L'Oreal Paris Pencil Perfect Self Sharpening Eyeliner

Pros:
 -Beautiful color
 -Glides on easy (eyeliner stays soft)
-Self sharpening- LOVE this. No mess!
-Does bug my eyes or contacts. I sometimes have a problem with mascara and eyeliner doing this and making them burn.....

Cons:
-Says smudge proof...I don't totally agree with that but it also depends on if you have any makeup on prior to using it.
-Costs about $8-$10... but keep your eye out for it in old packaging at the dollar tree. That's where I scored it.
-Doesn't stay on any better than a cheaper brand in my case.



 

NYC Smooth Skin Perfecting Primer

Pros:
-Smoothes skin
-Didn't make my skin break out
-Can be used alone or with foundation
-Minimal expense- $4.00 at CVS, Walmart etc.
-Allure magazine claims it works great. Maybe it just doesn't work too well with my skin type.
 
Cons:
-Makes skin shiny
-Does not extend the wear of foundation
-It also claims that it smoothes imperfections , lines an pores for a perfect complexion. I did not notice that at all.
 
 
 
 
 
Honestly, I don't feel like this does too much. Sure it smoothes the skin, but that's about it. I also have watched many videos about primer and most claim that they are just used to smooth skin and help provide something for foundation to cling to, of which all videos claimed that any facial lotion will do just as well.

 

Glam Eyes Rimmel London HD Eyeshadow

Pros:
-Love the colors-- I got 007 Heart of Gold colors. Great brown tones for blue eyes.
-The have an eye shadow map chart on the back to allow (like a paint by numbers) to show the user how and where to apply each color
-This eye shadow stays on great
-Also the colors keep to the color the are in the container. Just as shiny and 3d as they appear.
-Very inexpensive-- I found them at the dollar tree, but even at CVS, Walmart, Walgreens they are usually $5 or less.

Cons:
-The only thing I did not particularly like was that some of the colors are in such small parts in the container you can hardly get a brush into them without getting all the other colors on your brush as well.

Wet n Wild Nail Polish

Love, Love, Love this color.

Pros:

Awesome color(Wet Cement 201)
Stays on (surprisingly for wet n wild) -- it really does stay on longer! I was very surprised with how chip resistant this was.
Glossy finish
Super cheap ($2-$3)
Found at Walmart, CVS, Walgreens
With Manicurve pro brush-- makes for easy application

Cons:

Doesn't dry as fast as some (for instance Sally Hansen InstaDry)

Overall I was very surprised  with the great finish and long wear of this nail polish. I will definitely purchase this brand again. 

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/wet-n-wild-megalast-megalast-salon-nail-color/ID=prod6097905-product#descriptionNamedTab

Boots Mediterranean Body Butter, Almond, Pistachio & Milk

 

 

 

Pros:

• Has a great scent that is not overpowering
• Keeps my skin hydrated during dry winters, esp the ones up north when in Montana.
• Very creamy and thick, but does not leave skin oily
• Leaves skin very smooth
• Made with organic almond oil
 
 

Cons:

• Costs about $10 can find at Target, CVS and Walgreens.
• Some times you can find it on clearance for around $2 :)
•  (6.6 oz) but I do have to admit that a little bit goes along ways.
 

 

E-sen-cia Pomegranate Marshamallow and Yarrow Styling Mousse

Pros:

• Conditioning mousse
• Helps eliminate friz
• Made with certified organic ingredients
• I have read many reviews of women with curly hair who swear by this product
• Costs about $7.00
• Smells great

 

Cons:

• I really did not feel like it added any volume to my hair, just made it feel dirty
• It did not help maintain any form that I was going for when I attempted to use it in conjunction with straightening or curling, after blow drying with this product.
 

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Awakening Face Massager

Pros:

• Great massager/lotion combo
• Love the fresh smell
• Feels soft and leaves skin feeling very firm
• I use it before makeup and it works as a great primer (as recommended on the box)
• Roller ball creates a stimulating massage that boosts microcirculations
• Works well for my sensitive skin
• Keeps my skin well hydrated without being oily all through the day

 

Cons:

• Can be spendy. Look for it at cheaper places. I have seen it for $15 at CVS but the Dollar Tree actually had a huge shipment so I scored!

Ingredients:

• Aqua/Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caffeine, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, CI 15510/Orange 4

 

Bare Minerals Lip Gloss

 

Pros:

• Great colors with a wide variety
• Shiny but not too shiny
• Applicator is a small bristled brush
• It does hydrate your lips fairly well for a gloss

 

Cons:

• Expensive! $18 a tube. Luckily someone gave me a whole punch of them. Otherwise I could not spend this sort of money on something like this.
• I do not find it any better than $5 lip gloss. I mean no one really expects lip gloss to stay on all day do we?
• Sticky

Ambi Fade Cream

Best Way To Use:

I like to apply this after I was my face and night to allow it to soak in well.

Active Ingredients:

 

Hydroquinon, a dermatologist-recommended ingredient, which safely fades dark spots

Vitamin E, to help soften and smooth skin

Alpha Hydroxy Acid, to help enhance results

Pros:

• Loaded with Vitamin E.
• Includes a bleaching agent to lighten dark spots.
• I read it a magazine it was the best over the counter product for fading dark spots.
• I really enjoy it myself and saw results of faded dark spots.
• Fairly inexpensive about $5-$6.
• The have two different varities for normal skin and oily skin.
• I used the normal skin kind.

Cons:

• I does leave my skin a bit oily, but I have not found that it clogged my pores.

Salon Perfect Eyelashes

Love me some fake eyelashes!

Best Way To Use:

First of all, I apply mascara to my normal lashes. If I don't, my eyelashes end up being a different color than my falsies and it looks odd.

So coat your eyelashes with some mascara.

Next remove the lashes from the packaging and place a small amount of glue along the strip on the false eyelash.

Then allow for the glue to almost dry. (I blow on it to speed it up) This is key because if you apply fresh, nontacky glue, you risk moving the lash around and messing up your lash placement.

Then apply false lash as close to natural eyelash line as possible.

Allow to dry. 

My Eyelash Profile:

My eyelashes are medium length.
I would not say they are curly, but they are not straight.
Eyelash color would be considered a dirty blonde.

Pros:

• Salon Perfect Eyelash starter kit comes with the best eyelash glue on the market. The best glue is key "Lash Grip" is the best.
• I can sleep in my eyelashes and they wont come off. But when I want to peel them off they do not pull off my eyelashes.
• Many different styles. I get the drag queen wispy ones. (the above ones are Demi Wispy 105)
• Stay on great and can look really natural if you get the right ones.
• Very easy to use. 
• 
  

Cons:

• No cons! I love this product. I have been using it since 2007!

 

Face Yoga!? Yey or Neigh?

Yes, I said it. Face yoga! Yoga for your face. I guess it makes sense. There are muscles in our face. If we exercise them the right way will the bulk up or slim down? I would think they would be the same as any other muscle in our body, that if they are exercised the right way they can change into what we would like them to be. 

But why haven't we heard much about this? Hmmm I may just give it a try. So if you see a lady driving down the interstate doing these exercises, sorry, it is me.

Hit me up in a month to see if I did this. I should take before and after pics. ;)

Kathy Lee and Hoda. Puff, Puff, Pass.... stop it it ages you!

So I pretty much love these ladies because the drink wine 24/7.  Great tips today on there show. Check it out. 

How to Look 7 Years Younger:

• Smoking — adds 2.5 years for every decade you puff.

• Sun exposure (an extra 30 hours per week) —makes you look 2 years older by age 40 and 3.5 years older by 70.

• Stress — divorce tacks on 1.7 years; being widowed, 2 years.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/50423717/ns/today-books/t/learn-way-look-years-younger/#.UPDAiB1qQw8


They have some quick fixes on how to target your trouble areas where aging has progressed rapidly!

Milani Nail Polish

Best Way To Use: 

Make sure you only apply only one or two very light coats, otherwise it will chip off right away.

Pros:

• Love their colors. They have very very small glittery ones as shown above.
• Inexpensive ($2-$4)
• DBP, toluene and formaldehyde free.
• Dries relatively fast.
• Available at many locations. 
• Made in USA
• Best when used with a top coat, but beware of too much polish on your nail. I have found this kind will not just chip but it will all come off as one big flake.

Cons:

• Chips off pretty easily, best if used with only one coat. 

 

Covergirl Outlast Lipstick

Best Way To Use: 

Do not apply generously.
A small amount does the trick.
Allow for it to dry.
Follow with accompanied top coat/lip gloss as needed.

Pros:

• This stuff lasts!
• If you want lipstick that will last through meals, glasses of wine and perhaps a smooch with your sweetie use this. ;-)
• Many different colors to choose from. 
• This is an item that I continue to buy over and over. 
• Small tube lasts a long time.
• No feathering or bleeding. 

Cons:

• Dries on to your lips, literally. So no it is not perfect, but that is why they give you a clear top coat to polish the look.
• I always run out of the top coat before the actually lip color.
• Initially spendy, but it lasts months. ($8.00)
• Does feel a little bit heavy if you are not used to wearing a lip color. 

 

Eucerin Professional Repair Lotion

Best Way To Use:

Rub yourself down now! ;-) Not like that.

My Skin Profile:

My skin can get extremely dry, especially when I travel up north to visit my family in Montana and North Dakota.

I get eczema on my arms and legs sometimes.

Pros:

• Claims it last for 24 hours-tested and approved.
• Definitely keeps my dry, chapped hands hydrated.
• Sometimes lotion makes my dry skin even more sensitive, but this does not.
• Is not super thick, like Avon Silicon Glove style, which I was worried about. Very light feeling on skin.
• Fragrance free. (but does not smell nasty like some fragrance free products)
• No greasy feeling like other "hydrating" lotions.

Cons:

• Cost about $8.00 for 4.5 oz. Spendy for the amount, but well worth it if you need a super hydrating formula, that lasts long and doesn't irritate your skin.

Here is a link where I got my free sample:

http://www.allyou.com/coupons-deals/daily-free-samples-00411000069695/free-lotion-00411000075969/

They have daily free samples on this website. Check it out. Today is a free Blondie Starbucks Coffee!

 

L'Oreal Paris Magic Smooth Scuffle

Best Way To Use:

I use one finger and apply in very light upward strokes around face. 
I also dab it under my eyes eyes. 
I finish with a bare minerals powder. 
(Finishing with a powder after a more liquid foundation, locks in the makeup.
It is a whipped formula that seems similar to Dream Mousse by Revlon. 

My Face Profile:

Combination Skin
I have a hard time finding foundation that covers well and stays on.
I have freckles all over my nose and scars around my mouth that need coverage.
I have tried everything from price range wise, powder, foundation, liquid EVERYTHING.

Pros:

• Goes on really easy.
• Feels so smooth on face.
• Very light weight! I am used to wearing makeup that makes you feel like you are wearing makeup. You know the type, it feels like a mask! I have become comfortable with that. I always correlated weight to better coverage. Not now.
• Multiple colors that make it an easy match for all skin colors.
• Stays on fairly well. 
• With the amount you get in each container I get about a month worth of coverage. 
• A little foundation goes a long ways in this case. 

Cons:

• Can cost upwards of $15, down to $9. But I always have a coupon or stock up when it is on sale. 
• Make sure to wash off at night because it does create my skin to feel a bit oily if I don't. Probably not recommended for oily skin. 

 

Covergirl Professional All-In-One Mascara

Best Way To Use:

Just as you would any mascara.
I wiggle it at the base and then brush out.
Also, I do a few coats.

My Eyelash Profile:

My eyelashes are medium length.
I would not say they are curly, but they are not straight.
Eyelash color would be considered a dirty blonde.

Pros:

• Goes on easy.
• Multiple colors: black, black brown, and very black.
• Inexpensive ($4 at Walmart).
• Lasts hours (check out the picture below).
• Thickens and lengthened eyelashes.
• Hypoallergenic
• Site says it is suitable for contacts. I wear it with contacts and have no problems.
• Washes off easily.

Cons:

• Minor flakes after many hours of wear.

After over ten hours of wear!

 

L'Oreal Paris Collagen Filler Lip Treatment

 

Best Way To Use:

Wash face as usual.
Then apply the side labeled "step 1" (white) directly on the lips from the bottle.
Next, apply "step 2" (purple) around the lip area and smooth in with finger.

My Skin Profile:

Normal to dry skin depending on climate.

Pros:

• Light weight.
• Smooths skin around mouth to the touch, but not visibly. (feels like a primer)
• Dual purpose (lip plumping and line filling)
• Can be found cheap online $7-$15. (cheaper than in stores)

Cons:

• Makes my skin break out around mouth.
• Does not plump lips.

John Frieda Root Lifter

Best Way To Use: 

Divide wet hair into quarter sections.With a couple pumps in your palm add the foam to your roots and follow through the rest of your hair.After you have done this to all your hair, turn your head upside down and blow dry.  

My Hair Profile:

StraightLong (past shoulders)Colored HairMedium Texture
Medium Thickness

Pros:

• Light weight- doesn't feel like much in your hair

• Does not create crunchy roots like some foam

• Inexpensive- $5.99 (check for coupons online)

• Adds lots of volume and keeps the volume for hours

• Smells good, not overpowering

Cons:

• Have read reviews that say it doesn't work great for curly hair

• Adds some weight, but not too much that it weighs down your hair.

Simple Day Cream

Best Way To Use: 

Wash face as usual, then apply day cream in gentle upward motions.
Applying in downward strokes encourages wrinkles. 

My Skin Profile:

Normal to dry in most areas, depending on the climate 
(In Kentucky, North Dakota and Montana my skin has tended to be dry)
(In California and Florida my skin tends to be normal because of the humidity)

Occasional acne in t-zone 
I am known for sleeping with my makeup on :-(

Pros:

• Light weight

• Hydrates dry areas

• Works well with combination skin

• Great for sensitive skin (no dyes or perfumes)

• Easy to find. Go to website and the have a where to buy tool. www.simpleskincare.com

• SPF 15

• Made in the USA

Cons:

• Cost- about$12.99

• Leaves skin a slight bit oily for about an hour

Aero Minerale Makeup Mist Foundation

Best Way To Use:

Start with a clean face. (no other makeup on)
Pin hair back.
Close eyes, with about a 5 inch distances air brush entire face.
Allow a few minutes to dry and tada!

My Skin Profile:

Combination Skin
Very Sensitive

Pros:

• Leaves a perfectly airbrushed finish.
• Easy and quick.
• If you are one that usually has makeup lines, try this.
• Full coverage, covers everything evenly with one simple coat.
• All day wear, does not flake or fade.
• Website has store locator on it. www.aerominerale.com
• Works well for my sensitive skin.

Cons:

• Expensive: $15.00-$20.00 a bottle.
• One bottle does not last long, maybe two weeks.
• Takes a few minutes to dry on face. Don't be afraid of what it looks like immediately after airbrushing your face, let it dry. :-) I freaked out because I didn't know.

Conair 1" Instant Heat Curling Iron

Best Way To Use:

Just as you would any other curling iron.

My Hair Profile:

Long, past shoulder blade, length hair.
Dyed and mistreated.
Straight
Medium thickness.

Pros:

• Heats up in under a minute.
• Auto shut off.
• Different temperature settings. I use the hottest.
• Swivel cord to prevent the cord from tangling.
• Creates long lasting curls that hold.
• Gets hot enough unlike other curling irons.
• Inexpensive ($12 at Walmart)
• I have used the same curling iron for years.
• Can create long spiral curls.

Cons:

• None! Love this product.

Contouring Your Face

Contouring and Highlight Your Face:

Hello all! 
At a point in time I looked back at all my pictures and thought blah! What in the world I know my face is not that...well blah! Sweet mother I am Ukrainian I know I have cheek bones, why does my forehead look so huge, why does my nose look huge. Well if your makeup has landed you with a well covered palette of no dimension this video is for you. 

Or if you have gained same weight and it shows in your face check out this video. My weight is greatly reflected in my face, but with a little contouring my face doesn't reveal that I have a ginormous butt!

My Face Profile:

I have a larger four head, or as my boyfriend calls it a five head.
I also have a bigger nose, not a beak, but a flatter flared out nostril type. 
I have small eyes.
I have high big cheek bones.
I have bigger top lip than the bottom lip.

This are nothing to be ashamed off, but if you want to draw attention to your assets here is how. This video does a great job of explaining how to contour and highlight. Baah Humbug I don't really care for Kim K, but her makeup guy does do a great job of contouring. Here is a video how. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBLHE0ME-GA