January Favorites

This month has flown by!!! I'm sorry for the sporadic posting, but here's to getting back on track! Today, I have a list of favorites for the month, and I have to say, I surprised myself with some of these. I bet they surprise you, too. Let's have a look, shall we?

Eyes
Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Inked in Pink
These cream shadows are utterly amazing. I think I may like them even better than their high-end counterparts! This pink is shiny, rosy, and makes for a beautiful wash of color that lasts until you take it off. For a five-minute face, this is ideal. I've already picked up the (less wearable, but just as gorgeous) blue metallic shade, and am seriously considering a few others.

MAC Apres Chic Eyeshadow in Ice
I've been using this in the inner corner, and it gives just enough warm sparkle to brighten up your look without reminding everyone of Tinkerbell. The color reminds me of snow, but snow that's looked at from inside a warm cabin, while you drink a cup of cocoa. If that makes sense. Which it probably doesn't.

Lips
Homemade Brown Sugar Lip Scrub
DO NOT BUY LIP SCRUB, PEOPLE!!!! Take a tablespoon of butter, melt it, and add just enough brown sugar to make a thick paste (around three tablespoons, give or take). Rub on lips. That's it. The butter is moisturizing and the sugar is rough and, well, scrubby. It takes off dead skin like a dream, and tastes good enough that you could spread it on toast--literally. Best of all, it's pretty much free. Keep the rest in the fridge to use later. I made this to use during filming, since I was in red lipstick, and we all know how pretty red lipstick looks on flaky lips. Our leading man used it, too, and threatened to take it home with him.

Face
Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Love
This product kept showing up on my radar, and I finally had to try it out. Now, I'm in love. This is the best stick blush I have ever used! The color is very natural, it blends like a dream, and the staying power is pretty darn good, compared to other stick blushes. I also feel like I'm doing something good for my skin when I use it. Again, for busy gals, this is a must-have. You don't even need a highlighter with it!

Tarte 12-Hour Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface
This is not the most fantastic, life-changing blush ever (see above), but I find myself reaching for it more and more. The color is a beautiful, cool pink, and the texture lends itself to blending into the skin. It's just a really good, pigmented, serviceable blush.

Skin
Olay 2-in-1 Daily Facial Cleansing Cloths
These removed greasepaint. Game. Set. Match.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
I've been using this in conjunction with the overnight peel, and I do think my dark spots are *slightly* lighter. It's only been about a month (which, yeah, I know they said results in four weeks, but let's be real, here), so I'm still on the fence, but the moisturizer is really good, regardless. It's lightweight, smells like apples, doesn't leave my skin looking shiny, and doesn't break me out. If it lightens up spots, that's just gravy.

MVP
Urban Decay Naked Basics
I can not believe I'm adding this to favorites, much less inventing a new category for it! The thing is, hardly a day has gone by that I haven't used this palette. A matte highlight here, a sheer wash of color there. Need a satin inner corner? How about a blending color, or a smudgy liner? Naked 2 and W.O.S. are getting some serious love these days, and the palette is on the fast track to making the Best of 2013 list. I'm shocked, but it's just that functional.

December Favorites: "In Case of Apocalypse" Edition

I kid.

I know it's a little early for favorites, but I wanted to get these up, in case anyone was still last-minute shopping and needed a recommendation. Plus, I'm hoping to do a Best/Worst of 2012 at the end of the month, so let me know if you have any picks for the list. Here we go!

Eyes:
Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy 24/7 Shadow Pencil
Midnight Cowboy is such a gorgeous color, and that level of sparkle is perfect for the holidays (or everyday if you're me and just don't care about being "day appropriate"). Unfortunately, the fallout from the powder shadow leaves you looking akin to a disco ball. I don't mind a little sparkle on my cheeks, but when it starts hitting my clothes, it's time to pack it in. Luckily, Urban Decay has a stick cream form of the color, with every bit the sparkle--it just stays on your eyes and not your...well, everything else. Use it as a lid color, highlighter, or even a liner! At $20, it's a little pricey compared to the powder form, but if you really love Midnight Cowboy, you can consider the extra couple of dollars a convenience charge.

Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow in Collie
Another super-glittery cream shadow is Buxom's Collie. The shade is described as "sparkling champagne", and has a mousse-like texture. Alone, it packs a glittering punch; on top of the Midnight Cowboy Shadow Pencil, the effect is staggeringly beautiful.

Lips:
Victoria's Secret Color Drama Lipstick in Enamored
I've been eyeing these lipsticks for a while, now, and finally used one of my Secret Rewards cards to pick one up. The packaging is adorable, and the color I chose was a sheer, glossy, shimmery rose. It looks like a gloss, feels like a balm, and is quickly becoming my favorite shade because it goes with almost everything. Want a smoky eye? This makes a great nude. Want a natural look? This is your-lips-only-better. Going glittery? Why, hello, there! It's not the most long-lasting lip color, but that just gives me the opporunity to pull out the pink chrome and black case to touch-up.

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet
Look, by now, we all know that these things are amazing. All I'm saying here is that, if you want a deep berry lip that doesn't require a ton of maintenance, look no further. That is all.

Face:
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude
I was not going to try this. It's expensive, and I love my Too Faced Beauty Balm. I didn't need to ever bother letting this into my life...and then I got a 500-point perk from Sephora and really wanted the highlighter in this kit. Well, the highlighter I could take or leave; the tinted moisturizer is fantastic. The coverage is actually pretty decent, the finish is silky and smooth, it doesn't break me out, and I can cover my entire face with a pea-sized amount. This will last for-freaking-ever. Luckily, it's very similar to my Too Faced, so I don't feel the need to purchase the full-size of this product. However, I am planning to get the travel size. Nude is about a shade darker than my natural skintone, so it will make a great Summer color, and the $19.50 price tag for the 1 oz. is a lot more wallet-friendly than buying a darker shade of the $32.00, 1.5 oz. Too Faced. (Ed. note: The travel-sized moisturizer is 1 oz. for $19.50. The full-sized is $43.00 for 1.5 oz. On what planet does that make sense? You could buy two travel-sized for $39, save $4 and get another half ounce of product. Granted, only two shades are available in travel-size, but if you can fit into one of those, you can save a lot of money. Just sayin'.)

Skin Care:
GlamGlow
Buy this on Amazon, from a trusted merchant (I bought it through Amazon proper, so no worries, there, and I got free shipping). You can get it for a less-than-insane price that way. In fact, go in with a friend or family member. Doing so, you split the cost, and get to have weekly hang-time with them. I went in with my dear Thomas, and we were able to pick up a full-sized jar for around $25 each. Yes, that's still crazy. Yes, it's totally worth it. It clears out your pores, helps rid your skin of blackheads, tightens things up a bit, and exfoliates like mad. My skin is now much more HD-ready (which is great, since we're filming right now!), and Thomas has had a lot less trouble with breakouts. Plus, for a few minutes each week, we get to sit around and look like goobers together. Ah, marriage!

Magic Bag O' Samples: GlamGlow Mud Mask

I'm about three and a half weeks out from filming in High Definition. That means that I need to 1) learn my lines (whoops...), 2) lose about ten pounds (not happening), and 3) get my skin HD ready. I might actually be able to do that last one.

About a week ago, I was able to get my hands on a deluxe sample size of GlamGlow Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask. It's, supposedly, this miracle product that you slather on, and when you rinse it off fifteen minutes later you're Christie Brinkley circa Uptown Girl. Yeah...right.

Here's what Sephora has to say about it:

This mud mask leaves skin noticeably radiant and glowing. It activates moisturizing collagen synthesis, provides gentle resurfacing exfoliation, and helps to leave skin smoother, brighter, and softer. While providing tighter skin texture and tighter pores, it provides a more youthful appearance and absorbs impurities without removing natural oils.

And GlamGlow, themselves:

Designed for Hollywood’s Entertainment, Music, Fashion and Award industries for camera-ready soft glowing skin. Dredged off the coast of Southern France, home to glamorous Cannes, St. Tropez and Monaco. GLAMGLOW is an amazing rapid gentle exfoliant mud mask for men and women, high in ancient volcanic pumice rock, super antioxidants and minerals.

Those are some serious claims! I figured, I'd try it now, and at worst, I'd break out and have a month to get over it. At best, my skin might look nice for Thanksgiving, and I might save the rest of the tube to use before filming for a little extra oomph.

Um...I bought a jar.

Well, to be more specific, Thomas and I went in together on a jar, and we got it through Amazon for about half the retail price. I'm sorry, but the day I shell out almost seventy bucks for a face mask is the day you can cart me off to the looney bin. Not that it isn't worth it, but I just don't have that kind of money. Anyhoo, back to the story.

I put on the mask, which is very pleasant and natural-smelling, and has large bits of green tea leaves scattered throughout. It's very scrubby, and left a lovely cooling feeling, but I wasn't seeing any magic, yet. After fifteen minutes, the mask was very dry, hard, flaky, and downright uncomfortable. In fact, it had begun to itch, so I ran back to the bathroom to rinse it off. That's when I saw it. The pores on my nose were, dare I say, clear! Actually, all of the skin on my face was clear, save for one pimple that showed up as a result of the mask, and was quickly dealt with (with an extractor! Be careful, folks!). I could tell an immediate difference in the look and feel of my skin, and even ran into the living room, yelling for Thomas to feel my face. Why he puts up with me, I'll never know...

The effects lasted for almost three days. I did feel the need to do a "touch up" mask after two days, but probably could have gotten by without it. Thomas has trouble with the pores on his nose clogging up, so he used a little just in that area, and was really happy with the results. After a couple of days of discussing it, we decided to go in together on a jar.

This is, easily, the best mask I've ever used. I have a fancy-schmancy one from Basin, the tried-and-true Queen Helene Mint Julep, and have slathered on more strawberries and avacados than you can shake a stick at, but this one tops them all. My skin is smoother, brighter, more supple...it glows. I'm still a little too young to be able to tell if it tightens or helps with wrinkles, but even if it doesn't, it's still worth trying out--especially during holiday party season! My advice: go to Amazon. Prices are considerably cheaper, the sellers are generally reputable (mine came from Amazon, directly), and you can find smaller sizes.

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10. The price is the only thing keeping this from being a freaking 11.

A Quick, Cheap Fix: E.L.F. Tinted Moisturizer Review



Photo Credit: eyeslipsface.com



On a whim, I picked up some E.L.F. Tinted Moisturizer the last time I was in Target. I've been doing the sunless tanner thing, and am just a little too dark for my Too Faced Beauty Balm. I've also noticed that my Garnier BB Cream has started to look a little greasy. I have to tone it down with a pretty heavy-duty matte powder, which kind of defeats the point of having a BB Cream, really. I'm wondering if, perhaps, I've reached that point in the tube where all the illuminating ingredients have settled. In any case, I needed something for my slightly less-ghostly-than-usual skin, and it needed to be cheap. I saw this product for $3 and figured, "what the hey?"

You know what? It's actually not bad. I've given it two days of wear, and I'm really happy with it. Here's a breakdown:

Packaging: The moisturizer comes in a really nice, black inverted tube with flat-top cap. It looks high-end, reminiscent of NARS or MAC. You can see the product's shade through a small, clear strip on the front. My only gripe is that my cap didn't fit quite right. It's closed and secure, but it sits at a strange angle. Not a big deal, but I thought you should know. 9 out of 10.

Texture: I really like the consistency. It might be a bit thin for some, but right now, it's so hot and humid that I'd wear tinted water if I could. I've just used my fingers to apply, and the moisturizer absorbs nicely. Best of all, you don't need to use another moisturizer with it. Believe it or not, some tinted moisturizers just don't do the trick on their own. This one leaves your skin nice and hydrated. 9 out of 10.

Finish: There doesn't appear to be any shimmer in this product (none that I've noticed, anyway), and I've only needed to lightly brush a little mineral powder over the top to set it and my concealer. Light coverage. 10 out of 10.

Ingredients: It's not paraben-free, but it does contain Aloe, Cucumber, and Vitamins A, C, and E. It also contains SPF 20. 7 out of 10.

Shades: Here's the kicker. There is a wide range of shades, from Porcelain to Espresso, and at only $3 each, you can afford to buy more than one shade and custom blend. Sadly, they all have a slight yellow cast to them. For me, that's not a problem, as I have yellow undertones, anyway. However, if you're rosier or more neutral, you can pretty much hang it up. It's not going to work for you. I have no idea why E.L.F. does this, but I've noticed in their other face products, too. 5 out of 10.

Price: For $3, you get .25 ml. I've heard complaints that that's too small of a size, but my normal face moisturizer costs $18.99 for .50 ml. The E.L.F. gives you half as much, but at a mere sixth of the price. I'd say that's pretty darn fabulous. 10 out of 10.

Final Verdict: 8.3 out of 10. I like it. Whether it's to get you by, or you just want a decent tinted moisturizer for a budget price, I recommend it.

I'm wearing "Nude", the second lightest of the seven available shades (over two coats of sunless tanner. I'm that pale. Oh, look! Tanner lines around the bridge of my nose! Yay! *sigh*).

Other Products Used:

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in Light

E.L.F. Mineral Foundation in Warm

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Free Love

Buxom Stay There Eye Shadow in Mutt
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Whiskey

Buxom Buxom Lash Mascara

E.L.F. Brow Kit in Medium

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

NARS Blush in Super Orgasm (sorry, Mom!)

Buxom Stay There Eye Shadow in Cocker Spaniel (as Highlighter)

Burberry Lip Mist in Copper

I swear, it doesn't look like that much on the counter!!

***UPDATE!! Spend $20 at eyeslipsface.com TODAY (6/21) and get a free mystery bag worth $20! Use code BDMYSTERY at checkout. 4 random winners will receive a $50 gift card in their bag!

The Ballad of the Third-Life Crisis: Olay Total Effects 7 Cleansing Cloth Review

Photo Credit: Drugstore.com

You know how I said, last week, that I was switching to Olay Total Effects 7 Cleansing Cloths? Yeah...well, forget about that. I'm going back to my beloved Neutrogena, and apologizing for ever doubting it.

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: They kinda suck.

My skin, here lately, has been looking a little rough. I have moisturized. I have exfoliated. I have used retinol and vitamin C, and pretty much any other sh--um, crud you could think of. In retrospect, it's probably just this diet I've been on, and the fact that I have lost some weight in my face (yay!), coupled with gas heat and Winter dryness. However, at the time I noticed my skin's dullness, I was in the throws of, well, what you might call a "third-life crisis". I'll be 32 in a few months, my baby brother starts high school in the Fall, and what have I done with my life? (Actually, way more than I've had any right to, and I'm grateful for all of it. Unfortunately, in the midst of a third-life crisis, temporary amnesia sets in. Who knew?) Why, I'm gonna be forty! Someday! Yes, I was being completely stupid, but at the time, all I could think was, "I'm so old! I must have anti-aging products...STAT!"

So, out with the Neutrogena wipes, in with the Olay.

The first night I used the Olay, I had barely any makeup on. I'd done an at-home facial, and wanted to let my skin breathe, so I used a light mineral foundation and not much else. When I looked down at the used wipe, there wasn't much in the way of removed makeup on it, but why would there be? I slathered on some moisturizer and eye cream and went to bed.

The next morning, my skin looked gorgeous. Everything was even and glowing, and I looked like I was wearing makeup! I just brushed on a little mineral foundation and hopped out the door. These wipes were the bomb!

That night, I noticed two sides to the Olay wipe. One side was smooth, for removing makeup, and the other was textured for a deeper clean and mild exfoliation. Could these wipes get any better?! Again, there wasn't much on the used cloth, but I'd only worn a little makeup. There wasn't much to remove to begin with, and my skin looked utterly amazing...

...until the next morning, when I noticed some teeny tiny breakouts. Well, they were probably from the facial. That's to be expected when you draw out the bad stuff, right? I had to sing a couple of weddings that day, so I used a heavier foundation for extra camouflage. The thing was, that night, when I used the Olay wipe, I noticed that there still wasn't much on the wipe--not even on the textured side. Oh, Dear God...

That's when I realized that my skin hadn't been glowing from the anti-aging benefits of the cleansing cloths. Nope. I looked like I was wearing makeup because I was wearing makeup! By this time, the eensy-weensy breakouts were looking more and more like full-on blackheads and cystic acne. Not to gross you out, but my cheek had a blackhead so large and dark that it looked like I'd drawn it on with a felt-tip pen. I quickly grabbed a Neutrogena wipe and ran it over my face. To my horror, it became completely coated in makeup. Holy Hand Grenade, Batman!

The good news is that I figured out the problem quickly, and through thorough cleansing, exfoliation, and some awesome salicylic acid, my skin has almost completely recovered. Luckily, I only used the cloths at night, and scrubbed my face with a "real" face wash and brush during my morning showers. Otherwise, who knows how much damage would have been done.

Final Verdict: 0 out of 10. Don't even use these to clean your countertops.

Yummy Treats and Scary Faces

Well, this is the last thing my diet needs.

 

Krispy Kreme (conveniently located about a mile from my house) has just revealed their Halloween offerings. My skinny jeans are totally going in the donation pile; I can tell that now.

 

Anyhoo, those of you not counting every blasted calorie can look forward to Jack O'Lantern, Spider Web, Pumpkin Spice, and Chocolate Iced Halloween Sprinkle doughnuts. According to QSRWeb, here's what to expect:

 

Jack-o-Lantern Doughnut: A pumpkin-shaped doughnut wearing a mask of orange icing and a jack-o-lantern face.

Chocolate Iced with Halloween Sprinkles Doughnut: An orange and black sprinkled doughnut.

Spider Web Doughnut: A chocolate-iced doughnut with Kreme filling and a web of white icing.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnut: An old-fashioned cake doughnut made with pumpkin flavors and spices and finished with Krispy Kreme's Original Glaze.

The Pumpkin Spice will stick around until November 27th, but all the other flavors are out of there come Halloween, so grab 'em while you can. I know I will...*sigh*

 

Photo Credit: Bath and Body Works

Moving on to something that won't add ten pounds, I gave Bath and Body Works' True Blue Spa Blackberry Purifying Peel Off Mask a shot (that's a mouthful). Actually, I conned Thomas into doing it with me, so I wouldn't look totally stupid all by myself. You see, masks just look silly, pure and simple. Clear ones are awesome. Green ones are kind of the norm, but lead to "take me to your leader" jokes. White ones make me look like Marcel Marceau. But this one...well, this one was thick and black. I put a little on my nose and looked like a puppy. If I was going to spend the next 10-20 minutes looking ridiculous, he was doing it with me. For better or for worse, right?

 

Now, I've had a little bit of experience with black masks before, and I have to say, I wasn't impressed. Yeah, it worked like a charm, but it was a pain in the rear to use. I got this hoping for similar results with less hassle. Unfortunately, you can't always get what you want.

 

Ease of Use: 8 out of 10. I had no problem applying this mask. Thomas did, but he has a tendency to jab at his face like it's going to bite him when he applies anything to it. You have to spread this on almost like frosting, and make sure you have your hair pulled completely away from your face. Likewise, for me, removal was a cinch. Actually, by the time I starting peeling, some of the mask had already lifted up at the edges. Thomas had more trouble, but only because he didn't apply it thickly enough. Even so, he was able to get most of it off before finally washing off the remainder. Clean up wasn't a problem with this mask, either. What fell in the sink dissolved, and the rest could either be thrown in the trash or flushed.

 

Effectiveness: 2 out of 10. It's okay. It exfoliated my skin and left it feeling very soft and smooth, but I couldn't see where it unclogged any pores. Thomas thought his pores were clearer (Lord, he's a good sport), but wasn't blown away by the mask. Basically, it's good for a quick brightening, but that's about it, and considering this is billed as "purifying", that just doesn't cut it.

 

Comfort: 9 out of 10. I love wearing this mask. It does tighten up, but it's not miserable. I could still carry on a conversation without my lips pursing up like Daffy Duck's. This is also the most delicious smelling mask I've ever worn. It smells like candy, and I was actually sad to take it off. Thomas thought it smelled good, too.

 

Final Verdict: 6.3 out of 10. If you just need a fast and easy pick-me-up, you could do worse for $12. Just don't expect it to work miracles.

So, a Sea Anemone and a Plastic Boar Walk Into a Shower...



Photo Credit: Sephora

 It's officially Summer, which means--down here in the Deep South, anyway--beach holidays, an explosion of azaleas, crawfish boils, pool-side barbeques, hundred-plus degree temperatures, a thousand percent humidity, sweat-soaked hair and clothes just from walking out to the mailbox, and, at least, two showers a day.

It's hot. It's sticky. It's gross, and my skin has been paying the price.

Honestly, my blackheads were getting so out of hand that I was doing face masks way more often than is recommended, giving my extractor a workout, slathering on acne gel, and using both a regular facewash and an exfoliating scrub. I even tried a pore strip (and that's another post). I was desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Obviously, changing what I washed my face with wasn't working, so maybe I should try changing how I washed my face. I was placing a Sephora order, anyway, so I figured I'd tack on this little gem of a brush. If nothing else, it would throw me into Free Shipping territory.

First, let's hear from Sephora:

This brush's ultra-soft brush head gently exfoliates dead skin cells. Its other side features a silicone pad with tiny bristles to deeply cleanse pores while invigorating the skin. Use daily to reveal glowing, radiant skin.

Now, let's hear from me:

The brush is dual-headed, with a soft-bristled brush on one side, and super-flexible silicone sea anemone on the other. To use, I apply my facewash to my face, wet the brush side of the tool and scrub my face in a circular motion. Then, I wet the silicone side and repeat the process. I've been using this puppy for four days, and I can tell a difference. When I wash my face, it feels clean and is smooth to the touch. That's not really the norm around here. I've been able to lay off the face masks and scrubs, too, though I am still using the acne medication, but to a lesser degree. In other words, this works.

The tool isn't perfect, though. There are a couple of flaws that, while not dealbreakers for me, might be for you. First of all, the head is not flexible. The bristles are, but the head, itself, is hard, flat plastic. This makes getting the shorter silicone side into the curves around your nose very difficult. I'm okay with just using the longer brush side to reach those areas, but that's personal preference. The other gripe is the lack of hanging apparatus. Yes, there is a little hole in the handle, but unless you have a spare piece of rope to loop through it, it's not really useful for hanging. Right now, I have mine propped upright in a shower organizer, but a little soap-on-a-rope loop or even a suction cup would have been nice. For eighteen bucks, I think they could have tossed something in to keep it from getting mildewy. $18, Sephora.

Final Verdict: 8 out of 10. It's a little pricey, but talk about saving face.

Do Not Adjust Your Monitors

Photo by Dissizit

You can't escape it.  It's everywhere;  infiltrating your movies, your televisions, even your very senses.  There is No. Way. Out.  Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the young men's department...T-SHIRTS!  IN 3-D!!!

I don't know about anyone else, but I've just about had enough of the 3D craze.  The movies give me a headache, cost way too darn much, and now, even televisions are getting in on the game.  I have a hard enough time keeping up with the remote!  How on Earth am I going to keep up with glasses, too?  I lose my sunglasses on a daily basis, as it is!  This is really getting to be a little much.

But now, as if movies and television weren't enough, the latest items to fall prey to the 3D monster are t-shirts.  Middle Eastern design house, Splash, is using 3D technology as a major part of the print campaign for their Autumn 2010 collection, with 3D ads (complete with glasses) in magazines, models sporting the specs on the runway, and, of course, a special limited edition t-shirt with 3D glasses hang-tag.  No word on pricing or U.S. availability as of posting. 

However, if you're in the States and just dying for a 3D t-shirt, you're in luck.  California-based company, Dissizit, has a series of 3D shirts available.  You can find them here for $32 a piece, but be warned:  I'm only showing one of the shirts in this post because I try to run a clean site.  They're not exactly family-friendly, if you catch my drift.

And now, for today's dip into the magic bag o' samples!  In case you're just joining us, I have an enormous stash of samples.  Everyday, I pick one at random (or not) and try it out, then review it here.  Today's pick:  Zirh Clean Face Wash.

Here's what Sephora has to say about it:

Zirh Clean is a clarifying cleanser that uses a triad of alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic from sugar cane, malic from apples, and lactic from milk) to cut through dirt, pollution, and oil. Clean washes away debris and acne-causing bacteria, while gently removing a layer of dead skin cells to uncover new, smoother looking skin. It also multitasks as a shaving cream.

Well...this is embarrassing.  I had no idea.  Zirh is a men's line.  Oops.  There is absolutely nothing on the sample packaging that denotes gender specificity, and according to the user reviews, I'm not the only girl who used it accidentally.  Oh well.

I have to say, I really liked it.  It smells like lemons and menthol, lathers beautifully, and removes every trace of makeup--including mascara and eyeliner (yes, I was bad and failed to wash my face last night.  Sue me).  The cleanser cools your skin (which was much appreciated since my air-conditioner died and it's a million degrees inside my apartment), and leaves a slight tingle after it's rinsed off.  Zirh left my skin super clean, exfoliated, and feeling fresh.  I don't care if it's for men;  my husband can fend for himself this time.  I'm a Philosophy girl, normally, but Zirh is making me take a second look at my usual routine. 

The cleanser retails for $20 for 8oz. at Sephora.com, and comes in a really cool metal bottle.  This seems to be the sticking point for most of the users who reviewed it.  The cleanser is really thick, and the bottle's design makes it difficult to dispense the product.  Most have asked the company to please package it with a pump.  My suggestion:  go to the store, buy a lotion pump, and repackage the cleanser yourself.  Bonus:  you can make the new bottle as girly as you want.  Take that, Zirh!
 

Cheaper Peepers

As much fun as expensive trips to the fancy makeup counter can be, sometimes my bank account just won't allow it. Unfortunately, I still have to try to look nice for work (or, at least, not scare any of the neighborhood children). These are the times I'm glad to have bargain-seeking in my blood. Trust me, Sam and Dean Winchester have nothing on hunters like my Mom and Grandma.

E.l.f. has a fantastic cream eyeliner. It glides on smoothly, and with a dab of translucent powder to set, doesn't transfer or crease. I actually used it for filming, and even with sweat pouring down my face, this stuff didn't budge. (Lovely image, I know.) It comes in four shades, right now: coffee, black, midnight, and ivory. Best of all, it's only $3.

Photo by E.L.F. Cosmetics