Tuesday, December 22, 2009

RIP Prescritpives Cosmetics

Cry Cry Cry!!

Effective in January, Prescriptive counters everywhere will close! This is a bummer! = (

Prescriptives custom blend foundation is one of the first "high-end" products that I ever bought. What can be better than a foundation custom blended to match your skin! And custom blended loose powder too! (According to the Prescriptives website, the custom blend foundation and powder will still be available on-line as long as you have your recipe, you can save it in your profile). Their popular fragrance, Calyx, will still be sold in select department stores and on-line.

I use alot of different foundations, but one of my favorites is Prescriptives Flawless Skin. It is fabulous and I will really miss it! I plan on stocking up on a few extra bottles while their still around and using it on special occasions only! LOL!

So if your a Presciptives fan, better run out and stock up on your favorites before they're all gone!


FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Prescriptives. Products were purchased by me and these are my honest opinions.

REVIEW - Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion

I decided to pick this up and try it since my trusted staple body lotion CeraVe was not cutting it this winter. If you have seen the commercials on this, it claims to "penetrate all 3 layers of your surface skin". Well there is no way I can tell if it does that or not, but so far this lotion is working out great! I apply it in the morning after my shower while my skin is still somewhat damp. This is keeping my skin comfortable throughout the day and the night. It is not sticky or tacky in my opinion, but I am used to using thick creams due to my dry skin. I got this in Botanical Blend fragrance and it smells AWESOME!! Please let me know if you try it and what your thoughts are! It is $7.99 per bottle.

Link to coupon for $1.50 off!



FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Vaseline. This product was purchased by me and this is my honest opinion.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

REVIEW - Kirkland for Borghese 2009 Makeup Brush Set from Costco

I saw alot of raves for this makeup brush set on makeupalley. Me, being the makeup brush whore that I am (LOL), for $20 I had to have them!

You get your basic eye and face brushes, a pretty nice carrying case for them and a smaller travel brush set in a carrying case and an eyelash curler.

These are pretty good brushes! The powder brush alone is worth $20 in my opinion, it is AWESOME! And the eyeshadow brush, is just as good, if not a little bit better than my MAC 239 brush which costs $22 by itself!

If you are just starting out with makeup brushes, this set is a must have!!


FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Costco, Kirkland, or Borghese. These products were purchased by me and these are my honest opinions.

REVIEW - New Revlon PhotoReady Foundation & Finishing Powder

Being a big fan of Revlon ColorStay foundation I just had to try the new Revlon PhotoReady foundation. And since CVS had BOGO on all Revlon products, I decided to go ahead and get the new Revlon PhotoReady finishing powder too. Revlon is trying to cash in on the High Definition foundation craze. I have previously tried Make Up Forever HD foundation and Cargo Blu-Ray HD foundation. Both of which are over $30 and I hated them! They both oxidized on my face something fierce!

The PhotoReady foundation, I would describe as medium, buildable coverage. It comes in a pump bottle! (Revlon PLEASE start offering the Colorstay in a pump bottle)! It is not as runny as CS. It is SPF 20. It does not come in as many shades as the CS but I found my perfect match in one of the lightest shades as usual, Shell-003. Vanilla-002, which is lighter is a decent match as well, but more with yellow-undertones, where Shell is more pink-undertoned. For some reason, no one in my area is carrying Ivory-001 which is the lightest shade available.

I apply with my favorite brush for liquid foundation, the Coastal Scents large buffer brush. It is very easy to blend, the match to my skin is near perfect. This has a little sparkle to it, it is a little more apparent in the sunlight, so if you prefer a matte finish, this is not for you.

The finishing powder is good too. I don't find anything particularly special about it, but it is a good setting powder for the money, especially since it was BOGO!

All in all I am very impressed! A nice little addition to my foundation arsenal!

Photo courtesy of okayphillistine




FTC Disclaimer: I am not associated with Revlon. These products were purchased by me and these are my honest opinions.

Monday, December 7, 2009

The Dry Winter Blues

I am sure some of you girls share my dilemma. Every winter as soon as the temp goes below 40 and the heaters come on, my skin becomes painfully dry, everywhere! Hands, face, body, and scalp! My hair gets really dry too. Here are some tricks I have learned over the years to soothe my dry skin & hair!

1. Exfoliation is key during the winter months to get rid of the flaky skin and to prep your skin to absorb your moisturizer better. I exfoliate everyday using a micro fiber cloth with my cleanser and I use my Clinique 7 day scrub cream every other day. I also do a micro-dermabrasion/peel treatment once a week and an intense scrub once a week as well (MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator).

To exfoliate my body, I scrub with a micro fiber cloth and a moisturizing body wash everyday and once a week I use a scrub. You can use any inexpensive scrub you can find at Wal Mart or make your own with sugar and olive oil.

2. Moisturize! I have to intensify my moisturizers in the winter, switching from lotions to creams. I am a big fan of Cetaphil Cream. Its inexpensive and works great for everyday! Since I use Retin A, I can get a little irritated on some days, so occasionally I will treat my face with either Lancome Nutrix Cream or Welada Skin Food. These are really thick but great for an intense moisturizing treatment.

For my body, I love CeraVe lotion or cream for everyday use. At night I use a body lotion with Alpha Hydroxy in it on my really dry areas. And if I am running late in the morning, after cleansing my body I will rub baby oil all over it and then "rinse" it off. This is a good trick if you don't have alot of time to rub lotion all over in the morning!

3. Hands - My hands are the worst in the winter because I am a little OCD and wash them alot! For general use during the day I like the AVO Juice Skin Quencher lotions by OPI. At night I will do a moisturizing "treatment". When I do this, I wake up with soft silky hands and it usually lasts pretty good throughout the day. First, I use a scrub on my hands to get rid of all the flaky skin. Then I use a lotion with Alpha Hydroxy acid in it. Then I rub a dollup of CeraVe in. Then I cake on Vaseline Clinical Strength lotion, not rubbing it in and I put on moisturizing gloves and hit the sheets! This seems like alot of product, but this moisturizing "cocktail" really does the trick for me!

4. Hair - Usually in the winter, I have to switch to washing my hair every other day and I try to let it air dry when possible. Blow dryers can really dry your scalp out. Once a week, I will use a deep conditioning mask. I like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair mask or Grund Tiger mask. Sometimes I will leave this in overnight. If I do blow dry I always use a heat protectant. I am also loving the new hair "cleansers". You may have seen the infomercial for "Wen by Chaz Dean". This one is pretty expensive, but Sally's makes a great "knock off" called "Hair One". I like the olive oil one, it is specifically for dry scalps. These hair "cleansers" also save time in the morning because they are one step shampoo and conditioner in one.

For lips, see my earlier post on tricks for dry chapped lips.

Hope that helps!

FTC Disclaimer: I was not paid for mentioning any products in this post, nor were any of them provided to me free of charge. All of the mentioned products were purchased by me and these are my honest opinions.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

My Holy Grail Items

In honor of my favorite web community, makeupalley, here are some of my holy grail items. I thought I'd list a high end and a drugstore item in each category!

High end items listed first, drugstore ones second.

Foundation:
Calvin Klein Infinite Matte Liquid Foundation (sadly discontinued)
Revlon Colorstay

Loose Powder
Laura Mercier Translucent
ELF Mineral Booster

Pressed Powder
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
Sonia Kashuk Bare Minimum

Bronzer
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess
ELF Warm Bronzer

Blush
MAC Melba
Jane Blushing Cheeks in Orchid Shimmer

Eyeshadow Primer
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

Eyeshadow Base
MAC Paintpot in Painterly
NYX Eyeshadow Base in Skin Tone

Eyeshadow
MAC Eyeshadow in Cork & Blanc Type (sorry couldn't pick just one!)
Wet & Wild Eyeshadow Palette in Paradise Cove

Pencil Eyeliner
Urban Decay 24/7 in Underground
Loreal HIP Chrome Eyeliner in Black

Gel Eyeliner
MAC Fluidline in Dipdown
Wet & Wild gel eyeliner in Eggplant

Mascara
Make Up Forever Smokey Lash
Apple Lash

Lipstick
Estee Lauder Pure Color in Pure Eden (sadly discontinued)
Maybelline ColorSensational in Blushing Brunette

Lip Gloss
MAC Lipglass in Underage
Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Endulging

Hope you all enjoyed this!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

My Current Skin Care Regimen

Alot of people ask me about this and I know alot of people will think I'm nuts but here goes!!

AM
Cleanse with Cetaphil and a Micro-Fiber Cloth
SkinEffects Eye Cream
Avalon Organics Vitamin C Serum
Cetaphil SPF 15 Moisturizer
Cetaphil Cream if I'm extra dry

PM Every other night
Remove Makeup with MAC Cleanse off oil or a MAC wipe if I'm feeling lazy
Cleanse with MD Forte III Cleanser and my Clarisonic
Tone with Thayers Rose Water alcohol free toner
MD Forte Eye Rejuvination Cream
Retin A Micro
Cetaphil Cream ONLY if I am super dry so as to not buffer the Retin A

PM on the other nights
Remove makeup with MAC cleanse off oil or a MAC wipe if I'm feeling lazy
Cleanse with Aqua Glycolic cleanser and my Clarisonic
Tone with Clinique Clarifying toner
Peter Thomas Roth Anti Wrinkle Peel Pads
SkinEffects Eye Cream
Eucerin Q10 Anti Wrinkle Cream

Every Sunday
Deep cleansing/moisturizing Mask made with Aztec Healing Clay, Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey
Olay Micro-Dermabrasion & Peel Kit

Every Wednesday
MAC Volcanic Ash exfoliator
MAC Volcanic Ash thermal mask

This regimen changes frequently but some staples always stay the same!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

My Top Ten Beauty Products Under $10

In no order.....

1. ELF Studio Line - Warm Bronzer
This is a fabulous product I use it almost everyday! And it's only $3!
2. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
The good old standard, never want to be without this!
3. Apple Lash Mascara
This mascara is the bomb! It lengthens, thickens and holds curl better than any other I have tried!
4. Sally Girl eyeshadows
These eyeshadows are only 99 cents at Sally Beauty Supply, you need a primer but they come in lots of colors. They even
hook together to make your own custom palette!
5. Cover Girl Classic Blush in Soft Mink
This is an awesome shimmery neutral color, I love it. Staying power is also pretty good!
6. Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Blushing Brunette
Per my previous post, this is my fave!
7. Monistat Anti- Chafing Gel
Yes, girls I use this as a foundation primer. It is the same as Smashbox Photo Finish primer and it is only $6!
8. NYX Smokey Eyes Palette
I love NYX shadows, they are closely comparable to MAC for a fraction of the price. This palette has every color you need to
create a classic or neutral smokey eye. And all for $8!
9. NYX Blush in Peach
This blush is a wonderful pinky-peach color and the staying power is fabulous!
10. Ecotools 5 piece Bamboo Brush Set
This brush set is $9.99 at Walgreens. These brushes are great for the price and you have all the basics here with a nice
little canvas travel case!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Review - Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick

Over the past several months I have picked up several, no, many of the new ColorSensational lipsticks by Maybelline. I can't walk into a Walgreen's, CVS, Or Wal-Mart without hitting the cosmetics section (insert lecture from husband here) and have often seen these on BOGO. I think I have 10 of these now! I am by no means a makeup snob, there are alot of drugstore items that I love, but I have not had good experiences with drugstore lippy's. What I want in a lipstick is staying power without drying, no feathering, I want it to look the same on my lips as it does in the tube, and all for a price that doesn't break the bank! Is that too much to ask? LOL! Well, these lippy's are pretty close to perfect for me. There are so many colors to chose from, reds, pinks, plums, & neutrals. The staying power on these is great and they do not dry my lips out at all! I even found a red I can pull off on my fair skin, Red Revival. Out of the 10 or so that I have, I have 4 that are my faves and I find myself reaching for them alot more than any of my high-end lipsticks.

Nearly There - This is a pinky-beige and is great when your going for a nude lip. It is a little frosty but still opaque enough for the popular nude lip look.

Born With It - This is a frosty light pink, great subtle lip when your doing a smokey eye.

Plaza Pink - Your basic candy pink, a great everyday color.

Blushing Brunette - I am loving this one for fall! It is a warmer brownish pink, great with my coloring. This one is probably my most favorite.

Overall these lipsticks are awesome and a great value!

Swatches (I am not the greatest picture taker!) In order: Red Revival, Blushing Brunette, Born With it, Nearly There, Plaza Pink.

Monday, November 16, 2009

My New Clarisonic

So, for my birthday, my best girls all chipped in and got me a Clarisonic Mia. (it's even pink, my fave color!). I started using this skincare brush about a month ago and I have to say I am VERY impressed! I have pretty normal, un-problematic skin anyway, but have definitely noticed some changes since I started using it. I use it once a day, at night after removing my makeup. I have about 3 cleansers I rotate between, Cetaphil, MD Forte III Cleanser, and Aquaglycolic (which one I use depends on what I plan on doing after cleansing, Retin A, micropeel, etc). After I remove my makeup with a cleansing oil (or makeup wipe if I'm feeling lazy) I slather on my cleanser, wet the Clarisonic brush a bit, and turn it on. I move all over my face in small circular motions. It turns off automatically after 2 minutes. Splash some water on my face and ta da! Smooth, glowy skin! I didn't have large pores to begin with but I swear their practically invisible now. And the few blackheads I would get on and around my nose, GONE! I haven't had any issues with purging, or irritation or anything. I did switch to the delicate brush for my face and will use the sensitive one on my body. If you have a chance to get this, I think it is well worth it!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

To Bronze or not to Bronze??

Ladies, I would like your opinions please! I picked up a book this weekend by a well known makeup artist. I won't mention the name. One of the things she mentioned in her book was that you should use bronzer in the summer and not in the winter? Am I missing something? Because I am the exact opposite! I get a little color in the summer, so I don't usually reach for one of my bronzers, but in the winter, I am back to being pasty so I use bronzer everyday! I think a few sweeps of a matte or slightly shimmery bronzer makes a huge difference on my skin in the winter. So what do you think?

Dry, chapped lips??

Every year around this time, dry, chapped, peeling lips start to become an issue for me. Over the years, I have tried every lip balm & lip treatment out there. And while different things work for different people, here are the things that work for me to cure those wintry lips!

1. Don't lick your lips! When your lips are feeling dry, a quick swipe with your tongue seems like a good idea right? WRONG. Licking your lips just makes it worse because the moisture just evaporates quickly off of your skin.

2. Exfoliate your lips regularly. In the morning I give my lips a few good strokes with my tooth brush after brushing my teeth. At night, I use a scrub formulated for the lips. I like Laura Geller Lip Strip or the scrub step of Mary Kay Satin Lips. For a natural, home remedy mix a little sugar with olive oil.

3. At night after I exfoliate my lips, I use my Holy Grail lip treatment. Lansinoh. Yes ladies I use nipple cream on my lips! Think about it, lips/nipples, same kind of skin right? I put some of this on my lips at night and I awake to smooth, comfortable, and I swear fuller looking lips! You can get this in the baby section at Wal Mart.

4. Throughout the day, I love to use Aquaphor Healing Ointment or my trusted staple since I was 13, Dr Pepper Lip Smackers! If you like a tingle in your lip products Burts Bees lip balm and Carmex are great too!

Hope this helps!