Glam Gams: Jergens BB Body Skin Perfecting Cream Review

If you've been following along lately, then you know that I'm currently living in squalor renovating my sunroom, and that it hasn't been going exactly according to plan. This has, unfortunately, cut into my blogging time, and for that, I offer my sincerest apologies to all four of you.

In all honesty, I have more pictures than I care to count, ready and waiting to be pasted into a post. I would really like to get them off of my phone at some point in the near future.

That day is not today.

Anyhoo, in the .7 seconds I have to write this, I wanted to pop in and tell you about a new(-ish) product that I am really excited about: Jergens BB Body Skin Perfecting Cream. (Oh--incidentally, after months of not being able to click inside the "compose" box on Blogger, I can finally link, highlight, and basically function again. Miraculously. Things should be a lot different from here on. Thank God.)

Believe it or not, sundress season is around the corner. Heck, I wore one Tuesday. I also wore a heavy sweatshirt on Wednesday. Mother Nature is having hot flashes, but I digress. Sundress season is around the corner, and that means bare legs and arms and whatnot, and I'm not ready for that. In the past, I made up for my pale, patchy legs by slathering on this stuff from Super by Perricone, Supermodel Legs, which is, basically, tinted body lotion that's infused with capsacin to temporarily tighten up the calves. It's magic, and I love it, and it has been woefully discontinued. Of course, it has.

When I heard about the Jergens and its claims, I had to test it out, so I picked up a travel size for about three bucks at Walgreens. They only had the light skin tone version, so that's what I went with. In case you're wondering, here's what it's supposed to do (from the Walgreen's website):

Instantly:

• Hydrates & Smoothes
• Illuminates & Brightens

In 5 Days:

• Evens Skin Tone
• Visibly Firms Skin
• Helps Reduce the Appearance of Imperfections

I started using the cream last Saturday, so six days have passed. Did it work? Yeah, I kind of think so. Let's break it down:

The Good
The first thing I noticed (okay, second, but I'll get to that in a bit) was that this stuff is thick. It's not an opaque leg makeup, but it does make me think a lot of Too Faced Primed and Poreless face primer, as far as color and texture go. The product blurs, but does not cover imperfections, and isn't sparkly or shimmery. You won't look like a Cullen. The most impressive result of using this, however, was that I was legitimately taken aback this morning when I looked in the mirror and noticed that my cottage cheese thighs appeared smoother. Don't get me wrong, there's still some serious cellulite going on, but there's definitely been some improvement. I would say that it's just wishful thinking on my part, except that I didn't realize that was one of the claims until I started writing this review. I'd misread the package, and only expected temporary results, like I saw with the Perricone. Surprise!

The Bad
The price. It's up there. A full-sized tube runs anywhere from $10-$13 (or $23, if you're nuts. Thanks, ebay!), depending on where you buy it. That's a bit much for a drugstore lotion, especially considering how often you're going to have to repurchase. See, since this is such a thick lotion, you have to use a pretty generous amount each time you apply. My travel-size tube will have lasted a week, if I can eke out enough for tomorrow, and I only use it on my legs, arms, and occasionally my chest. Full-body, this might have lasted three days, at best. To put this into perspective, in my entire adult life (no exaggeration), I think I've finished one full-sized and two travel-sized lotions, and it took months each time. Heck, I think the full-sized might have taken a year. Normally, my lotion expires before I finish the bottle.

And the More You Know
Here's the real first thing I noticed, and depending on how you feel about scents, this could go either way: bottom line, it smells exactly like Bath and Body Works' Twilight Woods. When I say "exact", I mean, I used the Jergens and then used the BBW hand sanitizer and could not tell a difference. It is spot. on. Now, Twilight Woods is a favorite of mine, so I'm absolutely OK with the fragrance, but take heed if you're not a fan of the BBW version, or of scents in general. I will say that I don't find it to be overpowering, and it doesn't seem to linger. Okay, now here's the part where I say, "and if you do like Twilight Woods, you might be able to save some cash by buying this at the drugstore!" No, wait--nope. You can't. The BBW version is $12.50. It's entirely possible that you might spend more on the drugstore "dupe". It won't have the same skin-enhancement properties, but if you're only after moisture and a nice fragrance, you can save money by going to the specialty store in the mall. For once. Wow...

Final Verdict: 8.3 out of 10. Absolutely does what it claims. I just wish it were more affordable.

Frugal Friday: Have You Seen Me?



Photo Credit: Sephora



Recently, I rediscovered Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish Blush. I received a deluxe sample size some time back, and absolutely hated it. Loathed it. Despised it. Tossed it into the deepest, darkest recesses of my makeup case, never to lay eyes on it again...until about a month ago.

Holy moley, what was I thinking?!



I absolutely adore this stuff now. The color I have is #6, Quickie, and it's a beautiful, warm, salmon pink that looks completely natural on my cheeks. I'm totally in love, but there's a problem: the full-size is $26, and I will run out of this at some point.



Photo Credit: E.L.F.



Coincidentally, at the same time I fell for the MUFE, bargain-favorite E.L.F. came out with its own version of the HD cream blush. So, my question to you is: anybody tried this, yet? It's only $3, but I've only been able to find it online. I don't need to place an order with them right now, and it seems silly to pay twice as much in shipping than for the one item I want. If you have tried this, please let me know in the comments. Maybe I can do a comparison on the two one day, if I can get my hands on a bottle.

Everything But the Kitchen House Elf

Just a quick note to my friends and family: there are only 141 shopping days until Christmas (unless my math is off. Which it probably is).

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

EXPECTO MYHEADTOEXPLODUS!

This is the latest special edition Harry Potter DVD collection. The "Wizard's Collection" releases September 7, 2012, and is available for pre-order on Amazon for a whopping $349.96--and that's a huge discount off of the original $499.99 pricetag!!

According to Amazon, here's what you get:

The magical film franchise is now available in a spectacular limited-edition collectible box set. The most comprehensive Harry Potter movie collection yet features all eight films, exclusive never-before-seen content and must-have memorabilia.

This new limited and numbered 31-disc collection contains all eight Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy and more than 37 hours of special features including all previously released materials and more than 10 hours of new to disc bonus content, and 5 hours of never-before-seen material.

In addition to the theatrical release of every film, the collection also includes the extended versions of  Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; and the 3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –- Parts 1 and 2.

My take on it? If you are a die-hard fan, yet don't already own all of the movies on Blu-ray, haven't had a chance to see any of the television specials that have aired, documenting the music, monsters, and special effects, and haven't made it to either The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida or the WB store online to pick up some memorabilia, then I could maybe justify the price tag. Maybe. It's really, freaking cool, though.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Let Them Eat (Cup)Cake!

Here lately, I've been trying to keep things reasonable. The economy sucks (and that's as political as this blog wants to get, thank you), so I've been working to keep things on the inexpensive side as much as possible.

However....

...you and I both know that, as responsible as we might be, it's nice to have a special treat every once in a while. Honestly, if I didn't, I'd lose it. Flat out. I'm not talking anything crazy, like luxury automobiles or diamonds. I'm thinking more along the lines of gourmet chocolate, or non-store-brand ice cream. Little things.

Considering it's the holidays, and we all want fancy things for parties and get-togethers--but have no time!--so, I found a little splurge to gussy up celebrations without denting your schedule: Mail-Order Cupcakes.

Photo Credit (All): Georgetown Cupcake

Seriously.

Now, before I go any further, I know that there are cupcake shops everywhere. They're trendy. They're cute. They're taking over. 

However...

...these are the famous Georgetown Cupcakes, as featured on TLC's DC Cupcakes. OooooOOOOooooh! Now, that's fancy! Plus, part of me just gets a huge kick out of ordering cupcakes online. It's sublimely ridiculous.

Anyhoo, you can create your own assortment, or pick from one of several collections, and then have them delivered to your door on a date you specify. For instance, you could order a dozen Hannukah cupcakes and arrange for them to arrive on December 20th, just in time for the lighting of the first candle. These are seriously convenient cupcakes.

One thing they're not, though, is cheap. They're precious, and supposedly tasty (I wouldn't know), but not cheap. The cupcakes are *gulp* $29/dozen, plus $26 shipping for the first dozen ($15 for each subsequent dozen) and an extra $10 for Saturday delivery. That's more than I can justify, especially when you consider my town has four cupcake shops I can name off-hand, and one with multiple locations. Plus, I'd rather buy local, anyway, and help boost the lagging economy, but, I digress. If you're looking for total luxury, I can't think of anything more appropriate. I'd imagine Marie Antoinette would approve.

That's HOW Much?: A Rant

I ran across this article from Cracked today: 5 Absurdly Expensive Pieces of Junk Food. To start with, I just giggled at the thought of someone paying over a hundred bucks for Ramen. I mean, really? The stuff costs about a quarter, tops, at the grocery store. Even if you fancy it up a bit with a pretty bowl or floral garnish, you're still coming out lightyears ahead by making it at home. But then, my jaw dropped. 

Photo Credit: The Consumerist

$25,000 for hot chocolate. I kid thee not. That's more expensive than my car, which I'm nowhere close to paying off, but at least it serves a purpose. $25,000 would cover the costs of two and a half productions of The Night Shift. It's about a fifth of a small house, or, depending on the school, a good chunk of a college education. Spending that much money on dessert is criminal. I can't even justify for a wedding proposal, since $25,000 could pay for the ring, a lovely wedding with reception, darn nice honeymoon, and maybe have enough left over for the down payment on a cute little condo. I don't care that it consists of 28 different cocoas, expensive truffles, and enough edible gold to fill a mouth full of cavities this much sugar could create. It's little consolation that you get to keep the gold and diamond accented bowl and spoon, or the jeweled bracelet "surprise" in the bottom of the frozen confection. It's a waste of money. Seriously, if you have $25,000 that you just don't want anymore, I'm sure that St. Jude's Children's Hospital or the Ronald McDonald House, or any number of other worthy causes would be more than happy to relieve you of your "burden".

 

(If you want to make your own fancy frozen hot chocolate, Paula Deen has a yummy and easy recipe on Food Network. You could even use the high end, spicy Wicked hot chocolate mix and chocolate bar from my old boss, Jacques Torres, and still not even make a dent in that gilded concoction's price tag.) 

 

Believe it or not, though, that's not the item that made me mad. I mean, yes, it's wasteful. It's downright unconscionable to spend that kind of money on, essentially, a hoity-toity granita. But (and this is a big but), anyone who does knows what they're doing. There's a two-week lead time, so reservations are required, and it's twenty-five freaking thousand dollars! If you drop that much on impulse buys, then...well, you probably have enough money to be able to drop that much on an impulse buy.

 

Anyway, the thing that just really ticked me off was the pack of luxury ice "cubes". Each "cube" runs about $5, is perfectly spherical, and made from purified water. Now, I get the spherical thing; they don't melt as quickly, and they look really cool (pardon the pun), but really? $5 for an ice cube? That you could make yourself with a bottle of water and a $16 tray from the Museum of Modern Art (make 4, and you've saved four bucks)? Let's do a little hypothetical math, shall we? Say you had a party with fifteen guests (that's a good-sized party). Each guest had three drinks. That's 45 drinks. If each drink had just one ice cube, you're looking at $225 on ice cubes alone. That's $225 that could have been reallocated to better booze, more food, or maybe even a DJ or live band. Or, God forbid, just left in the bank. If I had a nickle for every ice cube I've used--just this week--my finances would be in much better shape. Now, think if each cube had cost you a fiver?

 

Some people just have more money than sense.