They Did It Again!

Anyone who frequently reads beauty blogs knows that Urban Decay's Primer Potion is a highly coveted product among those in the know. Primer Potion is the ultimate eyeshadow primer, an "ultra sheer, totally nude eye base" that provides for a longer lasting, smoother shadow application. I first read about Primer Potion on the Beauty Addict's blog, and I have been using it ever since! As I've stated before, I have pretty oily skin - even my eyelids get oily! So, it used to be impossible for me to wear eyeshadow without it creasing and then completely disappearing within a few hours of application. Ughh. But now with Primer Potion, my eye makeup does not budge until I wash my face. You can even fall asleep with your eye makeup on and wake up the next morning and it still looks flawless (with the exception of the mascara!).

Now, Urban Decay has done it again with their new Eyeshadow Transforming Potion. This nifty little product contains a double-ended wand - one side has a thin, fine, liquid liner style brush while the other side has a wider, thicker brush, similar in size to the brushes you'd find in a watercolor paint set. Each brush is housed in its own vial of Eyeshadow Tansforming Potion. The potion transforms any loose or compressed eyeshadow into liquid liner or liquid shadow, depending on which brush is used.

Like the Primer Potion, the Eyeshadow Transforming Potion has remarkable staying power. The fine-line brush is excellent for creating a liquid liner look without the hassle of an actual liquid liner. The Eyeshadow Transforming Potion is also great for long events (weddings, parties, travel, all day shopping excursions!) when you need to look your best!

$17 at Sephora.com

Lash Injection - Just What the Glam Doctor Ordered

Way back in April I wrote a little post about my love of false eyelashes. In the posting, I included a picture of myself dressed as Rainbow Brite for Halloween. I was, of course, wearing false eyelashes in the picture, and I believe I said that I wished for a mascara that would make it seem as though I were wearing false eyelashes. Well, I think I've found something pretty close! I've always been a huge Benefit BadGal Lash and DiorShow fan. They've been my favorite mascaras for the past few years. Sometimes I stray and try something new, but in the end, I always return to BadGal or DiorShow because nothing else compares to the volume they create in my wimpy, pale lashes. However, in June, beauty.com was having a 20% off (of everything) sale, so I decided I would try a few new things that I'd been eyeing for a while. One of my selections was the Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara. I was hoping this big tube would live up to all the big hype. I was particularly interested to see if the mascara was really, truly smudge proof, since I tend to get "racoon eyes" by mid-day due to the mascara on my bottom lashes rubbing off on my oily skin. Yuck.

The giant brush looks indentical to the brushes found on the BADGal and DiorShow wands, but as I applied my first coat, I could see that the Lash Injection was very different. It creates little "tubes" around your lashes that only come off with a wash cloth and water (and a little eye makeup remover), so it truly is smudge proof, so long as you're not really rubbing your eyes. The volume it provides is great, especially when used with the Shu Uemura eyelash curler!

Lash Injection is great on its own for daily use, but when I really want to go all out, I first apply a regular lengthening mascara (any will do) and then I apply a few coats of Lash Injection, followed with the Shu Uemura curler, a lash comb to get rid of any clumps (since the mascara forms those little tubes, it does clump easily, but I don't care...it's worth the extra time!), and one coat of Lancome Fatale on the tips and outer cornets of the lashes. Thick, dramatic lashes without having to worry that your falsies might fall out!

Too Faced Lash Injection is $19.50 for a full-sized tube and $8.50 for a handy mini/travel sized tube (also great for sampling if you're unsure about spending the money for the full sized product!) Available at Sephora.com.

Stains That Don't Need to be Removed

I've never been a huge fan of lipstick. If I use lipstick, I only use the ones that have a sheer formula. For whatever reason, I feel like I have the dreaded "Joker face" when I wear a fully made-up lip. Glosses are great, but they disappear quickly (no matter how "long lasting" they claim to be) and you have to keep reapplying throughout the day. Usually this isn't a problem; however, there are instances when it may not be appropriate to whip out your makeup bag and touch up your gloss. Case in point: I was a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding over the weekend and I needed a lip color to last throughout the ceremony and the looong picture taking process. So, I turned to lip stains! Stains are a great option for when you want a touch of long lasting color without the need to reapply for at least an hour or two. The color provided by lip stains is also fairly buildable, ranging from just a sheer wash of color to a bolder, more dramatic lip depending on how much you apply. The only downfall about lip stains is that they can be a bit on the dry side, but that can be remedied by a swipe of chapstick or clear gloss. Two of my favorites are Stila's Lip Rouge in Beam, a soft but vibrant fuschia (trust me, it sounds scarier than it is!) and Bourjois' Lip Stain Pen in Rose Prefere 1, a discreet light pink. An added bonus is that the pen shape of these lip stains makes it a breeze to precisely line and define lips! Though I'll always love Benetint, the orignal lip (and cheek) stain, these stains are gorgeous and ready for on-the-go use! Both available at Sephora stores for $20 and $15, respectively.

Work It

When I was a pre-teen I used to love, love, love Bath and Body Works. Sun-Ripened Raspberry was my favorite scent, and I had every conceivable product - shower gel, body cream, body splash, all of it. As I got older though, I stopped liking Bath and Body Works. I felt it was unsophistocated and too "common." And after I discovered Sephora, there was no turning back. However, a few weeks ago, I was in a Bath and Body Works looking for Mother's Day gift ideas (my Mom loves the Coconut Lime Verbena scent and any type of pedicure product) and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much the store has changed over the years. They still have many of the same scents they had in the beginning, but they have a much larger array of new, innovative products.

Bath and Body Works now also carries the limited-edition VINYL line of nail polish by Deborah Lippman. I picked up this polish in "This One's On Me," a bright, shiny hot pink that looks very similar to LORAC's Lip Polish in "Amuse," one of my favorite shades e.v.e.r. And, it was only $8.50!

Bath and Body Works also carries a small line of cosmetics that remind me of the FUSION BEAUTY products (only much less expensive and not as preposterous in their claims) I believe the line is called Colorfill, but I could be mistaken. Anywho, I picked up the Extreme Plump Tinted Lip Gloss in Barefoot Pink, a very sheer, beachy, glossy, nude-pink that looks perfect with bronzed skin. As I said, the gloss is similar in scent and sensation to the $38 LipFusion glosses. It doesn't burn like most plumpers, but it does have a tingly, numbing feeling. After repeated use, lips are definitely softer and more lush. As with the Deborah Lippman nail polish, this lip gloss is a steal at only $12.50, and it's also available in clear and a sheer red shade.

Finally, one of my favorite lines carried by the new and improved Bath and Body Works is called True Blue Spa. I admit, this line is sort of a rip-off of the Bliss Spa products because the packaging looks very similar and the names are, like Bliss, quirky and fun. I am a BIG fan of Bliss Spa products, particularly the Lemon and Sage Body Butter. But the True Blue Spa products are more affordable and comparable in quality. They have an interesting new line of summer bronzing products, from gradual self-tanner, shimmering/"tan enhancing" dry oil spray, and SPF 30 sunblock with a healthy dose of bronze shimmer for an instantly improved bikini-body. While I didn't purchase any of these products, I did test them out in store and I think I'll have to go back and check them out again and maybe bring home a few goodies!

I have tried True Blue Spa's foot scrub called Toe the Line, and I really like it. It contains walnut shell powder for extra exfoliation power, tea tree oil to deodorize and disinfect, and peppermint oil and rosemary extract to "refresh and stimulate tired feet." I absolutely love the way this stuff smells, and it works well in conjunction with a good pumice stone to smooth rough, dry feet. It's great to use right before slathering on some Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream for serious softness!

Another fun find was the Liplicious Tasty Lip Color. This gloss is tasty, and it's available in a variety of flavors and colors, from grape soda (a creamy berry shade with a bit of shimmer) to cinnamon red hots (sheer, clear red, also with a bit of shimmer). I picked up "Limeade," a clear, sparky gloss that tastes exactly like a cold sip of limeade. Perfectly refreshing on a hot spring (soon to be summer) day!

(I forgot to mention that Bath and Body Works also carries Dr. Patricia Wexler skincare products, the full line of C.O. Bigelow products, and gorgeous candles from Henri Bendel, too!)

If you need a beauty fix and you don't live near a Sephora or you're a little tight on cash, stop by Bath and Body Works and I promise you won't be disappointed!

Real + Simple = Perfect

Along with beauty products, I have a real obsession with cleanliness and organization. I make my bed every morning and I clean out my purse every night. All of the papers I've ever written for school are all filed away in an accordian folder sorted by class name and the grade level I was in at the time. I have seperate drawers for my "nice" panties and my "everyday" panties. Each time I use my debit card I immediately deduct the amount in my transaction register. The contacts in my Sidekick III are alphabetically arranged and include physical addresses, e-mail addresses, and birthdays. I am constantly making lists and dividing them into categories: shopping, to do - house work, to do - personal, etc. Before I work on a big school project, I will make sure that every last bit of laundry is clean, folded, and put away and that the fridge is sparkling clean with its contents grouped properly on their designated shelves. I don't know why, but these little menial tasks are so soothing and satisfactory to me. Perhaps its because I can actually see my progress, and I feel as though I am accomplishing something, even if I'm just procrastinating or ignoring the fact that I have a eight page term paper that's a week overdue! I dream of the day that I can own a home (or at least some sort of space) with rooms that look like they came from the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog.

All of this to say that one of my favorite magazines is Real Simple, a "lifestyle magazine" that focuses on a chic but simple approach to beauty, fashion, food, fun, family, finances, and more. They also offer tips for organizing and "simplifying" all aspects of daily life, from the clutter on the bathroom vanity to the excess stress that may be weighing you down.

I'm particularly pleased with this month's issue because one of the main articles is about drugstore beauty, a topic that I've blogged about repeatedly. The article features blurbs (from readers) about sixty different budget beauty buys. Some are no-brainers (Q-tips, Vaseline), but there are a few other suggestions that I certainly recommend. Two of my favorites on the list are Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream and SunSilk De-Frizz Conditioner. The former makes feet smooth and pedicure perfect within a few nights of repeated use and the latter really works wonders for curly/wavy hair that can be unmanagable - and I'm all for in-shower styling!

In addition to the the drugstore beauty article, this month's issue also includes an informative sections about eyeliner application, dressy tops, and swimsuits for all figures.

Next time you're at Borders or just the grocery store, check out Real Simple and trust me, you'll be glad you did!


(I couldn't find a pic. of the May cover for this post, but in case you're looking for it in store, it's pink w/ face creams, pearls, and q-tips on the front!)

If It's Good Enough for Oprah...

Awhile back I wrote a lengthy review of some of my favorite drugstore makeup products. As I've stated before, I live in a very non-glamorous area that is majorly lacking in the "shopping" department. Don't get me wrong, I adore my home state and my home town, but oh, how I wish for a local Sephora and/or Nordstrom. Sigh.

Anyway, while running errands and picking up some mundane items like dogfood and papertowels at the lovely Wal-Mart, I strayed into the "health and beauty" aisles, as I always do. Seriously, I cannot leave a Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, CVS, or Target store without purchasing something beauty related, whether it be a few new barettes or some Chapstick. But on this day I was searching for an inexpensive, non-oily body scrub since fake tan season has finally begun. While weighing my options, I noticed some little tubs of shea & cocoa-based body butters by a company called J.R. Watkins Apothecary. The one that immediately jumped out to me was the vanilla scented one. I think that because I grew up in the Bahamas, I have an affinity for any scent that's reminiscent of the islands - specifically vanilla, coconut, and the smell of suntan lotion/oil!

Sadly, the vanilla scented body butter was a bit too heavy for me. I browsed the shelves to see what other scents were offered. There was Lavender, which I DO NOT like. Unless it's the actual lavender flower, I think lavender scented things are a bit skunky smelling. Bleh. There was also a Green Tea/Aloe scented body butter which was nice, but not amazing. Then I saw the little jar labeled "Lemon Creme." I opened the tub, took a sniff, and immediately fell in love. It smells exactly like a lemon flavored sugar wafer. Along with islandy/beachy scented things, I like desserty scented things, too. However, I do think that they can be a bit sickening (and too "tweeny") if not handled properly-but this stuff smells delicious and so summery!

Like most shea and cocoa butters, the texture is thick and rich. I like to put it on after a nice, long bath right before I go to bed so it can really sink in. I wake up feeling soft, supple, and smelling divine (plus it makes my sheets smell good, too!)

I looked up the website just out of curiosity and discovered that this same Lemon Creme body butter was featured in "O" Magazine as one of Oprah's favorite things! Never would I have believed that something that can be purchased at Wal-Mart would be used by the Almighty Oprah!

The best part is that it's only $4.23 for a 4.6 oz. tub! (at least at Wal-Mart...but for some reason it's more expensive online? Weird.) Though it's inexpensive, it certainly isn't cheaply made! So, the next time you're at Wal-Mart, treat yourself to some Lemon Creme Body Butter from J.R. Watkins Apothecary.

Summertime, and the Livin's Easy...

Again, I have to apologize for my lack of posts lately! This semester is finally over, thank goodness, so I should have more free time to dedicate to this little blog before I begin summer classes in July. Sometimes I get discouraged because I don't feel like I have much of a readership and there's no point in writing for an audience that isn't there; however, I am trying to rid myself of those negative feelings so that I can keep up with posting and hopefully increase my popularity. I know how frustrated/impatient I get when I repeatedly check on a blog that hasn't been updated for some time, so sorry to any of you who have been checking the site lately! Within the next few days I should have posts on Sudzz FX Haircare, perfect pedicure products, the Real Simple magazine guide to drugstore beauty, my rediscovery of Bath and Body Works, and one of Oprah's favorite beauty products (it's surprisingly cheap and widely available!) Stay tuned! <3