caryn's compulsion for cosmetics

my may birchbox

2011-05-18T05:33:00.005-05:00

here are the goodies in my may birchbox:

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint
AHAVA Mineral Body Lotion
Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss
Serge Lutens Nuit de Cellophane
DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum

my april birch box

2011-04-20T21:48:00.014-05:00

so I got my second birchbox and look at all the goodies in it, including more nail polish! here's what I got in it:

	Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Lotion LIV GRN C2C Fragrance Collection Earth Eau De Parfum Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Eye Treatment Zoya Intimate Spring 2011 Nail Polish Collection

a day without blues

2011-04-06T22:48:00.006-05:00

so, in honor of toms a day without shoes, essie came out with a new nail polish, a day without blues, and sent it out to anyone who signed up on toms website. of course I couldn't resist free nail polish, so I signed up. I can't do a day without shoes, my office would frown on that, but I did paint my toenails with the a day without blues color for the occasion!

my morning routine

2011-03-23T18:38:00.022-05:00

I've been thinking long and hard about what to write here lately and I thought I might share with you what products I use on a regular basis and why I like/use them, so here's my morning routine:

face wash: mario badescu enzyme cleansing gel
face scrub: peter thomas roth anti-aging buffing beads (only on monday, wednesday, and friday)
toner: kate summerville clarifiying treatment toner
eye cream: origins ginzing
serum: mac prep + prime skin brightening serum
oil-control: kiehls rare earth pore minimizing lotion
moisturizer: mac studio moisture tint
eye base: mac prep + prime eye
foundation: mac studio fix
eyeshadow, blush, mascara, and lip gloss
finishing powder: mac prep + prime transparent finishing powder

it's here, it's here!!

2011-03-16T18:35:00.009-05:00

I'm so excited, I can barely stand it!!

guess what came in the mail today!!

my first birchbox!!

and look at all the goodies it was filled with!

	Cargo Lash Activator Mascara Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste AHAVA Dermud Enriched Intensive Foot Cream Pangea Organics Lip Balm

birchbox and me -- a match made in cosmetics junkie heaven!

2011-03-09T22:53:00.008-06:00

so, I was reading through a magazine the other day and I came upon an ad for this service called birchbox. basically for $10 a month they send you a box of different haircare, bodycare, and skincare "deluxe" samples to try each month. of course I immediately signed up. I can't wait for my first box to come in.

a very good cosmetics day

2011-03-02T20:08:00.000-06:00

when I went to the mailbox today, I had two packages of cosmetics waiting for me, one from sephora and one from neimans.

the neimans box was full of nars goodies and their fabulous free gift:
my nars goodies:
skin smoothing face primer
soft touch eye pencil in celebrate
lip gloss in angelika
velvet matte lip pencil in dolce vitta
my nars gift was missing, but I already called and it is on it's way
and in my pink free gift bag I got samples of:
kiehls rosa arctica cream
cle de peau cotton
si lolita parfum
fekkai shampoo,conditioner, and all-day hair plump
kate somerville exfolikate

my sephora box was full of all kinds of goodies:
nars lip gloss in all night long (I couldn't resist a nars lip gloss for $10)
a big bottle of bliss fabulous foaming face wash
benefit stay put set (featuring a trial size of stay don't stray, erase paste, and rsvp creaseless cream shadow)
sephora express cleansing wipes (for those nights when I am too tired to wash my face)
sephora for opi urban ballernia mini collection (to add to my nail polish stash)
tarte lip surgence in buff
a deluxe sample of peui oil (for my hair)
and samples of:
dermadoctor wrinkle revenge
kate somerville oil free moisturizer
murad eye lift illuminator

nail polish junkie

2011-02-23T01:38:00.006-06:00

those of you who don't know me in real life probably don't know this about me, but I am a nail polish junkie. I have this big tool box full of all colors of nail polish (and of course everything else you need to do a perfect pedicure). all of my girlfriends love to come over and chat and do our nails. don't you wish you lived closer!

get gifted at saks fifth avenue

2011-02-16T21:35:00.000-06:00

it's that time of year again and saks fifth avenue has got a gift with any $100 beauty purchase. many of the lines have gifts with purchase as well, to make finding that $100 to spend even easier!

lips to die for

2011-02-09T19:58:00.004-06:00

this time of year, I need all the moisturizer that I can get, especially on my lips. so my favorite thing for my lips is peter thomas roth's lips to die for pink bombshell lip balm. I love the way it makes my lips look (with a very subtle pink shimmer) and feel. you really should give it a try and if you are in waco, you can get it at facelogic spa.

mac wonder woman line

2011-02-02T20:50:00.000-06:00

I am so excited about the new line from mac cosmetics based on my favorite superhero, wonderwoman!! all the line has the cool wonder woman logo. there are three 4 sets of eyeshadow, two shades of glitter and two shades of pigment, mascara in four (yes, that's right 4 colors), four lipsticks and four lipglasses, two shades of blush, one shade of skin finish, and blue and red nail polish. you can shop the collection on-line now and it will be in stores on february 10th.

I'm cheating on my toner

2010-11-10T06:56:00.004-06:00

for years I have used khiel's blue herbal astringent toner and loved it, but after my success with eradikate by kate somerville, I decided to try her clarifying treatment toner, which I immediately fell in love with. first off, I love the bottle and pump design, it makes it so easy to use the toner. but the toner itself is what is great. it keeps my skin clear and helps reduce my oiliness. so, I think that I may have found a replacement for my blue herbal toner.

my obsession with mac lip glass

2010-10-23T15:18:00.004-05:00

I went to my local mac counter (I'm SO glad we have a mac is waco now) today for some mascara and I ended up getting 4 new tubes of mac lip glass (along with my mascara). which got me thinking, I think that I am a little obsessed with mac lip glass, I wear it almost everyday (some days I wear nars lip gloss, but that is for another blog post). I was going to count how many tubes that I had but my hubby reads this blog and I don't want to scare him. I did count 20 on my vanity counter, that's not counting all the ones at the bottom of my various purses.

benefit's bad gal in plum

2010-10-06T06:21:00.000-05:00

a few months ago I got a free gift of benefit mascaras from sephora and in it was their bad gal in plum and I thought when would I ever use plum mascara? well, it turns out I use it a lot. with my brunette hair it is a great mascara to where when I want something more subtle than black, it makes my lashes look more defined, while looking very natural. so, for all my brunette friends out there I would definately reccomend picking up a tube of this for days when you want to look a little more natural.

kiehls in waco??

2010-10-02T13:15:00.004-05:00

well first mac and now kiehls, waco is really starting to hit the big time! my friend linda told me a few weeks ago that we were getting a kiehls counter in dillards, right here in waco, texas. I couldn't wait for the counter to open and last weekend I went to see for myself. of course I couldn't just look, I had to buy too. since I didn't "need" anything, I picked up a few things I've been wanting to try (look for my reviews on them to come soon).

EradiKate by Kate Sommerville

2010-08-11T17:56:00.000-05:00

in my blog post "tacky annie and the pink goo" I talked about how much I loved my drying lotion from mario badeascu but as I said in the blog post, I gave it to Katie and I have been using this and that and some samples that I had to help with the occasional pimple. but the other day while surfing the sephora site, I ran across EradiKate by Kate Sommerville and decided to order some and give it a try. so far I have been very impressed, it is very similar to the drying lotion in that it works the same way and has a similar scent, but I have found EradiKate to be much gentler on my skin and it stays in place better through out the night. I was so impressed with it that I have decided to try some other products from her line, so look for more reviews on her products coming soon!

MAC in waco??

2010-06-30T18:53:00.003-05:00

yes, it's true and I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own two eyes, but the dillards here in waco now has a MAC counter. my friend janet told me about it last week, so yesterday at lunch I went to see it with my own two and to get some products of course! I can't believe that we actually have a MAC counter here in waco! I picked up a blush and eyeliner from their beach collection and another blush that I had ran out of. their new collection debuts on july 8th so you can bet that I will be back next week to check it out!

neiman's beauty week

2010-02-24T18:28:00.000-06:00

it's that time of year again, time for the beauty weeks. neiman marcus just started their beauty week and with your $100 beauty purchase, you get this great bag filled with all kinds of goodies. of course most of the lines have gifts with purchase as well, making it really easy to spend your $100.

on-line vs. in-store

2010-02-17T18:48:00.000-06:00

I do most of my cosmetics shopping on-line because of the limited choices here in waco, but this weekend I got to do a little bit of in-store shopping since I was down in austin. I found myself picking out things in the store that I never would have given a second look to on-line (partly because I had a salesperson there to help me). so my question to you is do you do more of your cosmetics shopping in the store or on-line?

peter thomas roth gentle complexion correction pads

2010-02-10T20:09:00.001-06:00

at my last facial, the facialist suggested that I start using peter thomas roth gentle complexion correction pads. so, I took her advice and bought them. I had been thinking of trying philosophy's new miracle worker pads, but the peter thomas roth ones were half the price. so, I decided to give them a shot first. I have been using them at night only (I love my kiehl's blue herbal toner for day use) for a few weeks. I have noticed that my skin looks smoother, and I have had many fewer breakouts. I like the "peach bellini" smell and that they work without making my skin irritated or feel stingy. all in all, I'm very pleased with them. although the price works out to about 50 cents per pad, I think that they are worth it.

nars spring collection

2010-02-03T20:43:00.002-06:00

I am crazy about nars new spring collection. it is gorgeous, I especially like the bright pink lip gloss and the purple nail polish. I want to buy some things from the collection, but the problem is that I can't decide on what I want (I want it ALL!).

good report from the facialist

2009-12-30T07:32:00.000-06:00

so I got my monthly facial earlier this week and I am proud to report that I got a good report from the facialist. she said that my skin looked great and she didn't have to do hardly any extractions. I was so excited and surprised since I haven't changed anything in my skincare regimen, the only thing that I can think of that I have changed is using the bare minerals foundation, so maybe it really does make a difference. anyway, I just wanted to share the good news with you.

blogging more often

2009-12-16T18:43:00.004-06:00

I ran into a friend of mine a few days ago and she told me that she missed my posts on this blog and to be honest I have not been posting on this blog as much as I should. so, I am going to re-commit myself to posting on this blog at least once a week. so look forward to more posts and more great info from this cosmetics junkie!!

nars at bloomingdales

2009-11-18T19:40:00.000-06:00

so I drug my sick self out of bed earlier this week and went to bloomingdales (because there is one walking distance from our hotel and I have never been to one). after browsing the store, I found myself at the nars counter drawn to their new holiday collection. after reviewing all the goodies I decided on the brousse eyeshadow duo and the trounda velvet lip pencil. as the salesgirl was ringing me up she said that I was just $20 away from a free nars lipgloss trio. never one to turn away a free gift I went back to the holiday collection to see what else I needed. the nice salesgirl suggested that I get the eurydice eyeshadow duo and since I had been eyeing it as well, I went with her advice. so all in all it was a great first trip to bloomingdales and I am sure glad that makeup travels light.

bare minerals matte

2009-11-04T19:48:00.001-06:00

a few weeks ago I started using bare minerals matte and I have to admit I love it. I never thought that I would find something better than MAC studio fix, but I think I have. the coverage is great and it looks and feels fantastic on. they say you can sleep in it, so I don't feel as guilty when I don't wash my face at night. and perhaps one of the best things is I can buy it here in waco!

what kind of eyeliner do you use?

2009-10-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

I love the pot or gel eyeliner, I just think it goes on better and stays on better than the pencil liner. I love MAC's fluid line eyeliner, it goes on great and they have tons of colors. my next favorite brand is stilla, they don't have as many colors as MAC, but the colors they have are great and they go on so smoothly. last but not least is bobbi brown, they only have a few colors but they have the best black that I have found anywhere.

beauty brands girls night out!

2009-09-02T18:16:00.000-05:00

so last night, beauty brands had their girls night out party and of course, I went. they had door prize drawings and lots of mini-services for free. they also had lots of great deals and goodie bags for us to take home. it was great, I highly recommend going if you get a chance!

birthday goodies from sephora

2009-07-01T18:44:00.000-05:00

well, since it was my birthday this month and I am a sephora beauty insider, I "had" to make an order from sephora to get my free lip gloss trio. I got my goodies in last week and let me tell you, they were great! the lip glosses are beautiful and the perfect size to fit in my purse.

for my purchase, I got the tarte spring greening pallette for only $20 (again beauty insiders only!) with 6 eyeshadows (and a cool looking brush) and 3 more lip glosses. the colors are great and I can not wait to try them all out!

the smell brings me back to my childhood -- the body shop's moroccan rose body butter

2009-06-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

growing up there was an elderly lady down the street that I spent a lot of time with and she wore the most wonderful smelling rose lotion. as a child I loved the smell of that lotion, I'm sure it wasn't expensive, but to me it smelled better than anything in the world, sometimes, if I was lucky, she would let me use some. I never realized until this week that is probably where my love for the scent of rose came from and why I am always looking for rose lotion. well, this week, I found what I had been unconsiously searching for in the body shop's new moroccan rose body butter; once I put it on, the scent immediately took me back to my childhood.

mac prep and prime transparent finishing powder

2009-05-20T07:46:00.005-05:00

I have a new favorite in my make-up kit, mac prep and prime transparent finishing powder. I put this "white" powder on after I apply all my makeup and it makes my skin look flawless, I don't understand how it works, but it does!! I've even had co-workers comment on how great my skin looks. here is the description from mac, try it, you won't be disappointed:
"A silky finishing powder that provides an invisible way to set makeup. Reduces shine while optically minimizing the look of pores, lines, imperfections. Available in one universal colour that suits all shades. Wear over makeup or on bare, moisturized skin."

another beauty week and skin care at marshalls??

2009-04-01T07:12:00.019-05:00

http://content.nordstrom.com/images/store/category/beauty/2009/0330/main.jpg

I got an email earlier this week that nordstrom's was having their beauty week this week. unfortunately I had gotten every thing I needed earlier this month and I was not crazy about this bag, so I decided against it. but I wanted to share it with you! check it out, it looks like a great deal.

on another note, I was shopping at marshall's earlier this week I was was shocked to see that they had the remede alchemey line-minizing mask for $25. I was so excited and of course I had to get one! now, if I could only find a marshall's with the alchemey moisuturizer.

peeling groovy

2009-03-25T12:16:00.010-05:00

when I got my bliss t-shirts from @blissspa , she also included three samples of their new product, peeling groovy. I have used their sleeping peel in the past with mediocre results. so I was a little skeptical to try peeling groovy since I think it is the replacement for the sleeping peel. but I figured I could try it out (it was free after all) and I am so glad that I did. it was great and after using it for about 2 weeks, even my facialist remarked that my skin looked so much better. it has a slight sting to it when you first apply it, but it goes away quickly and really was not bothersome at all. I am going to have to break down now and buy a bottle, but lucky for me, it is about half the price of the remede product that I have been using at night! thanks bliss, keep up the great work!!

my saks goodies!!

2009-03-18T21:44:00.011-05:00

I got my saks goodies in and so far the best part is the bag, I've been carrying since I got my goodies! it is a great bag for spring and the perfect size (I can even carry my laptop in it). the only product that I have tried is the erno laszlo targeted blemish treatment and as suspected, it is great!

the samples that I got were great as well:

fekkai ageless hair shampoo and conditioner samples
lancome l'extreme mascara sample (which immediately went into my purse)
narcisco rodriguez essence parfum sample
another sample set from the l'or de vie dior skincare collection
a large sample of clarins high definition body lift, I can't wait to try this and see if it is the miracle on my thighs that everyone claims it is

my neiman's goodies!!

2009-03-11T21:03:00.036-05:00

well, I have great things to report on my neiman's goodies that I ordered last week. first, what I ordered:

fresh sake perfume -- as I said when I first tried the sake scent it surprised me that I liked it because it is not the type of scent that I normally would like and I tend to like the lighter scents of body sprays vs the heavier scent of perfumes. but there is something about this scent that I really like and I have found myself wearing it every day since I got it in. I think part of what I like about the scent is it's maryid of fragrances, it goes nicely with whatever other lotion I am wearing.

fresh sake hair cream -- I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for when I ordered this. I already have the macadamia straightening balm that I love and this is not light enough to be a replacement for the ojon hair mist. but my hair is a big part of my appearance (since it is so long) and I liked the idea of something to put in my hair to make it smell good! this week turned out to be the perfect week to try this. it has been raining like crazy here, so there wasn't any point in using the straightening balm. I used the sake hair cream and just let my hair dry naturally two days this week. I was very pleased with how soft and smooth my hair was, and of course, how it smelled!

now, for the freebies:

in the white fresh cosmetics bag from fresh, I got a sample of the sake bath and sake perfume (which immeidately went into my train case for traveling). I am looking forward to trying the hair cream and milk and rose shampoo samples that I got as well.

the orange bag from neimans was great and will be perfect to carry this spring!! it was filled with all sorts of goodies:

from cle de peau, a new line that neimans has started carrying, there was a cleansing puff and a card for a complementary facial (I just may have to use this when I am in austin next week)
from dior, there were three samples from their new l'or de vie skin care line that I can't wait to try, it looks so decadent
from kiehls, there was a sample of their superbly restorative body lotion and a card to present at the kiehls counter for additional samples for your skin type (what I great idea!! I am definately going to neimans when I am in austin)
there was a valentino fragrance sample and three fragrance samples from karl laguerfeld

I love beauty weeks!!

2009-03-04T20:52:00.034-06:00

one of the things that I love best about being a cosmetics junkie is free samples. it is a great way to try something new or to keep my pink train case fully stocked for trips. over the past few years, I have become a big fan of the beauty weeks that the higher end department stores are having a couple of times a year. usually, they have a gift for buying around $100 in cosmetics or fragrances (never a problem for me!) and a lot of times there are also gifts with purchase for some of the individual brands as well. this week, I was lucky enough to find out about 2 beauty weeks currently going on that I just had to take advantage of.

the first one was neiman's where they had a great tote filled with all kinds of samples with any $100 in cosmetics or fragrance purchase. I love these totes from neiman's, not only are the filled with such great goodies, but I have used quite a few to carry as purses as well. I did not have any problem decided what I wanted to get from neiman's. since I didn't get the fresh sake perfume that I wanted for christmas, I got that. then I saw the great fresh gift with purchase that they had with any $100 purchase, it was a small white cosmetics bag with a rice formula dry oil sample, a sake parfum sample, and a sake bath packet. since the perfume was $75, I just needed to find something else to round out my $100 at fresh. what I got was the fresh sake hair cream . I have been so please with the sake bath and I love this scent. so one down, now I just have to wait with baited breath for all my goodies to come in.

the second one was saks fifth avenue and this proved to be a little harder, luckily, I only had to spend $75 for the great tote and samples. I am trying to be better about only getting the cosmetics that I "need" because let's face it, we all need to be saving money and I have more cosmetics than I know what to do with. after some deep thought, I realized that I needed a new nighttime blemish treatment (since I gave my pink goo to @tackyannie) and I was almost out of my remede sweep scrub that I love (I was going to get this from bliss because they had a set of sweep with one of the new remede treatments). since saks does not carry the remede line, I settled for the next best scrub, bliss pore-perfecting polish. for the blemish treatment,
I decided to get the erno laszlo targeted blemish treatment. I have always been very pleased with the erno laszlo products that I have tried in the past and I'm sure I will be pleased with this as well. since my skin has been crazy oily and breakout prone lately, I rounded out my order with kiehl's oatmeal cleanser. I have used this cleanser in the past and it is great for my oily skin!

my sephora goodies came in today!!

2009-02-27T18:04:00.005-06:00

I got my sephora goodies in today and as usual, it was a treat! the strawberry fields perfume was a smaller bottle than I thought it would be, but it smells so good (just my luck to find a frangrane that I like now that they are discontinuing it). I'm not crazy about the scent of the leave-in conditioner, but maybe it will grow on me. I'm starting to think that I am just too picky about the scent of my hair products. I can't wait to get a chance to try out the philosophy kit and the bliss orange bath products, I'll let you know what I think once I try them out!

@tackyannie and the pink goo

2009-02-25T22:17:00.000-06:00

my friend and fellow cosmetic junkie @tackyannie has decided to give up make up for lent. while I truly admire her for this (I could never do it!!), I was really excited when she came to me for help a few days ago on what to use to get her skin ready for this adventure. I gave her one of the peeling groovy samples that I got with my tee shirts from @blissspa and my drying lotion from mario badeascu , which she has now affectionately called the pink goo. for more info on @tackyannie's make free lent, you can read her blog post.

sephora on-line and in jcpenney

2009-02-22T16:47:00.049-06:00

since I still needed something to replace my ojon revitalizing hair mist and I took a look on sephora's site this morning to see what they had. I found a new leave in conditioner and more, here's what I got:

carol's daughter black vanilla leave in conditioner -- I've never tried the carol's daughter line, but I've read great things about it. this sounded wonderful and the price was definately right, I can't wait to give it a try.
sephora lip gloss pencil in plum shimmer -- I love lip gloss and these larger lip pencils. I have never tried sephora's but I have been very happy with everything that I have used from their line, so I'm sure this won't dissapoint me.
fresh strawberry flowers perfume -- this is the perfume that I have been trying to find for a while, so I finally broke down and ordered it.
bliss the big orange set -- I have been wanting to try this scent and figured this was a good way to try it and add to my train case of traveling goodies.
philosophy completely clear skin system -- I have been a fan of philosophy skin care for many years and this looked like a great set, again to add to my train case of traveling goodies.
I ordered some great samples as well, including a deluxe sample of the peter thomas roth anti-aging cleansing gel (with my beauty insider beauty bucks).
I didn't have any good promo codes to use at sephora, so I searched and found the promo code for a free sample of bare minerals loose powder with a mini powder brush (perfect for carrying in my purse).

there was also a carol's daughter hair oil that I wanted to try, but they were out of the 2 oz size on line, so I decided to stop by jcpenney before I left houston to see if they had it at the sephora there. while I like the convinence and additional locations of the sephora's in the jcpenney, they don't carry the full line of the sephora products and the staff at these do not seem to be as knowledgable as the ones at the other stores. they did not have any of the carol's daughter line, but don't worry, I did not leave empty handed. I picked up 2 lip brushes (one for my purse and one for my train case), a mini benefit bronzer (perfect for carrying in my purse), cherry vanilla dr. pepper body butter (I know, it sounds weird, but it smells great), and some pomegranate 7 up lip gloss.

more goodies from lush!

2009-02-18T21:07:00.004-06:00

when I went to the lush counter at macy's the other day, I ordered some goodies to get as part of their valentines special. they came in this week, here is what I got:

a smaller size of their ocean salt scrub that I love for traveling. this is a great face and body scrub
pied de pepper foot cream, a wonderful, revitalizing foot cream for those tired footsies!
you snap the whip body butter bar, an detoxing body butter bar with charcoal and cassis, oh yeah, it's as good as it sounds!
the free, limited-edition (which is why I made this order), strawberry feels forever massage bar, it smells so good!

soap and glory -- combining three of my favorite things

2009-02-11T20:26:00.000-06:00

I don't know why I didn't blog about this when I blogged about my favorite drugstore finds, but this is definitely fits that category. the founder of bliss spa (favorite thing #1), started a line of cosmetics (favorite thing #2) that she sells at target (favorite thing #3) under the line soap and glory. I have only tried a few things from this line, but everything that I have tried has been great! here's a list of what I have tried:

an eye-mask that I use when sleeping, I know that it is not technically cosmetics, but I love it because it is pink satin and says "do not disturb" on the front
feet dreams -- this is the first product that I brought from this line and it stays on my bedside table. you rub in into your feet and calves at night is it is so refreshing. I also like that it is a gel, so if I want to put heavier lotion on my feet at night, I can.
wash almighty body cleansing gel -- I am a big proponent of detoxifying body washes, but I have had a hard time finding a good one lately. this one is great, it has chocolate, eucalyptus, and mint, which may sound like a strange combination, but it really works. I used it most days last week when I was trying to get over the flu and it really helped.
sugar crush body scrub -- this is a really great scrub with a great scent and a great price.
great shakes hard cream -- this is a great hand cream that is very moisturizing without being greasy. I also like this this comes in a small size that I can carry in my purse.
clean on me body wash -- this a great smelling and moisturizing body wash. I keep the small size in my travel case and use it whenever I am away. it is not very strongly scented, so it goes well with whatever I am wearing.

ojon hair revitalizing mist

2009-02-04T07:30:00.011-06:00

I have been using the ojon hair revitalizing mist as a detangler when I first get out of the shower for a while now and I love the way it makes my hair feel. my only issue with this product is the way it smells. all of the ojon hair products have an odd smell. my friend @blissspa says that she has convinced herself that it smells like chocolate, but I can't seem to convince myself of that. I love what it does to make my dry, frizzy hair feel soft and look so smooth and shiny. I can even deal with the price tag (although $26 is a little steep), but I just can't handle the smell. I am almost to the end of my bottle, so here's my dilema, do I buy another bottle or try something else? anyone have any suggestions?

one more reason to love @blissspa

2009-01-28T18:55:00.015-06:00

so, here's the story, a few weeks ago, I was looking through all my new followers on twitter (I am really bad about following back, but the guy that runs pub church said that he was following me and I wanted to follow him back) and I was amazed and impressed that @blissspa was following me. this is not the first cosmetic company that I have found on twitter (I wrote a post on lush being on twitter back in october). unlike lush, who seems to just tweet out information and does not seem to be following people back or engaing the twitter community in conversations, bliss is very active.

well, obviously bliss was following people on twitter, they followed me, which shows that they clearly are intelligent, but they are also ingaging with their "tweeple". I have been a BIG fan of bliss for years, so when they opened their spa in dallas, I couldn't wait to visit. on my visit to the spa, they were wearing the tee-shirts that said "we rub you dallas." I really wanted one, but they weren't selling them. so I figured I would ask @blissspa on twitter if she could get me one. she was so nice and tracked one down for me. today, I got a box from her with not only the "we rub you dallas" shirt, but also their standard blue bliss shirt and a bunch of bilss samples (including the alchemy night cream that I have not had a chance to try yet, so obviously, she reads my blog!). this experience has been consistent with all my expericences with bliss, which is to say exceptional, and this is why they are my spa for life!! I just wish they were closer!

it does exist . . . lush counters at macy's

2009-01-24T17:49:00.027-06:00

in december, when my friend katie said that she was at a lush counter in a macy's in houston, I could not believe it. but as I said in my post earlier this month, there are 6 lush counter's at macy's in texas and I saw it for myself earlier today. I went to the lush counter at the macy's closest to my parents house and was so excited when I saw the counter that I had to snap this picture. of course, I made a purchase (got to take advantage of the leftover Christmas gifts at 75% off) and getting the new "shave the planet" set for mike.

FREE MAKEUP!!

2009-01-21T21:23:00.000-06:00

in case you haven't heard about it yet, some cosmetics companies are giving out free products as part of a class action lawsuit. click here for the details of the lawsuit (inculding the stores and brands included and what they are giving away!). this started on monday and it will continue until they give out all $175 million dollars in product or for 7 days, whichever comes first. I went to my local dillards tonight and they only had two of the produts left, the clinque mositure surge and the estee lauder advanced night repair. I got the advanced night repair, it's a .5 oz bottle, so it's a pretty good size.

the body shop's macadamia straightening balm

2009-01-14T20:14:00.000-06:00

as I promised, here is my review of the macadamia straightening balm. first off, its great and I really like it.

here is how I use it. when I get out of the shower, I spray my detangler in my hair and wrap it in a trubie twist towel to dry. 20 minutes or so later, I take my hair out os the trubie twist towel and put a few pumps of the macadamia straightening balm in. I brush the straightening balm through my hair and let it air dry.

here is what it does for me. although my hair is mostly straight, it tends to get a bit wavy when I air dry it (which I do most days). the straightening balm keeps my hair board straight even when I air dry it. it also makes my hair feel great!!

this is another great hair product from the body shop and I will definatly buy more when I finish this bottle.

the body shop

2009-01-11T19:57:00.000-06:00

while I was in austin today, I couldn't resist treating myself to some goodies at the body shop and the best part it the only thing I paid full price for was the reusable bag!

here's what I got:

a big black dopp bag for michael to use when he is traveling
aloe bath oil
cassis rose body mist (they are getting rid of the cassis rose fragrance, but coming out with a new rose scent!)
eye cream for michael (because we are all getting to that age!)
tube shaving cream for michael that foams (he has been looking for a foaming shaving cream in a tube for traveling)
pomegrante body butter (I some how missed this when it was in the store, so I bought some now on clearance, with my luck, I will really like it since they are discontinuing it!)
the "green" reusable bag

all in all it was a good trip!! I love the body shop!

mac dame edna lip glass

2009-01-07T19:29:00.000-06:00

when I was as the mac counter at the belk in destin, the salesgirl was telling me about the new dame edna collection that mac as coming out with. well of course I couldn't wait for it to come out and as soon as I got the e-maill. I immediately went to the site to check it out. I tried very hard to find lots of things that I couldn't live without, but the only thing that I found was the possum nose pink lipglass. I ordered it and it came in today. it is a great bright pink shade that I can't wait to wear in the spring. I'm still hoping that the next time I'm at a mac counter and get to see some of these products up close I may decide there is more to this collection that I want.

6 new lush stores in texas

2009-01-03T21:16:00.000-06:00

since I ran out of my prince shaving cream that I use when I travel, I went on to lush today to order more. of course, I didn't just order that (you guts know me better), so here is what else I got:

coalface -- this is a facial soap for troubled skin (hello, that's me) made with charcoal and licorice
ocean salt -- a facial scrub with vodka and limes (doesn't that sound good!). I got the smaller size for traveling and I am hoping I can use it for a facial and a body scrub
cocktail soap -- a body soap with bergamot, ylang ylang, and rose. I can't wait to smell it
bon bain bonnard -- a bath bomb with roses and oranges (I love their bath bombs!)
something wicked this way comes -- this is a bath melt that had been discontinued, but lush brought it back on the retro line and I can't wait to try it

after I made my order, I went and looked at where the texas lush locations were and I was presently surprised to see that lush had six new locations in texas (all counters at macy's stores), including one less then 30 minutes from my parents house (you know where I will be next time I visit them). I am so excited, hopefully this is a sign of things to come!

my monthly facials

2008-12-31T23:08:00.000-06:00

a few years ago, I joined facelogic where you pay a monthly fee to be a member, but you get to enjoy a facial every month. isn't that a great idea?? I actually schedule mine every 3 weeks because something always seems to come up at least a couple of times and that way I still get my 12 in every year. I am one of those people who is always going 90 to nothing, so I need some time when I have to just lay there and do nothing. I used to tan, and that time in the tanning bed every day was my time to just be still. now, I get my monthly facials instead and it is a lot better for my skin.

I had my facial this afternoon, and let me tell you it was heavenly. they do a steam treatment and an exfoliating mask, followed by extractions (the only bad, but necessary part). then I usually get a peel, but I skipped that today. I got a tea tree mask instead. you get a hand, neck, and shoulder massage as well. all in all, it is great and paying for it every month means that I will use it (don't want to waste money, right??). if you have a facelogic near you, I strongly recommend that you give them a try, you won't regret it!

neutogena lash tint

2008-12-24T20:53:00.002-06:00

on days when I don't really feel like wearing a full face of make up, one of the things that I do not leave the house without is neutrogena lash tint. it gives my lashes just a bit of definition without looking like I have mascara on, I just makes me look like I have great lashes!

herbal essences conditioners

2008-12-03T22:52:00.002-06:00

my favorite conditioners are the herbal essences conditioners. not only do they work great (and cheap too!) but they smell so good. they all keep my hair very well mosturized as well, which is always a challenge with long hair. I have a couple of different ones that I use, here are my favorites:
long term relationship
dangerously straight
hello hydration
break's over

baby powder

2008-11-30T20:46:00.000-06:00

my #6 pick in the drugstore challenge is baby powder. I like johnson and johnson because they have such a wide range of scents, but any brand will do. for me, the drug store baby powder works just as good, if not better, that the fragranced powders that you can get at the department stores. also, in a pinch you can sprinkle them on your carpet before you vacum to make your house smell better.

johnson and johnson lavender baby oil gel

2008-11-29T13:59:00.000-06:00

johnson and johnson's lavender baby oil gel is always on my nightstand. I use it most often after I have painted my toenails to set the paint before I sleep (don't ask me why, but I always paint my toenails at night). it also works well when I need just a little bit of moisturizing somewhere. the scent is divine and I like the gel because it is easier to control.

nordstrom's private beauty sale -- another interruption to my drugstore countdown

2008-11-28T19:30:00.002-06:00

this morning when I opened my e-mail, I saw an e-mail from nordstrom's with a link for a private beauty sale. those of you that know me, know that I can not resist this.

so here is what I ordered:

laura mercier face brush set -- this was a small silver makeup bag with a full-size face buffing brush and a small powder jar with sifter container for loose powder, great for traveling
laura mercier creme brulee trio -- this is a trio of body creme, candle, and honey bath. I love laura mercier bath products, this is going to be a christmas gift for my sister-in-law (I don't think she reads my blog)

here is what I got for free:

laura mercier gift with purchase -- cosmetics bag with full-size sugar violet lip stain, mini mascara, mini tinted moisuturier, mini golden bronze pressed power, and mini creme brulee hand cream
holiday snow globe

you can also use the code holiday08 for free shipping

I'll upload pictures and reviews once I get it in.

bert's bees cocounut foot creme

2008-11-27T10:30:00.000-06:00

a few years ago, I discovered bert's bees coconut foot creme and I was immediately in love. I had been a fan of bert's bees for a while, but this lotion is what really addicted me. not only does it smell wonderful, but slatering this on your feet at night and covering them with thick socks before bed, will have your feet in tip top shape in no time.

neutrogena anti-residue shampoo

2008-11-26T13:09:00.000-06:00

one of the standards in my haircare routine for the past few years is the neutrogena anti-residue shampoo. I wash my hair with it every tuesday (yes, I am that anal) and it keeps my hair very clean. I've changed my daily shampoo many times over the years, but my tuesday shampoo has always stayed with this one.

bliss baggage handler

2008-11-25T20:32:00.000-06:00

after staying up last night, for gno (girls night out with twittermoms on twitter) and cwtu (christian women's tweet-up on twitter), my eyes were really puffy this morning. so, I am interrupting my drugstore countdown to share with you what I use on mornings like this morning, bliss baggage handler. a few years ago I discovered this great product from bliss and it has saved me on many morning when my eyes had huge bags! it works really good and quickly reduces the puffiness. I don't use it every morning, but it does the trick when I need it to.

maybelline great lash mascara

2008-11-24T20:56:00.000-06:00

this is an oldie but a goodie, I am a big fan of the pink and green maybelline great lash mascara. I have tried MANY other mascaras during my make-up lifetime, but I always come back to this one. if you've never tried it, I highly recommend it.

wet and wild lip liner

2008-11-23T18:43:00.002-06:00

I thought it would be fitting to put the first post for my drugstore cosmetics list as the wet and wild lip liner that you can get for about $1. these lip pencils come in great colors and go on very smoothly and of course, you can't beat the price!

favorite drugstore finds

2008-11-22T19:34:00.001-06:00

since the things on my list of current cosmetics obsessions were on the higher side, I wanted to share with you my "cheaper" obsessions. all these things you should be able to find at your local drugstore or superstore. I will follow up with posts on why each of these made my list.

wet and wild lip liner
maybelline great lash
neutrogena shampoo
berts bees coconut foot lotion
johnson and johnson lavender baby oil
baby powder
herbal essences conditioner
vaseline
baby shampoo
neutrogena lash tint

philosophy purity made simple high-foaming daily cleanser

2008-11-21T23:00:00.001-06:00

I have been a fan of philosophy for over 10 years, so when I go the e-mail from sephora that philosophy had come out with a new cleanser, purity made simple high-foaming daily cleanser. I knew I would have to try it. since I didn't "need" a cleanser or anything else from sephora at that time, I figured I would wait until the next time I was at sephora to pick some up to try. the next time I was in sephora, they only had the large size (12 oz). I normally would want a smaller size to for a product that I hadn't used before, but since philosophy had never steered me wrong before, I decided to give it a try. I love it and I am glad that I got the large size, so I won't have to worry about running out anytime soon. it works great to clean all the makeup and grime off my face and since it is a foaming cleanser, it rinses off easily. now, there really isn't any excuse for me not to wash my face at night!

nars orgasm nail polish

2008-11-20T22:34:00.004-06:00

so I polished my toenails with my new nars orgasm nail polish and I really like the shade so I thought I would share!

mac studio fix

2008-11-19T20:17:00.001-06:00

mac studio fix is the last on the list of my current cosmetics obsessions, but this is the one that I can not be without. since I do not have a mac nearby, I always get new studio fix before I truly run out so I will never be without it (I also keep those almost gone compacts, just in case I have an emergency). I wear studio fix everyday and for my oily skin, I find it is all I need (no foundation). occasionally I will wear a little conceler under it, but most days it's all I wear (besides color). the best thing that I have done with my studio fix is started applying it with a buffer brush. I find it applies the color more evenly and intensly, and as an added bonus, it seems to make my studio fix last longer!

nars lip gloss in bad education

2008-11-18T19:52:00.000-06:00

I am a big fan of nars lip gloss, but I rarely buy them because of the price. when I ran across the nars lip gloss in bad education a while back on sephora, I knew that I had to give this color a try. the color was described on the site as sheer crimson red, which sounded perfect to me although you may be saying huh? let me put it to you this way, it just gives your lips a very light and sheer wash of glossy red. I wear it with red lip liner or nars curella velet lip pencil if I want a stong red color. I also wear it without lip liner or with a nude lip liner if I just want a nice wash of color.

kiehl's rare eath face masque

2008-11-16T20:54:00.002-06:00

the rare earth face masque was the first product from kiehls that I tried and it started my whole obsession with kiehls. the thing that I like most about this mask is that although it is very cleansing, you can use it everyday if you need to. when I am really broken out, I will use it everyday or every other day until I get it under control. I also like that it seem to absorb all the oil in my very oily skin without being very drying. I have no idea how they do it, but it works great!

laboratoire remède skin exacting mask

2008-11-15T15:19:00.000-06:00

so, when I had my first facial at bliss, the facialist suggested, two things from laboratoire remede; alchemy and skin exacting mask. since I couldn't justify spending the $200 on both, I just got the alchemy. after using the alchemy and being so pleased with the results, I ordered the skin exacting mask the next time I placed an order with bliss. I was hooked as soon as I started using this as well. it's not really a mask, it's a moisturizer that you use at night one to two times a week. I've have seen a great improvement in my skin since I've been using it. my only complaint is that it does not play well with the blue toner that I love from keihls, but I find that I don't really need to use toner on the nights when I use it.

laboratoire remède alchemy moisturizer

2008-11-14T21:05:00.004-06:00

when I got my first facial at bliss, the facialist recommended the laboratoire remède alchemy moisturizer for my skin. she warned me that it had a "cult" type following and she didn't even know me! at almost $100 it is significantly more than I would usually pay for a moisturizer, but it worth it!! I have been using it for a couple of years now and it still amazes me how well it works. if I run out and have to use another moisturizer for a few days, I can really tell a difference.

the sephora fairy visits

2008-11-13T21:58:00.005-06:00

I got my most recent order for sephora in the mail today. I was so excited. the train case was really cute and STUFFED with samples, which I love.

I can't wait to try all my new stuff out; I promise some new blog posts soon on what I think.

lush does it again!

2008-11-12T14:18:00.003-06:00

since there was no cosmetics shopping today, I will tell you about how much I love the fair trade foot lotion that I bought the other day from lush. I was looking for a good foot cream when I was at lush the other day (all this walking in vegas was hard on my feet) and the sales gal suggested the fair trade foot lotion, saying that it was one of their best sellers, so I took her word and boy am I glad that I did! it is pink and pepperminty and very refreshing. I slathered it on every nite and then slept in thick socks and my feet felt brand new in the morning.

miracle mile shops -- shopping in vegas, day 4

2008-11-11T16:28:00.003-06:00

I considered myself very lucky when I realized that our hotel was across from the miracle mile shops on the strip. here are the two stores I hit today:

first off was the body shop where I got some travel-sized tubs of coconut body scrub and coconut body butter and since they were buy two get one free, I got a travel-sized tub of the strawberry body butter too, which smells SO delicious. also, because I couldn't resist, I got the $5 gift with purchase which was a cute gold bag filled with a travel sizes of; their mascara (which I love), vitamin e cream (this stuff is great in the winter, even on oily skin like mine), hi-shine lip treatment, and total energy body wash (I can't wait to try this!).

the next stop was sephora. I didn't really need anything from sephora, but I never met a sephora that I didn't like, so I decided to give this one a shot. after a leisurely browse through all the goodies, I settled on; a travel-size of the cosmedicine healthy cleanse foam cleanser (I was really looking for a travel-size of my philosophy foaming cleanser, but I just need to give that one up, because I don't think it exists), sephora eye liner in electro (a glittery navy blue), and dylan's candy bar lip balm in chocolate cupcake (I really want to like these products, so I figured this was a good way to try them out).

pilgrimage to lush -- shopping in vegas, day 3

2008-11-10T18:19:00.006-06:00

it was at the business valuation conference last year in new orleans that I discovered lush cosmetics and while I have been a faithful on-line shopper, I haven't been to another store since the first one I found. so you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw that they had a lush at the mandalay bay in las vegas. it was quite a hike to get over there, but it was well worth it. here's what I got:
fair trade foot lotion -- they say you should never go to the grocery store hungry, well, I have another one to add, you should never go into a bath store with aching feet or muscles (I bought the $80 sake bath soak for my aching legs) and I couldn't pass this up for my aching feet. I will let you know what I think once I have had a chance to try it out.

coconut deodorant powder -- I am always looking for good powder that will travel well and I hate the roll-on deodorant that I travel with, so I figured this would kill 2 birds with one stone, plus since it's coconut, I might be able to get mike to use it as well.

cosmetics lad -- in my quest to get mike hooked on lush as well, I bought this moisturizer for him. he is always looking for something to use for his face and head when they get really dry (like right now, out in the desert).

fever massage bar -- I have always wanted to try the massage bars, so I decided to treat myself to two of them. the fever massage bar has sandalwood, jasmine, and rose, so it smells really good and really sexy. I can't wait to try it out!

glitterbug massage bar -- I know that mike (and most men for that matter), hate glitter lotion, so I'm hoping that this will be a little less bothersome. plus, with the scent of vanilla and rose, it smells really good.

massage bar tin -- since I got two massage bars, I got the tin for free. I really like their tins, they are great for traveling.

happy shower gift -- here's the story on this, when I got up to the register to pay, they said that I bought enough to get a free gift, but I had to buy something that was a gift to get the promotion. since I am never one to turn down something free, I got this since it was one of the cheapest gifts (I figured I can use it or give it as a hostess gift or something)

snow fairy gift -- since my mother-in-law was so nice to stay with the kids so we could go on this little get away to vegas, I got this for her

the sake bath

2008-11-09T22:41:00.003-06:00

I was worried that I wouldn't have anything to write about today. we were too busy eating and walking the strip for me to do much shopping. that being said, after all that walking today, we decided to indulge in a bath before dinner, so we tried out the sake bath. it was heavenly. I know I scoffed at the price yesterday, but it was well worth it. we were so relaxed and our tired leg muscles really did feel better after the bath that we will definitely be indulging in one of those baths again before we leave the belliago and I'm sure it will be relaxing in my tub at home as well.

MAC, kiehls, fresh -- shopping in vegas, day 1

2008-11-08T22:31:00.004-06:00

the only thing that I have been looking forward to more than the food in vegas is the shopping! we went tonight to the forum shops at caesars and it was all that I dreamed it could be.

mac -- the mac store there is a pro shop, so they have things that I can not get anywhere else there. it took me quite a while of just looking around before I figured out what I wanted. the only thing I got that I have seen elsewhere was the smoke and ash eyeshadow duo. then I saw that they had lime green pigment and you know I couldn't resist that. they also had turquoise glitter that looked perfect for the dress that I wanted to wear to dinner tomorrow night, so I had to get some to play with. finally, when I was walking to the register I noticed some lime green eyeliner, again, I couldn't resist.

kiehls -- nothing too exciting at kiehls, as I have said before, I have been a kiehls fan for years and for the most part their line hasn't changed. I needed some of my favorite, rare-earth face masque and I had somehow made it to vegas without my eye cream, so I was looking for a sample to use while I am here. I got my masque, but no such luck on the eye cream, they were out of the eye cream that I use, so I had to take a sample of the guys eye cream, which will work, though I'm sure not as well.

fresh -- I found a strawberry perfume from fresh on sephora's website and I have been trying to find the perfume in person so that I could see if I liked the scent. this is why I went into the fresh store. I've tried a few fresh products in the past and have really liked them, but I've never really gotten into the line. a very helpful salesman explained to me that the strawberry perfume has been discontinued and that is why I am having such a hard time finding it. he then showed me some other perfumes with similar scents, one of which was the sake scent. I never would have picked up or tried a scent called sake, but it smelled great. since I am not a big perfume user, I asked him what else he had in that scent and he showed me the sake bath. it is a detoxifiying bath soak that he promised will soothe sore muscles. since I have been looking for a new detoxifing soak ever since philosophy discontinued theirs, I knew we will be doing a lot of walking this week, and we have a big soak tub in our hotel room, I decided to splurge. I'm glad I decided that before he told me the price $80 seemed a little steep, but the salesman promised me it would be worth it, I hope he's right!

he really gets me

2008-11-07T22:53:00.002-06:00

I know that my hubby loves me, but sometimes on days like today, it's nice to know that he really gets me.

I have not flown since I got my pink sephora train case that I use for traveling. my plan had been to ship my train case directly to the hotel, so I wouldn't have to worry about it on the plane. well, that didn't happen, but my wonderful hubby has offered to carry it on the plane so that I don't have to leave it behind (it's too big to fit in my suitcase and I already have my two carry-ons). so, in case anyone was wondering, my hubby rocks, because he gets how much my make-up means to me!

bliss spa

2008-11-06T20:52:00.002-06:00

where do i start? I love bliss, it was love at first catalog!! I have been ordering bliss products from their catalog and webpage for years. bliss was on my list of places to go if I ever got to go to new york, but luckily for me, about 2 years ago they opened a w hotel in dallas with a bliss spa in it. since then, I have been making a pilgrimage there at least once a year. it was my first facial at bliss when I was introduced to the the alchemy moisturizer (I'll blog more on that another day).

so, why do I love bliss spas?
they have a brownie bar in the lounge room (need I say more)
they have the most amazing aromatherapy showers
I have no clue how they do it, but their waxing is the most painless that I have ever experienced
the triple oxygen herbie-style

make up remover soap, it rocks

2008-11-05T21:49:00.002-06:00

since I did my top 10 obsessions yesterday, I figured that I would just work my way down the list sharing with you why I am obsessed. so here goes!

mario badescu make up remover soap has a permanent spot in my shower. it is a great cleanser to use when I don't feel like taking off my make-up and then cleaning my face (yes, I am that lazy some days). I have very oily skin and I find that this cleanser (even through it is soap free and very gentle) is able to remove my makeup and clean my face in one step.

top 10 cosmetics obsessions

2008-11-04T19:34:00.006-06:00

I am a little (ok, probably a lot) OCD. so I thought that I would share with you my current cosmetics obsessions. some of these are new, while others of these have been an obsession for quite a while.

mario badescu make up remover soap -- I am a big fan of the mario badescu skin care line, but this is by far my favorite.
bliss -- what can I say, they are the greatest!! I love their products, their spas, their spa treatments, and of course their brownie bar. if you have never treated yourself to some time at a bliss spa, you really should.
laboratoire remède alchemy moisturizer -- this is the greatest moisturizer ever, hands down!!
laboratoire remède skin exacting mask -- I use this as my night moisturizer two nights a week and it makes an amazing difference.
kiehls rare-earth face masque -- this is one of those products that everyone needs to have in their bathroom cabinet. as soon as I start to breakout, I put this mask on and it starts to clear it up.
kiehls blue astringent herbal lotion -- it rocks, read my post all about it to find out how much!
kiehls creamy eye treatment with avocado -- now that I am over 30, eye cream is a must and this is the best one I've found.
philosophy purity made simple high-foaming daily cleanser -- I have been a fan of philosophy cosmetics for years and I have to admit I didn't have high hopes for this when it came out. this product has proven me wrong and now it has a permanent spot on my bathroom sink.
nars lipgloss in bad education -- nars is probally on the higher end of the cosmetics that I use, but their colors just can't be beat. I like this color, described as a clear crimson red, because it looks good with almost anything.
mac studio fix -- I am a self-proclaimed mac addict and this product is what started it all. I try not to ever leave the house without some studio fix on.

the BEST eye cream EVER

2008-11-03T21:11:00.005-06:00

since I did a review of my favorite kiehls toner yesterday, I thought I would talk about one of my other favorite products from them, the creamy eye treatment with avocado. I found out about it when dr. phil's wife was giving it away on his show. I had a very hard time finding it right after the show (the oprah effect). since then, I always make sure I have an extra one on hand. it goes on so smoothly and isn't greasy at all. I think that it keeps the crows feet at bay and works great on reducing my puffiness. also, since it's got a little of a green tint, I am convinced that it works to conceal my dark circles. finally, one of my favorite ways to use it is mixed in with my concealer (laura mercier secret camouflage) around my eyes or anywhere that I want a little bit lighter coverage.

kiehls blue astringent herbal lotion

2008-11-02T14:56:00.003-06:00

the one thing that I cannot be without in my skincare routine is kiehls blue astringent herbal lotion. I have been using it since forever and since I can't get it in waco, I buy it in the giant 33 oz economy size and keep it in the fridge. this is a great toner for my oily skin and always leaves my skin feeling very clean and soothed (especially for breakouts). I even use it sometimes when I am too lazy to wash my face and it does a good job of removing the grime and makeup from the day. if you have oily skin I would definitely suggest giving it a try.

sephora train case

2008-11-01T18:29:00.003-05:00

as I have said before, I am the reason that they invented the gift with purchases, so when I got the e-mail from sephora yesterday with the subject of "we packed your case with 15 samples", I couldn't resist. I'm actually glad that I forgot what all I needed when I was in sephora in san antonio, because now I have plenty that I can buy to get the cute white train case filled with all the goodies. so, what did I get:

sephora by OPI in how cute is that -- I love that OPI is making polish for sephora, combining 2 of my favorite companies!
nars lips gloss collection -- I love nars lip gloss and this was a sephora exclusive, so how could I resist?
nars nail polish in orgasm -- same color as the blush, need I say more
sephora mascara in blue -- it was $4 and now I will have blue mascara for the holidays
stila trend look: shock value -- a lipstick, a blush, and 4 eyeshadows from stila for under $50 looked like a great deal to me!

in case you don't get sephora's e-mails, the code for the train case is "beautybox", you have to spend at least $25 to get it and I have no clue when it expires, usually they go until they run out.

lush cosmetics

2008-10-31T22:50:00.001-05:00

last december when I was in new orleans, I discovered lush cosmetics and I have been hooked ever since. lush is a natural cosmetics company from canada. now, i'm not really a "greenie" but their products are wonderful. one of my favorite products from them is their solid shampoos; they don't spill when I am traveling and they make my hair smell and feel wonderful.

since there is not a lush store near me (the closest one is dallas), I have to order on-line and read their e-mails religiously to see what new products they have come up with. so, I was thrilled this week when I read in their e-mail that they were on twitter now. I am a huge twitter fan (some may say twitter-a-holic) and I immediately followed them.

I am so excited about how all these cosmetic companies are embracing the new social networking sites (MAC has a page on facebook as well).

shopping in san antonio

2008-10-29T23:54:00.003-05:00

one of the biggest treats about going to a big city is that I get to go cosmetics shopping. as I said in my thoughts blog, we were meeting up with some friends that lived in san antonio for dinner tonight, we decided to go to pf changs. there are two in san antonio one at the quarry and one at la cantera. I decided on the one at la cantera, because of two words; sephora and the body shop (ok, that four words, but two stores). of course, we do not have either of these in waco, here's a run down of my trips:

sephora -- when I walked into the store, I realized that I should have looked at what I had saved in my basket on their website. I knew there were some things that I wanted, but we I got into the store, I was distracted by all the pretty colors and completely forgot. what I really wanted was the 2 oz size of the purity made simple face wash to keep in my travel bag (I missed it when they were giving it out at a deluxe sample to the beauty insiders), but they didn't have it. I also wanted to try the new strawberry scent from fresh, but they didn't have that either. all I ended up getting was a couple of small hair care products for my travel bag. ojon elastik hairspray for two reasons; one, I have been very pleased with the ojon products and two, it had lime green on the bottle (I am a sucker for anything lime green). I also got a 1.4 oz dry shampoo spray from oscar blandi. I am a big fan of the dry shampoo and I am so excited about having one in my travel bag. I've never used anything from oscar blandi, so I will have to let you know how it turns out. on my way out, I noticed the new blood orange and white pepper line from bliss and then I remembered that I wanted to get some of that, but I had already paid, so I just tried it out, it smells great! I know it sounds like an odd combination, but it really smells good.

the body shop -- I have been shopping at the body shop for at least 15 years. when I lived in houston, I shopped a lot at the store in the galleria, but since I've moved to waco I stop and shop anytime I see a store (I know that I can shop on-line, but I just don't ever seem to shop from their site). the only thing that I really needed was more of the spa wisdom africa spa honey butter. I have been out for weeks and I LOVE this stuff, but I have not been by a body shop store lately (see I don't shop on their website). after browsing the store, the only other thing that caught my eye was the macadamia straightening balm, I've never tried this, so I will have to let you know what I think.