November 19, 2009

I still can't believe that November is over halfway gone. It doesn't even feel like Winter here in California because it's still relatively warm during the day, but the air is really dry right now. Luckily, we don't have to run our heater very often because that just seems to make the air even more dry.

And what goes along with dry air and winter weather? For a lot of people, dry skin can be a real problem in the winter. It definitely can be for me if I don't do everything I can to prevent it. I slather myself every morning right out of the shower with a variety of lotions, potions, and creams, in an effort to avoid the dry, itching, pasty looking skin. We've talked about our favorite eye creams, more than once, moisturizers, more than once, and hand creams, but I don't think we've ever talked about foot creams, so here goes.

I have to admit, I love a good foot cream! My absolute all time favorite EVER is L'Occitane's Shea Butter Foot Cream. I recently ran out and haven't yet ordered a replacement.

This amazing foot cream contains lavender essential oil and in my opinion, there is nothing better than the heavenly smell of lavender. That's one reason I love putting this foot cream on at night. The scent of lavender is so soothing. It also contains anti-inflammatory arnica extract to reduce redness and irritation and mint to cool the feet.

With that being said, this 5.2 oz tube of foot cream sells for $26.00. I definitely think it's worth the money during the best of times, but when we are all trying to scale back on unnecessary expenses, I need to try to find a cream that is a little more reasonably priced.

The other night, I was finally able to stop, sit down, and take off my shoes around 8:00, just in time for Dancing with the Stars. When I took off my shoes, I noticed that just in the past couple of days, my heels had become so dry that they were almost starting to crack. (Sorry if that's TMI.)  So, I grabbed the nearest tube of cream from my cabinet in the kitchen to put on my feet. What I ended up using was Eucerin Calming Creme. I keep a larger tube of this in my nightstand for my hands but I just happened to find a sample size that SirHoney's dermatologist gave to him. I had never used this on my feet before but it worked great!

After rubbing this into my feet that night and keeping my footies on til I went to bed, I woke up the next morning to almost normal heels. This creme is pretty darn impressive and costs less than $7.50 for a 8 0z tube. This creme contains oatmeal and glycerin to help with itching caused from dryness. This creme is so rich yet not greasy at all. I was surprised at how quickly it soaked into my skin. It also happens to be fragrance-free and non-comedogenic.

And, in the winter, when necessary, I use Eucerin's Dry Skin Therapy Original Creme. I use this on my hands and on my face, only on the dry spots. My sister-in-law is the one that told me about the Original Creme when I asked her once how she kept her face so young and soft looking; and she was over 55 at the time! I bought a 2 oz tube of this for less than $4.00 and it has lasted for months and months.  This is a very rich and thick creme so it's probably not meant to go on everyone's face, unless you have really dry skin like me, but it's perfect for dry hands.

I know BigSis is a HUGE fan of Eucerin's Aquaphor products and my husband's dermatologist also recommended some of those for him. I've used the Aquaphor Advanced Therapy Healing Ointment and I love it. It's great for hands, feet, or lips!

So, if you've got any secrets for beating dry skin this winter, please let us know! I bet BigSis has a few new favorites that she hasn't yet shared with us! 🙂

~LilSis

November 14, 2009

The past couple of mornings when I used my Urban Decay Primer Potion, I knew that it was just about time. Time for what you may be wondering… If you're a UDPP user, you probably already know what I'm talking about.

Urban Decay has an almost ‘cult like' following when it comes to some of their amazing products. I think both of us have had some of the purple kool aid, too! 🙂 I recently mentioned how much I love Urban Decay's 24/7 Eye Pencils and the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner and BigSis mentioned her love for the eye pencils much earlier this year. And, months ago after BigSis told me how much she loved the Primer Potion, I bought myself some Sin Primer and have used it every day since.

There's only one problem with this UDPP and it's the cutesy container that it comes in. The wand can only go straight down into the container and loads of product is left stuck in on the sides and at the bottom. It obviously hasn't kept us from buying it though.

When we were on our trip last month, (yes, still talkin' about BlogWorld in Vegas), BigSis showed me her little jar FULL of potion that she managed to get out of her ‘what appeared to be' empty UDPP bottle. She had seen “the hacking” mentioned on some beauty blogs after she bought the product so she knew there was precious potion hiding in the container. And luckily, she shared that with all of us.

If I hadn't known about that, I would have tossed my “seemingly empty” bottle in the trash once I couldn't get any more to come out on the wand. And after you see what's left in this container, you won't want to throw yours away either until after you hack into it.

I never did ask what she used to hack into her bottle but I decided that this should do the trick!

Here's my unsuspecting little container!

Not much potion on this wand.

I was going to cut the bottle lengthwise but I decided that might be a good way to end up the ER, so I started by cutting off the top.

The plastic was actually much easier to cut than I thought it would be.

Just look at all the precious potion hiding in here!

Look closer.

Score!

Can't stop now, I'm on a roll!

And look how much was stuck at the bottom.

It was a messy job, but…

time well spent!

Voila!!

(Note: My Primer Potion is the Sin Primer and it does come in a different bottle than the original PP so it is possible that this container is made from a different plastic. I have heard that the original bottle may be tougher to cut into!)

One final note, I noticed on Urban Decays website, they mention that the Primer Potion now comes with a new wand. Here's what it looks like.

Hopefully this new wand will be of some help getting the primer potion out of the sides but it would have to also be longer to prevent all the waste at the bottom. I guess we'll find out once we run out of our stash and have to buy a new one.

~LilSis

November 12, 2009

Urban Decay 24/7 Sets

You know what I love more than my new Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils? Give up? Okay, I'll tell ya. It's my new Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner.

I'm so glad this eyeliner was included in my 24/7 Set because otherwise I never would have tried it. The set I bought came with the Glitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy and I love it! 🙂

The sets come in two choices, either the Stereophonic or the Hi-Fi, and both are a great bargain at $29.00. Each comes with four 24/7 eye pencils and one Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner.

I was on the phone with BigSis while I was in Ulta shopping last month before our Vegas trip.  I remembered her telling me that she loved her Urban Decay eye pencils, so when I stumbled upon the display of these sets, I asked her about them and she said they were the same pencils!

These eye pencils are unbelievable. Not only do they go on really creamy, but they are also waterproof and stay on all day! I'm so glad that I picked up one of the sets.  I love every single color that came in my set.

The Hi-Fi set includes the new shade, Mildew, a deep green, which is exclusive to this set. The set also includes Zero (black), Flipside (teal), 1999 (plum), and the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Distortion, an iridescent sparkle.

I picked the Stereophonic set that features the new shade, Crash, which is a rich eggplant color that is exclusive to this set. This set also includes Zero (black), Underground (metallic taupe), and Gunmetal (dark gray like it sounds). And my favorite item in this special set is the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy, a beige sparkler.

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner

I think the main reason that I even tried this eyeliner is because we were in Vegas and I thought it would be something new and fun to try! And, I haven't stopped using it since. It's really easy to apply with a tiny, precise brush so you can apply as much or as little as you like. Just a little line of this over the 24/7 eye pencil adds just the right amount of glitter! You can even add a dab to the inner corner of your eye for a real pop!

The Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner comes in over ten amazing shades! These usually retail for $18.00 each so getting one in this set with four eye pencils for only $29.00 is a real deal!

If you have someone on your Christmas list that loves trying new things with eye makeup, one of these Urban Decay sets would make a perfect gift, for under $30.00.

And, believe it or not, just a little glitter does make a girl really happy! 🙂

~LilSis

November 4, 2009

I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I don't like wasting a bunch of money trying out new beauty products unless something is highly recommended to me by someone who has actually used the product and has had proven results.

That's the main reason I buy my hair products at my hair salon instead of wasting money at the drug store. You can try out a new shampoo, conditioner or styling product and know that you like it before you buy it.

When I find a beauty product or a brand that works for me, I'm a very loyal customer! I'll stick with it for years, like I have with all these:

• Origins favorites
• Great Lash Mascara
• MAC eyeshadows
• Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant
• Prescriptives Traceless, which is now being discontinued! 🙁

But, one thing I CANNOT seem to find is a lipstick that stays on for more than half an hour!  I still buy MAC lipsticks and MAC glosses because I love the colors but I need something that will last!

A few weeks ago, before our trip to Vegas for BlogWorld, I popped in Ulta as a last ditch effort to try to find a long lasting lip product. I ended up walking out of the store with two new products.

Benetint Pocket Pal

After listening to the sales person at the Benefit counter rave about this product, I end up buying this Benetint pocket pal. This product receives great reviews on Sephora and the salesperson went on and on about it.

Benefit claims that this is the original and still the best lip tint and cheek tint available. This stuff didn't work for me and it wasn't cheap! I'm still trying to decide whether or not to return it to Ulta.

It was okay on the cheeks, but not that noticeable and not what I had intended on using it for when I bought it. It appears very dark red in the bottle and is a very thin liquid so it goes on more like a light pink, not red. The sales person told me that you can apply one coat, let it dry, apply another, and another, and keep repeating until you get the desired shade.

I probably tried it on four or five occasions when I applied three or more coats of the tint, then applied the gloss and within a very short time, all that was left was a slight tint remaining in all those little lines in your lips. (Not the look I was going for.)

Lorac 8 Hour Long-Wearing Lip Color

The second product I ended up buying was this Lorac 8 Hour Long-Wearing Lip Color and Ultra Glossy Top Coat.

I'm not as disappointed in this product as I am with the Benetint, but it's just okay. It goes on smoothly and I like the top coat that goes on with a brush instead of a sponge, but it did NOT last 8 hours on me.

So, back to square one!  I actually know women who have had lip liner and lip color tattooed on their lips! Ouch!! I don't think I'm willing to go to that extreme!

So, here's my plea for help!  If anyone reading this has found a great lipstick with some real staying power, please share it with us! Pretty, please? 🙂

~LilSis

October 9, 2009

Have you heard the news about Estee Lauder phasing out the Prescriptives line? If any of your favorite beauty products happen to be made by Prescriptives, I'm betting you've heard about this!

I'm really BUMMED because I've been using Prescriptives Traceless foundation for YEARS now and I've never found a foundation that I love as much as this one.

Prior to discovering Traceless, I used the Prescriptives Virtual Skin foundation, which I also loved, but Traceless is a little more sheer, goes on a little smoother, and looks more natural on me.

BigSis & I have both talked about our essential beauty products this week so I thought this would be a good time to mention this news from Estee Lauder. When I talked about the Top Three products I can't live without, it was hard for me to choose between the MAC powder and the Prescriptives Traceless foundation.  I can hang at the house with just mascara on, but anytime I go out, I always have on the Traceless Foundation and the MAC Loose Powder.

Since I'm trying to prepare for our trip to Blog World in Vegas next week, I ran into Macys to grab a new Traceless so I don't run out while out of town.  When I asked if they still had any Level Three Traceless left, the salesperson told me that she had three containers. For some stupid reason, I only bought two of them instead of all three. I'm probably going to order more online before they're all gone! One container lasts me a few months so I won't need to make a change any time soon if I stock up now.

By January, 2010, the Prescriptives line will have been phased out of the department stores. There is a slight chance that you will be able to order some products online even after they are discontinued, but if it's a popular item and you LOVE it like I LOVE the Traceless, you better stock up NOW!

The sales person at the Prescriptives counter told me that Estee Lauder was holding a training class today at our local Macys to teach all the employees how to transition Prescriptive customers into other products, obviously others brands under the Estee Lauder ownership. I hope I can eventually find something that I love as much as Traceless!

If anyone has a favorite foundation that's light and sheer and goes on nice and smooth, PLEASE let me know about it!

~LilSis

October 8, 2009

I had to respond to your post yesterday, LilSis.  Being 3.4 years older more mature than you, my essential list needs to be 30 instead of 3, but I'll try to limit it.  😀

First off, mascara has to be one of the 3, since my face feels bare and featureless without it.  I've tried the cult-favorite Maybelline Great Lash, and I just don't like it.  I need more oomph than that.  My favorite is Loreal's Voluminous.  It gives me volume and thickness, and doesn't flake, smudge or smear.

My number 2 pick would have to be a good lip balm.  I can't STAND dry lips, in fact I'm a little obsessive about it!  My current inexpensive go-to is Aquaphor in a tube.  I apply it in the morning and at night after brushing my teeth.  It does a good job of keeping my lips chap-free and prepped for lipstick or lip gloss.

Last but most importantly, I have to have an excellent facial cleanser.  The key to keeping my skin out of the weeds (ie: broken out) is to cleanse deeply and faithfully.  I can't get by with those little wipes you use, LilSis.  I need something serious to keep my skin clean and my pores clear.  My current favorite is Serious Skin Care's Glycolic Cleanser.  It's serious, for sure!

That's my top 3 list.  If I could add a few more, I'd include Relastin Eye Silk, Tazorac Retin-A,and Urban Decay 24-7 Eyeliner in Underground and 1999.  And MAC eye shadow, powder and blush.  And Prescriptives foundation.  And Borba Shimmer Contour Cream.  And L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil.  And Essie Nail Polish for pedis.  But I'm really not high maintenance.  Really!  You don't think that's a lot, do you??

~BigSis

October 7, 2009

I was originally going to call this post “The one beauty product that I can't live without”, but as it turns out, I actually have three. To qualify as a product that I absolutely cannot live without, it has to be one that I NEVER EVER go without using, not even for just one day. Here are my three.

Mabelline Great Lash Mascara

In number one position is my Mabelline Great Lash Mascara.  If I had to narrow it down to just one product, this would be it. I don't care if I don't have on another stitch of makeup, but I CANNOT leave my house without my mascara.

MAC Select Sheer/Loose Powder

And in second place is my MAC Select Sheer/Loose Powder. I should have gone to Macys days ago when I noticed that my powder was running low but I thought I could stretch it a few more days until I could make it over to the mall.  When I took the lid off of the container to try to get the last few flecks of powder from the bottom, it was already gone! I did have a little meltdown but I managed to survive until I could get to Macys later that day.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant

And the third product that I can't go without for even one day is Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant.  I recently talked about how much I LOVE this deodorant.  I ran out a few weeks ago and had to use something else that morning before my walk and it was such a noticeable difference. I can't live without this deodorant!

By narrowing this list down to three, I had to be very choosy. If I wanted to make this a list of five, I would add Relastin Eye Silk and Borba Firming Diamond Shimmer Contour Creme to the list. Oh, and I really couldn't live without my Origins No Puffery. I probably should have made this a Top Ten list!

Are there one or two or ten products that you can't live without? I'd love to hear about yours!

~LilSis

October 4, 2009

Summer is gone for most of us, and has taken swimsuit season away with it for a few months. However, being the well-groomed, sophisticated women that we are, we still have to shave our legs, right? We can't let a ding dang forest grow on our legs just because we aren't going to the pool, or running around in shorts.

I do it every morning whether I'm wearing a skirt or not; it's just part of the daily routine. Over the years, I've tried bunches of different shave creams and gels, and have a real favorite line that you might not know about since I find it frequently in the men's shaving section.

The best shave gels on the market, in my opinion, are made by Aveeno. I like two of them equally well. The Positively Smooth Shave Gel has soy and emollients, and is supposed to help you shave less often and get fewer nicks, cuts and razor bumps, which makes sense as using shave gel is one of the tips for getting smooth armpits as mentioned in this article. It has a very light and pleasant fragrance.

The other gel I like is the Therapeutic Shave Gel. It contains oats and allantoin, and is formulated for sensitive skin and is supposed to soothe and moisturize easily-irritated skin. It is fragrance-free.

You can find these at most discount stores and drug stores for under $5 usually. I find them both to work extremely well at what they claim to do. They are both moisturizing, and provide a close irritation-free shave without the red bumps. I don't know if the Positively Smooth Shave Gel does reduce hair growth or not, and it doesn't really matter to me. It's an excellent gel and smells great.

Since I've found these two shave gels, I'll never go back to the strawberry-kiwi or peach-mango scented gels…you know the ones I mean! They aren't nearly as nourishing to the skin as the Aveeno line, and don't cost much less.

Shave on, girls! If you use these gels, let me know what you think about them!

~BigSis

September 27, 2009

The title just about sums it up!  I RARELY make impulse purchases and I don't even go shopping until I need something for a trip or a special occasion or I finally run out of all my skin care products and have to make a trip to Macy's. By then, my list is so long that I hate spending what I need to spend just for essentials, eye cream, moisturizer, night cream, deodorant, etc. I always put off that shopping trip until I absolutely HAVE to go!

Stay with me here…this is all leading up to my latest trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I had no choice but to make a quick trip there on Friday to replenish SirHoney's supply of Green Mountain Dark Magic Coffee pods for the Keurig Coffee maker. (Every once in a while I can find the coffee at Target, but I had a $5.00 coupon for BB&B, so I stopped there.) I usually buy four or five boxes at a time and I don't drink coffee so I never know when he's running low until I see the empty box sitting on the counter. (There's a big surprise!)

Okay, I know you're probably thinking “What in the Sam Hell does coffee have to do with Strap Perfect?”  I'm getting there, I promise! After I dropped SirHoney at the airport on Friday morning, I had a limited amount of time so I had my list of five or six stops perfectly planned for on my way back home.

Bottom line is…I'm in a hurry, I have a list, I never impulse buy, and yet, this ends up in my shopping cart!!!

Strap Perfect

Ya gotta give Bed, Bath, and Beyond some credit for marketing! The darn display for the Strap Perfect was RIGHT in front of me when I walked in the door! Seriously, I literally had to move my cart around it to get into the store. But, why did I buy one, for cryin' out loud???

I've had some bra strap issues all summer and haven't taken the time nor want to spend the money on a special racerback bra for those tank tops that seem to always be cut in too much. So, I thought, why not give this a try? It has to work, right? That's what they say in the infomercial.  I was actually kind of excited to get home and try it on.

I was going to show you some before and after photos of the amazing results I was going to see once I put on this miracle product. I even had someone take some ‘before'  photos of me with my bra straps showing while wearing one of ‘those' tank tops. I also took these photos so you could see that it comes in three different colors.

Concealer Clips

It looked easy enough…put each bra strap through the concealer clip then slide up or down into the right position depending on what kind of top you have on. I got the clip on okay, but I can't even describe how uncomfortable this was! I couldn't even keep it on long enough to take any after photos!

I probably should say that I'm not small busted, 34DD to be exact, so maybe that played some factor in the reason why this didn't work for me. And, yes, they are “all natural” so I can't run around in cute little spaghetti strap tops because I have to wear a ding dang bra with wide straps for support.

Maybe this works better for small busted women, I don't know. And maybe if you're lucky enough to be able to wear cute bras with thinner, stretchy straps, maybe it wouldn't be so binding.

Have you ever worn a halter swimsuit top that was a little too tight and you end up with a sore neck after wearing it all day? That's how this darn thing felt after having it on for one minute! I'm not exaggerating!

For me, Strap Perfect gets a double thumbs down! And, it's in the trunk of my car to go back to the store the next time I need to replenish the coffee supply!

~LilSis

September 24, 2009

HOT OFF THE PRESS!! I just got the email yesterday about this offer and didn't want to waste any time passing it on to those of you that don't receive the emails from Relastin.

From now until October 2nd, you can buy one Relastin product and get the second for equal or lesser value for FREE! Or stock up on your favorite Relastin product by taking advantage of the two for one offer! I'll be stocking up on the Eye Silk, for sure.  The Eye Silk normally sells for $69.00 each, so I can't pass up buying it when I get two for the price of one.

Relastin Anti-Aging Eye Silk

I know, I know, we both talk a lot about Relastin Eye Silk! But, what can I say? We love it! BigSis first mentioned it here in November of last year when we were having a Sister Showdown on Eye Creams. Then, I talked about my results here in January and again in July.

I guess we got the attention of Relastin because our reviews on the Relastin Eye Silk are actually on the In the Press section on the Relastin site.

Just in case you missed it, the Relastin Eye Silk was just awarded the Allure Magazine Editors' Choice Best of Beauty Award for the third year in a row! It's the third year for the product to be on the market and the third consecutive Allure Award. If any product wins an award for being a great anti-aging product, I'm buyin' it!! 🙂

Just so you know, we don't get paid to promote this product, nor do we receive any free products from Relastin for doing these reviews!  (hint, hint, if anyone from Relastin is reading…)

~LilSis