Tag Archive | awesome

Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo-Review

Want to tone down brassiness in your hair? This is a great, inexpensive way to accomplish that. I bought mine from Sally Beauty for $8.79 for sixteen ounces. My hair is dark blonde with highlights, but pulls red because my mom was a redhead. I also bought the matching Shimmer Lights conditioner at Sally’s for $11.79. I don’t use the conditioner because it’s too drying. I mix half Shimmer Lights shampoo with my regular shampoo and leave it on for 3 minutes. Not only does it do a great job of getting rid of the brassiness, but it refreshes my highlights. I deep condition my hair every time I shampoo. I have hard water at my house too, so that contributes to the brassiness.

I think the best thing I have noticed since using the Shimmer Lights shampoo; is that I have cut down on how often I have to color my hair. I have quite a bit of gray hair, and this is saving me a ton of money on visits to the salon.

http://www.sallybeauty.com/blonde-shampoo/CLAIRL3,default,pd.html#q=Clairol+Shimmer+Lights&start=1

Suave Professionals Volumizing Mousse-Review

Jan18

This a great mousse if you have fine, curly hair. I’ve been using it for several months and have seen a big difference in how full my hair looks. I can wear my hair naturally curly, and it’s not frizzy at all. Best part it’s only $2.88 at Wal-Mart. I’ve tried so many mousses over the years, and this is by far the best.

Suave Professional Volumizing Mousse 1-17-15.jpg-1-17-15 Me

A retouched photo, only because the original was too dark. And I seemed to have lost an eyebrow in the process.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Suave-Professionals-Volumizing-Mousse-7-oz/16618906

NYX Tinted Brow Mascara Blonde-Review

Jan14

This a great eyebrow color if you have light eyebrows like me. I’ve tried pencils and powders in the past, but was starting to veer off into Joan Crawford land. Not a good look for a middle aged woman. My mom use to get her eyebrows dyed dark brown. They looked ridiculous as she was a red head, plus she was the neighborhood Avon lady so she should have known better.

This is a very natural looking color and stays on all day. I wear glasses so I’m fairly lazy when it comes to my brows. I should probably tweeze more, but I really don’t care. Besides I have poor vision and I can barely see to put make up on. I bought at where else- Ulta for $6.99, but I had a store coupon so it was less than $6!

Ulta Freebies

Jan14

Is it possible to be in love with a store? It sounds so wrong, on so many levels, but I love Ulta! I went today (my second trip this week) to get some skin care products and got a ton of freebies. It’s my birthday so I got a free Ulta eye shadow palette with five yummy brown shades, plus $10 off anything in the store. The Mario Badescu skin care I purchased was supposed to come with a nice gift. They didn’t have the gift, so they gave me a whole bunch of great samples. They actually goofed up and gave me an extra skin care freebie package. I didn’t realize I got the extra package until I got home. Score one for me!

I purchased the following Mario Badescu items:

Oil Free Moisturizer with a 30 SPF-$28

Glycolic Foaming Cleanser-$16

Cellufirm Drops-$25

Hyaluronic Eye Cream-$18

I got everything for $59! Woo hoo! I used my $10 certificate and rewards points to save $28! I’ll do a review once I have used the skin care for several weeks. I did a lot of research before my purchase, and everything I bought was highly rated. Given the moderate price of the skin care and the generous sizes, I’m excited to see the results. I assumed the Mario products were high priced since they are in the same section as the high end skin care at Ulta. This line has been around since 1967, so they must be doing something right. Stay tuned.

Getting your orange on at the 2015 Golden Globes

Jan13

I just read the funniest article about all the fake tans at this year’s Golden Globe awards. I find it so amusing with all the money these folks have they still end up looking like an oompa loompa. Now I’ve been using fake bake since the 70’s, and I never looked orange. Well, there was that one time at the Indy 500, where I had to wear long pants because of my orange legs, and it was like a 100 degrees with a million percent humidity. (Okay, I’m exaggerating, but it was hotter than hell).

I used Coppertone Quick Tan or QT when I was in high school. I’m a fair haired gal so I don’t really get tan, I get red. I actually use to use a tanning lamp on my face. I would get a toasty shade of red, then mix with the orange of the QT for a great fake tan. I cringe when I think of how many times I burned myself to a crisp just to be tan. It was all the rage back then. If you were still pale in May, you were a loser. Now I don’t step outside unless I have a 30 SPF on.

This is horrible, but for the 1970’s it worked.

This is how you do fake bake-me in 1976

When I go somewhere tropical for vacation now, you can’t even tell I went anywhere. Having a pre-cancerous lesion cut off my shoulder in my mid-thirties cured me of the tanning crap. My goofball older sister (she’s 16 years older than me) would go to a tanning booth before going to Florida to “get a base”, when she was in her 60’s. Now she’s super wrinkled, and I’m not.

I still do the fake bake, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t been orange since the Indy 500, in 1981.

Ipsy January 2015 Glam Bag Review

Jan12

Oh Ipsy.com we’ve been seeing each other for more than two years now, and you still amaze me every month. Why just yesterday I was telling a saleslady at Ulta all about you. I couldn’t believe she had never heard of you. I gave her the quick low down. GO AND SIGN UP FOR IPSY NOW! I think there may be a waiting list. I was getting a mini facial, trying out the Mario Badescu skin care line (which I loved), when I brought you up.

I was so hoping I would get my Jan. bag before my birthday, and I did. Here’s what I got this month:

All Over Shadow brush-Elizabeth Mott-value $9.99-OMG! I love it! Very soft and densely packed bristles.

(Malin+Goetz) Mojito Lip Balm- value $12- a luscious super hydrating gel, not sticky at all.

Bella Pierre Cosmetics shimmer eye shadow in Excite-value $14.99-a white pearlescent loose powder shadow.

Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut eye shadow in Treasure-I couldn’t find an individual value for this pale bronze shadow, but it’s a really pretty color.

Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream with avocado, Moroccan Argan oil, and shea butter. This is so new it doesn’t have a price on the company website. I’m anxious to try it.

The value was well over the measly $10 I paid. I so love a good deal.

If you are thinking about trying a beauty box subscription, I highly recommend Ipsy.com. If I was a crack head, this would be my crack. Kind of like Ulta is my crack. Oh I’m such a goofball. Alas, a well made up goofball.

@ipsy #ipsy #januaryglambag

www.ulta.com

http://www.ipsy.com

NuFace Mini Facial Toning Device-Day One

Jan9

Used for the first time today. Stay tuned for hopefully a fabulous review.

Conair Heat Waves Hot Rollers Review- They’re back!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan3

Happy New Year! When I say the Conair Heat Waves rollers are back, I mean hot rollers never went away, they just did for me. I myself have not used hot rollers for many years. I had no need; I just had a vast array of curling irons. My hair is naturally curly, but I straighten it. In this past year I’ve come down with the dreaded ‘menopause hair’. It sucks! Of course I’ve been in menopause for almost six years, so I guess I should consider myself lucky I didn’t get it sooner. Menopause hair is gray, wiry, frizzy, and generally uncontrollable. It especially blows for me because up until June of 2013, I had the most amazing hair I have ever had in my life. It was long, blonde, very healthy looking. You know your hair looks good when people you work with (that you know don’t like you) compliment you on your hair. Then in June of 2013, my hair was changed forever. I had gotten some low lights for my blonde hair that ended up being too dark. I went back to the salon to get it corrected, and my stylist left the bleach on my hair too long. My hair was damaged beyond repair. I had been seeing this woman for 3 years, and I always tip very well. I was crushed. My hair broke off and I had visibly thin spots on my scalp. I spent nearly $400 buying hair pieces to cover up the damage.

We as women are usually obsessed with our hair. A good hair day can make a big difference on your outlook for the day. I’m middle aged, so having awesome hair was really a treat for me. My hair finally grew back, but it’s never been the same since. Luckily for me I look okay with my hair up. But I’ve been wearing my hair up for the past eighteen months. You kind of look like an old lady when you wear your hair up all the time. I take pride in my appearance, by wearing make-up and having a stylish wardrobe.

I never did tell my former stylist how much she ruined my hair. I was afraid I might punch her if I went back. It’s ironic because she was always telling me what great condition my hair was in, and I could go for a long time between haircuts and highlight touch ups. My dermatologist told me I shouldn’t put any bleach on my hair for at least twelve months, use Moroccan oil and take biotin supplements.

I went to back to a salon I had frequented in the past, but stopped going to because they got too expensive. I was told that there really wasn’t anything they could do. The stylist told me to go on Pinterest to look for cute up dos. Are you flipping kidding me? Nothing I can do? I had spent over $300 at this salon getting partial highlights and hair cuts on several occasions. The stylist told me she felt sorry for me, but really could not do anything about my hair.

Before hair disaster

Well, I tried yet another salon. This time the stylist was older and was very knowledgeable. She was familiar with my ‘menopause’ hair and suggested hot rollers. What an angel! I always use a heat protecting product when I style my hair, but the Conair Heat Waves rollers are flocked, they also heat up in 85 seconds. What a great alternative to using a curling iron. I’m getting the same results but not damaging my hair.

I bought my Conair Heat Waves at Ulta.com for $15.99, the regular price is $33.99, but they were on sale and I had a 20% off coupon. Here is a link to Ulta.

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod540578&skuId=2050458&_requestid=189261

Virtual Makeover-Modiface.com

Dec28

I have thoroughly enjoyed having the past five days in a row off. It was nice spending quality time with the family, cleaning the basement, watching too much HGTV, you get the picture. I was looking for some websites to try on a different hair color and came across Modiface.com. OMG! I must have wasted over two hours tweaking myself. Let me rephrase that last statement, I downloaded a head shot and played with make up for two hours. Of course I noticed I now have a dent on my forehead. Yikes! I opened my car door and smacked the crap out of my head a few weeks ago. It barely bled, so I was surprised to see a scar. Oh well, scars add character right???? It’s a good thing I wear bangs.

The really cool thing about this site is that it has an anti-aging tab along with the usual hair and make-up colors. You could alter your appearance via a virtual nose job, jaw contouring, face lift, etc. It was way cool. I kept showing my husband “look, here’s me at 35” I’m 55 so it was really cool seeing my younger self. Check out the link below. Have fun!

http://www1.modiface.com/mf_share/poll.php?sid=d26ddba2f23983d8c7cbeb67e81bb942

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil-Review

Dec21

I received a full size Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil in one of my Ipsy.com packages. This is the best all-around highlighting product I have ever used. I’ve been wearing make up for ages, and am always on the lookout for a great highlighter. The Chella pencil I received in Ivory is for fair skin. It’s a matte finish and works great on concealing blemishes. I use it above my eyes and also as a highlight color under my brows.

As I’ve gotten older my nose has gotten bigger, along with my ears, which blows. I put a thin line down the center of my nose, and blend to make it look thinner. It works great. The Chella website is not up, but you can buy the Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil at Amazon.com and Dermstore.com. I’ve put links below. I’ve also included a short tutorial on the pencil that shows you ten different ways to use it. The cost is $18, but well worth the price. I’ve used mine every day for the past few months, and still have half of it left. The pencil is a creamy consistency, but stays put once you have it on.

cornfedcontessa

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