Everyone wants in...

Bath and Body Works has released a line of gradual self-tanners. Our store had them on sale for $4, so who was I to resist such a deal?

Pros:

1. These come in 7 scents (3 from the Breathe line and 4 from the Signature line) - I picked up Sea Island Cotton because it smelled the freshest, but it was a tough call between that and Cherry Blossom. The perk? They smell NOTHING like tanner!
2. They include a subtle shimmer in them - like nice light-reflecting, not like "I'm 14 and I just dumped glitter on myself" - you know I hate obvious sparkle.
3. It works!

Cons:

1. It works - slooooooooowly. I was going to do it on one leg for 3 days and show you, and while I can SEE a difference, it did not show up on the picture. So gradual is the operative word. Might work better for paler people or those who are not so DEMANDING as I. ***EDIT: Chris could tell last night (without prompting) that one leg was darker - so I guess that means it works. Especially since I think I accidentally put it on both legs one of those days...whatever. Details.***
2. It has no indicator color - so there is a risk of streaks, but because it's so gradual, I sincerely doubt this is an issue.
3. When it goes off sale at B&BW, it will be $14.50 - it is NOT worth this. It is, however, worth $4. It's a decent sized bottle, and it could be a maintenence tanner for between Jergens Express or something.

Happy Shopping!!

Quick ideas for fun in the sun!

I'm not going to waste time lecturing about sun exposure. Most everyone who reads this knows me, knows I am pale (mostly by choice), wear SPF every day (on face and body), and wear hats whenever I'm outside for long periods of time. I believe sun makes you wrinkly. I don't want to be wrinkly. Anywhere.

However, as you can tell by my constant review of tanning products, I do love the color a tan gives you, so I totally understand why some people bake themselves into oblivion. The truth? I can't stand "laying out." I find it boring, always have. Pale is just easier. Plus there's that happy plus of maybe not getting skin cancer.

ANYWAY, off the soap box. Two new products have come across my radar, and I thought I'd share. I haven't tried either, but I plan to add them to the cache very soon - especially before I head to the beach!

1. Lubriderm Daily UV Moisturizer with SPF 15 - I know how much it sucks to wear sunscreen everyday. The smell alone is heinous. Lubriderm is pioneering into daily lotion with SPF, and I'm sure others will follow. Luckily, it does not smell like sunscreen, although it does smell like Lubriderm, which some are not fans of. It's not very expensive, maybe $7-8 for one of those big pump bottles. Much cheaper than sunscreen. And it's easy to incorporate into your daily routine. I think it would be a winning combo with a self tanner (tan at night, spf in the am - PERFECT!), and for $8 - isn't your skin worth it? Do you want to wake up at 50 with those weird wrinkles around your knees and sunspots on your hands?
(Note: If you want to wait OR just get a sample size, Lubriderm is offering a free sample by mail.)

2. Neutrogena Sunblock with Color Boosting Gradual Tan, SPF 30 - Now this is a killer idea - protect your skin while still getting a healthy glow. This product is definitely accompanying me to the beach. It comes in both light and dark (get the dark! Don't be a wuss!), and is a waterproof formula. The one drawback is that in order to get the color to work, you still have to apply it an hour before getting in the water (normal tanners are 3-5) - of course, normal sunscreens suggest waiting at least 30 minutes anyway - we just do it incorrectly. However, for a tan WITH SPF, I think it's a great idea! And besides, there are so many other summer activities that don't involve the water - gardening, playing with kids outside, hiking, biking...And here I am spending my summer indoors. At least I'm saving $$ on sunscreen! I saw this at Walmart for around $8-9.

So head out there, paleys, don't be afraid of the sun! Lots of new ideas are coming out DAILY to help us be more sun safe!! Let me know if you hear/try something I should look into...Happy (safe) Sunning!

Another Reason to love Urban Decay

I received UD's email newsletter yesterday, and it included a memorial to their "mascot," Marley. Marley was a black lab owned by one of the company's co-founders. After 14 years of working at UD, Marley passed away recently. If you search their website, you'll see many "Marley Approved" products - indicating they are vegan friendly. All of their products are cruelty-free, but those few are specifically without ANY animal products (I'm assuming things like gelatin, etc).

What is more impressive about this company is that they are a dog-friendly work environment. All employees who own dogs are encouraged to bring their animals to work, allowing the pets to socialize and not be left at home all day.

I would LOVE to work in a place like that!! Not realistic for my line of work, but a nice thought nonetheless.

So, just in case all my rantings about their makeup haven't sold you - the heart of UD should really win you over.

CVS Seasonal Clean Out

I dropped by CVS last night because they are having an amazing sale on Coke 12 packs (5 for $11!!!), and of course had to browse the makeup section, because I'm pretty sure I would have a seizure if I didn't.

Lucky for me, it was that glorious time of the year when CVS cleans out some of their makeup inventory by sending the magical Clearance Fairy around with 50% and 75% off stickers to randomly place on merchandise! Just the site of those brightly colored stickers gets me all excited! Occasionally, this sale leaves something to be desired, with only the super dark foundations, or truly heinous shades of lipstick left. NOT SO last night! I think every major brand had something that was 50-75% off, and it was good stuff. I managed to limit myself to only one eye shadow and a new foundation, but it was very difficult. My rule was to only buy at 75% off. That helped. I only spent $5 - for $20 worth of makeup! Covergirl had some great eye shadow colors half off, Maybelline had their Dream Matte Mousse Eye Shadows 50% off, and L'Oreal had various eye shadows, some stuff from their HIP line, and a few foundations available.

I bought one pale green matte eye shadow from L'Oreal, and a foundation they had, which I think I'm going to really like. It's their Visible Lift Extra Coverage makeup. Aside from the 75% off, I was also intrigued because this has Retinol in it, which is great for your skin, but also because it is a foundation (not a tinted moisturizer) with SPF 17! I tried it out this morning, and it's not heavy, goes on well, and blends really nicely with good coverage. For the product and how much you get, it's a decent price ($12.99 at my store - before the discount, obviously!), and a product I was pleased with. Check into it if you need a new foundation and like to take care of your skin!

P.S. Another bonus to this item is that it comes in REALLY pale shades. I bought maybe the third palest shade (which is unusual for me) - and the ones before me were very light. So that's good for the paleys!

Posietint is Here!

Benefit's Posietint is NOW AVAILABLE online!

Just in case anyone's as excited as me...

Buy it at Sephora or Benefit Cosmetics online. Enjoy!


EDIT: Go me! I went to Benefit to get my makeup done today (they were doing a birthday special - free lipstick and some samples in exchange for getting your makeup done!) - the girl who did my makeup (a Benefit EMPLOYEE) hadn't even heard of Posietint!! She's going home today to buy it! I'm so proud...

Fun and cheap hair product!

Recently, on one of my "it's been a good day, I want to buy something" trips through CVS, I picked up the Garnier Fructis Style Brilliantine Shine Glossing Spray. I suppose it intrigued me because it was on sale, and therefore eligible under aforementioned rules. But additionally, my hair has been looking dull lately, and I felt the need to pep it a little.

Admittedly, I got this home and somewhat regretted it, thinking I was dumb for buying yet ANOTHER glossing spray for my curls. I've played this game before. However, today, as I was pepping up yesterday's style, I gave it a little spritz with the Glossing Spray - instantly light was bouncing off everywhere, and suddenly, my hair had a little more life! Thrills!

So if your constant coloring, general maintenence, or what-have-you has killed the pretty shine your hair should have, this is a great little product. It says it carries "strong hold" - no. All it does is gloss - but it does a good job of that! I like it especially for 2nd or 3rd day hair - after I spray my curls to get them revived, they start to resemble straw a little. This counters that. And the best part? It says right on the label that if you over-do with the glossiness (aka look like you need a shower), all you have to do is hit it again with the hair dryer and you're set!

Primed and Ready to Go!

I've been meaning to do a post about primers for a long time. I always talk about them, how I want more of them, how I covet certain ones, my love affair with Urban Decay's Priming Potion, all of that.

However, I'm not sure that, while singing primer's praises, I am fully expressing what primer does. Now, for those of you with any imagination, you can probably deduce that primer for your face works much like primer for your walls - put it on, it covers up imperfections and makes a smooth canvas with which to apply the war paint. Ahem. Makeup. There are also primers for your eyes and lips, which can be hit or miss, in my opinion.

Here's what I think, in bullet form:

• Eye primers: This should be your first primer purchase. I believe that these, by far, are the most worthwhile of the primer family. Eye shadow not only stays on better (instead of disappearing midday), but it also makes the color richer and much more like the color it is in the box. This is great if you are into COLORS the way I am! The nice thing about them is that I have yet to try one that doesn't work. Yes, there are ones that are better than others, but for the most part...good news.


• Face Primers: Here is where it gets squidgy. I personally find a HUGE swing in the difference between face primers. Face primer-dom is not a democracy - not all are created equal. There are ones with silicone base, ones that are more like makeup, I even have one that feels remarkably like the stuff I put on my hair...and they all produce different results for different skin types. The nice thing is that they come in formulas for dry, oily, acne prone, combination, and skin with color imperfections. There are ones that work harder to keep your makeup on, and ones that work harder to keep you from shining. The options are endless.


• Lip Primers: This seems to be the newest trend in primers, as there are only 2-3 available in the Sephora collection. So far I find them to be...eh. I don't have much to say. Maybe more when they hit box office.


• Mascara Primers: These were the first primers that I remember - designed to plump up your eyeshadows, give them nutrients, all of that. Personally, I cannot seem to find one that doesn't make my eyes water continuously through the day, which is weird because a) I have tried a TON of mascara primers, and b) I am not allergic to ANY makeup. But if you have one you love, I'd love to hear about it.

So there's your lesson on primers. Now I'll do a semi-complete list of what I've tried and liked, to give you an idea of what I consider worth putting on my face.

1. Urban Decay Primer Potion - You knew this was coming. It's fab. It's awesome. I love it. Sell plasma to buy this. I included a picture below (incidently of my Urban Decay Friends and Family purchase, the Skull Shadow Box), wherein I took the primer, covered the right side of my hand (relative to the picture), and then ran all the shadows across it with one sweep of a brush. Hopefully the difference is as obvious to you as it is to me! And, P.S., 30 minutes later, all the non-primer has been rubbed off in the typing/moving around and the rest is FIRMLY in place. A+


2. Mary Kay Signature Eye Primer - This was the first primer I used once I knew what primer was, and I must say, it's a good one. Nice, tiny little bottle, squeeze out just a bit, and it smooths evenly on your lids. Definitely one of the top ones. I would put it at a dead even with Too Faced Second Base, which has a slight yellow tint, perfect for taking away the bruised look some people's eyelids have. But don't buy First Base - it's shimmery and not good as a primer. A-


3. Clinique Touch Base - I consider this more of a cream shadow, but the girls at Clinique swear it's a base. Your call. Perhaps you could view it as a 2 in 1. B (for use as a primer)


4. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer - These are some incredibly versatile primers. They are some of the most velvety smooth, wonderful feeling things ever. You'll want to put them on your hands. And not only that, they come in green (to minimize red tones), apricot (to conceal under eye circles, veins, and sunspots), and lavender (to minimize yellow undertones). In addition, they have SPF 15 primer, light primer (for oily skin), and a bronzing primer! They can be worn alone to de-shine or under foundation. I'm thoroughly tempted by the bronzing primer, and I love the silky feeling of the silicone. The only downside is the slightly higher price. Still, A is for awesome!


5. Philosophy The Present - This is the one that feels like my hair cream. Sticky going on, but when it's blended in, it's weightless, so no worries. I like it, it works pretty well, and it's a LOT of primer for the price. My only real complaint is that you have to wait two full minutes for it to "dry" before applying makeup. Which is really not that big of a deal. B.


6. Rimmel Fix and Perfect - YEAH! A drugstore deal! CVS is starting to carry Rimmel (joy!), and on their basically empty/brand new display, this was the lone wolf, calling to me from its perch - a $6.99 sales sticker. Now, considering it is tres difficile to buy a face primer for under $25, I HAD to explore. Looking in the tube, my first thought was, Holy Hell, this stuff is going to make me orange! I put it on my hand and thought the same thing (I never make it home from a makeup store without opening everything...). However, the next day when I applied it with my makeup, it was slightly orange when applying, but then it blended beautifully! If you want to try primer, but aren't ready for the high prices, try this, it's a great starter primer. B+ for results and price tag!

Not quite ready for prime time:

1. Benefit's Dr. Feelgood - No. It doesn't go on well, it's a solid, which is weird. Sometimes it pills on your face...and I don't think it worked. Just no. F for fuggeddaboutit...


2. Benefit's That Gal - Oh how I hate to hate on my Benefit products, but they are simply all thumbs when it comes to primers! That Gal has a nice sweet scent, and I did notice a very slight decrease in the appearance of my pores with it, but none of the other promises they made. I couldn't tell it was there. C, mostly because I liked the smell.


3. DuWop Prime Venom - I've already gone into this. Buy lip balm. C-

Hopefully that was educational enough to inspire you to look into primer. Overall, it's very good for reducing the appearance of pores, keeping your makeup in place longer, smoothing the look of your skin, covering imperfections, and reducing shine. Good stuff. Not at all necessary, but totally addictive once you start.

Remember - the right side is the primer. And that side of my hand still looks funny. It's been an hour and I've washed my hands. GO PRIMER POTION!