A Face in a Jar

Cyber Monday Deals - Part Deux

2009-11-30T17:57:00.003-05:00

And, at the last minute, here are a few more deals for ya on this Cyber Monday 2009!!

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For the bath, body, and skincare junkies:

At Korres, Cyber Monday lasts 3 whole days! When you shop their site from November 29 - December 1, you get 20% off AND free shipping on every purchase over $30 (no code is needed for that nice treat; discount is automatically taken at checkout). Cyber-specials include:

· $5 off all Regimen Kits

· 30% of on the Materia Herba Organic skincare line

· Buy one get one free on showergels and bodymilks

· Buy Guava, Jasmine or Yogurt Body Butter & get a free travel size body butter free

· Buy one get one free shampoo and conditioner

And, there are also some FREE gifts with purchase:

· Spend $35 or more and get a Triple Treats Showergel Trio ($18 Value) Promo Code TREATS

· Spend $50 or more and get a Jumbo Guava Body Butter ($29.50 Value) Promo Code GUAVA

· Spend $75+ or more and a Wild Rose Regimen Kit ($39.50 Value) Promo Code ROSE

However, please note other discount codes including the 30% off holiday codes will not be valid these 3 days to prevent a 50% situation. All of these other discount codes will be active and valid again Wednesday morning after the Cyber Monday event ends!

At Bath and Body Works, get 25% off your entire order until 12/1/09 - use the code CYBERMONDAY!

L'Occitane is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders of $25 or more, and their Shea Fantastique is on sale for $39.96.

Origins is giving you $10 off any order of $25 or more at Origins.com. Enter code TenOff09. Valid 11/30 only.

At Philosophy, spend $75 and get a free gift valued at over $100! Free shipping with no minimum purchase required! No promo code required for this, it will be automatically applied to each order.

The Body Shop is giving 20% off all orders PLUS your choice of free product. Valid 11/30 only.

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For the makeup junkies out there:

Have you been to BeautyTicket.com yet? If not, now's the perfect time to try them out... it's an online outlet with absolute rock bottom prices on high end makeup (and skincare) products. Think Smashbox, YSL, Chanel, Ole Henrikson, and lots more. And until midnight tonight (11/30), they're giving you an extra 25% off your entire order when you use the code CYBER25!!

Check out Beauty.com as well - they're discounting hundreds of products, some as much as 60% off!

Bobbi Brown is offering 20% off your entire order, and free shipping too if you spend $65 or more!

And for the mineral makeup lovers, in addition to the Meow Cosmetics deal I put up yesterday, you can also check out these two:

The She Space/About Face Cosmetics is having a HUGE sale. Until January, all of the eye colors on the site are marked down to just $3.50 each!!! Whoa! Plus, today and tomorrow (11/30 and 12/1), all of the "Cashmere" face products are on sale as well... just head over to their holiday sale page and see!

Lumiere Skin and Beauty Bar is having a Cyber Monday sale too - 50% off all large size loose minerals!

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And for the nail lovers:

Barielle is giving 20% off all orders for the next three days (11/30 to 12/2)! All of their Shades nail colors are buy 2, get 1 free as well. And pssssssssst...... if you haven't signed up to get their email updates and/or created an account yet, DO IT NOW if you want to buy. You'll get a code for 15% off your next order, and guess what? You can stack that code on top of the Cyber Monday 20% off to get a whopping 35% off on all of your nail, hand, and foot care stuff. I love to get some manicure or pedicure supplies and a nail color for a friend, and also include a card saying I'll give her a manicure on the date and time of her choosing!

Are you or your giftees obsessed with KONAD nail art? Get 'em a few image plates and special polishes from WowSoCool.com! This place has the lowest prices around on KONAD supplies, and shipping is ALWAYS free in the US & Canada if you buy over $20 worth of product (it's just $2 if you spend less than that). Plus, many of the nail bloggers have arranged codes with WowSoCool so you can get 30% off your order.... try codes "nailphile" or "beautyjudy" to get that nice little discount. I do want to mention how amazing WowSoCool is in terms of customer service - it's truly outstanding. Get this - I placed an order for some KONAD supplies on the evening of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and didn't expect much to happen until today because of the holiday. However, I checked my email an hour later, and they had already sent me a note saying they'd processed my order and packed it, and that it would go out first thing Friday a.m. when the post office opened again!! Sure enough, that's what they did, and my supplies arrived at my house today (Monday) beautifully packed and ready to have fun with! Crazy cool.

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OK, I think that's about it for now.... whew.... enjoy your online shopping fest, 'cause I know I will :)

One More Deal...

2009-11-29T23:41:00.003-05:00

Ok, this one is not necessarily a Cyber Monday deal, but it is a nice deal nonetheless - it's been published for a while but it is still working at this time (I used it myself, so I know it is functional).

For those on your gift list who love nail color, or perhaps for the YOU who loves nail color, Nubar is offering 15% off a purchase of $30 or more... just use code NP1530!

Nubar nail lacquer is "Big 3 Free" [no toluene, no DBP (pthalate), no formaldehyde] and they have some really great colors - I'm wearing Wildlife from their Going Green collection right now, which is a funky olive green/gold/pink/copper duochrome. In fact, Nubar is well-known for their beautiful duochrome polishes! Of course, they do non-duo colors well too, and they really have a huge selection of colors. They also have a large selection of nail, cuticle, and hand treatments to choose from, as well as a selection of nail art supplies (rhinestones, nail art pens, etc) if you or your giftee like that too. One of the coolest things they do is to create sets from their collections that work for easy, perfect gifting - for example, one of their collections is, as I mentioned a second ago, the "Going Green" collection, and you can get all six colors in this collection (a mix of different greens, of course!) plus a basecoat and their famous Diamant top coat, all snuggled inside a clear acrylic case with a cute carrying handle (these sets are $49.95... all colors can be purchased individually for $7.49 each as well).

'Kay... just thought I'd toss that out there for you :)

Cyber Monday Deals

2009-11-29T12:45:00.008-05:00

Ok ... this is FAR from a comprehensive list, but these are some of the deals that I've come across for Cyber Monday (and beyond). I will, of course, post others as I find them!

Sally Beauty Supply - 20% off your entire order online (use code 555945 at checkout, Monday 11/30/09 only)

Sephora - FREE shipping on all orders (use code SHIP4FREE at checkout, ends Monday 11/30/09)

E.L.F. - 70% off all minerals (use code EHCMM at checkout); free shipping with a $15 purchase (use code EHCMFREESHIP, cannot be combined with other offers)

Smashbox Cosmetics - 20% off your entire order (use code SBFF9 at checkout, expires 12/1/09)

MAC - EVERY order ships free, now through 12/13/09! No code needed.

Coastal Scents - 25% off entire website until 11/30/09 at midnight, no code needed

Meow Cosmetics - 20% off entire site, no minimum purchase - use code CatsEatTurkey2, ends today (Sunday 11/29/09)

Bliss - Get 20% off the site (use code CYBER20, ends 12/02/09) and get 30% off when you create your own gift sets on the site (use code GIFT30, ends 12/01/09)

Kiehl's - 20% off AND free shipping with code TRYKIEHLS; ends 11/30/09

Stila - Free Shipping on all orders, use code THANKS, ends 11/30/09

Long Absence, and What I'm Loving Now

2009-11-13T09:31:00.022-05:00

Yes, I have been gone a long time. My life has been a bit wild during the past year. My job has been crazy, crazy, crazy - I've put in a lot of hours, and it's exhausted me a lot of the time, which meant that while I've tried a lot of new makeup and other beauty products, I just haven't had the energy to write up my thoughts about them here. I often thought, "This would make a great blog post" many times while experimenting, but then life would get in the way and the post never happened.

Another reason is that our digital camera is super old, and as a result, I'm really unable to take decent swatch photos or close-up photos of eye/lip/nail looks - and we all know that good photos of these things are pretty much what keeps a blog alive. This issue hasn't been resolved yet - I am still looking around to find a camera that does these things and is actually something I can afford on my shitty writer's salary. So, hopefully photos will be added to the blog in the next 6 months.

In addition, my makeup addiction and this blog has caused a lot of friction in my marriage. I won't go into too many details other than to say that my husband doesn't understand my interest in playing with beauty products and feels I am wasting time and especially money on this whole thing. That friction was a part of why I stayed away from this blog (but I did keep reading everyone else's!!). I actually debated just deleting this blog and getting on with my life. Then, I realized that I cannot let other people control my interests, even if I'm married to said "other people." So, to put it blunty, screw him - I'm back, baby! ;)

Soooooo............ it's been a while..... what am I into beauty-wise now?? In no particular order, here's a list of 10 things I'm loving now (and hopefully I'll be posting in detail about all of these things soon):

1. NAIL POLISH!!!

I have no idea why, but over the last 2 months I have gone on a huge nail color kick. Actually, for a number of years, I did not polish my nails at all - when I was working in the laboratory, it just wasn't very practical. All of the glove changes and chemical exposures wreaked havoc on any type of manicure, and all nail color would seriously chip within a day. That meant it was kind of a waste of time to polish my nails unless it was for a special occasion, so I just didn't. However, a few months ago I happened to come across some amazing nail blogs (including Scrangie, Vampy Varnish, and even though she's stopped blogging now, The Nailphile) and was really intrigued by all the amazing colors out there. Realizing that I no longer have to deal with laboratory hazards as a science writer, I began my love affair with polish. Hopefully I'll be able to show pics of my faves soon :) And, to go along with my nail color fixation, I'm also loving ....

2. KONAD Stamping Nail Art

Can we say, FUN????!!!! I didn't know KONAD existed until a few months ago when I started reading all those nail blogs, but now I am loving it. For those that don't know what it is, it allows you to stamp all kinds of fancy designs on your nails at home, and the result looks like you spent hours at a nail salon. I'm still a beginner with it, but I find it's pretty easy to get started making really impressive designs on your nails with this stamping system. I've gotten a LOT of compliments on my nails when I use my KONAD, and it's really fun to use it.

3. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks

These new lippies are seriously cool for a drugstore brand! I think they feel great on my lips, and I get hours of wear from them. I'm particularly loving some of their nude shades right now, but I plan on trying some bolder ones soon. They do smell a little like Play-Doh, though - that's okay with me, because I actually find the smell of Play-Doh comforting (good childhood memories, perhaps?), but if you don't like it, you might want to open one of these lippies up at the store and have a good sniff before buying. A more detailed review and some of my favorite shades will be coming up....

4. MAC Smoke and Mirrors Holiday Eye Palette

I know a lot of people are giving this one iffy reviews, because it's supposed to be MAC's yearly take on the holiday smoky eye and instead, 4 of the 6 colors in the palette are more neutral/nude than smoky. Okay, so what? If you take the palette for what it is, instead of what it is supposed to be, I think it is great! I find I reach for this palette when I'm rushed, when I don't know what eye look to do, when I'm going to be traveling.... the list goes on. With the colors in this little baby, you can do an easy taupe eye for day and then ramp it up with the 2 smokier colors for night... seriously, it's all you need, especially if you've got green eyes like me, since several of the shades have a little purple lurking in their base!

5. L'Oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner (For Medium to Long Hair That's Damaged)

For a large part of the last 20 years, I have been searching for the perfect shampoo/conditioner for my naturally curly, frizz-prone, breakage-prone, all-out crazy hair. I have tried everything, including brands that cost scary amounts of money, to try and tame this head of hair so that I don't end up looking like Little Orphan Annie with a frizzy, curly, red Afro. I had gotten okay results with some of that expensive stuff a while ago, and then the recession hit and I decided to at least try to cut back just in case I ended up being laid off. So, one day I noticed that this L'Oreal Nutri Gloss was on sale. I grabbed it... and I have not looked back!! I'm telling you, this stuff is $2.97 a bottle at Wal-Mart, and it is AH-MAZING. Better than that new-fangled stuff out of M.I.T. in the taupe bottle that claims to eliminate your frizzy hair if you pay them $23 a bottle (yeah, Living Proof, I DO mean you). I've been using the L'Oreal for several months now, and my hair has never looked better, felt better, or behaved better in my life. A full review will definitely be coming up on this one.

6. RoC Multi Correxion Skin Renewing Serum

I admit that I inherited pretty decent skin genes... I'm 35, but I am always carded. I've been told I look like I'm in my early 20s. I've even been carded for things you have to be 18 to buy! However, I do want to keep my skin nice, because genes only go so far... and of course, I do notice a few fine lines popping up here and there. Recently, I decided to give retinol a shot, but I certainly don't need to go get a prescription for Retin-A or whatever else! Since RoC products are a pretty well known source of OTC retinol, I decided to go with them instead of my (expensive as hell) dermatologist. Right now, I'm using their Multi Correxion Skin Renewing Serum and LOVING it. It's a light, easily absorbed fluid that leaves skin feeling satiny, and since I've been using it, my skin texture has been amazing. Also, I haven't gotten a single zit - and for most of my life, I've always developed one or two pimples around "that time of the month." Not with RoC! You do need to start slow especially if your skin is sensitive, because this can give you a good strong tingle at first... but skin adapts to the retinol pretty quickly (at least mine did). LOVE IT.

7. MAC Pigment in Naked

I very rarely buy a full-sized container of a MAC pigment, because I can get piggie samples at The Body Needs for about $1.50 (and those samples usually last a very long time since a little goes a long way with piggies). However, Naked is one of the two MAC piggies that I recommend getting the full size (the other is Vanilla). Naked is just that, a skin-colored pigment with very delicate sparkle in it. I find that it's perfect for blending the edges of a deep crease color, and it makes a perfect daytime, work-appropriate brow highlighter. You can also use it on the tops of your cheekbones for a super-subtle cheek highlighter. There are a million other uses too, and if you do pay the $19.50 to get a full size, you WILL get your money's worth.

8. Olay Daily Facials Cleansing Cloths (Combination/Oily)

I heard about these while watching Emily of Beauty Broadcast on YouTube (watch her here). I think it was her video on her skincare routine. Anyway, she talked about how she'd been using these cloths for years, and I was intrigued by them - I loved the idea that the cleanser was in a disposable cloth, and I figured they'd be good to have around for travel at the very least. I bought them intending to use them on our upcoming holiday trips to visit family, but now I use them all the time! They're great - my face feels super clean afterwards, and I haven't had a single breakout since using these. I also love the fact that one side exfoliates in addition to simply cleaning. I love that I don't have to use an icky washcloth - I can use a clean cloth every time. And yes, they ARE amazing for travel!

9. Olay Quench Body Lotion - Ultra Moisture with Shea Butter and Vitamins E & B3

This stuff is all-around amazing. Super moisturizing, non-greasy, smells great. Perfection. They have other formulas of Quench, too - I happen to love this one, with shea butter. I tried the one with cocoa butter, but disliked the smell (I may be one of the only people on the planet totally grossed out by coconut in all forms)... but you should feel free to try them all to see which one YOU love best! Plus, it's not expensive.... and right now it is even less expensive. Go through all of your chick magazines from the last few months (Glamour, Cosmo, Lucky, Allure, etc) and look for the Olay Quench ads - most of them are including coupons right now for $3 off a bottle of any Quench moisturizer. Many of the ads ALSO include a coupon for a buy one, get one free on Quench!! And shhhhhh.... don't tell anyone, but my Wal-Mart let me stack these coupons, so I got 2 big bottles of this stuff for like $3. How cool is that???

10. Sally Beauty Supply

Ok, so it's not really a product, but I had to add it to the list because it's just a super cool store! You can find some really amazing treasures here - everything from nail goodies (including nail wrap supplies to fix broken talons, rhinestones for nail art, files, buffers, polishes, manicure stuff like cuticle oils, etc) to false lashes to hair appliances to hair color to whatever else you need. I had a really great shopping experience in my Sally's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving - it was quietly playing classic Christmas carols by Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, etc (my FAVORITES) and I browsed through their aisles for over an hour... LOL! I find that the employees at my Sally's are really really friendly and are always willing to help out with finding things or making product suggestions. Definitely join the Sally Beauty Club - it's $5 per year, BUT you will get a coupon for $5 off your next purchase (so essentially it is free). Once you join, you'll get the Club discount on all the products (that's at least a dollar off China Glaze nail colors, for example), and if you spend $25 or more in one month, you'll get a certificate via email giving you 15% off any purchase the NEXT month! These discounts are valid both in store AND online here. Plus, they're always having sales - their Cyber Monday sale is tomorrow, and it's 20% off everything in their online store (use code 555945, Monday only). They also send out coupons for $5 off pretty regularly. Awesome place!

HUGE NYX Sale!

2009-04-18T23:15:00.003-04:00

Check out this page at NYX Cosmetics - they are having a HUH-YUGE sale, and if you like their cosmetics you don't wanna miss this one!

They have packaged up some "kits" you can buy for 75-90% off - no joke. Here's what you can get:

Item 1 - 11 lip glosses and 8 trio eyeshadows for a whopping $27.00

Item 2 - 20 Double Sided Eye Pencils and 10 Liquid Liners for $22.00

Item 3 - 30 Pairs of False Lashes for $24.00

Item 4 - 15 Diamond Sparkle Lip Glosses and 15 Single Eye Shadows for $41.25

And their liquid foundation is on sale for (gasp!!) $1.40 a bottle! However, some of the foundation shades are selling out, so if you're interested in this one, head on over quickly.

Sale's on 'til the end of April - check it out and let me know if you're getting anything. I might get item 2... and item 3 sounds fun but I don't use falsies often enough to get 30 pair, even if they are less than $1 each ;)

FACEFRONT Sale Codes!

2009-04-18T13:55:00.001-04:00

FREE SHIPPING ... ALL WEEKEND!

Free Shipping, all weekend, to any location, anywhere in the world. Use the code: FREEWEEKEND and you'll get free economy shipping, with no minimum purchase!

PLUS - if you spend just $75 USD+, use the code, BONUS5 and you'll get $5.00 USD OFF your order.

Shop and Save, All Weekend Long
Click Here to Start Shopping Now, Ends April 19

FREE SHIPPING valid on all orders, world wide on economy shipping service only. No rain checks. Valid April 17, 2009 at 12:00AM EST - April 19, 2009 at 11:59PM EST (23:59 ET).
Receive $5.00 USD OFF any order $75.00 USD or greater. One time use only. May be applied with any shipping coupon, but may not be applied to any other savings coupon. No rain checks. Valid April 17, 2009 at 12:00AM EST - April 19, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST (23:59 ET). Valid for all domestic and international orders.

Good Lord.... I Haven't Blogged in Months!

2009-04-18T13:45:00.002-04:00

This is truly terrible... I haven't blogged since January, and I have so many makeup things to talk about! Unfortunately, my REAL job is getting in the way - as a medical writer, spring is always crazy, as everyone is jockeying for grant funding and wants help with their applications. And I'm in the midst of a big decision to start a freelance business - whether to do it alone (probably preferable) or with others is the major issue on the table at the moment.

However, I am going to TRY very hard to get some of this stuff reviewed. I've got some comments about J. Lynne Cosmetics, Aromaleigh's L'Orchidee collection (I will tell you this about this one - it is AMAZING, it is ON SALE until April 22, and it's limited edition, so GO GET IT), Archetype Cosmetics, Fyrinnae, and About Face Cosmetics (a.k.a. The She Space) that I'd love to share with everyone.... plus, some drugstore hits and misses I've had as well!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring!

M.A.C Friends and Family Sale!

2009-01-06T22:10:00.003-05:00

Ok... I promise I'll be doing a "real" post soon, but first you just gotta hear this one thing...

M.A.C. is having a Friends and Family Sale!!!

It's ONLY online, at MACCosmetics.com, and when you use the code MACFF9 during checkout, you'll get a whopping 25% off your order!

So go ahead, spend some Christmas money, get something cool for the New Year!!! I did... between this sale and the gift card I got for Christmas, I have the biggest MAC haul ever (I find them a bit irritating usually because the price is so high, but... sales make that a little better).

But... the sale is over on January 8 at 11:59 pm.... that's this Thursday, so get your orders in! Also be aware that the whole world is going nuts over this sale and stuff is ALREADY starting to sell out, so...if you want it, GRAB IT, ladies (and guys)!!! :)

After Christmas Sales!!

2008-12-27T12:48:00.003-05:00

So, what's better than pre-holiday sales on makeup?

The AFTER CHRISTMAS SALES, of course!!

Now, a lot of the small mineral makeup companies I normally discuss are on hiatus for the holidays (as they should be... even makeup mavens must rest, love, and be loved in peace). BUT, there are still good options. In fact, this time of year is the best time to visit your local SEPHORA or see them online:

Yep... you read that small graphic right... Sephora is having a major sale. Many of their totally fabulous Christmas sets and kits from high end cosmetics companies like Stila, Bliss, NARS, Vincent Longo, and others are 25% to 75% off right now - so if you got some Christmas money and want to treat yourself, head over pronto, 'cause this stuff won't last very long!!

And.... in the new year I'll be introducing new features to this blog - I am hoping to be able to include swatches and looks whenever I do reviews, and I've got a couple new companies up my sleeve to introduce you all to (really unusual eyeshadows and maybe some incredibly sexy blushes, anyone??)... see you all soon, and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!

A Few More Coupon Codes

2008-12-10T21:59:00.004-05:00

Just in time for the holidays.... here are a few more coupon codes for two makeup sites!

Lumiere Skin and Beauty Bar (previously known as Lumiere Cosmetics) - http://www.lumierecosmetics.com

Save 25% on orders:
You MUST enter the code: snowflake
in the discount box in order to receive the discount -

Minimum order requirement for this discount is $25.00

OR...

Save 35% on orders:
You MUST enter the code: blizzard
in the discount box in order to receive the discount -

Minimum order requirement for this discount is $35.00

Plus an extra BONUS for orders $75 or more (after discount) will receive our Limited Edition Holiday Pigments! We will automatically put this in your order - no need for a code!

your 8 pigments will be in jars and contain 1/4 tsp. in each

MAD Minerals - http://www.madminerals.org

Until December 21, receive:

10% off orders over $20

15% off orders over $50

20% off orders over $75

25% off orders over $100

A Few Holiday SALES....

2008-12-07T06:23:00.004-05:00

I've got some codes for ya!

1. Meow Cosmetics -- It's the Meow 12 Days of Christmas! These codes will work for 12 days, starting now (the 7th) and running to the 19th of December:

Free Ship Codes:

FREESHIPUS for all United States orders

FREESHIPWORLD for all International Orders

For a % off your order:

Meow10off - get 10% off all orders, no minimum

Meow20off125 - get 20% off all orders over $125

But the best part of this is that anyone who places an order during this time will be entered into a drawing, and some lucky makeup junkie will win the following:

12 IdealEyes

11 WinterSpirits (the new winter collection named after wines)

10 Feliners

9 ModernEyes

8 Merry Mayhem (new winter collection with metallic pigments)

7 ScandalEyes

6 CatEyes

5 Primp & Preens (finishing powders, primer, etc)

4 Snowflake shadows (limited edition winter colors with blue iridescence)

3 Munchkins (the smaller sized foundations)

2 Makeup Brushes

and

1 Cat Toy in a Christmas Stocking

Best of all, the winner can choose all colors she (or he) receives! That's 67 shadows, for you color addicts like me....

2. ULTA.com:

Get a FREE PAJAMA SET with any fragrance purchase of $30 or more (gift automatically inserted into your cart; choose from 3 cute styles and a number of colors/sizes)

$3.50 off any $10 purchase - code is 98282 and it's valid until Christmas Eve (Dec 24th)

And finally, get a $30 signature salon service (includes shampoo, cut, style, and a treatment) at most Ulta stores - click here to find a store near you with a salon! This offer is valid through December 13th, obviously in-store only

3. Bath and Body Works:

Check out this link to get some codes for a few great deals - including $10 body products, $3 room sprays, Sweetest, Softest Robes for $24.50, and free shipping on orders over $60 (FREESHIP60 is that code). Do check out the fine print at the bottom since each deal has its own expiration date.

6 Products Actually Worth The Dough (a.k.a, 6 Products I'm Thankful For)

2008-11-16T08:44:00.015-05:00

As we all know by now, I am into finding the best deals with makeup, and I think the fact that some mascaras are approaching $30 or even $40 (Dior, Lancome, Chanel) these days is crazy. I've also seen eyeliner pencils that are almost $20, lipsticks going for between $25 and $30, and blushes for $25 (yeah, I'm talking to you, NARS, on that one). So most of the time, I'm striving to introduce you to those lesser known companies out there that produce quality products that equal or even surpass these super-expensive ones, or I'm finding all those coupon codes that will help you buy those expensive ones for a little less than their usual exorbitant retail price.

However, over the years, I have found a couple products that I actually will pay the high price to get. That's because with these products, you really do get the results promised - it's not like when you buy a supposedly super-luxe mascara and discover that it's no better than your Maybelline The Colossal you got for $7 at Walgreens. These few products have made my skin better, made my eyes totally fabulous, and just generally improved my makeup routine in such a dramatic way that I will agree to pay for them (although I still do wince at the price and wonder what's in there that causes the price to be that high). So, without further ado, here are some of those products:

1. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($16) and Too Faced Shadow Insurance ($17). These products appear super expensive, since the containers are pretty small. However, they really are wonder products - using either one before shadow application means that makeup is going to stay there ALL day and well into the evening. In fact, that result happens with just a tiny amount of product, so once you realize that, the container doesn't seem so tiny anymore. In a way, it does save you on makeup, too, because you're not always reapplying your eye look due to fading or creasing. Beautiful! (Just be aware that no matter how cute the UDPP container is, it's totally impractical, and when you think you've got all your product out and are about to throw it away, watch this video about how to get several months' worth of hidden primer out of that thing.)

2. MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline ($14). This could be the perfect black eyeliner. The color is that rich, kohl black, and the pencil is soft - leading to that slightly smudged look we all love. The softness of the pencil also means extreme ease of application. While I rarely line the lower waterline, I find this pencil is superb for lining the upper waterline - just one stroke across and the line is there. No fussing around, no slipping pencils stabbing your contact lenses, no nonsense. Plus, the pencil is really long, and will last quite a long time since you don't need much to get a fabulously pigmented line. I think everyone should have one in the train case.

3. Murad T-Zone Perfecting Gel ($40). Okay, this one is a big splurge, but I am serious when I say that together with Aromaleigh's Nocturne nighttime mineral treatment, this gel has revolutionized my skin. It has just the right amount of salicylic acid/glycolic acid to gently exfoliate and dig all that crap out of the pores - plus, it's spiked with pomegranate extract, which has been shown to zap free radicals and boost resistance to damage induced by sun exposure. Produces soft, smooth skin and reduces the occurrence of those pesky breakouts that my combo skin can experience. Smells great too!!

4. MAC Pigment in Vanilla ($19.50 for a full size, $1.59 for a sample at The Body Needs). For most MAC pigments, I go for the samples Cheryl at The Body Needs provides - they're so, well, pigmented that a little goes a long way, and the samples last me a long time. Those full sizes really are HUGE. They're designed for professionals who are using them day in and day out - but if you're a mere mortal, one full size pigment is almost overkill and it's not really worth the $19.50. However, Vanilla is an exception to that rule - the $19.50 full size in that shade is definitely the way to go. Vanilla is all about versatility - it's an absolutely gorgeous ivory color that has a very subtle bronzish, copperish duochrome when blended. It's great for a lid color, a browbone highlight, or a cheekbone highlighter. It can be lightly dusted all over the face (or mixed into your moisturizer) to wake up tired skin - or use just a tad more to get an ethereal glow for evening. It can be mixed into your body moisturizer to produce a lovely shimmer all over. I've even mixed a little in with some smoothing serum and run it through my hair to add extra shine and shimmer there too! I'm sure there are a million other things you can do with Vanilla too!

5. Urban Decay 27/7 Eyeliner Pencil in Bourbon ($16). This eyeliner is the bomb... it's a perfect warm brown with hints of gold microglitter in it. It can be dressed down on casual days and it can be packed on and smudged for a pretty take on a smokey evening eye. Either way, the gold microglitter gives your whole eye area a lift - don't fret, it's not like that big, teeny-bopper type glitter. It really is tiny, and it provides lovely little sparks of gold when the light hits you right. And ... it really lasts until you take it off without smudging, running, crumbling, or doing anything ugly and terrible.

6. CHI Silk Infusion ($8.95 for 2 oz). Almost ten bucks for 2 ounces of product? Ouch. Well, not really - because this stuff is AMAZING. In fact, every CHI hair care product I've tried has been amazing, but I'm just going to focus on this one because it's quickly become one of my can't-live-withouts. Silk Infusion is made with, of course, hydrolyzed silk protein. A lot of hair products have this, though, so what's the difference? Well, the smarties at CHI have put the silk protein in an ionized format - this way, it can bind to the damaged areas of your hair much better, and the whole process is actually enhanced by the application of heat from your dryer or styling tool. That leaves even poor, dry, damaged hair like mine looking and feeling like... well, silk. I use about a nickel sized amount on my wet hair before drying, and then I often use a few more drops on my hair once it is dry to replace any moisture lost during the blowout. It imparts incredible shine to the hair, improves texture, and behaves like an all-around wonder product. Plus, since you don't really need a whole lot at once, even the 2 ounce bottle lasts a long time.

Another Friends and Family Event - Bath and Body Works!

2008-11-12T17:47:00.002-05:00

For those of you who love lush, scented shower gels, fragrant body creams, and lovely scents for the home... I present you with the following code:

20FRIENDS

Use this at checkout at Bath&Body Works to get 20% off your order! I recommend checking out their Black Amethyst scented body goodies and absolutely ALL of the holiday home fragrance - they've got some great scents and some really cute oil warmers and candles for the holidays!

Urban Decay's Friends and Family Sale!

2008-11-10T21:32:00.005-05:00

So, do you still have money after Sephora's Friends and Family Event??

If so, and you're a fan of Urban Decay, get thee to UrbanDecay.com - UD's own Friends and Family Event is going on right now and will last until 11/18! And, the best part is, UD is giving us all a full 30% off when you use this code: FFH30.

I'm definitely going to be checking it out - as you know, I feel UD's Eyeshadow Primer Potion and their 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner Pencils are two products that are actually worth shelling out the little bit of extra dough for even when they are not on sale, so when they ARE .... yum! Maybe I'll try one of their cute new lippies too...

News Byte - Get Your Beauty Fix with Beautyfix!

2008-11-07T23:21:00.004-05:00

I just read about something that might be kinda cool for those of us who love to try, try, try the newest, the best, the most exciting products the beauty world has to offer. While perusing the posts over at Beauty411, I discovered one about the Beautyfix Beauty Sampling Program - apparently, for a fee of $50 per quarter, you will get a goodie bag of products (some full size, some deluxe samples) delivered to your door every month!! Beauty411 gives this service a thumbs up so far - go here to read her post about it that contains the details of her first shipment and what she thinks of all that loot.

Has anyone tried this sort of thing before? What was your experience like? Is it worth paying $50 every 3 months (that's about $16 and change per month for those of us who are thinking in terms of our monthly paycheck and budgeting)??

Comment, rave, rant... go nuts and let me and everyone else know if you think it's a good idea or not!

Beauty.com is having a Friends & Family Event!

2008-11-02T14:58:00.004-05:00

Probably in order to compete with Sephora's Friends and Family Event, in which you can get a 20% discount on everything in your cart, Beauty.com is ALSO having this type of event this week! From 12:01 am on Wednesday, November 5 to 11:59 pm Friday, November 7 you can get 20% your Beauty.com order! The trick is to enter the site through a link in an email that was sent out to list subscribers - but if you're not a subscriber, that is no problem. Since you're all my "friends and family," I'm providing my link to all of you to use:

Click here to shop Beauty.com's 20% off Event!

Beauty.com carries many of the same high end brands that Sephora does, and a few other interesting ones that aren't found at Sephora. Plus, your Beauty.com cart is linked to your Drugstore.com cart, so even though the discount doesn't apply to the drugstore stuff (I don't think) you can still stock up on all that extra stuff you might be needing at the same time.

Unfortunately, for some odd reason, NARS and Kooba products are not included in the sale at Beauty.com - HOWEVER, if you would like a NARS product, use code FF2008 when you check out at Sephora later this week and you can get your 20% discount there! Tricky, tricky.

Happy shopping - start your holiday shopping early, but don't forget yourself!

Aromaleigh Introduces "Bete Noire" Collection

2008-11-01T15:06:00.006-04:00

In French, "bete noire"means "black beast" (or "dark beast"). Used in English, the phrase can refer to ideas, people, or things that cause fear or are particularly disliked.

For Aromaleigh's new Bete Noire eyeshadow collection, the "dark" part of that translation might be appropriate, as these shadows are deeply pigmented and many have smoky bases. However, the similarity stops there. In fact, these shadows will attract you quickly, you will fall in love with them, and you will purchase them without fear of anything (unless of course you are afraid of loving them too much and blowing your entire budget on full sizes of the entire collection!).

Aromaleigh's site includes the photograph up there to the right and describes these gorgeous new shadows as:

"Bête Noire is a collection of 13 multi-dimensional, dramatic, and truly unique, enigmatic shades that evoke every woman's hidden femme fatale... "

These shades are ultra-smooth, rich and highly pigmented. Photographs don't even start to capture the intensity and inter-play of the pigments, lowlights and highlights within these shades. These are incredibly complex, unique colors!

I am often impressed with new shadows, but it is rare that they stop me in my tracks and cause me to gasp audibly, but that is exactly what happened when I received my sample set of this collection today. I was immediately caught up in the spell they cast. The colors look amazingly rich in the baggies, but when I swatched them, I was speechless. These are a study in the unexpected.... rich colors that, when applied, reveal deep mysterious bases with a million contrasting sparks of color. Pinks and blues with browns, bronze in charcoal gray... unusual pairings that are strange yet absolutely perfect. While AL's last collection, the Eye Plushes, whisper, the Bete Noires sing complex melodies out loud.... but they never scream or sing off key.

The depth of these colors definitely makes them "big girl" colors - you will get attention when you wear them, and that makes them right up my alley. Even my makeup skeptic husband had to stare and coo over these colors!

To check out some swatches of these colors, check out this entry in Miss K's Aromaleigh blog. To look at the colors some more, read descriptions, and buy these beauties, go here. You can get a set of super generous samples of all of the colors for just $15.21 (and shipping is free if you only order sample sizes). AL's sample sizes last a long, long time, so this is an amazing deal! Of course, you can buy single samples, full size jars, and, if you want to dive right in, a complete set of full sizes. However you do it, just go for it - you will love them for the holidays.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Incoco Dry Nail Appliques

2008-11-01T11:56:00.006-04:00

While in my local Walgreens a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a large display of Incoco Dry Nail Appliques. My interest was piqued. I had been curious about these "stick-on" nail polish strips ever since I first saw a similar product in an Avon catalog a year or two ago. This type of "polish" is supposedly made from real base coat, nail color, and top coat - except it is dry, like a sticker for your nails. This promises the no-mess, no waiting for the stuff to dry kind of manicure that I dream about - it seems whenever I do a traditional manicure, no matter how long I wait for the stuff to dry, I end up smudging at least one nail.

So, I picked up two packs of the Incoco appliques - one in a sheer pink with turquoise sparkles called "Tinkerbelle" (I figured my first try would be with this sheer one so that any screwups would be minimally visible) and a deep, dark fall-trend maroon called "Lolita." Skeptical as always, it took me a week to get up the energy to test these things, but last Saturday I sat down while watching TV to set to work on this project.

As mentioned, I chose "Tinkerbelle" to start with. Upon opening the package, I discovered that I smelled nail polish and also that the package contained a number of things. An orange stick for pushing back cuticles, a mini nail buffing board, the nail appliques themselves, a piece of special silver tape for resealing the unused appliques (apparently they dry out if exposed to air for too long, which makes sense if they are truly made of polish), and a special polish remover cloth to be used when one decides to change colors. In addition, there was a sample of their French Manicure strips (although that contains only two nail strips, so I guess the point is to try it and then wipe it off - who would go around with only two fingers "Frenched"?).

Following the directions, I pushed back my ragged cuticles, then buffed my nails smooth with the enclosed buffer (which is awesome, by the way - save this for future use in natural looks because it works like a charm). Then, it was time to get down to applying the nail color strips. These come connected in a long strip, with the appliques going from smallest to largest. Beginning with my pinky, as suggested by the enclosed instructions, I found the size I wanted to use and tore it from the string of strips. Removed the protective top sheet and pulled the enamel away from the white backing.

At this point, I became a little bit irritated - while in the package on the backing, "Tinkerbelle" looks like it will be a soft, milky pink with the blue sparkles in it. However, when pulled away from the white backing, you discover that it is actually a very sheer Barbie pink with sparkles - instead of being opaque on the nail, it allows your nail to show through like a sort of clear coat with minute glitter in it. Thus, it wasn't the color I thought it would be, but I should have thought about that in the first place - of COURSE a white backing will change the color of a light polish.

Anyway, I continued with the manicure and positioned the applique on my nail. This took a little effort at first as I tried to make sure that the polish would be exactly straight on the nail while unsure if I should touch the strip on the sticky part. Turns out that you can, so things became easier once I discovered that. So, I got the strip straight, pressed it all over my nail, and bent it over the tip as instructed. Then I gently filed off the excess.

Bingo - a perfectly polished nail! Excited, I continued on and did all of my fingers in about 5-10 minutes. When I finished, I admired my salon perfect manicure - and even though the color wasn't what I expected, I found I liked it anyway - it had a nice subtle duochrome effect so my nails caught the light and gave off subtle pink and turquoise flashes. It's like a funky club polish hiding in a nude work polish - the bad girl underneath the good girl image.

As promised, the whole process was totally simple, and the enamel was perfectly dry. I could go about my business immediately upon finishing my nails without sitting around for 30 minutes, waving my hands like a raving lunatic.

BUT - does the stuff last, you wonder.

Last? Are you kidding? This stuff is impervious to any insult - I am not joking. A week later, my nails look the same as they did immediately after finishing the manicure. And this is from someone who normally has chipped polish 2 days after even a professional manicure at the spa. This stuff survived my writing job, which involves typing for hours. It survived multiple hand washings, and even using my nails as tools to open containers, envelopes, and whatever else needed opening. It even survived bashing my thumbnail in the drawer of a filing cabinet in my cubicle at work!

Even better, as it lasts it seems to support the nail well. As I have aged (gracefully of course), my nails have developed a propensity for peeling and splitting. When wearing no polish, at least one nail will split and peel every two days or so, leaving me looking pretty ragged. However, while wearing these Incoco things, not a single thing has happened to my nails - they have maintained the shape I made them last week, and have not peeled or split at all. They even feel stronger when I push on the tips.

While I'm super excited to try the deep, dark red of "Lolita," I think I am going to leave the current appliques on a while longer to see just how long it will last. The company says at least 14 days, and you know what? For the first time in my life, I believe a nail polish claim!

Get 'em... they're sold at Walgreens and Walgreens.com only, for $4.99 a pack. This'll give you two manicures, so it's sort of expensive, but the tradeoff for me is worth it. Plus, if you visit the website, there's a coupon for $1 off.

THOUGHTS FROM THE TRAIN CASE: Is a makeup obsession shallow?

2008-10-25T15:15:00.004-04:00

Have you ever been made to feel small or stupid for buying and/or playing with makeup? Anyone ever belittled your hobby?

I ask this because, well... I have. As many of you know, I have a rather colorful educational background (a bachelor's in nuclear engineering from MIT, a Ph.D. from UCLA School of Medicine in biomedical physics and radiation biology) and a number of years under my belt as a scientist working to cure cancer. These days, I've left my petri plates behind and sat down behind a computer screen to tackle science from a writing and communications standpoint, but I'm still a scientist. Essentially, it would seem that my mind is very nimble and quick.

So... "Why the hell are you wasting your time and money with all that silly makeup?" says my husband the other day. "You're supposed to be smarter than that."

This was like several slaps in the face at once. First of all, who really likes a sudden sharp criticism from one's spouse? Especially one that, if analyzed a little bit, is a veiled type of character assassination?

And really... where does he get off saying "smarter than that" as if only stupid morons are supposed to use and enjoy makeup? dWhere does this stereotype come from? Am I supposed to eschew my enjoyment of the stuff just because I have an advanced degree? And what, pray tell, am I supposed to do instead?

Oh, wait. I do know. It means I am supposed to do things that the intelligentsia are supposed to do as defined in books, movies, and coffee joint discussions. Play chess. Read War and Peace and Science magazine simultaneously and cover to cover. Play the violin. Come up with a way to beat the stock market. Count cards in Vegas. In other words, do something that is considered nerdy and smart. Something the husband considers useful (which means, something that might make money).

This isn't the first time people have tried to insult my interest in makeup, though. My own parents find my interest in it petty and useless, and have told me so several times - even going so far as to tell me that I look better without it and that my time would be better spend doing "other things."

Okay... so yes, I do love to read, and if I knew how to count cards, then baby, I'd be that thing that stayed in Vegas in my private suite. But the thing is, I spend all day doing science and "being smart" - my left brain gets a massive workout. And you know what? It gets tired, like anything else, and that's when I can hear them. The muffled cries of my right brain, screaming for action, wanting its turn, wanting that release. Smart or not, I want balance. As much as I crave scientific knowledge, I crave a way to express my artistic, creative self.

Sure, I could paint on a canvas. But there is something much more sensual about using my face and my body as the canvas for my artistic expressions. When I paint my face, I can feel the texture of the makeup, the brushes, my own hands. In a world that has become rather "touchless," I believe this is important aspect of private time. Everyone's body craves touch - we suppress the desire most often in today's world, but indeed that makes it more lovely when we do experience it, even from our own fingers and palms. Touch releases endorphins, oxytocin, and other pleasureable hormones and neurotransmitters (see, I'm a nerd for certain), and that reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate, spreads that wonderful tingly warmth through the body. Who wouldn't want that? Why should that be reserved for only those without a bunch of letters after their name?

And... upon further analysis, makeup can often be more important to smart women simply because they are smart. In my case, my nerdiness existed back in high school, when everyone was halfway between a child and an adult, and a female nerd was something to avoid at all costs. I was made fun of and excluded from things, simply because my report card contained A's. The assumption was that I was no fun, that I was uptight, and that I was a prude. In fact, this shroud of nerdiness made me ugly to those people...and I am not sure I can explain the hurt and isolation that generates. No one from your school will date you, no one will invite you to parties. When you are made to feel ugly, you seek to make yourself beautiful, and makeup can do that. Learning to do my eyes perfectly, to get lovely skin, to smell so good - all of that allowed me to feel so much better about myself and to at least be able to date a few boys I met at my summer job, who went to other schools and didn't hold the same assumptions about me. Of course... college changed all of this... but I digress here :)

So, my question is, why is doing makeup stupid, when it can have such a positive impact on a woman's (or even a man's) life? The fact is, it is NOT stupid... and we all have the right to do our faces proudly. Don't ever let someone's snarky comments make you feel bad about your hobby... because after all, it is a hobby like anything else, and it makes you feel good. You deserve to feel good, and no matter how you choose to get it, you OWN that endorphin rush.

Happy making up!!!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Aromaleigh Nocturne Overnight Mineral Treatment

2008-10-14T19:57:00.007-04:00

(photograph from Aromaleigh.com)

A few years ago, Bare Escentuals came out with their breakthrough RareMinerals nighttime mineral treatment to much fanfare. For those who don't know, this is a mineral "treatment" to be applied before bed - a powder that looks suspiciously like mineral foundation that is meant to clear up skin, smooth it out, balance it, and even reduce fine lines. I wondered about it - after all, wasn't it kind of like taking all of your makeup off and then putting some makeup BACK ON, then sleeping in it? While I know mineral makeup is "sleepable" I still found the concept pretty weird, yet I also found it very intriguing. However, I was not so intrigued that I was ready to pay over $60 for the stuff.

Then, with another purchase at Sephora.com, I was given the opportunity to try a "deluxe sample" of RareMinerals - it was a cute, self-contained little puff with about a week's worth of product in it. It was almost too cute to use, but I kept using that thing until it was dry despite the fact that it kind of made my skin itch and I even got a few hives (that's not that unusual for me though, as I have a condition called dermatographism that causes random bouts of those). The thing was, it really did sort of balance out my combination skin, and it seemed to smooth out the skin's surface as well. I was impressed, but still not impressed enough to plop down the cash.

Fast forward a few years, when I made the fortuitous discovery called Aromaleigh. In the midst of my fantastical color-buying frenzy, I noted that AL made their own version of BE's RareMinerals called Nocturne that doesn't contain many of the ingredients BE products do. According to Aromaleigh.com, Nocturne contains the following:

Mineral concentrate powder contains 72 micro and macro minerals. It is extracted from untouched mineral deposits from the earth estimated to have been formed during the Triassic-Jurassic periods, approximately 150 to 200 million years ago. It is the most complete source of naturally occurring micronutrients known to exist. Mineral concentrate increases cell turnover, is anti-inflammatory and nourishing to the skin. It brings "Mineral Makeup" to a new level... a level in which your minerals are in truly rare form.
Silk powder benefits your skin with 18 amino acids and is a natural moisture balancing product. Silk can absorb or release moisture as temperature or humidity changes.
Zinc oxide is a natural anti-inflammatory.
Ascorbic Acid, or Vitamin C naturally stimulates your skin's collagen growth, brightens your skintone, increases cellular turnover, and aids in the reduction of fine lines.
Ectoin(TM) is a highly advanced anti-aging ingredient that functions on multiple levels as a natural stress defense and moisture barrier for your skin. It protects the skin's immune defenses.
Emblica fruit extract has intense natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is a natural skin brightener.
Green tea extract is a natural antioxidant.
Spherical silica is added to this formula to assist in smooth application. Titanium dioxide and iron oxides are in minute amounts as part of the coloration of the formula. This product has a translucent, neutral tone that when applied, will meld into most skintones. It is a close match for the shade called "Clear" in an alternate brand's night time treatment.

I also noted that Nocturne was about 1/3 the price of RareMinerals, so I decided to give it a shot.

That was four months ago, and I haven't gone a night without my Nocturne since then. This stuff is, in a word, unbelieveable. It has balanced out my complexion better than the RareMinerals did. And until Nocturne, I had not been able to find anything to prevent the breakouts I got like clockwork across my chin each month... now, I have had just one small zit on my chin in four months, and it healed up in two days, unlike the previous nasties that would last four or even more. And I do see improvement in skin texture as well - most definitely more youthful!

This is definitely an option to try if you suffer from any of these troubles. I highly recommend putting on a thin layer with a flocked sponge after allowing your normal night moisturizer absorb each evening to wake up to calmer, prettier skin.

Nocturne is available at Aromaleigh.com for $28.00 per 14 gram (0.5 oz) jar, or for $31.00 if you would like to get a flocked sponge with it for application (I recommend that too - the sponge is amazing). Samples are available for $2.60 so you can try before you buy - the sample contains enough product to use for a week or two, so you'll definitely have time to decide if Nocturne is right for you!

PRODUCT REVIEW - John Frieda Frizz Ease Overnight Repair Creme Serum

2008-10-09T18:55:00.002-04:00

I have always had hair that tends to dry out like crazy. It's thick, it's pretty coarse, and it's curly, which is the part I hate, so that means I do a lot of blow drying and flat-ironing even though I know it's going to make the situation worse. I'd rather have dry hair than that huge hair (I can't seem to control the curl either, so I just squash it out). Despite that though, I must admit that, well, my hair has been, for the last ten years or so, my crowning glory - long, red, full, Celtic warrior princess hair. The kind of hair people stop you on the street to compliment, the kind of hair that little kids grab on the bus, the kind of hair that big kids grab in the.... well, I'm getting off point here. My point is, I have been proud of my hair, okay?

So, when I started seeing a lot of hair in the shower drain, I started to worry. And when I looked in the mirror a few weeks later and discovered that a whole chunk on the left side of my head was a LOT shorter than the rest, a sure sign of serious breakage, I panicked. I knew that it was going to be a while before I could get some of the high-end hair stuff that I usually bought in times of extreme hair drought because Winston-Salem, NC is NOT known for its shopping - I'd have to order online and then wait (I was already paying out the nose for the products themselves, so there was absolutely no way I was going to pay for express shipping).

In the meantime, I went to the drugstore to see what I could rustle up. I got some shampoo and conditioner (Tresemme Thermal Recovery - I'll review that in a different entry, because that turned out to be a great buy for me too), and then, on my way out of the aisle, this overnight stuff from John Frieda Frizz Ease caught my eye. I was particularly interested because I'd had a sample of something similar from Frederic Fekkai once, and it had done a pretty good job, but was something like $60. But the Frizz Ease version was just $9.99 - I figured that it couldn't hurt, and grabbed it.

That night, I pumped some serum out into my palms and smoothed it through dry hair, like the instructions said. This serum is creamy, but not thick, and it is easy to work through the hair. I focused on my ends, but made sure as much hair as possible was covered. After going about the rest of my nightly routine, I touched my hair and was pleased to find that my hair was actually absorbing the serum - the serum was not simply sitting on top of each shaft making it greasy. I went to bed hoping for the best.

In the morning, when I was awake enough to remember I put the Frizz Ease night serum through my hair, I touched my hair again. More absorption! In fact, it already felt like my hair was softer. I also checked my pillow, and was pleased to see that the claim that this stuff wouldn't get all over the bedding was accurate. After washing and conditioning my hair like usual, I was even more amazed. My hair wasn't completely healed, but its shine was coming back, it was crazy soft, and the frizz was definitely reduced... A LOT. In fact, I feel that the John Frieda version worked better than the expensive Fekkai version!

It's only gotten better ... the more you use this stuff, the better your hair gets. It's recommended to use it 2-3 times a week, but I imagine you can use it every day if you want.

That does lead me to the only drawback to this stuff that I can find... the bottle isn't big enough, at least not for someone like me who has to coat handfuls of thick hair that reaches her mid-back. However, I've gotten six uses out so far - don't really know how many are left in there, but to be honest, those six uses have totally transformed my hair, so I really don't care if that's all I get. At $9.99, I'll just get another one.

Bottom line is - this stuff is incredible. Run, don't walk, to your neighborhood drugstore and pick some up. You'll be glad you did.

MEOW Gets Ready For Halloween

2008-10-05T15:13:00.005-04:00

Meow Cosmetics announces yet another collection of fabulous colors - the Halloween collection! Six eye colors return from previous spooky nights, and of course, lucky 13 new eye colors have been introduced. These colors are described by Meow as follows:

We have tried our best to photograph these unusual shadows, but the internet just doesn't allow us to accurately display the iridescent fire and complex auras these Halloween shadows display in person. They actually seem to glow after application, creating a haunted halo of unexpected colors. They remind us of a crystal ball in that way...every time you gaze at them, you just may see something new and unexpected! So gaze deeply and tell us....which ones does your future hold?

These sound like a fabulously interesting bunch, and if you're like me and can't resist unusual mica interference, fun glimmers of colors, and lots of sheen, you're probably going to love these... I know I ordered some samples ($1 each as usual) as soon as I discovered this collection had been released.

But probably the most interesting part of the Halloween collection is the set of six new foundation colors. Since Meow already offers 84 different foundation shades, I wondered what on earth they could be cooking up now. Well, if you check out the last row of colors in the photo above, the secret is revealed.... it's a collection of werewolf browns, witchy greens, ghastly whites, and other spooky colors! This is probably the first brand of mineral Halloween makeup I have heard of, and I think it's a great idea - for those of you dressing up this Halloween, these are a great alternative to those nasty wax crayons and gloppy face paints usually offered at Halloween. So, you can give your skin a break this Halloween and finally let it breathe!

But, Meow asks you to hurry! These limited edition shades will vanish without a trace at the stroke of midnight, all Hallows Eve, October 31.

25% Off EVERYTHING at Taylor Made Minerals!

2008-10-05T12:38:00.002-04:00

Because Taylor of Taylor Made Minerals is getting married and heading off on her honeymoon, the company is essentially closed until October 13th - that means that the website is still taking orders, but they have halted shipping until Taylor returns. So, you can place an order, but it might not ship for a few weeks.

BUT - to make this up to you, the customer, absolutely everything is 25% off until the 13th!! That includes the $1.00 samples.

So, if you are able to wait for your order, this is a super deal and a great time to take advantage of Taylor's already low prices and try something new. You can find Taylor Made Minerals here.

Makeup Brushes for the Middle Class - Part One

2008-09-28T15:09:00.010-04:00

I cannot stress enough how important the right brushes are when you're applying makeup. Way back when, when relied on two random brushes and the sponge applicators that came in makeup packaging, I found it almost impossible to create the looks I wanted - even the standard three color (lid, crease, highlight) look pictured on Cover Girl packaging. I thought it was me, and found myself pretty frustrated at that!

However, now that I have the proper tools, I find that even pretty complex looks aren't quite so complex anymore. When you have the right brush for the right job, you find the brush does most of the work for you, and you can get that gorgeous blended look you see in pictures after only a few practice sessions. Not only that, but brushes are just so much more LUXE than those applicators, aren't they? The feel of a firm handle and silky bristles on your skin makes makeup application more fun, more sensual.

But, you say, what am I supposed to do when a drugstore brush feels like straw, and those MAC brushes can run $50 for a powder brush??? Should I suck it up, save, and get one brush every six months to a year until I have enough to do my face?

NO.

Do not even go near MAC for brushes. You are paying for the name, and that is not something that is worth your money. MAC wants you to think it is, but it is not. If you have the money and really want it, then go ahead, but I promise you you can get some great brushes that are just as good for a lot less. In fact, some great brushes are about $1.50. Don't believe me? Read on....

WHERE TO GET AFFORDABLE, QUALITY BRUSHES:

CROWN BRUSH - http://www.crownbrush.biz/

Crown is truly a gem. Their prices are amazing, and you get the same quality brushes you'd get from many other more expensive companies. In fact, it's possible that Crown is supplying those companies with wholesale brushes, and those companies are then putting their name on them and jacking up the price!

Crown has several lines of brushes, but in my opinion, the best are the Studio line and the Italian Badger line, followed by the Backstage line. The Studio line has the largest selection and has just about every brush a true artist would need. The Italian Badger line has fewer brushes in it, but the brushes are beautiful - mahogany colored handles and the lovely two-tone badger hair - in addition to highly functional. Prices in the Studio line range from, get this.. $1.20 for a mini smudger brush to $12.95 for the biggest, fluffiest powder brush (the one that MAC sells for $50). Prices in the Italian Badger line range from $1.49 for a brow/lash groomer to $15.95 for the biggest fluffy powder dome brush. Pretty amazing, huh?

Do not let the price fool you. These brushes are QUALITY. I got a set of Italian Badger brushes as a gift from my husband on my birthday, and they are incredible. I use most of them daily. I have touched MAC brushes in the store, and I would not trade my IB's for those brushes. They provide the same smooth application and the same control, and they take up product and hold it just as well. I also have a few brushes from the Studio line, and these are probably even more like MAC - they look like MAC, with the same black handles and silver ferrules (that metal part holding the bristles to the handle), they feel like MAC both in terms of softness and in the weight of the brush as you hold it, and most of all, they work like MAC.

Minimum order from Crown is $25 - but you will get enough brushes to do your entire face for that...and probably more.

COASTAL SCENTS - http://www.coastalscents.com/

This Florida company does a little bit of everything - they provide mineral makeup (nice stuff, by the way), micas and other colorants for making mineral makeup, bath products and scents, some outrageously popular makeup palettes that have a cult following on the Internet (and with good reason - I have two and they're awesome), and of course, incredibly good deals on makeup brushes. Many brushes are under $5, and they also often have brush sets that come in cases or brush rolls for easy storage and travel. They have a lovely looking synthetic hair brush set that I was considering buying as a backup set.... ;)

MICHAEL'S, REX ART, AND OTHER ART/CRAFT STORES - http://www.michaels.com/, http://www.rexart.com/, and others

Makeup is an art, so why not use artist's brushes? Good paint brushes make wonderful makeup brushes... I'm serious! As one of my favorite examples, Loew-Cornell makes a series of brushes called "Maxine's Mops." These come in different sizes, from a 1/4" brush head to a 1" brush head, and they are made of white natural hair. The head is firm and flat, great for packing on shadows across the lid. In fact, it is becoming widely known that the 3/8" sized Maxine's Mop is identical to the famed, coveted MAC 239 brush. Okay, so the handle is purple and slimmer than the MAC, but the brush head is exactly the same size (which is what matters) and texture, and besides, the Mop is usually around $2.... and the 239 is $24.50. Art stores usually have a great selection of other paint brushes - just head in there and touch them all to see what will work for you. As a hint, these stores often have a large selection of Taklon brushes, which are great for applying cream shadows or for applying your mineral shadows wet (foiling), but use your imagination ... you might find the perfect brush for getting into those places your other brushes won't go!

CVS - http://www.cvs.com/

Yep, I am including a drugstore on this list. That's because CVS sells a brand called "Essence of Beauty," and the brushes included in this collection are surprisingly...awesome. The smudger/crease brush has a cult following on the Internet. I don't have it yet, but I've touched one and it's a great brush. I do have a large powder brush, which I've had for, oh, I don't know, maybe 7 years... and it's still going strong. Soft, soft, soft... and no shedding, even when I wash it. They also have Boots brushes (a British brand sold in the US only at CVS), and Lumene brushes - although I don't know as much about the Lumene other than they look nice and are priced decently. These are definitely options to check out, especially since they are super easy to obtain - just head into your local CVS and grab one.

So, there you go... three options you can try for getting a great brush arsenal without spending your entire paycheck on them. But... now that you've got these brushes, you're going to want to keep them for a long time... so part two of Makeup Brushes for the Middle Class is going to be about caring for your brushes without spending a fortune on fancy schmancy brush cleaners and shampoos. Stay tuned!!!!

Finally - My Perfect Taupe!

2008-09-27T10:13:00.009-04:00

It seems so silly, but yet so important -finding the perfect taupe eye color. It also sounds like it shouldn't be that hard - you go to the store, find one that says "taupe", pay, and go home happy.

But, at least for me, it hasn't worked that way at all. My search for the perfect taupe has been a series of hopeful anticipation and massive letdowns that has literally lasted years. I would look at taupes in the packaging at stores, thinking they were going to work, but upon application, the color was all wrong. I would read color descriptions online, confident that this would be the one, only to find out that Houston, we have a problem again.

Why was this so damn hard? It is because, I think, "taupe" doesn't really mean the same thing to everyone. Wikipedia agrees with me:

"Taupe refers to a dark grayish-brown color. The word "taupe" derives from the French name for the European Mole, Talpa europaea. Originally, this referred only to the average color of the French mole but like the colors pink and lavender, the name expanded (in the case of taupe beginning in the 1940s) to encompass a wide range of varying shades. It seems that this occurred because the color of the fur of the mole can itself exhibit a wide range of shades, from gray through yellowish, brownish, and even purplish.

Taupe is a vague, unscientific color term which may be used to refer to almost any grayish-brown, brownish-gray, or warm gray color. It often overlaps with tan and even people who use color professionally (such as designers and artists) frequently disagree as to what "taupe" means. There is no single, generally recognized authority for such terms."

And then check out how many hex codes there are for taupe (these are codes used to make colors show up in HTML/web page design):

And so this is exactly what I found as well. I had this perfectly balanced, specific color in mind - but there were so many versions of "taupe eye shadow" that it was next to impossible to find that one specific beauty I wanted. Some taupes were too brown, some too gray, and some leaned yuckily into muddy tan colors. Surprisingly, many taupes also appeared purple or plummy - these are lovely, as I loooooovvvvve purples, but when you are looking for taupe, a purple result is disappointing.

I realized that my perfect taupe was a nice balance of a fairly neutral brown, gray, and yes, purple. It would have a nice shimmer to it, because often matte taupes look like dirt on my eyelids, so perhaps a little silver should be thrown in. Whatever the color mix, though, I realized I probably wasn't going to find that one color, and I essentially gave up. Yes, I'd eye taupe colors when passing by, but my quest was suspended - no more incessant testing of the taupes!

And then one day, it happened.... completely by accident, I found my gorgeous, balanced, perfect taupe.

I had ordered samples of Meow Cosmetics' fall eye colors to try out (and swatch and review for you guys, which I will still do in another post very soon). In that collection is a color called "Claws-trophobic" and it is described as a "platinum taupe," excellent for a smoky eye. When I ordered the samples, the swatch online looked pretty, so I got it, but I didn't really think that it looked like that taupe.

The colors arrived, and I intended to do a fancy eye look with them the next morning. However, it so happened that I had an 8:30 am meeting that day and overslept, leaving me precious little time to get ready. Scratch the fancy look - grab a color that looks like it'll be easy and neutral, perfect for a rush job. I grabbed Claws-trophobic - in my bathroom lighting it had that brown/gray look with shimmer, and maybe a little purple to bring out my green eyes - slapped it on quickly with a little highlighter, liner, and mascara, and bailed for work.

Upon arrival at work, I dashed into the bathroom before my meeting. On my way out, I glanced in the mirror to check to make sure my makeup hadn't done anything funky.... and I stopped dead.

Leaning over the counter and examining my lids, I saw it. It was The Taupe. Perfectly balanced, the gray came out first, but as I turned the gray seamlessly turned to brown. Interestingly, the brown wasn't exactly the cool brown I thought My Taupe would have, but brown just ever so slightly over to the warm side of neutral. In different light over at the full length mirror, the shadow glowed with hints of purple and flashed with just the right amount of platinum shimmer overlay. It wasn't metallic, but it had that... I don't know... "ooomph"?

It lasted all day, just as lovely as when I put it on... I was so pleased I couldn't help but look in mirrors every chance I got. I found my perfect taupe!!

If anyone else is on a Taupe Quest and wants to try Claws-trophobic, it is available on Meow Cosmetics' Fall Splendor Palette page. It's just $1.oo for a very generous sample (and it's $10.25 for a full size jar - before you freak about that price, remember that Meow's eye colors come in packed-full 10 gram jars, rather than the 5 gram jars most mineral shadows come in).

Has anyone else ever had to quest for the perfect eye color? Did you find it?

PRODUCT REVIEW: Aromaleigh Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder

2008-09-21T11:56:00.007-04:00

(Image from Aromaleigh.com)

Every now and then I come across a product that impresses me so much I feel like I have to shout that fact off the rooftops - a product that is not only a really cool concept, but actually works exactly the way it says it will.

Aromaleigh's Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder is one of those amazing products - and so I have selected it as the product that gets the inaugural review in my blog.

As someone who is always searching for that perfect, poreless, matte magazine-ad face, I have tried many foundations and many face powders - especially powders, since when I was younger I could get away with wearing just powder, no foundation. Nowadays, I want my powders to give that matte but not cakey finish, a poreless and airbrushed look, AND I want them to sop up the oil that occurs in my T-zone as a result of living in a hot, humid Southern state. In other words, I expect a LOT from my powder!

Apparently, so does everyone else - more and more companies are releasing makeup that is designed especially for high-definition photography, television and movies. This new media reveals every single flaw, so covering these little things becomes a major undertaking. CARGO, for instance, has a high-definition line out (available at Sephora). In addition, the cult fave company Make Up For Ever, known for its lasting performance makeup, released HD Microfinish Powder - a colorless, for-all-skin-tones 100% mineral silica powder promising to completely perfect the skin for high definition applications. People raved about it, and I desired it - but couldn't quite bring myself to pay $30 for just 0.35 oz of powder.

While I was trying to decide, I stumbled across Aromaleigh's website and saw their Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder. This powder is offered in the same 100% silica clear formula as MUFE's, but it is also available it a "translucent" beige-y shade that may work better for those with ethnic skin tones. If that isn't enough, it is available in "Peaches and Cream" (a peachy pink shade) and "English Rose" (a sheer dusty rose color) - these promise to add just the faintest hint of color to your complexion.

Because Aromaleigh offers sample baggies of all of these for $2.20 each, I jumped on the opportunity to try three of these luscious little powders - Clear, Peaches and Cream, and English Rose (I skipped the "translucent" since I'm pretty light-skinned). When my samples arrived, I discovered each baggie had enough product in it to do my face at least five times, maybe more. I immediately tried the clear... using a large powder dome brush, I took some powder up, wondered if I actually got any since the powder is really, truly clear and doesn't show up on the brush too much, and dusted my T-zone.....

POOF! Pores disappeared, shine disappeared, other imperfections disappeared! I stared incredulously at a smooth, almost-magazine ad face in the mirror. I couldn't stop looking at how smooth and lovely my skin looked. And guess what! Around lunchtime, my skin still looked that way! I touched up a little bit on my forehead and the bridge of my nose, but I'm a perfectionist - I probably didn't even need to do that. This powder is, in one word, incredible - and I don't say that about just anything.

What about the colored ones? Well - they work just the same. They also produce that absolutely flawless finish. They also add a little color - not a lot, but just a teensy hint. Enough to brighten up your skin if you're feeling a little bit tired or "off," and I have found that both colors will work on just about any skin tone. I have skin that is on the warm side, and both the rose and peach look lovely.

These powders are incredible. Did I say that already?? I bought the full size in Clear already, and I use it almost every day. Complete, utter product love!

And what is most incredible is the price - this contains the exact same ingredient as the MUFE version, but it is only $13.75 for the full size, which is in a 20 gram jar. That holds about 0.5 oz (volume) and 0.2 oz (weight). If you compare that to $30 for 0.35 oz from MUFE -- well, you can see why I, the lover and blogger of all good beauty deals, love this product even more. Plus, Aromaleigh has weekly sales, and this often comes up for 25% off in one of those sales... so you can often get it for even less.

So, the moral of this review is -- Aromaleigh's Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder is TRULY AWESOME. GO GET IT!!!

MEOW Cosmetics Introduces Their Fall Colors

2008-09-17T18:05:00.006-04:00

(from meowcosmetics.com)

I don't know about everyone else, but I love the colors of fall. Yes, the foliage is incredible, but the makeup hues coming out this time of year are simply stunning. I've always loved deep olive greens, smoky browns, rich chocolate browns, burgundies, inky blues and purples - and I love the smoky looks you can make with them!

So I was obviously excited when my Meow Cosmetics newsletter arrived on Monday and it announced the launch of their Fall Palette -shown above. Looks pretty gorgeous to me!

The majority of the colors (the first seventeen above) are "IdealEyes" eye colors - in Meow-speak, that means they are pearlized, with some sparkle and a good amount of sheen (although the amount of each of those depends on the color). Looks like we've got gorgeous browns and burgundies, with a few interesting twists on both of these... as well as an on-trend deep navy called "Sabertooth" (second row, last eye shadow) and a super rich, inky blackish purple called "Heavy Petting" (third row down, third eye shadow from the left). Told you the color names could get interesting!

There is also one new CatEyes shadow called "Jynx. " The CatEyes line is Meow's matte line, and Jynx is a perfect dark charcoal color for creating those fall smoky eyes... it's up there in the picture too, the last swatch there on the bottom. Meow's mattes tend to be quite creamy and they apply smooth as butter, but it can take a bit of work to get the lighter colored ones to show up. However, I don't think that's going to be a problem at all with Jynx; looks like it's dripping with pigment and ready to play.

In addition, four new "Feliners" (loose mineral eye liners) have been created - including a bright white one that promises to be completely opaque. It's no small feat to get white minerals to be opaque, so some creative mixing probably went on here... but you can bet no nasty chemicals were added to this beautiful white kitty. Also making their debut are "Spaz," an olive/chocolate brown liner, "Kamikaze," which is a deep scarlet wine, and "Thunder," a pure black satin -- Meow's site describes Thunder as "Black. Black. Black. No undertones, nothing but....BLACK. Goes on creamy and smooth...for the Goth Diva in us all...."

Finally, Meow has introduced some new face colors as a part of the fall collection too. In order to balance out the deep, smoky sensuality of the eyes, the face colors are muted, soft, and girly pink. There are two Crystalline Cat all-over glow powders (Moonstone is pure pink and the other, Quartz, is a peachy pink), one Lush Blush (also in a pink hue), and - my must try of the face colors - one new Firefly blush in Illuminate (described as a caramel hue with cherry undertones, gold sparkle and gold sheen). The other Firefly blushes have been gorgeous - they are like a blush and highligher all in one - and I can't wait to try this one.

So, as you might guess.... I ordered samples of just about everything you see up there to review ;) As soon as I get them, I'll give you all the lowdown on these gorgeous deep colors.

However if you can't wait to get your paws on these, go ahead and slink over to Meow's Fall Palette page - all samples are $1, and full-size, packed-full 10 gram jars of eye shadows are $10.25. Blushes, face colors are priced as marked. However, you can save 10% on your entire order (even if your order consists of only samplees!!) if you use the coupon code CATSCANDYCORN - this code is only good until Sept. 18, though.

Above all, HAVE FUN!!!!!

One of Aromaleigh's "BIGGEST" Sales!!!

2008-09-16T23:57:00.005-04:00

Ok, ladies, a quick late night blog, because I just had to tell someone about the sales going on over at Aromaleigh! Caution - these are HOT!

Aromaleigh, one of my favorite companies for eye shadow, is having some incredible sales on their eyeshadow color collections! Way back when AL started, the traditional "5 gram" loose eyeshadow jar was not available, so Kristen Bell began selling her gorgeous shadows in the larger 10 gram ones. As time went on, the 5 gram jars became available, and the newer shadow collections were packaged that way - thus leading to some products being in the 5's and others being sold in the 10's. However, now the company is transitioning completely to the 5 gram jars to be consistent. Perhaps that sounds a little sad, like you will be getting less when you buy - but true to form, Kristen is making it worth your while!!

She is now putting the 10 gram jars on sale, one collection every few days, for 50% OFF - that means you will get the gigantic 10 gram jars for about $4 each. This is unheard of - it is rare to find a 5 GRAM jar of shadow for $4, much less the big one!

Definitely head over there and have a look-see, as the colors are going quickly (because nobody can resist getting this crazy deal on their favorite colors). When you shop, make sure you check the dropdown menu for each collection - if the color you are interested in is NOT listed there, that means the 10 grammers are sold out in that shade. (It does not, however, mean the shade is gone for good - it will be returning almost immediately, just in the smaller packaging.)

Currently, this sale is going on for the Pure Eyes Frost collection, the Pure Eyes Matte collection, and the Carolina Summer Matte Collection. To show you how awesome these are, I am borrowing a few images from the Aromaleigh website (they are all Kristen's photography) to show you what the colors look like.....

The Pure Eyes Frost Collection

The Pure Eyes Matte Collection

The "Carolina Summer" Mattes

Remember, you will be getting a 10 gram jar size for just $4.13 - that's about the size of a Bare Escentuals shadow jar, but the color is much more intense. Happy shopping!!!!

**Oh, and remember to check out the coupons and deals page while you are at Aromaleigh; you can still use the coupon codes that are posted (a FREE eyeshadow, anyone??) with the sale prices!

Thoughts on Choosing Colors

2008-09-11T18:24:00.003-04:00

As I applied my face from my jars this morning, I thought about makeup colors, and how we choose which ones to wear. I think a lot of us probably, at one point, read about or were told about being "cool" or "warm" or that they were a "spring" or "winter" or whatever. And at that point, we probably chose some colors and have stuck with them, varying a little within whatever color "family" we were defined as belonging to depending on whether it was day or night.

For many of us, we do that because it works pretty well, especially for eye colors. Even that redheaded vixen waving at you from the hot tub (that would be me) originally went with browns, golds, olive greens, and peaches most of the time, because the warm red hair and green eyes "dictated" it. (Foundation was another story - it has literally taken me twenty years to find the right color with that!) As for colors like blues, bright greens, pinks and purples -- I saw so many beautiful ones, but I was positive I could not wear them. I'd pick them up lovingly, watching them sparkle...and then put them back on the shelf with a sigh and head over to the browns yet again.

Then something happened when I hit my mid 30s - or, I guess I should say, a NUMBER of things happened when I hit my mid-30s. First of all, all those words I'd read over the years sort of congealed in my mind, and I finally paid attention to the concepts of color theory. Second, the self consciousness the developed in my teens and took most of my 20s to lessen finally went away, and I found that my I-do-what-I-want attitude now extended to my apppearance. I began testing things out - color theory suggested that purples and plums would make green eyes pop, so I began experimenting. And it's true! With the right plums on, my eyes are so green that putting in a green-colored contact lens makes no apparent difference! And the right plums do NOT clash with my hair, as I'd thought before.

And finally, I discovered Aromaleigh Cosmetics and its owner, Miss K - the sassy attitude and incredible colors this company has are just irresistible, especially since generous samples of just about everything Miss K makes can be purchased for around $1-$2. Aromaleigh's Rocks! Sonic Collections are so amazing, so bright, so... COOL that I had to buy samples of a few (okay, of a lot). And these days, you'll find me with chartreuse, or sky blue, or shimmering fuschia lids in addition to my more neutral palettes. By sampling things, I found a lot of colors that work for me... yes, there have been a few that really didn't work at all, but most have. With some good brushes for blending, a lot of colors can work, especially when paired with other colors.

The thing is, you can break the makeup rules. You don't have to stay in your "warm" or "cool" shades. You'd be surprised how often I find that a "cool" shade works for me. For example, today I wore some browns, but not the warm golden sort I exclusively owned before - these are browns with a cold grey undertone, like moon rocks or tree bark. The contrast between the cool grey undertones in these browns and my warmer coloring makes my eyes just pop.

My point is - if you love a color, wear it! Experiment and find a version of it that works for you - I'd say about 95% of the time you will find one. Don't be afraid to break the mold. Makeup is supposed to be fun, not this horrible drag chore you have to do every day. Makeup is art, and art is freedom. You can paint your self portrait, each and every day. Some days you can paint a demure girl or a very professional woman, but other days, let yourself paint that wild rockstar that is screaming to get out.

You'll thank yourself.

Sunday's Cheapie Tips

2008-09-07T10:43:00.009-04:00

Today's suggestions for cheaper beauty alternatives are (drumroll please)....

1. Makeup Remover - Okay, makeup remover pads are great, and they seem cheap... Almay's are, I believe, 80 pads for around $5 to $6. However, I've discovered that Pampers Baby Wipes work just as well. Yep. Baby wipes! Not kidding. You can get something like 200 sheets for $6. You can also buy mega-packs of 700 for about $25. Think about that - that will last you close to two years if you use 1 wipe per day! And the thing is, because this is something families use often, these wipes go on sale regularly, so they are often even less expensive than this. Last time I bought them, I got about 500 for $8 at Walgreens!

These wipes swipe off makeup quickly and easily. The Baby Fresh ones (I use these) smell great - but if you are very sensitive, they do make a sensitive skin version that's unscented. The large size of the wipe allows you to make multiple passes over the eye area with a clean part, which I find is really good when removing a heavier, smoky eye - those little pads fill quickly and tend to smear makeup all over the face if there's a lot to remove, but the baby wipe picks it all up and sweeps it away. (The wipes are so large that you can even cut them in half and double your investment, if you want.)

The one thing that baby wipes have trouble with is waterproof mascara. However, there is a quick and easy solution to that. Grab a Q-tip, go into your kitchen, and dip that tip into some olive oil. Now, swipe the oil lightly over your lashes, wait a few seconds to let it penetrate the coats of mascara, and then use your baby wipe to clean up. Crisis averted! That's because, while the ingredients that make your mascara waterproof are insoluble in water, they ARE soluble in oil.

2. Lip Exfoliant - For those of us with super dry, flaky lips, exfoliation can really help. A lot of companies sell special lip exfoliants - I know that MAC sells a stick version, and Smashbox sells a small tube of creamy exfoliant for an investment of just... 18 bucks. Yikes!!! Yes, it has all sorts of good-for-you ingredients in it, but I really cannot bring myself to shell out such a crazy price for a product that is so .... easy to make at home.

After trying the other at-home methods (rub with a soft toothbrush or a washcloth) and finding that my lips were very irritated and sore afterwards, I decided to make something more soothing. Here's the recipe:

Grapeseed Oil

Sugar

Pour small amount of grapeseed oil into container. Add sugar until texture is thick enough to spread on lips, but not so thick with crystals that it will be irritating. Smooth mixture on lips. Let oil penetrate for a few minutes. Then, rub gently all over lips so that the sugar crystals will exfoliate your lips. Rinse off. If desired, allow a thin film of grapeseed oil to remain on lips (I do this), since grapeseed oil has been used for centuries as a moisturizer. It penetrates into skin better than other oils.

That's it! You can get grapeseed oil as well as other types of oils (jojoba, etc) at a store like Whole Foods or another natural product/health food store. A small bottle is usually about $4, and will last you a long, long time. I've had mine for six months and I've only used 1/4 of it. Grapeseed oil is, as mentioned, a great moisturizer and is loaded with antioxidants. If you like, you can put some essential oils in your grapeseed oil and use it as a body moisturizer. If you want to use this scented stuff on your lips, make sure that the essential oil is okay to use around the lips first. Anyway, you know where to get sugar, of course.

Oh, and guess what? Take a look at the ingredients on Smashbox's Emulsion Lip Exfoliant - grapeseed and jojoba oil are two major ingredients. So there!

3. Lash Primer - JUST SAY NO. These days, big, thick lashes are IT, and lash priming products are everywhere. These things supposedly coat the lashes and prepare them for mascara, resulting in longer, fatter lashes that last well into that late-night party. Again, I know that MAC makes one, and so does Smashbox. I had the opportunity to try the Smashbox primer when I got a free sample of it. Know where that thing is now? In a dump somewhere. When I put the Smashbox primer on my lashes, it didn't coat much...it just left white clumps in random places on the lashes. And when I went and put mascara on anyway, you can imagine the result.

So maybe other primers work better than that, but my feeling is they are really unnecessary. What I've found to be the best lash primer is my translucent finishing powder. When I am dusting on my powder after finishing foundation application, I dust the powder over closed lids and lashes in addition to the face. The finishing powder clings to the lashes and coats them evenly, giving my mascara something to stick to without spending any extra dough.

And the other thing you can do is go to the drugstore or go online, and get a pair of Ardell false lashes for $3.49. Some Ardell styles look super natural yet long and thick -- I've got a few I use to play up lashes, and after a few practice attempts, they are super easy to put on.

And that's all folks... you can look forward to more cheapie tips every Sunday!!

Let's Start - Where to Get Your Makeup

2008-08-31T11:14:00.011-04:00

So, before we start doing makeup, let's talk about where to GET it.

Of course, there are the standard type places - the websites for MAC, Stila, NARS, LORAC, and other brands, and the ever-popular Sephora. Even I love browsing at Sephora (http://www.sephora.com/ for those who don't have a physical store near them - like me). However, I am always just a little bit (okay, a lot) appalled by the prices these fancy brands are charging. I mean, yes, I love Dior Diorshow mascara, but $24 per tube?? Come on... we all have to admit that is absolutely insane. It's a mascara, for Christ's sake - something you use for, if you're a good girl and follow the mascara rules, 3 months and then toss. And MAC - example prices are $14.50 per eyeshadow pot and $20 for one of their new Lustre Twins lipstick/gloss duos. Yeah, the colors are lovely, but being out $34.50 after purchasing only two tiny (yes, tiny - MAC's eyeshadows are some of the smallest on the market) products is also insane.

Ladies (and possibly some guys) - think about what you are doing!! You're spending crazy amounts and getting very little for it. And you know what? That's what these cosmetic companies are banking on - that you WILL pay that $24 for the mascara because it's got the Dior name on it, and they WILL make a huge profit from that brand name. My opinion these days is - screw that. Just stop buying that stuff. They are essentially tricking you out of you cash, and if we all just quit buying it maybe they'd have to rethink their strategy a little.

"So what am I supposed to do?" you are asking.

What if I told you I could find you a dupe of just about any MAC shadow/pigment, and that I could do it for just about $1.00 each? What if I could find you a cream shadow that is as good, if not better, than MAC's super-cool Paint Pots for HALF the price? And what about the fact that many drugstore brand mascaras are now as good as those pricey ones, because they are made in the exact same factories - just packaged under a different name and priced differently?

This blog is going to show you how to do all of that. Of course, occasionally we'll splurge on something - for example, my one splurge these days is Urban Decay's Primer Potion (UDPP). It's $16, but the stuff works wonders. No reapplying shadow, no creases, nothing - and I have not found anything that comes close to working as well as UDPP. So I buy it, because it does what it says and there is no equal. However, when there IS an equal - why not buy that?

So, to start, I'm going to give you some info on some of my absolute favorite places to buy makeup on the cheap so you can browse and see what I'm talking about and see what I'm going to be using in the looks I'll do in future posts. These places not only provide high-quality, high-pigment makeup that you will love, but many create their makeup from pure minerals that are of even higher quality that that super expensive mineral company (um, Bare Escentuals anyone?). That means this stuff is free of chemicals and is good for your skin - perfect if you get a lot of breakouts. And, many give back to the community - by donating to cool charities, or just by being environmentally friendly. Great stuff, right?

With that, here goes:

1. Aromaleigh (http://www.aromaleigh.com/). With over 400 eyeshadow shades to choose from (that is a photo of their Rocks! Sonic Eye collection, taken from their site), Aromaleigh is probably my favorite place to shop - I'm an eye makeup addict, and Aromaleigh feeds that addiction like nowhere else. Why? Because they sell samples of all of those colors, and the samples range from about 80 cents to $1.20 each! These samples come in baggies, and inside each baggie is a generous amount of makeup - so generous that I have yet to run out of one and I started buying them three months ago. Aromaleigh's shadows range from soft, light, neutrals to bold, hot, look-at-me neons that glow under blacklight - and all of them, even the screaming neons, are infinitely wearable. And yes, they are extremely pigmented - and many are dupes for MAC pigments and shadows.

Of course, Aromaleigh is not just shadows - they have a huge line of blushes to try (these are incredible as well), and their lippies are just super moisturizing (you've gotta try the Nourishing Color Cremes... looks like a lip balm, acts like a lip balm, but provides a perfect hit of color for your daily life). And, another favorite of mine is the Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder... this is the EXACT SAME as Make Up For Ever's High Definition finishing powder ($30), but the container is a bit bigger and the price is about a third of MUFE's at $13.75. You'll find many other fantastic things as you browse the site... I dare you to leave the site without putting something in your cart! (Also of note - Aromaleigh donates part of its profits to Heifer International, a charity that hopes to feed the world.)

2. MEOW Cosmetics (http://www.meowcosmetics.com/). Meow is also a small independent company run by women. In my opinion, this is the absolute best place to buy foundation, bar none. With three formulations and 84 (yes, that's right) foundation shades to choose from, you are bound to find something that is perfect for you. For the first time in my life, I found a foundation that is an exact match for my hard-to-match skin - I'm kind of warm, but have some pink in there, and even makeup artists have had difficulty with it. The foundation not only matches, but it just melts into my skin for absolutely perfect, natural looks. In addition, they make concealers that match each of their foundations exactly, so there is none of that "Should I get the light? Or medium?" stuff. Each of their foundations can be sampled for $1 - so you can get a bunch of samples (each of which contains enough to do your whole face a good three or four times) and find your exact match. When that happens, you can buy a jar for about $23, depending on the formula... while the price is the same as Bare Escentuals, the jar you get is about three times the size of a BE jar! I will demonstrate this in later posts, but in the meantime you can see an example on Meow's foundation page. You will literally have enough to last years.

Meow also provides a fabulous foundation primer and finishing powder as well as a large selection of eye shadows, blushes, and bronzers. The bronzers are designed to go with the foundations (same base shades, and "top" shades that highlight the natural colors in the skin), and they look more natural than any I've ever seen - I hated bronzer and refused to use it until I met Meow. Their eyeshadows are also lovely and they have some very unusual, but oddly wearable shades, including a yellow-green called, of course, "Cat Psss." And that reminds me - most of their products have names relating to cats, and some are very, very clever. You'll have fun just reading those product names on the site!

3. M*A*D Minerals (http://www.madminerals.org/) - I haven't tried any foundations, but I have tried the Multipurpose Minerals. You can use these as eyeshadows, and many can be used to create your own lip colors (dip a lip balm into the minerals and apply). They can be used as blushes, body shimmers, whatever you like. The color selection is nice; not like Aromaleigh, but they do have some original colors and the colors wear very well. Samples of each are available for $2.oo.

What I really like, though, are the Indelible Cream Liners and the Indelible Cream Shadows - these pots are really dupes for MAC Fluidline and MAC Paint Pots, respectively. Not only are the colors dupes for MAC colors, but the formulation is just about the same too (take a look at the photo, taken from MAD's website as a demo, to see exactly how close the creme shadows are to Paint Pots). They really are indelible - I took a shower with a sample of one of the cream shadows on my hand, and it was STILL THERE when I got out! (They remove well with any old makeup remover though - including Pampers Baby Wipes, which I use to remove my makeup.) However, at $8.99, these are about half the price of MAC. As a side note, Aromaleigh also sells these, but they are a bit more expensive there, so I thought I'd mention them here since we're talking about El Cheapo makeup.

4. Raesin Images/Colour ID Minerals (http://www.mineral-make-up.net/) - This Tennessee based small company has a giant selection of eye colors, many designed using color theory so they make the most of your eye color. Unfortunately, they don't really offer samples of their eye colors, but their "3 gram" jar sizes are just $4.99 - and they last forever (the company says 6-9 months, but it'll be longer for me because I don't use the colors every day). The colors I got are interesting and creatively mixed, and they last for hours and hours.

This company also has a foundation primer called Resurface X-treme that is rumored to be incredible - I haven't tried it yet, but got a free sample with my eyeshadow order. Will review it in a future post!

5. Amphigory (http://www.amphigory.com/) - Amphigory is geared towards the Goth, emo, and clubbing scene, but don't let that scare you off - even if you're in the over 30 set, like me, you will be pleased when you delve into the "Cosmetics" section of Amphigory's web site. You will also be pleased by the very, very personal service you get from Zev and Paz, the husband and wife team who own this company.

Amphigory's loose mineral eyeshadows are extremely original - I have "Road to Nowhere" and "Simple" and both are exquisite. Simple, in particular, looks greyish, but when you apply it a pinky bronze shimmer appears with the grey - Paz describes it as "a sunset on a cloudy day" and that is exactly it! Gorgeous, gorgeous. Their regular eyeshadows (pressed) are impressive as well, and they also sell those fab Indelible Gel liners and Indelible Cream shadows.

And, as a cat lover, this is an important one for me. One dollar from pretty much every product you buy at Amphigory goes to support Great Cats of Indiana - this is a sanctuary for big cats that have nowhere to go. Please go to http://www.amphigory.com/cougar_valley_farms_intro.html to learn more about this wonderful place.

There! Those are my Top Five right now. I will be reviewing specific products (with pictures) as time goes on. And I will be exploring new companies as well - if you would like me to review something, please do leave that in the comments.

Now, stay tuned for more reviews, and tutorials using these and other cool products!!!

Welcome to My Makeup Mindset...

2008-08-24T11:47:00.003-04:00

...and do excuse the fact that this mindset looks a bit barren at the moment. I am, essentially, a blogging newbie, and it will take me a little time to get things set up the way I want them. So, please be patient, and I promise it will be worth the wait.

Despite the fact that the layout of this blog is incomplete, I wanted to introduce myself and let you know a bit about what to expect in the coming days. Of course, you can read a little about me in the aptly titled "About Me" section, but what I can write there is limited to a certain number of characters, and I don't think a description of ANYONE can be limited that way!

So, who am I and why should you care about what I have to say about makeup? After all, as I've noted, I'm not a professional makeup artist, and I am not affiliated in any way with any makeup brand. Instead, my life is rather ordinary at this time. I am in my mid-30s, and I'm currently a medical writer for an academic biotech institute in North Carolina - I write and edit scientific manuscripts, grant applications, book chapters. Basically, if a piece of written communication is heading out of the institute, I am usually involved at some level. Before that, I was a scientist, working away at the laboratory bench, attempting to find ways to improve cancer treatment.

However, I love makeup, and I have loved it since my first eyeshadows, liners, and mascaras were purchased at CVS with saved up allowances at ten or eleven years old. I do not know where my love of cosmetics came from, as all of the women in my family go makeup-free 95% of the time, and often, when getting ready for a fancy party, my mother would ask me how to bring her "face" from the jar to herself.

But somehow, the makeup gene was passed to me anyway, and I love everything about makeup. I love the feel, the smell, the look of the packaging. A soft powder brush gliding over the skin is one of life's greatest pleasures for me. For the last 20 or so years I have tried countless products, countless looks. I have read all kinds of beauty magazines and websites. I've gone through glamourous phases, natural phases, and all the phases of "faces" in between. I have I've developed favorites of all sorts, and I've hated some products so much that I've thrown them out after one use. You will hear about all of this, as I will continue to try new things - my beauty routine is not a static thing, but an ever-changing adventure. Sifting through these products is like panning for gold; there is always that delicious anticipation of finding that glittering, perfect nugget of a product.

I love doing makeup for a lot of reasons. First, it's my artistic outlet these days. My life is, essentially, technical - as a scientist and now a science writer, everything must be logical, scientific, structured. My left brain talks all day - but that leaves my right brain begging for its say. When I was younger, with that expanse of time waiting to be filled, I would draw, paint, and take craft classes to get into that right-sided world where logic and structure are optional. But today's grown-up world is different - my job requires a lot, I own a house that must be cared for, there are errands to do and bills to pay. There is precious little time to sleep, much less work on a painting or sketch the trees outside my window. There is, however, that little chunk of time in the morning when I'm getting ready for work - I can take my blushes and shadows and begin to paint. My face becomes a canvas for combinations of colors inspired by life - a floral arrangement, those trees outside, an ad in a magazine. Taking my makeup brushes and dipping them into my little pots of makeup is my art.

I also love makeup because it reminds me that I am a woman. Since college, I have lived and worked in a male-dominant world. I went to MIT and majored in nuclear engineering, and then went to UCLA to get my Ph.D. in biomedical physics - obviously, with those disciplines, I had to get used to being the only woman in the room. Then, as I continued in science, I stopped noticing I was the only woman in the room. In science, everyone becomes a colleague, and people's sex, including your own, fades to black. In science, for lots of reasons, it is very easy to lose yourself. Makeup, for me, is a lifeline back to reality - putting it on reminds me that I am a woman, a sensual being, and an original.

I like to think that these 20 years of makeup practice has given me a lot of knowledge - recently, people have begun to ask me how to do their makeup, and so I thought perhaps it was time to begin to share what I know.

I would also like to share something else here, and that is the fact that, while mainstream brands like MAC, Dior, Smashbox, and the like are fun and pretty, there are other options... options that may be better for us in many ways. Importantly, in today's faltering economy, these other options are much less expensive, and will allow more people to experience the sensuality of makeup. When you think about it, paying $24 for a mascara or $14.50 for an eyeshadow really is outrageous, and while these brands certainly have nice things to offer, they are out of reach for many. I have purchased some of these brands in the past, and will probably occasionally use them here in this blog...but I really want to focus on smaller, indie brands with excellent quality and lower price tags.

I hope that this blog is enjoyable for all who come here... and I promise that some "real" makeup posts are coming soon (as well as a fancier, prettier layout to look at).