sponge rollers in, sleep in them all night, and the next day you had springy curls.
Well now Goody's put a new spin on the old sponge rollers with their Goody Summer Waves Rollers. They're still sponge rollers but in a different configuation. They are shaped like a figure eight with a clip in the middle that opens on both sides.
You just open the clips, wrap your damp hair around the roller, fasten the clips and wait for your hair to dry. When you take them out, you have super cute waves in your hair.
I tried it on Kate, and she was more than willing to be my guinea pig. Kate has very straight, fine hair. We wet it a little bit, put the rollers in and waited.
Now I admit, I didn't wait quite long enough. Her hair was just slightly damp when I took them out. It still totallly worked though!
I'm sure if I had her hair really wet and left them in until completely dry there would have been big time waves.
I got mine at Walmart, and it was about $10 for 15 rollers. Not a bad deal at all.
Well I just love a bargain. I mean, who doesn't? But I also believe that most of the time you get what you pay for. So that's one of the reasons I never tried e.l.f. cosmetics. It was an online only brand of makeup at super low prices, and I just didn't believe makeup that cheap would be any good.
Well in this case, I was wrong. Last week I was shopping at Target and noticed that e.l.f. brand cosmetics are now sold there. One of the eye shadow palettes caught my eye, and it was so bargain priced I couldn't resist.
The item that caught my eye was the e.l.f. Essentials Beauty Book. It's 12 full-sized eye shadows and a mini eye liner for only $4.99. Crazy, right? There are three color configurations: Smoky, Neutral, and Bright. I chose the bright thinking it would be fun for spring/summer.
When I got home I got to start playing a little bit, and I am totally impressed. Let's start with the eye shadow. Judging on pure quality, is it the best eye shadow I've ever used? No, but it's certainly in the top 25%. And if you factor in the cost, it's the best bargain on eye shadow I've ever seen. I was expecting inferior quality to drug store brands like Maybelline and Cover Girl, but that wasn't the case at all. I think these eye shadows are much better than the Maybelline and Cover Girl eye shadows I've used.
The pigmentation on the e.l.f shadows is great, the blendability is wonderful, and they don't crease or fade. Even if you don't factor in the eye liner that came with the palette, these eye shadows are about 42 cents each!
Now on to the eye liner. I LOVE this eye liner. It's just your basic black pencil eyeliner, but it's great! On the e.l.f. website it's their Brightening Eye liner, and it's described as a gel-powder formulation. Once again the pigmentation is excellent, it glides easily onto the eye, it sharpens well, and it stays on the entire day.
Unfortunately Target doesn't seem to carry these eye liners by themselves. But on the e.l.f. website they are only $1. $1!!!
Target seems to be carrying just a portion of the e.l.f. line. Most of what I saw at the store was palettes and kits. If you want to see the whole line you'll have to check out e.l.f.'s website. E.L.F., by the way, stands for "eyes, lips, face."
I'm sure after last weekend there were a few people in pain from sun burn. It happens every year right when the nice weather is just starting. We go outside and spend hours and hours, and then we pay the price for forgetting the sun screen or sun block.
Yes, there is a difference between sun screen and sun block. Sun screen uses chemicals to absorb the harmful stuff. Sun block keeps the harmful stuff from getting to your skin in the first place.
I'm going to lay it all out right now...if you're still tanning (whether using the sun or a tanning bed) you WILL regret it later in life. Basically you have a decision to make...look good now or look good later. (I'm talking from a pure vanity standpoint here. Let's not even get into the health reasons.) Several years ago I chose "look good later," and as a result my skin has very little sun damage. I know this is going to pay off for me as I get older. Fewer wrinkles, fewer age spots, etc.
Since I've been protecting my skin from the sun for a long time, I have tried a lot of sun screens. Here are the best I've found...
Best All Around LOVE the Natural Sunscreen from Bare Escentuals (same company that makes Bare Minerals makeup). Why? Let me count the reasons! 1. It's in powder form, and the packaging makes it totally portable and spill proof. 2. When you have it on, you can't feel it. 3. You can put it on even after you have clothes on without worrying about getting anything on your clothes. 4. It's wonderful for kids. 5. It doesn't have a scent. 6. It's actually a sun block instead of a chemical sun screen, so there's less chance of a skin reaction. Is that enough for you?
I usually keep this in my purse, so if we're outside and it looks like we're going to be out for a while I can whip it out. I really fell in love with it when I was able to apply it to the top of Kate's feet without taking her sandals off!
You can find this product wherever Bare Minerals is sold. Here in Springfield: BJ Grand Salon & Spa and Ulta. Soon, you should be able to get it at the Sephora inside JC Penney.
Best If You Hate Greasy Sun Screen My biggest pet peeve about most sun screen is that you always know when you have it on. I hate that greasy, kind of slimy feeling when you sweat. It's just gross. Luckily a few years ago Neutrogena came out with their Dry Touch sun Screen, and it really is great. Once you have it on your skin feels just like it did before you put it on. Perfect.
**There is a Walgreens version of the Neutrogena Dry Touch that I've tried. It's a couple bucks cheaper, but it's not as good. It's still better than most sun screens, but it's definitely not the quality of the Neutrogena. In this case, you do get what you pay for.
You can find this product at any drug or discount store.
Best For The Face The problems with sun screen are one thing. But there's a whole other level of problems when it comes to sun screen on your face. The last thing most of us need is a greasy layer of sun screen under our makeup. Neutrogena to the rescue again! Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid is great. It's not like a typical lotion consistency...it's much thinner...like water. You can use it under makeup, and you can't even tell you have sun screen on. It absorbs immediately, so you can put your makeup on right away.
So there you have it. Those are my favorites. (And no, I am not getting paid by Neutrogena...or Bare Escentuals.) All of these sun screens block UVA and UVB rays. (They're both bad for you, so you need to make sure your sun screen or sun block takes care of both.)
Do you ever see an invention and think, "Why didn't I come up with that?" That's what happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I came across some velcro rollers at Walgreens. You've seen one velcro roller you've seen them all, right? Nope.
I use velcro rollers regularly, because they're quick and easy and they give great volume. I usually put two or three in my hair while I'm getting ready in the morning and zap them with the dryer for a few seconds. By the time I'm ready to go I take them out and my hair looks pretty good. Nothing could be simpler. There's just one problem: I'm forever searching for clips or bobby pins to keep them on my head. I know you're supposed to be able to use velcro rollers without pins or clips, but my hair is way too thick for that.
Enter Vidal Sassoon Sure Grip Rollers. These rollers are special because the clip is ATTACHED TO THE ROLLER! You can't lose it! The clip is attached by a stretchy cord (like a ponytail elastic) to one end of the roller on a bar that spans the diameter of the roller. The other end of the roller is still open, so you can still nest the smaller rollers inside.
I love these rollers! I only have one complaint. There's only one configuration of rollers you can buy. It includes mostly small rollers and only a couple of bigger rollers. I wish you can could the pick sizes you want individually and that there were bigger sizes available. Still, it's a great product and I wish I'd had the idea!
I found mine at Walgreens for about $10, but you can also find them on Amazon.
I love makeup! And whether you love makeup or not, chances are you wear it at least sometimes. Don't you want to make sure you're getting the best value for your $$$? That's what this makeup blog is all about. 
This year I picked 
I picked up a couple of things while I was there (duh), and I'd love to tell you about them. Sephora has their own line of makeup, and several of their products are designed to teach. It's a great idea, I think, because so many of us are intimidated by different techniques. I mean where exactly is my crease, and what am I supposed to do with it?
A couple of blogs ago I told you about the e.l.f. brand makeup available now at Target. It's SUPER inexpensive but nice stuff! The first time I saw the brand at Target it was only on an end cap and only kits and palettes were available. But I was there the other night, and now there is actually an e.l.f. section in the cosmetics department with more individual products. Yippy!
The other day I was itching for a new lip color. ..something fun for spring/summer. Naturally I was at Walgreens and did a little browsing around. I already own about every lip gloss color known to man, so I decided I wanted more of a lipstick. I came across 
I was perusing a magazine the other day and saw something I just had to try...a new product from 
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The item that caught my eye was the 
LOVE the Natural Sunscreen 
when you sweat. It's just gross. Luckily a few years ago 
The problems with sun screen are one thing. But there's a whole other level of problems when it comes to sun screen on your face. The last thing most of us need is a greasy layer of sun screen under our makeup. Neutrogena to the rescue again! Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid is great. It's not like a typical lotion consistency...it's much thinner...like water. You can use it under makeup, and you can't even tell you have sun screen on. It absorbs immediately, so you can put your makeup on right away.
Do you ever see an invention and think, "Why didn't I come up with that?" That's what happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I came across some velcro rollers at Walgreens. You've seen one velcro roller you've seen them all, right? Nope.
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