Sunday, September 25, 2011

Pump Up the Volume

Ah. I can't believe that I haven't done a post in so long! I've been busy and I had no time :(

TIGI BED HEAD Superstar Blowdry Lotion for Thick Massive Hair
My hair is all one length with no layers, so I really don't have any volume at the top. I'm always on the hunt for anything that promotes volume and this is a winner. I saw this at Target and it was buy one get one free, so I thought i'd try it. I've been using this for the past six months and it works awesome!

I was in a huge hurry when I was doing my hair today that I rushed through everything and I forgot to use this. I could tell the difference that this makes and without it, my hair is flat. It says that you can use it on damp or dry hair, but i've only used it on damp. I feel like if it were to be used on totally dry hair that it may be too stiff. This stuff is more of a serum than a lotion, it's watery and clear rather than thick.

I first towel dry my hair and add my other goodies, I use this product last. I pour a little into my hands and rub together, you don't need much of this at all, and I kind of scrunch it into my roots and concentrate it at the top. I blowdry my hair upside down until it's about 80% dry, then I finish with my head up. While i'm finishing drying, I over-part my hair so it's parted waaaay to the side, if that makes any sense, and i leave it that way until my hair is cooled. I do this because I feel like it helps with volume. This product definitely gives my hair a noticeable lift without it being sticky, stiff, or greasy. I love that this doesn't just last a few hours or even just the first day. It also protects against heat damage from styling! The bottle doesn't really give directions, so i wasted a bit of it trying to figure out how much I needed.

This is the best "volumizing" product that i've used and if your hair needs a little somethin' somethin', i'd give this a try.
xx

Monday, September 12, 2011

Pond's Cold Cream

I know I did a post last month about my favorite cleansing cream and how i'd never use anything else, well....I was kind of "forced" to buy something else. While I still love the Merle Norman Cleansing Cream, the new product i'm using is just as amazing.

I ran completely out of my cleansing cream and there isn't anywhere for me to buy it where i'm living, so I needed a cleanser until I move back to Texas. I wanted to get something very similiar to what I was using, so I looked around online and found Pond's Cold Cream. My face is very sensitive and I was thinking that I was going to have to try a few before I found something that my skin liked, but from the beginning it's been great. I've been using it since about mid August and I love it. The only difference between the two is the scent, other than that they do the same exact thing with the same result. The Merle Norman one is pretty pricey, so I was surprised to find something just as good for only $4.69 at Target.

Like the other, it's thick, creamy, removes all kinds of makeup, cleanses, and leaves the skin feeling moisturized and soft.
  • The first thing I do is get some product on a cotton ball and rub it over my eyes to remove my eye makeup. It doesn't burn or sting at all if it gets into your eyes.
  • Then, I wet my face a little and smooth it all over my face and neck and leave it alone for about 5 minutes. Sometimes at night, I leave it on a little longer and I put a hot wash cloth over my face and it feels so good.
  • The last thing I do is remove it with a warm wash cloth, dry off my face, and add my moisturizer. I use Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream at night, Benefit b.right Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 PA++ in the morning, and Benefit b.right It's Potent Eye Cream morning and night.
I'm so excited that I found this cheaper alternative that will do the same thing for my face! I think that even when I move back home i'll still keep using this instead of the other, unless it makes my face suddenly freak out.
xx

Friday, September 9, 2011

Top 10 MAC Eye Shadows

I always enjoy reading top favorites of anything and it's fun to see what different people choose.
These are my top 10 MAC eye shadows that I wear on any given day. The shadows blend so well and are very pigmanted. These are in no certain order and are all in the permanent line.

Top L-R - Mystery, Folie, Sable, Satin Taupe, Shale
Bottom L-R - Club, Mulch, Tempting, Patina, Shroom

Mystery satin
Cool toned dark brown with no shimmer -
I use this in my crease, outter corner, and as an eyeliner.
Folie satin
Warm reddish plummy brown with no shimmer -
I use this in my crease and outter corner.
Sable velvet
Plummy brown with a pinky bronze metallic shimmer -
I use this all over.
Satin Taupe frost
Plummy brown taupe with a grayish frost -
I use this all over.
Shale satin
Dirty plum with a mauve gray frost -
I use this on my lid. This might be my top favorite?
Club satin
Warm reddish brown with a green sheen -
I use this all over. It's such a fun color to play with. It goes on brown with a green sheen then is blended out to a warm brown.
Mulch velvet
Reddish brown with bronze shimmer -
I use this all over.
Tempting lustre
Light brown with bronzy gold shimmer -
I use this all over. This color is so rich, creamy, and fantastic! I do get a lot of fall out but it's worth it. Every time I look at it it reminds me of jewels.
Patina frost
Light golden brown with a tarnished gold sheen -
I use this on my lid.
Shroom satin
Pale beige with a soft frost -
I use this on my brow bone. This is my favorite highlight color with the perfect sheen and no heavy shimmer.

I used to not care for shadows with shimmer, but now I love them!
xx

Sunday, September 4, 2011

On the Spot

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment, Vanishing Formula
Aaaaamazing!

It is a small tube, at only .75 oz, but you only need a teensy bit.
I woke up with a red spot on my face a few days ago and I just left it alone and didn't mess with it. Now, usually when I get spots they go away on their own but this one was being stubborn. It just got bigger and was very sore. I've never bought or tried a product that claims to make a pimple disappear but I was getting desperate. I looked at all the options at the store and I liked what this one offered the most, and there were only two left so I took that as a good sign.

You of course wouldn't use this much on one pimple, but this is how it looks. 
Last night I washed my face and then applied it on my big, red pimple and went to bed. I didn't really rub it in, I just placed it directly on the spot. When I woke up this morning I was amazed! The redness was completely gone, it had shrunk like over half the size, and it was no longer sore. The soreness was my biggest issue. It didn't irritate my sensitive skin at all, but it did dry my pimple out a bit. I'd rather have a little dry skin that can be fixed with moisturizer than spots. It's hard on the pimple but gentle on the skin while killing the acne. You can apply it gradually up to three times a day but once a day seems to work fine. It says that it's good to use a THIN layer all over where you have or get acne to prevent new pimples from forming. I love how this product is cheap and it truly does make your spots vanish!!

I'm so excited that I found this and I can never be without it! It really is the perfect fix.
xx