Buxom Lash Review

With my newly lengthened (via Revitalash) eyelashes, I've been having some extra problems due to clumping and just tangled lashes. Yes, I just said tangled. I know, I know, I should be counting my lucky stars lashes, right? Well, I am, but I'll just say that I'm much more appreciative of molded plastic mascara wands that I ever was before. They really do help to separate out my lashes and prevent them from becoming a big tangled mess.

The brush on this Buxom mascara is a perfect example of a great molded brush: the bristles are spaced a little bit further apart, they do vary a little in length (which helps to pick up a few little stragglers on either end of my lash line) and it holds just the right amount of product. I don't have to really work to get the mascara on my lashes, nor do I have to fight to keep my lashes separated. I think it adds great length and volume.

The thing that I'm not quite as happy about is the staying power of this mascara. While I have no smudging or flaking issues, somehow it does just seem to disappear at the end of a long day. I didn't mess up and accidentally put a no mascara picture above in the "that night" spot. It seems as if the mascara disappears when worn over about the 12 hour mark. I still have some length but definitely lose definition and volume.

Buxom Lash

Lippie Love: MAC Cockney

Lippie Love: Bite Beauty Lip Rouge in Geranium

So, I'm showing this as a lippie because, duh, this is a Lippie Love post. And Bite Beauty only makes "lip products", but really Lip Rouge is an all inclusive product. It would be amazing as a blush. I'm just saying.

Bite Beauty Lip Rouge, is a Sephora exclusive

Lippie Love: MAC Delectable

Win It! Conair's You Wrap and Wave

Now that I've shared with you all sorts of info about Conair's curling iron alternatives, it is your chance to win one! Enter below to win a You Wrap and Wave for your very own!





Conair
The prize for this contest is provided by Conair.

Curling Iron Alternatives: You Curl and You Wrap and Wave from Conair

I fully admit to being intimidated by any hair styling tool more complicated than a curling iron. Or hot roller. Because I do actually really love me some hot rollers.

Anyways, you've probably noticed that over the past year or so, there have been a lot of new heated wandish things showing up in the hair tools area of your local salons and stores. Some of them look crazy. Seriously, how can some of these things create pretty hair? While they first seemed like a big investment (some of these double barreled things can easily run over $200), the good news is that they're pretty affordable now since Conair has started to release their versions as well. I thought we'd take a quick peek today at the You Curl and You Wrap and Wave, both from Conair.

Easy Beachy Waves: A Tutorial

I have been really obsessed with Pinterest lately! I've found some of the beauty tutorials linked on there to be very inspiring. More from a photoshop perspective than anything actually. (I'm a bit shocked by how many people link eye tutorials that start with mascara and end with shadow. Do people really do that??)

So, today I played around with Photoshop. A lot. Here's the result!

I Came from Instapundit....

This morning I found this comment in my "to be approved" page...

Hi! I came from Instapundit. I'm a guy and am not very pretty, but I'm okay with that. I don't know why Glenn linked you, but I'm gone. Goodbye.

Huh?

Instapundit... That sounded familiar. It turns out, this is why:

ANOTHER BEAUTY BLOG: Reader Terry P***** writes: “As a long time reader I have come to appreciate the power and insight provided by your blog. Keep up the good work as your blog is my first read every day. I saw the beauty blog link this morning and it made me think of my daughter-in-law’s very successful blog that she has developed over several years. I’m sure she would appreciate a mention/link in your widely read blog.”

Yup, my father-in-law loves that site. He talks about it all the time. I'm just not used to seeing it in the context of my blog.

So, what is this blog linked by Glenn? I'm not entirely certain, but lots of people were curious and came over, so let me explain what this site is.

This is a beauty blog. I write about beauty products, how to use them, how they work (or even if they work) and other fluffy products. Now, before you get all huffy thinking I'm just some Barbie doll that doesn't take life seriously, you should know about the rest of my life.

In my "real" job I'm a Pediatric ICU doctor. I spend my days with critically ill children, trying to save their lives. I put them on ventilators, put central lines in them and pump them full of medications to keep their blood pressure up. It can be very emotionally draining. So, back in 2007 when I was still in training, I needed a fluffy outlet. Something fun and inconsequential, and hence 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic was born.

So, nearly 5 years later, I'm still writing. I work "full time" as an attending PICU doctor in a semi-decent sized metropolitan area in the midwest. I save kiddos. I teach pediatric and emergency medicine residents. When I'm not at work I'm a stay at home mom (about 80% of my time) to a 9 month old. I'm married to an amazing college professor. Oh, and I write a blog about makeup and skin care and such.

I use my medical background to discuss the science behind quite a few products, though I don't have the full understanding of a dermatologist. This is probably good, since I can then explain things at a more basic level a bit more easily. I like to explain things a lot, so I tend to have very wordy and long posts. Like this one. I usually have the more in depth product reviews or explanations.

So, welcome! While you're here you might want to check out:
• How to Create Your Own Anti-Aging Skin Care Routine
• How to Pick a Sunscreen and Use it Properly
• Silk'n Sens Epil: Laser Hair Removal at Home?
• Skin Care Products to Avoid While Pregnant
• My Current Favorite Products
• How to Use Concealer and Color Corrector to Cover Undereye Issues

Trish McEvoy Golden Bronzer

I harp on and on about how super pale I am. Really, I am very pale. Really pale. But not the good pale, a'la Nicole Kidman or Julianne Moore. No, this is the pale that needs to be brightened up a tad, lest I look ill.

I tend to do most of my brightening up with a MAC beauty powder, since they're so sheer the light pink isn't very obvious. I veer away from most bronzers since they make me look orange or like I forgot to wash my face. For the last week or so I've been in love with this bronzer from Trish McEvoy.

This bronzer is matte, without a sparkle of glitter in sight (thank goodness!) and when applied with a light hand I can't see any of the usual tell tale "I am wearing bronzer" color. Instead, I just look like I slept well. I've been using Trish's #62 Fan Brush to apply, though if you wanted a heavier application I'd go for #37 the Bronzer Brush.

Trish McEvoy Bronzer

Lippie Love: MAC New Temptation

MAC

Lippie Love: L'Oreal Infallible Plumping in Pumped Red

I've had this gloss in my sample box for a long time. I'm pretty sure L'Oreal gave it to me when I attending a blogging event in NYC about...2 years ago? When I pulled it out a few weeks ago I was in search of more reds. But, this red seems much more wearable than many other reds. I think it is partly because it is a gloss (it is a tad translucent so my own lips shine through), but the color is a bit pinker than I had expected once applied. It is a plumping gloss, though I didn't have any of the burning/unpleasant sensations that are typical of a plumping product. It does make my thin lips look bigger as well. All around this gloss is a success!

L'Oreal Paris

Diane by Diane von Furstenburg Fragrance Review

I full admit to being a DVF fan. I love her clothing (though it is usually a tad out of my price range. And I'm a doctor.), I love her crusade against counterfeit goods and love that she's done it all on her own terms. When I heard that she was releasing her first new fragrance in about 8 years I had to try it out!

Diane is a woody floral that features the Frangipani flower, which has long been Diane's favorite. Frangipani is a large white flower that Diane first discovered on a trip to Bali, so you know that it isn't a "typical" white floral. It has been combined with Freesia, Pink Peppercorn, Patchouli and musk.

Notes:
Top Notes: Pink Peppercorn and White Freesia
Middle Notes: Frangripani,Violet
Base Notes: Myrrh, Musk, Patchouli

When I initially apply Diane I get a whole lot of Pink Peppercorn and a little bit of something floral, which I think is the Frangripani. I'm not a Pink Peppercorn fan (I've refused to review fragrances in the past that heavily feature this note), so it's a good thing that with the dry down it diminishes! I just grin and bear it.

For me, the dry down was unusually long at about 30 minutes. Once I've gotten through it, the Pink Peppercorn has faded somewhat, and the florals have come forward a bit. I can now smell the Freesia and Frangripani, though there is just a bit of a violet edge. The Pink Peppercorn is still present but no longer demanding attention and everything is grounded by a little bit of a quiet patchouli and a slightly heavier musk. While describe as a woody floral, I definitely did feel it was more woody floral with a bit of an oriental twist.

With so much of a woodsy feel, I did think that the fragrance was trying for the sexy vibe, and somewhat succeeding... though perhaps trying a tad too hard to get there? I can see this as a great fragrance for heading out in an overly ambitious dress and sky high heels. But it doesn't seem to be a good match for the understated sexy wrap dresses that Diane has designed to build her empire.

Diane by Diane von Furstenburg

Lippie Love: Lip Savvy Love Game

This color was much softer than I had expected once applied. It feels hydrating, though it is a little bit sticky. I didn't mind because this stuff seriously tastes amazing! It's sweet and a bit fruity. I can't really describe it any better than that. I had a hard time not eating it off my lips!

The gloss includes anti-oxidants to help fight aging and a ton of ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, to add moisture and plump things up a bit.

Lip Savvy

Bel Mondo Beauty: Moisture + Bio-Cellulose = Glow

Lately, my amazing hubby has been helping me carve out a few (ok, maybe 15-20) extra minutes for some morning pampering. It isn't do-able every day, but about once a week he balances our dog (super old, some strange spinal condition so he wears two diapers for accidents not to mention his anxiety and weakness issues) and super energetic and sometimes clingy 9 month old. All in the name of letting me spend some extra time under the shower and maybe have a chance to squeeze in a bit of pampering for myself. When this happens, I break out a mask!

This weekend I used a new type of mask for me, an infused bio-cellulose mask from Bel Mondo. Bio-cellulose is artificially created in a lab. It is 200x finer and 4x stronger than cellulose from plants/wood. The process takes 10 days, basically putting a special bacterial formula into a mold and letting things grow, though I'm sure there is a lot of special care that goes into this along the way.

The film is amazing. It is actually pretty thick (I think it feels at least 1 mm thick), and is somewhat translucent. It can hold up to 100x its dry weight in fluid, so a lot of active ingredients can be infused. Then, once you put it on the skin it is so pliable that it lies very easily on the skin surface. Obviously this has medical uses such as burn and wound dressings, but here we're using it for something much more mundane. A face mask.

The mask itself is somewhat large (it will definitely fit your face!), and there are holes in it for your eyes, nose and mouth. The directions talk about removing outer layers in a certain order as you apply it, blah blah blah. I found it too hard to move the mask around this way. I ended up removing the outer layers so I could just position the mask itself. I found this much easier for application. The mask is thick and has some strength, though it isn't super strong. I didn't tear it at all, but I would just treat it fairly gingerly. Once it is positioned where you want it, smooth out the bio-cellulose and fold flaps under the mask for access to your eyes.

The mask feels somewhat heavy (I guess that is the 100x its dry weight in fluid!), and is cool. I found it to be a bit cold for me, though in the future I'll probably warm it up by putting the mask in warm water for a bit before opening it. It is definitely moist! Leave it on for about 20 minutes, and then simply pull the whole thing off. The mask does not dry at all, so there will be a lot of left over liquid on your face. Rub it in to your skin (it does absorb pretty quickly) for added moisture. It leaves a very light residue, though I could apply makeup later without an issue.

I used the Anti-Aging mask, which contains a ton of moisture with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and ceramides. It also contains peptides, which yes do need to work over time, but a little boost every now and then certainly isn't going to hurt. Mostly I loved the huge boost in moisture, I was definitely glowing after my treatment!






Bel Mondo Beauty

Verve Firm Commitment: Extra Anti-Oxidant Punch for Your Anti-Aging Skin Care Regimen

Verve was released over the summer, and I've been trying it (somewhat on and off) since that time. The line was developed with a high amount of anti-oxidants to help prevent aging. As well, doesn't it seem like all of the derm developed lines contain a high SPF with broad spectrum UV coverage? You get that here as well.

Three-in-One Daily Protection Lotion
According the Verve, this bottle contains as much anti-oxidant power as 500 (!) cups of green tea. As well, it helps to fight sun damage with broad spectrum UV coverage (the anti-oxidants do that as well) and helps to moisturize.

This product is meant to be an all inclusive product for the morning. Sure is hard to skip your daily sunscreen when it is included in your moisturizer, isn't it?

This lotion is a tad thicker than many daily lotions, but isn't anywhere near creme territory. It is an off white color and definitely has a sunscreen scent. The smell does go away after application, but I think this is pretty much a universal trait of all products with Avobenzone, there's no way around it. The lotion does sink in pretty well, though there is a light sunscreen residue.

I initially tried out this product during the summer, and I was having quite a bit of issue with the leftover residue on my skin. I had some problems applying thick liquid foundations over it (they required a little extra time to blend), but a lighter consistency foundation had no problems. I decided to wait until the weather cooled off and my skin (which is combination) turned a bit drier. This did the trick- I had less residue (though still just a small amount, again I think this is unavoidable with Avobenzone) and I was able to apply pretty much anything over it without an issue. So, I'd say this lotion works best for those with normal to dry skin, in my oilier summer state it wasn't ideal.

Note that this lotion complies with all of my pregnancy safe skin care requirements, which is hard to find. I'm very conservative with the ingredients I'll expose my baby to, so I use those as my criteria for "pregnancy safe." This is definitely the highest SPF lotion of the ones I'd use during pregnancy, so check it out if you're fair or live in a sun belt area.

SPF 45








Other ingredients:
• Caffeine: This is actually #2 on the ingredient list (I've never seen it that high!) and caffeine does provide a temporary tightening effect.






Antioxidant Face Moisturizer
I used this light creme as a nighttime facial moisturizer during the summer, though it is light enough that I could probably use it as a morning moisturizer in the winter when my skin is drier. It has almost no scent and feels very hydrating as it is applied. With the added moisturizing ingredients over the lotion, it is definitely more hydrating, but it sinks into skin fairly quickly and there is no residue left behind. I have had no problems applying makeup over it this fall, though it is too hydrating for me to do this during the summer.


Other ingredients: Squalene, Glycerin, Ceramides, CoEnzyme Q10, Urea






Verve Skin Care is available at Futuristic Beauty