Wellness Wednesday

Happy Hump Day, aka Wednesday, loves! The week is half over ... yay! I hope you're having a great week so far and are enjoying all September's Beauty Week has had to offer. I'm curious if any of you have plans to recreate my Philadelphia Eagles makeup look or even create your own for your teams colors? Have any of you ran out to try the Sally Girl mascara? If you haven't, go do it! It really is great! I hope you enjoyed my information from yesterday on all the different nail polishes and some tips on telling the duds from the deals and maybe I let some of you know about a great, inexpensive nail polish brand!

Today's post, as I'm sure you already know, is "Wellness Wednesday", which is quickly becoming my favorite. It's my one day a month where I devote an entire post to overall wellness and tips for you that I find generally from my First for women magazine. I love to share these interesting tidbits I find with my readers and share with you all an AMAZING, inexpensive magazine that offers so much, for us normal people especially! Don't forget to check them out the next time you're standing in line at the store and give them a go! The subscription is TOTALLY worth it!

 Well without any more discussion, I'm going to begin Wellness Wednesday with a tip you can use some of yesterday's post for:

Wellness Wednesday (#3 September 12, 2012)
(Tips from First for women magazine Sept. 10 2012 edition)

^ from my First magazine on Facebook!

1. Hate it when all your keys look the same and it takes you 10 minutes to get in the door after trying your whole ring to find it was the last key? Don't mix them up anymore with a simple, essentially costless idea: NAIL POLISH!

Simply take a different color for each key (any polish you have lying around will do) and paint the top portion. Let it dry entirely then paint the other side. Finish with a top coat or even a paint sealant and you're good to go! (pg. 6)


2. Two birds, one stone to ease the pain of sunburn? Yes, please! We all know the AMAZING wonders aloe works for tight, dry, painful sunburned skin. Try filling an ice cube tray with the gel you buy for sunburns and let freeze! The cold and aloe combined are a treat to such sensitive skin! (pg. 6)




3. Hate that tight, rough feeling of brand new jeans? Try this! The first time you wash a new pair of jeans, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda to the wash. First magazine tells us "The vinegar's acetic acid breaks down the starch (which manufacturers add during weaving to keep jeans looking crisp) while the alkaline baking soda dissolves the residue left behind, softening the fabric. Just be sure to wash the jeans inside out to prevent fading." (pg. 15)




4. Ever struggle with varicose veins? Want to erase them without surgery? Eat more basil! First tells us "to reduce the appearance of dark blue veins, season dishes with basil. According to a study in the Journal of Vascular Research, the vitamin K in this herb helps prevent minerals from coating vein walls and clogging blood flow-which stops blood from pooling downward and keeps veins from stretching and bulging." (pg. 29)




5. Special event tomorrow and just found a pimple? Clear a blemish overnight! First tells us that simply "mixing 1 tsp. of sugar with a few drops of water, then dabbing on the affected skin, and leaving it to sit while you sleep" will make it disappear! "The sucrose will inhibit the growth of bacteria, reducing redness and swelling by morning." (pg. 86)








Well there you have it, my loves! I hope you enjoy Wellness Wednesdays posts as much as I do! I just love finding new uses for things sitting at home, finding simple cures and fixes using things you'd never think of, and innovative ideas to solve little problems without dishing out cash. I hope you find these posts helpful and don't forget to give First magazine a try!

Truth Tuesday

Hey loves and I hope you're enjoying September's Beauty Week so far! Today is Truth Tuesday and it's the day I spill on a beauty-related subject, whether good or bad, I give my honest thoughts & opinions. I have spent a lot of time in the beauty field and have a sincere passion for all things beauty (like you didn't know ;) ...) so I love to share my knowledge and expertise with all my fellow makeup addicts! So without anymore intro, here it is:

Truth Tuesday (#3 September 11, 2012)

Today I'm going to tell you my thoughts and opinions on all the nail polishes out there. Obviously one blog post can't encompass every nail polish brand and type so the focus on today's post is inexpensive nail polish versus the more expensive counterparts and if there is a true difference in the quality and longevity of wear if you spend a little more money.

To start some brands on the costlier end of nail polish that I've tried & tested are OPI, Sephora by OPI, and Butter London. All 3 are great polishes. They apply evenly and even the first coat provides color and a second coat is ideal. Two coats will give true color and when worn with a top coat, the polish lasts too. Obviously polish on your toes will generally last longer than your fingers, unless worn over acrylic nails, because your fingers do a lot more work and get more wear, but these polishes provide good color and decent wear-ability.

However, the downside is really the price. OPI generally costs about $8.00, Sephora by OPI costs around $9.50, and Butter London's polishes cost $14.00. In the scheme of things, $8.00, $9.50, and $14.00 isn't very expensive, but it adds up ... and for nail polish!

On the cheaper side, there's L.A. Colors, Sinful Colors, NYC, and Hard Candy. These range from $1.00 per bottle to about $4.99 for a bottle. However, how do you know which one is worth saving the money without sacrificing quality? It's pretty much a guess and check. It helps to open the bottle in store and partially remove the brush from the bottle and look at the consistency of the polish on the brush. If it seems very sheer or slides right off the brush instead of forming the shape of a rain drop, it probably isn't a very quality polish. L.A. Colors, for example, makes nail polishes and something called "Nail Art Deco Polishes", which are the ones used to do designs. The design polishes are very nice, but the actual nail polishes are very faint, take many coats before you get any real color, and chip extremely easily.

NYC & Hard Candy's polishes are definitely much better than L.A. Colors, but still have their downfalls as far as quality, color, and lastability.

My favorite, favorite, favorite polish is Sinful Colors. They can be found in Walmart and Walgreens for $1.99. They come in so many different colors and types. They come in matte, shimmer, glitter and endless colors and shades within a color. They release collections like OPI does and have staple colors all the time. They are often on sale at Walgreens for $1.00 too so you can get an even better deal! They are toluene, formaldehyde & DBP free, which is a great thing too! Sinful colors are high quality and 2 coats is plenty. They last just as long as their costlier counterparts so why not save the money?

***DUPE ALERT: MAC's new collection Style Seeker, has a harvest orange color nail lacquer in "Styleseeker". Sinful Colors makes a polish called "Cloud 9" that is a very close dupe. It's a little brighter than MAC's, but it's definitely close and at $16.00 a bottle for MAC's and $1.99 for Sinful Colors ... I'll take it.***

Below are some of my favorites, but there are many MANY more!

Mascara Monday

Happy Monday, gorgeous! As all my blog readers know, Mondays in my monthly beauty weeks are Mascara Mondays. I write about & review my favorite mascaras for all of you. Mascara is a tough beauty product because there are so many on the market, ranging in price, brand, style, color, formula, brush-type, and more. These Mascara Monday posts are to share with you a variety of mascaras I've tried, tested, and loved from super inexpensive to on the costlier end, from drug stores to department stores, to share with you all some choices for your mascara! On to Mascara Mondays:

Mascara Monday (#3 September 10, 2012)

Sally Girl Mini Mascara in "Jet Black"

This mascara comes in both "Jet Black" and "Brownish Black" so you have options. It is described as "intensely pigmented for a dramatic look". Sally Girl says that "it's great for lash definition", meaning it will lengthen and volumize the individual lashes to create gorgeous, luscious lashes.

It is, as the name says, a mini mascara so it fits in pockets, purses, wallets, and clutches with ease. The other benefit to a mini mascara is you'll actually get to use the entire product you purchase before the mascara would dry out. It of course, being mini, will need to be replaced a little more often, but if you buy 2 or 3 when you visit a Sally Beauty Supply, you'll be set.

Best of all, it only costs $.99! Sally Beauty Supply also offers a rewards program. It costs $5.00 to join, but you do get a discount on all your purchases.

Give it a try & let me know what you think! I've found it gives me personally super dramatic lashes without having to apply multiple coats, lasts until you remove it with makeup remover, and is really inexpensive. Let me know what you think after you try it, loves.

Seasonal Sunday (September 2012)

Hey there, my gorgeous makeup lovers! I hope you are all enjoying your September so far! Finally (at least in my area anyway), the weather has broken! It's finally not 90 degrees all day long and boy, are the 70's nice! I have had a series of unfortunate events and my camera's battery or the battery charger has decided to quit on me so this week's pictures will be the final ones for a little while. My iPad takes pictures, but the quality is only so-so, so I'll see what I can do until I find a way to fix my issue or get a new camera! Regardless, September Beauty Week will go on!

As many of you, especially those with husbands or boyfriends ... or any male family member, know today is the season opener for football! I'm sure plenty of ladies out there are excited too and the rest of the women know that Sundays & Mondays are now rather busy for the man in their lives. Whether you love football yourself, embrace it and cook the halftime snacks for your man, or are just trying to get into football (for him or yourself), why not do so to the 9's? Might as well throw on a jersey of your favorite (or your man's) team, or at least a shirt to match? How about your makeup though? What about doing team-theme eyes? I am from Philadelphia and my family is essentially split down the middle on Eagles vs. Steelers. My hubby is an Eagles fan, as are my grandparents, so I made a "Go Eagles" onesie for my Zoe and did my makeup in tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles colors. Here goes:

Seasonal Sundays (#3 September 9, 2012)

"Philadelphia Eagles ... Football Chic"

 

To get this look:

- First apply your flawless face. I used the same makeup in my Back-to-School post with a deeper pink/nude blush.

- Next, prime your eyelids and under your lower lash line. I use (as always) MAC's Paint Pot in "Painterly".

- Now to get the eye look above, you will first apply the darkest shade. I applied a matte black shadow to my outer corner, to about halfway in to my eyelid. I brought the color a little farther in on my lid towards the bottom near my lash line.

- Next, I applied a deeper green shade with shimmer (not dark or hunter green though) to my lid from the inner corner to meet the black shadow. I worked some of the green onto the black to get a blended look.

- Then, I took a little more of the black shadow and reapplied it to the outer corner for definition.

- I lined my eye with a black eyeliner on my upper lash line and my lower waterline (inner lash line). I then took a flat, angled eyeliner brush and applied the black shadow in a smudged line under my lower lashes.

- I applied about 3 coats of mascara (in black of course) to both my upper and lower lashes.

- Next, apply your brows. I use NYC's eyeliner/brow pencil in "Taupe".

- Finally, finish up with a soft pink (or nude if you'd prefer) lip. I used MAC's lipstick in "Angel" with Sephora's Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in "20 Shiny Perfect Nude". Feel free to use any soft pink lipstick and nude lip gloss to recreate this look!

Lots of love, gorgeous! Go EAGLES!

Fashion's Night Out 2012 - King of Prussia Mall, PA

Hey there, loves and happy Thursday evening! Tonight was Fashion's Night Out and I decided to head out to King of Prussia Mall to see what was going on. They had different sections set up throughout both sides of the mall, the Court and the Plaza, with photo booths, food samplings, wine & beer tastings, raffles, and more. Many stores participated in the event, offering discounts on purchases and free gifts and/or bags with qualifying purchase.

The night was phenomenal, in theory. It's a rough economy so why not host a free event with samples of local foods & drinks, raffles, and discounts and I get that. However, when I think of fashion's night out, I don't think of food; I think of clothes, bags, makeup, and hair ... all in the upcoming season's colors and looks. Why wasn't there a small runway in one of the main areas (Lord & Taylor's Court, Nordstrom's Court, or Bloomingdales' Court)? They had little photo areas set up without anyone really around for people to have their own picture taken and an area with random "models" candidly having their photos taken.

To me, it just seemed a little "thrown together". It felt like there wasn't a whole lot of planning into it. Fashion's Night Out should focus on the looks of Fall and Winter, showing us mall-goers how to piece together the looks of the seasons, encouraging us to take advantage of the sales in store. It felt as if it was a food & drink sampling event with some discounts in store to convince you to shop while you were there. Not really the point of a Fashion's Night Out. Essentially, unless you were planning on spending money, it wasn't really worth the drive out. Many stores offered discounts of 15% or free gifts and/or bags with a $100 purchase, not exactly a killer deal. Most stores have daily sales and/or coupons offering at least 15% off and free gifts become a lot less enticing when you have to spend $100.

Overall, I was really disappointed. King of Prussia Mall usually pulls out all the stops for their events. I mean simply decorating the mall for the holidays seems to have more effort put into it. I've attended Nordstrom's beauty events before and that store alone puts on a runway show of upcoming seasonal looks and lessons and then offers pre-made appointments at all the makeup counters to have your makeup done. You do have to purchase tickets for this event, generally $15, but that $15 essentially acts as a voucher towards a purchase from your makeover. That is a FAR better deal and superior as far as quality of the event.

Next time, KOP, take some tips from Nordtrom's events planners before you plan another Fashion's Night Out!

Above is the food sampling in the Court. Williams-Sonoma was raffling a KitchenAid hand mixer, but had a full sized stand mixer on display. Little misleading?!

*Fall Trend Alert 2012*

It has arrived. September is here and with it comes Halloween & Thanksgiving decorations in stores and all those fall colored clothes. I have spent hours upon hours diving into online articles and magazines, walking the stores and malls reviewing displays and the new fall stock. I have gathered together a synopsis of the upcoming Fall Trends for 2012. However, even my summary of the many words, upon sentences, upon paragraphs, upon pages I've read and the hours I've perused the displays, I still have lots to say. I will be writing multiple posts on the Fall Trends of 2012 so stay tuned!

Here's a little sneak peak because I just love you so much:

-Burgundy
-Silver/Argentum
-Red
-Black
-Black & Gold
-Jade
-Blue
-Boots
-Leather
-Black & White
-Purple & Gold
-Lips, Nails, and Eyes
-Looks for your age
-Buns

Vague, I know, but try & guess what means what and you'll soon see if you're right! Leave comments here or on my Facebook page with ideas & thoughts! I can't wait to hear from you!

"5 Makeup Myths Busted" by Good Housekeeping ... Not Quite!

Today just got away from me! It's already almost 10pm and I was planning on doing today's post this afternoon so my apologies for the delay! It was for good reason though because my husband got a new job today! So excited and so proud of him! Anyway, today I wanted to discuss something that I find extremely irritating, not to me, but for all of you. I worked in cosmetics and have many years of practice, training, and experience combined in makeup and skin care. That is why I am extremely irritated by articles I read and things I hear about makeup and skin care that just ARE NOT RIGHT! For example, I was perusing all my magazines gathering together my Fall 2012 Trend Alerts and my September Beauty Week ideas when I came across a copy of Good Housekeeping I got from a family member. In it were some interesting tips on budgets and some yummy sounding recipes - things a HOUSEKEEPING magazine would encompass. And in the following statement I mean no disrespect, but, STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW!

Flipping through the magazine I cam across a section of award winning, anti-aging products in the Good Housekeeping Anti-Aging 2012 Award Winners. At the end of this article was a little bubble of tidbits entitled "5 Makeup Myths Busted". Immediately I knew my blood pressure would be raised. Lo and behold, 4 out of 5 were stereotypical "myths" that were just WRONG!

And I will now list them below as stated by Good Housekeeping. I will then explain why they need to stick to HOUSEKEEPING!

1. You do not have to use a primer.

Okay, ladies, sure you don't have to do anything, but what is it? Pay your taxes and die. However, if you'd like your makeup to stay put through at least your lunch hour, look how it was intended to look, and reduce waste of product, just wear the goddamn primer! How long does it take to smooth an extra layer over your skin? I mean really. Primer creates a barrier so your skin doesn't drink your makeup causing clogged pores and messy makeup. It allows your makeup to glide on effortlessly; therefore, saving time and product. It makes colors look true and your face look flawless. And it keeps all your makeup put. Sure, you could skip the primer, but might as well just forgo the makeup all together since in a few hours without primer it'll look like you did anyway.

2. A foundation brush is not a necessity.

This one really gets me. No any makeup brush is not a necessity. You have fingers and sponge applicators so obviously there is options. However, your fingers are skin, skin has natural oils. Oil breaks down the composition of makeup. Oil on your face causes breakouts. Fingers obviously can work, but they equal some major downsides.

Sponges. What is a sponge's main ability? Absorption. You use a sponge to apply foundation. As you apply it to your face, the sponge is absorbing makeup. Therefore, you are left with an uneven distribution on your skin. Beyond the obvious downfalls to your look, you are also wasting makeup. Sponges hold the makeup and are often stored in cosmetic bags or in bathroom closets: dark, warm places. HELLO ... BACTERIA! Ew. Now reuse that sponge tomorrow? No. A new sponge everyday? Just go buy a foundation brush and clean it regularly with baby shampoo, face wash for sensitive skin, or a brush cleaner.

3. Base does not need to go all over.

To an extent this is true. If you have a few problem areas that need true coverage you can use a thicker product to conceal your little flaws. However, if you dabbed makeup on your under-eye circles, on pimples, and a red spot or two only, you'd look like a "connect-the-dots". You can use a tinted moisturizer, or a BB cream, or a light-coverage foundation overall after concealing the problem areas. You don't need to mask a nice, even face, but you do need to blend if you're going to wear makeup.

4. Powder, or mineral makeup, is okay.

This is the one I agree with. In fact, when it says that there's an "official green light" for powder makeup, I was kind of surprised. I was unaware that there was a "no-no" on powder. Powders can set and finish your look, absorb oil, or suffice for your actual makeup. Mineral makeup can be great too as another option. 1 for 4, Good Housekeeping.

5. "There's no need to fuss about your undereye concealer shade."

What the *expletive* are you talking about, Good Housekeeping? So if I'm through & through snow white, Irish complected I can just pick up my good Italian, olive-skinned friend's concealer and just throw that on? HELL NO! They do mention you don't want raccoon eyes by going too light or too dark, which is true, but shade does matter. If you're concealing under-eye circles, bruises, anything bluish gray, peach/pink will counteract that. However, if you're concealing redness whether it be facial redness or a blemish, yellows and greens would counteract that. Before you even consider the correct shade, you need to decide what you're concealing and find the right undertones: cool or warm, pinks or yellows.

I appreciate the effort, Good Housekeeping, and your magazine has many helpful insights. Leave the makeup to the experts, please, for all of our eyes and our mirrors!