I'd Die Without You

Ok maybe I wouldn't die but I would definitely have a borderline panic attack. This is my list of "can't live without them" products. My favorites, my staples, my must haves.

L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara
Anyone who knows me wouldn't be shocked that this is my #1 product. I've vowed many times that if they ever discontinued it I would call, write and harass L'Oreal until they brought it back and I'm not bluffing. A big fluffy brush plus a great formula equals: my secret weapon; it will give you the lashes you've always dreamed of. It gives you soft, flexible lashes without flaking and it's very buildable. Sometimes I'll find them at CVS for 4.99 and I'm like "scooooore!" and then it's like supermarket sweep in there: I'm grabbing as many as I can before the buzzer sounds. By far it's the best thing that ever happened to my makeup routine. I'd fight you for the last tube I promise you.

Sheer Cover Mineral Foundation

This is my everyday face makeup that is definitely one of my staples. People always ask me what kind of makeup I use and I'm so happy to tell them about this. I've been using this makeup since 2004 and I've never gone back to anything else for my day makeup. I was stuck in my bed, sicker than sick, and all I could do was watch the food network and infomercials. I watched Liza Gibbons for over 2 hours and I either got sold or brainwashed but I bought it. To my surprise it worked just like they said it would and I had never used a product that worked so well for me. It gives great coverage especially when used with concealer and your skin will have a natural , healthy glow without looking made-up. It also reduced skin congestion and helped with my complexion. And yes, I have tried Bare Minerals (too cakey for me) and many drug store brands and this kicks all of their tails! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

I'm In The Mood For Scrub
I'll admit that I'm a exfoliating fanatic. I can't go but a few days inbetween scrubs and my skin feels so nice. There's nothing worse than dry skin and nothing better than beautiful glowing skin that is newly scrubbed and drenched in a good moisturizer. I had a few extra bucks after picking up my regular products at Bath and Body Works so I grabbed a couple of travel size goodies. Luckily I picked this out and I loved it! The perfect exfoliator! It's not too harsh but perfect for weekly scrubbin' and it has a nice little lather that leaves you feeling so clean. If I need an extra boost, usually monthly, I'll use this with my loofah gloves. The thing that really sold me was the smell. I said out loud "this smells like..... spa!" I love the smell of spa! Clean yet subtly perfumed and just an overall smell of being pampered (yes, that's what spas smell like to me :p)

Nail Magic
Yes people it really is magic; magic I tell you! My nails have always been a disgrace and I tried everything to make them long, healthy and strong but it never happened... until I found this. I don't know what the difference is between this and the rest of the nail strenghtening products but man does it work. You have to apply it daily for about 30 days but I saw a difference within a week and after that I didn't want to stop putting it on. I was deathly afraid that my nails would return to there previous state. My nails were NEVER so strong which allowed them to grow and for once my long nails were actually mine. I was so happy! I stopped using it so religiously and my nails, I believe, never went back to being as awful as they were. They won't stay super strong if you don't continue to use it as directed but I swear my nails were stronger and continue to stay that way. It might be another change I'm not aware of but I don't think it was a coincidence. I do know that while you are using it your claws are at their absolute best!







Physicians Formula Baked Pyramid Bronzer
Oh my gosh what would I do?!? The best thing that ever happened to me and my fake tanning self! It's the perfect facial bronzer: Not shimmery or glittery but not completely matte; it honestly gives you a nice beautiful "glow". I know that word has been beat to death but it's the only word I can think of to describe it. Luminous maybe? Anyway, they bake the product on terra-cotta tiles (as the name kind-of implies) and I'm not sure if that makes a difference with the product but I know there is nothing else like it. I don't feel extra cakey when I layered it over my other facial makeup and it comes through beautifully in photos. I am realizing they are disappearing from drugstores but I have been able to find it at Rite Aid and Longs Drugs. Whenever I find it in "Baked Bronze", the medium shade, I clean them out. It's what a girl has to do. #guidette problems.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
I am addicted to this product, like, literally. I go to reach for a different kind of cleanser and my hand shakes and starts to veer off towards this bottle of GOLD. That only happens when I'm almost out , waiting for my new order to arrive and I'm hoarding it just in case the apocalypse happens before it gets here. Other than that I use this product every day, morning and night usually. It's a great makeup remover and it's not what you would think an oil cleanser would be. It's formulated to wash off when water is added so you are not left with a greasy face (although I am all about straight up olive oil cleansing too) and the makeup/dirt/impurities go right down the drain with it. I use this as a first cleanse at night to get all of my makeup off. I follow with a treatment cleanser, i.e. brightening, purifying, acne treatment, depending on my skin issue at the moment. If i'm super dry i will wash with a milk cleanser after but if my skin is feeling pretty normal I'll cleanse again with this. This is great for people who need moisture and can't have there facial oils stripped and also for people who can't stand to follow up with a moisturizer. I am all about following up with a serum and moisturizer but some people can't stand it (that would drive me crazy not to put anything on) and this cleanses your skin while moisturizing with olive oil; enough to where your skin isn't screaming for mercy after it is cleansed and dry. You apply this dry hand to dry face and work it in, breaking down your makeup and nourishing all at the same time. I like to work this in for about a minute before adding water to take it off. Anyone who is in need of nourishment and moisture will love this stuff and want to take it with them in the afterlife. In fact, add this to my list of things to bury me with..... and my flat iron please.

Breadcrumbs

I'm back to blog again! I found my way back with a little inspiration from a fellow esthy who is blogging and sharing her tips, tricks and her passion for all things beauty. That's what we love to do and it's great to have a way to share and express your loves, likes, and of course the oh hell no, never again's. =) It's good to be back!

Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoos have been around for a while and I have known about them for years but never used them. To be honest the thought of it made me feel a little dirty and lazy. To me nothing makes you feel gross like dirty hair does (enter frowny face here). My hair is always a burden on me. It's wavy so I am always straightening it, it's thin so I am always washing it, and I color it constantly. All these things add up to dry, damaged, horrible hair! Poor hair.

So I was at the beauty supply picking up some wax and muslin and some how I happen to remember the dry shampoos. I ask the girl if they had any and she pointed me over to it. They had one kind, Batiste, it was a horrible looking bottle but I guess we are spoiled with packaging these days. It was only about $3.50 for a 50ml bottle (very purse friendly) so I thought what the heck! Why not? They had the original scent and a tropical scent so I went for the tropical; a nice coconut smell. I waited until the next day when I had......next day hair. It was a lazy girls dream come true! It's also good for those days when you accidentally wake up late or when your hair needs a break from all the styling and heat. It gives you an extra day to wear at the very least a decent looking ponytail and we all know that even ponytails can look funky with unwashed hair. You spray the product at the roots, let it sit for a few minutes and then brush it through. When you first spray it on it is chalky looking and I was thinking "what the heck!?!" but by the time it soak the oils up and you brush it through your hair looks and feels completely normal. You will know that it is next day hair but I can almost promise you no one else will. I think this is a must have for every gal especially those that style their hair and use a lot of product.

Now onto another product that did not impress me at all.  It was $7 more than Batiste and had a weird smell to it. It's Big Sexy Hair dry shampoo. Horrible. I got sold on it because I like the BSH line of products and I figured if this old school Batiste had it figured out then BSH must have a great product. Also the girl at the beauty supply said it was good, it was translusent and it helps add volume. I knew Batiste had all those features except the translucent factor so I tried it. It left my hair feeling like it had next day hairspray in it. You know the way your hair feels the next morning after you went out and teased your hair with hairspray to give it that "bump-it" look? Gross! It was supposed to help my next day hair not make it feel like last nights hair.

So Batiste is the winner for sure. It works better, it's way cheaper and it fits in my purse. Winner winner winner! Now I just need to go back to the beauty supply and see if they will give me a refund so I can get three bottles of Batiste for the same price. To add to my excitement I just saw that Batiste came out with two new dry shampoos: one for brown hair and one for black hair so you don't have to worry about that chalky look when you spray it on. I'll be running out to get that asap and hopefully it works just as well. It's always worth a try.

Sephora Beauty Insider Birthday Gift 2010

I love free stuff, who doesn't! But it's really a mute point when the products are cheap and useless. That's why I love Sephora and it's Beauty Insider program. I shop at Sephora anyway and I actually do like the Sephora brand products and when you spend money you get points. The points add up and when you reach a certian amount you get free stuff- not too bad for shopping at a place I would have shopped at anyways. Besides this point system even if you are just apart of the program and don't spend a penny there all year they still give you a free birhday gift! Love this! You don't have to buy anything to claim it you just go into the store show them your Beauty Insider card or give them your email and voila! Free Stuff! Quality free stuff to be more specific.

For 2010 it's the Sephora Beautiful Eyes Kit. You get a Sephora brand black mascara, deep green eyeliner pencil and an eyeshadow. You have 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after your birthday to claim your free gift so don't miss out. I was counting down the days until my 2 week mark and it's finally here! So I'll be heading in to Sephora today to get my free gift and maybe, just maybe a few other goodies =D

HARD CANDY - Yummy!

HARD CANDY was all the rage 10 years ago.  Just ask my mom who, after I begged her to death, paid $15 for a bottle of nail polish with a plastic ring on the cap. Seriously though it wasn't just those cheap little rings that sold me. I knew, even at 15, that these were products not easily attainable anywhere else. The colors were bold, pigmented and most of them had an overabundance of glitter. The eyeshadows, nail polishes and lipsticks were unlike anything I had seen before. Everything from bright, glittery purple shadow to matte, pastel polishes. Seriously!?! I was in love.

At the time the line was only sold in high end stores like Nordstrom for a pretty penny. Buying these products was saved for special occasion shopping sprees like birthdays or graduation . I had to accomplish something great like finshing highschool or staying alive another year to earn such a prize. Well now I'm all grown up and I can go on a shopping spree anytime I want (if my wallet allows), but where did HARD CANDY go? Well apparently it changed hands a few times and morphed into Urban Decay Cosmetics which has a totally different branding concept. HARD CANDY has found a home and has reamerged as beautiful and bold as ever..........at Walmart!!! Yes, Walmart.

I was so stoked to see all the new products and colors. My most exciting find was a matte teal nail polish (shown). This is a color I had only dreamed up in my mind but NEVER found on a shelf and I had done specific "search missions" for such a product. So this find alone was worth it. Besides the polishes, the packaging was totally different and I didn't know if the quality was also.  All I could do was throw down a few bucks and find out for myself. Of course I ran home (once again at nearly 11 pm) and tried it out : bright green and teal matte eyeliners, purple mascara, baked bronzer and matte blue cream shadow. Just as I had hoped it was all AWESOME! especially the liners, wow! they were only $6 a piece and the vivid colors are amazing. If you have bright shadows that don't seem to pop when you get them on your lids then try putting these liners on or even the cream shadow and layering your shadow on top. Not only does it lock in the color to make them last all day but it makes them so vibrant- you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Bright colors are totally in for the spring and summer this year, so if you wanted to start playing around with colors and you are looking for something fun, stop by Walmart and check it out. It a costs a little bit more than the other "drug store" brands but you are getting a product that is going to do what you want it to do. If you are going to do bright colors they need to be bright! It's fun to play with your makeup looks and Hard candy definitely has the tools to get you started.

Red Flower

All of my candles ran out and so I went to rummage through my drawer of random products that I have accumilated over time. Theres a reason why I keep all this "junk" as some poeple would say, because it's good stuff that I know I could put to use at some point. I find the Red Flower candles that I got from a sales rep a few years back : Morrocan Rose and Japanese Marigold. They come with a cute little match book and smell delicious! I also find their Cherry Rice Buff and Yuzu Mimosa Wash- Score! How could I forget that I had these little treasures!?! Let me tell you that these are some of thee best products you will ever use. The quality of the products is high and used individually they are good but you get the most out of them when they are used together. The line was created to be used together as .........a ritual. It's amazing and if you can find a spa that performs the treatment I would highly recommend getting it- it's worth the money! Your skin will be so soft and moisturized not to mention you will be pampered and relaxed. Shiatsu is usually used in the treatment and every aspect of wellness and skincare is covered. As a bonus they'll usually give you the Cherry Rice Buff to take home.

The Bamboo Scrub is to die for! Your skin is amazingly soft afterwards and a little goes a long way so from a retail perspective it's a great investment. The Yuzu Mimosa Wash smells really good, has a milky texture and leaves your skin really nourished. My absolute favorite is the Lime Oil. OMG. I would always go into the treatment room at the spa I worked at and put it on my hands as a moisturizer. It's great for your skin but my favorite part is the smell. It's unlike anything; unbelievably good. They sell a a travel size pouch with travel sizes of all the ritual products (minus the soak) and it makes a GREAT gift. It's called the Sento Set and retails for around $60.00 and it's worth every penny.

I think it's difficult to decipher the good from the bad these days especially concerning products. Everyone is organic, all natural, blah blah blah, but how do you really know? Maybe it's just like the products at the drug store except it has a fancy label and fat price tag. That's why I have this blog to tell you about the things I love, the things I don't and why. These products are a good investment for yourself or as a gift for an awesome person in your life =) So if you ever come across it and the sales person is hyping it up just know they're actually telling the truth this time!

a flower ritual




everything you need is

in your head and memories,

in all that your senses provide,

in all that you’ve seen and heard

and thought and absorbed.



red flower just sits by you and

reminds you to live life and enjoy.

L'Oreal Collagen Mascara

I'm never impressed with commercials about mascara especially since it's so obvious that the models are wearing fake lashes. There is nothing wrong with fake lashes but please don't try to sell me a mascara promising that look with only the product- annoying! I am a loyal Voluminous user and have been for over 10 years and nothing else has even come close besides Lancome Amplicils but it's been discontinued. So along comes L'Oreal's Extra Volume Collagen mascara and I can't help but to get excited about it's fluffy brush and fat bottle. I'm wondering if there might be a new, fabulous formula that might replace my beloved Voluminous. Of course I run out and buy it and can't wait to get home, wash my face, apply a full face of dramatic makeup and end with a healthy two coats of Collagen mascara (all at 8pm mind you :p).

Verdict: I love the brush and it does make your lashes nice and plump but I can't help but, yup you guessed it, compare it to Voluminous. It's not as layer-friendly and tends to clump more which we can't have! I also found that Voluminous tends to be more flexible without flaking off where as the Collagen tends to dry and flake halfway through the day. I look for that perfect balance of not too soft but not too hard and a formula that doesn't flake. I will say that at $7 a tube it is a good back up if I misplace my three tubes of Voluminous I always have on hand but it is definitely no replacement.

L'Occitane Cream Mask

I received this as a sample when I bought another product and this is exactly why it pays off to give samples. I LOVE it! It has become one of those "I can't live without it" kind of things. Even though I know life would go on it would be hard coping with the memories of what my skin used to be like when I had this. I raved about this so much my sister thoughtfully gave it to me as a Christmas gift- thanks sister! Seriously, I was so happy I could barely contain myself because this was not just a sample, it was a whole 4.4 oz jar that was all mine!

It contains Immortelle essential oil which is it's main draw and rightfully so. I was told about it in the store but I admit iIdidn't know much about it and neither did the sales person. Its known as Helichrysum (for those familiar to world of essential oils) but is commonly called Immortelle or Everlasting - music to my ears! The oil is obtained from the flower of the plant and has many benefits from what I've read including considerable healing properties and it works well to combat infection and inflammation. It also aids in the production of new cells which makes it ideal for mature skin, those battling scarring not to mention a possible aid for active breakouts. So what does this all mean? Well to me it doesn't mean anything until I've tried it for myself. Initially I was so impressed because it hydrated my skin better than any other product I've tried. You can use it as a mask for about 10 minutes or keep it on over night for serious hydration. Whenever a cream mask indicates that you can use the product either way I always leave it on over night- why waste the product ?!? Also if I am extremely dry I use a small amount with my usually daily moisturizer to kick it up a notch.

This cream mask is a winner in every scenario. I woke up with my skin so hydrated, soft and redness and inflamation had noticably subsided. This is my go to product when my skin is dry or when it's losing it's lustre. It makes my makeup routine a dream! I hope L'Occitane keeps this product around forever and I pray they keep the same formula. For those who are worried about making such an investment, L'Occitane is one of those wonderful places that lets you return a product even if the bottle is empty- you gotta love that.


L'Occitane Immortelle Cream Mask
4.4 oz jar $60 P.S. a little goes a long way!