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 »

Hi there, it’s your friendly primer & foundation fanatic friend Jen!  This summer I took a very quick trip to Las Vegas and made sure to stop over at the Sephora store on the strip.  While going through the store, I came across the Hourglass Cosmetics display and sampled their primer.  The product itself seemed very compelling to buy, but the price tag ($52) kept me from doing so.

A few months later I was given to review (big woot!) and was overjoyed to try out the Hourglass Veil fluid makeup foundation and Veil Mineral Primer for Mythbuster Beauty.

The Veil Mineral Primer differs from many primers because it does not have the heavy dimethicone feel, and being oil-free does seem to mattify and even out the look of the skin.  I am not sure Read the rest of this entry »

So I told you I’d try to get my hands on some of Aromaleigh’s new Hi-Fi Mattes and take some pictures for you. And then Kristen, THE Kristen, sent a package of pretty little things straight to my ugly little mailbox! To say I was overjoyed would be quite the understatement. Even though it wasn’t yet noon, I washed my face and started all over again with my makeup for the day. I had to play immediately!
It has been a long long time since I found myself purposefully wearing a matte eyeshadow. They tend to be browns and plums and occasionally blues or grays, but they just don’t have that extra something I look for in my eye color. I have a reputation to uphold at work ya know, I need some oomph! Not only that, but matte colors have never seemed to give me the heavy pigmentation I like, they fall a little flat in the color saturation department.  Somehow, knowing all of this, Kristen set to work to create a matte collection just for me! Oh, what’s that? She didn’t create it just for me? I was the furthest thing from her mind when inspiration hit? Hey, it’s MY story and I’ll tell it how I want okay!
Seriously though, this is mattes like you’ve never seen mattes. The colors are deliciously bold and there is no clumping or chalky texture to be found. No streaking at all, the colors are well blended and apply beautifully. Boy do they POP, there is some serious color action going on there. Applied over a primer(I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance religiously) the staying power is quite commendable. I go to work at 4 am, and after work, a nap, and a full day of running after kiddos I still have decent eye makeup at bedtime, 16 hours later!

And now, the thing you’ve been waiting for….pictures!
Colors featured:
1)Cool It, Radioactive
2)Kookie, Got Dibs, What’s Shakin’?
3)Real Gone, Spaz
4)Cool It, Daddy-O. Yes, I chose those just so I could say “Cool it Daddy-O”
5&6) Fake Out, In Orbit
7&8) Real Gone, Blue Orchid. Blue Orchid is from the Rocks! Collection. It’s actually more purple than it shows in these pictures. These are perfect University of Washington colors and I wore them to work on the day of the Apple Cup, a Washington college football tradition. The Huskies won 30-0 so obviously I have to do this every year now!
Read the rest of this entry »

Just wanted to pass on a great holiday deal from Karen at Curlslikeus.com!

Every Curl Deserves to be Happy this holiday season. Surprise your best “curl friends” with a set of curl-friendly towels that define curls while defying the frizz.

Buy 1 Curl Cloth™ Set and 1 Set for 50% off.

Regular Price: $24 for 1 set

Sale Price: $36 for 2 sets

One week only. Offer valid from November 27-December 4th. Color options may vary based on available stock

You can also read my (and silly Tracy’s) review of the Curl Cloth here:

Curl Cloths:  Naturally Curly Gals Rejoice!

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?