June 28, 2010

I'm back from Vay Cay in Californie (we had a wonderful time, thanks for asking), and now it's almost July 4th already.  So, I'd say it's WAY past time to talk about our top 15, must-have, can't-do-without, essential summer beauty products.  These are the products that we go back to summer after summer, and we can't recommend each one of them highly enough.  Let's jump right in!

• Leave-in hair conditioner: Fredric Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Beachcomber Leave-In Conditioner

• Hair Mask: Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask

• Hair remover for body (arms): Sally Hansen Sensitive Skin Spray-On Shower-Off Hair Hair Remover

• Hair remover for face: Sally Hansen Creme Hair Remover

• Shave gel: Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel

• Shaver: Schick Quattro for Women

• Sunscreen for Body: Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock SPF 45

• Sunscreen for Face: Skinceuticals Ultimate UV Defense SPF 30

• Sunscreen for a Super-Active/Water Sports Face & Lips: Vertra Face Stick SPF 50 and Hawaiian Tropic Ozone Sport Sunblock

• Moisturizer for Body: L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil

• Exfoliator for Body: Origins Ginger Body Scrub

• Deodorant: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist

• Eye Shadow: Urban Decay Summer of Love Palette

• Eye Shadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion

There you have it! Our Top 15 list of can't-do-without products for summer.  Now, how about yours?  Is there a summer essential beauty product that we've missed?

Flickr Photo credit: Zellaby

~BigSis

June 8, 2010

I love those pale pink colors that BigSis just shared with us from the new OPI Pink Collection. I have a hard time keeping polish on my fingernails, so if I wear anything at all, it's always a clear or a very pale pink polish.

I may go bare or ultra sheer on my fingernails, but not on my toes!  I get bored really quickly with the same colors on my toes so I'm always trying something new; from blues, greens, yellows, bright oranges to very dark purples.

I also couldn't find the Essie Resort Collection at my local Ulta and I was in a funk on Friday and really wanted something to cheer me up.  I popped into my neighborhood nail salon and asked her what she had that was new and blue.

OPI Ogre-The-Top Blue

I absolutely fell in love with the OPI Ogre-The-Top Blue shade from the minute I saw it and I knew that I wanted to try it.

I was even happier when I got home to discover that it matches my new swimsuit perfectly!

Funny… I couldn't have even done that if I had tried. 🙂

I really liked the color with the pink strappy sandals that I wore to my Girl's Night Out on Friday night.

But I love the color even more worn with my white Franco Sarto bejeweled sandals.

Is it just me or doesn't a good pedicure just cheer you up a little bit?

~LilSis

June 5, 2010

I zipped up to Ulta the other day to look for the Essie Resort Collection nail polishes that LilSis told us about. Guess what?  Gone!  Bummer.

I did find another fun collection though, and surprise surprise…it's my favorite color: pink.  OPI Pink!

This collection includes 4 pale pink colors that are all different.  Here are the colors and OPI's description of the shades:

Isn't That Precious:  A precociously pretty light pink.

Pink A Doodle:  Oodles of shimmery pale pink.

I Think In Pink:  And I think I love this pop of pink!

It's A Girl:  And she adores this baby pink!

I'm wearing 3 coats of all 4 colors in order, starting with Isn't It Precious on my index finger and ending with It's A Girl on my pinky.  Please forgive my sloppy polish application; I was clearly in a big hurry!  😀

I use mostly Essie polishes, but I was pleased with these OPI polishes.  They dried quickly, with great shine (without a top coat) and no bubbles.

I liked most of the colors, but Pink A Doodle was pretty streaky and I didn't see much of the advertised shimmer.  I Think In Pink was a little more pink than the other shades; even a bit too much pink for me when it comes to fingers (toes are another story!).  If I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be It's A Girl, since it was still a bit sheer and pretty neutral without being too pinky.

If you can't find this kit of 4 mini polishes, look for the colors individually in regular size bottles.  So tell us, have you found any fun new polish colors for this summer?

~BigSis

May 28, 2010

If a product claimed to provide moisture, elasticity and firmness to your skin, as well as to reduce signs of fine lines and wrinkles, and then actually did that, what would you call it?  Would you call it fabulous?  I would call it a flippin' fantabulous miracle!

Well, I've found this product, and it's Borba Age Defying Concentrate/Acai Elastin Fiber Treatment Serum.  And yes, it does work!  I haven't had great luck lately with new mascara and eye cream, but I hit the jackpot with this Concentrate.

I recently made a quick trip to Dillards to replenish my supply of the Borba Firming Diamond Shimmer Contour/Guanabana Spandex Fiber Body Moisturizer that I use for cellulite treatment.  The salesperson mentioned to me that she loved the Borba line, especially the Age Defying Concentrate.  Lucky for me, the Contour cream came with a sample of the Concentrate, so I gave it a try and was shocked to find that it worked!  I saw some results immediately!  So you know I ran (fast) right right back to Dillards and bought myself a tube ($45 for 1.7 oz).  It's a pretty big tube for a decent price, I think.

The Concentrate has the consistency of a gel, and it goes on very smoothly and soaks in quickly.  I use one small drop morning and evening, and haven't had any breakouts or other adverse reactions to the product.

I've been using the Concentrate for a couple of weeks now, and I have definitely noticed that my “jowls” are a bit tighter.  I also have a saggy little pooch between the corners of my mouth and my chin, and it's a little firmer now.  It's still there for sure, but it isn't as droopy.

So far, I've used 4 Borba products – 3 for the body and 1 for the face – and I've loved every one of them.  What else can you do for me, Borba?  I'm sure I have some other trouble zones that you could work on!

~BigSis

May 23, 2010

Remember a few weeks ago when I let myself run completely out of eye cream?  It wasn't pretty.  In fact, it was darn frightening for the people around me.  Since I was starting at square one, I decided to go on a mission to find an effective eye treatment that was affordable.  I first tried Olay Regenerist Eye Products, with mixed results.  I'm still using the anti-aging eye roller, but the eye lifting serum went right back to the store.

What to try next?  Aha!  I found a package of Loreal's Revitalift Eye Lifting Repair Duo with big half-ounce samples attached of Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate (for day) and Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair Night Cream.  I paid less than $20, and got 4 new products to try!  How fun is that?

I've been using all 4 products now for almost 2 months, and have some good news to share.

• None of these products caused a break-out!  That's pretty big for my grumpy skin.  90% of the moisturizers and treatments I try will immediately cause clogged pores and/or zits, even if they're dermatologist-tested/approved and theoretically non-comedogenic.

• All of the products seemed to do a pretty good job of moisturizing.  Even so, the day cream didn't cause shine to bleed through my foundation in the morning, which some products can do.  Using the night cream with my Tazorac every evening helped to lessen the drying effect that the retinol product can have on my skin.

• The daytime eye cream worked fine in conjunction with the anti-aging roller, and didn't get goopy or cakey with my concealer.  The night eye cream was richer than the day version, and seemed fine.  Neither eye products caused any burning or irritation.

Now for the bad news.  I hate that there IS bad news, since the price point on these products is great and there was a fair amount of good news. But Loreal's Revitalift line is about advanced anti-aging action and wrinkle repair.  Did I see any lessening of wrinkles?  I don't think I did, I'm sorry to say.  If there was any improvement, it's so slight that I haven't really noticed.

I'll probably keep using these products occasionally until they're gone, but I don't think I'll repurchase.  I'm still on a mission for the best eye cream.  Any ideas of what I should try next?  Be sure to come back for this week's Fabulous Friday when I'll share my review of an anti-aging skin serum that actually does work!  😀

~BigSis

May 21, 2010

Frederic Fekkai Beachcomber Leave In Conditioner

Woo Hoo! It's Friday; my favorite day of the week and time for another Fabulous Friday. Today, I've got another fabulous product to share with you.

This Frederic Fekkai Beachcomber Leave In Conditioner is the best leave-in conditioner that I've ever used.

I first discovered the Fekkai Marine Summer Collection last summer while visiting BigSis in Texas. We actually had a day to lay by the pool so we popped into a nearby Ulta to buy something to protect our hair while out in the sun.

We both tried this product and loved it! If you happen to have curly hair, then you know what it's like to lay by a pool on a hot, humid day and try to keep your hair from frizzing. I had almost forgotten how much I love this product until I used it again a couple of weeks ago while out by the pool in 100 degree weather out in the desert.

This product not only works great to protect your hair while in the sun, but I've started using it again, as it's intended to be used, as a leave-in conditioner. It's lightweight, has a wonderful scent and doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy or droopy.

When I first bought this last year, we were told that it was a limited edition product and I'm not sure if Ulta still carries it, but I found it on Amazon for $21.95. If you've have trouble finding a great leave-in conditioner, you may want to give this a try!

I hope everyone has a fabulous Friday and a fabulous weekend! 🙂

~LilSis

May 10, 2010

If there's one thing that I absolutely love, it's going to a beautiful, tropical resort for a carefree, relaxing vacation. Maui, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, and St. Thomas come to mind first.

Unfortunately, there's a little too much going on in “the real world” these days so it's highly unlikely that we'll be vacationing at a tropical resort any time in the near future.  But even though we have no vacation plans in sight, these new colors from the Essie Resort Collection will definitely bring a ray of sunny paradise into the day!

Essie says this about the Resort Collection: “Beach bound jetsetters can now reach the pinnacle of resort-inspired style with this newest limited-edition collection by essie. The Resort Collection was created to mimic the sights and sounds of the world’s most exotic destinations. The four colors are must-have accessories for any tropical vacation and the only escape for your hands and feet that doesn’t require a passport.”

Lapis Of Luxury – a dreamy ocean blue

Splash Of Grenadine – a playful magenta pink

Playa Del Platinum – an elegant and sheer sandy gray

Turquoise & Caicos – a flirty and pretty tropical aqua

You can purchase this little four piece mini collection for $17.00 to try out each color, but since I know I'm going to love these, I'm going straight to the full size for $8.00 each. I've just gotta have Lapis of Luxury and Turquoise and Caicos.

I'm not one for wearing color on my fingernails, but I LOVE wearing different shades of blues, greens and purples on my toes in the summer.

Maybe if I'm sporting some Turquoise & Caicos on my toes, I can pretend, just for a second,  that I'm vacationing in Turks and Caicos! 🙂

~LilSis

April 13, 2010

Do we have any avid Urban Decay Primer Potion fans out there? I bet we do. But if you've never tried this product and need a little help keeping your eyeshadow on all day, you'll want to try it! You will absolutely notice a difference with this potion on underneath your eyeshadow. It will last all day with no creasing! Promise.

But, I still have one little complaint about this product. The shape of this container leaves a lot of the product inaccessible and therefore it goes in the garbage with the container when you can't get any more out. Last year Urban Decay made an announcement about the new wand and how the angled shape of it would help get all the potion out of the container. I've been using the new wand for months now and not only do I not like the new wand but I don't think it helps at all. It may be time for another hack.

In case you missed it, last year I published an Urban Decay Hacker Tutorial with some step by step photos and instructions to help you hack into your bottle. These are just a few of the photos to give you an idea as to how much product is wasted.

Take a sharp knife and saw off the top.

Look at all the product hiding in there!

It's a messy job but well worth the effort!

Look at all the potion that was saved!

That's a lot of product that would have ended up in the garbage!

Maybe this is a silly question, but, why not just change the shape of the container?

~LilSis

April 12, 2010

Have you been seeing all the ads and hearing all the buzz about L'Oreal's Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara?  I have, including a pretty glowing positive recommendation from More Magazine, which I really like.  I'm always on the lookout for a new great mascara, just as I am for miraculous new eye creams and anti-aging skin cream.

This mascara claims that their “instant-impact brush builds breathtaking volume fast.” I was intrigued and picked up a tube recently.  This shot of Eva Longoria-Parker's lashes from L'Oreal's ad sets a pretty high expectation for the Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara, don't you think?

We usually don't do reviews unless we have something good to say, so let me think.  This mascara is a nice black color, it comes off easily at the end of the day with Lancome BiFacil, it doesn't smudge at all, and it doesn't flake much; no more than the L'Oreal mascaras I like.

Did it give me breathtaking volume like Eva?  No.  I had a really hard time maneuvering the ginormous brush without getting it all over my eyelid, and what I ended up with is stubby lashes.  No volume, no length, no curl.  Just stubs.  And “stubs” is not what I'm aiming for when I apply mascara!  I also got some spiky clumps, again not what I was going for.

So it's back to my usual cocktail of L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara followed by a dash of L'Oreal Lash Out Mascara.  I should have kept my sales receipt and returned L'Oreal's Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara, but I didn't so I guess I'll try to use it up on the weekends.  If you run into me at SuperTarget on a Saturday afternoon, please don't stare at my clumpy, spiky stubs!  😀

~BigSis

April 10, 2010

Those were great reviews on the eye products, BigSis!  I'm going to have to try that anti-aging Olay eye roller. I'm sure lots of other women will want to try it too since you gave it such a rave review. 🙂

And, it just so happens that I've got another great new product to tell you about, so listen up ladies!

Sally Hansen Creme Hair Remover

Guys, please don't get offended that I'm leaving you out on this one. I'm specifically speaking to the ladies about this because men have it easy when it comes to facial hair; you just shave your face every day. Easy, breezy, 1, 2, 3, and you're done.

For some reason, it's okay for us women to shave body parts all the way from our toes to our neck, but it's not so cool for us to shave our faces. (I do have a friend that admits to shaving her face every day, but I'm not goin' there.)

That being said, I guess I just admitted that I have unwanted facial hair. Yep. I said it. I hope you appreciate the fact that we're pretty honest here. We like to tell it like it is. Not only do I have the unwanted lip and chin hair, but I also happen to have some facial hair down my jawline and onto my neck. Sounds attractive, doesn't it? Luckily, mine is blonde and fuzzy, but it's still unwanted.

It's not something we love to discuss, but most of us women will admit to having our lips waxed and to plucking unwanted chin hairs, which by the way, multiply like “breeding rabbits” once you enter the “menopausal” stage of life! If you're not there yet, aren't you glad that you have something to look forward to? 🙂

So, why am I talking about this “taboo” subject?  The last time I had my face waxed was over six months ago and I broke out so bad afterward that I decided I wasn't ever going to do it again.

Since that was so long ago, it was time for me to check out my options so I spent some time at CVS one day looking over all the different hair removal products. I ended up deciding on this Sally Hansen Creme Hair Removal Kit. I don't know what persuaded me to buy this particular product, but I'd tried Nair products before and they never work very well for me so I wanted to try a different brand.

I did a test patch, as suggested, and waited 24 hours to assure that I didn't have a reaction to the product before using it on a larger area. Once I knew that I was “good to go”, I put it on my “problem areas” and waited for it to work its magic. With Nair, I usually had to repeat the process two or three times to get results but not with this Sally Hansen Creme Hair Remover!

Presto! After only eight minutes, I wiped off the creme and the hair was gone! All of it! I think I even did a little happy dance right there in my bathroom! This was really easy, not stinky, and I had great results, so I'm hair free and happy! 🙂

I know it's not a fun subject to discuss, but if you have a similar problem, you might want to try this product. How often does a product really work as well as it claims?

~LilSis