Do Your Research

I'm a researcher. I research just about every thing. Cars, electronics, clothing and of course, mah beauty products. Had the internets never been invented, I'm not sure how deep this issue would truly run for me, but the fact is, I constantly have all the info I need at my fingertips. And I use it. Partly because it's there and partly because I have an obsession with being as informed as I can about anything I purchase.

Once Amazon came on the scene with their costumer reviews, it changed the world of online buying and content. Suddenly people wanted information and reviews, from other internet wielding people. People who were unbiased and tell others of their trials and tribulations. The review sections of websites slowly became the new campfire.  And I have definitely flocked to the flame.

I still have folders and folders of magazine rip outs of products or homemade concoctions to try from years beginning with 19. That was my research. It was a very crude form of trial and error compared to today. Now I go from website to website and app to app reading reviews and finding out how each item has fared in other lives before even purchasing it! It's a control freak's beautiful dream!

There are a few places I begin my research.

First stop is Makeupalley.com. This online community is great. Lots of tips and swatches and an excellent review board. Membership is free and they even have a smartphone app now so i can read reviews anywhere. A lot of my most prized products i read about on makeup alley in reviews for another product. People leave wonderfully detailed reviews and even give suggestions! So helpful! I also check Amazon, Ulta, drugstore sites, Sephora and as of recently, Birchbox.  There are also so many great makeup and beauty blogs out there that give great info, but it's only one person's point of view and sometimes you're searching for something they don't have.

Last year I noticed that Sephora actually uses your membership number to keep track of all your purchases. It's as easy as a few clicks away to finding out what shade of foundation or lipstick you bought months ago! I love that feature because I'm so bad with remembering which I bought and which I just played with in the store for an hour.

The Sephora site also has a whole Community section. An interactive forum where anyone can ask and answer questions, share photos and ideas and even hear about upcoming events at Sephora. It's really quite genius! What I like the best is the Swatch Board. On The Swatch Board, they show you new makeup collection swatches, usually on a few skin tones. Soooo great!!! After finding out about this, very recently, I've been kind of obsessed with it. This is exactly what I need!!

Example of a Laura Mercier swatch photo

I'm glad Sephora saw the need for something like this and really filled the void. This is definitely ahead of the curve as far as the online makeup retailers go. 

So there you have it. Do your research! And use the Sephora site when doing so. Cuz they're making it pretty awesome! 

Free Is The Best Price

I don't think there is anything better than free. There can't be. I mean, all the best things are free, ergo, free itself is the best thing, no?? What's even better is when stores give you free stuff for your birthday. Thankfully, Sephora is one of these stores and during a little trip there I was given this lovely Birthday Gift by Fresh.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Mini Lip Duo

These mini lip balms are half the size of a normal chap stick, the perfect size to throw into a pocket or clutch....or to lose in a big bag.  

The duo comes with regular Fresh, which is a clear treatment and Rose, a very lightly tinted rose shade. 

Both lip balms have SPF 15 in them, along with the most wonderful combination of ingredients to make your lips feel immediately soft and smooth, not greasy or heavy, just silky and fully nourished. Also not to be forgotten is Fresh's amazing citrus scent. It smells like a delicious version of Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue Perfume. As a citrus scent lover, this little birthday pack is wonderful!

I feel almost wrong calling these tubes lip balms because they feel far more luxurious than your average lip balm. The way they glide on your lips and how moisturizing they feel without being greasy reminds me of the L'Occitane Lip Balm Stick, which is basically like putting heaven on your lips and surprisingly cheaper than the Fresh Lip Balms, L'occitane being $10 and the Fresh coming in at a whopping $22.50 per full size tube.  I know that seems totally ridiculous for a lip balm, but after using it for a full day, I could absolutely justify that cost. 

Would I buy this on my own? Hm...not totally sure about that. Only because these are so amazing I would feel guilty about cheating on them with some other lip product. And I just can't walk away from my copious amounts of lip products. I can't. I won't. I'm in too deep, man.