Archives for December 2009

Take the Day Off from Bad Makeup Removers with Clinique’s Cleansing Balm

December 17th, 2009 by Karen 74 Comments

clinique take the day off cleansing balm review

I love PMS.

And by PMS I mean Philosophy’s Purity Make Simple (PMS), their gentle, non-foaming facial cleanser/makeup remover.

I’ve been using it for years, but it hasn’t been working that well for me lately, maybe on account of winter, and how I’ve been wearing a little more makeup than I did in the summer and early fall. As it turns out, now, after washing and rinsing, I still have renegade bits of concealer and mascara around my eyes!

Last weekend, while scouring Sephora for PMS alternatives, I bumped into Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm ($27).

Hellooooo, pretty purple packaging!

And since I’d never used a so-called cleansing balm before, I thought I’d give it a try.

clinique take the day off cleansing balm review 2

A cleansing oil in solid form, Clinique says it’s suitable for all types of skin.

Just scoop it out with fingers and apply directly to a made-up face, gently massaging it into the skin.
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Got Puffy Eyes? Black Cat Liner Could Help

December 17th, 2009 by Karen 50 Comments

Good morning, ladies! 🙂 Can we tawk happy accidents for a moment? Remember my mini-nervous breakdown on Tuesday? Well, I think I got a pretty good makeup tip out of it.

Because I cried buckets that day, I woke up on Wednesday with a pair of seriously puffy eyes. My usual tricks (a cold compress and chamomile tea bags), unfortunately, weren’t working well enough, so I went fiddling through my makeup stash for something else to try.

When I saw my favorite black pen liner, LORAC Front of the Line Pro, I got an idea.

I applied a thick cat line along my upper lash line, and wouldn’t ya know it? It worked! Not to reduce the puffiness itself, of course, but to draw attention away from it.

Give it a try the next time you wake up with severely puffy eyes. Coupled with some concealer and a cold compress, it just might work for you too. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Just a Spoonful of Nutella Helps the Medicine Go Down

December 16th, 2009 by Karen 24 Comments

…in the most delightful way.

Yes, Clairol Herbal Essences, You May Tousle Me Softly

December 16th, 2009 by Karen 46 Comments

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Since my haircut a few weeks ago, I’ve been on a kick to try new hair products and different styles, like the messy, sexy hair look (controlled chaos) common on Victoria’s Secret runways.

Hoping for hot-mama hair of my own, I started using the shampoo, conditioner and spray gel from the new Clairol Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Line ($4 each).

ryan-reynolds-gonna-tousle-you-softly
The answer, Ry-Ry, would be “yes.”

I honestly didn’t think anyone would notice, but you gals have such a good eye! After I put up this face of the day, a few of you asked in the comments what I’d done differently with my ‘do.

holiday party makeup tips urban decay book of shadows 2

The Tousle Me Softly shampoo, conditioner and spray gel are part of a six-piece line of cleansers, conditioners and styling products made to work together for soft, sexy, mussed-up hair.

A fine line…

But here’s the thing about the messy hair look: there’s a fine line between “just messy enough to be socially acceptable,” and “plain ol’ jacked-up, busted bed hair.”
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The Golden Angel

December 16th, 2009 by Karen 11 Comments

One of my favorite ornaments on the tree.

DIY Beauty with Kitchen Cosmetics

December 16th, 2009 by Karen 30 Comments

How to make your own cosmetics at home
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to become a better cook, and because I’m also hopelessly addicted to beauty, 🙂 I’d like to include a smattering of DIY kitchen beauty recipes as well.

There’s just something about making homemade beauty products, isn’t there? — the idea of whipping something up from scratch, skipping the preservatives and really *feeling* the ingredients in your hands?

It turns out that homemade versions of many popular beauty products are easy to make with ingredients that most cooks have readily at hand.

But if you add the following three drugstore ingredients to your next shopping list, your repertoire of potential kitchen beauty recipes expands by leaps and bounds.

NOTE: Be mindful of allergies. If you can’t eat it, your skin may not like it either. 🙂

Glycerin: a humectant that binds moisture to the skin (works far better than water alone)
Sweet almond oil: a better alternative for DIY skincare recipes than vegetable oil
Kaolin clay: great for tightening and cleansing

source

Exfoliating skin cleanser

Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl:

2 heaping spoonfuls of kaolin clay
1 tbsp ground rice (to exfoliate)
1 tbsp ground almonds
1/2 tbsp wheat flower
1/2 tbsp almond oil
5 capsules of evening primrose oil
Dried coconut flakes
Dried beans (ground up in a coffee grinder)

Flatten the doughy concoction to about an inch thick. Roll it up, and cut slices to use when you exfoliate. Refrigerate any unused portion (should be used within a couple of days).

For extra troubled skin, add an antiseptic herb like thyme or freshly chopped fennel to the mix.

Exfoliating body scrub

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Act Now for Your Chance to Win TWO of Ten Clarisonic Brushes

December 16th, 2009 by Karen 6 Comments

Morning, girls. 🙂 Thanks for all of your wonderful words of encouragement yesterday. I’m still reading through the comments, and I can see I’m not alone.

While I try to put my head on straight and figure out my plan for the day (which mustn’t involve any sort of freaking out), just a reminder about the ongoing Clarisonic giveaway (one for you and a friend). You still have time to enter before it closes on Friday. If you haven’t already entered, click here. It only takes a quick comment on the original post, and you’ll be done in 30 seconds flat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Tuesday Beauty Tips (Not Really): Just Tie a Knot and Hang On!

December 15th, 2009 by Karen 56 Comments

tie-a-knot-and-hang-on

Roadblock.

I hit a bad one this afternoon, ladies, with lots of crying, a debilitating panic attack, hyperventilating, cold sweats and stomach clutching — the whole shebang!

Today started out well. I felt fine this morning, but then I started to think about everything on my to-do list and what I want to finish by Monday (when we head out of town for the holidays), and I death spiraled out of control.

It was NOT one of my better days. 🙁