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Maybe I’m suffering from short-term amnesia, but I barely remember Fall happening…however, I still managed to test out plenty of new beauty and skincare products. These are some of my faves:
Revlon Colorstay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin
Normally, I wear my Skin79 Hot Pink BB Cream mixed with tinted moisturizer every day – however, I turn to this long-wearing foundation when I need more coverage and staying power. Holy smokes, this makeup DOES NOT BUDGE. If I have a long day ahead of me or I’m going out at night with friends, this foundation is a must-have, especially because I don’t have to worry about sweating it off. I’ve found that the best way to apply this is with my fingers, as opposed to using a brush or a sponge. I also love that compared to higher end longwear foundations, the price is affordable (about $12, give or take a few bucks, and depending on whether you’re using coupons). I absolutely HATE the packaging though – it’s really wasteful. I don’t understand why Revlon hasn’t put a pump on this baby yet.
(FYI – in the summer I wear the shade Early Tan; in the fall/winter I wear the shade Warm Golden.)
Fellow beauty addicts – if you have ever stepped foot in a Sephora store, you have probably heard of the Clarisonic Sonic Skin Cleansing System, which comes to us from the makers of the Sonicare toothbrush. Basically, it’s a similar device intended to deep clean your skin.
FROM CLARISONIC.COM: Sonic skin cleansing improves skin tone, reduces the appearance of pore size and helps skin care products work their best. The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth skin. In just 60 seconds, the micro-massage action removes 6X more makeup and 2X more dirt and oil than cleansing with your hands alone. Removing more dirt and oil from your pores also helps products work more effectively.
Read more…
CONFESSION: I’m not a huge fan of foundation. Luckily, being Asian, I’ve been blessed with fairly obedient (and even-toned) skin, so for most of my adult life I’ve been able to get away with just wearing tinted moisturizer as a base. Alas, soon I shall be on the wrong side of 30, and I’m starting to get paranoid that it’s starting to show in my skin tone. However, I’m not quite ready to start slathering layers of foundation and concealer on like spackle. Solution? BB cream.
What the heck is BB cream, you ask? The short answer to that question is that BB cream is kind of hybrid face product – foundation, concealer, primer and tinted moisturizer in one. BB creams originated in Asia, and were initially targeted as a treatment for post-plastic surgery patients. Most tend to contain a fairly high SPF, which is great in my opinion, as I’ve always had problems finding tinted moisturizers with good sun protection. Another claim you’ll usually spot on BB cream packaging is “whitening” – as in, scar, freckle and blemish fading, NOT toothpaste-like whitening. I’m not completely sold on that claim…but I figure that it can’t hurt, either.
One of my biggest beauty pet peeves is chipped nail polish.
So I’ve been intrigued by the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips that are available at drugstores, because the buzz is that they are extremely long lasting, in addition to being easy to apply. My interest piqued after seeing my friend Christine rock them in the multi-colored glitter Frock Star pattern, because they actually looked like real nail polish, as opposed to stickers or press-on nails (shudder).
I finally had the opportunity to test the strips out after receiving a package of goodies from Carolann (and Frank the Wonderpug) which included samples of the leopard print Kitty Kitty pattern.
‘Expecting conceit they found courtesy. Expecting arrogance they found a man concerned with people’s thoughts and feelings.’
And me - expecting a sweet little story – found an in-your-face, wham bam, bordering-on-vulgar, yet nonetheless exciting mobster tale. Let me tell you, dear little Jackie Collins has got a mouth on her like a truck driver. She frequently drops the f’bomb, hesitates little in calling women C-U-Next-Tuesdays or – most blush-inducing for me because I hate the word – the p word {the p-word = sometimes followed by cat or willow}, and describes sexual acts in extreme details, aka this book is NOT for the faint of heart.
Me and SEP (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) go way way back. I discovered her novel ‘Fancy Pants’, sitting all alone on a little old bookshelf, in a small bookstore somewhere along the east coast. And since then I have religiously read every single one of SEP’s books – at least twice; a few a dozen times.
‘B*tch: a reflection of people’s lack of creativity & inability to acknowledge & embrace a powerful woman; a woman who won’t comply’
Have you happened to read Kelly Cutrone’s new book … ’If You Have to Cry, Go Outside’? Because I just finished it. The premise was all about personal experiences, funny anecdotes, embarrassing mistakes and a call for female empowerment. Some of it made me giggle … {see below}
