Okay, we all know about cotton swabs and their many magical cosmetics uses. Wet, dry, straight, angled…there are about a million ways you can use those little babies. I love that such a simple, inexpensive item you have hanging around your house can be so useful and versatile, so I thought I would share with you my second favorite household beauty tool, a plain old 3×5 card. Read the rest of this entry »

Its well into 2010 and Mythbuster Beauty needs to get things rolling as well. Recently I was asked by SkinCareRx.com to launch a giveaway that will offer a $150 Gift Card to the winner - w00t-w00t! SkinCareRx.com carries over 150+ highly esteemed brands in skin care and beauty (SkinCeuticals, Obagi, Dermalogica, Murad…) to list a few. SkinCareRx.com also has an exceedingly user-friendly site and a team of estheticians that you can call to help you select the products that will work best for you. Pretty dang sweet, n’est ce-pas? 

Enter to win a SkinCareRx.com $150 Gift Card!

For the first required entry, please go to the SkinCeuticals brand page at SkinCareRx.com and share with us the SkinCeuticals product (I know, its difficult to choose just one!) that you would love to try.

If you’d like extra entries (after the required entry is completed), please leave a comment on this post for each additional entry:

1. One additional entry for becoming a fan of the SkinCareRx.com page on Facebook.
2. One entry for making a comment on the SkinCareRx.com Facebook page.
3. One entry for following SkinCareRx on Twitter – (http://twitter.com/skincarerx1)
4. 2 entries to tweet about this giveaway, or retweet about a mention of this post.
5. Blog about this contest with a link back to the SkinCeuticals page at SkinCareRx.com and MythbusterBeauty.com for five extra entries. (The post should be at least 100 words and be an actual blog post, not just a short sentence.):D

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and will end February 8, 2010. The winner will be posted on this blog (in this post) and will be e-mailed (please be sure to leave an e-mail address if you aren’t a blogger or if it isn’t part of your profile). You will have 72 hours to reply.

I was in the mood for a real treat when I headed out the other day. I recently scored some Revlon and Almay goodies on sale for less than 2 bucks apiece and I was bound and determined to use the savings to buy something outrageous and wonderful. In addition, I just aced some really important testing at work and I totally deserve something special for all my hard work, right?

I started out looking at eye shadows, but once I thought about the 200+ colors I had at home, I realized I probably didn’t need yet another one. In the end I settled on buying a new nail polish and after perusing the counters for a while I decided that I was going to pony up the coin for Chanel’s nail colour in “Particuliere”.   Now, this bottle of polish set me back more than my lunch did that day($23), but, oh, *swoon* it was worth every penny!

Normally I wouldn’t spend $23 on a nail polish, much less a taupe polish, but the sales associate really hooked me when she said that the gray tone of this taupe would be especially flattering on my fair skin. Hey, you make it sound like being pale is to my advantage and I’ll bite almost every time. I’ve always been pleased with the performance of Chanel’s polish in the past and I didn’t see anything I wanted more, so I snatched up my expensive little bag and headed home.

Oh my wow. Seriously, there is a reason this is THE color to love this season. Just look:

First off, this is one coat, ONE. The color is so rich and creamy that you can hardly tell it’s not fully opaque without a second coat. Totally passable with a single coat in a pinch, and it dries quickly. It’s so smooth and shiny and it wears really, really well. Those nails took a beating when I cleaned my kitchen floor and came out of it looking like a dream, a little worn on the tips, but no chips at all.
The color is simple and classic with enough of a twist that there’s just nothing else out there to match it. Over at All Lacquered Up there’s another great review with swatches and comparisons and Michelle seemed to like it too, so that makes it two thumbs up.
Ultimately, $23 is a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a nail polish if you plan on purchasing it on a regular basis, BUT, I think this color and it’s longevity make it more than worth a special occasion splurge. I never thought I’d be so happy to have anything taupe, much less taupe that I’d pay that kind of coin for. Go to the nearest Chanel counter and slide some of that delicious gorgeousness across your fingernail and then see if YOU can say no!

One of my best beauty blogging friends wrote an excellent post on ways we can help the people of Haiti. Please be sure to visit Jami’s site today!

Supporting Haiti – How a Bionic Beauty can help…

Do you ever have those moments when you just have to go buy something new? I have those moments every now and then, especially when it comes to my cosmetics collection. However, I’m also fairly frugal, so I generally try to fill this craving by hitting up my local Walgreens or Target rather than heading to someplace more expensive. This has a few benefits in addition to the reduced stress on my pocketbook. For one you aren’t getting pressure from a commissioned salesperson and, second, you can often find products that are similar to what you’d find at the bigger cosmetics counters. Plus, if you buy something and hate it, you haven’t spend and arm and a leg on it just to toss it in your drawer.

My latest beauty department foray had me searching for a new lip color, something to pep up the dreary rainy days we’ve been having around here lately. In recent months I’ve been  collecting pink/peachy colors, so I was in the mood for something with a little more depth. I found almost exactly what I was looking for on an endcap with the word “NEW” splashed all over it. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone is doing a top 10 list this time of year, so I’m bucking the trend and sharing my 5 favorite, can’t live without, must have items from the last year. These are the things I decided I will continue to buy as long as they’re available because I love them so much that they’ve become an instinctive part of my routine. Here they are, in no particular order of preference:

1)Aquolina Pink Sugar fragrance. This stuff makes me feel so happy and cozy that I rarely start a day without it, whether I’m going to work, headed out running errands, or just staying in and cleaning house. My kids are always telling me I smell delicious and my significant other tends to agree. Another perk about this fragrance is that it is available just about anywhere I go, from Sephora to Ulta to Nordstrom. I think the simple fragrances of caramel and cotton candy capture our inner child, while the more complex bergamot, musk, and fig leaves entice our mature palates. Ive always enjoyed oriental fragrances, and I think this is oriental with a dash of fun. Read the rest of this entry »

Even if you don’t follow skin care, at some point or another you have probably heard of an AHA.  AHAs or Alpha Hydroxy Acids are often used in skin care to aid in the exfoliation of the skin.  Many moons ago (about 15 years ago I think), the Alpha Hydrox line was released and constant ads were touting its amazing skin rejuvenating powers.  I kept saying to myself, it sounds promising, but put acid on my skin – is that really safe?  This is also about the time that chemical peels were becoming popular and the tabloids would report about “deep peel horror stories” and women being scarred for life.

The pH level of the skin ideally should be slightly acidic (at about 5.5).  The skin is designed to create an Acid Mantle which protects the skin from the elements and other nasty intruders (like bacteria and fungus).  To learn more about the Acid Mantle, there is a very informative article on the SkinCareRx.com site about maintaining the proper pH balance of the skin, “Maintaining the Ideal pH:  Create beautiful skin that will last a lifetime.” Read the rest of this entry »

Sometime amid the chaos in our house today my previously written post was deleted by one of my darling little munchkins. I can’t say for sure which one of the monsters shut down my browser without hitting save first because they’ve banded together quite admirably and aren’t naming names. Oh well, it gave me the energy to whip up another batch of cookies and I have to love the fact that for once they aren’t falling all over themselves to tattle.

As I may have mentioned a time or twenty before, I have blemish prone skin, even in my 30’s. I’m also creeping into fine line territory and I believe I have definitely whined before about how unfair this is. The major problem is that there aren’t really many products for women in my position. There are scads of acne control products on the market, and an infinite number of wrinkle creams and treatments, but I’ve had trouble finding a product for that lucky woman who has need of both. Besides the expense of doubling up on products to treat both issues, I’m irritated by the difficulty I have finding just the right balance between acne and wrinkle treatments. Intense wrinkle creams can often exacerbate oily skin and many acne treatments are drying, so using both at once can sometimes be counterproductive. I need a lightweight moisturizer that will help prevent aging without breaking out my already finicky skin, is that so much to ask? Read the rest of this entry »

Wanting to knock their socks off this Christmas?!  Counting down to the big day, here are a few great places to get some awesome stocking stuffer items!

@ Urban Decay:  Holiday Gift Guide

@ tarte Cosmetics:  12 Days of Savings!

@ Alison Raffaele Cosmetics:  Exclusive 2 day online Holiday Sale – Dec 16-18th 5pm ET.

50% off ALL Alison Raffaele Cosmetics + $8 Skin Alison Raffaele Stocking Stuffers!  Use coupon code: HOLIDAY09 at checkout (case sensitive)

@ Apothica.com:  Stocking Stuffer Ideas

And if you fancy skin care, SkinCareRx.com is hosting a 12 Days of Giveaways on their facebook fan page.  Running now through Dec. 24th, one daily winner will win their selected prize (many valued over $50)!  A nice selection of skin care and cosmetics from Colorescience, Obagi, PCA, M2 and even a $50 GiftCard!

Another reminder that most sites are announcing that Friday, December 18th is the last day to order and get your items through standard shipping before December 24th.

And isn’t that just the MOST adorable apron you have ever seen?!!!  The Stitch Thru Time site is amazing, and I am really drooling over this polka-dot pattern!

Begging Jen’s forgiveness, I’m posting a little late this week. Which is pretty much the way I’m doing everything this holiday season. Nobody else out there is late  prepping for the holidays are they? I’m sure you all have everything collected and neatly wrapped, stashed in a closet or under the tree, all ready for giving, right? Well, there’s bound to be a few of you who are like me and haven’t even begun to SHOP yet, much less start the wrapping. For you I have some quick tidbits from the one place you can always shop, the internet!

First, you only have 2 days left to take advantage of  the friends and family deal from tarte. 40% site wide AND a complimentary card case with purchases over $25? Um, heck yeah! Use code: FFDEC at checkout for this hot deal.

Fresh is offering free standard shipping on all orders through Dec 14th with the code HOLIDAY09. If you haven’t checked out their stuff yet you totally should. Who wouldn’t want a bar of Sugar Lychee soap in their stocking this year? Their selection isn’t limited to just soap either, with body and skin care products for any woman (or man) in your life.

Sephora has a whole section of nothing but value sets, including the much beloved Lash Stash. Or check out the Lancome Juicy Tubes set that gives you glosses for 8 of your favorite gal pals (or yourself!), for less than 40 bucks. There’s even a section of gifts that ship free, so you can “make up” for being a little late by having it shipped right to your loved ones door at no additional charge.

Skin Botanica has some really great stuff in their 2010 catalog, and even more on their site. The derma e products are very reasonably priced and I’ve been pleased with what I’ve tried from them so far. But what really caught my eye were the Eminence products right on the cover.  How could I look at something called “Blueberry Soy Sugar Scrub” and not instantly deem it drool worthy?! Their selection of masques is equally enticing and you’re sure to find one perfectly suited for your bestie or favorite beauty blogger (Cranberry Pomegranate or Sugar Plum? Hmmm…)

Finally though, a quick personal note after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »