Top High End Mascaras

So, we have established that I am not just a make up junkie, but an extreme mascara junkie as well. I collect them, I adore them, I use them like no other. If I didn't have so many, I would probably consistently be running out, just because I use mascara so much. If I'm not wearing any other make up, I am inevitably wearing mascara. I love colored mascara, jet black mascara, curling, lengthening, and volumizing mascara. I am also a fairly intense mascara snob. Yes, there are a few drugstore mascaras that I think are decent, but I am more or less addicted to high end mascaras, and the following are my top picks. They are listed here in order of best to...well, not quite as good as best, but pretty damn good. To be fair, they shift in their ranks based on my mood, the way my eyelashes feel like behaving on a particular day, and how old the mascara is. Suffice to say, that on any given day, one of these is my absolute go-to. They're the ones I would choose when I wanted to look fabulous. As of today, these are the rankings.

1) Clinique High Impact Mascara: This one can be pretty finicky but when it wants to behave, the results are absolutely unreal. This mascara makes my eyelashes look incredible. It volumizes and lengthens and holds a curl perfectly. I love it. The name says it all. High Impact lashes, which is what we all want in the end. You've got to try it for yourself to believe me, but you need to try it.

2) Dior Diorshow Iconic Mascara: This has been a long, long, longtime favorite for me. I discovered this probably my freshman or sophomore year of college, and I have even gotten my mother to wear it. (It is the only mascara my mother will use, which is definitely saying something.) I will purchase and re-purchase this mascara. It is an absolute staple in my collection. It lengthens, curls and separates my lashes and is water resistant. It's incredible.

3) Dior Diorshow Mascara in Azure Blue: This is your standard navy mascara on speed. The blue is the most unbelievable, bright blue color and it actually looks kind of incredible on hazel or brown eyes. This looks great on lower lashes as an accent or on upper lashes with very simple, barely there eye makeup.

4) Clinique High Lengths Mascara: Another Clinique mascara makes the list. This one is pretty fabulous. Super skinny, simple comb-like brush, jet black formula. It's wonderful and makes my lashes look incredible and long and not clumpy.

5) Benefit They're Real Mascara: This is the newest mascara from Benefit Cosmetics, and I'm so impressed. This is much, much better than the BadGal mascaras. The brush is pretty unique, it's a plastic comb, with a tapered tip, and some unusual bristles at the end, almost similar to the Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara. The formula is jet black. Lengthening and separating, all the fabulous things I need in a mascara.

6) Make Up Forever Smoky Lash Mascara (colored & black): I think this one, similar to some of the other ones, has a pretty dedicated cult following. In the last few months, they have released a line of colored mascaras, of which I own two, and I am pleasantly surprised by the fact that although the formular is colored, the formula has not been changed, so your eyelashes look fantastic, exactly the same as the original black. I own the forest green, the plum and of course, the black. I think they pretty much speak for themselves. I've used them once on people and had them go right out and buy it for themselves immediately after.

Those are my top six, and they will shift in their rankings by next week, but these are the mascaras that I need to have no matter what. If you've never tried these, you need to try them. There are plenty of other high end mascaras that people rave about, and to be honest, I've probably tried them all. YSL Faux Cils, Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes, Diorshow Extase, Fresh Firebird, etc etc. The ones listed here are the top of the heap. Truly.

My Other True Love: Perfume

So we all know I love me some perfume, some might even call me a little bit obsessive. Besides mascara, it's probably the one beauty product I can't live without. I've actually been trying not to buy perfume recently because I need to use up the ones that I have. I'm doing pretty well, I've made quite a dent, considering the size of my collection. Last spring I picked up Acqua di Gioia, which I have absolutely loved. Notes of mint, brown sugar and lemon hover over jasmine, peony and pink pepper, and they all mellow out to cedar wood and labdanum. I love it. One of the best, hands down best perfumes I've ever used. It smells incredibly summery, and fresh.

However, I have, over the course of the summer, found three other perfumes that I really love. They're all pretty different, but in the same sort of floral, flirty, feminine family. The first was Stella McCartney Stella, which is definitely the most sensual of the three. Its main notes are rose, peony flower, mandarin, rose absolu and amber. It is the perfect date perfume, and is actually fairly unique in my collection. I tend not to go for deeper, more sensual scents, in favor of fresher, floral ones.

Now, I stumbled on Stella because I got a StellaNude sample in a Sephora purchase, and the other two I just kind of fell on (also in a Sephora) because I was wandering around looking for something new to buy. I had not been particularly looking for any new fragrance and had done no "research" of the type us beauty product junkies like to do. I should also preface this by saying that I'm not typically a huge fan of celebrity or handbag perfumes, I think a lot of the times they're mostly just hype and are often just eau de toilettes, which don't last very long on anyone's skin and are pretty much just overhyped, over-packaged and overpriced. However, Coach Poppy Flower is really incredible. I pretty much grade a perfume on how many compliments I get in the first few days I wear it, and who the compliments come from. Since buying and wearing Coach Poppy Flower, I have gotten a compliment every single time I've worn it, from people who do not normally pay much attention to scents and other such delicacies. I was also surprised at how quickly people noticed a difference. Coach Poppy Flower has top notes of wet ivy, citrus, and black currant, with a heart of jasmine, water lily, rose, peony and sugared raspberry. Its base is amber, musk, sandalwood and apricot skin. I've never heard of apricot skin in a fragrance. All in all this is pretty amazing.

The third fragrance I found is an Escada fragrance, Taj Sunset. This one is an eau de toilette, and so had me skeptical, but I find I am pleasantly surprised, although not bowled over. According to Sephora, this one has notes of alphonso mango, blood orange, watery blossom, sweet primrose, raspberry, coconut cream, musk and sandalwood. It's a little bit fruity, a little bit tropical and definitely fun. I can pretty much never resist anything that's tropical, I love it. Any way you cut it, these are three scents that are kind of atypical for me. I've gotten the most compliments on Coach Poppy Flower, and I think it might be the most "me", but they're all good on their own. Thus concludes another post about perfumes, I've done quite a few on scented products in general. Enjoy!

Make Up Must Haves

I was recently at my best friend's house and her mom and brother were teasing me about my obsession with make up and her mom goes, "it's so funny, considering you hardly wear any!" And I started thinking, there really aren't a whole lot of products I absolutely need to have when it comes to make up. Yes, I love my indulgences and shopping sprees, but when it comes down to it, I only need a few things to get through every single day.

1) Benefit Cosmetics the Porefessional: I have raved about this so many times, I can't even count. I've gone through about 4 tubes of it since its launch. The silky formula literally makes your skin feel flawless and so soft, not to mention giving a soft focus type finish. It's an excellent primer under make up, but the slightest tint to the product also makes it just enough that I find I can use it on days when I don't need much coverage.

2) Origins VitaZing Tinted Moisturizer: This is a finicky one, but one that I cannot deny I used pretty much every single day I wore make up this past summer and most of the fall. While I'm pretty certain it is too orange-y for me year round, in the summer when I spend most of my time in the sun, it blends really quite perfectly. That is also its biggest drawback. This is supposed to be a self-adjusting tinted moisturizer that matches itself to your skin tone, but if you're on the moderate to extremely fair, or dark, it won't match all the time. Of course, this is the case with most products, but if a product markets itself as universal, it should be. I will say, I used this to the last drop, but it is pricey so I'm kind of glad I can only use it a little less than half the time, because it keeps me from going through it faster than I can fund the repurchases.

3) Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner: This is hands down the best eyeliner I've ever used. It comes in scads of colors and stays put for hours. You can use it as a base under eyeshadows, as an accent color, whatever. I think I own most of the colors, and I love them all. I hate black eyeliner on my face, it makes my eyes look ridiculously tiny and I find that I get much more attractive results when I use colors anyway. The top colors for me are Lucky (copper penny), El Dorado (true yellow gold), Underground (pale warm taupe), Rockstar (darkened plum) Stash (darkened olive green) and Lust (a true violet).

4) Clinique High Impact Mascara: This goes without saying, as does every other product on this list, but this is probably my favorite mascara ever. It is the most amazing mascara I've ever tried. And yes, I say this even comparing it to Diorshow Iconic. The reason this places at the top of my list, along with Covergirl's Super Thick Lash, is that it is super black, super easy to remove, holds a curl, and makes your lashes look insane. If I had to pick one high end and one drugstore brand mascara, those would be my picks, hands down.

5) NARS Duo Eye shadows in Key Largo and Kalahari: These are quite universally flattering. The eye shadows are great together or alone, I suppose that's why the company paired them the way they did. Key Largo is a matte peach with a shimmery bronze and Kalahari is a plummy bronze paired with a plummy brown. But they're really not nearly as close in color as that description sounds. The quality and pigmentation of these shadows is out of this world, they are really incredible.

6) MAC Eye Shadows in Rice Paper, Grain, Era & Cork: These are my most often used MAC eye shadows, and among the most often used eye shadows I own, period. I use Rice Paper or Grain all over my eye lids and Cork or Era in the crease. These are the most natural, subtle eye looks I keep in my stash but with the right eye liners and mascaras are incredible. Grain and Era is definitely the softest look in my bag of tricks, but both are fantastic every day looks.

7) Korres Jasmine Lip Butter: This is my favorite lip balm in the world. I own probably about seven pots of it, all in various stages of being completely used up. I keep at least one in my purse, one in my school bag, one next to my bed, one in my make up bag, etc etc. It makes my lips so soft and never feels greasy.

8) NARS Lip Stick in Dolce Vita and Cruising: Dolce Vita is quite similar to MAC Viva Glam V, natural, shimmery and the greatest "my lips, but better" shade. Cruising is a nude-y neutral pink that can be either subtle or not. Both are great every day shades.

I'm gonna call that quits for now, that's about all I can process at the moment. Those are definitely the top of my list. I'm going to be doing a post on skin care next, so until the next one, stay pretty.

Summer Faves

So this summer has been a good one for skin for me, and a minimal one for make up. I haven't worn too much make up, and I've tried not to do too much to my hair, either, just sticking to taking the best care of my skin and hair as I can. So here are my summer skin, hair and make up favorites!

Skin Care:

Sunscreen & Self Tanning: Sunscreen is so crucial for me, because I'm naturally extremely fair, it's the Irish in me. I also freckle like nobody's business. Needless to say, I burn really easily, and I work outside, um hi, lifeguard? I use La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 spf ultra light sunscreen fluid or the Anthelios Mineral Sunscreen liquid on my face. I go through about two bottles a summer. For body I pretty much stick to Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock in spf 45, I find it really stays put and keeps my skin protected. I try not to buy anything higher than 45ish because on the one hand there isn't that much difference between spf 30 and spf 60, and I don't like the false confidence spf 80 gives you. You still have to reapply every 2 hours.

I don't normally use self tanners because I'm so fair. I usually end up looking orange. I also do not endorse laying out in the sun for hours and hours. I have to be outside in a pool at least 3 days a week to teach lessons, so I get plenty of sun exposure. So I normally steer clear of tanning oils and other products meant for people who are laying out. This summer though, I discovered something amazing. And it smells amazing, too. It's the Australian Gold spf 4 Spray Gel with Instant Bronzers. I put this on over my sunscreen when I'm outside. The "instant bronzers"actually really work and they don't turn me orange.

Face: My usual suspects are of course still in play: the DDF benzoyl peroxide gel, Ole Henricksen's Invigorating Night Gel, Clinique's All About Eyes Rich eye cream, and Ole Henricksen's Sheer Transformation moisturizer. But, I've kind of fallen in love with Origins VitaZing SPF 15 energy boosting moisturizer with mangosteen. At first I was on the fence about this product, I worried it was a little too orange, or a little too greasy. However, over the summer, my skin chemistry has either balanced out or gotten used to this product and with my slightly darker complexion, it doesn't come off too orange anymore either. This has literally replaced all foundations in my routine.

Lips: There are three lip balms that make it into my summer favorites: Korres Jasmine Lip Butter, Smith's Rosebud Salve & Aquafina Flavor Splash Wild Berry. All three are awesome, I usually only use the Korres or Smith's at night before bed, and I carry the Aquafina in my purse, it's perfect for layering under lipstick or gloss.

Hair Care:

Shampoo & Conditioner: Of course I'm using something moisturizing to save my hair from the sun and the chlorine, and I've found something that isn't too heavy and doesn't weigh me down with product or keep it greasy. My hair is actually ligher and shinier since I started using the Paul Mitchell Moisture Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo and Instant Moisture Daily Treatment. The products rinse out so clean and leave my hair soft and light and super shiny.

Treatments & Leave Ins: I'm still using the Argan Magic hair oil, It's a 10 leave in treatment and the Organix Brazilian Keratin anti breakage serum and loving them. I'm a little more on the fence about the It's a 10 hair masque, it's been weighing my hair down lately, and not making it as soft as it used to. I've also been using the Nexxus Split End Binding overnight treatment with a little extra Argan Oil on the ends of my hair when it's feeling especially dry. I love the way these make my hair soft, but the Nexxus cream smells straight up funky when you put it in your hair...it's weird.

Beauty:

Face: All time summer fave? Benefit's the Porefessional pore minimizing balm. I wear this on its own entirely, I won't wear any thing but moisturizer with it and I just leave it alone. It makes my skin look pretty flawless, I love it. It even looks great over the VitaZing tinted moisturizer.

Cheeks: For bronzer I've been loving Benefit's Hoola, it's not orange at all so it works on my face without messing with my skin tone. Blush has been a combination of MAC's Blushbaby and Benefit's Sugarbomb just on the top of my cheekbones to add a little tiny sheen. I'm extremely wary of anything glittery or shiny on my cheeks, because they're already so big.

Eyes: My absolute favorite eye combination this summer has been NARS Kalahari eye shadow duo, (only the lighter, more bronzey shade) on the lid and smudged slightly into the crease, with Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Rockstar smudged along the lashline over one layer of eyeshadow with another light layer on top, and MAC's Rosemary and Thyme Eye Kohl smudged on my lower lashline. Love. As usual, I have about a million favorite mascaras so narrowing them down was hard. Old timers: Clinique's High Impact Mascara in Black and Diorshow Iconic. Newbies: Clinique High Lengths Mascara & the new L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, in the black tube like the Million Lashes...don't know what it's called. All of these are so major.

Lips: I've been loving peachy glosses like Laura Mercier's Opal and MAC's Love Nectar. Also loving neutral pink-nude lipsticks like Urban Decay's Naked and NARS' Cruising. Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is a year-round staple for me, such an amazing bitten lips kind of look.

Perfume: Only three perfumes here: Acqua di Gioia by Armani, Tocca's Bianca, and Stella by Stella McCartney. I usually reserve the Stella for dates or night time events, it's super romantic and sort of heady but not at all overwhelming.

So that wraps up my summer faves so far. School starts soon and that means fall is around the corner. Time to gear it up and browse the new make up collections!

recent loves

So I'm on yet another nail kick. I've been doing a lot of "accent" nail manicures. I am loving the Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips, or whatever they're called. I have several that I'm playing around with but am loving a couple in particular: Misbehaved, Laced Up, and Raise a Glass. I use the nail strips on my ring fingers and paint the other eight with some other color.

I'm particularly loving Flip Flop Fantasy by China Glaze with Misbehaved, and I think Re-Freshmint by China Glaze with Laced up. Fabulous. Right now I'm wearing Essie's Lilacism with Sally Hansen's Girl Flower. A little spring-y/Easter-y but definitely cute.

Lately I'm also taking some chances with my hair routine, and by chances, I mean changes, but for me those two are interchangeable. I'm back to using my Herbal Essences Drama Clean shampoo and am using the It's a 10 hair mask/deep conditioner every other day, I'm trying really hard not to wash my hair every day. I'm still using my It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product religiously, as well as the Argan Magic Intensive Hair Oil. I've also added in the Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Anti-Breakage Serum. I use a pea-ish sized amount of the Argan Magic Intensive Hair Oil and the Organix each and smooth them through my hair after I've used the It's a 10. I've been having issues straightening my hair lately because the ends are dry, so I also picked up the Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Flat Iron Spray. I've tried it out twice (once the second day after washing) and this stuff is freaking amazing! I spray about 1-2 pumps into my palm and run it through my hair, section by section and it makes my hair silky, soft, shiny and not frizzy, even after straightening. I'm in love. The last thing I picked up was the Argan Magic Nourishing Hair Cream and I've tried it once. This is great for texturizing, it's got a light hold and it doesn't make my hair greasy, but it doesn't necessarily moisturize for me. It didn't do anything bad either, I'm just on the fence on this one.

That's about it for me recently. Kind of boring. Haven't been wearing much make up because of finals and all that. Till next time.

Nail Combo of the Day

So, this my new favorite nail combo; China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy and China Glaze's For Audrey on the ring finger. So cute, so fresh, so summer. I can't wait for summer. I also can't wait till I'm tan and I get to put my Flip Flop Fantasy on my toes, gonna look so good next to tan skin.

The Tiffany Blue Debate...

Aahhh, it's every girl's dream, the little blue box with the white bow. To a certain extent, it's not even about what's actually inside, it's the fact that someone went to Tiffany's for you. (Of course, you hope there's a navy blue velvet box waiting inside the little blue one, but that's another story for another day.) The Tiffany & Co. blue is world famous, and, it is also trademarked up the wha-zoo. You cannot get the exact replica of that Tiffany blue without express permission from Tiffany & Company. (I think Star Jones had the Tiffany blue as one of her wedding colors and there was all this hoopla with her wedding planner and the Tiffany & Co. lawyers and permissions and all this other stuff.) However, that does not stop people from trying to copy it. Nike has done it...

And so has China Glaze, with their For Audrey shade...

And so has Essie, with Turquoise and Caicos...

But, as I said before, none of these, without specific permission from Tiffany's is actually an exact dupe. To test my theory, I pulled out a Tiffany & Co. pouch I had lying around, and Essie's Turquoise and Caicos and For Audrey. They're both close. But neither is an exact match. In the top picture, which is professionally edited, the colors match pretty much exactly, but, it must be noted that the color that's in the bottle is almost never the color that dries on your nails. That's totally the case with For Audrey. For Audrey dries a little more of a sky blue color, rather than the true robin's egg blue that's the Tiffany's signature. Essie's Turquoise and Caicos is also remarkably close in the bottle, but when it dries it is a deeper robin's egg blue than the Tiffany & Co. blue. The bottom line is that neither of them is an exact dupe, and everyone who says that is just hoping. Until Tiffany's approves a deal with a nail polish company, (OPI, anyone?) there will not be an exact dupe. Please, stop saying there is one. It's not happening.

China Glaze Nail Polish Review

I am perhaps the last beauty nut to jump on the China Glaze band wagon, but I made it! I finally went into a Sally's Beauty Supply here in town and picked up a bunch of polishes, several of which will be making the jump across the pond to my best friend in London Town!!! (It was her birthday last week.) So I'll start out with the ones I got for her. First there was Summer Rain, a lovely sheer, pearlescent pink... (None of these pictures are of my own nails, all have been found on Google Image Search)

Then Coral Star, a shimmery coral...pinks and corals are her favorites to wear on her hands...

And finally, China Rouge, a true red, which is her favorite for her toes... usually...

Then I ended up picking up a few for myself. I got some really good brights and neons and a couple really nice pastels. And I already have a favorite (duh!) and a wishlist (double duh!)!! The first one is Turned Up Turquoise, a neon with small shimmers... turquoise is my favorite color, but I don't have anything this bright for nail polish... (the only turquoise/teal color I have is Ski Teal We Drop by OPI, which I love!)

Then I saw Four Leaf Clover, a bright blue-ish green-ish turquoise color, which I couldn't pass up for obvious reasons... (hello, the name!) Love it.

And now we move on to the pastels. I'm obsessed with all light, minty green nail polishes, but have been disappointed with the way some of them come out looking against my skin. Maybe they'll look better when I'm tan again? But I couldn't resist so I picked up a bottle of Re-fresh Mint, which is really lovely and surprisingly, looks pretty good on me...

I also picked up For Audrey, which has been insanely hyped on youtube and beauty blogs everywhere as the perfect dupe for the Tiffany & Co. blue. The truth and fact of the matter is, the Tiffany & Co. blue is trademarked and it is therefore illegal to reproduce it on anything exactly unless you have express permission from Tiffany & Co. Further, it's not an exact dupe, something I will be talking about in another blog post, in the bottle it is very close but when it dries it is actually much more of a sky blue or robin's egg blue than the Tiffany & Co. blue... but here it is anyway...

And finally I picked up Flip Flop Fantasy, which is literally my favorite polish, maybe ever!!! I am not normally a neon kind of girl, but this one is too fabulous to pass up. It is literally the perfect summer-beach-on-my-toes-with-a-tan-and-a-margarita-in-my-hand color. (that rhymed!) I've painted it on my nails twice in a row now, and I have gotten more compliments on this color than on any other nail polish I have ever worn, with the exception of Cajun Shrimp by OPI, but that had more to do with the fact that my natural nails looked like acrylics, which was something the girls in my seventh grade class could not fathom.

Now, onto the wishlist. So far, it's pretty small, but I definitely intend on grabbing these as soon as I can. I am overall in love with China Glaze polishes. They are pretty much entirely opaque in two coats, and the base and top coats are fab. (So far, we'll see if the base coat turns my nails yellow.) First on the wishlist is Secret Peri-Winkle, a really nice powdery/pastel blue... also my ex boyfriend's favorite color...

I also am craving Peachy Keen, it looks similar to Essie's Haute Hello but in a more orange-y and less pink way...

And finally, Lemon Fizz, a really pretty pastel yellow... I'm really feeling the pastels this month, which is unusual. I don't go for neons and I don't really go for pastels, I like me some true to color, standard brights, I suppose. These, though, are too good to pass up! I am thoroughly impressed with China Glaze, to me they seem to be more or less on par with Essie or OPI, but more affordably priced.

So, that's my two cents on China Glaze. As I said, I am going to do a post on For Audrey, the real Tiffany blue and another polish by Essie which is also remarkably close. I was getting really annoyed with all these people who keep saying that For Audrey is a dupe for the Tiffany & Co. blue, so I decided to just see for myself. Stay tuned for that one, kids!

Product Updates & Some Newbies

Updates: These are some products I've mentioned recently on this blog as new purchases, or things I found and started using again. I just wanted to give a little update as to how they're holding up.

Clinique High Impact Mascara: This is a weird one. I do love it, but I think it's a pretty finicky mascara. When I first opened the tube, I loved it, it gave me crazy fantastic lashes, but after a few weeks, I noticed that it was getting harder and harder to apply. I thought it was my actual eyelashes, like they were growing weird, or I wasn't getting the right angle with my lash curler, but I really think it's the mascara. Or maybe both. Now that I'm sitting here thinking about it, it seemed like my eyelashes "plateaued" with this one. Like, when you're using a new skin care routine and it's fabulous for a few months and then your skin stops getting better, but it doesn't necessarily get any worse, either. Or when your hair just gets all build up-y from using the same shampoo and conditioner. I think my eyelashes kind of "got used to it." However, I stopped using it for a couple weeks and just last week, I pulled it out to use because I didn't want to deal with another high maintenance mascara (which I will talk about later in this post) and it was the closest one to me, and I found myself loving it once again. So I almost feel like this is one that you buy, use it every day for a couple weeks, and then need to take a break from it for a couple weeks. Then, once you start using it again, it looks great. I don't know if it's just my tube, like maybe mine had been opened or something and put back in the box or it wasn't sealed right or something... but I love it, and I'll definitely be keeping it in my mascara rotation, it does (when it's in a good mood) give you an amazing "false lash" look.

Ole Henricksen Sheer Transformation creme: I like this, but it's certainly not my favorite. The first thing you notice about it is the smell. I'm all about fresh, herbal-y scents in my skin care; I love me some peppermint, tea tree oil, rosemary, etc etc. This one has an herbal scent, but it smells kind of odd. It's very distinctive, it's not quite rosemary or tea tree oil, maybe a combination of the two? There's something about it, it's not necessarily a bad scent, but it is kind of off-putting. I do like it, although I feel like it's kind of heavy now that it's getting warmer. I've noticed that it also leaves my skin feeling kind of tacky for a little while after I've used it. It doesn't sink in right away like my Moisture Surge. So I've really only been using it at night. I also haven't really noticed if any discoloration has been remedied, but I don't use it regularly, or I haven't used it straight for more than two or three days at a time, so I can't say that it wouldn't. Overall, not against it, don't hate it, but it isn't my favorite.

OPI Teenage Dream: My lovely friend Rosie called me a couple weeks ago and said "I found it! I found Teenage Dream! Do you want me to get you one?!" Um, duh. Thank you!! I love it. I got it from her and literally painted my nails with it as soon as I got home and wore it straight for over a week before it started to chip, then I re-did my nails with it again. I absolutely love it. It's so glittery, but I don't feel like it's too overwhelming or anything like that. I feel like it's a fun glitter, but also an "appropriate" fun. It's not so crazy that you couldn't wear it to work (depending on where you work, law firm? Probably wouldn't recommend that.) but it's still great for going out or parties. I'm so so happy I finally got my hands on it! Gorgeous!

Benefit's Garden of Good and Eva: I mentioned this one in a post about "signature scents" a while back and I wanted to re-visit. I do love this perfume but it has one huge drawback. If I am wearing it, and I get a migraine, I am absolutely miserable until I can shower it off, which sucks because all I want to do when I have a migraine is curl up in a ball and sleep. It doesn't give me migraines, it's not a trigger, but it is an aggravator if I get one and am wearing this or smell it on someone else or clothing or sheets. It's a beautiful, fresh, floral-y scent but when a migraine starts setting in, it becomes way too overbearing. I'm infinitely more sensitive to smells when I have a migraine, so having anything, even if it's a smell I love, that is really strongly scented is not fun for me. (This includes, food smells, cleaning product smells, shampoo & conditioner, body wash etc.) However, I absolutely love this perfume. And hey, to be totally honest, most of my perfumes bother me when I have a migraine. Perfumes on OTHER people drive me crazy when I have a migraine, so it's not saying much that this one bugs me.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Treatment: I use this every single time I wash my hair. I don't just spray it directly on it, I brush my hair out, flip it a couple times and then do about three pumps/sprays into the palm of my hand and work it through my hair, focusing mainly on the bottom half and my ends, with just a little light swipe through the crown. If I put too much onto the crown, with the other product I've been using, my hair will look greasy really quickly, it is a medium weight leave in treatment. However, 3-4 pumps is really the perfect amount, if you have longer or thicker hair than I do, you would probably need more than that. This is, in combination with another product I'm mentioning in this post, are probably hair product holy grails for me. I've noticed a huge change in my hair since I started using them both. And it doesn't hurt that neither of them smell bad, I love the scents.

Newbies:

Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara: Alright, this is the "high maintenance" mascara I mentioned earlier. It's really a love-hate relationship here, folks. Very nice, rich black color, adorable packaging, interesting brush... all the ingredients of a best seller. It's a Japanese mascara brand, with fibers in it to lengthen your lashes. The formula is kind of creamy and on the middle of the watery-thick scale. It's definitely not dry, but it's not watery. Here's the rub: it can be incredibly difficult to work with, OR it can be fabulous, but you don't know what you're going to get. I usually have to use a separate spoolie brush (like a mascara wand) after each coat of this mascara to get it not to clump my lashes together. (I HATE tarantula lashes!) That being said, when this mascara wants to cooperate, it looks utterly fabulous. The best false lash look I have found this year. Definitely in the top three with Diorshow ICONIC & Clinique High Impact. Just sayin', there's a high price to pay for those fantastic, lush, long eyelashes. This stuff takes patience and focus. Not necessarily what I'm looking for on a busy morning when I'm trying to get myself to school. I say 6/10 for ease of application, 8.7/10 for final product.

Origins Vita Zing Moisturizer with SPF 15: Okay, this has been jamming UP my youtube subscriptions recently. This is a crazy product. It's a tinted moisturizer, I know, yawn, but wait! It self adjusts to your skin. Normally, I think that crap is a gimmick, but this one is legit. It starts out as a white-ish cream, with little spots in it, like cinnamon sprinkles. When you blend it into your skin, it literally makes you look like you've just spent a couple days in the sun. It's a light to medium coverage, so if you want a more concealed, flawless look, you'd still need concealer etc and it's not matte, but it is kind of amazing. For me, the finished look is a little dewier than I prefer, so I just follow it up with my usual Benefit Porefessional and bronzer/blush/mineral finishing powder routine. I have been using this in place of my Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer for the last few days and I've gotta say, I like it. It is kind of pricey- $35 for 1.7 ounces. However, it replaces at least two or three products, (moisturizer, spf, foundation) and a ton of time from your routine. I say at least 7.5/10 for this one, only because it is somewhat cost prohibitive and is dewier than I would prefer. However, the second issue, at least, is remediable enough.

DDF Benzoyl Peroxide 5% Acne Treatment: I swooped this on a whim in Sephora recently. I went in with one task and one task only: to find a new acne treatment that I could use with my pre-existing skin care regimen. I use the Ole Henricksen Acne Treatment Gel with salicylic acid daily in the mornings, and usually their benzoyl peroxide Roll On Acne treatment at night, so I figured either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide would work. I saw this and grabbed it. It's a 5% concentration, whereas most over the counter acne treatments with benzoyl peroxide are 1-2.5%-ish. I know quite a few prescription benzoyl peroxide gels or treatments are 10%, so I figured this was a happy medium. Stronger than most, but not too harsh. So far, I'm actually really impressed. It's a white-ish (again!) gel with like semi-solid particles in it that sort of exfoliate the skin as you apply, but melt into your skin as you blend it. It doesn't burn, it doesn't tingle, it just kind of sinks in. I use it morning and night, and have seen an improvement in the overall clarity of my skin, (but an increase in blackhead type bumps? weird.) and really, I like it. It does not interfere with my other skin care products in the slightest. It's a good call.

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Jam it Up: Love it. Blackened purple with a sort of reddish-plum shimmer. It is solid, I mean this stuff doesn't chip. Once it's on, it's on. And um, it doesn't come off with regular nail polish remover, but it does come off with 100% pure acetone from CVS. Weird? I have been hearing a lot of hype over Deborah Lippmann nail polishes, but they are pricey. $16 a pop from her website, and they're sold in Neiman Marcus, I believe, probably for $20-ish. They look gorgeous, and I'd love a few more, but these are definitely investment nail polishes. That seems kind of wrong.

Revlon Nail Polish in Hazy: Drug store nail polish for the win! Gorgeous, blue-y grey, just like dark rain clouds. Creme finish, gorgeous. I don't know what else to say. It's only, like, $6 at CVS. Bueno!

Argan Magic Argan Oil Hair Treatment: Hooooly crap! I am in love. As someone with oily hair, the idea of putting oil on my hair seems counterintuitive. However, I stand permanently corrected. Not only does this leave my hair feeling incredibly soft and not weighed down, yes even when used with the It's a 10, it smells vaguely reminiscent of a tween fruity lipgloss dream. I swear, I had something that smelled just like this when I was 12 or 13, but I can't remember what, and I could not tell you what it smells like if I tried. It's fruity and sweet and beyond that, I got nothin'. However, you need only a dime sized amount, more if you have longer, or thicker hair, and you run it through damp hair, root to tip. It cuts drying time, literally, in half, and leaves hair incredibly soft. It just makes my hair silky, soft and shiny. Healthier feeling and looking than it has been in a while. CVS for like $11 or $12. Great deal, since you use hardly any.

All in all, decent product month or so. I'm not unhappy with anything, but I've definitely had a change of opinion on some products. Always happy to be trying new things. Stay beautiful! More to come soon.

St. Patty's Day Make Up

Okay, so today is Irish Pride day (aka St. Patrick's Day), and as such, I felt the need to do a crazy green make up look. I love the way it turned out! So here are some pictures and the products I used to achieve it. There's a variety of products from different brands and the focus is definitely on the eyes, neutral cheeks and nude lips complete it. Keep reading!

So I started out with my usual skin care routine. Then I used my Benefit porefessional all over my whole face, followed by the Allison Raffaele true concealer in shade 1 under my eyes, around my nose and on a couple small blemishes. To start the eyes I used the Benefit F.Y...eye! primer on my lids. Then I took a Prestige Skin Loving Minerals eyeliner pencil in Jade and used that all over the lid, smudging lightly when I got near the crease. I used Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On eyeliner pencil in Covet over the top of that. The first eyeshadow I used was Urban Decay's Mildew from the Urban Ammo palette, all over the lid, but not into the crease. In the corners of my eyes, almost halfway onto the eyelid, I used Kat Von D's Long Distance from her new Truth palette, it's a lime, shimmery green that when used with a light hand, is semi-sheer over darker colors. On the outer half of the lid and under my lower lashes (lightly!), I used MAC's Humid, which I've never used before, although I've owned it for quite some time. Then, in the outer corner and crease I used NARS' Night Porter, a beautiful blackened green with shimmers. I've always been a little afraid of this color, it seems so dark and wasn't quite sure how to use it. Directly in the center of my lids I went in with Kat Von D's Snake Eyes, a slightly more blue-hued, lime green. I brought Long Distance into the inner corner and up slightly but used Bare Minerals Soul as a highlight on my brow bone. A little of MAC's Rosemary and Thyme eye kohl and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On eyeliner in Mildew on my waterline is the perfect dark, but not black, emphasis on the lower lashline. I used the Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black followed by the Benefit Prrrowl mascara top coat, which is sort of a turquoise-y shimmer. Gorg!

I used Benefit's Hoola Bronzer all over my face for a contour and slight glow, followed by Too Faced's Pink Leopard bronzer as a highlight/cheek color. (Don't normally like shimmer on my cheeks but this one is fantastic and not chunky at all.) I used a light dusting of MAC's Blushbaby on the apples of my cheeks and along my cheekbones for just a little rosiness. On my lips went some EOS Summer Fruit lip balm, Revlon's Soft Nude lip stick and a light layer of Benefit's Nudie-Tude lip gloss to add some sheen. No foundation, no powder. Just glowy, semi-matte skin and a little cheek. Loving it.

Body Lotions...Body Butters...Body Creams

I am currently on a body lotion/body butter/body cream kick. I guess this goes hand in hand with yummy smells and yummy smelling body lotion/body butter/body cream... and yummy scented candles.

Currently loving:

fresh Sugar Lychee Body Lotion: with sugar cane extract and mango seed oil; this smells so clean, and yet, so sweet. I'm obsessed with all things tropical, especially passionfruit, and pineapple, and the scents are great, so lychee, one of my favorite tropical fruits, totally grabbed my attention. It's not my favorite texture-wise, but it definitely leaves my skin feeling really soft and not greasy once its totally absorbed.

Victoria's Secret Love Spell Hand and Body Cream: Cherry blossom, peach and white jasmine; oh my dear, what is not to love? It's a little bit sweet, a little bit fruity, a little bit intense and there's something almost crisp about it. I love it. I love the texture, I love the way it absorbs, I love the way the scent lingers on my skin, and on my sheets if I use it before bed. Yummy.

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter: this has been one of my all time favorite scents since ninth grade, when Charlotte, my roommate, introduced me to The Body Shop. I'm not a huge fan of citrus scents, I don't love them, I don't hate them, I'm just kind of neutral. Every once in a while, though, a citrus scent will grab me, like the St. Ives citrus scented body wash, or, my dearly beloved Satsuma. I am not a huge fan of body butters, I think they're a bit heavy, but that may also be because I am a bit heavy handed while applying them. I do or at one time have owned every single Satsuma scented product from The Body Shop. I love it all. I particularly love the essential oil, that I burn in a little burner with a candle and it makes the whole back half of the house smell fantastic. All that being said, the body butter, being heavy, lingers so beautifully. I can always smell it after I've used it. Heavy as it may be, the smell is fantastic.

The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter: I don't know what this smells like, I have absolutely no idea what a "moringa" flower(?) oil(?) is. I got nothing. It smells like jasmine, gardenia and plumeria all smushed into a lovely pot of moisturizing beauty. The flowers or whatever they are smell fabulous. I love the smell. It's definitely one of those, pick me up type scents that will be there all day and on my clothes when I change at night. It's soothing and mellow and very white flower-y.

Benefit Cosmetics Bathina Touch Me Then Try to Leave Cream: to me, and I don't know if this is really what it is "supposed" to smell like, but to me, this cream smells like roses and plumeria and gardenia all beautifully and delicately mixed. It's like cream silk, it feels amazing going onto the skin and absorbs perfectly. And it's lighter than air. And it's beautiful. And if they discontinue it, I might cry. It's like, clean cotton and gardenia and roses and plumeria. I'm in love with it.

Just a few of my favorites right now. These are all pretty easy to find: the body shop, Victoria's Secret, Benefit... I think they're lovely. I'm always on the hunt for some new, lovely scented body creams and lotions. Happiest when I smell yummy.

On the candle note, also searching for lovely smelling candles. Thoughts?

To: Those who steal make up....

I know who you are, and I have your number. This is NOT cool. You came into my house, we welcomed you in to a party, it was a celebration, and you went through my sh**? You stole from me while you were in my house and I was present?! Best part, there were only three females here, so trust me, this will come back to haunt you.

While we're on the subject, what is the freaking point of stealing make up? Seriously! First of all, it's totally unsanitary. Like, yes, please, let me put this eyeshadow on my eye that has had your fingers and your brushes and all of that crap in it. Or, hm, let me take this lipstick that you used when you had a cold sore. (Never had a cold sore, although, in this situation, it would have been awesome to have had oral herpes so whoever stole that sh** got it, too.)

You're shady, and don't be surprised if the next time you show up at my house I don't speak to you. Or if I kick you out. I am not a fan of being taken advantage of, you might think I'm sweet, but don't take my kindness or openness for weakness. Karma is a bigger bitch than I will ever be, but I come pretty damn close.

Love,

Emily

beauty ruts are no fun

So I find myself once again in a beauty rut. It's not that I'm unhappy with my make up at the moment, it's just that I feel like I should be happier. My Benefit Playsticks foundation is all of a sudden looking orange, clearly my tan from last summer is all but gone. My Bare Minerals makes my skin itch a bit when it gets warmer, although it makes my skin look great. The Clinique High Impact mascara is looking clumpy on my lashes. I'm not inspired by any of my eyeshadows. My blush is looking...weird. I think I'm just frustrated. I'm not really feeling like I enjoy my make up right now. It's making me feel strange. I don't know if I'm just not feeling inspired or if I'm just bored with what I have, or if I'm just sick of doing my make up every day...the only thing I still absolutely love is my Benefit Porefessional. That is some great stuff. Serious.

I am, however, happy with my hair lately. I'm using the Pantene Pro V Beautiful Lengths Anti Frizz shampoo and conditioner. But I think what's really making the difference is the It's a 10 Leave In treatment and, the newest addition to my hair arsenal, Argan Oil. I'm not sure of the brand, but it smells absolutely amazing, like something I used to have... a lotion or a perfume or a body wash. I can't put my finger on what it smells like, or where I know it from. It's great. My hair is soft, manageable and shiny. I can use it when my hair is wet or dry and it doesn't make my hair feel icky or look oily. I use it right after I put the It's a 10 in my hair and then again after I've blow dried and/or straightened my hair, when it's dry. It also, amazingly, seems to make my hair less oily, I'm able to wash my hair every other day. (That has never been a reality for me.)

I got the Argan Oil from CVS, so it's not hard to find. I need to find some way to get excited about make up again. Maybe it's time to go through all my make up again and trade out some products. I'm so frustrated. Bleugh. I'm open to any recommendations.

Nails...

I've been doing my nails a lot recently, trying out different colors, stuff I wouldn't normally wear, and definitely craving some new things. First, for the cravings: I. want. the. Katy. Perry. OPI. Teenage. Dream. nail polish. No joke. I'm not usually one for glitter, but this polish looks SO pretty. Holy cow.

So, I need to get my hands on that. I'm also loving two Revlon polishes, Storm and Jaded. Storm is a great steel grey cream and Jaded is a nice pastel mint green. Tonight I did my nails with Storm and used a newish OPI color called Brand New Skates over the top of it. Brand New Skates is a sheer gunmetal grey with really fine glitter in it. Looks great together. The other day I tried out essie's Haute as Hello. I first got it when it came out with Turquoise and Caicos, which is a beautiful color, but it comes out kind of streaky on my nails. I couldn't get Haute as Hello to work for me either, but this week I finally got it to. It looked really nice. It's a great summer color, and will look great when I get a tan... so, we'll wait for summer for that one.

On a different note, my skin is unhappy with me. I don't know if it's because I was sick or what, but I'm having trouble getting any foundation to sit right on my face. So frustrating. The Benefit Playsticks foundation was working so well for me, and now it just looks cakey and icky everywhere. I'm definitely not a fan. Hopefully it's just temporary, but it's not looking good. Bottom line, good week for nail polish, bad week for skin. Boo. Off to bed.

more raves...

I have definitely had more product raves recently than I have in a long time. Maybe I've just got the good make-up chi going on right now, but I'm definitely loving whatever is sending this stuff my way.

#1 Benefit Playsticks Foundation (my shade is Tea Party): I started using this junior year of high school, and it was my first foundation ever. I bought it because my boyfriend at the time invited me to his homecoming dance, and my mom took me out to "prettify" me or something. It was a treat, bought a new outfit, and she took me to Benefit in Mill Valley to deck my face out. I stopped using this before I left for college, I just basically stopped wearing make up that summer. I was in the pool all the time and it wasn't a priority. (Duh.) Anyway, my skin dried out quite a bit this winter so my usual Bare Minerals routine wasn't cutting it. (However, Bare Minerals OVER Playsticks gives flawless coverage!) I decided to bust this stuff out and I am blown away by it, once again. Seriously. And, of course, just when I am rediscovering it, I find out Benefit is discontinuing it!!! I need to have me a serious talk with Benefit, they have discontinued some of the greatest stuff!! (Show Offs anyone??)

#2 Clinique Super Moisturizing Balm Gloss in Black Honey: Everyone knows what the Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey looks like, and how phenomenal it looks on basically everyone, and this is the super glossy, super moisturizing gloss formula. This color is the perfect, just ate a whole bowl of raspberries or cherries and now my lips are this gorgeous color but glossed. Seriously. Fabulash. They also have this formula in a bunch of other colors. Worth checking out.

#3 NARS Lipgloss in Dolce Vita: This is like the "real" lipstick version of the NARS lipstick by the same name. The actual lipstick is a sheer, your lips but better color, the lipgloss is full color, glossy, opaque, pinky-rosy-nude gorgeousness. The lipgloss definitely has more color than the lipstick, but both are beautiful. The gloss is definitely on the stickier side, but it's worth it!

#4 Clinique High Impact Mascara: I wrote a whole post on this, so I do not feel the need to repeat myself. All I will say is: fake eyelashes for real. No lies.

#5 Milani Mineral Powder Blush (pressed) in Luminous: Perfect, peachy pink with teeny gold luminous flecks. Not even flecks. Just luminosity. And it's drugstore. Totally accessible. Perfect glowy, pink, healthy cheeks. Perfect with a light bronzer, like Dior's Matte Sunshine in Honey Matte. Love.

I'm in love with all these products, they will probably all be accompanying me to Milwaukee next weekend. I really feel like these are helping my face look....better. My skin looks glowy, healthy, my lips look full and gleamy...my eyes look ridiculous. Getting stopped on the street and asked if you're wearing false eyelashes is CRUCIAL. And amazing. So happy.

in LOVE

Okay, this may be a bit premature, I've only been using this product for two days, but I'm thoroughly impressed with it. I had heard rumblings on Youtube for a while about this leave in treatment for your hair from the It's a 10 line and, as I've been teaching a boat load this winter, and my hair is crunchy, dry & frizzy as a result, I was curious to try anything that supposedly is so great. According to vloggers, this stuff detangles, moisturizes, repairs damage etc. According to the packaging it repairs dry, damaged hair; adds shine; detangles; controls frizz; seals and protects hair color; prevents split ends; stops hair breakage; creates silkiness; enhances natural body; and is a flat iron spray and thermal protector. So, I immediately started looking around for places around town that sold the It's a 10 line of hair products. Nada. There is no Ulta near my house, and that seems to be the primary place these are sold.

Well, whaddya know? I'm walking through CVS the other day and I see a blue bottle that says It's a 10 in the shampoo aisle. Sweet!!! It was It's a 10 Miracle Moisture Shampoo, next to a tub of Miracle Moisture Repairing Mask. Whoosh! In the basket they go. Only, I still couldn't find the leave in treatment. Cut to two days later, I'm walking around and I see a Super Cuts, decide to walk in and see if they carry it. Score! I pick up a bottle and race it home to try it out.

Holy. Crap. The first time I used the shampoo and mask, I liked it. It definitely made my hair softer and more manageable, but still a little frizzy. And when I was rinsing the mask out in the shower, my hair still felt a little ratty and rough. Second time in the shower, it was like SILK. Oh my goodness. Getting out of the shower, my hair was so manageable. I couldn't believe it. When I finally got the leave in treatment, and used that after my shower, I was thrilled! My hair was totally detangled, no pulling, no tugging, and it felt soooo soft. And, for any Ralph by Ralph Lauren fans, the leave in treatment smells JUST LIKE IT!!! So, I'm waiting for my hair to air dry right now, to see how the treatment does. Hopefully it doesn't leave my dry hair feeling greasy like some products do. If this works out, I can throw out my Biosilk, Bumble and Bumble tonic & prep sprays and the million and one shampoos and conditioners in my shower, except for maybe a lighter conditioner, for when my hair's not so damaged. So far, I love this stuff. Check it OUT!

Mascara Gods

I have been begging the Mascara Gods for a new favorite/bomb.com mascara...and I have finally found one!!! Don't get it twisted, I still love my Diorshow Iconic, Make Up Forever Smoky Lash and Covergirl Super Thick Lash, and I definitely rotate in the YSL and Rimmel Lash Accelerator, but I have found one that is totally different from every single other mascara I have ever tried. (No, really.)

I was rummaging through my make up at my parents' house, which is pretty much just a mish mash of random products that I either don't use anymore, or only use part of the year, (i.e. darker foundations from summer), or that were absolute misses, or testers, and found a teeny tester of a Clinique mascara. My aunt always gets me a little something from Clinique when she's here, and always manages to get like a free gift set with whatever she buys and gives me that as well. I guess this came in one of the gift sets, and thus, as a tester, it was relegated to one of the junk drawers at home. Well, I was so bored with all my mascaras and so I decided to try this one out, it's the Clinique High Impact Mascara, which is supposed to be a volumizing mascara. I'm not sure if it's also intended to be lengthening or defining, but all of the above happens for me when I use it. This, with two coats, makes my end lashes wing out like none other, separates and defines and makes my lashes look super long.

I was walking through CVS picking up body wash or something, and one of the make up artists from Beauty 360, the higher end beauty store connected to CVS, was walking through the store as well and she stopped me to ask if I wanted to try a new concealer. Well, no, I didn't, but she stopped me mid-sentence to ask me what I was wearing on my eyes... Only the High Impact mascara. She was shocked, "you're not wearing fake eyelashes?" Then she inspected my eyes, looking for the tell tale sheen from eye lash glue or the band along my lash line. None to be found. (Duh, I've only worn falsies maybe twice in my whole life.) I told her what I was wearing and she was quite impressed and said she'd definitely be checking it out. "I can't believe how long your eye lashes are, hella long!" Thank you, random make up artist. Definitely the response I am looking for with my mascara, I love crazy long lashes and getting that from a tube is wonderful. She even asked me if I used Latisse or some other prescription crazy lash serum. (No, definitely do not.)

My only issue with this mascara is that it dries, and isn't necessarily stiff or crunchy, and certainly doesn't flake, but it does feel more "set" than any other mascara I've used. It feels kind of like a waterproof mascara does when it's fully dry, definitely stiffer than plain mascara but not always gross. This one is the opposite of the Diorshow Iconic, which keeps your lashes really soft, thank you silicone based formula, while you're wearing it. However, the Clinique holds a curl better than any other mascara ever. I don't even actually curl my lashes anymore because this mascara does it all for you, and your lashes stay curled all day long. It's also really easy to get off at night. It comes right off in just warm water with a little face wash, no rubbing, pulling, tugging or make up remover necessary.

I'm totally stoked. New mascara that literally makes me look wide awake, doll eyed and fake lash adorned in two coats. Love it. My lashes look insane when I wear it. I don't need fake lashes because my lashes already look dope with this stuff. It's dramatic enough that it can be the only thing you put on your eyes, and get compliments galore, but it's also wearable for every day. Definitely repurchasing this one when mine runs out. (I bought a full size after I realized how great it was. Still have the tester, probably taking that with me on the plane to Milwaukee in a week and a half.) Seriously, go check this stuff out, it's incredible.

beauty wanderings

This is going to be sort of a ramble. I'm in bed sick and have been thinking quite a bit. First of all, I was told that I looked great last night, even though I've been in bed for days in and out of sleep. I've never been told that I looked great while sick before. It occurred to me that the only thing I've been really paying attention to is my skin. I'm convinced that even if you're deathly ill, if your skin looks decent, so do you. Healthy looking skin really keeps you looking better than almost anything else. I think if nothing else, having clean skin, nails and hair will make you look better even if you feel like crap. That being said, I'm definitely on another skin care kick. I've rotated out my Clinique Moisture Surge and am trying the Ole Henricksen Sheer Transformation creme. So far, so good, it's supposed to help deal with hyperpigmentation and the like, and while I can't say if it's done that, I've only been using it a few days, I do like the moisturizer. It's lightweight and soft and leaves my skin feeling hydrated and smooth. I've even started using it on my neck and chest instead of my Benefit Firmology.

Second, I'm currently obsessed with OPI's Ski Teal We Drop. I love it on long nails, short nails, it's a freaking fantastic color. Not too blue and not too green. It's a perfect cream, and it's glossy and rich. You can definitely get away with only one coat, but I prefer two. While we're on the subject of nail polish, I want to talk about top coats. Seche Vite has had everyone's hearts for quite some time, but I have to say I have a bone to pick with it. Yes, Seche Vite dries super fast and makes your nails glossy and hard to chip. But, it also makes your nails prone to peel. Yes, peel. I've noticed that because it seems to have a thicker consistency than most top coats, it can cause your polish to actually peel off in chunks rather than chip. I'm not a fan of my nail polish peeling off. Other than that, it is a decent top coat, but that's a pretty hard to look past when it's supposed to make your nails last longer. Hmm. So at the moment I'm favoring OPI's top coat, just plain old top coat. It works fine for me. I don't expect manicures to last too long on me, since I'm always picking at something or other. That being said, one coat of OPI's base coat, two coats of Ski Teal We Drop and one coat of top coat works wonders for my nails.

I've been using a new shampoo and conditioner lately, the Pantene Pro V Beautiful Lengths frizz control. I like it quite a bit, it keeps my hair manageable and works well with my Bumble & Bumble tonic/prep sprays and my Biosilk serum. The line also has a leave in conditioner that I'm liking, especially since I've been back in the water over the last couple of weeks teaching. The pool kills my hair like nothing else, it's terrible. I'm always looking for a great leave-in conditioner, so if anyone knows of one, hit me uppp!!!

I have a minor obsession with Victoria's Secret body lotion in Love Spell. I'm not entirely sure why, it's one of those scents that easily err on the side of 'baby prostitute' but can also be quite lovely. I definitely bought three tubes of it the other day. I've been seriously into lotions for the body and hands recently, the pool not only kills my hair but my skin, as well. I've been loving using Neosporin cream with Burt's Bees Cuticle Butter with either Neutrogena Swiss Hand cream or Burt's Bees Shea Butter Hand cream. The Burt's Bees hand cream has quite a strong smell, very herbal, and while it does make my hands very soft, can also easily feel quite greasy. I use this combination at night only, so my hands can really soak up the moisture and have time to repair without being interrupted by the day time tasks of dishes, washing hands etc. Anyway, that's my ramble for today, while I'm sick in bed. I haven't been using much make up, duh, and so I haven't really got anything new and exciting for you all. Off I go to rest in bed with The Tudors on dvd.