I love this holiday. Not for the food (okay, not JUST for the food), but because it’s one of those days each year that people pause for a moment and really assess the number of things they have in their lives that are wonderful. I have a fantastic family and wonderful friends, and just here in the beauty blogging community I’ve met so many amazing people who I  feel lucky to converse with daily. Often we forget about all these fantastic things in our lives, and I think that any moments we get to remember that are a blessing. Try not to wait a whole year before you sit down to be thankful again, okay? Beauty comes from within and happiness and peace are wonderful beauty tools!

I will be working at the crack of dawn and I usually skip Black Friday shopping anyways, but there are plenty of online deals to be had if you plan on staying home(hooray for the internets!). I am particularly fond of Zoya’s Green Friday event, which is a great deal and sounds like a ton of fun. Since Black Friday is SO last year, Zoya will reward  your $20 purchase from them with 6, count ‘em SIX, of their favorite green polishes for FREE. That’s a $42 value! Just make your purchase from now through 5 pm EST Friday afternoon and enter the code: GREENFRIDAY at checkout. Simple, no? And if you’re looking for something other than polish for stocking stuffers this year, might I reccomend picking up a few of their new Hot Lips Glossy Lip Balms? I grabbed Marachino, Meow, and Luck during the free gloss promo a few weeks ago and I have to say that I pretty much love them. They are a perfectly pigmented gloss with a hint of fruit punchy flavor. They aren’t the least bit sticky and they really leave my lips feeling soft and moisturized. Meow is a little lighter than I personally care for, but it is exactly as advertised and I adore the two others I recieved.  So look at it this way: You can buy 4 glosses, keeping two for yourself of course, and still have goodies to gift to 8 of your girlfriends for next to nothing!

Also out there right now is Lancome’s Friends and Family deal. Through November 30th you can save 20% on purchases from lancome-usa.com with the code: HOLIDAYJOY2 at checkout. Of course there are some exclusions (not valid on eGift certificates, Gift Sets or Beauty Box purchases), but if you wanted to stock up on your cleanser or try something new (like the La Laque Fever lipshine, which I love) this is the time to treat yourself.

So get off the computer and enjoy some time with those you love. Don’t worry, we’ll still be here when you get back!

My indispensable beauty item?  Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencils.

And four new shades just in time for the holidays!  How can something so simple bring such joy?!

• Crash: deep plum w/ teeny silver glitter
• Binge: navy blue
• Mildew: deep green (eww on the name UD – way nice on the color  ;P)
• Oil Slick: black w/ teeny silver glitter

Oh. My. Gosh. Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh… I find myself so ridiculously excited about Aromaleigh’s newest collection and it’s something I never expected to be so stoked about.

A little over a week ago Kristen sent out a link on Twitter about the new Hi-Fi Matte collection. I’m not generally a matte type of gal, and I usually go to Aromaleigh for all things shiny, shimmery, and sparkling, but I clicked through anyway…and instantly fell in love! I think a lot of the reason I love these so much is because of her inspiration. She uses a lot of my favorite words like: 50’s, kitsch, sci-fi posters, tulle and organza. How could I not adore a collection ispired by so many wonderful things? The swatches are magnificent and the dresses pictured below them make me feel all swoonish.

If you’re anything like me then you’ll want to order your samples as soon as they become available! I’ll be waiting until they become a weekly sale special because, well, we’re college students with 3 kids and we’re not made of money ya know, but this collection has enthusiastically jumped itself up to the top of my “must have” list. As an added bit of fun (because what is Aromaleigh if not FUN?), there’s a nifty Willy Wonka/Golden Ticket style contest through the end of the year and if you have a purchase to make anyway why not check out the details?
I think these new mattes look peachy keen and I can’t wait to get pictures of these babies in action for you! I think Fake Out, Cat’s Pajamas, Heels on Fire, and Spaz are going to be my favorites, what about you?

My job is hard on nail polish. Nitrile or latex gloves are a must and we are constantly changing into fresh pairs. The constant off and on of the moisture sapping protective layer, as well as liberal use of hand sanitizer, leaves nail polish chipped and worn. Sometimes you can get lucky and have your polish last 2-3 days looking lovely, but usually it’s only a matter of hours until your polish that you painstakingly applied the night before is looking like a mani you received a week ago! The search for a nail polish solution is never ending at my workplace, and I’m out to find it!

I follow Zoya polish on Twitter and keep an eye on their specials. When they anounced a BOGO sale I decided it was finally time for me to step up and try some out for myself. I admire Zoya’s commitment to a good quality product as free from extra chemicals as possible. They also have a selection of colors that is mindblowing, with 300+ regular colors and numerous other colors from collections. You’re sure to find whatever color you’re looking for, plus several that you just HAVE to have. Along with some fun new colors, one of the items I added to my cart was the Anchor Basecoat, since a good base is the logical first step in  getting decent staying power. Read the rest of this entry »

The economy has been hurting and companies are getting creative with savings!  Besides the awesome 30% Friends & Family deal over at Urban Decay, I wanted to post about a great deal that is being offered at a favorite online skin care store, SkinCareRx.

Click on the this link, read through the President’s Letter to receive your GiftCard SkinCareRx code and save yourself a serious chunk of change! Right now you can receive a $40 GiftCard to be used with any purchase of $100 or more (yep, $40 received from $100 would equal a 40% savings)!   So any of those high-priced, high-tech cosmeceuticals that you have been drooling over but couldn’t afford are now at a more favorable price tag.

Tis that time of year when our favorite cosmetic companies start dangling “Friends & Family” promos in front of our makeup-lusting eyes!

And just in, Urban Decay announced their 30% off Friends & Family sale, good now until November 20th. From their 24/7 Eyeliners to their newest Surreal Skin Cream To Powder Foundation, 30% off is too good to pass up!  Just use the code “FNFW1″ at checkout and hit REDEEM COUPON on the Urban Decay site.

Let our latest reviews of Urban Decay be your guide:

Fall Trends a la Jen

Trends for fall, or, Welcome back COLOR!

Shop responsibly and be gorgeous!

This week my 15 year old daughter Amanda came running to her momma for skin care advice.  She had developed a deep, painful zit on her mid-forehead and was feeling beyond frustrated.  Before coming to me, she tried to extract it, which resulted in more inflammation, redness, damage to the skin around the blemish, and morphed it into a monster zit that closely resembled a “third eye.”  Although it was Halloween, she did not want this new and enhanced feature to be a part of her costume.

After delivering my “do what I say, not what I do” lecture on not squeezing at a deep pimple, I sent her to my bathroom closet for a few of my favorite acne spot treatment remedies. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the things that gets us going here at MBB is honesty. I mean, finding the truth behind claims about products is pretty much what we’re all about. It’s right there in the name, “Mythbuster”.  We do our very best to research ingredients and try everything out for ourselves rather than just regurgitating PR blurbs and reciting the company line that we’re handed. I think it’s readily apparent that if we don’t think something is effective or worth the price tag we’ll say so, and integrity is a core principle around here.

Another thing we feel is important is finding and supporting independent businesses, those companies who also believe honesty and integrity are priceless commodities. I have been very lucky to meet(virtually at least) bloggers and business owners who work their tails off everyday to do the right thing and present a product worthy of putting their name on. A lot of time, sweat, and tears have been poured into mixing, formulating, and fine tuning products until they’re just right for consumers. Nowhere I have I seen this in such force as in the mineral makeup(mmu) community. Custom blends, new products, and limited edition collections are a lot more work for an independent business owner than it is for a huge company with hundreds or thousands of employees at its disposal. The time and information I have received from some of these business owners is truly amazing and much appreciated. So when I started hearing more and more rumblings online amongst mmu lovers, I sat up and began to take notice. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m sure you have all heard that getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night is optimal for your health. Sleep is our bodies’ way of renewing itself and recuperating from the stress and the daily wear and tear of life. I honestly try to get my full 7 to 8 hours, heck, and I’d love 9 if I could manage it, but realistically women have many responsibilities that don’t always stop when the lights go off.  Between pets, kids and toys that spontaneously start *bleeping* in the wee hours, we often don’t get what our bodies need.

I recently received a letter from a busy mother of four even busier children. Becky writes,

Dear Jen,

I have a question for my friend the beauty blogger….what can I do about these puffy, dark eyes that I have? (Thanks in large part, I am sure to my beautiful new daughter! ) Do you have any ideas? I am currently using a Bobbi Brown eye moisturizing cream, but it does not seem to be doing the trick. I’d love any ideas.

I completely understand Becky, the one place that really shows the lack of sleep (and our age) are our eyes. Read the rest of this entry »

Lest I leave you all hanging through a whole weekend with nothing to drop your hard earned coin on…
Sephora’s Friends and Family sale! Through November 2nd use code FF2009 for 20% off.

Might I suggest:

Urban Decay’s 24/7 super stash
Aquolina’s Pink Sugar fragrance (always a winner at work)
Too Faced Shadow Insurance(good time to stock up on basics)
TheBalm’s Shady Lady eyeshadow pallette
Or splurge on something really great and treat yourself to a Clarisonic or ThermaClear

What are you eyeing for YOUR friends and family discount?