Target

Beauty Products I’m Excited About: The Jan Marini Skin Care Management System, OPI and a Target Gem!

May 19th, 2021 by Karen 11 Comments

We’ve been back home in Novato since Sunday night, and even though I’m OH, SO HAPPY to be back in my own bed, I like a lot about the town of Sonoma, like there being so many animals around! We saw wildlife and ranch animals every single day. It’s rural up there with miles and miles of farms, and I’ve never lived anywhere with so many sheep! Or cows! Or horses! Or goats! It was cool to just turn my head and see animals at any given moment.

I’ve only lived in the suburbs and once in a big city (San Francisco) in my life, so to look out my car window and see gangs of goats roaming the hillsides to the left and right of me as I drove down the road was…shocking, in a good way.

Anyway, nerd moment, but every time I see a goat now I simultaneously think of the acronym ‘GOAT’ — greatest of all time, HAHAHA! ? Oh, I make myself laugh…

Being home again, I’m back on my regularly scheduled beauty jam, and these are what I’m excited about right meow…

jan marini skin care management system — The Jan Marini Skin Care Management System Starter Kit for Normal/Combination Skin

For months now I’ve been chomping at the bit to try Jan Marini skin care, as you know. I guess the beauty gods intervened to align ye olde planets and stars, because El Hub actually *paid attention* (GASP) and hooked this mama up with the Jan Marini Starter Skin Care Management System for Mother’s Day.

It comes with five items designed to be used in the following order…

Step 1: Bioglycolic Facial Cleanser

A creamy cleanser with exfoliating glycolic acid for dry, combo and oily skin. It’s also supposed to eliminate the need for a post-cleansing toner.

jan marini bioglycolic face cleanser step 1 — Step 1, Bioglycolic Face Cleanser

Step 2: C-Esta Face Serum

This is Jan Marini’s Vitamin C antixoidant serum, and the two key ingredients are DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol, which is supposed to help with fine lines and wrinkles), and ascorbyl palmitate, which is one form of Vitamin C (there are several).

jan marin c esta face serum step 2 — Step 2, C-Esta Face Serum

FYI, if you’re a SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic fan like I am, C-Esta’s Vitamin C is different than the variety used in CE Ferulic. CE Ferulic has L-ascorbic acid, which is considered in many skin care circles as the gold standard for Vitamin C. It seems like ascorbyl palmitate is often pooh-poohed as being inferior to L-ascorbic acid, but we shall see.

Step 3: Bioclear Face Lotion

EXFOLIATE ME, PLEASE! This lotion has three types of acids — glycolic, salicylic and azelaic. I love me some salicylic and azelaic acids, so I’m very excited about this, which is made for normal, combo and oily skin types.

jan marini bioclear face lotion step 3 — Step 3, Bioclear Face Lotion

Step 4: Transformation Face Cream

A hydrating cream with peptides, hyaluronic acid and an ingredient exclusive to Jan Marini called Thymosin beta 4.

jan marini transformation face cream step 4 — Step 4, Jan Marini Transformation Face Cream

Step 5: Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF33

A water-resistant (up to 80 minutes) chemical sunscreen.

jan marini antioxidant daily face protectant spf 33 step 5 — Step 5, Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant

The kit also comes with a card to walk you through the order the products should be used and whether they’re for mornings or evenings or both.

jan marini skin care management system card — Step-by-step, ooh baby!

I’ve read that the full-size skin care management system is supposed to last about eight weeks, which, truth be told, doesn’t seem very long to me, but I get the sense I can stretch the products out to four or five weeks if I use them sparingly — with the exception of the sunscreen, of course, because homegirl is not shy about applying and reapplying sunscreen!

jan marini skin care management system back — Ingredients

I’m really excited to use it, but I think I’m going to wait until after we go camping to start. We’re heading up to Casini Ranch on the Russian River for a few days so Rosie can have quality time with her favorite pet sitter (LOL!).

When we went camping last summer, the most I could handle while we lived in the tent was to use a face wash and sunscreen… Five steps would probably be a few too many steps for me out in the woods, but if you are the girl who camps with a multi-step skincare regimen, I salute you. You are officially my hero!

On the nail front, I haven’t worn OPI in years (ya know, I’m more of an Essie Gel Couture kind of girl), but I’m very excited about this purple glitter called Leonardo’s Model Color because it was a Mother’s Day gift from Connor.

opi leonardos model color — Two layers of OPI Leonardo’s Model Color

El Hub took her to Ulta, gave her a basket, and let her pick out whatever she wanted to get for mama (within reason). Apparently, the sales associates asked her on several occasions if she needed any help after seeing her linger in the fragrance section for a really long time, LOL! She told everyone “no thank you” because she had it under control, and she choose this polish, along with some sparkly butterfly clips and a pink travel laundry bag.

It’s purple and sparkly, and I will forever keep it in my polish collection from now until the end of time because she gave it to me. 🙂

One last thing before I head on out for now, I randomly picked up this box of Advanced Nail Polish Remover Pads last week from Tar-ghay, and they don’t play! So, so good.

A single pad removes even the most stubborn glitter mani or pedi, and it works fast! It works in less time than it takes you to convince yourself to buy another creamy pastel mint green polish, ha ha ha! If you want an easy, quick no-drama nail polish remover, grab thee a box ASAP.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Target Adventures! Billion Dollar Beauty, Jason Wu, Olive & June and SO MANY TWEEZERS

May 13th, 2021 by Karen 20 Comments

Some exciting finds from Target, like this build-your-own palette by Billion Dollar Beauty

Random unsolicited beauty advice for the day: ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR TWEEZERS.

You’re going to laugh at me… We’re staying in Sonoma for a few days while our house is being worked on (and by “we,” I mean all of us, including Rosie the Cat!). Of course, me being me, I did some last-minute “panic packing,” which means throwing everything I could grab into my luggage, including all of the stuff I like to have around but probably won’t use because all I’ve been wearing lately is sunscreen — random neutral palettes I haven’t worn in years, foundation, liquid lipsticks, etc.

Anywho, the first night we get here, I’m lying down in bed trying to fall asleep, when I touch my chin and realize that 1) there’s a stiff, stubby renegade hair; and 2) I didn’t pack any tweezers.

NOOOOOO!

I went to Target the next day to find a pair, and, incidentally, the beauty section had a shocking number of hair removal tools, ranging from pricy (Tweezerman, which are BOMB) to mid-range (Japonesque) to super-duper budget-friendly (Trim).

I’m usually a Tweezerman girl, but I couldn’t resist the Japonesque ones because they look like mini works of art! I ended up with these $6 point tweezers, which swiftly remedied my stubble situation.

Not exactly tweezer related, but does anyone else find this Trim Blemish Removing Tool terrifying…? It looks like something that belongs on a dentist’s exam tray!

If you use this tool and love it, please fill me in on how to use it.

While I was there, I also looked around, of course (it seemed like the right thing to do), and I was pleasantly surprised by all of the new brands I’d never seen before.

This brand called Billion Dollar Beauty looks really cool. They sell an empty palette and individual makeup pans, so you build your own palette from scratch! Everything is pretty affordable, too.

Aren’t the colors pretty? I love the wide range of useful neutrals. I’m saving my lunch money to build my own palette (or palettes?) ASAP.

Oh, please excuse the sad state of my nails. I didn’t have the chance to remove the tow-up remainder of a recent Chanel New Dawn manicure, and that’s probably why I ended up up grabbing these polish removing pads…

I also got a grayish-green shade called KMC, along with a top coat from a new-to-me brand called Olive & June. ?

I saw my favorite Honest Beauty palette right across from the Olive & June display, by the way! If you haven’t tried it yet, you better get on it ASAP. I actually wore it last night out to dinner (, along with my Bliss Block Star Tinted Sunscreen), and I still love it.

Isn’t the Jason Wu packaging gorgeous?

See anything you like? I’m most excited about the Billion Dollar Beauty and Olive & June lines.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Practical Stuff I Like: The New Baylis & Harding Goodness Natural Hand Washes at Target, a Budget Beauty’s Version of Molton Brown

August 21st, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

baylis harding hand wash soap — Fancy (but totally affordable) hand washes at Target from across the pond

What song do you sing when you’re washing your hands? Normally, I sing “Happy Birthday” to Keanu Reeves two or three times to keep it simple (because Keanu ?), but sometimes I veer into Prince territory (“She wore a raspberry beret, the kind you get at a secondhand store. Raspberry beret, and if it was warm she wouldn’t wear much more. Raspberry beret. I think I love her.”)

I would wear his blue suit with clouds in a heartbeat to Trader Joe’s.

’tis a sign of the (pandemic) times when one gets their thrills from testing different hand soaps… Seriously, the bar for my amusement is set so low now!

So…I like to try new hand soaps, and right now I’m into Baylis & Harding Goodness Natural Handwashes, a new line of vegan liquid hand soaps at Target.

They smell fancy! The scents have notes, base notes, middle notes — the whole shebang — and they lather up into big, luscious bubbles. Think Molton Brown, but at a drugstore price.

They’re made in the UK and don’t contain parabens, silicones and dyes. The suggested retail price for a huge 16.9-oz. bottle is $5.99 (although here in the Bay Area, apparently it’s $7.39).

From Target.com:

“Baylis & Harding Goodness Oud, Cedar & Amber hand wash is inspired by nature with carefully blended plant-based formulas. Using only the finest, natural and organic extracts and essential oils to deliver a 98% naturally derived formulation that is vegan, 95% biodegradable, packaged within a 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) bottle. Dermatologist approved (mild & gentle) and made in England with love, Baylis & Harding’s Goodness natural hand wash line is also dye free, paraben free, silicone free and uses a mild coconut-derived surfactant as an alternative to SLES, making it SLS/SLES/ales free.”

The different scents are surprisingly complex, like you’re having a perfume experience every times you wash your hands. For example, Oud Cedar and Amber, one of my faves, smells like an expensive, handsome man driving you to work in his new car with leather seats. And the Rose and Geranium instantly transports you to teatime in an English garden blooming at the height of spring. So nothing basic, scent wise, here.

Scent notes:

Oud, Cedar & Amber: Woody and aromatic with a blend of citrus fruits with herbal notes and strong woody undertone.
Lemongrass & Ginger: Top and heart notes of ginger and lemongrass blended with black pepper, citrus and bergamot. Nutmeg and cinnamon add a spicy undertone.
Rose & Geranium: A zesty top note of lemon blended with rose, geranium and rich amber.
Sea Kelp & Peppermint: Top notes of peppermint, green tea and sea salt, combined with sea kelp and grounded by base notes of cedar and amber.

The bevy of bubbles rinses quickly, leaving your paws squeaky clean and lightly scented. Good stuff, and super affordable, too.

Pack your bags (literally)

Thanks guys for sharing where you live and why you love it yesterday in the comments. I really enjoyed it! Apparently, I’ve been talking non-stop about leaving California enough that El Hub thinks I’m pretty serious about it. And ya know what? I think I am. I know it’s not going to happen RIGHT THIS SECOND, but I’d like to leave within the next few years. I don’t think I can endure many more fire seasons without turning into a walking ball of anxiety.

Not that anything right now is normal anywhere, but fire season here, on top of the pandemic, is working my already frayed nerves. Like today, I wanted to take Connor to play in the park, but there are two big fires within 20 miles of us (the LNU Complex Fire and the Point Reyes Wildfire), and the air quality is poor. It smells like a campfire outside.

Also, on my to-do list this weekend: packing our go-bags in case we have to evacuate. Super uncomfortable, but it has to be done, because you just never know living here.

I’ve been using these two lists I found online as guidelines:

Do you think it would be silly to set aside some camping gear? I keep thinking about where we’d go if we had to evacuate, because I just don’t know. Everyone we know has been isolating themselves with their families. I guess we could pitch our tent in my parent’s backyard? I have absolutely no idea.

With that…I really don’t want to leave you on a weird note, I swear! Things are currently not dire where I am (knocks on wood). We’re fine. I would just rather be prepared than get caught totally off guard.

I’m pretty happy all things considered. ? Just glad to be here, healthy with my family and a roof over my head.

Take care of yourself, k? And have a good Friday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

A Teeny, Tiny Target Hair Haul (Kristen Ess)

June 5th, 2018 by Karen 11 Comments

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Also, if you leave Target with only two beauty products, does that count as a haul?

So many philosophical questions!

Purr usual, I went to Target today with a short list. I only needed a tub of spinach (I’m back on a green smoothie kick), but I walked out with all kinds of nonsense, including these two products from Lauren Conrad’s homegirl/hairstylist Kristen Ess.

One’s her Signature Hair Water Spray ($10, 7-oz. bottle), which, to be honest…I’m kinda murky on exactly what it’s supposed to do, but my ends have been dry lately, and I like the idea of having a moisturizing spray on hand to use whenever whenever the mood strikes.

INGREDIENTS
Water, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Algin, Chitosan, Carrageenan, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sorbitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Glucoside, Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance

The other one is her Frizz Management Cleansing Conditioner ($14, 8.45-oz. bottle), which I actually needed (“needed,” she says. HAHA!), because I just finished another bottle of R+Co Analog (which costs twice as much) and was in the mood to try something new.

It’s supposed to be good for curly girls, frizzy hair, humidity control and damage.

K, sounds good. Sign me up!

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