Alright, some lady stuff:

1. I finally picked up some L'Oreal BB cream at CVS, and it's the bomb--and way cheaper than the Benefit primer that I was using. I definitely recommend it.

2. If you received one of those Sephora scent samplers for Christmas, keep in mind that you can use the certificate on a scent that is not featured in the gift. You just have to ask real nice.

3. My Address is "Hollywood" is the greatest nail color of all time. Or at least at the moment. It's from like Fall 2011, but I think it's fantastic for winter, too.

4. I'm in love with Mark Gottfried. I only mention it because I wanna make the dibs situation very clear to you all.

1/5/2014 10:45:30 PM

Speaking of Sephora, I have saved up a lot of points, and everytime I go in, I do accept the rewards but I end up not using any of them. I usually pick skin care samples or makeup. But I end up never using the skin care samples because I don't want to put anymore chemicals on my skin.

1/5/2014 10:53:38 PM

new dresses came in...i love them









[Edited on January 6, 2014 at 1:45 PM. Reason : on sale and an additional 50% off...woot ]

1/6/2014 1:44:52 PM

those are from targ???

1/6/2014 1:51:18 PM

yep

they have the only shift dresses i've been able to wear without looking silly



also...i would exclusively buy summer dresses with the neck like of the top 2 if i could...

it actually keeps me from looking like a line backer, unlike most sleeveless necklines

[Edited on January 6, 2014 at 2:03 PM. Reason : asdfds]

1/6/2014 1:52:51 PM

bridget are you talking about that magic color change stuff?




I have the light shade, but i'm not that in love with it. it seems to not blend/disappear that well on me, which makes me look kinda paler (which = older, apparently, if you believe in that kinda crap.) and i don't really love the texture it gives me. I liked the Maybelline Dream fresh stuff better, but i'm still not taken enough with this stuff to use it very often. Any of you tried some of of the higher end brands of this stuff? I'm kinda anxious about ordering stuff from asia, but someone i know swears by the snail nutrition crap. ick.

1/6/2014 1:55:28 PM

Yes, that's the stuff. I normally use That Gal by Benefit, which I love, but I'm also a sucker for cutesy packaging. I would recommend trying it in store at least, but you have such amazing skin that I don't even know.

http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/that-gal?ext_id=psad_Ggl_US

It goes on pinkish red and then blends right in. But I need a less expensive alternative, and I dig the BB cream for real.

1/6/2014 2:20:48 PM

I still don't really *get* bb cream (but I will admit I've never tried it).

Is it just a tinted moisturizer?? (with a bunch of alleged added benefits?)

1/6/2014 2:38:13 PM

it's supposed to be somewhere between tinted moisturizer and foundation in coverage, and i think a lot of them try to give your skin some special texture/finish (dewy or matte).

1/6/2014 2:56:46 PM

^^Pretty much. It moisturizers, brightens/evens skin tone, and diminishes the appearance of imperfections. It doesn't do any one thing really well, but it does everything adequately. And it takes no time, effort, or skill. You can smear it on in the car and keep your hangover all to yourself!

Try it! And, if you don't like it, please return it. I'm a big advocate for returning products, and the cashiers always act like I'm crazy when I do...but it's the only way to send the message that you won't be swindled!

1/6/2014 6:02:59 PM

Quote :

"Is it just a tinted moisturizer??"

Yeah pretty much, but for the people who always mixed their foundation with moisturizer by hand prior to application, it saves a step and some money. Also since it's not as pigment strong as a typical foundation, I have found that it blends a lot easier, especially with my wonky pale skin tone.

1/6/2014 6:07:48 PM

and since you're expecting it to both look feel good when your wearing it and also improve your skin like face care products, i think finding one that works long term must be hard without sizeable samples. I wish sephora had one of those favorites boxes with 30 samples in it for these type of creams. if they do, i haven't seen it. it's pretty far to the large store in my metro area, the one on my side of town is tiny

1/7/2014 10:30:35 AM

if you find a nice person, some of the girls in there will go around and make you a whole bag of samples of whatever you're in the market for. they get out those little cups and squirt whatever into them (foundation, moisturizer, whatever). they'll even make you samples of perfumes in the little spray bottles (although last time I checked they were only using plastic now, and that breaks down the perfume pretty quickly, so they don't really store long-term like the glass samples do)

1/7/2014 1:07:05 PM

Quote :

"I still don't really *get* bb cream (but I will admit I've never tried it)."

LOVE bb cream!! I am pretty sure I use Garnier bb cream

I am a low key in the makeup department and I usually try to not wear foundation mostly because it used to be too thick or a little off in the color for my tone. But bb cream is basically tinted moisturizer the way it is supposed to work, tinted moisturizers never looked right on my skin. It is very light and blends very well and it actually does a decent job of covering blemishes smoothly. Also my pores are big and those 'pore reducer' crap usually never works, but the bb cream does a pretty good job at that as well.

Also other brands of bb creams and cc creams and tinted moisturizers never quite matched my fair skin tone, but the garnier shit is da bomb.

never going to switch EVER

1/7/2014 1:13:38 PM

this information is relevant to my interests.

1/7/2014 1:24:06 PM

I'm never trying another garnier face product, both the eye make up remover and some eye gel made my eyes sting, and aint nobody got time for returning shit like bridget.

1/7/2014 3:22:37 PM

I think i might have some bb cream samples from my ipsy bags. I have worn makeup exactly 2 times since I got pregnant so if you are in Raleigh and want them I will see what I have. I know one is Pacifica but I dont remember the other(s)

1/7/2014 3:24:57 PM

I bet you can find a pricier bb cream that is way better than Garnier, but I have very little money for makeup... if ever... so Garnier for my super pale skin works well, and surprisingly does not make me breakout. I have tried the other drugstore brands to no avail.

1/7/2014 3:29:07 PM

eh, i am into drugstore brands myself, for the most part, especially since there's nowhere fancy to shop less than half an hour's drive where i live (not raleigh, elise, but sweet of you to offer--just try out your samples and let me know if it's good, lol). But it pisses me off that garnier put such common allergens in their product when brands at basically the same price point (loreal,etc) are obviously able to avoid it. selling eye products that makes some portion of your customer's eyes burn is just retarded. You can develop dermatitis from repeated exposure to allergens that you didn't react to initially, too.

1/7/2014 3:47:51 PM

The offer is for everyone. I know you are up in Canadia freezing your butt off.

1/7/2014 3:55:15 PM

Quote :

"But it pisses me off that garnier put such common allergens in their product when brands at basically the same price point (loreal,etc) are obviously able to avoid it. selling eye products that makes some portion of your customer's eyes burn is just retarded. You can develop dermatitis from repeated exposure to allergens that you didn't react to initially"

that sucks, I should look into their bb cream to see if that has allergens too.... at least it is only occasional exposure for me.

1/7/2014 4:01:04 PM

the weirdest thing about the Garnier BB cream is the strong smell

like, why did you guys feel the need to put fragrance in this?

that said, it covers decently but has an orangey tint to it that I don't love (I'm super pasty)

I prefer:
CoverGirl Smoothers BB Cream - not as much coverage, but is half the price so I can slather it on if I feel like it

POND'S Luminous Finish BB+ Cream With Tone Perfecting Complex: I just got this one from drugstore.com and it's probably my favorite so far, good coverage

1/7/2014 4:53:06 PM

Quote :

"the weirdest thing about the Garnier BB cream is the strong smell like, why did you guys feel the need to put fragrance in this?"

very true, it is a very perfumey smell. Maybe I will switch once I find one that does as good of a job w/o the smell.

1/7/2014 4:57:06 PM

Well, I picked up some of the garnier bb cream tonight. I'm kinda excited, not gonna lie

ahhh, the power of suggestion

1/7/2014 11:35:22 PM

I also use Garnier BB cream. I'm not sure why mine is different, but mine has no perfumey smell.
I have pretty sensitive skin, and it doesn't burn when I apply it under my eyes likes lots of other moisturizers and cosmetics.

1/8/2014 8:55:59 AM

after talking about it I used it again and found no reason to complain, I still love it

and I have moderately sensitive skin.... and it makes my skin look awesome (which it isn't)

1/8/2014 11:32:57 AM

I abandoned my former skincare routine for a lot of 2013, and it shows. Now my skin is doing this dry-and-oily thing where I have both some dry skin crusting up and leaving residue, and excess oil causing small breakouts. But then my skin still looks kinda cruddy and weirdly textured after the breakouts resolve. (and I've got some fine lines starting and i need a haircut, so boo). I haven't been using the benzoyl peroxide lately, but i think i'm gonna have to go back to that and a salicylic acid soap, and find a better moisturizer (the last thing i tried is cetaphil). I bought some glycolic acid toner to try for the crusty bits, but i've been too scared to use it. Somebody tell me it won't melt my face off, haha. I've wavered back and forth between 'medical' type skincare products and 'beauty', and the result is that i feel like i don't know shit about either.

1/8/2014 12:34:02 PM

what % is the acid?

1/8/2014 12:36:05 PM

8%. the instructions say to wipe it on and just leave it there.

1/8/2014 12:37:16 PM

oh dude you should be totally fine. I have used concentrations way higher than that.

but I would say test it out on your neck or something, because you said barnier shit made your face burn so maybe to be on the safest side, test it and if you don't have an immediate reaction then you are fine.

also make sure you have a very very basic moisturizer on hand, with not many ingredients .... bc if some irritation does occur just wash your face and put on moisturizer.

there is a chance it will dry out your skin, so the moisturizer is a good thing to have on hand

[Edited on January 8, 2014 at 12:40 PM. Reason : .]

1/8/2014 12:38:41 PM

well, i've been creeped out by the fact that you just leave it on your face, since you wash the higher concentrations off.

what you're saying about the drying is why i grabbed the cetaphil moisturizer, since it's supposed to be very mild. but i got really creeped out and paranoid while buying it, because it's made by glaxo, and I was thinking about how both the beauty and pharma industries are big pushy pimps who both lie. I tried to compare it to some of the stuff in the makeup aisle and decided to take it because it doesn't have fragrance, but man, it kinda stinks

I think I have to avoid stuff with cetyl alcohol, unfortunately. and the vaseline intensive care and other normal brands are just full of that shit. and I'm not about to try rubbing oil on my face like some people have been raving about. there's always a bunch of horror stories from people that got oil dermatitis on those forums

[Edited on January 8, 2014 at 12:48 PM. Reason : and yes, it occurred to me to try it on my inside elbow or something after i posted]

1/8/2014 12:47:32 PM

many time two shampoos with different names or different alleged benefits have exactly the same ingredients aside from color and fragrance

1/8/2014 12:48:13 PM

^^ ew no oil and the intensive therapy things are no good for me too, they clog my skin and just makes my skin gross



I really wouldn't worry about the toner, it sounds fine, and if needed cetaphil is a champ.

1/8/2014 12:51:02 PM

I have been using cold-pressed pure argan oil on both my face* and my hair for a couple years now. I used to use another product on my hair (some expensive salon de-frizzing serum) as well, but I've eliminated that. I was just raving to myself this morning how soft and silky my hair is. no buildup, no grease, and it is just soooooo soft. (my hair is naturally pretty curly and dry, but I get keratin treatments now so now it is basically my dream hair - but I also credit the near-elimination of heat and other products, as well as just using the argan oil).

*I also use Jergens Natural Glow face moisturizer after the oil a lot of times.

1/8/2014 2:36:40 PM

My skin is so dry right now. I think it might be partly due to not staying hydrated and having to wash my hands 5000 times at work. It also seems like my skin dries up if a sweat a lot due to strenuous exercise. I've been using lotion, but I guess I need to find a better one.

1/8/2014 3:07:12 PM

I got this hand cream with 22% urea. helps when i use it.

1/8/2014 3:15:41 PM

Bmel, I wash my hands a ton at work too and my hands get so dry sometimes that lotion burns when I put it on. I like dream cream from lush, and two different Burts Bees products. One is hand cream in a little glass pot with a cow on it. It has almond oil I think, and the other is in a big yellow tin and it is more of an ointment.




The other is apparently just called hand salve, a farmer's friend. My phone isn't cooperating to put the picture here.


Both I would just pick one and use at night before bed.

[Edited on January 9, 2014 at 5:04 AM. Reason : ...]

1/9/2014 5:04:14 AM

Did anyone who tried out the no shampoo method last year stick with it?

I stopped, but now I wash my hair every other day, and sometimes I even skip two days. I never thought I would have been able to do that considering how greasy it used to get after one day. I still don't like wearing it down on day 2 most of the time, but that's not a big deal.

I also stopped using strengthening conditioner most of the time. I was having horrible breakage, so naturally I started using it. But apparently if you use strengthening products all the time they will make your hair strong to the point of being brittle, which means it's actually more likely to break. It seems to be helping. I have been using Moroccan oil, but my last stylist suggested a more lotion-based hair product or leave-in conditioner to penetrate the hair a little better, so I'll probably try out something else.

1/9/2014 7:41:23 AM

Moroccan Oil makes a hair masque. Im not sure if that would be sufficient or not.

1/9/2014 7:52:34 AM

slappy1, where are you getting the argan oil/what brand? I saw some much cheaper 100% pure oil on a drugstore website, wondering if the cheap stuff is still good, cuz I'm not shelling out for josie maran or whatever.

I still can't find my neutrogena grapefruit salicylic face wash. Pissin me off, cuz i just bought it a couple months ago and that shit was $10. grr. I tried the toner on my elbow and neck this morning. it tingled when i put it on, but so far, so good.

1/9/2014 9:33:06 AM

that burt's bees hand salve is fucking legit bmel. I had really bad cracked hands last winter from hand washing/gloves constantly. it smells weird but it works

also, gold bond hand cream also is baller


and a side note, my skin is like freaking out right now like serious high school face bullshit going on. I haven't changed anything in my routine and it's not period-time related so ....... halp

1/9/2014 9:51:08 AM

Based on the little info you gave, DDK, I'd guess your skin got dry and started overproducing oil if you haven't stepped up your moisturizing, because this cold weather desiccates skin. Even if you spend all of your time indoors, the air is drier indoors as well as a result of low humidity outside. Using a humidifier and staying very well hydrated will help too. If your current haircut is framing your face, check your products or try washing more often if you don't wash it every day. When my hair gets oily, my face breaks out all of a sudden.

1/9/2014 10:51:55 AM

nevermind it's totally hormone related. why does my body keep having periods on the wrong week. why.

1/9/2014 1:29:04 PM

cause you're not really a female :3

1/9/2014 1:33:45 PM

I WILL STAB YOU IN THE DICK SO HARD YOU WILL CHOKE ON THE BLADE

1/9/2014 1:35:26 PM

joke's on you, my dick's too small to perceive any pain

1/9/2014 1:36:18 PM

wow.

1/9/2014 2:46:09 PM

shut up green jay

you've been mean to me for the past month

1/9/2014 2:47:52 PM

damn, has anyone ever ordered beauty stuff when it was this cold? i'm wondering if my stuff will get frozen solid and fucked up

[Edited on January 9, 2014 at 3:01 PM. Reason : ]

1/9/2014 2:51:36 PM

What hair smoother do you ladies use? Between hypothyroid hair breakage and the postpartum hair growing back I basically have hair standing straight up on top of my head that's only 3-4 inches long. I need something to tame these guys.

1/9/2014 8:35:42 PM