5 recent beauty tips that are worth passing on

1- Light and glossy lips look younger. Dark, matte lip colors age your face. Don't believe it? Try it out. It's true. You'll see.

2- Monistat Chaffing Gel is the best make up primer on Earth. Google it. I also thought it was pure insanity.

3- Exfoliating your face 2-3x per week will vastly improve your appearance. Vastly.

4- Brown eyeliner and brown shadow is done. It looks washed out on most women. It looks...blah. A little eye color brightens the face. Try a little pale pink or a touch of navy blue liner. Experiment with lilac or green. Just try it. It's amazing how much more youthful and awake you look when you wash away all that brown. Nuetral doesn't have to mean brown!

5- Hair conditioner is an excellent substitute for shaving cream.

New things...finally some time!

This is the first time I've sat down for more than 10 minutes in two weeks. This afternoon might be the only shot I get at relaxing and taking it relatively easy. I finally get to babble away my reviews. wooohoo! It's kind of a sad state of affairs when I consider a spare hour at a desk 'free time' but it is... so here goes, the newest products I've tested recently and following that, the top 5 tips I have learned in recent weeks.






New products (to me):




Benefit Powderflage $28


It promises 'light diffusing powder concealer for under eyes and face...that camouflages fine lines, dark circles, or spots." What it does- not too much of anything. Now, don't get me wrong, it is a feather-light formula, as promised. It does seem to reduce the visibility of very fine lines. Just a bit. But, I do have some complaints. For one thing, it's super duper tiny. For nearly $30, I expect a bigger portion than that tiny golf ball half filled with product. I don't feel you get enough for your dollar. Secondly, the 'specially designed fan brush' is disappointing. The bristles are rather coarse, not something I enjoyed sweeping under my eye. They also don't pick up or evenly distribute the product well. I substituted some concealer and foundation brushes and while they felt better, they just weren't riight- too heavy on product placement.




I did dab a little of the Powderflage on a few blemishes and I wasn't impressed. It looked chalky, no matter how little I tried to use.

Overall, I don't hate it. I thinkk it might work for some, especially women with defined crows feet and/or dark circles under their eyes. But I can list at least 5 or 6 products off the top of my head that can do that even better and at a much lower price point.


I won't buy this product again and wouldn't really recommend it as a must try. Sorry, benefit!



Now, on the other end of the spectrum is something I am totally in love with:

DiorSkin Nude Fresh Glow liquid foundation.

It does has a hefty price tag at $45, but sometimes you simply get what you pay for. I love this formula. For my money, it doesn't get any better than this. It's silky smooth, blends very easily, feels as light as air, covers well (medium+ coverage), lasts a long time, matches my pasty skin perfectly. After 2 weeks of use, I have suffered no breakouts or clogged pores, no ill effects. Plus, SPF 10. Always a good thing.

This product promises to go on smooth, feel light as air and provide the illusion of flawless skin. It does just that. It's like invisible airbrushing. I love it. I will definately buy it again someday.

Keeping with Dior....my new must-have nail color is Dior Nude Chic ($20.00) Flattering neutral for any skin tone. Pricey, though. If I could find an identical color in China Glaze or Essie, I'd buy it. If someone knows of a sister color, let me know! I love this color and can see using it up over and over.

Still sticking with the same brand, I will take a moment to plug Addict glosses yet again. As I've said before, they're second only to Chanel's Glossimers and Aqualumiere glosses. I picked up Dior's new Addict Ultra Reflective in #517. It's a super pale pink with just a slight, almost not there golden shimmer. This color won't work on darker skin, olive skin or tanned skin. But if you're as pale and cool toned as me, it looks amazing. Can't go wrong. Excellent buy and yes, something I'd shell out cash for a second time.

Speaking of lipgloss, I found a new favorite top coat. I have never been one to try the ID Bare Escentuals color products. I used to use Bare Minerals foundations and I still stand by it as a great line. I still recommend women give it a try. It's just not for me- too messy, too time consuming and much too difficult to take on-the-go. I prefer something quicker, simpler and portable. I guess because I am not a regular user of Bare Minerals, I usually skip over the whole section. Maybe that's been a mistake. Odd, too, because the adorably sexy pin-up cartoon ads for each color is something I would usually notice. Well, my loss up until now.

The Buxom Lips gloss collection caught my eye during my last outing to the mothership we call Sephora. I don't know why I hadn't given them all a good once over before. The color selection is pretty impressive, as is the size of the product. At $18.00, you do get a lot for your money. More importantly, it works.

Buxom Lips promises a slight plumping effect without the stinging. It delivers. My lips looked....well, just better. Not swollen, not injeted, just...better. Fuller, smoother. Healthier. I'm 100% impressed by Buxom Lips. It's not heavy, it lasts a good while, it blends. The one and only thing I am not wild about is the scent. A tad strong for me. But it does fade after a minute.

I started with Dominique, a clear coat with a glittery, silvery finish. It doesn't look metallic at all, just super shiny. Worn alone, it's cute. Worn over lipstick or liner, it's super cute. It's a great topcoat for anyone addicted to lips that look like they've been making out with EVOO.

I've added April to my Buxom Lips color collection since and I'm actually hoping tonight to get a chance to try on a few more, something darker for 'occasion' wear.


Love them....love, love, love them!