bare minerals, Beauty, beauty products, foundation, product review

Bare Minerals Liquid Foundation

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There’s something electric about an ad for a product that promises to meet your every need.

My day job is in marketing, so I’m all too familiar with the strategy of using certain words to pull you in. Yet somehow when I see an ad like this, I’m mesmerized by all that it promises to do.

bare minerals

I have been reading about this foundation for months, and most of what I’ve read was a glowing review of how wonderful it looked and felt. So needless to say, I ran out and bought the whole sha-bang.

The brush looks exactly how they have it pictured with that little dimple in the middle. It does help to hold the foundation in while you apply it to your face. I liked the fact that I didn’t have to use my fingers (or so I thought). The foundation went on well. They say one to two drops, but to me that wasn’t enough coverage (and I don’t typically go for heavy coverage, but it was still not enough).

I ended up filling the entire hole with foundation every time.

They’re not lying when they say “bare skin,” it does really look like your regular skin with a slight enhancement. I found that it melted in better if I used my fingers to rub it in more, instead of relying on the brush for the whole application. The problem with the brush is that it really digs the foundation into your pores, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

After only using it a day or so, I noticed after I washed my face one night that there was build up on the side of my nose and on my chin. I went over those areas with some toner and when I pulled the cotton ball away, it was as if I had not washed my face at all! That and the three zits that popped up on my face after I began using this stuff is really what turned me off to it.

I truly think the foundation would be ok if it wasn’t for the brush. It seems that the brush puts it too far into your skin, and that’s not what I’m looking for. So if you still want to try it, maybe skip the brush and apply the foundation with your hands.

I returned the whole sha-bang because washing my face once at night is enough hassle for me. I certainly wouldn’t want to have to do it twice!

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beauty products, product review

Product Review: Rimmel Mascara

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Readers, I think of you when I’m standing in Target trying to decide which mascara to get.

I stand there thinking how I could go with what’s comfortable (L’Oreal) or I could try a new one and bring you yet another well informed review.

Because I cherish you, I went with a new one. I went with Rimmel London “The Max Volume Flash” mascara (to be pronounced, “mass-car-a”).

Let’s a do a quick pro/con list:

Pro’s

  • It’s about half the price of regular mascara (it rang it at round $5)
  • It does give you immediate volume
  • It doesn’t get stiff so you can layer it up later on in the day if you want to refresh your face

Con’s

  • The volume doesn’t seem to stay throughout the day (but you can always refresh like I said)
  • If you’re a brush fanatic, this one will disappoint. It’s got full bristles, but you can tell they aren’t in it for the long run. Probably won’t hold up the full 3 months until the next round.

Overall, it’s about what I expected. I’ve read good things about Rimmel London, so expectations were high. If you’re looking to cut back on your beauty product spending, but you still want something that will make your lashes look full, this is the perfect mascara for you (which really full lashes for cheap sounds like something we’re all looking for, no?)

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beauty products, product review, Sephora

The $13 Sephora Item I Can’t do Without

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Eyebrow pencil

This little beauty has quickly become high on my list of “must have beauty products.”

It’s the Sephora brand eyebrow pencil. And it’s fantastic. After trying other (more expensive) brow fillers I found that they just didn’t fill my brows in like I needed them too.

I’ve heard really great things about Sephora’s in-house brand, and sure enough it wasn’t all lies – this little brow pencil is great. On the one side is the self sharpening pencil that’s small enough to mimic the look of little hairs, and the other side is a tiny brush, that keeps those unruly hairs in check (it’s like that big thick paddle our parents used to wield around).

It lasts over a month, and only costs $13 (if you can get out of Sephora with just this in your bag, more power to you). All you have to do with it, is make light quick strokes where you need filling. Be sure not to be right up against the mirror when using it. The best way to assess what you need is to stand a little ways back.

Side note: even if you have dark brows like mine, go for a taupe-shade brow filler. You don’t want your eyebrows looking too harsh. Soft and natural is the way to go.

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beauty products, hair, product review, Videos, wbir

A Great Drugstore Find for Your Hair

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If you missed yesterday’s segment on great drugstore beauty finds, you can watch it below.

But before you do, I wanted to add one more to the list…

I’m such a hair product junkie. And while that doesn’t come in handy space-wise, it does come in handy for my hair. I see a big difference in my hair when I switch out products every so often. I think it’s a really great practice, because your strands can get used to the same ingredients over and over again.

So to help make that expensive serum or cream work even better? Buy something from the drugstore to use in its place every so often.

This Moroccan Blow Out Cream is great for that. It’s super hydrating and perfect for filing into your hair product rotation. I just used it after several weeks of not, and my hair feels uh-mazing.

I’m talking lets-parade-this-mane-around-town good.

You don’t need a lot of it, a little goes a very long way. You can apply it on wet or dry hair. What I like to do is put it mostly on my ends and work half way up, because I like the top of my hair to maintain volume and not go flat.

Check it out, but only after you watch yesterdays segment (with a side of jokester ;)

Enjoy!

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hair, hair spray, product review

Product Review: Dove Hairspray

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Here is a review of Dove hair spray from a recent hair spray convert…

I’ve always had that back up can of hair spray in my cabinet, but it wasn’t until last year that I left my house with the intention of buying hair spray.

I’ve tried several brands (Not Your Mother’s is a good one) along with a few that came in my Birchbox. But you never know how much you’ve become dependent on something until you run out of it.

And two weeks ago I found that I had run out of hair spray, even the backup can that’s probably lived in my cabinet for most of my married life.

My hair style the day I needed it (of course) called for hair spray, so I made a quick dash down to Kroger where I just leaned on the brand I know and trust…Dove.

So I wanted to share my thoughts about the stuff with you, because I know in those moments when you’re standing and staring blankly in front of a wall of products, it’s so hard to know which one will work. It’s a roll of the dice, really, and I’d like to take a little pressure off the moment and tell you what I think of Dove’s version…

First off, it has a great smell. I’ve used hair sprays before that smell like an old lady’s funeral home, so I was very happy/relieved as I sat in my car and covered my hair with the stuff, that I’d come out smelling good.

There’s something for the pro column.

It also seems to hold well. My style didn’t wilt and even held pretty well for the next day, which is really the number one job of hair spray, so Bravo!

A couple of con’s…

I didn’t like how the spray came out. It ends up being more of a direct shot than an all over aerosol spray (which I now realize is my favorite), so you really have to make sure you’re holding it far enough away to not blast just one spot.

It also does leave behind a bit of a crunch. Eww…yeah that sticky stiff thing happened in some spots, but it was probably because i held it too close to my head. So beware.

Other than that, it performed pretty well. So if you’re ever like me and find yourself in a hair spray emergency, Dove wouldn’t be a bad choice.

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