Pink Dandy; Smells So Good You'll Want To Eat It (But Don't)

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sampling some of Pink Dandy's bath & body products for a very reasonable price.  The items arrived on my birthday, and even included an extra sample, so it felt like a special gift just for me!  The shipping was lightning quick, and the mailing cost was beyond fair.  The order even came with a discount code for 15% off of my next purchase.  You can imagine just how much this appealed to my budget self!

As soon as I opened the mailer, I was struck by the great packaging.  The labels are colorful and eye-catching, and the containers are functionally adorable.  Inside the containers, I found very generous amounts of product, but the best part was the stuff in those little pots!

I received  a Whipped Satin Luxury Cream in Pumpkin Pie scent, a Foaming Bath Whip in Pink Watermelon, a LightlyWhipped Silk Lotion in Blueberry, a Pucker Up Lip Balm in Chocolate, and the extra present, a sample of Whipped Satin Luxury Cream in Caramel Corn scent.

The scents were all mouth-watering. I wish I could post a scratch and sniff here for you.  The blueberry smelled like a blueberry tart; if you closed your eyes and smelled the pumpkin pie you would expect to see a real fresh baked pie; watermelon reminded me of a Jolly Rancher candy; and the caramel corn smelled like popcorn and toffee.  The lotion was thicker than most creams, and the creams were rich and smooth.  The bath whip does not produce tons of lather, but leaves you clean and lightly scented without being drying.

Janae Chang, the owner of Pink Dandy, is a real pleasure to do business with.  Her products are all vegan, and pthalate free.  The Pink Dandy product line includes facial care, moisturizers, body scrubs, perfume oils, hair care, bath goodies, cleansers, and candles.  Everything is available in a huge variety of scents, so there is literally something for everyone.

I highly recommend giving Pink Dandy a try, you won't regret it! You can find Pink Dandy here:

http://pinkdandy.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkdandyshop

Look of the Day, Greens

On the last and final day of the 41st year of my life, I decided to go with a color scheme that I don't usually wear very often.  I enjoyed it so much that I think I will be using more green from now on!

 Eyes: (from inner corner outward) Village Green, Hoodwinked, & Huntsmen, with Dunes as highlight

Face:  foundation in Tan, blush in Merlot

Lips: Berry Shake  (All Native Hues, of course)

More Budget Beauty Goodness from the Fridge

I recently discovered a wonderful beauty trick while reading up on natural skin care and herbal preparations.  It's so brilliantly simple, and tasty too.  Yogurt. Plain, full fat yogurt has so many benefits to skin; I wish I had learned this years ago!

Yogurt is chock full of nutrition for the skin.  It contains calcium, zinc, and minerals, as well as fatty acids that not only hydrate thirsty skin, but aid in exfolliation to boot.  It's like youth serum  in a tub.  Ok, not really, but a weekly treatment can go a long way to maintaining a youthful glow.

One to two times a week, apply a thick layer of yogurt to your face, neck, and any other places needing a little attention, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.  Then, take a washcloth and gently wipe in small circles to complete the exfolliation.  Rinse, and Voila! Smoother, more hydrated skin for mere pennies per treatment.

Look of the Day, Sky Blue Pink, Merlot, Muscadine, & Dunes

The look of the day today is a dramatic look using pinks and purples from Native Hues.  It's an Autumn look which would be great for an evening out.

eyes:  inner corner-Sky Blue Pink, center of lid and crease-Merlot, outer v- Muscadine, highlight- Dunes,  lower liner- Blackest Black (all Native Hues), and upper liner-LA Colors Smudge Proof Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Lips:  Native Hues Liquid Lipstick in Iris

Mehndi

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I treated ourselves to a mehndi cone and had some fun.

Unfortunately, hers became smeared before it had a chance to dry.  Guess we're making another trip down to Little India soon for another cone!

Look of the Day, Buttercup, Taxicab, & Dark Chocolate

Today's look is a study in yellows.  I normally wouldn't use this much yellow, as it tends to bring out my yellowish undertones, but the addition of brown seemed to work fine with my skin tone.

Inner corner- Native Hues Buttercup
Center of lid- Native Hues Taxicab
Outer V/crease- Native Hues Dark Chocolate

If you like this look, and would like to try it yourself, you can find these colors here

Product Review: Wet n Wild Intuitive Blend Shade Adjusting Foundation + Primer

A quick trip to Walgreens this evening netted me Wet n Wild's Intuitive Blend Shade Adjusting Foundation + Primer for a cool $5.99.  There were 3 shades available, light, medium, and tan.  I opted for medium, as it seemed like a fail-safe choice.  The 1 oz tube was sealed with a safety seal, which made it impossible to see what was within. 

The back of the container says, "Breakthrough shade adjusting technology starts of white and adjusts to match your exact shade."   

The foundation indeed starts out white, and contains color beads which break up and disperse color when rubbed in.  It did match my shade quite well, but the coverage was less than great.  I think it would be a good product for someone with better skin tone.  Since I have much to hide by way of my melasma, this foundation just does not provide nearly enough coverage.  As you will be able to see in the before/after photos, there is very little difference in tone and texture, even after applying a second "coat."

I don't recommend this foundation for anyone needing the extra help that a highly pigmented formula can provide.

     

Look of the Day, Sky Blue Pink & Midnight

Today's look is a two color eye shadow combination.  I've been trying to cut my makeup time down a bit to get started a little earlier (and beat the mid-day heat).  Usually, I spend the bulk of my a.m. working on my eye shadow application, so I have been trying to simplify and still get the look I'm going for.

So, here's today's look of the day:

 

this look uses Native Hues Eye Shadow in Sky Blue Pink on inner 2/3 of lid, and Midnight in outer v and blended into the center.

These eye shadows hold up very well to activity, sweat, humidity, and the heat of the day.  The bottom photo was taken 7 hours after application and a long day of dog walking in the heat!

An Etsy Find

If you haven't heard of it, etsy.com is a great place to find one of a kind, hand crafted, or vintage items.  There are categories for just about everything under the sun, including makeup and bath items.  Artisans and crafters offer their wares in a "buy it now" style, so you don't have to hope to be the highest bidder.  And in this age of big chain stores and cheap imports, it's just good Karma to support the micro-businesses of the world.

Last week, I had the pleasure of a transaction with Morning Valley Soaps, and I can't say enough good things about the experience.  As I was browsing the bath & body section, I noticed these lovely handmade soaps.  I have to admit, I wanted to try them all.  They are all beautiful, and made with botanical, good-for-you ingredients  The one that really caught my eye, however, was a sweet mint soap.

Peppermint has long been my favorite summertime herb.  The cooling properties are just awesome.  Surviving August here in Texas is a little easier with a tall glass of iced mint tea and a peppermint foot soak.  So, I was happy to see a botanical bar soap on offer containing my beloved mint. 

The soap arrived on Saturday.  Perfect timing, as it was forecast to top 100 degrees over the weekend.  It was wrapped in a nice fabric and tied carefully with a bow.  Also included was a short handwritten note.  Now that's the kind of thing you just don't get when you buy from the big guys!  The scent of the soap is very herbal, and not perfumed, or artificial in any way.  It has a delicate aroma that leaves your skin smelling clean, but not  heavily scented.  This is perfect for me, as my husband can not tolerate perfumes or scents at all (that's why I'll probably never do a perfume review here).

After a few hours out in the heat, I decided to try my new soap.  It was every bit as refreshing as I had hoped.  The only problem now is to make sure I don't use it all up in a week and have to face the rest of August without!

I highly recommend this seller, and will definitely be back for more!  If the thought of peppermint soap doesn't appeal to you, she has so many other varieties on offer, you're bound to find something that appeals to you.  And while you're there, you might want to pick up an extra to give as a gift!

You can visit Morning Valley Soaps at http://www.etsy.com/shop/MorningValleySoaps?ref=seller_infoYou'll be glad you did.

The Bad Haircut

O.k., we've all had them.  Some of us have had more than our fair share of them.  They come in all lengths and configurations, can cost much or little, and no amount of product can save us from them.  I'm talking about bad haircuts!  The kind of bad haircut that leaves you wondering how you can get from the salon to the car, and from the car to your house without being seen.

Well, I've got a doozy of one right now, and I've grown weary of waiting for it to grow out.  All the scalp massage in the universe won't make it grow any faster, and to be honest, I'm running out of creative ways to hide it.  I can only  wear so many bandannas without looking like I have a pirate fetish, baseball caps make me look like a weird little boy, sunhats look like I'm ready for Sunday School, or just stepped out of an impressionist painting, and I've got this great floppy hat that just needs a dozen or so fishing lures stuck through it to achieve that choice "outdoorsey" look.  There's not enough of it to put up, or back, or anything other than let it exist in all its badness.  And I'm entirely too budget conscious to even consider extensions!

My husband refers to any chin length haircut with or without bangs as a "Cornelius" (as in Dr. Cornelius, from Planet of the Apes), so further clipping isn't an option.  The worst part of this bad coiffure is that tonight was my son's graduation, and there I was with my dreadful 'do.  Every picture taken on this momentous occasion will remind me of the joys of child-rearing, and the tragedy of finding myself in the wrong stylists chair.  I mean, I brought a photo for cryin' out loud! 

Bath & Body Works Shea It Isn't So Foot Cream

With the dog days of summer upon us, my poor dogs are barking!  Between the heat, swimming, and wearing sandals/flip-flops pretty much every day, my poor feet are in a sad state.

Shea It Isn't So to the rescue!  It's is from Bath & Body Works "True Blue Spa" line, and it is fantastic stuff.  At $15 for 4 oz, it's not quite so budget, but a little bit goes a long way.  It's uber thick, and moisturizes like nobody's business.  Made with rich shea butter, it works like a charm.  The thick consistency can be a little tricky, but I found that if I slather it on and slip into a nice pair of cotton socks right before bed, I wake up with nice soft and happy feet.  Applying it in the middle of the day had less desirable results (let's just say I was slipping and sliding all over the place!).

The scent is nice, kind of orangey-minty, and  fresh.  The best part is the cooling effect it has.  The minty part makes my feet feel totally refreshed, even after a long (and very hot) day of walking dogs.  This is by far my favorite foot cream out there!

Book Review: Face Value : The Truth about Beauty-- and a Guilt-Free Guide to Finding It by Dr. Hema Sundaram

I picked this gem up at the library the other day, and read it cover to cover in a little over one day.  I found the writing style of the author to be very enjoyable, which kept me reading.

This book was written by a cosmetic dermatologist, and touches on not only external beauty, but also the beauty that comes from within.  I was very pleasantly surprised to find information included on meditation, positive thinking, affirmations, and just loving and accepting ones self for who one is. 

It also looks at various cosmetic procedures and provides anecdotal case studies to bring to life the patients having these procedures done.  Dr. Sundaram writes with such empathy and understanding, I felt as if it was me having a little "work" done! 

I would highly recommend this book for anyone considering any type of cosmetic procedure, be it dermabrasion, laser treatment, acid peel, or even surgery.  It is very eye opening in that it will make you examine your motivations for wanting these treatments, and help you explore whether you truly will benefit from them.  It also offers comfort and reassurances for those deciding that they really do want to proceed with treatment.  It will help alleviate any  feelings of  guilt or vanity as well.

I have recently been considering treatment for discoloration on my face (melasma) that developed during my last pregnancy.  It has been driving me crazy for nearly 3 years now.  Although my husband said he never noticed it until I pointed it out to him, I blame that on his need for a new pair of glasses!  After reading Face Value, I feel much better about my options, and about wanting to seek professional help as well.

Native Hues

Today's look uses only the makeup that I have been working on (Native Hues).  It's so exciting to be able to put an entire look together using the fruits of my labors!  The eye liner pencil and foundation are still "under construction," but I am very pleased with how they are coming along.  I am still pretty stuck on some of my other mineral makeup (mostly from Signature Minerals, which I adore, and also PureLuxe, which has the best coverage I have seen so far), so I 'm not going to be abandoning those goodies, ever! 

This look consists of:

Eyes:  Shadows in Sky Blue Pink on the inner 2/3, and Muscadine on crease and outer 1/3, liner pencil in Blackest Black

Foundation: Tan

Lips: Barbie Girl Liquid Lipstick 

My New Obsession

O.k., I know that I haven't been updating as much as I intend these days.  The truth of the matter is that I have been spending all of my spare time (and money) working on a new makeup project.  It's just about ready for unveiling, and I wanted you, my dear readers, to get the first peek!

As I may have mentioned, I am in love with mineral makeup!  I think it's the makeup miracle of the century, and can't say enough good things about it.   In fact, I am so in love with it that I have been researching it for some time now, and learning as much as my beauty brain can hold.  There are so many great companies and gorgeous colors out there that I nearly didn't even consider starting my own line of cosmetics.

The thing that really helped me to decide to create my own makeup was that there just isn't much out there that doesn't come in loose form.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE loose makeup.  I love the feel, the blend-ability, the amazing selections of shades, hues, tones, and textures, I love it all!  But what really has me concerned is that as I learned about the components of the makeup, I realized that every single ingredient came with warnings that read "Do Not Breathe Dust;" or "May Irritate Lungs;" or things of that nature.  EEEK!  So, if each item is dangerous to breatheon its own, then how is mixing a bunch of these goodies together and dusting them all over my face good?  And when I'm in one of my creative makeup frenzies, I stir up a bit of dust to be sure.  Now, I'm not saying that loose mineral makeup is dangerous, or bad, or anything negative about it at all.  I still love it, and I love the mineral companies that I do business with.

But this got me to thinking, number one-what do the insides of my lungs now look like? (mind you, I'm pretty health conscious, no smoking, good nutrition, exercise daily, etc.) and number two-how can I possibly live without my minerals?!   So, I've been working like a mad scientist to come up with the vibrant colors, good for the skin ingredients, and the spectacular coverage that I love in a pressed form.  So far, I have created those colors that I enjoy most, but I realized that I should share these gems with other beautiholics like myself.  So I will continue to add to the line on an ongoing basis, to suit many tastes and preferences.

I am focused mainly on eye shadows and liquid lipsticks at the moment, although I have now formulated a great pressed mineral foundation for my own use, and am loving it!  It has been so much fun applying all that I have spent so much time researching, and tapping into my creative side to do it.  It's like a right AND left brain endeavor, kind of an art meets science experience!   

Here is that sneak peek that I mentioned.  These are just a couple of the eye shadows that I have created; and they're not yet labeled in this photo.  You will be able to find the full collection on offer at    http://www.etsy.com/shop/nativehues sometime next week.

Budget Beauty From the Fridge

Summer is here, and the produce departments have fantastic prices on a number of beauty aids.  Yep, that's right, the produce department!  You can find moisturizers, cleansers, masks, and peels for a song, all right in the veggie isle.  The best part is that you can grab a healthy snack while you're there.

As the dog days of Summer heat everything up here in Texas, I find myself not only wilting from the heat, but facing more than one skin problem.  Something cold, natural, and cheap is just the thing to make this beautiholic smile.  Enter my good friends avocados, grapes, strawberries, and bananas.  If some of my "treatments" happen to make their way into my mouth while I'm basking in their beautifying goodness then no harm, no foul.

Here are some of the benefits of these budget friendly face foods:

Avocados:  hydrate, help give "mature" skin a boost, and provide a softer, smoother look.  Mash 1/2 avocado and apply to the face for 15 minutes, then rinse for a moisturizing bonanza


Grapes:    a fantastic anti-oxidant, grapes contain resveratrol, and help boost skins natural collagen production.  You can slice a grape in half and rub the cut sides over your (clean) face and neck for an instant pick-me-up.

Strawberries:  brighten skin, reduce the appearance of pores, and exfoliate dead skin cells, and give skin a vitamin c soak.  Mash a couple of strawberries and apply to the face for no more than 5 minutes for a natural peel.  Be careful rinse within 5 minutes (or less), as strawberries have a high acid content and can burn skin if left on too long.

Bananas:  provide a plethora of vitamins and minerals, and make a wonderful skin smoothing mask.  Mash 1/2 banana and smooth on to the face and neck.  Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water

You can boost the effectiveness of any ingredient above by adding a tablespoon of honey to the mashed pulp.  Honey provides additional moisturizing, and tastes delicious!

WARNING:  If you have any food allergies, be very careful with botanical beauty aids!  Even if you don't have allergies, I suggest testing a small amount of these goodies on the inside of your elbow before slathering them on, just in case.

Look of the Day

Today's look is entirely Signature Minerals!  I thought it would be a challenge to do an entire look using minerals, especially lips and eyebrows, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The coverage is fabulous.  I'm including a shot of me without makeup to illustrate just how miraculous this stuff is.  I really can't say enough good things about these products.

Warning, Scary Before Picture Below!!!

Face:
Multi Task Concealer on freckles and discolorations on nose, and cheeks
Sunshine Corrector under eyes
8.3 Medium Dark Foundation all over face
Cocoa Bean & Caramel Kiss Blushes to contour cheeks, nose, and jawline
Island Princess Bronzer around perimeter of face to add depth
Tawny Tan Veil on entire face
Soft Radiance Veil as highlight on nose, chin, cheekbones, and forehead
Pink Jazz blush on apples of cheeks, and mixed with Soap & Glory clear lip gloss on lips

and

eyes:
Terre Light on entire lid, from lash to brow
Accent on inner corners of eyes, lash to brow
Taupe on outer corners of eyes lash to brow
Terre Dark on brow bone, also applied wet as liner on top & bottom lashes and to fill in brows
Nikki's Emerald in creases and outer "v"
and Beige under brow arches as highlight 

Soap & Glory's The Fill Monte Dab-On Wrinkle Filler

At "40-something," wrinkles have become more of a concern to me than ever before.  To be honest, I have abused my skin for the first 38 years of my life, including washing with harsh soaps, not moisturizing, using tanning beds (daily for many years), and never applying sunscreen.  Somewhere in my 39th year of life, as the big 4-0 loomed near, I began to notice things that weren't there before.  Those cute smile lines had suddenly deepened and become :::GASP::: wrinkles (b.t.w., that's why most of my make-up pics don't involve a smile; smiling now obscures the finer details of my eye shadows) .

Now, believe it or not, nature can be kind where these things are concerned.  Take failing eyesight, for one.  As I've aged, my eyes just aren't what they once were, and so those pesky lines just aren't as visible to me. Unfortunately, now needing a magnifying mirror to pluck my brows has the added benefit of showing me all those experience lines, to the power of 10X!

Enter Soap & Glory's The Fill Monte.  I really didn't believe all the hype, but figured I'd give it a try anyway.   I found some on Ebay for $7, and couldn't resist.  The box says, "Helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  It's Amazing!  In just seconds after application."  It also has the usual Soap & Glory retro-packaging full of witty and smile inducing blurbs.  Of course, smiling while reading the box only served to highlight my  ...shall we call them areas of interest.

Inside the entertaining box is a little pot (.4 oz) of thick, white, and somewhat pasty cream.  It has a very slight scent, which is nearly undetectable and pleasant.  I was relieved.  I remember smelling my grandmother's wrinkle creams as a kid, and they smelled very "old lady."    The directions read, "Dab a fine flim of the Fill Monty on clean skin, over any fine lines or wrinkles that you'd like to be seeing less of." 

Since the product arrived in the mail sometime in the afternoon, and I was very anxious to see less of several wrinkles, I sampled it immediately.  Below are the before and after shots of several areas needing help.  I wasn't really sure about the results until I reviewed the pictures.  The results are outstanding!  As you can see, this stuff is fantastic!  I will definitely be buying more, at full price even!

LA Colors Baked Eyeshadows Palette

I spotted a new LA Colors palette the other day, and had to try it out.  I love the versatility of baked eye shadows, so I couldn't resist.  Also, at $2, it was a steal.

The name of this collection is "Nightlife."  It consists of  purple, gray, black, and white colors that go on subtle and sheer when applied dry; or dark and dramatic when applied wet.  The great thing about baked shadows is that you can apply them wet as eyeliner as well, so they're kind of a two for one deal!

I swatched the top row wet, and the bottom row dry.  The first photo is with flash, and the 2nd is without. 

The colors were long wearing, and didn't come off until I removed them.  They were a little tough to blend, but nicely pigmented.  I applied them dry for the look below, using the purple color for the lid, the gray shade on my brow bone, black in the crease and outer v, and white as a highlight just below the arch of my brows. 

I don't think this is a palette that I will use very often, just because of the monochromatic color selection, but it would be perfect for a night on the town (just like the name implies!).  I am looking forward to trying other colors in this line.  My only real complaint is the blendablilty.  I couldn't completely smooth the lines of demarcation for a seamless look, but perhaps a slightly stiffer or thicker brush would do the trick.

Signature Minerals

I can't say enough good things about Signature Minerals mineral makeup.  I am absolutely loving the blushes, concealers,correctors, bronzers, and veils.  The best part is that they will send you a sample of every product and every color absolutely FREE!  Yep, that's right, free.  You can order sample packs of 6 (as many as you like) by visiting their Signature Minerals website.  All you have to do is cover the shipping, which is a very fair deal. 

As a woman with "skin of color,"  I have a very difficult time finding cosmetics that match my skin tone.  I recently ordered a 3 pack mineral sampler from another company that came to over $17 (including shipping) and didn't even get a good match.  I really can't afford to try too many colors at that price!  But at Signature Minerals, they make it easy.  You are limited to one free sample per color, but with all the color choices available, who'd want to?

I wanted to give everything a fair trial before writing about it here, so I have been trying it for a few weeks now (the samples are very generous!).  I can honestly say that I will be buying full sized products soon.  The colors are great, the quality is high, and the full sized items are reasonably priced as well.   Also, the shipping is lightning quick.  I ordered my samples on a Saturday afternoon (during non-office hours) and received them the following Tuesday.  So there's no real waiting time for your goodies to arrive, which is another great selling point.

I swatched a few of the blushes to show the wonderful range of colors, as well as the vibrancy, and they really look fantastic when you apply them on your cheeks!

Swatches (top row l-r are gleeful, desert rose, palest pink, pink jazz, adobe sun, dusty mauve; bottom row l-r are:  cocoa bean, caramel kiss, damask, buff apricot desiree, and coral

in the picture:  corrector in sunshine under 8.3 medium to dark beige foundation, cocoa bean and caramel kiss blushes and goddess bronzer for contouring cheeks, jawline, and nose, desert rose blush, radiance veil as highlight on upper cheeks, forehead, and nose, and  translucent veil to 'set' the look

You can get your free samples (and I highly recommend that you do, after all, free is good!) at  http://www.signatureminerals.com/free-sample-pack.html

Look of the Day; NYX Eye Shadows

I am totally loving NYX  loose eyeshadow pigments!  The vibrancy is great.  They're easy to apply, blend well, and last all day  too.  For today's look, I decided to go colorful.  Sometimes I have visions of Mimi from the Drew Carey Show, and I get a little nervous, but so far I haven't hit my Mimi look-alike yet. 

Eyes:  NYX loose pigments (all applied wet) in Jade Pearl on inner corners and inner bottom lash line, Turquoise to center lid and center lower lash line, and True Purple Pearl on outer corners and outer bottom lash line.  Slate blue from Profusion palette in crease and outer 'v'.  E.L.F. Shimmering Facial Whip in Petal as highlight.  E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner in Coffee for eyebrow damage control.

Face:  Maybelline Pure Makeup in Pure Beige, Signature Minerals blushes in Cocoa Bean and Caramel Kiss for contouring, Signature Minerals blush in Desert Rose on apples of cheeks, Signature Minerals veil in Radiance as highlight on cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose.

Lips:  Soap & Glory Sexy Motherpucker in Clear (I LOVE this stuff!)