Unpaid Advertising

I know I talk about Bare Escenutals quite a bit and I wish I could say it's because they pay me, but they don't. It just so happens that the products I use from them, I fall in love with quickly.  In addition to the Skin Renewing Trio I told you about yesterday, I also started using this:

Intensive Glow Pads Brightening Treatment $35

Yes, this are facial pads. No, these are not like the Clearasil pads of the 80's and 90's. Well, they are the same shape and size but the comparison ends there. These pads, are tiny round miracle workers conveniently packaged for the non-miracle working masses. 

I wavered about getting these for a while. Even after reading the rave reviews I thought....eeehhh....I don't think I need these.  False. I need these. 

The Routine: To be done at night only

Cleanse. Glow Pad. Moisturizer. 

Simple enough!

The pads have two textures. One side is smoother, for a daily application, and the other a more scrubby side (technical term).  The first night I used these I was amazed at how amazing it made my skin feel instantly. My skin felt soft and smooth and even looked more resilient, if that's possible.  The skin on my nose had began to feel slightly rough and bumpy over the last few months and I contemplated getting some pore strips to see if those would help and also because I've never used them. ( I know, I've clearly missed out on a portion of my adolescence). But the first time I used the glow pad, it cleared up the skin on my nose to an amazing smooth finish that I couldn't believe. In the first application!! 

The days of exfoliating with St. Ives Apricot Scrub and other things with actual scrubbing content in them are well behind me. I've tried them all, knowing that my dry skin needs the exfoliation, but always ended up with horrible results in the way of scratched and irritated skin.  The B.E. Glow Pads have opened up a whole new door to revitalized skin for me. No harsh chemicals. No harsh scrubbing. And wonderful results. 

Products I truly love I have no problem advertising for free. And these Glow Pads have definitely made that list!

PS:  GO VOLKSWAGEN! 

Bare Escentuals...You've done it again!

Bare Escentuals Daily Skin Renewing Trio in Normal to Dry $30

I have been waiting to do this review for 29 days.  The first day I tried this line of skincare from Bare Escentuals, I wanted to call everyone I knew and scream in their ear I FOUND IT!!!! My skincare holy grail!!! 

30 days ago I was using a skincare routine that was working pretty well for me for a year. I wasn't very unhappy with my routine, but I felt it could be better and I also knew that my skin wasn't as hydrated as it should be.  But now that I have these products, I actually look forward to washing my face! Is that weird?

What's in the kit:

• Purifying Facial Cleanser (60 mL / 2 Fl. Oz.)
• Purely Nourishing Moisturizer: Normal to Dry Skin (30 mL / 1 Fl. Oz.)
• Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream (7 mL / 0.23 Fl. Oz.)

The Purifying Facial Cleanser has a thin and milky consistency very similar to Cetaphil. But unlike Cetaphil this cleanser has a scent, and with any scent, some people aren't going to be fans, but I personally love it! It's a very fresh and clean scent and something in it smells like the old Aveeno wash I used to use in college.  

On the fingers it feels thick and smooth, but in a very luxurious way and it feels just as good on your face. The cleanser seems to glide over your face and doesn't string or irritate.  But here folks, is the best part....it's safe on eyes AND takes off mascara!! Do you hear that music?? Because that is angels singing while riding unicorns into the sunset!   

Never have I come across a cleanser that has taken off eye makeup this effortlessly that hasn't left my eyes feeling dry and awful. I have used this on my eyes with and without contacts in and have no problems at all! Even after washing it off and drying my face the area around my eyes feel wonderful!! I leap with pure joy at the thought of eliminating the need to take my makeup off before washing it. Anything to make my nighttime routine go faster is a huge plus because then it gives me no reason to skip it, which I do more than I care to admit.

Besides the wonderful news of fast pacing my night routine, this cleaner really makes my skin feel great. It feels instantly smoother from the first time I've used it and continues to do so. My skin also feels softer and not dry or tight after drying it off. It's easy to use, it does it's job and it even makes me happy to use it. Oh Purifying Cleanser...we shall be together forever

The Purely Nourishing Moisturizer is exactly that..purely nourishing. It's as if it has a mind of it's own, gets on my skin, does it's magic and says," oh! there it is...perfect amount of nourish! My work here is done".  How does it know??

After washing I use a very small amount over my face and neck and it sinks into my sink effortlessly without leaving me feeling greasy or left dry and tight. And even with a heavier hand, I'm not left with an oily face come midday.  I no longer have dry spots and the tone and texture of my skin has greatly improved in the last 30 days and now my skin feels soft and smooth like how skin should feel!  I wish I took a before picture...sorry guys!   

My only issue with this moisturizer is that it doesn't have SPF, however, Bare Escenutals does make Advanced Protection SPF 20 Moisturizer which I will be trying soon because going without SPF every so slightly freaks me out, it just so happens that they don't have the SPF option in the 30 day kit (yet). 

The Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream feels really great, I must say. Compared to the OTC Retinol creams I've been using, this seems to be working just as well for fine wrinkles but leaves my skin far more hydrated and looking brighter and fresher. 

I don't have any issues with burning or irritation with this cream. It's very easy and gentle but does it's job as well.  My eyelid does feel a little slick for makeup right after application, but with some primer it all stays in place just the same. 

The only issue I have with the eye cream is the packaging. Although I love a tiny pot, I wish this was in a small squeeze tube so that I wasn't putting my fingers in this or opening it up everyday to the elements. But at the same time, the little pot allows me to use every last bit if it! Which is quite a bit! This small trial size is half of the normal sized eye cream but I still have well over half left.

For $30 this kit has been a wonderful surprise and an amazing buy! I still have quite a bit left of the cleanser and moisturizer and will probably get another 2 full weeks out of both. At first I thought, if I love this stuff I'm going to really be upping my budget on skincare but as it turns out I'm not. A little goes a long way with this line, whereas I was going through the tubes of Neutrogena every 2-3 weeks.

Bare Escuentuals also makes this kit for Combination Skin and sells all the products on their own as well as heavier creams for drier skin and other products for your skin care needs. 

I became a Bare Escentuals fan years ago when I discovered their foundation, but with this skincare like this...I I'm not going anywhere for a long long time! A very big Thank You to Bare Escentuals once again!

Stamped Manicure

A few weeks ago I ordered a nail stamping kit. At the time I just shared with you some trial runs. After some more testing and playing I've gotten a real hang for it and I'm loving the outcome! 

My first stamped manicure!

I apologize for the crude photo, complete with unavoidable pen mark. I know I could have done better but it seems I've accidentally erased the good photos and have since taken this off my fingers. 

What I Used:

Blue: Dare nail polish, no name

Green: Dare nail polish, no name.......(I got both of these colors in a kit of 5 neon colors from Walmart but $7, which I can't seem to find online anywhere)

Grey: NYC In A Minute in Sidewalkers $2, most drugstores

Pink: Sinful Colors in 24/7 $2 at Walgreens and select stores

Yellow: Sinful Colors in Pull Over $2 at Walgreens and select stores

Black: Sinful Colors in Black On Black $2 at Walgreens and select stores.

Pattern created by Bundle Monster stamp plate # 20 

I've since used a few other patterns from the plates and have loved them, as do people out in public. The only problem is picking colors. For me, picking nail polish colors is something I truly agonize over. I know it's ridiculous because it's not permanent but I love ALL the colors! That's why I usually end up with at least 2 colors. 

Since my nails chip often from working with my hands, I change my nail polish a lot. This Bundle Monster kit should keep me busy for a good while. Who knew stamp collecting could be so fun??

My Spy Days

C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi Action Body Lotion  $10

During my over-cover spy mission in The Indian's bathroom in D.C. 2 weeks ago, I used this C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi Action Body Lotion in Coconut Fig. It was the largest bottle in her array of supplies and I was intrigued. Like any normal person, I unscrewed the top first to take a whiff to see if this would meet my whiffing standards or if I would be moving on to something else on the counter. Did I mention it's coconut fig?? It smells....delicious! There is no other word for it. I don't even like figs, but this combination was amazing!

It's a huge 32oz bottle. That means some major commitment to this product because it's going to be around for some time. I like that it's a simple bottle, nothing fancy and looks like something out of an old general store rather than a fancy beauty store. The label right in front says it all, instructions, ingredients, directions. I dig that!

The whole 4-in-1 part of this lotion says that it has 1) a combo of alpha hydroxy acids to rid dead skin cells and reveal newer, fresher skin. 2) Sweet Almond, apricot kernel and shea butter to soften and deeply moisturize your skin. 3) Antioxidants and minerals to repair sun and environmental damage, and 4) Caffeine to firm and tone tired skin.

That's a hefty amount of things to claim C. Booth! But after trying it out, I don't care what 4 things they claim this is going to do because all I know is I loved it!

The bottle was sturdy and the pump didn't feel like it was going to break. The smell, was just wonderful. It went over my skin effortlessly and didn't feel greasy or oily in the slightest but rather sank right into my skin so well and made my legs feel soft immediately.

I can't really comment on it's power to help repair damage since I only used it twice but this felt so amazing  and left my dried out legs, from the hot weather and box moving of the week, so moisturized for the entire day and until the next morning.  Even though it wasn't the thickest lotion/cream I've used on my body, it's definitely one of the most moisturizing ones and I will surely be going out to buy this for my own collection.

You can also find this in Lemon Sugar and Vanilla Butter. 

Oh Miley

So unless you live under a rock, or in a country that has better things to do, you know that Miley Cyrus got a haircut. Apparently this is major news here in the USA....maybe because the Olympics are over?

Now, I'm aaalll for short 'dos. I love them! And I love having them. I feel much more feminine in a great short bob than I do with long hair. I'm not totally sure why that is, but it reigns true for me.  I think a lot women just look better with short hair, or can pull off all sorts of lengths with great success and I applaud women for having fun with their hair and making it their own. (girl power quote here)

Short hair can be edgy, like Rhianna's famous cut in 2010.

Or sweet and romantic like Carey Mulligan.

Pink definitely looks great with her short hair and I hope to never see her with long hair. Ever. That ain't you Pink. 

But as for Miley.  I don't think this is her best look. It might be the cut. It might be the color. But mostly, it's because this whole thing makes her look like Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter.

Sorry Miley. 

Oh 1996....

During a bout of cleaning this weekend I came across this gem.

That's right people. The Cindy Crawford's Basic Face 'Book'. I use the term book in quotes because I'm not completely sure this qualifies. This was a book that my sister either purchased herself or actually wanted enough to ask for this as a gift, I can't quite remember, but every time I've come across it, I can't seem to let it go because it's both completely ridiculous and totally awesome, my favorite combo!

As you enter the book, you're bombarded with a full 2 page spread of Cindy Crawford's genetically unfair images. Seriously, have you seen her lately?? Woman is unbelievable. 

Every few years when I come across this book and open it and see this, I expect the rest to be a coffee table photo book, but wait...there are words!....

 The Foundation Four....they don't teach you this in science class kids. 

The whole book reads like a hard covered magazine.

Complete with random comic strip to...'connect' with her readers?? 

I'm not sure about this one, Cindy. 

There's also these wonderful photos of great advice!

"Don't smoke, it smells bad and causes wrinkles"

Thanks Cindy!!

If you already know most of this stuff and are just looking for some gorgeous lady to tell you you're on the right track, this book is great, but mostly this book is for uber beginners interested in learning about the very basics mixed in with some medium level tips. 

The ridiculousness of this book comes from the fact that it is currently 2012, a day and age of electronic everything. Girls aren't looking through books for how-to's anymore, they're viewing videos online, in seconds, on tiny devices they keep in their pockets. A book written in 1996 seems like a relic now. And that's where the awesomeness comes in. I mean, it's a book!  About makeup. Put together by a Super Model. Not just any super model. Cindy Crawford. 

The generation after mine will never understand the power and appeal of a real super model. And though we still have many powerful models commanding attention and a hefty paycheck, none will come close to being as Super as the girls of the 80's and 90's. 

Day 5 : My Hair Rules.

So this week I've told you my top 4 hair care treatments. The Coconut Oil, Banana Treatment, Vo5 Hot Oil, and Aphogee 2 Step Protein Treatment.Besides these, I've tried things like mayonnaise and eggs and beer...oh..something with plain gelatin that used to work well but I haven't done that in a long time and don't know where the recipe is....and probably other ones I can't think of right now. There's also other ones I would like to attempt, like trying avocado, and some new hair masks that on the market...I'm sure I'll get to those soon enough.

On this last day of my series, I've decided to not give you a treatment, but to give my Hair Care Guidelines.
There are a certain set of steadfast rules that I stick to with my hair. In my head, I assume everyone does these things and it's just part of life, but I'm realizing that isn't always true. So I present..

My Hair Rules:

1. NEVER Brush wet hair. It makes me cringe every time I see an actress onscreen raking through her freshly shampooed hair with a big brush. It makes me weep for her hair. Wet hair should only be combed through using a wide tooth comb. 
2. Keep a wide tooth comb handy at all times. First of all, it will save you from taking a brush to your wet hair. I keep a plastic one in my shower at all times because I only comb my hair when I have conditioner in it. I never detangle my hair otherwise. 
3. Only shampoo your roots. Never ever shampoo your hair like they did in those 80's commercials. Piling your hair on your head and lathering away?? nooo. please. no. There is no reason you need to put shampoo on the length of your hair unless you actually have something stuck on or spilled in your hair. Apply shampoo to your fingers and work it right into the scalp. As you rinse out, the shampoo that washes over the rest of your hair is sufficient to clean it. There is no need for scrubbing here. 
4. Massage your scalp. Show it a little love! Don't be a hit it and quit it shampooer! Try to massage your scalp as you shampoo for 2 minutes. That sounds short, but in shower time, it feels like ages! Massaging your scalp keeps it healthy and exfoliated, and promotes hair growth. So don't be shy!
5. Never rub your hair with your towel. Oh man, worse than seeing someone rake a brush through their hair on TV, it's worse to see someone rubbing their head with a towel, out of the shower. Stop!  Ladies, especially color treated ladies. Please don't do this. You're basically attempting to give yourself a bald spot. Rubbing your hair will make curly hair frizzy, weak hair break, and can cause unnecessary tangles. When getting the water from your hair, first twist or squeeze your hair with your hands, being as gentle as possible. Then do the same with a gentle towel, squeeze the hair or twist it into the towel, NEVER rub. 
6. Heavy condition from the ears down. Especially when using a deep conditioner or conditioning treatment. I use the conditioner from my ears downward for the majority of the time and only put the conditioner on the hair nearest my scalp just before washing it out, or not at all. This saves my hair from being completely weighed down. 
7. Never shampoo 2 days in a row. There is just no need.
8. Always wash conditioner out completely. It sounds like it would work right, just leaving a biiit of conditioner in when you rinse to let it continue doing it's job? Nope. wrong. Most conditioners, if not rinsed properly, will just dry out your hair more and leave it dull and strawlike. The opposite of what you're most likely going for. So be a doll...rinse!
9. Try to do conditioning treatments once a month, if not, at least once a season. Doesn't matter what you choose, but your hair will thank you for it. 
10. Go Natural. If you have curly hair, let it be curly once a week. Hair is like teenagers. Stop fighting with it from time to time and let it be. ...  But then go ahead and start fighting with it next week. It's a teenager! It doesn't know what it wants!

Hair Treatment Series #4

Treatment:

Aphogee 2 Step Protein Treatment $4-$25 at Sally's Beauty

During the research for tealing my hair, I came across a number of people who swore by this treatment. People who had done drastic things to their hair in the way of bleaching swore this product restored their hair, so I tried it throughout my bleaching process and was amazed with my results! It made my crunchy bleached hair feel like hair again!!

Directions:

On shampooed and towel dried hair, apply the protein treatment. Apply heat to your hair with a dryer but do not mess with your hair. As the treatment dries, it will harden (they are not kidding, we're talking rock status)

Once it's hard, rinse out all the treatment until your hair moves again, then apply the moisture balancing moisturizer, wait for a minute or two, and rinse. 

Now, the treatment itself doesn't exactly have the best smell to it, but it goes away quickly. The moisturizer/conditioner has a nice pleasant smell and makes your hair feel amazing before you even get out of the shower. 

Basically this treatment uses the heat to burn the protein back into your hair. Giving it some life and softness. This wouldn't be something to do weekly, but every 2 weeks, I think would give you great results. Out of the single use packet for $4, regular shoulder length hair should get about 2 uses, but they also sell large bottles of this, in 8 and 16 oz. I plunged and got the big 16oz treatment (with coupon!) because I'll definitely be using this far after I stop bleaching my hair!

If you do get the bottle, don't forget to get the Balancing Moisturizer! it's pretty crucial to this whole plan. 

Hair Care Treatment Series #3

If the thought of shopping for coconut oil seems too daunting, or the idea of creating a sickening mixture to put on your head sounds way out of your league, there is still hope. And it comes in a nice little package at your local drug store.

Vo5 Hot Oil Treatment $3

Directions:

Place tube of oil in glass of hot water for 1 minute. Open tube and apply oil to wet hair. Wait 1 minute and shampoo and condition as usual. 

This oil takes all the guess work out of hair treatments. No worrying about ingredients or amounts of time and plastic wraps. No heating, no cooling, no waiting. This is an instantly gratifying treatment.

For around 3 bucks for 2 treatments, along with sales and coupons, this is one of the cheapest and most effective conditioning treatments for hair out there. It instantly gives life back to dull hair, and restores over worked hair's resilience and volume.

Oh VO5, you can make your packaging look as ugly as you want and you'll still be a classic beauty buy. You've been on shelves for decades and I hope to never see your spot gone. 

Hair Care Treatment Series #2

Treatment: The Banana Split.

1 way over ripe banana
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tspn Oil, ie. vitamin e, coconut, olive

In a bowl, mash up the banana, honey and oil together. Sometimes I just get in there with my hand and do it because it's just easier than utensils sometimes. You can really use any oil. I use vitamin E oil which I found for a few bucks in the natural food section of my grocery store. You can even puts drops of essential oils, like eucalyptus or lavender or whatever strikes your fancy stink wise.

The concoction looks disgusting. This is true. And if you despise the smell of banana,this may not be for you, sorry.

Directions:

On towel dried and combed through hair, apply the mixture to your hair. I find it easiest to work in sections. Cover your whole head and comb through with your fingers.  You could use a wide tooth comb, but you'll notice that the big bits of banana just get stuck in there and it's kinda gross. So do your best to cover all your hair with it. Then wrap your head with plastic;Cling Wrap or a plastic bag. I also like to fold up a paper towel and pin that in place just under the plastic at the back of my neck. Because as this heats up with your natural temperature, the mixture will thin out and start dripping down your neck and it feels horrible. Spare yourself.

Leave this on your head for 30 minutes. Or maybe longer if you can stand it. Then wash it out with shampoo and conditioner. You might need to do a rinse and repeat on the shampoo and be cautious of the banana bits that might be holding on for dear life. Make sure you wash all that out.

Style as usual and baste in your new shiny and healthy tresses!!

I love this treatment and it's the one I use the most. It washes out the easiest for me and leaves me with mega shine. The banana and small amount of oil give just the right amount of moisture to my dried out hair, without leaving it heavy from oil for days to come.

The fate of bananas in my house end up on my head, not in bread. 

I'm Back! With A Series

So I've returned from an impromptu trip to DC for a week. I apologize for not having enough posts to post while I was gone, but I'll plan better for the future....but importantly..I'm back!!

I've decided to take this first full week of August and use it to do a Hair Care Series. For the next five days I will share with you my top 5 hair treatments that I use regularly that save my hair from many awful days. Like my recent dry and knotty hair from a week long of open window driving. I really need to stop doing that, but I simply refuse!

Treatment #1: Coconut Oil. 

I use Parachute which you can find in your local Indian or Asian Grocery Store for around $3-$8. There are many brands out there. Make sure to look for Pure Coconut Oil. 

Coconut Oil is no secret in the hair world. Especially for Indians. It's something we're taught about as we learn our ABCs. It was something we did every few weeks to keep your hair healthy and shiny.  The way we used it as a child has been modified over the years but coconut oil needs to be in your medicine cabinet.

Directions:

Pure coconut oil becomes a solid as it cools so it needs to be heated, either in a microwave or in a bowl of hot water.  It's best to use it when it is warm so that it soaks into your hair and scalp.  Starting with dry, sectioned hair, dip your fingers in the warm oil and massage the oil into your scalp.  Spend at least a few seconds on each small section of scalp working it in and then pulling the remaining oil through the length of your hair. Work this all the way around your head until all your hair is covered in the oil, but not dripping wet.

As a kid we used to keep this in our hair overnight. Tying and wrapping our heads in old bandannas and covering our pillows with old towels, but coconut oil is potent and that smell is hard to get rid of.  The oil won't hurt your hair so you can keep it in as long as you like but doing just 30 minutes to an hour should be sufficient enough on most hair.  To speed up the process you could use some low heat form a dryer on the hair for a while or wrap your head with plastic before washing it out veeerry well with some good shampoo and conditioner.

This may take 2 or 3 shampoos to get the oil out completely. If your hair is very damaged, try for only 2 shampoos and let some oil remain and plan accordingly for your hair styling. Coconut oil can thicken up thinning hair, give you the shine that your hair is lacking and can even calm unruly, mid summer curls. The process might take some getting used to and you'll need to find your own balance of amount of oil and setting time, but with a few tries you will able to see just how much this natural oil helps the health of your hair. 

I Spy A Bad Spy

My spying skills consist of me saying to The Indian (a friend), whom I'm partially staying with on this trip to D.C ..."hey. I'm behind on the blog cuz of this trip so imma go through your stuff and use it and write about it."  I know. Soo smooth.
The Indian being The Indian, or as my people call her TIC (The Indian Chick) got very happy about this and threw at me a small tub of something. She said she made her own exfoliator and would love for me to try it and write about it.
My first free beauty swag!!!
This morning I tried out this concoction of coffee grounds, cocoa powder and olive oil. All great ingredients on their own. Nothing toxic....this can't be too bad. Right??
First when I opened the tub I was greeted with the amazing smell of coffee with a hint of cocoa, perfect for a morning before a busy day. I scooped some up with my fingers and got to scrubbing. The coffee was the perfect consistency for exfoliating. It wasn't scratchy or too soft and I could feel it getting the dead skin off. Right away the olive oil sank into my skin and made it so soft! I was rather pleased!
After getting through my limbs and washing it off, I could feel a layer of oil on my skin. Had it been nighttime I might have left it as is to allow it to soak into my skin overnight, but I have a full day to go so I decided to use some mild St Ives Mineral Therapy to wash off the remains of oil. Even after that my skin remained soft and smooth.
For exfoliation, I give this homemade recipe an A+. For skin softening I give it a solid B, only because of the oil residue. But I definitely can see myself using this in the winter regularly and giving the oil content an A come January.
Well done TIC! And thanks for letting me pseudo spy!