Body
Women in China Have Found the Secret to Safety -- Hairy Legs

Well Estee Lauder High Gloss is super boofoo. It's so sparkly and shiny, like a combination of plastic and glitter. Normally glosses this pale need something underneath them for them to have any oomph, but this stuff is so shiny it speaks for itself. I love that it doesn't feel gummy or heavy, which most glosses this, well, glossy tend to do. The fig scent is yummy yummy yummy (it went through the husband test of "hey, baby! Smell my mouth!" "oooh, smells yummy!" Oh, the things I put that man through....) I like the Rose color because it's this combination of earth toned and pink that makes it versatile enough to wear with multiple colors. Normally when I think rose I think pinker than this, but I like that this isn't such a Barbie pink. About the only colors it doesn't wear well with are the red/orange/yellow family.
June 19, 2013
It does have a little of that 'sunscreen' smell, but it fades extremely quickly. It's light enough to be used on the face in lieu of moisturizer, but where I really am liking it is as a lotion. I am such an albino that I actually carry parasols around just to go from the car to the store or what have you. I'm noticing though, that my left arm is about 10 times darker than every other part of my body from being in the car, and that freaks me out. When I say darker, I don't mean tan. I mean my freckles have so inundated every available skin surface that they create this weird optical illusion of a tan- like those tests for the color blind with all the dots to see if you can read the number inside the circle. I don't use this all over my body, I just apply it to my exposed skin over my normal lotion. It's a little extra protection without putting on thick gloppy pasty sunscreen that doesn't absorb into the skin and can leave funky streaks and funkier aroma. I'll be keeping this one in my glove box!
June 18, 2013
Peter Thomas Roth Oil-Free Moisturizer is another thing I'll be using for the summer. This is a unique gel/lotion so at first I kept using too much and feeling like my skin was kind of sticky until it dried. I'm used to using a lot more with fluffy creams, but this you only need a dab. I can already tell that this is going to revolutionize my summer face when used with the BeFine Toner. Again, not a product I'd recommend for those with really dry skin, but if you're like me and have skin that is changeable with it's enviroment or just have plain old oily skin, this'll be great. I so look forward to not having my entire face slide into my lap by the end of the day! YAY!
June 18, 2013
BeFine Ginger and Willow Bark Firming Toner is great. I go crazy with this stuff in the summer when my face feels all greasy and out of sorts from the Texas heat and humidity. And at that price? How can you NOT try it? It's really refreshing and is a great step before applying makeup, as it really closes up the pores and makes skin firm and fresh. I would probably not use it in the winter when my skin dries up from all of the artificial heat, but again I'd say it's the perfect summer toner. It's so refreshing to see something be both this effective and this low cost.
June 18, 2013
Strivectin Neck Cream is a tightening and skin conditioning cream that visibly firms and tightens the neck area and your decolletage. The problem I have with it is, well, the weirdness of their attempt to gain your attention with their packaging. On the front of the box in enormous letters it says " Got Turkey Neck?" Good Lord, that's rude! I realize that they're simply trying to grab your attention, but it smacks a little too much of 'teenager acting out so Daddy will notice her' to me. Yeah, I noticed it, but not for the right reasons. I received this in a sampler which is the only reason I tried it out- I would have never actually bought this as the turkey neck thing really turned me off. Why would such a pricey prestige brand stoop to such depths? But I digress. I don't have a turkey neck, but I also do not want one either. After about a month of using this in lieu of my face moisturizer for my neck, I have to report that the skin on my neck does feel tighter, softer too. Where I'm really happy though is with my decolletage. I am seeing a definite improvement in the firmness and appearance of the skin, and my stretch marks are rapidly diminishing. I am of the, shall we say, busty variety, so to use this as a bust cream for me is really putting this stuff to the test! Their website says they have a 30 day money back guarantee, so they themselves are pretty confident in their product. I have read mixed reviews- some see it as the second coming while others see it as overpriced. I can say that it is super concentrated. A 7ml jar has lasted me a month and I've only used roughly half of it. Granted I am not applying twice daily like I'm supposed to as in the mornings I'm lucky if I remember to put on pants.
June 18, 2013
I have yet to be disappointed in any DDF products. After application of this serum, the skin immediately feels smoother and on me, my redness is greatly reduced. They say it reduces free-radical damage by 24%, which I believe based on how my skin ate this stuff up. I like that the company was formed by actual dermatologists, so it's not just some big company throwing some ingredients together to make a buck. It's obvious that a lot of knowledge and research goes into all of their products.
June 18, 2013
is a drugstore brand with some lovely colors. They're obviously trying to bring OPI to mind with their bottles. Unfortunately they don't last as well as OPI, but they're good for a cheapie and they're really well pigmented. They are also free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. I'm wearing the burgundy apple right now and have gotten tons of compliments on the color. It's very high shine and goes on smoothly, but if you don't put on a top coat as soon as your color dries, it will chip at the tips really quickly. Unfortunately, some of their formulas are really thin and streaky, particularly their bright colors.
June 15, 2013
I really like that Zoya has an astounding assortment of colors as well as being free of harmful chemicals. They are safe for use by pregnant women and those with chemical sensitivites, which your average brand is not. "Zoya Nail Polish has been awarded as the longest wearing natural nail polish by an independent panel in Women’s Health Magazine. Zoya Nail Polish is a nail polish free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. Nail Polish by Zoya offers over 300 gorgeous nail polish colors to choose from, plus 4 seasonal collections of nail polish every year. Zoya Nail Polish was specifically formulated to deliver the longest wear possible on natural nails." The one downside is that you have to have to have to put on a top coat or this will be chipped within a day, or at least on me, anyway. Granted, I am very hard on my nails, as I am constantly shelving and pulling books and typing. I experimented and used a clear top coat on one hand and none on the other and it made a huge difference. Another downside is that you must really shake it up well or it will be gloppy and go on thick, which results in smears and crazy long dry time. I recommend giving it a super duper shake up to begin with and then recapping and giving it a few extra before going to the next hand. Make sure you've given yourself plenty of drying time between coats, and remove extra clinging to the brush to avoid gloppiness. If you don't mind taking a little extra time with your nails, Zoya is well worth the extra effort.
June 15, 2013
Not only is it the natural option, but it's also an effective cleanser that removes makeup AND dirt completely, leaving the skin feeling clean but still balanced. Philosophy maintains that this formula was created to eliminate the need for a toner, but if I have the time or energy, I will still use one simply to ensure that I've gotten all my face funk. I absolutely LOVE the clean herby smell which is quite relaxing. My travel sized bottle of this was my mainstay over the Christmas holidays as we roamed the state trying to cram in four families. Texas is a VERY big state, and we covered warm and humid, wet and cold, and dry and windy. We spent many many hours in the car and through it all, this cleanser kept my skin happy and healthy and worked well no matter the environmental circumstances.
June 14, 2013
Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser is my go to for when I'm in a hurry and just want to clean up as quick as possible. It works especially well for those days when you're not wearing makeup or have on mineral makeup, it's not as effective at cleaning if you have on long wear makeup unless you use a washcloth, which negates the whole point of being splash away. Now if you do use a cloth, it'll get you squeaky clean, but I like that I can just splash some water on my face and be done. it rinses off extremely easily and doesn't leave a residue. This is also a favorite for starting my skin out in the morning to get off my sleep funk.
June 14, 2013