Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I caved. I gave in. I indulged.


I bought blue nail polish.

Blue CHANEL nail polish.

And I heart it!

It's dark without being macabre. And trendy without being obnoxiously distasteful. (For an almost-30-year-young anyway.)

Blue. Who knew?

Monday, March 24, 2008

Veritas

I've been reading, quite a bit actually, about a "truth in blogging" movement that's picking up momentum. In a nutshell, readers and writers have started to implore bloggers to show their REAL skin. Are they a brand manager hiding behind a Typepad ISP in order to draw traffic to their proprietary sites? Is the stay-at-home mom actually a "he" paid by an advertising agency to garner traffic to increase ad exposure for their clients?

So the truth is this. I work for a retailer in their Beauty Division. I get a bit of what is called "gratis" and am privy to products and launches before anything hits a counter or shelf or ecomm storefront. But I also purchase a good amount (actually a majority) of the products that are featured on this blog and I have the credit card statements to prove it. I do this as a hobby because I am a product junkie and I enjoy writing. I don't get paid to do this. And from here on out, I will mention the provenance of what I'm reviewing - whether it was purchased, bartered, or graciously given - you'll know how it ended up on my bathroom counter.

the Px for comfort


I received my first bottle of this as gratis but have become such a fan I’ve started buying it.

The refreshing thing about this product is that it’s just a moisturizer. Plain and simple. It doesn’t promise to minimize that or reduce this – it just moisturizes. I use Differin 0.3% at night and don’t like the thought of layering another treatment product on top. So to keep the drying effects of the Differin to a minimum, I lay this on top and wake up with skin that feels comfortable. For winter months when I’m really dry, I use its cousin, Comfort Cream (which is not oil-free).

The only thumbs down would be the smell, but if you’re familiar with Prescriptives products, you know that everything is unscented. I would love this product in a nice, minty scent.
Oh! There’s an idea! Custom scented skin care products!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

I have a confession.

I pick. No! Not my nose!

My...you know…

Zits.

I know what you're thinking. Eeeew! Gross! But I also know that a vast majority of you are guilty of the same crime! So there!

But I do have a little magic potion in my arsenal to absolve my sins. I've been using this stuff since highschool. (Wow. That's almost 15 years.)

But before the “what” and “how” I offer a little lesson.

Not all toners are created equal!

There's a difference between tonics, astringent, and fresheners. Astringents contain the most amount of alcohol - that's why it can sometimes leave your skin feeling like the Sahara Desert. They can contain anywhere from 20-60% alcohol and are generally recommended for oilier skins. Tonics (not of the "Gin and" variety) can be 10-20% alcohol - great for normal to oily skin. Fresheners - the mildest and most gentle form of toners - contain 0-10% of alcohol. This category of toner generally also contains a humectant which helps retain moisture in the upper-most layers of your skin - fabuloso for drier and more sensitive skins.

I have oily skin but am also topically dry. (Let me tell you - a GREAT combination to have.) But this green gem contains Tea Tree Oil so it's a great antiseptic, is low on the alcohol content so it doesn't dry me out, but also has glycerin, which is a great humectant. Infact, during the summer, I don't even need to moisturize after washing my face. I swab some of this on and I am good to go!

Now back to the "picking". After the excavation, I get a good amount on a cotton ball and press it onto the "spot". Leave it there for a minute or two and it stops the bleeding and any other type of ooziness and crustiness.

(I never said absolution was sexy.)

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Um yeah...


not loving the razors.

The "citrus scent" is non-existent.

The blade was dull after one use.
I guess it's back to using the Lobster's razor!

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Really!?


I just think this is so funny!

Scented RAZORS!

Who dreamt that up? What's the point? I haven't used them yet but I can imagine how well the citrus scent IS NOT going to swirl together with my shampoo and body wash.