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. (more…)

How about a little show and tell story? This is a story about my hair, and it is a bit of a sob story. Here is my picture at the age of 2 in 1971 with my older sister, Monique, and younger brother, Eddie. Can you guess which one I am?

My sister has always had stunningly gorgeous, very dark brunette hair. She could wear it short, or easily grow it very long. She had just the perfect balance of waves and thickness.

In the early 80’s when the style was preppy, she could wear perfect wispy bangs and draw the rest back with a stylish pink and green ribbon headband. On lazy mornings, she could sweep it all up in a ponytail, simple and elegant.

When hair styles went bigger and wavier in the mid 80’s, she got a body wave perm. Monique could then style it any way she pleased: full and wavy, or blow dryer straight with curled ends. Yes, I thought my sister had the perfect hair, and I was always green with envy. (more…)

Until the rest of 2008, you can receive 10% off your entire order at Jessicurl!

Jessicurl’s Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner ($12.75) is just what my thick, dry and curly hair craves.  This conditioner is infused with Lemongrass, Nettle, Burdock, Kelp, Marshmallow Root, Horsetail, Basil, Bay Leaf, Oregano, Rosemary, Peppermint, Sage, and Thyme; Aloe Vera Juice, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, and Avocado Oil.  For finer haired individuals, Jessicurl’s Daily Aloeba Conditioner ($12.75) is a great choice as well.

My nine-year-old daughter Sarah recently asked while creating her holiday wish list, “Mom, what’s the name of that stuff that makes my hair feel so silky soft?”

I replied, “Jessicurl’s Too Shea Conditioner.  Why do you ask?”

Sarah grinned shyly, “Because that is what I want for Christmas.” (more…)

Does this Motrin ad speak to you?  As a woman and as a Mom (of five daughters), I take myself and my responsibilities as such very seriously.   I am insulted, I am angered, and I am pissed off by this Motrin ad campaign.

  (more…)

KP Duty?   Are you kidding me?!  What gal doesn’t have a continual pile of dishes to do?  I wish I was in the habit of wearing rubber gloves while doing them but I don’t.   Compounding this assault of our hands is the housework, yardwork, food prep, personal and children wiping (at both ends), animal tending, laundry, and the list goes on and on.   When was the last time you counted how many times you wash your hands in a day?  Our often abused digits lack moisture, and our skin will sometimes crack and bleed.  

Recently I received a tube of KP duty DERMAdoctor Dermatologist Therapy for Dry Skin ($36).  This cream had me at the mention of KP.  Interesting stuff.  It contains AHA’s which although I slather all kinds of acids on my face, I have never consistently used AHA’s on my hands and feet.  I also wondered if using something with AHA’s would sting or irritate my already sensitive, dry skin.  So far so good, and I have had no issues with stinging.

KP Dutyâ„¢ incorporates medically proven technology including ingredients for hydrated and healthy skin.  Medically potent levels of Glycolic Acid blends with Urea, the dermatologist recommended humectant, to soften and smooth away the driest roughest skin. (more…)

Yet again, another t-shirt site has grabbed my attention!  LTD Chix.com offers a great variety of colorful and clever tees for Moms, who are constantly saying to themselves,

“I was a better mother before I had kids.”

I particularly love LTD Chix’s Halloween tee, and can sooo relate to it.  I have and continue to be the candy-loving woman who slaps on a witch hat and follows her kids around trick-or-treating.   Halloween weather isn’t always ideal either, but some years have been fabulous.  I remember one particularly cold Halloween where it was SNOWING outside and the bitter winds were so terrible that my children were in tears because they were literally freezing, but they couldn’t stand the thought of not continuing to trick-or-treat!  I always love houses that give kids full-sized candy bars or a can of soda too!  One family in our neighborhood gives out cups of warm spiced cider and doughnuts to their Halloween night visitors.  Halloween is the best holiday EVER!   Check out these fun spirited Mom Tees:

Halloween Mom
Beach Cart Mom
Cleaning Mom
Cooking Mom
Laundry Mom
Minivan Mom
Multi – Tasking Mom (brand new design)
Referee Mom
Shopping Mom
Under Weather Mom
Working Mom
Workout Mom

LTD Chix.com is offering us a nice coupon code for first time buyers – you can recieve 15% – just type in 14blog.   They have also recently decreased their prices by 15-25% per shirt.  These shirts would make great holiday gifts for the women in your life, and don’t forget to pick one up for yourself!

One thing is certain, you people love your summer berries! 

The response to this month’s tarte Berry Couture Cheek and Lip Stain Giveaway was incredible.  I simply treasured reading everyone’s entries.  Not only did people write about their favorite berry, they wrote up about nostalgic childhood memories, how berries are healthy, and their favorite ways to eat them!   It was amazing!

The favorite berries were tallied along with some of my favorite comments:

#1 Favorite Berry, Strawberries:  125

“Strawberries, they just so bring summer to mind. Where I grew up we used to be able to go to local farms and pick them ourselves, and thus get them much FRESHER and much cheaper than at the grocery store, we would come home with 10’s of lbs. We would freeze them to make strawberry shortcakes, etc year round. That was the most fun, picking them yourself and just eating a ton when you got home “- Rebecca C

# 2 Favorite Berry, Blueberries:  71

“My favorite summer berry is the blueberry. Not because I like to eat them because I could actually care less for the taste, but because of the time I spend with my son collecting them. Every summer during picking season we go out a couple days a week to pick blueberries. We pack a lunch and sometimes our fishing poles. We make a day filled with memories. Most of the time we give the berries away sharing the joy with others.”- Denise 

“I really don’t know if I can pick! Strawberries are the family “summer picking” tradition, but my mom still claims my eyes are so blue because of all the blueberries I ate as a child! “- Laney

#3 Favorite Berry, Red Raspberries:  71

“One of my earliest memories was hunting for blackberries and raspberries with my mom and my sister, we would always go walking down dirt country roads looking along the sides and fence lines and we would come home with baskets full of them. Those were the good ol days, but any way, my favorite berry is blackberries and blueberries, I can’t have just one favorite !!” – Carrie 

 #4 Favorite Berry, Blackberries:  51

“I was just given some of the largest and sweetest blackberries from a friend’s garden. My husband made a blackberry cobbler. Just add vanilla ice cream and it doesn’t get much better than that!”-Cindi

Honorable Mentions:

Mulberries (6), Gooseberries (2), Marionberries (3), Logan Berries (1), Boysenberries (2), Saskatoon Berries (1), Georgia Mountain Blackberries (1), Elderberry (1), Black Currants (1), Olallieberries (1), Yellow Strawberries (1), and Black Raspberries (5).

And then the one berry we cannot forget,

“My favorite summer Barry would be White, Barry White…. There’s something cheesy about listening to a little “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Baby” while driving with the windows rolled down on a hot summer night… Accompanied, of course, with off-key singing and the clicking of bugs hitting the windshield.”- IFW

Congrats Angela!  Angela is not only the official winner of this contest, she is a forty-something mom to two teens, a wife, a theatre junkie, and the author of a fairly new blogsite Opera Lobster!   Congrats Angela, a mom of teens certainly deserves this berry couture set!

Many thanks to tarte cosmetics for their generous contribution to this giveaway, and many thanks to you for participating.  Next week I will be announcing another kick-butt MBB giveaway with 3 amazing prizes!!! Make a note to check back because this next giveaway really deserves the three exclamation points.

Tuesday I wrote about using a sheer red lip gloss instead of a full color red lipstick called, “This ain’t your Momma’s Lipstick: Going Red.” I go for the sheer red lip look because of feeling intimidated by a true lipstick in red. With many lipstick shades I feel like a kid that sneaked into my mother’s pocketbook and tried on her lipstick.

So my friend Marilyn asked, “Wait a minute! Where’s the photo of YOU in that lipgloss?” My response, “Isn’t the one I posted of Christina Aguilera so much better!? I am a beauty blogger, not a beauty model.” It is always difficult for me to pose and demonstrate a product or shade in a picture. To please Marilyn here is my attempt at taking a picture of myself wearing Becca’s Glossy Lip Tint in Cherrybomb. To intensify the color and keep “in bounds” I first lined my lips with the newly released and fabulous 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil by Urban Decay in a shade called “Wicked.” It’s wicked pretty together with Cherrybomb don’t you think?

My little Becca even joined me during the photo shoot! I think that is another reason why I love the Becca Cosmetic line so much; it has a beautiful name.

Hope this inspires you Marilyn!

If you are a skincare junkie like me, I bet you have been wondering about all the supplements and drinks that purport to benefit your skin, hair, and nails.  And these supplements don’t come cheap!  I am not saying that these do or do not work, I am just saying a little investigation is in order before you “bottoms-up” on some of these products.

A recent post from J. Tania at Beauty Tip Today mentions a new celebrity-touted drink called “Beauty Scoop“ that is supposed to do wonders for your skin and hair.  I mean, if Ricki Lake loves it, and she has the most fabulous skin and hair, it must be good right?  Well $95 for a 21 day supply, it better be!  In the next months, I am planning to put this product and some more skincare supplements to the test. 

This weekend, some friends invited us to go boating with them on Bear Lake.  Not being a native from Utah, I had never been to this remote lake location.  Craving the azure blue ocean and the Greek islands but don’t have the money to go?  Visit Bear Lake.  Its completely fresh water, clear to the bottom, and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful! 

Our first day there, I jump off the side of the boat and into the perfectly clear water without thinking.  The boat was near the shore where it was only three feet deep, but I thought it was much deeper, and ouch!  As I hit the sandy bottom quickly I could feel the crunch on my right foot.  I really messed up my right heel.  Evan remarked later as I was unable to step on it without wincing, “Luckily blogging doesn’t require walking.” 
 

Above:  My husband Evan, daughter and our favorite puppy, Asia.  Below:  If you know me, big hat, sunglasses and relaxing in the shade on the boat, and holding my sleeping daughter Becca.

My foot is doing much better today, but the heel is bruised and needing time to heal (heel/heal great homonym)!  I have been taking ibuprofen, but also thought about a joint/bone supplement that I have taken that also claims to benefit your skin, hair, and nails.  It is called Super Collagen+C from NeoCell.  I started taking it again and hopefully this will speed up my recovery, and if it benefits my skin, hair, and nails, even better!  I purchased this bottle at Costco for about $19.00 for 350 tablets, which you are supposed to take six tablets daily, so it should last for 2 months.  A little pricey, but just a tad bit more reasonable than the Beauty Scoop or N.V. Perricone Products. 

Have any of you tried or benefitted from using a skincare supplement or beauty drink?  If so, please share your experience.

Promotion.

I would be down right fibbing if I didn’t confess that I am a self-promoting fool when it comes to Mythbuster Beauty. A few months ago I was introduced to Shai Coggins’s Creative Geek Living blog site that she created to share information and support others’ websites. It is a brilliant blog and Shai deserves a lot of praise for her vision and hard work at her site.

One way I try to promote this site is by offering monthly giveaways. Giveaways have become one of the most rewarding and exciting elements to my beauty blogging experience. Not only do I get to work and get to know the individuals behind the beauty companies sponsoring the contest, I also get to award some very nice prizes to some truly deserving people. I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Last month, the Alison Raffaele contest was launched at Mythbuster Beauty and the response was pretty small. After week one, I became a little concerned. A low number of participants in the contest might be great news for an entrant, but for me as a blogger and for Alison Raffaele Comsetics, it wasn’t good news at all.

By some freaky whim, I visited through some of the names and websites of the women participating in the contest. One of these women happened to be Naomi, (aka superdumb supervillian). I soon discovered that not only is her personal blog delightful, she contributes to a website that announces and tracks several giveaways called Prizey After contacting Naomi she immediately listed the Shine-Busting Alison Raffaele giveaway on Prizey and the numbers of entries took off! Many, many thanks Naomi. As a supervillian, you are clearly anything but superdumb!

If you are a fan of giveaways and particularly in need of things for small children, the Prizey website is a must subscribe onto your daily web feed.

Thank you Naomi for helping with the promotion of the giveaway here at Mythbuster Beauty. And, many thanks to all of you that put in a good word of support or encouragement to any bloggers out there. Sometimes your words of encouragement or promotion can make all the difference.

As always, thank you all for your continued support! I hope I can help your efforts as well.

Jen