L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara

It has been far too long since I've updated, and that only means one thing; that no products have blown my mind lately! It is depressing when nothing lives up to its own hype - luckily, L'Oreal has saved the day.
When Gwen Stefani speaks, I listen. Seeing her on the L'Oreal commercials immediately caught my attention, but then you just have to wonder, does she really stand behind this product (or is she just taking it to the bank?)?
I'm happy to say that not only has L'Oreal chosen the most rocking spokeswoman for their products, but they have also created a truly great product!

 I am PICKY about my mascara. It must be truly black. It must stay on all day without smudging or flaking, but I will not wear waterproof. It must lengthen and add volume, but not clump. This mascara delivers on every one of my eyelash requirements! The brush is narrow and has a few areas of longer bristles. I don't get why it's like this, all I know is that I love how it works!
I curl my lashes and add a couple of coats, and voila! My eyes look more open, and the lashes actually appear a bit longer. I wasn't blessed with long or thick eyelashes, by any means, but I really love that this mascara actually does what it says, and at only $8.99, it kicks Dior's mascara's ass. Can you even believe I said that? I'm sure I'll be somehow punished forever by the fashion gods, but I've always said that I'm a truthful girl.
Try this stuff out and see if you feel the same way - I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Mason Pearson Hairbrush

In the effort of growing out my hair, I am forever buying new sprays, creams, conditioners, stupid expensive shampoo and conditioners... whatever I can do to keep my hair in good shape.
The thing I dislike most when people grow out their hair, is when it starts to look trashy. Long hair = more effort. End of story.

So in the pursuit of nice looking long hair, I embarked on the search for a good hairbrush. Nothing that I could buy at Target, but something that would be an investment. Something that would be forever my go-to hairbrush. The Mason Pearson name is synonymous with quality and after countless Internet searches, it was decided that Mason Pearson would be my new best friend.

We trekked on over to Barney's as this was the only place in town that carried the brushes. I wanted to actually hold the brush and have the instant gratification of buying it, rather than ordering online.

I chose the Handy Mix Bristle (BN3) brush by Mason Pearson. The brush just feels good on your scalp. It is specially weighted so it feels good when you hold it. I've had conversations with this brush. This brush takes care of me. It may sound ridiculous, but if so, then that's probably because you've never had a brush this wonderful. At $108, this brush wasn't cheap, but I can say it was worth EVERY penny. It distributes the oil from my scalp down the shaft of my hair, which helps to keep my hair from drying out. My hair is shinier and smoother, and it is in control.
On days when I'm wearing my hair down, I carry the brush in my bag for mid-day touch ups. Every time I unzip my bag, a little smile comes onto my face when I see my friend. My Mason Pearson brush. It even comes with its own little brush to clean it. Ridiculous!

Here is the description of the brush:

The Handy Bristle & Nylon brush is best suited for normal to thick hair of short to medium-long length.  It has 6 rings of tufts of carefully selected pure boar bristle, each of which contains a longer "spired" nylon strand. The durable nylon strands, with specially rounded ends, are longer than the boar bristles and penetrate through the hair to massage and stimulate the scalp, bringing out the natural oils. The tufts are set in a pneumatic rubber cushion that regulates the penetration of each tuft to gently, but effectively, condition the hair and scalp.  Overall size is 8 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches.  To keep your brush in tip-top shape a cleaning brush is included, as well as complete use and care instructions

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

Being from the Midwest, I'm naturally pasty in color, and have an aversion to all things sun-related. This doesn't exactly mesh with our city of residence, Phoenix, Arizona.
I've tried my fair share of self-tanners, and after several streaky outcomes, orange palms, and weird splotchy fading, I decided that I'd forever be stuck wearing jeans, even during the hottest summer months. I didn't want to offend or scare people with my white legs!
There is no way that I'd ever succumb to wearing pantyhose, just so that I'd be able to wear my shorts, or a dress. NO WAY.
So what's a girl to do?

Duh! Cover those legs with makeup! Creepy? Less so than you think!

I purchased a can of Sally Hansen Airbrush legs and went to work! After shaking the can, and spraying into my hand, I rubbed the brown liquid between both hands, and rubbed onto my legs.  It covers nicely, without streaking, and allows enough time before drying so that you can make sure it's even.
After about 30 seconds, it is completely dry AND waterproof! This was the best part! No worries about it rubbing off on clothes, or dripping off if you sweat - and this is serious! The next day in the shower while shaving my legs, I can see it coming off, so it seriously lasted that long!

The ad mentions that it covers freckles and veins, but I don't see that happening without using a lot of the spray, and possibly looking like you have plastic Barbie legs. And while some of the ladies in town might be into that, I am not.

I first tried the medium color, hoping to make myself look more tan, but it was definitely too orange. I switched to the "light glow" color and it is perfect.

At around $12, I think this is definitely worth the price, seeing as how now, my summer will be spent in cute shorts and dresses instead of sweating it out in jeans.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Fusion Beauty IllumiCover Line Smoothing Luminous Concealer

Concealing is a big deal for me. Whether I stayed out too late playing a show and have dark circles, or happen to get an annoying pimple, I want to be able to hide it all.
This concealer was recommended to me by a good friend, so I happily picked up a (sort of pricey) tube.
At $36, this stuff isn't cheap, but please don't let the price stop you! The shiny silver tube has a click-bottom, which you use to bring the product up into the brush. I dab it on underneath my eyes, or on and around the pimple, then gently rub in with my fingertips. 

The great thing about this concealer is that it doesn't just cover up, but it reflects light, and sort of just makes everything disappear. You know when you have a dream, and someones face is just blurry? Like, you can see it, and you know it's a face, but you can't make out the details? Well, that's what this does to your under eye circles and your pimples. It just sort of blends everything in, and makes you look wide-awake. It doesn't specifically say that it's for covering pimples, but it works, so I have no issue using it just for that.


Here's the description from the website:


Optical diffusers add radiance for a wide-awake, luminous finish. Hydro-gel technology fills, rebuild skin's extra cellular matrix to smooth and plump wrinkles around the eyes. Five advanced Peptides improve structural support to improve skin firmness and elasticity. Buildable coverage.


Get your own!

Goody Spin Pin!

There is a fine line between the "undone bun" and the "I didn't wake up in enough time to do anything with my hair" mess. The Spin Pin looked interesting enough to take a chance, so I went and picked up a pack yesterday.

Now, the commercial shows the girl with fabulous hair using only one Spin Pin, so I was surprised to see two pins in the pack. Well, maybe they include two in case you lose one? Nope, the directions specify to use two Spin Pins. This was slightly disappointing to me, as the commercial clearly only shows the girl with fabulous hair using one.
Lets see what these things can do.

Each pin is a little spiral, that looks like two giant bobby pins wound around each other. They also come in a lighter color for blonds, or darker for brunette.
The directions state that no pony tail holder is needed, so I gave it a try. They caution not to get the pins intertwined with each other while in your hair, so then that's all I could think about while putting them in! Will they have to cut my hair out if I get them intertwined?! What actually happens if...?

Oh get on with it! It's just hair!

I twisted my hair into a bun at the nape of my neck, and started twisting one pin in from the bottom right, and up across to the top left. The pin guides itself in, and as I let go, I expect my hair to fall out of the bun, but it doesn't! Interesting!
I twist the other one in opposite of the first, and my bun is solid!

We went out to dinner, my bun got knocked when John put his arm on my shoulders, went home, even lounged on the couch, and my bun was still secure. I've even tried working out with it, and it stayed in place. The other plus with the Spin Pin is that when you remove it, you have bouncy, wavy hair, unlike the dented hair you get when you remove a traditional bun held in place with ponytail holders and bobby pins.

I definitely give this product the thumbs up! Here's to fabulous and EASY summer hair!

Tokyo Milk Dark

I am a true fan of the morbid, curiosity shops (my favorite still being a tiny shop in London that my friend Lucie took us to), black, dark, guns, dead people... basically if anything is weird or disgusting, I want to be a part of it.

Picture from blog.homewerx.ca

During a weekend scour of vintage shops on 7th Avenue, I stumbled across this new Dark line from Tokyo Milk.

Sirens and Saints is the only store carrying this currently, and I couldn't stop myself from making a purchase. I previously posted about the Dead Sexy bubble bath and travel candle that I bought from the Tokyo Milk line, but this new Dark line takes it to a whole new level!
With scent names like "La Vie La Mort", "Bulletproof", "Tainted Love" and "Arsenic", it seems that these are right up every creepy girl's alley! And let me tell you, I am one creepy girl that loves to smell good!
The matte black bottles of perfume are emblazoned with white images such as skeleton keys, guns and delicate bugs.
I chose a Shea butter hand cream in scent number 62, Tainted Love. It comes in a draw string black canvas bag with the same logos screen printed on it. The fragrance notes for Tainted Love are dark vanilla bean, orchid, white tea and sandalwood. The lotion is creamy and smooth, but not too greasy. It melts into my hands pretty quickly, and my hands are left behind with a delicious, flowery but dangerous scent.
I can imagine that this would be the perfume and hand cream of Morticia Addams (the original, NOT Angelica Houston!)

Beautiful, right?
After payday, I'll be heading back to get some perfume, and start my collection. I also noticed that the line also has lip elixirs, so it looks like I'll be heading to the Tokyo Milk website soon to get mine! With flavors like salted caramel, clove cigarette and sexy noir, I am just going to reaffirm my lip gloss obsession.

See you on the dark side, lovelies.

Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment

I am a hoarder of all things lip gloss/stick related. Any time I am in a department store, or Sephora, I'm perusing the tubes of lipstick, eyeing the glosses, and imagining that the PERFECT one is just hiding somewhere. Check my handbag and you'll find too many lipsticks for one person to constantly carry around. Check my makeup shelf at home, and you'll think I robbed a store! There are TOO many different textures, packaging, flavors, colors.... I just can't pass them up.

This lip "treatment" as it's called (and though I agree, it's somewhere between a gloss and a stick) is amazingly attractive just to look at and to touch. The matte metallic case that screws closed (great for traveling!) is cold to the touch. When you unscrew the lid, a bright red chubby little stick is ready to save your lips! The smell is a mix between roses and cherries (I can't quite decide which one), and leaves a hint of pinkish-red color. It is not too sticky, and not at all shiny, but really does wonders for your lips. Mine were dry and peeling, and within a couple days of use, they were hydrated and soft again! The added bonus of this is that it has SPF15!

Here is the description from Sephora's website:
Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 is everything you love about the original Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, but now you get the added benefit of a natural rosé tint that provides buildable color. With one slick, this stick provides immediate hydration and smoothness—instantly soothing cracked or chapped lips and diminishing the appearance of fine lines. It provides SPF 15 UVA/UVB protection to shield your lips from the damaging effects of the sun and delivers a hint of tint for a natural, universally-flattering look. It's packed in a travel-friendly, screw-top tube.


At about $22, this stuff isn't cheap, but I can feel a difference, and love everything that this treatment does for me.
Get yours here!

M.A.C. Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation

I have long been on the prowl for the perfect pressed powder. My skin is oily, I have large pores... blah, blah, blah. As I'm getting older, I really am starting to notice that my skin is changing, and aside from making me want to set up a microderm appointment, it is even more motivation to find great makeup.
I want coverage, but not cake. I want smooth, but not a mannequin face. I've tried every pressed powder out there, from Cover Girl to Chanel, with nothing really giving me hope.
Then it dawned on me; M.A.C. has amazing eye shadows, glorious glosses, and highly pigmented liners. Why not give the pressed powder a try? When I walk by the M.A.C. store, I see the ladies working in there with their perfect faces, their smoky eyes, arches brows, sculpted cheeks and diamond-shiny lips... they look... perfect. Is it just how they're made? Is it just the makeup? Is it a combination of both?

Well, I want it. I want to look like I could be going somewhere fabulous, all the time. Even when I'm just going to Safeway!
I explained my list of wishes to my M.A.C. consultant and she quickly responds, "What you want is Studio Fix. It's like a foundation, like a powder, coverage, perfect."




M.A.C. Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation


The compact is heavy duty. It's matte black and fat. Delicious. The sponge is in a separate flip-up compartment underneath the pressed powder and the mirror. I like when they keep it separate - it helps the oil from the sponge not to sit on your powder, and make it messy.

And the coverage; amazing. I haven't tried it on its own, but only over my foundation so far. It really smooths and evens things out, and hides my pores and shine! I can reapply during the day without it getting thick, and it even helps to cover darkness under my eyes. At a price of $26.50, I would say it is definitely worth the cost. The amount of powder in the compact is above average, and with the coverage it provides, you don't have to reapply as often as more sheer powders.

See my picture below, about an hour after applying the pressed powder. And please forgive the dressing room photo... it had great light in there!

I think I have found the champion. For now.

Get it!

Onward and upward, ladies!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

Ladies, ladies, ladies... chipped and messy manicures are so 5th grade. But who has the time to sit around, blowing on your hands in order to keep your freshly painted fingers perfect? No one! I'm not one to get regular manicures, so my "tool kit" at home is filled with all the latest and greatest colors, base coats, topcoats, manicure sticks, files, etc. Even thinking about the entire process of taking off polish, trimming and filing nails, doing a base coat, painting however many coats it takes, doing a topcoat, and waiting for it all to dry just EXHAUSTS me.

This little red bottle of wonderful magical goo is the answer!
Do all the manicure steps, to the extent that you normally do. Wait two minutes, then apply this topcoat over wet-ish polish. In 30 seconds, your nails are truly dry to the touch.
Like, dry to the point where I could go pee, AND unzip my jeans myself, without messing up my nails! It is actually sort of amazing, and makes the whole home-manicure process so much easier! The topcoat is very shiny, and helps the polish not to chip. I am currently wearing Chanel Black Satin on my fingers (you know how I love Chanel, but think it's absolute crap when it comes to staying power!), and have had this color on since Saturday (it's now Thursday) with no touch ups in the mean time!

My nails do not still look as perfect as day one of course, but I guarantee that without the use of the Insta-Dri topcoat, they would've been chipped by Sunday. Right now, I have no chips, just some growth at the cuticle, and they could use a little more shine.
At around $7 at the drugstore, this is TOTALLY worth it to use every time you paint your fingers or toes. It will extend the life of any polish you choose to wear and will help to keep your manicure looking better, longer!


From the Sally Hansen website:
Dries ANY Nail Color in 30 Seconds!
Keeps manicures beautiful up to 10 days!
Exclusive Acrylic Polymer Complex helps get you out of the door in a flash - just 30 seconds to set!
High gloss superior shine.
Double UV filters shield manicure from fading and discoloring.
Helps resist chipping.
Salon Tested - Dermatologist Tested.
Special Ingredients:
Exclusive Acrylic Polymer Complex, Complex UV Filters for brilliant shine and protection.

Keep being lovely!

The New Year is here!

Embarking on a new year, we are inspired to make changes, be healthier, be nicer, be stronger... ah, who am I kidding? I just want to eat delicious food and spend money on makeup!
We've had the discussion before about my puny eyelashes, false lashes, and mascaras that work and don't work. When I saw the commercial for Rimmel's new mascara called "Lash Accelerator", I was pretty excited to try it.

The ad says: Lash Accelerator Mascara is our first mascara that actually helps to promote the natural growth of beautifully long, remarkably strong lashes. Instantly, your lashes look up to 80% longer, but then after 30 days of continued use, they’ll appear up to 117% longer! Our exclusive GROW-LASH complex, features Procapil® which works to strengthen lashes' roots and also contains natural lash enhancing ingredients such as, biotin, keratin, and bamboo extract which help to reinforce, restore and moisturize your lashes.


I've done some research on products that help your lashes grow, such as Latisse. At over $100/tube, and word from my eye doctor that it only works as long as you're actually using it, it's hard to believe that a $7 tube of mascara could do the same thing! I definitely had to try it.
The brush is short, and on the smaller side, and easily picked up a lot of mascara on it when getting ready to apply. After applying, I really wasn't impressed with the results. I didn't see the "80% longer" look that was claimed in the ads. I went on with my day, hoping that by the time I got home, I'd somehow have fluttery long eyelashes that would make everyone jealous! I didn't!
Instead, the mascara smudged and was below my eyes - this is something I HATE. 
But what to do with this brand new tube of mascara? Rather than waste it, I tried applying it on top of my current mascara (Maybelline Falsies), and actually got GREAT results. My lashes were fanned out, looked longer, black and yummy... and no smudging all day. I wouldn't buy the Lash Accelerator again, just because it's not worth it to me since I will really only use it as a top coat mascara. Being that Rimmel is from London, I really want to get great results from their products (love you GB!), but just haven't found one that delivers yet. More searching to be done!


Hope you all have a great 3-day weekend, and get to try something new! Please feel free to send me an email if there are any products you'd like me to review - I'll do my best to get to them all!


Now, off to work out, and get a pizza. What a perfect combination. <3