Great daily moisturizer almost anyone can use!

So I realized talking to a good friend today that I haven't posted about my moisturizer yet. I have you girls set on face wash and an oxygen peel and make-up, but you need to keep that skin hydrated for everything to work and look it's best so here it is: Olay Complete all day UV moisturizer SPF 15 sensitive skin.

It's a lotion consistency, not a cream, so it's very hydrating, but not heavy. I use it both morning and night after washing my face. It can be worn during the day under make-up, which is always recommended for hydration and SPF protection. It is extremely important to moisturize your skin no matter what skin type you have! Even if you're oily or acne prone, you MUST moisturize. If you don't, your skin will believe it's too dry and send more "hydration" to the area and cause more oil and breakouts. No moisturizer = inevitable breakouts! I do definitely recommend that when wearing face make-up, always, always, always wear a primer!!!! I know lots of people think, "Do I really need a primer or is it just another step and another way to get me to spend money?" Believe me, I've worked in the field and been a consumer and you need primer. First of all, primer gives your face make-up an even foundation. It smooths out fine lines and wrinkles and diminishes large pores. It helps hold your make-up on all day and keeps it looking fresh. Primers come in all different types: oil free, hydrating, redness reducing, and more so you can find the perfect one for you.

Secondly, and most importantly, when you moisturize your face, your skin knows to absorb everything it can out of your moisturizer. If you put make-up directly over moisturizer, your skin sucks in your make-up with the moisturizer too. This is sure to cause breakouts! Your skin and pores are absorbing your make-up like it's moisturizer and I've yet to find a make-up you want your skin to drink in like a treatment.

My husband and I both use this moisturizer and it works perfectly for us. I'll post a picture below of a before and after of my hubby so you can see what it's done for him. He has sensitive skin that has both dry and oil spots and is prone to acne/breakouts. The Clean & Clear face wash, Philosophy Oxygen Peel, and Olay Moisturizer are the only things we've used and it's made such a huge difference in the clarity, texture, look, and feel of his skin. It's great for my dry skin and tones down my redness. It's very rare to find a moisturizer that a dry skinned person and oily skinned person can both use, but this is the one! You can share with your boyfriend/hubby and get more bang for your buck.

It's sold at most drug stores, Target, and Walmart. I recently found it at BJ's for an amazing deal! It typically comes in a 6 oz. bottle for about $11.99 from what I've seen, but BJ's sells it in a two-pack of 6 oz. bottles for around $15.99 so that's a great deal if you are a BJ's club member.

Give it a try & let me know what you think! :)


Olay moisturizer at Target.com


My hubby's before and after:

Before:


After:

NYX Make-up Picture (and new hair color!)

I figured I'd post a picture of my new make-up from NYX. The face make-up, eyebrow pencil, and lip color are all NYX and the eye make-up is smashbox. I'm definitely going to look into getting some NYX eye make-up soon and give that a try! I'll be sure to post a review and picture once I give it a go! :) Let me know what you think, girlfriends!

- NYX Cosmetics
- smashbox cosmetics

Major thank you to Megan F. at Chameleon Day Spa in Media, PA for the hair color!

(lightened from black!)

Affordable, easily accessible, and QUALITY make-up line!

I know; it's exciting! I have more make-up than ever necessary, but it's my passion in life. I love finding new products that work well for my needs and being pleasantly surprised when they have multiple uses and I can recommend them to people I know. It's the best when those products are inexpensive, actually work, and aren't super difficult to find. Anyway, my exciting new make-up line addiction is: NYX Cosmetics.


It can be found at Ulta stores and nyxcosmetics.com. I recently purchased concealer, foundation, brow/eyeliner  pencil, and lip gloss. I loved all of it. They recently came out with a new line of make-up called HD. A lot of brands have come out with HD make-up lines since the HD make-up became the new craze once it hit the stores for anyone to buy because who doesn't want to look HD perfect, right? Well, you may have noticed that achieving this look isn't the cheapest thing going, but I have good news. NYX makes it easily attainable.

I purchased their HD concealer for $5.99 and it is AMAZING! I have naturally always had dark under-eye circles that no eye cream has ever diminished (woohoo genes!), redness, a vein from the corner of my mouth to my chin, and the occasional blemish. It covered everything in a one layer application. It comes with a built-in applicator wand that worked just fine for me and I used my ring finger to blot it in under my eyes and a concealer brush for everywhere else. TIP: Always use your ring finger when applying anything under the eye. The skin there is extremely fragile and delicate and that finger is the most gentle and is unable to use much force! The HD foundation was $14.99 and that works beautifully over the concealer. For the first time EVER, I don't have to use much foundation. The concealer covers all my flaws effortlessly without using a lot of product so I just add a little foundation overall to smooth and even it out. I didn't see a finishing powder, but I would advise using one. Any loose or pressed powder (applied with a brush to keep from looking too heavy!) will do, ideally a setting powder though. I lightened my hair recently and needed a lighter eyebrow pencil since I do have holes and sparse spots in my eyebrows. I purchased a taupe colored pencil and they sell it as an eyebrow/eyeliner pencil in one for $3.99. It works great, goes on smoothly, has good color, and stays on with or without gel/wax on top. Lastly, I purchased a lip gloss from them. This isn't the first lip gloss I've bought from them and I'm still happy with it. They have a few different types of gloss, all of which have decent pigment for a gloss and aren't very sticky. Double plus!

It really works out buying it through Ulta as well because you can use Ulta's coupons I've written about before ($3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more) and they often have a Buy 2, Get 1 Free sale on NYX cosmetics so keep your eye out for that! Also, if you buy from NYX website, they offer a discount to professionals so if you need to refresh or start your make-up kit, it's a great way to do so. For the rest of us,  if you need a new product or are looking to update your make-up for spring, or even looking to get your daughter/niece her first make-up set, give this a try. It won't break the bank, but it'll look like you did! :) Enjoy ladies!!!



- NYX Cosmetics website
- NYX Cosmetics at Ulta's website

Tonight's Television Line-up

So I'm sure I'm not the only beauty junkie out there who is just eating up all the TV shows featuring make-up and hair! Well tonight's the night, ladies! Jerseylicious is back on Style at 8 pm tonight! Olivia steps up to do some hair since Gayle fired Tracey and Gigi! Also, my other big show that I recently found premieres tonight too! Ice Loves Coco is back up for season 2 on E! for a two night season premiere: tonight and tomorrow at 10:30 pm right after Khloe & Lamar! Sundays will be a great night! I recently wrote about Ice Loves Coco and gave you guys a link to Coco's amazingly thorough beauty routine. Tune in and take a look at these shows if you haven't watched them before. I even got my hubby into them! :)

Jerseylicious on Style

Ice Loves Coco on E!

I have found the cure for: ITCHY, DRY SCALP, DRY HAIR, DAMAGED HAIR, AND DULL HAIR ... and ALL IN ONE PRODUCT!

I know, sounds like a big claim right? It's legit though! And all for under $10 at Target. I'm sure most of you have heard of the Palmer's Stretch Mark creams for during and after pregnancy, which I have found to work really well actually. The other night my husband and I were in Target looking for a deep conditioning mask for my hair because after 10 years of processing, blow drying, and straightening, my hair is somewhat dry & dull. I saw multiple products, none of which were under $30, and I just didn't want to spend quite that much for a 1-2 time a week treatment. My husband has psoriasis and I had read in First magazine that coconut oil is supposed to have multiple uses for skin care and can do wonders for the dry, itchy flakes that accompany psoriasis. I picked up the packet of coconut oil treatment and read that it's great for dry & damaged hair, especially hair that's been processed!! Perfect for both of us. And get this: One packet will last him two uses (and he has hair to about his shoulders) and I use almost a whole packet. Oh, and did I mention one packet is only $1.97. Um, I think I can work with that! I also picked up the Palmer's Coconut Oil Hair Milk that can be used on damp hair as well as dry hair. I used it after towel drying my hair and brushed it through as a leave-in conditioner. Then this morning I straightened my bangs and thought I'd rub some through the rest of my hair to just smooth it out. I took the little bit left on my hands and ran it through my straightened bangs and the results were amazing! My straightened hair feels like it did over 10 years ago before it had met heat and bleach and the rest of my hair was smoothed, de-frizzed, and softened. My hair also has that amazing shine all the hair color models on TV commercials have, but without weighing down my hair or making it look/feel greasy. I typically write about skin care and make-up products I try/want to try, but I just had to share this. I've been fighting dry, dull, and damaged hair for years and finally I found an easy, inexpensive at-home fix! And for those of you prone to dry scalp, dandruff, or psoriasis, the magazine was right! My husband said his scalp is a lot less itchy and it cut down on the flakes. All this is after one use too! Definitely take a trip to Target and check this out. In our Target it was near the ethnic hair care products and the dandruff/psoriasis shampoos and treatments.

Bonus: It smells amazing too! I'm now more than ready to have my butt in a chair on the beach since I'm smelling a soft, subtle coconut all day!

Target.com for the deep conditioning protein pack
Target.com for the replenishing milk


Also, take a peak at First magazine for all different tips on hair and skin care.
First magazine for women

Teen Mom 2 Season Finale Tonight at 10pm!

This show is my guilty pleasure! I absolutely love it. I even got my husband into it to the point he reminds me at like 9:45 to get ready because it's coming on! So much has happened this season, especially in last weeks episode. Jenelle agreed to go to rehab, Leah told Corey she cheated 2 weeks before their wedding and files for divorce, Chelsea finally took her practice GED test, and Kailyn and Jo hooked up!! Absolute craziness and apparently tonight's episode just brings on more drama!!

Now what might this have to do with beauty you ask? Well, has anyone else noticed a "I MUST GO BLONDE" trend on this show. These girls really looked natural on their 16 & Pregnant episodes and the first season of Teen Mom 2. This season though you've seen them progressively get more & more made up and then now they all went blonde! My first question as a young, new mom is how in the hell do they afford the things they have/do, and now to maintain blonde hair on brunette girls! I've tried it before. It's like every six weeks if I'm lucky and going so light from so dark sort of forces you to get it done professionally. (NOT CHEAP!) I will say their make-up looks beautiful and I am happy to see these girls who had to grow up and care for someone else entirely so young be taking care of themselves and keeping themselves a priority too because you're no good to anyone else if you don't take care of yourself.

Back to this going blonde business though. Kailyn is the only girl who has really truly remained natural looking and I think she's cute the way she is. Chelsea is obviously into cosmetology since she is taking her GED to be able to go to beauty school so her make-up and constant hair color changes are definitely understandable. I think the blonde does look pretty on her, but she pulls off brunette too. I would just personally warm up the blonde a little, or at least add some low lights to break up the color. Leah is naturally pretty light brown to a dirty blonde so enhancing the blonde she has can bring out her features. However, I don't think that platinum blonde really does much for her and actually washes her out. She's a cute girl and a warmer blonde with caramel highlights would really bring out her eyes and skin tone. Be Barbie in your own way sweetie! It'll be much more flattering! :) Lastly, Jenelle is a brunette. This blonde she has going on DOES NOT WORK! It looks old, like when you have highlights you cover when you dye your hair dark again and after a whole bunch of washes, it starts to show through again. It looks really brassy and I kind of wonder if she did it herself. It also is like a confusing commitment. It's not a true "I dyed my hair blonde" blonde, but it's not just some highlights. I think she needs to re-dye it a warm chocolate and through in some light warm brown highlights. It will do a lot more for her and especially make her stand out on the show since everyone else went blonde.

Now these are just my opinions and I am not a licensed cosmetologist, just a hair color enthusiast! I've had my a hair a variety of shades for the last 10 years and I've tried many different looks so I can at least say from experience what works and what doesn't. Let me know your opinions on these girls' looks!!

MTV's Teen Mom 2







Images from google.com/images

BJ's Wholesale!

I know it's been a little while since I made a new post, but I had a very hectic and productive last couple of days! I got my apartment pretty much cleaned and organized and my hubby and I got a membership to BJ's Wholesale and thus leads me into this post! Shampoo, conditioner, drug store skin care, oral care ... BJ's! Run, don't walk to your local store and sign up now! If you go to their website, www.bjs.com, you can print out a one day pass to see the deals for yourself before you sign up. Often their website or the coupons in your Sunday paper offers a 60 day trial membership or $40 for a yearly membership instead of $50.

Anyway, as you probably already know, they sell in bulk. The items are usually supersized and/or multiple items in a pack. When you become a member, you get monthly coupon books with tons of great values! The bonus? You can double up! You can use a BJ's coupon and a coupon from the internet or the paper on one product! Also if you've seen some of the extreme couponing people are up to, you can sometimes use multiples. If the item you're purchasing is shrink wrapped together (like in plastic) you can use a BJ's coupon and a paper/internet coupon per item in the shrink wrap! For example, I bought Nivea Skin Firming lotion in a supersized two-pack. I used a BJ's coupon on the pack and two Nivea coupons (one for each bottle). You can get value on top of value in this store! They sell department store fragrances at a discounted rate and often include two bottles in a pack. They carry a lot of the major hair care lines and skin care lines too!

On another short note, as a new mommy I have to mention the benefits for that too! They sell bulk diapers, wipes, and formula which is a GODSEND as any other mommies out there can attest to! They offer coupons for the major brands and you can double up with these as well (BJs & paper/internet coupons). They also offer their own brand, Berkley and Jensen, in a variety of products, diapers & wipes included. They are a great quality and my little Zoe hasn't had any problems with them, coming from two parents with sensitive skin!

So that about wraps up my spiel on your needing to head on over to BJ's and check them out so here's a link to their website so you can get on that one day pass and start your beauty savings!!

- BJ's website
- BJ's one day pass

Lancome at Macy's is in GIFT!!

So if you're anything like me, you prefer to buy your department store beauty products when your go-to line has a free gift. If I'm already going to spend a super attainable price, like $35, why not get some free goodies too? Lancome usually offers some of the best free gift with purchase offers and this one is no different! All the different department stores have their free gift at different times and each store gets their own exclusive gift so this is strictly for Macy's. It's a perfect time to go get yourself a Valentine's Day gift and get an extra freebie, buy a gift for a loved one and give them a bonus, or shh! don't tell them and it's a "one for you, one for me" kind of deal :). Anyway, you have a choice of bag either pink with a black bow or black with a pink bow. You get your choice of moisturizer, Genifique, their new skin care item: Visionnaire, choice of your eye essential, and choose your Juicy Tube shade. Then a bonus to the bonus: if you spend $68 (so why not stock up on that lipstick or face wash you're going to use anyway!), you can choose your perfect cleanser & toner, 3 lip sticks, or a 3 piece make-up brush set with case. Heck of a reason to go buy your Lancome now!

Go visit Kristine, Carmen, & Jean at Macy's King of Prussia and tell them Tina sent you!

Beautify yourselves in Lancome!

Link :Free 7 piece gift with any $35 Lancome purchase, visit www.macys.com to see more!

Ice Loves Coco

Okay so, I have to say I was wrong. Every time I saw the show advertised or flipped through the channels and caught it on, I kind of thought it looked stupid. There was nothing on this morning and I decided to watch a full episode since it was about Coco's sister having her baby and since I just had Zoe, I figured it'd be a good one to try out. I have to say I'm kind of hooked. Coco is super sweet and kind of endearing, not to mention can put on a flawless face. She has a hell of a beauty routine that a lot of us don't have the time (or budget!) for, but it was interesting to hear how she does it being a swimsuit model and there are some pointers I could use, like her lip color! It's simply a MAC lipstick and gloss (super attainable) and it's the perfect pink. The new season airs right after Khloe & Lamar on E! at 10:30pm on Sunday, February 19th! If you haven't already given it a try, and you like the other E! reality shows, tune in & see for yourself! If nothing else, take some pointers on her make-up. Coco did an interview with Allure sharing her daily beauty routine and I'll include the link below!

Coco's Beauty Routine

Holly from smashbox on QVC tonight!

I'm a busy mama so I made sure to DVR smashbox on QVC and somehow managed to catch up only an hour late. :) I must say I'm very excited about their new products! They have a palette with all 56 shades of eye shadow they make broken down into the trios they're originally sold in! The palette also comes with 22 additional products including the FABULOUS brow tech, lip colors, cream liners, and cheek color! They offer a beautiful face color, Instant Illumination Soft Lights, to provide a natural, luminous glow which is absolutely the go-to look this season and it comes with a full size face brush, which sells for $48 on its own, and the pair are less than that together on QVC.

I am also extremely excited about their new product, the 2-in-1 concealer stick. It's a thicker pencil for direct covering of both smaller and larger areas. While it is a pencil and offers the ease of a pencil and the ability to get in any spot, it still appears to glide on effortlessly. The 2-in-1 part? When dipped in cool water or ran under your faucet, the pencil draws on as a liquid concealer! In one simple little pencil, you get a full coverage, thicker concealer and a more sheer coverage, liquid-style concealer! This is definitely on my list to check out soon! Seems like a phenomenal idea for a girl like me who uses concealer to cover under eye circles, some redness in my skin, and the occasional blemish. Stay tuned for a review once I put it to the test with my concerns, but I definitely can say smashbox has yet to let me down!

Link: smashbox 2-in-1 concealer on QVC,com

Best Beauty Buy Benefits (and no store credit card needed!)

I'm going to review some of the cosmetic stores' rewards programs for you so you can figure out which one(s) best suit your needs. It only makes sense to sign up for these free reward programs since there are many benefits provided to you. Many programs e-mail you updates with sales, new products, and coupons. They track your spending and usually give you a certain amount of points per dollar spent and when you accumulate enough points, they'll give you a rewards certificate. Many of them send birthday month coupons or even little gifts! With so many rewards programs both in store and online, there's no reason to buy cosmetics any other way!

Ulta

- sells cosmetics, fragrances, and hair care supplies

- both drug store brands and department store brands

- has a hair salon in store

- Reward Program: Ulta offers two different reward programs you can easily sign up for online at www.ulta.com. You provide your zip code and they'll let you know which program is in your area. The one in my area (Suburbs of Philadelphia) is called Ultimate Rewards. You can earn based on your spending per period 4 rewards certificates a year, which are good for free products or services in their salon. Throughout the year, you'll receive their ad, including coupons that are often more valuable (sometimes $5 off a purchase of $10 or more) than the ones you can print right off their website (usually $3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more). You'll also receive special benefits that they inform you of ahead of time through their ads and e-mails. I once received 2 free eye shadow brushes from Too Faced with any $30 or more Too Faced purchase.

Sephora

- also sells cosmetics, fragrances, and hair care supplies

- only sells department store brands

- offers free teaching services of either the current look for eyes, lips, or face

- Reward Program: Sephora offers two tiers of their rewards program. The first tier, open to any customers, is called Beauty Insider. They track your spending and give you 1 point per $1 spent. When you reach 100 points, you can choice a free deluxe sample that changes every week. If you save your points, you can reach the 500 point perk, giving you a free limited edition product. You'll also be able to receive a free birthday perk when you shop in store or online during your birthday month. The second tier is the V.I.B. (Very Important Beauty Insider). You achieve this status by spending $350 or more in one year (Jan. through Dec.) in store, online, or inside a Sephora location in JC Penney. You are then enrolled in the V.I.B. program for that year as well as the following. You receive all the benefits you had received before, as well as an offer welcoming you to the program giving you 10% off. They also give you special gifts, invites to their special events, early previews of not yet released products, and more. 

Sally Beauty Supply

- There's not much information on this program, but I do know it gives you an overall discount on all products in the store as well as a $5 enrollment reward. This reward program though is NOT FREE. It has a yearly fee of $5, so the enrollment award makes it basically free. This store offers mostly professional salon products like hair coloring, treatments, and supplies.

Lastly, and my personal favorite:

Smashbox.com

- The Reward Program is called Pretty Points Rewards. It's free and easy to sign up at www.smashbox.com. The great thing about this program is for every $1 you spend, they give you 5 points. Once your account reaches the 500 point mark, you earn a $10 reward certificate. You also get a deluxe bonus sample with every purchase, free weekly gifts, free birthday gift during your birthday month, and access to products before they're discontinued. Also, FREE SHIPPING on any order within the U.S.

I'm sure there's many other rewards programs out there, but these are ones I have experience with and have found to be the most beneficial for me!

Face Wash for All Skin (even sensitive)

I have extremely sensitive and red in my cheeks and forehead. I used a few products which caused me to become extremely dry, which led to breaking out. Fun Fact That's Not So Fun: Did you know that overly drying your skin with products, especially if you're already  prone to breakouts can cause more breakouts? Your skin suddenly finds itself too dry and is triggered to send more oil to hydrate the area, thinking it's now too dry. NEVER EVER skip moisturizer, just find one that's oil free and one for sensitive skin might be less harsh. Anyway, I've tried many MANY different face washes from all different brands, from drug stores to the high end, expensive department store brands. The one I've found that keeps my skin clean and breakout free is Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. It's oil free and in one product removes dirt, oil, and make up! My husband and I both use this product, and just like the Philosophy Oxygen Peel I reviewed earlier, it's done wonders for us both. My redness has been greatly reduced, my skin is more hydrated, and I am break out free. My husband's oil is controlled, his sensitivity is managed, and he is break out free as well. It's sold in Walmart, Target, drug stores, and grocery stores so it's certainly easy to find. Walmart sells an 8 fl oz bottle for $3.67 and a 2 pack for $7.34. Go out & give it a try, you won't regret it!



Stay beautiful ... with clean & clear skin :)

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly - as eye shadow primer review

Definitely have to give the credit to Ally, a make-up artist and friend that works for MAC for this find! MAC's paint pots are "highly pigmented" eye colors in a cream form. It's not like a typical cream eye shadow that is difficult and messy to apply and ends up creating many creases and makes eyelids look more wrinkly than they were in the first place. While it does glide on easily, it's not messy and stays where you put it. It's a neutral, natural color that would work on most girls and can be worn by itself as an eye shadow. I, however, use it ALWAYS as my go-to eye shadow primer. It neutralizes my eye lid and holds on my shadows literally until I choose to take them off. It also allows my shadows to show their true shade and I don't need to use nearly the amount of shadow I'd need without the primer to make the eye shadow even show up. It lasts forever, even with daily use. It's easily applied with a concealer brush or even a flat eye shadow brush. It only costs $17.50 and can be found at any MAC counter or MAC store. I've tried many other eye shadow primers and this one absolutely outshines them all!
- This is a swatch of the color "Painterly"


Here's the link to MAC's website for the Paint Pot: http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/154/1573/Paint-Pot/index.tmpl

Spring 2012 - Lashes, Liner, & Lips ♥

I was walking around Nordstrom in King of Prussia mall last week and I noticed the new spring trends are out in a big way and I have to say I love them. It's a look any girl can wear and is easy enough to do. It seems to be a mostly nude look with a little pop. The face is a luminous glow with a sun-kissed look, but not overly bronzed or tan - think natural and youthful. Cheek color seems to be bronzed or a soft pink, applied very lightly to merely highlight the cheek bones. TIP- To enhance cheek bones and slim the face, after applying blush, suck in your cheeks and make a fishy-face. Sweep bronzer in the indents just under your cheek bones upward. Back to the spring style though! Eyes seem to be either completely nude with a slight shimmer or soft pastel colors. Liner is definitely in, mostly black. Lashes are BIG, BIG, BIG this season, volume, length, & lash definition. Focus on defining the eye. Lastly, the lips! Most common seems to be a nude lip, matte and glossy are both big so do what you feel comfortable with. TIP- lipgloss will enhance thinner lips to make them look fuller. TIP- Filling in the entire lip with a nude liner or even a lip liner close to your natural lip coloring will help hold on lipsticks and glosses for a longer wear, as well as allows your chosen lip color to show up how it actually looks in the tube! Last, don't forget to maintain your brows and fill them in with a color that matches your natural brow color. Smashbox makes a Brow Tech to Go that has one side with a wax color to fill in your brows as well as tame any unruly hairs. The other side has a gel that you brush through with the included brush that looks like a mini mascara wand. It's almost like 3 products in 1 and works very well and comes in a range of colors. Head out to your local mall and take a peek at the new spring collections and have fun! Many make-up counters will happily show you a look specially for you! Enjoy & have fun!

Stay beautiful girls ...