Thanks so much!

I love knowing that people enjoy all this craziness that I put up on Blogger. After 3 1/2 years, I still think it's a bit strange that so many people read what I have to say about Mascara and Skin Care, but I love trying out products and writing about them! Anyways, it's always great to know that people find what I write to be helpful.

Maricela over at Vivid Fusion has given me a blog award for informative posts! If you haven't checked out her blog yet you should. She's a pro makeup artist with a lot of great tips!

Thanks Maricela!

Win It! A Selection of Zann Clips

I loved Zann Clips when I reviewed them last year, and I still use them every week. If you haven't tried them yet yourself you're in luck! Today I'm starting a contest in which the lucky winner will be able to pick their own selection of 5 Zann Clips.



Zann Clips

Prize provided by the company

Super Light Foundation Coverage for Summer: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer

I bought this "foundation" about 2 or 3 months ago after hearing my friend Melissa rave about it for a few weeks. Melissa worked at a Clinique counter for years, and her makeup always looks very well pulled together, so I take her recommendations pretty seriously. She loved this product for the light coverage, ease of use and how she can't tell it is on her skin.

So, off I went to Walmart to pick a shade. And.... I hated this foundation the first couple of times I used it. Truly, just hated it with a passion. It was streaky and wouldn't blend. It didn't have my beloved medium coverage, leaving freckles visible (*gasps*). If Melissa brought it up, I just said "mmhmm, you said you liked it" and got all shifty eyed.

Then summer happened. And it became hot and humid (I AM in the midwest now after all, this isn't a surprise). I couldn't bear to look at my medium coverage foundations. I needed something lighter. I decided to give the Neutrogena a second try. It actually took a few extra tries, but once I figured out the quirks, something clicked. Now I get it. I see now why Melissa was raving, and have to share with you!

Shopping for Pre-Fall 2010 Makeup (Yes, Already!)

I am well aware that it is not even yet July, and that most of us are just now starting to hit summer temperatures and high levels of humidity. (I live in the midwest and have to spend some time in my basement hiding from funnel clouds recently, so yes, I really do know.) Usually I'm the blogger that refuses to post about upcoming seasons until it has actually hit that season, and I'm starting to feel like shopping for these things myself. This year is different though. Some pre-Fall 2010 is hitting stores now, and I am jazzed.

Jazzed? Jazzed?

Yes. Jazzed. There are some great items coming out this year, and some of them are definitely going to sell out. They'll be great additions to your summer to fall transition team, and that makes this the time to look at them. Here are some of my picks so far. Click on images to make them bigger.


Too Faced Naked Eye Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection is officially part of Fall 2010, but pre-launched early on Sephora. This collection does have their little step-by-step instruction cards to show you how to create the perfect naked eye look, and the shadows look gorgeous! Definitely not just a fall item.

Kissaholic Lip Gloss: A Plumping Gloss that Lets You Kiss!

In my quest to have fuller lips, I have likely tried almost every plumping product on the market. Despite this, I'm not sure I've ever noticed that a gloss has produced a big effect on my lip size, but I swear that sometimes things do look bigger, and I admit to kind of liking the tingling many of the products produce. I don't like it when my lips become numb though, and leave it difficult to kiss my hubby or drink without looking silly (I'm looking at that product with Venom in it's name...)

Anyways, you know that since it comes from Booty Parlor, this gloss isn't going to go to the extreme of making those lips unusable! The gloss uses Chili Fruit and Ginger Root extracts to help with plumping. You can feel the tingling, though it isn't overwhelming and certainly left me with intact sensation. Like other plumping glosses I swear I look at my lips and they look bigger. I just can't get that to translate over into a picture. But, they are!

As for the gloss, it has a faint cinnamon/minty flavor that I really liked. The gloss is not sticky (love!), and has great shine. The colors are all translucent and add just enough hint of color (my favorite is Tremble). Thanks to the Shea Butter and Vitamin E in the formula the gloss is very hydrating, and it left my lips super soft.

Kissaholic Lip Gloss by Booty Parlor

Jessica Simpson's Fancy Nights: Can She Capture a Romantic Night in a Bottle?

I have to admit that I like rooting for Jessica Simpson. True she really proved she can play the dumb blonde on her reality show Newlyweds, but since that time I do think she's tried to be more authentic and taken a lot of hits for it in the media. The girl is a "normal" size but get called out for being fat by the tabloids, had her ex describe how she is in bed to the media in detail, and made the country record she's wanted for years only to have it not sell well. I think we can call her the underdog. Who also has a line of cute but affordable bags and shoes.

Amazing Stila Palatte That You WILL WANT!

I love a good palette. I want eye shadows that work well together or with other shades. I want a pretty blush that I wouldn't have tried otherwise. An eye liner would be a great bonus. I don't really care for lippies in my palette (I like to reapply throughout the day without carrying the palette around, so I'd rather use my own).

This summer Stila is launching an amazing collection of palettes! On Stila Cosmetics.com they will be launching a travel journal detailing each Stila girl’s adventures. The first in the collection is The Road to Radiance: Across the U.S.A. Palette. There will be a new palette launched each month now until November! Yes, that's right, think of all the yummy palettes in our future!


This collectible travel palette includes 4 eye shadow shades and 1 convertible color for only $10!
• Eye Shadow in Snow Bunny (shimmery champagne)
• Eye Shadow in Southern Belle (mauve)
• Eye Shadow in Valley Girl (pink)
• Eye Shadow in City Chick (alloy)
• Convertible Color in Hibiscus

Only available on Stila's website!
Stila Travel Palettes

Weekend Links and Reads

Nancy from Beauty411 has the details on the new Coach Poppy Fragrance!

Teri from Beautiful Makeup Search asks if you want a (fake) tan like one of the infamous Kardashian sisters. Check out her thoughts on the first product in their beauty line.

Phyrra shows you Aromaleigh's new collection, Lost in Faerie!

The Makeup Divas reviews the Infiniti by Conair You Curl iron and shares pictures of her daughters hair that she did by using the You Curl iron.

The Pink Sith performs a public service by warning you about the new Sephora: Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer.

Ilana from Painted Ladies discusses the importance of reading labels in cosmetic products.

A Touch of Blusher reviews two facial serums from Bakel.

Neutrogena's Spectrum+ Sunblock Collection Review

I'm finally starting back on all of those sunscreen reviews I promised! While I recently reviewed Coppertone Sport's latest formula, this is the one that was my favorite while on vacation in Hawaii.

Why did I like it so much? Lots of reasons. This Neutrogena is very lightweight (I could feel it on my skin, but it wasn't noticeable after about 2 minutes), it had only a light sunscreen smell, and rubbed in easily. It is waterproof, though I reapplied after every swim to be sure I was being protected and wouldn't turn in to a lobster or mass of freckles.







This product line features Helioplex, which basically means they have formulated the product to have the Avobenzone (which is known to be finicky) to be very photostable.

Neutrogena Spectrum+ Face
Neutrogena Spectrum+

Lashx Lash Cleanse: Perhaps the Fastest Eye Makeup Remover Ever

I have a little bit of an obsession with finding great eye makeup removers. I have this dream of swiping once, everything is gone without any residue, I rinse and I'm done. Typically I need a few more swipes, but you get the idea.

This may be the closest I've ever been to the dream eye makeup remover. I don't even need to swipe!

Lashx Lash Cleanse was created by Celebrity Eyelash Extension Expert, Amanda Jacobellis. She realized that every eye makeup remover on the market contained glycol, which compromises the glue used on lash extensions. The result? Extension don't last as long, and there is resulting clumping and bacterial buildup (I'm assuming in the clumpy glue, the whole thing just sounds gross to me). Since this product doesn't have glycol, it is safe for those lash extensions, helping them to last longer (and look better for longer as well).

Do you need to have lash extensions to use it? Well, obviously the answer is no. It's just a great eye makeup remover. One pump of this clear gel on your fingers, then rub it on your wet lids/lashes. In about 2 seconds you'll notice that it feels like mascara just pills up and comes off immediately. It removed all of my eyeliner as well with just about 10 seconds of rubbing. It rinsed off easily with just a few splashes of water.

Just a few quick things you should know: keep your eyes closed tightly. I got a few of those little contact "pills" in my eye the first time I used this product, and it hurt. They rinsed out easily, but it still felt like sand in my eye. (Truthfully, it was totally my fault, I didn't need to open my eyes before I rinsed.) Also, it didn't take off my waterproof mascara very well. It took a few applications to take off my Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof.

Lashx Lash Cleanse by Makeup Mandy

Nordstrom's Beauty Exclusives

Every summer Nordies has their amazing collection of beauty exclusives. They offer everything from larger bottles of skin care items to unique cosmetic offerings.

If you're obsessed with a certain product, this is a great time to stock up. But for me, the real draw is the cosmetic items.

Here are my picks for this year:
• Dior Ready to Wear Palette: I love the soft, neutral colors in this palette. It looks perfect for nearly any skin tone, and has everything you need. Perfect for travel!
• Shu Uemura Eye & Cheek Palette: I love the silver tones in this palette, looks perfect for an easy smokey eye.
• Smashbox Glambox: This huge kit has pretty much everything you could ever need in it.
• NARS Hopelessly Devoted Set
• Laura Mercier Portable Beauty Collection: This set looks just amazing. Classic and fresh at the same time... I'm most likely picking up this and the Dior Palette.
• Jane Iredale Over the Moon Collection
• MAC Frisky Girl Look in a Box

Nordstrom's Annual Beauty Exclusives

Thursday Links

I fully admit that I meant to start this post for over the weekend and then got distracted. Here are some still relevant links and contests to keep you occupied until it is finally the weekend!

This summer Wella Professionals is touring the country, offering free consultations to help women discover their best haircolor and also offer discounts to local, participating salons and free products!. The tour will visit eight cities throughout the summer including New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Tända is sponsoring a great contest! They will be featured on the next episode of Hot In Cleveland, the new show on TV Land starring Betty White. Tune in this week (it's being replayed) and notice when/where the Tända is featured in the episode. Then go to the Tända website and enter! Those who enter correctly will be eligible to win the complete Tända Skincare System a $300 value!

Jurlique's Friends and Family sale is now! With the code "SUMMER25" you'll get 25% off your next on-line order. Valid until June 27th!

Brenda Novak's new book White Heat is coming out on Tuesday. In celebration, Three Custom Color Specialists is releasing a limited edition gloss! It will be a sheer and sexy hot pink gloss with silver-white and opalescent shimmer. The first 50 online customers to purchase the gloss will receive a special gift; a free autographed copy of White Heat.

Flirt Cosmetics and YMI Jeans are working together to bring you a great summer contest! Enter Here to win YMI merchandise and Flirt products!

A Face Primer for the "Blahs" Purple Lab's Pearlesque Primer

Yes, I know you are probably thinking I have now gone off the deep end and I'm testing nothing but primers. True, I do have a bit of an obsession lately, but I promise I am testing other things! I was just too excited about this one to wait longer to write my review.

Pearlesque is the latest offering from Purple Lab, and at first glance you might think that little tube is just "yet another silicone based primer." Yes, like Smashbox. Which is great, it works, but it also pills and makes some girls break out. Actually, what is in that little purple tube is much better. It is silicone free and totally different from those Smashbox wanna-bes. In truth, it doesn't even feel like a primer. It is a milky white, with a little pearlescents. It feels almost like a light moisturizer (and in fact, it is moisturizing, though you likely will need a bit more hydration if you are at all dry), and applies beautifully. You can feel it going into your skin. It blends easily, and all you need is a small amount, about the size of a big pea, to cover your whole face.

Once the primer is on you can't tell it is there, except something seems.... different. How so? Suddenly your skin seems to glow. Even on days that I don't look my best, a little bit of this primer seems to make my complexion much better. How? It does have pearl powder (though I promise it doesn't make your face shiny), as well as the moisturizing properties and even peptides in the mix. All I know is that when I use this primer, my face does look more glowy and I no longer look so blah.

To make things even better, makeup glides right on over it and lasts a few hours longer. I think it isn't actually meant to be a mattifying primer, but it did make me less shiny for a few hours anyways. I'm keeping this primer in my drawer to combat the Blahs!

Purple Lab Pearlesque Primer

Right Up My Alley: 5 Minutes to Gorgeous Kit!

I am not a morning person. I will sleep until the last possible minute, and then rush around trying to leave the house on time for work (15 minutes from hair dry to out the door, hence the name of this blog). So, you know when I hear about a product called the 5 Minutes to Gorgeous Kit that I'm going to pounce all over it!

So, what exactly is this? It's a cute little paisley bag filled with products designed to make it fast and easy to get ready.
• Concealer/Foundation: Baby Face, Almond Joy, Cafe’ Ole, Sweet Cocoa
• Blush/Bronzer with mini Kabuki 1 of 3 different tones: Absolutely Peachy, Sassy, Happy Trails Bronzer.
• EyeBling Trio with brush: liner , brow, and shadow all in one!
• Mascara in Black
• WhipStick lip gloss in a Lush, SkinnyDip or Lush.

J Lo's Wavy Hair: How to Get It

Whenever I see pictures of celebs at events, it is always the ladies with long wavy hair that have my favorite look. While there are a ton of ways to get this look (curling irons, flat irons, even hot rollers will work), Latrice Strader – Master Hair Stylist and Owner of Destiny De’Ve Salon & Spa (in Washington DC) provided some tips on how to achieve and maintain the perfect waves!

The “Right” Tools
There are a few different styling tools that will work well to achieve this loose wavy look. “A wand iron, barrel curling iron, Marcel curling iron, or even a flat iron will do the trick, providing tussled loose waves and ribbon curls,” says Latrice. You will want to use a larger barrel curling iron or flat iron for looser curls and separate smaller pieces to curl for more compact curls and waves, suggests Latrice.

Maintaining the ‘Do
To prevent this style from becoming flat and lifeless throughout the day, Latrice suggests using a leave-in serum, mousse, or styling gel to hold the style. “A light workable holding spray will also work great, and don’t forget to top the style with a finishing shine spray!” says Latrice. Sebastion, Moroccanoil, and Mizani hair products all carry a vast selection of these products for all hair types.

Lengthy & Luxurious Locks
“Hair extensions are a great way to add to more body and length to your natural hair,” says Latrice. For those looking to rock this look for an extended period of time, Latrice suggests having 100% human hair with no synthetic fibers sewn in. “Indian hair extensions are the hottest on the market right now,” says Latrice. With this hair, you have more flexibility. You can either wear it straight, or wear the texture you purchase, which can be wavy, curly, or body wave.

Destiny De’Ve Salon & Spa

Too Pretty To Use: MAC's To the Beach Highlight Powder in Marine Life

I have to admit that it took me a few weeks to break into this new highlighting powder from MAC. I just wanted to stare at the little sea horse! It felt very self indulgent to actually swipe a brush across him!

This little guy is MAC's To the Beach Highlight Powder in Marine Life, the perfect powder for those with a tan. It's a mostly translucent coral-peach shade (the gold is only embossed on the top, it doesn't seem to play into what is below), with pigmentation similar to that found in a bronzer.

On my pale skin the color didn't look quite right, but it would be perfect for someone with a tan. He's sold out on line, so if you run into him at a MAC counter, snag one!

MAC's To the Beach Highlight Powder in Marine Life

A Conversation about Sunscreen with Coppertone's Dr. Elizabeth Hale

I thought this had auto-published with my Coppertone Sport review. Unfortunately, not the case.

Coppertone arranged for Dr. Elizabeth Hale to answer some sunscreen questions! Dr. Hale is a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at NYU. Dr. Hale specializes in skin cancer and in particular Mohs Surgery to treat skin cancer, so you know she has a huge interest in prevention with sunscreen!


What do you tell your patients about the importance of sunscreen?
In general, dermatologists urge everyone to wear a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every single day. While UVB rays are the main cause of sunburn and are especially abundant in the warm summer months, UVA rays are present year-round and can pass through clouds and windows.

Does the release of this new sunscreen make advising your patients easier?
Absolutely, as an athlete myself CT Sport with Replenishing Antioxidants helps enhance the skin’s natural defenses against UV radiation during outdoor activity, which makes it a great choice for active patients.

In your mind, what are the most important features to look for in a sunscreen?
Broad-spectrum protection; UVA-blocking ingredients like photostabilized avobenzone on the label. The most important sunscreen is the one you will use every day.

In the event of a sunburn, what do you advise patients to do?
If you do slip up and get a sunburn, make sure to stay out of the sun until you have healed completely. I recommend taking an NSAID and keeping the skin moist with a good soothing moisturizer (maybe one with aloe) while it heals.

Great Bronzer for the Pale Girls: Illamasqua Bronzing Duo

I admit that while I have embraced my pale skin, I do sometimes want a hint of summer on my face! Unfortunately, most bronzers make me look dirty. Not so with this great bronzer from Illamasqua. It is more sheer than other bronzers I've tried, which makes it much more forgiving on my pale skin. It doesn't come off as dirty, and there is just a small hint of shimmer- enough to make me glow but not so much that I look greasy!

I also love that there are 2 shades in the same compact. I used the lighter as a bronzer, and the darker as my blush, but alternatively it would be great to be able to change your look depending on how tan you are that week.

Illamasqua Bronzing Duo
I borrowed a sample from the company for this review.

Illamasqua Pure Pigment

I admit that when faced with a pot of pigment, my imagination can run wild. I want to use the pigment as an eye shadow, a blush, I want to suspend it in a top coat to make my own nail polish... You get the idea. I want to use it everywhere. However, that can sometimes be difficult if the color in question is bold, or the pigment is heavy.

Well, I recently tried out this Pure Pigment by Illamasqua (this is Furore, an amazing Champagne-Peach with shimmer), and now I want to try their whole collection of pigments! I found that this pigment was very finely milled (it feels like the lightest of loose face powders), and well pigmented. A small amount will go a very long way! It blends easily and lasts for forever, whether used as an eye shadow or a highlighter.

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Furore
I borrowed a sample for this review

Coppertone Sport: UV Protection and Anti-Oxidants in 1 Step

Finally, I am starting my sunscreen reviews. It can be a little hard to try and be original when writing about sunscreens over and over, so I've decided to forgo that and we'll just be as straight forward as possible.

Coppertone Sport has long been one of my favorite sunscreens for intense sun exposure. Primarily I take it on vacation (I like to go on Hawaiian vacations where I sit by the pool and occasionally swim) and its waterproof/sweatproof formula definitely is appealing for that situation. In addition, my husband is more than willing to use it as it isn't too girly.

Weekend Links and Reads

Nancy from Beauty411 reviews new MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream Waterproof Makeup!

Teri from Beautiful Makeup Search loves her new mini-facial routine with these 3 products from Pevonia.

Phyrra gives you incentive to participate in the Zoya Nail Polish exchange by swatching her entire Zoya collection!

Raging Rouge reviews MAC Opulash Mascara, a new favorite!

Head on over to The Makeup Divas and enter to win over $200 of MAC makeup!

The Pink Sith manages to tie in Lynda Carter and applying lipstick in public pools into her latest review of BECCA Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Tatiana. See how she does it!

Elke gets the latest hair color trend for this fall from Redken.

A Touch of Blusher looks at Kanebo Lunasol's fall 2010 makeup collection.

Beauty Anonymous loves the lightness and glossiness of Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflect.

The Makeup Blogger is loving her new, fuller lashes, thanks to Talika Lipocils .

Beauty Junkie in SF finally tries the famed MAC Paint Pot in Painterly and falls in love.

Lose a Pimple Overnight? Yes Please! Votre Vu's Au Revoir Trouble Spot Treatment

Just looking at this little bottle, it sure looks like Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion, doesn't it? Both feature a liquid in which you find light pink powder. Neither are meant to be shaken. You dip in a (clean) q-tip, scoop up some of the powder, and apply to your spot, let dry. I apply at night before bed, and the next day it's gone (or at least well on its way to gone).

So, are these two treatments the same product?

Carolina Herrera Garden Party

I admit that I love Carolina Herrera. I love her personal style and the things that she designs. I see her picture from events and I just want to grow up to be her. She looks calm, collected and fashionable without being a fashion victim at all times. All of this is very good. So, I was excited to try out her new summer fragrance. If I could have just a little bit of her aura by wearing this fragrance I would be bathing in it every morning.

Top Notes: Grapefruit, Pineapple, Lemon
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Rose Petals
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar

Glancing at those notes, you would think that this is a very fruity, bright summer fragrance. Really, it's not. It's primarily a woodsy scent on me, mostly cedar with a light note of pineapple when I first apply. The affect is fresh but grounded, not something a young teen would wear. With the dry down the Jasmine does start to sneak out a little bit, adding a small floral leaning but still keeping Cedar in the forefront. Slowly the Rose Petals come a little bit more into the scent, adding a little more depth with the floral scents, though the Cedar is definitely still present, making this very much a woodsy floral.

Overall I found this to be very sophisticated, and not what I expected a "Summer" fragrance to be. Definitely one I'll be reaching for all year round.

Available exclusively at Nordstrom

Weekend Beauty Blog Network Reads

Elke is in love with and highly recommends the truly futuristic lip gloss from Lipgloss by Hourglass

Beauty Anonymous reviews Kate Magical Long Gel Mascara.

Phyrra shows you Cover Girl's answer to Urban Decay's 24/7 liners, the Liquiline Blast Eyeliner!

Beauty Junkie in SF is loving smearing on her summer glow with Hourglass Cosmetics' Illume Creme to Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset.

A Touch of Blusher has been loving YSL's Golden Gloss in Golden Pink.

The Makeup Divas reviews Too Faced Glamour Glosses.

Beauty in Real Life has the dish on the new Bobbi Brown Beach Collection!

Beauty and Fashion Tech looks at the beautiful L.A.M.B. Ultraviolet Handbags now on sale at Zappos.

The Makeup Blogger couldn't live without Obessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars in both her professional and personal kits!

Lauren Luke Looks: Easy Makeup From a Book?

Lauren Luke is a huge success because of her amazing You Tube tutorials. She somehow manages to take the most complicated looks and bring them down to much more manageable steps. She shows you exactly where she applies that bright blue eye shadow and then how much she blends it with her finger. If you don't have a pearly light pink shadow at home, she offers alternatives that would work just as well. These straight forward, easy to follow tutorials are definitely the key to her success.

Fun Weekend Links

Nancy from Beauty411 shares her top 5 sunscreen picks!.

Go back to high school with Michelle from All Lacquered Up. Vote for your favorite brands in ALU's Senior Superlatives poll and you could win a prize pack from OPI, Seche and Zoya.

Product Girl has a sneek peak at the Trish McEvoy Nordstrom Anniversary sale exclusives. They are dying over the Must Have Eye Essentials!

Teri at Beautiful Makeup Search has the details on how to touch up roots in your photos!

Purple Lab is hosting a contest over on their Facebook Page for readers to submit images inspired by their new look book. You could win a big collection of their products!

Tarte is holding a great wedding contest, the grand prize is worth over $1500!

Scientific Skin is a great anti-aging line by Dr. Kenneth Beer and includes a lot of my anti-aging holy grail ingredients like retinoids and the highly moisturizing hyaluronic acid in their products. For a limited time, when you purchase $150 of products, you will receive a free pH Balancing Cleanser.

Win It! Brazilian At Home Facial Peel

I have an exciting contest today! The Brazilian Peel is one of the hottest new Sephora exclusive products (it's so new I haven't even tried it yet), and lucky for us, I have 5 to give away!

This kit is amazing. Inside are 4 syringes, each represents a weekly peel. So, one box=1 month of peels. Inside of that syringe you will find 2 products. The first is the peel itself, a 30% glycolic acid peel with Acai (everyone's favorite anti-oxidant right now). Yes, that does sound like a strong peel. In fact, it is 5x stronger than any other at home peel system on the market right now.

However, you should not be afraid. Because also in that syringe, and therefore released at the same time as the peel, is a time released neutralizer. It stays with the peel, controls the pH (so you can't fry your face like Samantha) and gradually neutralizes the whole thing within 10 minutes. So, you simply can not mess up. Simply apply and wash off 10 minutes later.

Studies have found:
• 89% of subjects found skin to look clearer
• 91% of subjects found their skin less oily
• 100% of subjects had improvements in skin brightness in at least one area of the face
• After just one treatment, skin was softer, smoother, brighter, firmer and better toned
• After four weekly applications, Brazilian Peel visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles


I have 5 systems to giveaway, and you have until the 14th to enter. Open to US Residents only please!



Brazilian Peel

Products are being provided for free by the company

A New Holy Grail Eye Shadow Primer? Benefit Stay Don't Stray

As part of my never ending quest to try every primer on the market (it's similar to my obsession with trying every eye makeup remover, useless but fun to fill my time, and you get the benefits when I can tell you which products not to buy), I finally decided to give in to my craving for Benefit's Stay Don't Stray primer.

I have a little bit of a spotty relationship with Benefit items. I love Benetint. I've had great success with many of their primers and concealers. But some of their "amazing" quick fixes (like the Brow Zing) I've not had good luck with. So, I was a bit nervous about spending $24 on this primer, but I figured that you can only visit a product so many times at Sephora before you need to take the plunge and bring it home with you. Plus I was lured in by the promise that it is not only a primer for eye shadow, but also for concealer!

Laser Hair Removal At Home? I Try Out the Silk'n Sens Epil

First of all, let me start this post by stating that I am spoiled rotten by my husband. I did not get this product for free, a discount, or even as a loaner. My husband let me go to Sephora.com and spend big bucks on the Silk'n Sens Epil (which was cool, because I got Sephora VIB status with this purchase). He knew how tired I was of shaving every day, that I wanted to try laser hair removal at some point, and that this was a cheaper option. So, you all have my hubby to thank for this review!

I think before I explain how to use this little wonder machine at home, some explanation about hair follicles and how laser hair removal works are in order. Then you'll understand why you may (or may not be) a good candidate to purchase this. You'll also understand why you shouldn't use it once and then try to return it when you still have hair 2 days later. Or leave rude and annoying reviews about the product on sites like Sephora or Amazon because you used it once or your skin was too dark and you burned yourself. It just makes you look stupid. So, read on to educate yourself, see if you're a candidate, and whether the system worked for me.