If you haven’t noticed, drugstore makeup lines are on a roll lately, pumping out some pretty awesome products and many of them already have a cult following.

Being a beauty fiend, I spend an absorbent amount of time on the internet looking for what’s big in the world of beauty.  One thing that seems to be on many people’s minds, well, actually lips, lately is Revlon’s new Colorburst lipstick line.  One color in particular:  Baby Pink.

I spent a fair amount of time reading reviews and staring at girls puckering up their Baby Pink lips in pictures (mostly wondering how they get those great shots) until finally I decided that I could not live without a tube of Revlon Baby Pink lipstick and I promptly high-tailed it to my favorite store (that unnamed store starts with a T and ends with arget).

I have to admit, while staring at the tube of pink lipstick, I was a little scared that my lips would look like someone melted pink cotton candy on my lips, but I decided to buck up, telling myself that I’ve never been scared of color and I’m not starting now.  But, I think what surprised me the most was what the lipstick actually looked like when I put it on.

I was expecting candy pink lipsticks, maybe even slightly porno looking lips, but what I got was a very sheer, sweet shade of pink that was very flattering on my fair skin…and the next day, flattering to my fair skin with the helpful addition of bronzer.  Nice!

So the packaging itself is ubber-cute with the quilted black tube, very much an upgrade from some of their previous (ahem, and current) lipsticks.  The lipstick itself went on very smooth and didn’t have that waxy feel that many drugstore lipsticks tend to have.  The longevity of the lipstick is about what you’d expect, especially since they aren’t claiming it’s a long-wear formula.  I managed to wear it for about 3 1/2 hours before I had to reapply and that time period included a cup of coffee and a lot of talking.

While, I’m really happy with my Baby Pink lipstick, depending on your skin tone and style, it might not be the shade for you.  But, with 20 different shades and a price tag under $10 you can splurge on more than one in your quest to find your perfect shade(s)!

I tend to ramble, so I’m going to try to make this post short and sweet.

As you know, I’ve given my pricey mascaras the heave ho and traded them in for some pretty spectacular drugstore favs (check out past choices here and here).  While, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my economical finds, so many new frugal versions keep popping up that I can’t truly be loyal to just one.

My latest foray into drugstore mascaras lead me to L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes, an update on the line’s original Voluminous mascara.  The VML mascara got a lot of press in many of my favorite beauty and fashion magazines from makeup artists and beauty assistants raving about it, so I knew I needed to try it.

I bought my tube at Target for around $6.99, which is a steal.  While, I’m more honed in on how the product works, rather than how it looks, I do have to say I was liking the shiny gold aerodynamic packaging.  What really made me want to try it was the built-in wand wiper which helps remove excess product, preventing unsightly clumps.  I also liked that the wand head was fat and flexible, making it easy to layer on coats.

I never judge mascara on my first few uses, for me, it seems to take about a week to really break in a tube of mascara.  But, after using it for a few days I knew I had found a keeper (granted, I’ve already moved on to a new brand…it’s so hard to be loyal!!).  I loved that the mascara gave me thick, voluminous lashes, without the clumps.  I also liked that it was easy to layer on and  gave nice separation. 

So, would I buy this product again?  Of course I would!  But, the odds of that happening are very slim being that so many wonderful new versions are waiting for me to try out.  But, for those of you who are still caught up in mascara snobbery (I know, it’s hard to walk away from Dior and YSL, but I did it and I’ve never been happier!) or stuck on the same old brand, you should definitely branch out and try L’Oreal Voluminous Million mascara, it’s worth the pocket change!

If you read my blog, you know that I fall in love with perfumes in the same way that Elizabeth Taylor fell in love with men.

Lately, I’ve been trying to be more faithful to my past flames, by trying to use up some of my old fragrances before splurging on a new bottle.  But, shortly after the start of the new year I started a new love affair with the newest edition from the Chloé line of perfumes, appropriately called, Love, Chloé.

It started off innocent enough with me admiring the glamorous 70′s inspired ads.  But, my interest started to peak when I realized I couldn’t find this fragrance in any of my local department stores…playing hard to get has always been a tactic I fall hard for. 

Finally, while at Nordstrom, I got a whiff of the fragrance and it was love at first smell, but I didn’t quite understand why.  Most of my fragrances fall into the white floral category with a few roses/violets mixed in.  The two notes that I am most turned off by is anything musky or powdery and Love, Chloé screams both of these notes, but somehow in the most sophisticated, pretty, and somehow fresh way.  I knew I couldn’t continue without it.

It didn’t take my husband long to take ear to some of my very obvious hints and on Valentine’s Day I was gifted with the Love, Chloé gift set from Nordstrom.  Even with all the hints I was not expecting him to buy the fragrance for me…I had already been scoping out eBay for a deal, because this perfume is not on the cheap side (as if!), running $85 for a 1.7 oz bottle.  So, imagine my surprise when not only did I get my beloved perfume, but I also got the tricked out gift set!  I was in love…mostly with my husband, but also with my new perfume.

Even though I love perfume, I’m by no means a perfume expert.  However, I do know what I like and I know what smells good.  I really love finding fragrances that wake up my senses and make me feel a certain way.  For me, Love, Chloé, makes me feel sophisticated, pretty, flirty, mysterious, and fresh all at the same time.  I wear the fragrance almost everyday and have no problem wearing it to work or out for the evening. 

If you think you might be smitten with the Love, Chloé fragrance, make sure to check it out and ask your local sales associate for a sample to take home (currently, Love, Chloé is only sold in upscale department stores or online) because you never know how the fragrance will develop on you (my love story could be your heartbreak).  The notes in Love, Chloé include:  orange blossom, pepper, hyacinth, iris, lilac, wisteria, heliotropine, musk, talc, rice powder.

If you’re interested in the gift set I received, it retailed for $110 at Nordstrom and  included a full size (2.5 oz) bottle of the Love, Chloé perfume, a travel size bottle of the perfume (.17 oz), body lotion (3.4 oz), and a chic little leather makeup pouch (All this is the same price as the 2.5 oz bottle, and you get that in the gift set…you can’t go wrong with the set).  All this far exceeded my expectations, but I know that I’m going to use every drop…and probably go back for more!

I generally save bronzer for the summer months to give myself a sun-kissed glow, but about a month ago my complexion was looking a few shades lighter than pasty (thanks to the never-ending sunless days here in the wonderful Pacific Northwest), so I decided to sweep on my newly purchased Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer that I had bought for my March trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

I walked into work that day, and one of my favorite co-workers (Hi, Barb!) stopped me to compliment me on my glow…then she added, “are you pregnant?”.  No, no…sorry family, not pregnant, but I was very pleased that just a few sweeps of bronzer could give me that pregnancy…uh, I mean, sun-kissed glow.

There are endless reasons why I love Tarte’s Mineral Bronzer, so I’ll start listing them: 

• paraben free
• sulfate free
• free of synthetic fragrances
• free of Petro-Chemicals
• free of Phthalates
• cruelty free
• fragrance free
• talc free (talc=clogged pores)

And if all that wasn’t enough, it’s loaded with skin-loving ingredients such as:  minerals that soothe and soften, vitamin A for some antioxidant action (see ya, free radicals!), which also promotes collagen production that can aid in diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, vitamin C, which also prevents free radical damage and premature aging all while brightening skin, and it contains vitamin E, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps prevent free radicals.

If this all wasn’t enough, the bronzer also gives you a beautiful, sun-kissed glow, with the slightest bit of golden sheen (not to be confused with glitter).  The bronzer comes in two-shades:  Park Ave. Princess (light yellow gold) which is perfect for fair skin-to light/medium tones (this is the shade I selected), and it comes in Hotel Heiress (deep bronze), which works best for medium/olive/dark skin tones.

Park Ave Princess

Hotel Heiress

I am so happy I found this bronzer, not only does it give me a wonderful glow (which is what a bronzer should do…stay away from orange tones, people!!), but it also has good for your skin ingredients, and hello, it’s good for the environment as well.  In the beauty world, we call that a triple threat.

…joy, joy!

Congratulations go out to Jill from Washington, Cheryl from Indiana, and Michelle from New York for winning my latest giveaway!!

Jill, Cheryl, and Michelle all won a copy of the book, Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm?, written by the scientists over at the beautybrains.com.

Ladies, I hope you enjoy the book and thank you to everyone who entered to win!

xo

I’m pretty frugal when it comes to makeup brushes.  For eyeshadow brushes, I find that drugstore lines work just fine (my fav:  Sonia Kashuk for Target).  But, I have found that there are two brushes that I don’t mind spending some extra cash on…my eyeliner brush (I use this one) and powder brush.

For the last few years I have been using Bare Escentuals Flawless Application Face Brush, which I received in a starter kit from the line.  I’ve long abandoned the BE mineral powder (not a love, seemed to be on the orangey side), but I kept using the brush to apply my setting powder (which I LOVE, Physicians Formula Correcting Powder, read my review here).  But, the last few months the bristles have been looking a little haggard, so I decided to invest in a new brush.  I had no idea what brand of brush I wanted, but I knew it needed to do double duty for applying my powder and bronzer.

What I ended up with was, Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush.  After looking at countless brushes on Sephora, and reading the reviews, The TF brush seemed to be the best all around because it got great reviews, it was a good price at $32, and it was really, really cute.  I was intrigued with the “teddy bear” hair and the fact is was supposed to be cashmere soft…not to mention, cruelty-free. 

Buying the brush seemed like a no brainer, and I’m so glad that I did, because I’ m smitten with this brush.  Aesthetically this brush is super cute.  I love the pink handle and the black little bow (not sure how long I’ll manage to keep that on).  To the touch, the bristles feel amazingly soft, and the head of the brush is the perfect size for both all-over powder application and bronzer application.  But, what really wowed me was the first time I used it on my powder compact; I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t a huge gigantic mess. 

When swiping the BE brush (or any other brush, for that matter) over my powder, powder fragments would get all over the compact, my hand/wrist, sink, and my clothes if I wasn’t careful.  I never liked this, but I just kind of accepted that it went along with the territory.  But, then I used the Too Faced brush and was shocked and amazed that it could pick up the powder without creating a mess.  What I realized was the bristles were so soft, compared to other brushes, that they didn’t cause as much friction on the powder, creating a huge mess.  So, not only are you not creating a mess, but you’re also not wasting as much powder.  Genius.

So, I feel really good about my new purchase (insert a pat, pat and a smug face).  I feel like a got a really excellent product and the price was really decent.  If you’re in the market for a new makeup brush, or if you’re reading this and realizing that your makeup brush might be a stinker like mine was, you might want to invest in this one by Too Faced.  If I wasn’t happy with the rest of my brushes, I would be more than tempted to splurge on the whole Teddy Bear Hair Brush Set.  Twist, twist (that’s my arm).

A month ago, I thought I didn’t care…but, these last few weeks I have gotten sucked into the William and Kate wedding hype and I cannot stop watching all those Wills & Kate wedding shows.  Yes, yes, my DVR is officially scheduled to record the huge event on Friday morning at 2:00 am Pacific Standard Time.  I’ve already reassured my husband that he is not required to attend the viewing.

So, me, and millions of other obsessed people like me, are now pining over what she might wear, what hair style she’ll don, and will her makeup look natural or glam…I. Can. Hardly. Waaaaaaaaaaaait!

With all my new education on Kate (thank you TLC) I’m pretty sure she’ll go for a modern wedding dress design, absent of a 25′ train, simple and classic makeup like she always wears…but, where I’m stuck is her hair.  I really have no clue how she’ll wear her hair…up, down, half up?

So whether you really, really care or if you’re pretending not to care, please vote below to pick how you think Kate Middleton, future Queen of England, should wear her hair on her big day!
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*BTW, it was nearly impossible finding an updo pic of Kate, so turn that pony into a bun or something when you’re imagining her walking down the aisle!

I don’t care how tough you think you are, if you are part of the female gender, you cannot escape the cuteness factor that is Hello Kitty.

Me personally, I’ve never been too cool for school, so when I found out that Sephora had an exclusive Hello Kitty Makeup Collection, I knew they had me at ‘hello”…kitty.

Really, here’s all you need to know, the packaging itself is enough to drop some coin, and as a bonus, the makeup and makeup accessories are quite fetching to boot.  The HK Collection includes everything from eye palettes, lip/cheek sticks, nail polish, fragrance, makeup brushes, and even a shower cap.  To find out what you can’t live without, head over here.

Here’s my, ahem, edited list of what I can’t live without:

Say Hello Palette-Memiors Of A Kitty:  This tiered palette contains a beautiful neutral-toned eyeshadow quad and two blushes, one peach and one rose, that are sure to give you a warm, cheeky glow.  For me, this palette screams summer and utter-cuteness…I’m dying for the cherry blossom embossed Hello Kitty cover with the mint green bow.  I’m also loving that the makeup ingredients include antioxidants and lovely stuff such as strawberry, apple, and grapeseed extract to help keep free radicals at bay and your skin looking youthful.

Hello Kitty Brush Set:  This set belongs on my bathroom counter.  The metallic silver Hello Kitty brush container, the candy pink tipped brushes and makeup handles…l-o-v-e love it!  The fact, that these brushes live in a gleaming metallic Hello Kitty makes this set too perfect (and, dare I use the word cute again?).  Your other makeup brushes will not only be jealous, they might even become null and void. 

Apple Balm:  I have to admit it, I don’t really care so much about the balm, as I do about the fact that the balm is housed inside an apple shape container.  Need it.  I do have to say, the antioxidant-packed balm does look pretty, and they pretty much sold me on, “non-sticky, long-lasting wear.”

Hello Kitty Shower Cap:  Why the hell not?

I truly am smitten with the whole collection and I think some of the pieces (mirrors, compacts, etc.) could become collector pieces down the road.  Whether you’re a HK super fan or just can’t resist the cuteness factor, there is something in this collection for everyone.  To sum it all up, the Hello Kitty Makeup Collection is…cute. cute. cute.

Are organic products better?  Why did my shampoo stop working?  Are my cosmetics poisoning me? Can I get hooked on lip balm?

These types of questions are why I love the world of beauty and also why I love reading the blog, The Beauty Brains.

Based on the blog, TheBeautyBrains.com, Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm?  is an informative book, that cuts through the confusing, misleading, and sometimes false information that beauty companies bombard consumers with and provides scientific answers to hundreds of questions about cosmetics.  Top cosmetic scientists answer your questions about the lotions, potions and other beauty products you use every day.

I had the chance to preview a copy of the book and I spent an entire Sunday reading it and getting both silly and serious questions answered.  Some of my favorite questions from the book were, ‘The shampoo secret beauty companies don’t want you to know’ and ‘can saliva cure acne?’ (guess what, it can!).  This book is chock-full of informative facts and was fun to read at the same time; it’s a must-have for any beauty junkie’s library…

…what’s that?  You’re a beauty junkie?  Well lucky you, because the kind people over at Harlequin books are hosting a giveaway with CTN, and three lucky readers will win a copy for themselves (open to U.S. and Canada residents only)!  Make sure to enter to win by midnight on Saturday, April 23rd because I know you’re dying to find out the top five reasons for darkened armpits.

  

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Over the last two years I have been growing out my normally shorter locks into a beautiful long mane…

…well, not really.  In my alternate universe, I have thick, shiny, split-end free hair that grows at a rapid pace.  In reality, I have fine, easily damaged hair that has grown at a snail’s pace.  Since it has taken me so long to grow my hair, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t.  In the beginning, I was naive, buying damaging products with short-term results.  But, I have since become more wise in the art of growing out finicky hair.

Close to seven inches later, I have gone from washing my hair every other day (which used to be a stretch for this one time every day washer) to washing my hair only twice a week (sounds gross, but the longer your hair the less you should wash it…hello, dry shampoo).  I’ve graduated from Pantene to sulfate-free shampoos, and the hardest thing for me was to forgo coloring my hair bright blonde.  While I love platinum blonde, it recked too much havoc on my fragile locks.  I have since embraced a more natural looking blonde that I can maintain by only coloring twice a year.  I’m still bad at getting regular hair cuts, but I am upping the anty in a few weeks by getting a hair cut…only waiting three months instead of six (I know, I know!).

*A little over two years ago, platinum and shoulder length.  Last September, long hair…and now, even longer.

But, let me get to it.  This post is turning into more of a hair journal and what I really want to talk about is Aveda’s Damage Remedy line.  I’ve tried every product in the line and I’ve been using most products since December and I’ve seen a big change in my hair.  If you don’t already know, Aveda is known for their gentle, plant-based products and sulfate-free shampoos.  All of their products are scented with natural oils that have a bit of an earthy scent (don’t think patchouli, think ahhh-spa).  The Damage Remedy line is supposed to help mend and prevent damage.  Here’s the scoop:

Damage Remedy Shampoo:  I actually got a sample of the shampoo to try when I bought another product from the Damage Remedy line.  Being a sulfate-free shampoo, you don’t get the usual bubbles (but, bubbles are formed from sodium lauryl sulfate, which can be harsh on your hair), but it smelled wonderful and left my hair feeling clean.  While I liked the shampoo, I couldn’t justify spending $24 for 8.5 fl. oz. when I could get another shampoo that was sulfate-free and cheaper.  I honestly feel that you get the most out of conditioners and hair treatments, not shampoo, so I actually bought Aveda’s Color Conserve shampoo instead for $15 and I love it.

Damage Remedy Conditioner:  I looooove this conditioner.  I love it so much in fact that I am not even half-way done with it and I already have another one waiting for me under my sink when it does run out.  When using this conditioner for the first time, I was surprised how light it felt.  Since the line was tailored for damaged hair, I really thought the conditioner would be really thick and heavy and might weigh my fine hair down, but it doesn’t in the least bit.  The conditioner smells amazing, you don’t need a ton, plus it really seems to penetrate my hair and soften it. While it is pricey at, $24 for 6.7 fl. oz,  I actually think it conditions just as well, if not better, than the Damage Remedy Intensive Treatment (aka deep conditioner). 

Damage Remedy Intensive Treatment:  While I really like this deep conditioner, I’m not 100% sold on it.  For a deep conditioning treatment, it feels really light, almost exactly like the regular conditioner from the Damage Remedy line.  I do notice a little more conditioning, but not much, and at $29 for only 4.2 fl. oz., it’s waaaaaaay pricey.  As I’m writing this, I’m actually convincing myself not to re-purchase it.  While I like the results, I feel like I could get similar results with a much less expensive product.  At almost $7 an ounce, this product might be a little too rich for my blood.

Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair:  This was actually the first product I used from the line and this will for sure be a re-purchase for me.  This leave-in treatment helps to detangle, repair hair (up to 26%), and protects from heat styling and future damage.  The longer my hair gets, the more it tangles.  This really helps to detangle and smooth my hair and prep it before I blow-dry.  Once again, smells great, and a little goes a long way.  This whole line is pricey, and this product is no exception at $24 for 3.4 fl. oz.  But, I can get my mid-back hair totally covered from root to ends with less than a quarter-sized dollop.

While the Damage Remedy line is pricey (the whole line, with the sizes I mentioned, will set you back $101), I do feel like most of the products are worth the price.  I’ve seen less split ends, my hair seems healthier, and my regrowth (which is noticeable, since I don’t cut my hair often) seems much shinier then it did before I was using this line.  I think with anything, time will tell.  I’ve been using this since late December and so far, so good.  I think with any hair care system, you can pick and choose what works and edit the products you don’t need.  My goal length is three inches away and I can tell you this, I’m leaving it in the hands of Aveda’s Damage Remedy Line.