length, width and height

I LOVE THIS STUFF. It’s Smashbox’s Mascara Primer ($16.) Not only does it plump up the jamz  volume, it has panthenol in…which I swear made my lashes grow longer.  And because we all try to scrape every last morsel of mascara out of the side of the tube, I know you’ll appreciate the fact that with layering a  mascara primer, you won’t have to apply many coats of your favorite mascara; lengthening your mascara’s life here on earth. 

The best drugstore mascara primer is Maybelline’s XXL Volume + Length mascara. A primer on one side, mascara on the other. 

retail therapy

Anyone working in the retail world has at least one story to share.  There are many farfetched stories about bloody tampons and droppings in dressing rooms; accounts providing outrageous human behavior.       I was helping a man wearing a stretchy tight Under Armour shirt with mirrored wrap-around sunglasses and combat boots. After deciding on which fragrance he wanted to purchase for his loved one, he mumbled something that sounded awfully close to, “I just need to get my money out of my shoes.” Well, my ears are still in working order. He sat down and pulled a soaking wet $100 bill out of his boot.I panicked about how to react. I didn’t want to offend him and pick his money up with a tissue…so, I just took it. Bare handed.   

skin so soft

I really apologize for falling into the gap, again. The holidays, retail meltdowns, a break up and a birthday have all kept me preoccupied.  

Let’s talk skin. 

The proper face regime goes as follows:

1. Remove eye makeup gently. The cheapest way to remove eye makeup is simply baby oil. My mom has used it since I can remember. Squirt it on a cotton round and hold over your eyelid for a good 10 seconds, then wipe down and remove any access residue.

2. Exfoliate. You either exfoliate or you don’t. Most people don’t. And other people do it too frequently. The average person should exfoliate 2-3 times a week. If you are oily, you should do it even more. Dry skinned folks usually think that exfoliating daily will be the best way to sludge off the dry feeling, but I’ve been trained that it does the opposite. But of course, it really just depends on YOUR SKIN. These are just guidelines. Make sure you use one with gentle round beads. Those harsh sandy-like ones may leave your skin soft but they are really ripping at your skin . 

3. Cleanse. One of my favorite face washes that works for all skin types is Neutrogena Deep Clean, which runs for about $6. I’ve used this one since middle school. It leaves my face feeling really refreshed. 

4. Toner. Toning is an important part of your regime. Not only does it remove any residue your face wash left behind, but it hydrates and prepares the skin for moisturizer. I promise that you will use less moisturizer if you apply it on a freshly toned face- so fresh it’s still damp.  I’ll get into moisturizers and eye creams next time. Until then, comment and let me know if you have any tips or products you can’t live without!

who doesn’t love a freebie?

I was reading in a beauty insider magazine at work about a new hair care line called Organix. Not that anyone cares, but the Organix rep was late for his meeting with Target and only had a few minutes to present his pitch to the buyers. Target was sold.So was I. And right now, until the 3/30/08 you can get a full mail-in-rebate! So try it! If you don’t like it, hey, at least it was free! UPDATE: I LOVE THIS SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER. TRY IT!!!

the mascara era

I want to apologize for being out of commission for so long. I was really unhappy with the blog host I was using so I am giving wordpress a chance to impress me- so far, so good.

So let’s get down to business.

Mascara is a beautiful thing. I know I probably wear too much- but I just love the over-the-top eye makeup look of 60s and 70s, when women would put their lashes on every single day. I would go nutzo if I did that – I had a mild panic attack while trying to apply them for a Halloween party a few weeks ago. Lesson learned- don’t do your own.

We are no longer in that beautiful era of “putting your face on.” Instead we are throwing makeup on at every red light as we make our drive to work. We want perfect products that do the job ASAP.

I’ve been on a journey for the perfect mascara my entire life, and was always left short-lashed. In the famous words of my favorite MTV’s Made episode, where Jackie wants to perform a snazzy number to the theme of Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights in the high school talent show—

“NOT ANYMOOORRE!”

The two best mascaras in the world are:

L’Oreal Voluminous and CHANEL Inimitable Mascara

watermelon crushes

Eww peachfuzz city! I need to start shaving.

Let's talk lipgloss- my favorite subject. It's sickening that I own 52 lipglosses, but I have no doubt in my mind that some of you own more than that.

Lancome Juicy Tubes are my personal favorite. For a whopping $17.50, you can expect to have the shiniest lips in town. Juicy Tubes give you a high gloss shine and perfect amount of stickiness! The colors range from sheerest of the sheer to the boldest of the bold and flavors are not overpowering. These puppies tend to stay on forever, but don't expect it to last through your food court lunch.

Can't imagine spending $17.50 for a lipgloss? Great news, Lancome and L'Oreal are the same company, so you can count on finding similarities between the lines. L'Oreal's Colour Juice is the cheaper version of a Juicy Tube. There aren't as many color choices as the Juicy Tubes and the rounded tip tends to cause a mess within the twist-on cap, but penny pinching sometimes has it's baby drawbacks.

May your gloss be with you.

Christy

buh-bye insecurities!

I’m gonna go right out and claim that Amazing Cosmetics concealer is the best concealer in the galaxy!

Yes, they DO make shades of green for all you extraterrestrials out there.

But on the real, this concealer covered my tattoo for my sister’s wedding way better than any Dermablend ever could. The creamy consistency is very thick, but don’t think cakey; because it is heavily pigmented, you only need a pin-drop to cover any vomit-inducing imperfection. The Amazing Cosmetics concealer looks natural and gives a flawless finish. It’s the perfect remedy for dark circles! This concealer does not sit in the lines around my saggy bags (ahem..UNDER MY EYES) after smiling or squinting like how most concealers do.

Dab it on with a brush and then tap it out with your finger for the most natural look.

I haven’t sold you on it yet? What if I told you Rachel McAdams used this concealer in everyone’s favorite movie, The Notebook. I’d buy it just to be 1/3,000,000 times closer to resembling Miss Perfection, herself.

The big buddy costs a whopping $40, but I would suggest you get the half-sized tube for $28; by the time you’d finish the big one, it would be long expired. I have a feeling the smaller one would last close to a year. Get yours at Sephora or Ulta.

Sent from God?

I recently burnt my arm while pulling a casserole out of the oven. I used Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream ($16) on my burn for about a week. Not only did it heal my battle wound (believe me, I'm not used to using an oven ever since I got a George 5 years ago,) Eight Hour Cream healed it faster! No scar!

Ignore the smell and repair your cracked, dry skin. Eight Hour Cream has soothing properties for minor skin irritations: bug bites, eczema, or scratches. The name stems from the claim that it can soothe any minor skin irritation within, you guessed it, eight hours. It did take longer for my burn to heal, but my pain was *poof!* gone within the first day of application.

My friend Matthew was attacked by a dog last year, used Eight Hour Cream, and sped up his healing process. AND no scars.

Downside? It's slightly greasy. And it smells like your grandmother.

But how often do you get mauled by dogs or actually cook?

first, base

One thing I feel you should treat yourself to is a good foundation. Drugstore foundations just don’t cut it, in my opinion. They sit on your skin and you LOOK like you are wearing foundation. Remember that girl in high school who would always have orange face because she’d buy a darker color? She is the reason foundation has such an “eww” reputation. Forget about her! She’s lame and probably stuck working the register at the drugstore you bought your cheap foundation at. The right foundation makes your skin look flawless AND boosts your confidence.

First off, what are your biggest concerns about your skin?

Do you wake up with a shiny face? Or do you start getting shiny around lunch time? A true oily person will start to see shine about 30 minutes after they wash their face.

If you are oily, I suggest you diagnose yourself with an oil-controlling foundation. Chanel’s Double Perfection Fluide ($42.50) gives a sheer to medium coverage, and helps control oil and shine throughout the day. This foundation looks beautiful on the skin and comes in 9 shades.

I am a HUGE Prescriptives foundation fan. It’s a wonderful line to check out if you are having a hard time finding the right shade. It’s also the quickest place to find the right match. Prescriptives will colorprint you to discover your undertone- so nothing is too pink, too orange or too yellow. They really take the stress out of finding the right shade. They have a wide range of darker shades, where other lines are lacking. You have the option to get a Custom Blend, where the beauty analyst will make your foundation right in front of you, to suit you and only you. Although Custom Blend foundation costs a hefty $62, if you are really fair, extremely dark or just having a hard time getting matched, it might be worth spending a little extra for this option. Just skip going out to eat that evening!

Try Flawless Skin! It gives a medium to full coverage, but don’t let that scare you, your skin wont look pasty or thick. Flawless Skin is a doctor-designed foundation that has a wonderful texture and gives your face a radiant dewy look…think America’s Next Top Model. Flawless Skin is great for normal to dry skin.

This topic will always be “to be continued…”

who wants the face of a has-been?

How do you feel about the Dancing With The Stars cast? Have you ever noticed they are all has-beens and never-were-beens? When I see these people trying to keep their face on something, I silently pray a quick “Bless their heart” for trying so hard. Yet, I want nothing to do with what they are doing. Do I watch Dancing With the Stars? No way. And celebrity endorsements? Obviously the product isn’t quality enough to sell itself. Milk ads are excluded from this statement because I’d still drink the stuff if it ever went out of style because, let’s face it, those celebs just look so cute with their white ‘staches!!

So why would you purchase a product endorsed by a has-been? Leeza Gibbons hosted Entertainment Tonight for 25 years, but the only thing I remember about her were her long long legs. As a has-been, not only has she enrolled herself on Dancing With The Stars, she is now the voice of yet another mineral cosmetic line, Sheer Cover.

While Bare Minerals is sold in stores, Sheer Cover is sold strictly through the internet and through infomercials. I can’t quote that, it might be sold in stores, but I’ve never seen it. Like I said before, obviously the product can’t be quality enough to sell itself. Why would you purchase makeup without trying it on? ESPECIALLY if it’s for your face. I can’t say I’ve tried Sheer Cover, but you are cheating yourself if you settle for this product.

I know these first two posts make it seem like I hate mineral makeup. I don’t. I love it. I just refuse to let you order any product online or over the phone (besides, phone orders? heelllooo it’s 2007!!) if you’ve never tried it before. If you already love your Bare Minerals and have young skin, more power to you. I definitely don’t suggest it for any skin that’s starting to age. It flaunts lines.

I’ve also heard a lot of women complain that Bare Minerals makes their face itch.

If you love the whole idea of mineral makeup, but are turned off by my negative thoughts towards these other lines, I would really suggest a different way to swirl-tap-buff…with a sponge. Urban Decay’s Surreal Skin ($28) and Philosophy’s Supernatural Airbrushed Canvas ($35) are great alternatives. The application is easy with these; you just pat them on and blend it out (I choose to blend in a circular motion just for giggles.) I’ve compared the Bare Minerals and Surreal Skin on each side of a woman’s face, and if they aren’t Leslie zombies, they fall in love with the Surreal Skin side of their face. You know why? They love how airbrushed their face looks. It’s in an all-in-one container and it’s mess free. The coverage its beautiful and it’s not shimmery like the other stuff. These have a slight yellow undertone which neutralizes redness, evening out your complexion. Yellow can be scary, but I promise you wont leave the bathroom as Lisa Simpson. The negatives: It’s hard to get in that area around your nostrils and there are not many shades so it is harder to cater to the albinos (me) and dark chocolates.