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Archives for September 2009

Two Ways to Win Aveeno Nourish+

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The giveaway is now closed to new entries, and the winners are being contacted. 🙂 Good luck!

Rise and shine, morning glories! 🙂 Actually, I hope you’re still cozy in bed. No one should have to be up at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday.

I only got up because Tabs was meowing at the front door. That cat has so little respect for my beauty sleep…

Speaking of beauty, I forgot to tell you about my hair yesterday (good hair day)! After my run I washed and conditioned it with Aveeno Nourish+ Revitalize Shampoo and Conditioner.

The stuff is da bomb!

I’ve been using the line off and on for a few months. Over that time this particular duo of shampoo/conditioner has become my favorite drugstore hair care dynamo.

It being the weekend and all, why don’t we start today with a giveaway?

The prize

One lucky lady will win five products from Aveeno’s Nourish+ hair care line (a $35 value), including:

How to enter…

Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post — a comment about anything at all. Tell me what you had for breakfast this morning or dinner last night; what you’re doing for Labor Day; the name of your favorite song or the identity of your latest crush. 🙂

I’m looking forward to a party tonight. My BFF is throwing a True Blood Lobsterfest at her apartment in the city — a combination DVD-watching marathon/seafood dinner.

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to Win $35 in Aveeno Nourish+ Hair Stuff http://bit.ly/YyG9G

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
  2. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

    RT @karenmbb: RT to Win $35 in Aveeno Nourish+ Hair Stuff http://bit.ly/YyG9G

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, September 6.

Zhù nǐ hǎoyùn!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The giveaway is now closed to new entries, and the winners are being contacted. 🙂 Good luck!

You’ve Heard It Before, But Makeup DOES Expire

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Use a refrigerator to keep makeup fresh longer

Ew, what’s that smell?

Oh, it’s just my makeup… 🙂

How do you know when that tube o’ lipgloss or pan of eyeshadow has expired? Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to tell. Most beauty products lack expiration dates, and some may not visibly change when they’ve given up the ghost.

Still, even when it’s obvious that a product has gone bad, some of us refuse to let go. This summer the market researchers at Mintel found that just one in four British women discard their makeup, shampoo or shower gel after it starts to smell strange or look discolored. source

Why? Because, the researchers found, many of the women surveyed weren’t aware the products could expire.

Just like food items, beauty products — even natural and organic ones — are breeding grounds for bacteria, and natural products that contain fewer (or no) preservatives often have the shortest shelf lives of all. The risk of using products high in bacteria is INFECTION.

Lawd knows I’m guilty of keeping beauty products around far longer than I should … but sometimes it’s just so hard to say goodbye! 🙂

Expiration dates — from the time of first use

  • Powders and shadows: 2 years
  • Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
  • Cream shadows: 12 to 18 months
  • Concealer: 12 to 18 months
  • Foundation: 1 year
  • Lipstick & lipliner: 1 year
  • Lip gloss: 18 to 24 months
  • Mascara & eyeliners: 3 months
  • Nail Color: 1 year
  • Makeup brushes: Clean weekly using a mild detergent
  • Makeup sponges: Replace weekly or when sponge becomes soiled

What else can you do?

Beyond these rough guidelines, it helps to enlist the help of your nose in checking beauty booty. If something smells a little off, maybe it is.

More things to watch out for? 1) Store products away from direct sunlight and heat, which can destroy preservatives and accelerate the growth of bacteria; 2) refrigerate products (some take better to cold temps than others do) to slow the growth of bacteria; 3) don’t use eye products when you have an eye infection; 4) be careful when you mix products because you could be spreading bacteria around; and 5) be aware that using shared department store testers is a primo A#1 way to catch something SCARY!

For even more on telling if your makeup has expired…

How to Know If Your Cosmetics Are Expired

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. How was your afternoon? Anything cool happen today? I managed to sneak away for a few minutes up to Sephora and left with Lancome’s new Hypnose Drama mascara… Can’t wait to give it a try!

Other than that, I rented Confessions of a Shopaholic to watch tonight. Tabs is a big Isla Fisher fan. 🙂

Cate Blanchett: Her Best Hair?

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Cate Blanchett: Her Best Hair?

It was in a noisy crowd on a bustling Cairo street more than 20 years ago that 18-year-old Catherine Élise “Cate” Blanchett (born May 14, 1969) discovered her calling. She was on vacation in Egypt at the time and accepted an invitation from someone to star as an extra in a movie. source

The experience must have made quite an impression on young Cate. After returning to her native Australia, she relocated to Sydney, enrolled in the National Institute of Dramatic Art, and the rest, as they say, is Hollywood history. 🙂

She’s one of my all-time favorite actresses (LOVED her in The Gift and both Elizabeth movies)… Those Aussie girls sure can rock an American accent, and Cate sure does rock her beautiful blonde hair.

Which of Cate's hairstyles do you like best?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Zoya Truth Nail Polish Collection and the Taming of the Bellicose Brush

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zoya truth sampler

This morning while I was admiring swatching the shimmery new Zoya Truth Collection of nail polishes for fall ($36 for a set of six), something kinda funkaaay happened.

I met a troublemaker, aka a rebellious nail polish brush. 🙂

zoya truth review 1

See that funky piece jutting out to the side? It looks like it’s trying to do its own thang, but this ain’t Sesame Street, buddy. Get back in formation!

What do you do when a nail polish brush goes against the grain?

Brushes with straight, smooth fibers work best. When bristles stick out at odd angles like Penny (a shimmery copper) is here, it can mess with my application. Hello, streaks!

Thankfully, whipping a bellicose brush back into shape is a breeze. Here’s what I do to reshape a wonky nail polish brush:

Paper towels: not just for cleaning up after Nutella midnight binges anymore

First, I set the brush head on a clean paper towel.

zoya truth review 2

Next, I fold a section of the towel over and on top of the brush head and press down with my fingers. Still applying pressure, I slowly pull the brush head out through the towel with the other hand.

zoya truth review 3

A few times will usually reshape the bristles and remove most kinks, restoring order to the world, LOL!

zoya truth review 4

Allowing the brush to air dry for about 10 minutes should lock the corrected shape in place. That’s it — then it’s back in the bottle for you. 🙂

Why aren’t all of life’s problems so easy to solve, le sigh…

Colors from Mamma Nature

Funky brush action aside, I love all six of the warm, vibrant colors in the Truth Collection.

It seems like Zoya dipped their paint brushes into Mother Nature’s fall inkwell. These shimmery copper, orange, red, pink and magenta polishes remind me of autumn leaves crackling beneath my feet, fiery fall sunsets and the rich, buttery light of late afternoons.

Of the six shades, Anaka, the shimmery magenta, makes my heart beat the fastest.

Do any of these get you fired up for fall?

zoya truth swatches Anaka
Anaka

zoya truth swatches Drew
Drew

zoya truth swatches Salma
Salma

zoya truth swatches Penny
Penny
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Philosophy Supernatural Collection and a Big TGIF!

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philosophy-supernatural-collection
Clockwise from lower left: Superglossy Lipgloss SPF 15 in Share the Love and Live in the Moment ($17 each), Instant Sunshine Natural Mineral Bronzer ($28), Lit From Within Cream Blush in Bare Your Soul ($23) and You Make Me Blush Mineral Blush Duo in Sunny/Bright ($25)

TGIF

TGIF and good morning, lovelies! We made it to Friday. 🙂

How was your night? Mine was filled with Runningrunning… that is to say I went for a run after work, watched Project Runway (so glad Mitchell finally got the boot) and let my imagination run wild with Philosophy’s new Supernatural Makeup Collection (available now).

If you’re into natural makeup and stuff that’s easily tolerated by a variety of skin types, this new collection of sheer colors for face, cheeks, eyes and lips might be worth checking out.

Philosophy says they’re free of parabens, phthalates (plasticizers used in everything from children’s toys to eyeshadows and nail polish), mineral oil, talc, sulfates, propylene glycol and fragrance — and they won’t clog pores or irritate skin.

philosophy-supernatural-collection-swatches

I really like the textures and colors from what I’ve seen. They strike me as things I’d want to wear on my “non-makeup” days.

As soon I’ve spent some time wearing them out of the house, I’ll let you know how they hold up to everyday use. 🙂

What are your plans for the holiday weekend? Doing anything fun?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

White Cheddar Pasta with Tomato and Basil

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Cook one box of Pasta Roni Shells & White Cheddar per directions (to cut down calories and fat, leave out the butter and use skim milk). Stir in one chopped tomato and a handful of chopped basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

If you’ve got meat eaters up in the mix, add chopped sliced prosciutto.

I make this dish when I’m too tired to cook, which is um, often.

Are You Happy with Your Current Brush Storage Solution?

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090309-are-you-happy-with-your-brush-storage
Um, where’d I put my MAC 209?

Do you ever have those makeup moments that hit you like a ton of bricks? I was digging through my disorganized brush stash when I had one. My current approach to brush storage just does not work.

I’ve been using the same “system” for years. It’s a black pencil holder thingy that I got at Target (see above). Eye brushes, face brushes, cheek brushes — they’re all jammed in there like teenagers at a Jonas Brothers concert.

I can’t find squat!

Earlier today I surfed around for ideas. My favorite is this caddy/travel bag from Darac Beauty.

The Darac Solution Central ($32) is a flat, zippered bag that doubles as a brush stand and portable brush case.

darac-solution-central

darac-solution-central-2

See how it keeps the brushes upright and separated? Love that. And, as crazy as this probably sounds, I like that I’d be able to just grab everything and jet if my apartment caught on fire.

If they were cheaper I’d get three, LOL!

My second option: something like the brush holders at Sephora (see Vanessa’s blog for a how-to).

It’d be cheaper than the Darac case (and I like the DIY angle), but they’re not as streamlined. Sigh…

I’ll have to keep looking unless you can help me out. How do you store your makeup brushes?

Are you happy with your current brush storage solution?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen
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