SKINCARE FIVE: NUDE PROGENIUS TREATMENT OIL

If you know me then you know I love my oil.  Cuticle oil, hair oil, but my heart really belongs to skin oil.  All brands, all kinds.  I love it.  I love what a change it has made in my ridiculously dry skin.

This particular one is the Nude ProGenius.  You pretty much can't go wrong with this oil.  It has, as you can read, Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9 in the oil and this is a bit thicker than other face oils such as the tsubaki oil from Boscia or the argan oil from Josie Maran.  

If you have dryness, sallowness, or you just think your skin could benefit from a major nutrition pick up then I would say try this out!  If you don't want to spend the $39 for a small bottle then the next time you're near Sephora ask for a sample.  Be warned, I think you'll be back to buy it pretty soon.

NAILS FOUR: SALLY HANSEN INSTANT CUTICLE REMOVER

Forever ago Anna of Vivanna Does Makeup fame mentioned/raved about this product from Sally Hansen.  Clearly I'm a lemming and if Anna says it's nice then I must own so I bought it.  Used it once.  Loved the result.  Promised myself I would use regularly and then shoved it in a drawer and ignored it.  This seems to be the common theme of my entire life.

I pulled this out recently to try and make sure I'm using products regularly and not hoarding them until they are expired and of no use to me.  

I don't cut my cuticles.  Seems cutting cuticles can cause more trouble that it's worth.  I simply squirt this product on and allow it to sit for five minutes then I take a nail tool and gently push my cuticles back.  The result is a nail with freshly manicured appearance and no nicks or soreness from cutting the cuticles.  

I purchased this at Wal-Mart, but it's sold in tons of stores here in the US.  If you are the type to give yourself manicures rather than get them I cannot recommend this product enough.  Save yourself the stress and invest.

MAKEUP SEVEN: LOREAL MAGIC NUDE LIQUID POWDER 328 SUN BEIGE

If you watched my "Top 10 Under $10" video then you've already seen this beauty.  If you haven't then you are slacking and should get over to YouTube and watch it!  Anyway, drugstore foundation is kind of my nemesis.  Well, actually foundation in general.  

Here's the thing, my skin is pretty great.  It used to be oily and has gotten dry in recent years, but I've never had particularly sensitive skin and I've never been prone to acne.  Therefore, as long as a foundation doesn't separate on me, in theory, it should work wonderfully.  Screw theory.  If my face doesn't look naturally flawless then I'm not interested.

Enter Loreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder in 328 Sun Beige.  I love this stuff.  It's my skin, but better.  Any small imperfections are covered, but the rest of my skin looks like I'm sans makeup.  I couldn't ask for a better result and the fact that it retails for so cheap is a wonder.  

I've heard this is a drugstore dupe for the Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation.  If so, save yourself some money and just get this bad boy.  He's flawless and you will be too!

MAKEUP SIX: JOSIE MARAN COCONUT WATER CHEEK GELEE POPPY PARADISE

I used to think I hated blush.  Then I loved it a little too much.  Then I discovered cream blush which looked AMAZING on everyone else and absolutely ludicrous on me.  I was beyond frustrated and then this popped up in a YouTube video one day.  Then it kept popping up.  Josie Maran Cheek Gelee in Poppy Paradise.

For some time I was convinced it wouldn't show up on me and if it did I would hate it the way I disliked all other cream blushes, but this isn't a cream is it?  No.  It isn't.  It's a gelee.  A CHEEK gelee if you want to get all technical.  

This is the smoothest, most wonderful and absolutely gorgeous flattering cheek product I have ever used.  Somehow color payoff is simultaneous wonderful and difficult to over do.  I run my finger in the top, smear on cheeks and #werk all day without having to worry about my blush looking clownish or disappearing on me mid-afternoon.  That, hopefully, excuses the fact that I went back and bought it in Berry Bliss.  

I'm not done yet either. Soon Coral Oasis and Getaway Red are going to be joining the other two.  I just know it.

BOOKS ONE: JANUARY 2014 READS

Here they are, admittedly exceedingly late, but I guess that's what I'm about.  Either earlier than everyone or so far behind I'm not even sure why I bother, but bother I shall and these are the books I read in January.  One of my goals for 2014 was to read 52 books.  January got me off to a cracking start.  February has been less than stellar, but bemoaning my February lack of reading will have to wait for the February post.  Today, it's all about what I DID read in January.  We are working our way from the bottom to the top.

It by Alexa Chung

Well, this book was cute.  I blasted through it in about 30-40 minutes.  There isn't really any substantial text to read and I think this book probably falls more under decoration than literature.  It's filled with "artsy" photos and doodles as well as little quotes from Alexa.  She delves a bit into her fashion and makeup obsession.  I am glad I have it, but I was hoping it would be more like Grace or The Man Repeller.  Just more substance I suppose.

The Salem With Trials

A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege

by Marilynne K. Roach

This book is 588 pages plus five appendixes, endnotes, a bibliography, an index, and acknowledgements.  It begins with hand drawn maps, a prologue and a lengthy introduction.  If you aren't yet deterred allow me to ask this.  Do you like history books?  Not historical novels I mean a good old fashioned history text book.  If not then this is probably not for you.  

I picked this up in Salem, MA at the smallest most overcrowded bookstore I have ever had the pleasure to visit.  I picked up a few other things too but I couldn't wait to read all about this topic and a "day-by-day chronicle" sounded excellent.  It was a bit dry.  Other than the actual days of trial there was not much happening in the colonies at that time other than indian raids and petty squabbles into which I was not interested.  I did manage to get through it and I did learn some things.  I wouldn't recommend though unless you enjoy long dry topic discussions.

Let's Bring Back

An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By

by Lesley M. M. Blume

Now this book is just plain cute.  I read it in a continual sitting but with it being broken up like an encyclopedia it lends itself to simply picking it up and perusing from time to time.  I enjoyed the author's wit and thought it was a unique way to present history.  The books is based around the idea of bringing particular fashion, phrases, items, or people back into popularity.  It gives you a little history without being overwhelming and teaches you a bit about times gone by.  I would recommend this to anyone.

Bright Young Things

A Modern Guide to the Roaring Twenties

by Alison Maloney

A cute coffee table book.  It doesn't really teach you much about the twenties if you already know a bit, but it does give you some party ideas and drink and food recipes to try.  In other words if you love the twenties, want a cute and inexpensive book to decorate with, or need a prohibition cocktail recipe it might be worth laying your hands on.  

Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

This book, my God, this book.  That's not praise.  That's frustration.  First, let's back track.  I decided to read all the books that Oprah's Book Club had recommended that I hadn't yet read and I buy many of my books at thrift stores for $1.00 or less.  When I saw this on the shelf for a quarter I purchased and brought it home.  The way it had been raved about I jumped it to the front of about a million other books to read.  

I. Loathe. This. Book.  

First, the perspective the book is written from is strange.  It's multi-perspective but also kind of omni-present.  As well as the fact that the father is presented and a really good man and a really terrible man at the same time and a lot of things that happened I just kept reading thinking.  Can this please, please be over?  It didn't bother me so much as I kept thinking no group of people has THIS much bad luck and THIS much unhappiness.  I'm sorry, but I've never heard of or met one family with insanity, incest, early death, abuse, suicide, murder, theft, religion and apathy, boot legging, etc.  I could go on.  I swear the author made a list of all the MOST terrible things she could think of and said let's visit it all on one group of less than 10 people.  Insanity.  Insanity.  It's making me worry about the rest of the recommendations from Oprah.   

SKINCARE FOUR: OLE HENRIKSEN TRUTH SERUM COLLAGEN BOOSTER

Y'all, Y'all, Y'all.  What can I say?  Sometimes those point perks, or kits, Sephora always has work for you.  You know?  This is one of those times.  I'm pretty sure this was a 100 point-perk thanks to my ever rising VIB points balance at Sephora.

I love Ole Henriksen's Truth To Go Vitamin C Wipes so when I saw a chance to try the accompanying serum I was all over that faster than I could say, "I'd like to cash in 100 points please!"  Lord does this "ish" smell good.  Oh yeah, and it works too.  

The smell is the same as the rest of the Ole Henriksen Vitamin C line.  Kind of like a sweetened citrus.  It doesn't have that kick citrus scents usually have just a very mellow and delicious odor.  As you can see it is an orange color but appears clear once blended and this little guy has been doing me a treat.

Every night I mix a few pumps of this with my oil of choice for the evening and apply all over my face and neck.  I have some thicker serums that I've been reaching for most of the winter but this little guy just won't be tossed aside.  I keep reaching for him!  

He smells good,  he leaves my skin glowing and healthy, and he's the easiest thing to apply I've had in ages.  Now, if only I could get over the eye watering price of $48 for 1 oz or $72 for 1.7 oz.  I'm anxious about the loss of this little sample and the hit my account is going to take replacing it.

SKINCARE THREE: LUSH ROSE

Recently I have found myself drawn to (READ: OBSESSED) rose scented items.  Lip balms, lotions, and everything in between.  A little while back LUSH had a gift set of Rose Jam shower gel and Ro's Argan Body Conditioner.  Want. Want. Want.

Luckily, my boyfriend ordered one off the interwebs and had it sent to me as a surprise.  I couldn't believe my luck.  I got what I wanted and I didn't have to spend a dime.  Guess I should keep him, eh?

Anyway, to the products, these rose products are not your stereotypical rose scent.  They have an almost rose with a tangy kick vibe to them, one that I like very much.  It enables me to layer the products without people thinking I'm using my grandmother's bath products, if you know what I mean.

This kit is no longer available at LUSH, isn't that always the way?  However, you can always get Ro's Argan, granted in a much larger/more expensive size and they have some rose bath bombs that are very similar to Rose Jam. 

I'd definitely check them out the next time you're convenient to a LUSH.

SKINCARE TWO: MEDERMA FOR STRETCH MARKS

I hate to keep referencing the same thing, but the great makeup clean out has been crucial to my finding and using up items that I didn't even know were in my position.  Case in point, this Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy.  

I'm going to be honest here.  I've got stretch marks.  Most women do.  Around sixteen or seventeen years old my hips acquired some them.  None of my friends had anything like it and being a Floridian, born and raised, it's hard to hide something like that. 

I've kind of always thought that they were a big deal and even though my boyfriend has told me, repeatedly, that he doesn't even notice them and couldn't possibly care less if I have them I always think of them.  

A little while back I was in Walgreens and dropped the UNGODLY sum of $40.99 on 5.29 FL OZ of product.  Then I brought it home and put it in a drawer in my tower of beauty and forgot about it.  Just forgot about over $50 worth of product. 

Recently, I dug it out and started using it.  Is it working?  I don't know.  I mean, I think it is, but I'm not entirely sure if it would even work on something that's as old as my stretch marks are, but I will use it up since it cost so much. 

 It may also be that I'm 28 years old now with a very loving boyfriend and I couldn't care less if I have some stretch marks.  

MAKEUP FIVE: URBAN DECAY CHILL MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY

Urban Decay setting sprays have almost been reviewed (read: raved about) until there isn't anything to say.  Well, that was until I tried the chill spray.  

I previously an "all nighter" girl but then my skin dried out.  You know, nothing major, just like the Sahara in the middle of July.  Chill saved my face.  

Once I'm done with the nine million layers I pile on for the day then my face just feels, and looks, a bit done. If you know what I'm on about.  Enter chill.

What chill does is not only refresh the makeup, in a MAC Fix+ sort of way, but set the makeup in a Urban Decay All-Nighter fashion.  I've always found that Fix+ refreshes my makeup but also moves anything that isn't waterproof no matter how careful I am.  

So for all my DRY girls out there I recommend chill wholeheartedly.

MAKEUP FOUR: CHANEL SOLEIL TAN DE CHANEL

Soleil Tan De Chanel (STDC) seems to be a product that everyone, and their mother, has.  For a long time I wasn't sold, $48.00 for a product that I was relatively sure I didn't need was just too steep.  

Then people just kept raving about it and I caved.  I had a few problems with this product and application.  Allow me to take you through all the stages from first use until now.

Step 1: Afraid to use product because it's so beautiful.  Looks like mousse and every time I touch the packaging I get fingerprints on the beautiful black lid which I must then obsessively rub off.

Step 2: Use product with Real Techniques Blush Brush.  Fail miserably at not being orange.

Step 3: Switch brush to Real Techniques Buffing Brush.  The head of the brush is too wide and I end up looking like I don't know what subtle contour is.

Step 4: Purchase Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Set.  Throw in drawer with other brushes and continue to struggle with product.

Step 5: Pull out Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Contour Brush and use to apply Soleil Tan De Chanel.  Application looks much improved but still not perfect.

Step 6: Laugh when you read that package that states STDC is a bronzing makeup base because who would want that all over their face.  Stop laughing and realize all your previous errors have led to this moment.

Step 7: Apply STDC with the Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Contour Brush after primer, at the same time as my cream highlight, before I put on foundation.  Compliments begin to roll in.  I am much pleased.

So, is the product worth $48.00?  I don't know.  It looks wonderful, now that I know what I'm doing, but Bourjois has a similar product that retails for SIGNIFICANTLY less.  I would need to try that product to determine but at this point it's the only product I have that contours this naturally.