The gifts you shoulda’ gotten (under $40)

/ BethonBeauty / 1 Comment

It’s been too long…I realized the other day how much I miss posting – so I am back at it. Right in time for New Years Eve and the post-Christmas sales, I’ve pulled together a list of the stocking stuffer you shoulda’ gotten. If you’re anything like me, there are still a couple of things on your wish list – let the below round it out!

Under $15

  • The bomb LIP BALM (say that cheesey-ness 3x fast) – Korres Lip Butter($12 @ Sephora, link below)
    • This is the BEST winter lip balm. Yes, that’s right…I’ve declared this the best lip balm to use when your pout is in dire need of moisture. The best times to use: before bed and before or after you hit the slopes or find yourself out in the cold for a long period of time. I should caveat that this is a thicker balm, and the flavor I like the most (GUAVA) goes on a bit white…BUT, it rubs in well and it leaves your lips feeling moisturized for hours. The pot lasts awhile – smells great, feels great (think, silky smooth lips – the texture is really luxurious, that’s the best word to describe it!), and Paraben free
    • Sephora link: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P199109&categoryId=B70
  • Room refresher – as much as I love candles, sometimes I need something more constant to freshen my hallways. That’s why I swear by, Bath & Body Works Wallflowers (link below). The plug-in unit is $6.50 and there are a ton of different scents. Another good thing is, the Wallflower refills go on sale often. Some of the Holiday scents are currently on sale for $3 each. My fave is ‘Twisted Peppermint’ it is a light, sweet smell, and it’s not too Holiday-ish so you could use it any time. I find that one Wallflower scent bulb lasts around 3 weeks – the good thing – scent isn’t too overpowering, but it really freshens up a good-sized area

Under $25

  • Girls-night in – BRIDESMAIDS on DVD. I didn’t get this in my stocking because I bought it the day it was released. BUT, for those of you who haven’t seen it – (wtf?!) or for those of you who have only seen it once – (really?!) You need to get it on DVD – this is the type of movie you need to watch multiple times…it gets funnier, believe me. It is on Amazon.com for <$20…so, go get it! The beauty is – can be watched alone or with friends and still just as funny

  • Brush up your concealer routine – despite all the make up I own, it has taken me this long to invest in a Concealer Brush. A concealer brush is smaller than a foundation brush and is a great way to apply concealer to under eyes and/or blemishes. The main reasons to invest in a concealer brush: 1. better coverage – concealer will go on smooth and spread easily, it also helps avoid caking which can sometimes happen with finger application 2. it helps you use less concealer – therefore, saving you in the long run! So, invest in a concealer brush – it’ll make life easier

Under $40

  • Cozy and cute gear – or shall I say, cozy and sexy…those words rarely work together – but this sweatshirt by Make + Model (found at Nordstrom) is the perfect merger of a cozy soft sweatshirt with a touch of cute sexy. The slightly off the shoulder style shows a bit of skin (without being too 80s). The fabric is teddy bear soft…I find myself lounging on the couch in this number – or throwing on a pair of black leggings and wearing it to run errands. My color of choice is ROSE TEA…because it adds a bit more girly-ness – check it out:

your day/week-after Halloween mask

/ BethonBeauty / Leave a comment

This was a pamper-me weekend…but, not everything I did was healthy (aka good for the body) – such as the record consumption of Reese’s peanut butter cups. Ever tried putting them in the freezer for a couple of hours? Well, if not – try it…it makes the experience that much more delicious.

Besides consuming large amounts of sugar and reading bridal magazines (eeek!) – I also applied an enzyme mask to my face. I originally tried this following Halloween weekend after I fell sleep in full face make up (i.e. pink cat nose, black whiskers, pink glittery eyes and extra cover up all around)…I woke up looking like The Walking Dead. I knew I needed to do something for my skin…so for the first time I tried – Mario Badescu’s Enzyme Revitalizing Mask

 

not as scary as when I woke up with yesterday's Halloween face on!

I picked up a tub at Ulta for $20. After the first application it was clear, this tub is going to last me awhile because a little goes along way. Why did I pick this up? Well…I read the main benefits and I was sold:

  • Hydrate And Revitalize Skin. This product is a moisture intensive Alpha Hydroxy mask ideal for dull, dry or mature skin. Papaya and Grapefruit Extracts are the natural exfoliants blended with antioxidant Vitamin A and E oils giving the skin a refreshed, glowing appearance

I read some great reviews on this product and I found that – after letting it sit for ~20 minutes and rinsing with warm water and a clean face towel, my skin felt clean and soft. It didn’t feel dried out or greasy. I used it a couple of times during the week including this weekend – so far, my skin is thanking me. I’ve tried masks that are either too drying or too moisturizing and I break out…but so far, this is a keeper.

Over the summer I wrote a post on Mario Badescu…this is one of my favorite product lines and I continue to discover new products Mario offers. Link to original post below

If you fell asleep in your Halloween make up – or if you consumed large amounts of peanut butter cups on the couch and then fell asleep – try this mask, it’s a little pick-me-up for the complexion!

Original Mario Badescu post: http://wp.me/p1kq6s-8i

 


Long week = long bath

/ BethonBeauty / Leave a comment

It was a long work week…actually, a long work month. All I wanted to do this weekend was stay indoors, eat left over Halloween candy and watch movies (cue: Can’t Hardly Wait).

One thing I realized this weekend is…if there is one thing I want when I grown up 😉 it’s a big bathroom…with a big tub with a nice big flatscreen TV mounted in front of it. I don’t need a big house or a 3 car garage…I just want a nice bathroom so that after a long work week I can escape in there, take a bubble bath, and watch re-runs of ‘old 90s’ movies.

Right now, I don’t have such a spa-like retreat in my house…but this weekend, I made do. One thing that helped make my bathroom more spa-like = Dr. Teal’s Lavendar Vapor Bath

Nick randomly bought a bottle at Wal-Mart a few months back and I gave it try. For ~$5 this is one of the best bath products I’ve ever used. It is more than just a bubble bath because it is formulated with lavendar essential oil. A half cup or so creates a foamy, bubbly bath…and the lavender scent is just strong enough to remind you to relax and soak it all in. I find that it helps soften the water and I can sit in the bath even longer. And because it’s only $5 a bottle – I don’t feel bad pouring in a little extra. The Dr. Teal’s leaves my skin feeling soft and it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin (phhhew).

I’ve seen Dr. Teal’s at Wal-Mart and Ulta – and it is sold online through Amazon so it’s easy to find!

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post on the benefits of lavendar (link below!) this is another product that capitalizes on the calming/soothing properties of lavendar. So, if you’ve had a long work week…or month…and need a little time to yourself – pour some of this into a bath and relax. And until you have a flatscreen TV mounted over your tub – grab a gossip magazine and don’t worry about getting the pages a little soggy.

bareMinerals – hits the test kitchen!

/ BethonBeauty / Leave a comment

I have been meaning to post some follow up on bareMinerals by Bare Escentuals. I wanted to review the foundation and concealer (I know they have other products, but I wanted to start with the flag ship ones first!). This post is focused on the foundation and concealer because my goal was to figure out if the coverage is as good and as long lasting as their liquid counterparts and generally, how my skin would react to mineral make-up. Well…

It has been well over a month since I adopted bareMinerals foundation and concealer into my make up routine and frankly, I’m pretty impressed.

As mentioned in my original post (link below) – I bought the Bare Escentuals – bareMinerals ‘get started kit’ at Macy’s for $60. I got the ‘light’ kit. My skin is fair, I get tan in the summer, but if I don’t wear enough sunscreen, I burn. The light kit comes with a medium tone which is great for the summer months or when I have a ‘fake’ tan.

The starter kit comes with:
· 2 foundations (with SPF 15 in the formula), light kit includes ‘light’ colored foundation and ‘golden medium’ foundation
· 1 ‘all over face color’ in warmth, this is a bronzer
· 1 mineral veil, which is the powder applied at the very end to set the make up
· 1 brush for applying the foundation
· 1 longer brush for applying the bronzer
· 1 smaller concealer brush
· Lastly, my starter kit included a tube of brush cleaner (it depends on the starter kit if this is included)

What I like about this kit – it includes almost everything you need to use bareMinerals. In addition to the kit, I purchased the Multi-task Concealer SPF 20 in Bisque. This cost an extra $18. I wanted this concealer for extra coverage of pimples, blemishes etc. In total I spent $78. This is a good deal, for me – because it includes the brushes – and something like the bronzer is going to last you a pretty long time. I typically spend this amount JUST on liquid foundation and concealer (brushes/bronzer not included).

Quite a few of my friends have used this make up. One thing I really like about it is, it can be used on any type of skin, including more mature skin. Liquid foundations and concealers have a tendency to settle in fine lines/wrinkles…hence why they say as we age, the lighter the better when it comes to make up.

Below I ranked my experience with the Foundation, Bronzer, and Concealer:
+ = positive
-/+ = neutral
– = negative

Foundation

  • + I was surprised with the coverage. I always thought powder based make up wouldn’t have good coverage and therefore wouldn’t help even out my skin tone – but, BM does a great job
  • + I was surprised with how long it lasts! It does last just as long as my liquid foundation – like anything else, after a day of work, it needs a touch up
  • + It wasn’t too matte, nor did it make my face look shiny. The coverage was smooth and side note, it photographed well! No Casper face or super shiny face which I’ve battled with a number of liquid foundations
  • + I have sensitive skin on my face – and I have heard that BM can irritate sensitive skin.I did notice the eczema on my face flared up a bit when I first started using it – but I think that was from a new facial moisturizer I was trying. Either way, my skin is back to normal now and BM isn’t irritating it
  • -/+ I can’t say it feels ‘lighter’ on my skin than typical liquid, but I certainly can’t feel it. Nor do I find that it rubs off on my clothing once it is on (although, I’m sure, like anything else, if I rubbed my face against my collar, some of it would come off)
  • -/+ The brushes are nice, they do the trick – but I don’t think the bristles are the smoothest I’ve tried! You might want to upgrade to a nicer brush – although, I still use the original ones because I’m not ready to spend any more money!
  • -/+ They claim this make up is so pure you could sleep in it. I haven’t noticed any drastic changes in my skin – no fewer break outs, but thankfully, not a greater amount of break outs either
  • – The only thing that bums me out about this is – the powder is messy! I use to be able to apply some foundation/concealer in the car with little mess. But, because the powder is loose, it tends to spill here and there. My vanity has never been so messy! But it cleans up easily

Bronzer

Concealer

  • + Again, surprisingly, it covers well. I didn’t think it could cover the crazy red pimples I sometimes get on my face, but it does
  • + The mini concealer brush is the perfect size for covering blemishes. The bristles feel a lot smoother as well
  • – I thought I could use it under my eyes – but I found it get more powdery looking over time…it might be because of my eye cream. Either way, I didn’t like how it looked under my eyes so instead of using the BM concealer there – I use the Corrector by Bobbi Brown in light bisque and everything blends well (and I get the under eye coverage I NEED)

  • Bobbi Brown Corrector

End game – the foundation and concealer are great products. I wasn’t in love with the bronzer in the starter kit and happened to find a different mineral bronzer that’s awesome. And, I still need to rely on my trusty Bobbi Brown to smoothly cover my under eye circles…BUT, I will continue to use the foundation and concealer because I like the coverage and appearance!

Have you tried bareMinerals? What do YOU think? PLEASE SHARE

  • Original post: http://wp.me/p1kq6s-aR


 


The Nail polish index…

/ BethonBeauty / Leave a comment

Essie Fall 2011 Nail Polish Colors - go get em'

I came across this article in Time Magazine a couple weeks ago – it helped explain why we might gravitate towards that ‘little’ lip gloss purchase, or new bottle of nail polish even when money is tight. I like to spin these purchases as simple pleasures…those, “why not? it’s only $10!’ investments.

Well, this article sheds light on this habit and how it’s a trend of our times…

The premise of the article and The Lipstick Index itself: “When the economy is weak, most consumers cut back on nonessentials and instead spend their money on the little luxuries–for example, lipstick.”
Why?
  • Because: “Makeup is a cheap thrill for penny-pinched shoppers.” it’s a lot easier to justify than a pair of $150 jeans!

Proof:

  • “During the 2001 recession, lipstick sales soared even as the overall economy declined.”
  • The term “Lipstick Index” was coined around this time by Estée Lauder chairman emeritus Leonard Lauder
What does this mean for us now, in 2011? And what does this have to do with nail polish?
  • Well, according to Time: “Lipstick sales are up 14% this year. And nail polish, which more recently has become a bellwether of economic turbulence, has risen an even more disturbing 54%. “Nail polish has become the heir to lipstick in this recession,” says Lauder. “I picked up this signal from my granddaughters. All of a sudden, there was all this nail enamel in crazy colors.”
Proof:
  • Estée Lauder just recorded its best North American sales in a decade. 
Interesting…I guess!
So, buy on my friends…the article said it best “we may be headed into a double dip, but we’ll go there looking fabulous.”