Monday, January 7, 2013

Manicure of the Week Jan. 7 2013

New obsession! I've been in love with Don't Pretzel my Buttons (OPI) since the Germany collection launched, but honestly I almost always wear dark colors on my finger nails.  That's why it was such a sin when OPI's facebook page posted such a tempting shade today!  I'd never used My Private Jet before, but this photo that they put on their facebook page today made something go off in my brain and I HAD to go buy it.  



Seriously. I put pants on just to go buy a nail polish today.  



So I figured I'd be a little funky and start doing an accent nail again. Normally the accent nail is the one that's brighter, or glittery or has more  of a design so I decided to do things a little backward and I used the dark, sexy, glittery gray-black My Private Jet on every nail except my ring fingers, then on the ring fingers I used Don't Pretzel My Buttons from OPI's Germany collection this past fall.



 The look actually came out pretty vamp and sexy, so I'm excited!  
Woo, flash is fuzzy and you can see my screw ups better.  I need instagram filters or something, man. 



I'm not longer working a job with a strict dress code anymore, so even I'm excited to see how funky my look's going to get in the next few weeks!  I have options!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Putting your money where your mouth is?

So, I'm kind of a make-up snob, but not TOO bad... I don't think, anyway.  But recently I took a huge pay cut going to another job, and I just can't afford to spend $30 on powder foundation anymore.  So, I did a fresh day-face with everything costing less than $10!  I felt so thrifty!


I started with L'oreal's new-er BB cream, the Studio Secrets one, *not* YouthCode.

For eyeliner, I also used L'oreal, their felt tip liquid Lineur Intense.

Blush is Fit Me by Maybelline in medium pink.  I don't think of my skin tone as medium at all, but this is just  right.  It kind of reminds me of Benefit's Sugarbomb boxed blush, but with a little more pop.

Lip gloss is NYX MegaShine in Sugar Pie. I got it at ulta during Bogo 1/2 off,  so it was around $3.

Powder I used was Covergirl/Olay Simply Ageless, and I'm honestly  not a fan.  I hate to say it feels cheap  but that's the only way I can describe it.  It makes me feel kind of  tight/itchy, and I was just using it for the sake of keeping this cheapo.

And finally,

The mascara... oh god, the mascara. Drug store brand or not, it's my new favorite. Something finally ranks higher than BadGal (Benefit), and it's Maybelline. I'm serious. The brush is fab, the formula's light and not stiff or heavy, and it's CHEAP. So cheap! I got Maybelline Volume Express MegaPlush (make sure you get Megaplush, it's got their gel-mousse formula and I think that's what I love about it) for less than $6 at Target.

So there's my attempt at a low-cost day time look.   I'll be totally honest, I haven't found a drug store eyeshadow I like yet.  Maybe when I do we can throw something for evening together?  I'll do a better job keeping you posted.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

My Stinky Little Secret

In beauty blogs or groups, I never really see people talk about deodorant.  Maybe I'm just missing it, but it seems silly that we talk about everything else in our daily routine, but not the fragrant little sticks that take up their own little aisle at Target.  Someone must care about their deodorant fragrance, or we wouldn't bother having so many, right?

So here's your deodorant post, folks.  My mother's fear of alzheimer's has put a strong fear of deodorant in me, so for a long time I've been trying the natural stuff (e.g. The Body Shop's Deodry and Tom's of Maine). However, when I started a new birth control, I began sweating more than I ever had. I've never been a sweaty girl, but this summer my body's gone through some changes and I've been forced to upgrade to the real stuff.

I tried girl deodorant, I promise I did. Dove, Secret, I TRIED.  But I've finally found a nice smelling stick, that I'm almost embarrassed to admit I love.  Ladies, I am in lust with Old Spice Swagger.  After getting frustrated with my last stick of Dove, I decided to give men's deodorant a shot, the Swagger happened to be on sale, and I'm just a cheap girl. The first day I used it, I went to visit a friend, and while he was in the shower I was chilling on his bed and thought his sheets smelled AMAZING... until I got up and realized it was me. The scent is fresh, and honestly not as manly as I thought it would be. It doesn't smell like the peppery Old Spice your dad wore, it's cleaner. Seriously. Give it a try. I'm amazed with it, and I don't think I'm going back to the Dove Lemongrass again.

Monday, June 18, 2012

But if I did have a mutant boyfriend...

I have to be honest. I'm a fan of OPI to the core, but I really did not like the Spiderman collection. I got the pink, Your Web or Mine just to feed my obsession as a product junkie, but even so I'm not really a fan.  That being said, I keep seeing people wearing white nail polish, and posts about the collection's My Boyfriend Scales Walls caught my interest (and my money) enough to try it. I love it. Unlike a lot of other light colors, I got complete, opaque coverage after just two coats.  The polish is opaque enough that the two coats I put on are thin and not chunky, which is a common problem I have with OPI's lighter colors. If you're looking to try white polish for the first time and you have a little apprehension with the trend, totally give it a try.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Beauty School: Serums

So I got out of the shower a little while ago, and I thought we should have a talk.

We need to talk about serums. Should you be using them? Yes, and if you think this post isn't directed at you because of your hair type, you're wrong. Do you have fine, straight hair that just gets frizzy or sticks out on the ends? Put your flat iron down and grab some product.  Do you have curly hair that looks dry no matter what you do? Grab a serum.   

I find that many girls avoid serums because they're afraid of it looking greasy, but if you use the product properly that won't be the case. Follow these steps for easy, non-greasy serum usage, and I promise you'll feel a difference in the health of your hair.

1. Don't use too much. 
            I feel like this should be a warning on all professional hair care products. Many of these serums come with a pump, and no matter what the length of your hair, start with just one pump.  If you feel a need to add more, go for a second pump after you feel you've distributed the product to your ends as much as possible. If your serum doesn't have a pump, eyeball it until it's about the size of a dime in your palm.  

2. Always emulsify! 
            Once you have the product in your hands, rub them together.  With every hair product and every tip you will ever get from me, I'll tell you to emulsify in your palms.  It spreads and changes the consistency of the product, making it much easier to work with and helping you avoid a "clumpy" feel once you run your hands through your hair.  Emulsifying helps you avoid putting too much product in one place. 

3.  Read the directions. 
             Some serums can stick, or clump if you don't apply heat, so if your directions specifically say to apply to damp hair before blow drying but don't mention the ability to put it on dry hair, you might want to find a different one.  Conversely, not all styling products have a heat protectant in them. If you're going to flat iron over it, please make sure your bottle clearly states that you can add heat, and that your hair is 100% dry and not saturated with product, before you add an iron. If there isn't heat protection in your serum, get something that has it to spray on before you iron or blow dry, and then use the serum afterward to smooth your ends. 

4. Apply downward.
             Your hair shaft is coated by something called a Cuticle, and under a microscope it sort of looks like a bunch of Solo cups stacked on top of eachother, pointing down toward your nape. Since the point of a serum is smooth hair, make sure you apply in a downward motion, in a way that won't rough up your cuticle and create frizz. That would be kind of counterproductive, don't you think? 

5. Your scalp has it's own oil. 
               The focus of your product placement should be the midshaft and ends of the hair strand, since they have the most cuticle damage.  Think of the your ends as "old" hair. It's been exposed to more damage, so it needs more help where the "younger" hair doesn't.   To avoid feeling greasy, especially if your hair is thin and/or fine, don't apply too close to the scalp.  If you don't regret it immediately, you will on day two when you feel like a greaseball. 

Final Product Recommendations:

My current favorite is Matrix Biolage Smooththerapie Deep Smoothing Serum . Also try It's A 10 Miracle Styling Serum or Silky Sexy Hair Frizz Eliminator in Lite if your hair is on the thin, fine, and straight side.  If you have thicker, curlier hair try Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal or, if you can find it, Design Essentials Silk Essentials or Botanical Oils. 

Visit their websites to find salons or stores near you that carry these products.

Edited to add:  I just tried Paul Mitchell Super Skinny at my new salon. I LOVE THIS STUFF!  Great for all hair types, I even use it to help comb out tangles on clients.  It's my new favorite!