No, they are not gumballs, they are lip balm balls! And you can get them free when you order samples from LooseLipsNY… You can also receive $10 off when you purchase both their signature mineral foundation and kabuki brush together. Simply use the code kabuki10 at checkout.
Sherry Backman at http://looselipsny.com/ contacted me after she read my post on their wonderful Pumpkin Peel. She asked if I would be interested in trying their mineral foundation as well. Heck yeah, I would!
I received a sample of their loose mineral powder foundation in the light and medium shades. I would judge their mineral foundation as being comparable to Bare Escentuals and any other high quality mineral foundation. This foundation goes on easily and feels feather light on your skin. If you are fair skinned, their light shade will look amazing on you. The medium shade would also work perfectly for me in the summer months. This foundation is also available in Mineral Beige and Dark.
Sherry also sent me a sample of their Mineral Shimmer Powder, and it has a similar appeal to B.E.’s Mineral Veil powder. The shimmer adds a hint of glow and completes your look by adding that “soft focus look.” The older I get, the more this idea appeals to me…
I felt really glamorous while wearing their makeup, and went to run my daily errands with an extra skip in my step! When your skin looks great, I find it easier to smile and greet other people with confidence.
Let me share with you a little bit about the founders of LooseLipsNY from their website:

Sherry and I have been friends since sixth grade. We are both turning 40 this year and we look back on pictures of each other throughout the years we realize that we look better now then we did then. Why?- We figured out what works and what doesn’t. We both have tried every beauty fad, skin product, and makeup line there is. Loose Lips New York is a compilation of all of the products that we love and products that really work.

And might I add, both Sherry and Robin are amazingly down to earth and funny! If you are looking for a new mineral foundation to try, I suggest taking a peek over at LooseLipsNY.com. While your there, check out the Pumpkin Peel and the Indelible Eyeliner in Black Cherry!
**On Friday Oct 12th at 2 PM EST, Sherry and Robin will be interviewing Erica, the Editor-in-Chief from The Style Spy (http://www.thestylespy.com/), the every day girl’s ultimate guide to shopping. She’ll be dishing about the must-haves for fall and celebrity style that you love and hate. You can call in with your fashion and style questions at (646) 716-8862, and listen to the pod cast on: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/looselipsny.

Do you think the contents of a woman’s handbag can reveal the personality of it’s owner? I thought it would be fun to discuss the “mystical purse ritual” we women share.
What in the world do you carry around in that Handbag of yours?

Right now I am toting around a quilted red purse with red leather straps. I purchased it a Kohl’s for about $25. I am a “one at a time” purse kind of gal. I use one purse for everything and when it’s worn and ready to fall apart, I’ll find another one.

If I were to take my handbag and dump out it’s contents, this is what you would find:

•  wallet, receipts and and cards loosely crammed in the middle
• plastic ziploc baggie with 15 generic ibuprofen tablets
• 3 ball point pens
• one orange Sharpie permanent marker
• 3 sets of chopsticks leftover from dinner at Noodles & Company
• an extra set of car keys
• Model co Fluidsplash 3 in 1 Foundation
• old Spiderman Band aid that Naomi took off and gave to me
• plastic star that fell off of Naomi’s dress up princess shoe
• LipFusion lip gloss in Sun
• Moiststic lip balm
• Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Berry
• Cell Phone RZR with Red Cover (Amanda picked out for me)
• stack of store cards: Petco, Cafe Rio, Kroger, Subway, and Great Harvest Bread
• Clinique Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder in “Stay Neutral”
• one blue M & M
• 1/5 of a leftover chocolate chip cookie in plastic wrap
• travel size bag of kleenex tissue
• baby size nail scissors

What do the contents of my handbag tell about me? Yikes! I guess you could say that I like lip gloss, have children, and eat out often. I think you could also assume that:

It’s about time to clean out my handbag!

This post was inspired by looking at an online article of the contents of Celebrities handbags. I think it is really interesting to see what cosmetics they use and carry around with them.

As promised, I tested the five samples received from Everyday Minerals. In the past, I tried several mineral makeup lines and was less than thrilled with my results.

My main complaint were that my skin looked too matte and powdery. The skin under my eyes would end up looking very dry, and the mineral makeup would actually enhance and emphasize the fine lines instead of diminishing or concealing them! As the day would go on, I would notice foundation collecting or caking in those pesky smile and forehead lines.

It is the curse of combination skin. As a result, I have avoided using loose mineral makeup for several years.

My first experience with Everyday Minerals was through their website. It is a beautiful site with an amazing variety of shades and formulas. The samples arrived quickly and were very generous.

The first day, I used the “fairly light” foundation in the “semi-matte” formula. I also primed before applying the foundation with a sample of Bare Escentuals’ highly acclaimed “Prime Time.” I ordered the semi-matte formula to combat the experience with my previous matte issue. I applied small amounts of foundation on my kabuki brush, tapped the excess minerals, and swirled it gently around my face. I used a concealer brush to apply small amounts of the everyday minerals concealer around my nose, under my eyes, and on any spots I wanted to conceal. I finished by putting the smallest amount of “Sunday Brunch” onto the apples of my cheeks with my blush brush.

With much skepticism, I examined myself in the mirror. “Not bad,” I thought. I then leaned a little closer to the mirror and looked again, with some relief. I thought to myself, “Wow, this looks really natural.” Then came the final test. I waited a few hours, went into the bright daylight and looked at my face in the car mirror! I was astonished; this mineral makeup really looked great!

I am excited! I can wear mineral makeup after all! I especially loved the blush color, “Sunday Brunch.” I was immediately drawn to the shade, although I thought it looked a little dark, and then I read it described as:

A delicious raspberry sorbet shade that is ideal for all skin types. Just the right matte finishes that you can dress up or dress down. A versatile, must color for any occasion.

Can a raspberry sorbet shade be universally flattering? I think so. I love how this blush gives my cheeks a pop of color, and no shimmer. I recently tried the big “O” blush from Nars, and didn’t like it because of the shimmer.

 

 

Without hesitation, I highly recommend Everyday Minerals as an exceptional mineral makeup line with “the car mirror doesn’t lie” test to prove it! I also would recommend using their products with Bare Escentuals Prime Time Foundation Primer, or the Primer of your choice. Everyday Minerals offers a lot of information on their website and makes ordering easy.

http://everydayminerals.com/

Loving the Mineral Makeup and might start using it “Everyday!”

I originally was going to post an article about a skincare line that advertises on MSN. com. Their ad campaign is the one of the most insulting and demeaning marketing campaigns that I have ever seen.
However, after writing the post, my husband pointed out the fact that blogs like mine can be sued for discussing these things. After much thought, I decided not publish the post, out of fear of possibly being sued.
Yes, this is America. Yes, I am a chicken. I don’t have anything to gain from writing this post other than the pride I would get by sharing with my readers a seemingly deceptive and insulting skincare claim.

However, I have some things to lose. In particular, I cannot afford a business entity coming after me (a stay at home mom of 5 kids and author of a highly prestigious blog).

Instead of revealing the name of this company, I will warn you that marketers of beauty lines use tactics that can seem deceptive and exaggerated. It is wise to question any claim that seems too good to be true. If you would like to see my original post, I will happily email it to you.

Have a happy Columbus Day, and happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

Although I usually discuss makeup and beauty in this blog, I am going to get on my political soapbox for just a moment. Let me start by saying that this is not a Hillary plug. I just want to comment on a small detail of how Hillary is covered in the press, which small detail piles up with all of the other small details.

Recently, an article on MSN.com talked about the ranking of the Democratic Front Runners for President of the United States. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is in the lead over all of her Democratic opponents. In the few words dedicated to reviewing Hillary’s prospects, the article manages to mention her laugh: “Hillary Clinton, New York senator. Last Ranking: 1 . . . Her laugh tick is getting noticed, but it’s endearing in a way.” The article doesn’t mention any physical characteristics of the other candidates.

Another recent article is entitled: “Bwah-ha-ha! What’s With Hillary’s Laugh?“

“When former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe told columnist Roger Simon that Hillary Clinton’s “great belly laugh” was proof of her unseen human side, could he really have been talking about this noise? Call it a caterwaul, call it a bray, call it what you will, the sound the Democratic front-runner makes when she performs the actions of mirth are now a part of the political conversation.”

By contrast, Newsweek just ran a detailed, 10 page article on Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Throughout the 10 pages, the article focused on real issues. Although every aspect of a person’s character is fair game during a Presidential Race anymore, it seems Hillary is ridiculed and judged on physical appearance and superficial things like laughing. I didn’t read any comments about Mitt’s laughter or appearance, other than that he is strikingly handsome and so is his gorgeous wife Ann.

Again, this is not meant to be a slam on Mitt or his candidacy. It is also not my intention to promote either candidate here.I just want to reinforce my belief that women and men demean and demoralize women’s credibility by focusing on their physical appearance and attributes rather than what really matters. The questions should be: Does what a candidate offer meet what is required to be a good President of the United States.

Why are there so many comments about Senator Clinton’s wardrobe, hair styles, cleavage, weight, and tone of voice? What does that have to do with being a competent contender for President? Attacks on Hillary are frequently attacks on professional, competent women in general. Name Hillary’s three weakest attributes. What are her strongest attributes? Make the same two lists for any of the male candidates. Chances are, many people will find that they are closet sexists. Does this mean Hillary is the best candidate? Maybe and maybe not. It would just be nice to pick the best candidate by comparing apples to apples.

I really don’t care which party or candidate you support. I do believe that we do not value women in the same way we value men. Hillary is tagged as a bitch when she expresses a strong opinion and comes across as aggressive in nature. Men with that same attitude would be respected and viewed as having strong leadership skills. By attacking Hillary for anything other than her positions, leadership skills and vision, we may be attacking women in general and teaching our children that we do not approve of women who exhibit the same qualities we admire in men.Hillary is being judged on things that don’t matter when it comes to Presidential competence! I suggest that we focus on things that do matter like experience, leadership, decision making, competence, and confidence. Combine these “real” attributes and then ask if she is good enough to be the President or not? Drop all the comments about her lipstick, pant suits, laugh, cleavage, and her latest hair style! Does Hillary Clinton represent what you want in a President, or does her physical and inconsequential attributes stand in your way of judging her fairly? If you drop the sexist slander, is she good enough? If not, don’t vote for her.In a recent blog, another Jen talked about the assumptions we make. She so eloquently stated that sometimes we need to challenge our assumptions and rethink what beliefs we hold.

The difficult thing is coming to know better, even when that means abandoning ingrained ideas of what you’ve always done or what you were taught was the best. What assumptions are influencing your life, which may or may not be based on truth?

I am constantly hearing other women judge Hillary Clinton critically, over things that are superficial and demeaning. And generally speaking, these same women applaud men for belittling her as well. And, generally speaking, the men and women who belittle Hillary applaud men for the very things they criticize and detest in Hillary.

Are we really just shooting ourselves in the foot?

Let’s elevate our conversation about Hillary Clinton and of all women.

After discussing the Drug Store Loose Mineral Brands vs. the ever popular Bare Escentuals, I did some further research and want to mention updates on three different mineral makeups:

1. Physician’s Formula Mineral Wear: *Read Comment Below

At Costco today, I spied a Physician’s Formula Mineral Wear set for about $13.00. The package looks very compelling and includes the face powder foundation and an eye shadow duo. It’s a good price, but if you don’t love it, Costco has an amazing return policy. Just GO EASY on the application! You might want to invest in a high quality kabuki brush to go with it since the price is so reasonable.

2. L’Oreal Bare Naturale:

Clever packaging, with a very cool container and cute little kabuki brush on the top. You think you can trust a name like L’Oreal, but it contains TALC. Not only goes on cakey, can clog pores and trigger breakouts, yuck!

3. Sheer Cover:

I personally tried Sheer Cover a few years ago and had an awful experience with it. The shades did not match my skin well, it went on very heavy, and the brush stinks! You can buy this brand everywhere nowadays, not just on TV infomercials for about $30. Reviewers either love it or detest it. No middle ground with this product.

Recently, I was talking with a woman at our local Target who had clearly overdone it with her foundation, her face looked overly matte and dry, and radiated with an odd orange hue. She proudly announced she was trying “Sheer Cover” and had I heard about it? I quickly tried to change the subject…

If you are like me, you have facial imperfections you are wanting to hide. I have tried so many products that promise a natural feel and great coverage, and after using them are disappointed with the results.

“No orange chalky face please!”

Don’t despair! There are some fabulous foundations out there, every skin is different and hopefully this information can help you find your dream foundation! Some of us really look fabulous using mineral makeup foundations, while others fair better with a liquid or creamy based foundation.

If you are going to use Mineral Foundation, just follow some simple rules:

1. Moisturize and/or use a primer before applying your mineral foundation
2. Look out for TALC in the ingredients list
3. Use a high quality kabuki brush (like B.E.’s, Smashbox, Cat Cosmetics, etc..)
4. You might need to combine two shades to get a good match
5. Apply sparingly! tap off the excess and avoid your eye areas
6. Top it off with a spritz of LooseLipsNY’s Perfect Finish Setting Spray, a light dusting of B.E.’s Mineral Veil, or translucent powder
7. Try using blotting papers during the day; avoid applying more powder to combat oilies!

*MBB’s Best Bets:
Originally, I had recommended this product by Physician’s Formula, but after a comment made by Sarah, take caution with Mineral Wear and keep your receipt!

Maybelline’s new Mineral Makeup Foundations are getting some favorable reviews. Definitely worth considering. I would also strongly suggest looking into some of the private label mineral makeup lines, follow this link to our post on private label companies – DecoDiva Tells All About Private Label Cosmetics.

Okay, let me crack open my Diet Pepsi with Lime and get thinking about this list I’ve committed to making.

Thirteen Things to be Thankful for this Thursday (and everyday):

1. Diet Pepsi with Lime. I had a rough night with Becca last night, I think she’s teething or something. The caffeine keeps me sane.

2. Booth’s Restore and Renew Serum. Just heard about this little gem that you can now purchase at Target. It has a high concentration of retinoids and is supposedly an amazing primer. I am using it for the next 28 days as well as a few other friends, anyone else game?

3. Fresh Apples. My favorite thing about fall revolves around food, and fresh apples from a local orchard as well as Fresh Apple Cider are the best!

4. Westwind Karate School. My very shy 2nd grader Sarah, needed help asserting herself and gaining confidence. We enrolled her into a wonderful karate class and she just got her Yellow Belt. Hiiii-yaaa!

5. Megsmakeup. What would I do without this wonderful and irreverent group of women to find the best cosmetics and skincare products on the planet?

6. My Family. I am blessed beyond measure with a devoted and nutty husband, 5 adorable daughters, and extended family that I truly adore.

7. Honda Odyssey Minivan. This is the best vehicle ever made for families, 8 seats, great cargo capacity. No need for further comment.

8. NV Perricone MD Ceramic Skin Smoother. I know this is shameless promotion, but I can’t get over how wonderful this stuff is! Bless you Doc Perricone!

9. Just For Laughs. This prime time TV show originally was produced in England and Canada and was recently released on American television. It airs on ABC on Tuesday nights and is well worth your time! Yes, my humor is a bit warped, but this is a fabulous escape.

10. Friends. My dear friends in my neighborhood and at church who keep me sane. I am also enjoying making so many new friends through the blogging community.

11.  Fall Foliage.  Today, Thursday, October 4, 2007 is unofficially the peak of the fall colors in Utah.  From the yellow aspens that are at the peaks of the Wasatch, to the yellow Ash Tree in my backyard.  Simply Breathtaking!

13. Short Cuts. Yes, I copied this idea off another blogger, but it is so true!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

 

The first month flew by at Mythbuster Beauty. I’ve been so excited and busy creating this “little monster” blog, and now it is October. I am learning so much and meeting such wonderful new people. Thank you all for reading my posts and making comments. I hope this site can enrich and inspire your lives.

For the first few weeks, the visits from you were in the single digits, and those were mainly from my Mom. I love you Momma! Now I am getting a steady flow of visitors, and although only a few comment, I know you are reading. I get hits from all over the US, and even some from Mexico, Canada, Sweden, South Africa, Turkey, Venezuela, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines!

To make this site a little more orderly, I have created a schedule to help me structure the posts according to topics. This is so you can look forward to your favorite beauty subjects and help me plan accordingly. This new schedule will start on Monday, October 8th.

Monday: “Manure Mondays”

• The latest “CRAP” that the Beauty Media has been shoveling to us

Tuesday: “How-To Tuesdays” & “Kitchen Cupboard Beauty”

• Tips and Advice on how to make the most of your cosmetics
• Beauty Products made from everyday items in your home

Wednesday: “What do I do with my Hair ?”

• Solutions and strategies on how to work with, not fight against our hair

Thursday: “Terrific Skincare”

• Great skin needs less makeup, and what makeup you do use will look even better!

Friday: “Weekend Wrap Up”

• News headline, trend, or some other subject that tickles my fancy

Saturday and Sunday: Misc.

• Answering questions and comments, but other than that, I am taking the weekend off to play with my family!

A few months ago, a very smart gal at Megsmakeup did a write up on the Erno Laszlo Dead Sea Mud Soap. On Erno Laszlo’s website, you can categorize your skin type by a system they term as “clocking.” Once your skin type is determined, they prescribe a skin care regimen according to your specific needs.

I found the site fascinating. After filling in the requested information, I was tagged as a “1 o’clock”, combination skin with occasional breakout concerns. I looked at their product lines, and was interested in trying them, but decided to hold off on it.

It wasn’t until my Saturday Facial with Doc Perricone that I noticed a display table with Erno Laszlo’s line. I immediately searched for the black soap, and discovered it was $36 bucks! This quest for beauty stuff isn’t cheap, but decided to give it a try because I had heard such wonderful things about it.

I have been using this very messy black soap, which will last an eternity by the way, for the past three weeks. It leaves my skin feeling very clean, has a mild and natural scent, but doesn’t feel over stripped so it must be gentle. I also have had NO new breakouts in the past few weeks. This mud soap holds some antibacterial properties, and I cannot be 100% certain that I can attribute everything to this alone, but I am very impressed.

I am pretty pleased with my $36 dollar investment.

In creating this blog, I wanted to discuss beauty products, but I also wanted to address the environmental impact and biological concerns created by their use.

Earlier this month, I focused on this topic in a post called, “What’s all the fuss about Parabens?” Parabens were created as a preservative and are used in most of the skincare and cosmetic products we use everyday. There is some evidence that much of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies. Parabens have been linked to development of breast tumors.

Yikes! Well, here is another news story that hit MSN.com this morning on the use of DIOXINS. Dioxins are found in most of our hair shampoos, hair dyes, and whitening agents.

You can find this story and other carcinogens to scare your pants off at: http://health.msn.com/centers/breastcancer/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100170347&imageindex=13

Nothing like a good dose of “spook” to wake you up in the morning!

BTW: Here is another great reason to check out the organic hair products at Anita Grant LTD. I am waiting to receive her “Whipped Butter” conditioners, and will report on this and some other items I try. They include free Global Shipping with purchases over 50 Pounds (which is about $75 USD)!