Anyone with Longish Hair--ATTENTION!

I have had a very busy few weeks.  I'm really trying to use any energy I have to spend time with my husband, and then rest when I get the chance.  It's actually worked out really well.

While at my in-laws' up in northern CA last week, I was watching TV and saw a commercial for the Goody Spin Pin.  I waited until Aaron came back and begged him to take me to a nearby drugstore.  I got one of the last ones. 

This is the most amazing invention I have seen in a long time.  It takes the place of twenty bobby pins.  My mass of hair can be spun into a bun so easily and without the usual claw clip digging into my scalp.

RUN to a drugstore and get one.

FYI, it's actually two pins.  SO easy and holds so well.  I have no more words to rave.

Easter and Spring

Hello there!

I definitely missed blogging and reading beauty blogs over Lent.  However, it ended up being really good for me.

I had time for--

• crafting: I have gotten really into crocheting again.  I found so many cute and stylish patterns on Etsy.
• eating: I started eating Gluten Free.  This required quite a bit of research, recipe search, and tracking what I'm eating.  I'm now playing with how much wheat I can eat with the same results.
• reading
• long naps

I have quite a few things to write about.  My new goal is to be better about including pictures of the results of new products I try.

A huge steal dress.  Brand new French Connection dress with $150 tag attached.  Got it at a consignment store a couple of months ago for $9.  Woohoo!

Loving some new accessories as I decide whether or not to grow out my bangs.

Target, $8

Blush color--so hot this spring/summer

The Look for Less

I found the most amazing list of drugstore alternatives to high end makeup colors.  I don't think this applies to foundations and certain high end formulations, but it sure is fun to find similar colors for cheaper.

Check it out:

The Look for Less

Also, FYI, in the beauty blogger/reviewer circles, things are labeled "high end dupes."  If you're ever looking for a cheaper alternative for a specific product, try Googling it with the word "dupe."

Sephora Sweet Steals

Well, I finally recovered from the ball just in time for an insane Thanksgiving week.  I have had so many beauty and fashion things running through this little head, but have been too tired to write them down!  My two year old niece stayed here for six days.  I was her primary caregiver last weekend.  Wowza...not ready for kids yet.  It was fun, and I missed her as soon as she left, but WOW.

I have been suckered into three Sephora Sweet Steals already.  Have you guys discovered these???

First, I was buying those lipliners I wrote about a few weeks ago when I glanced at the set of TWO Benefit creaseless eyeshadows for $10.  No, I am not kidding.  They are ordinarily $19.  Now, I wasn't going to buy them unless I really liked the color.  I have been SO impressed with the staying power.

Recess - a great, yellowy base.  I have been using it under gray shadow and it lasts as long as Urban Decay primer potion!!  I can also use it as a brow highlighter.

Honey Bunny - a neutral, beigey brown.  Amazing on its own.  Completely matte.

So, tonight I stopped by to return this Benefit powder and scored again.  Frederick Fekkai Salon Glaze mini bottle for $5.  Woohoo.

I found this information on the Sephora blog. Stay tuned for these great little deals.  Don't be suckered just because it's a good deal. But, if it's something you want, go for it!!

Natural Highlights

My hair is getting more and more gray strands!

This summer, I'm thinking about letting my natural sun highlights come in, rather than dyeing it with a darker (albeit demi permanent) brown.

I got this from Glamour and may try it...while lying out on the beach in Greece next month!

The Summer-Highlights CocktailWant sun-kissed highlights like Selena Gomez's? Salon Eiji's Michael Murphy says brunettes can DIY it by taking this "cocktail" with you next time you hit the beach. "Mix equal parts lemon juice and vodka and put it in a spritzer bottle," says Murphy. "Take a dip in the pool, then spritz your ends with the cocktail, starting at the ear level down, and let dry in the sun or hit with the blow-dryer." It gently lightens your hair for a more naturally sun-kissed look than a lot of salon highlights; color will be strongest on the lengths, where sun hits. And since the results are subtle, you don't need to worry about pricey touch-ups and the awkward grow-out phase.

Another Deal!

So, over a year ago, I ended my quest for my Holy Grail mascara with Imju Fiberwig (I wrote about it here.) I am part Korean and have very Asian eyelashes--short and straight. Since volume isn't a big deal to me, I fell in love with the lengthening and curling action of Fiberwig. It is also a tube mascara, waterproof as it forms little tubes around each lash. It comes off in tubes with warm water.

It is $22 at Sephora, which I have accepted. I only buy it every four months, so I have paid it. Well, I happened to be reading reviews on one of my favorite sites, Makeup Alley, and someone mentioned getting it for $13 on sasa.com. Of course, I quickly looked into it. It is the Asian version, called Dejavu Fiberwig. Ahhh, I had read that it was the bestseller in Japan.

Anyways, it was sold out on there, but I did a search on ebay for "dejavu fiberwig"--much cheaper than the American version "imju fiberwig."

Long story, I got it for $13.99 with free shipping! Yippee!!

Everyday Minerals

So, the other day, I was searching for a product under my sink in what can be the makeup graveyard. I keep my everyday essentials in mini drawers on the counter, but have quite a bit of good stuff under that sink. I came across little sample jars from Everyday Minerals from a couple of years ago. All you pay is shipping, and you get to test out three foundation colors, a blush and a concealer powder. It's amazing! The reviews have always been great, and I really liked the color options in my sample kit. Before Bare Minerals brought a yellow based shade to their foundations, I was about to switch. It is way cheaper. The packaging is bare bones, but the product is decent and you have so many options to choose from.

I liked the semi-matte finish the best. They sell a sponge if you want to apply the powder minerals with a heavier coverage.

Everyday Minerals Sample Kit

Saturday Excitement

Nothing gets me more excited than a really good deal. Well, I exaggerate...many things get me more excited than that. But, on a daily basis, I love to get a good deal.

I have been wanting to purchase Stila Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer. It has SPF30, looks amazing alone or under my Bare Minerals, is full of physical sunscreen, and comes in a yellow enough shade for me (most have pink or beige undertones, which clashes considerably with the rest of my body, especially my neck...not pretty.)

I told myself I wasn't going to buy it until I got something free with it. In the meantime, I have been lusting after Benefit's new CORALista blush, but haven't wanted to spend that much on another blush when I have so many blushes I really like. I have looked for it on ebay and said I would treat myself to it as a completely frivolous purchase if I could get it for $20, instead of its normal $28.

WELL....today I got an email from Sephora that I could get this set with a $50 purchase, as long as you buy one Benefit item. ($113 value)
Every one of the items I considered purchasing at one time or another, but in my research, found a more perfect product at a better price (or decided I didn't need more stuff.) Well, I am splurging on yet another new blush, getting the TM I have been wanting...and this set.

It's a good day.