ProductWhores

Shockingly Shiny

On a normal day, I don't put any products in my hair once I'm out of the shower. It's part of my whole, "natural" look, which mostly just means that I'm lazy and none of them seem to make any difference anyway. When your hair is long and straight, it's not like there's a product that's going to make you have awesome, thick curls anyway, right? (I know the grass is always greener, but I really think my whole life would be different if I had been born with curly hair. If anyone ever does a study on this, I totally volunteer to participate). When I was at Target the other day wandering around the hair products aisle (because that's what you do at 3pm when you don't have a job), I came across John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette Shine Shock. I'm a sucker for products that are specifically geared towards my hair color because I always feel like they're just better somehow, even though that theory really doesn't hold up under close scrutiny. There can't possibly be a scientific reason why red hair would be less shiny than brunette hair with this product, right? Either way, I've been using this since I bought it and it works great. My hair's definitely shinier when I use it and it doesn't weigh it down, which is usually a problem for me with hair products. It does claim to banish split ends, which I haven't seen any evidence of yet, but since it's only been a week or so, I don't know if that technically would've happened yet. Plus, and I feel like I'm giving away a big secret here, I really don't have any idea what split ends look like. Is it the kind of thing that if you have them, you just know? My hairdresser always tells me my hair is healthy, so maybe I just can't see them because they're not there, which would be nice. I'm going to pretend that's what's going on instead of the fact that I might be blind and just missing them. That'll make me and my (now) shiny hair feel better about ourselves as we head into the weekend...

Tough Love For Feet

I kind of hate feet.  I know my feelings aren't particularly justified, but there's something really nasty about them.  Don't get me wrong, I love my feet because they give me something to put cute shoes on, but for the most they're just kind of gross.  Mine are especially disgusting in the start of summer with those nasty calluses.  I gag just thinking about it.  Well, I bought Tough Love from the True Blue Spa Collection at Bath and Body Works and I am incredibly happy with the product.  It contains alpha-hydroxy which softens even the most nasty, hard callus, but it comes in a tube so I am not having to re-dip my fingers into the nasty foot lotion.  (You touch your dirty foot, dip your hand in the jar and then back onto the dirty foot - gross)  The tube allows you to not waste lotion which I'm all about.  Tough Love smells minty and really does the job.  I used it for a week solid and am happy to report a decrease in the toughness of my soles.  I still hate feet, though.  No lotion can change that for me. 

How To Shimmer

I'm not really a sparkly makeup kind of girl. I sort of feel like once you pass the age of, oh, say 25, you really shouldn't be wearing anything with glitter anymore. That might just be because I live in L.A. and have seen way too many grandmothers rocking around in miniskirts, but it's just how I feel. I do, however, like to wear a good shimmer lotion every now and then, as long as the shimmer is subtle and doesn't make me look like it's the 80's and I'm on my way to Studio 54. My favorite right now is Bath and Body Works Fresh Pineapple Shimmer Lotion. I bought it when I was at the Semi-Annual Sale last week because it was REALLY cheap. Like, $3 or $4 cheap, which is unheard of (I can't remember which one it was and I'm way too lazy to go search for the receipt right now). It has the pineapple scent that I'm obssesed with at the moment and goes on smoothly, leaving behind the faintest shimmer that's almost hard to see if you're not looking for it. It's perfect for when you're going out at night and want to feel a little more "sparkly" than normal. I'll bet it looks great with a tan too, although I can't verify that right now since I'm currently pasty white again after my vacation color faded. Now I just need to get invited someplace cool so I can actually wear it out of my apartment, because there's nothing sadder than shimmering yourself up to sit on the couch and watch television. Even the miniskirted grandmothers would probably laugh at that.

Hair Tangling Conditioner

Mario Badescu really needs to stick to face care products.  I just tried the Hair Rinsing Conditioner and I have to say it is, hands down, the worst conditioner I've ever tried.  No conditioning whatsoever.  They claim that the conditioner gets out tangles in all hair types and eliminates dryness.  Clearly whoever wrote that up had not tried this product.  Either that or the person has little to no hair.  This conditioner actually made my hair so tangled I had to slather on twice the amount of leave-in conditioner I usually use.  Aside from the sheer lack of conditioning, it doesn't even smell that good and is runnier than I like my conditioners to be.  All around a horrible product.  Sorry, Mario, I really hate to speak so badly of you, but for this money I would've rather bought a pizza.

Reed All About It

I think by now my love of candles has been well documented here. And my love of fragrance oils. And, uhm, wallflowers and plug-ins. (You'd think my apartment was built over a sewer from the amount of scented products I have in it). But for some reason, I haven't yet discussed my love for another option in home fragrance - the reed diffuser. There are a lot of different brands of these, but the one I find myself buying the most is Yankee Candle. Linens N' Things carries them in a wide variety of scents and if you buy them there, you can use those 20% off coupons that come in the mail to lower the price to only $16 (they're normally $20). And that'll help you get all of their coupons off your kitchen table - seriously, Linens N' Things has replaced those free AOL CD's as the type of unsolicited mail I get the most. Not that I'm complaining because God knows I love a good coupon, but it's at the point where even I am shocked when I open my mailbox and find another one. Anyway, back to the diffusers. Basically, they're just a jar of scented liquid that you put the reeds (which come with it) in and then they distribute the fragrance into the air. It's a nice change from a candle because it's always working, so you can smell it the second you walk in the door. Plus, since there's no open flame, there's zero chance that you'll burn your house down when you get a sudden craving for Coldstone Creamery and accidentally leave without blowing out your candle. (What? It could happen. I once saw a news report about a hot plate that took out an entire neighborhood). And the diffusers last for a long time - it takes a good couple of months for the liquid to run out, so they're more cost effective than candles too. The only drawback I could find is that the diffusers work best in smaller rooms that allow the scent to be contained, so I wouldn't recommend using them for, say, your palatial Malibu beach house. Although I guess if you can afford one of those, you probably wouldn't mind shelling out for more than one diffuser in every room either. Just a hunch...

Scrub a dub dub

I love strawberries.  On ice cream, in salads, by themselves, it doesn't matter because I just love them.  I even made my brother's girlfriend buy me a cute stuffed seal dressed as a strawberry when she was in Japan.  Anyway, enough about my boring obsession.  The real point here is that I had to try Mario Badescu's Strawberry Face Scrub and it was love at first scrub.  The exfoliator smells of fresh strawberries and actual strawberry seeds do the exfoliating for you.  (Who knew my beloved strawberries could handle that task.)  While the scrub may not feel like it's sloughing off dead skin, after using the scrub for a week I noticed a big difference in the texture of my skin.  My face looks and feels fabulous and I owe it all to the deliciously sweet strawberry - oh, and I suppose to my bud Mario.  So you can eat strawberries and make your skin soft?  The wonder fruit truly is a multi-tasker.  I'd like to see a tangerine try that one.  Yeah, I didn't think so.

Don't Give These The Brush Off

To be perfectly honest, I hate spending money for makeup brushes. I know they're necessary and I can definitely see the difference in how the makeup goes on when I use good brushes vs. cheap, drugstore ones, but really, who wants to spend all that money and come home without a single lipstick or eyeshadow? There's just something about it that seems like a waste to me, especially when they're so expensive. So if you're going to buy them, you're probably better off getting them in a set, like the different ones they offer at Sephora. Last year, I bought this one and I really like it. The powder brush is very thick and soft and it spreads the powder evenly, which I came to appreciate when I forgot it on a weekend trip and the smaller brush I was forced to apply bronzer with made me look like I had brown eyeshadow patches all over my face. (Trust me, it was even less attractive then it sounds). The only brush I don't use in the set is the lip brush, but that's only because I'm lazy and it doesn't really seem worth it. (Aren't lipsticks and glosses MADE to be applied directly to your lips? What's the point of painting it on with a brush? It's like a whole extra step that cuts into valuable Pop Tart eating time in the morning). The packaging is cute too - it comes in a brush portfolio that rolls up to easily fit in your makeup drawer or luggage. I'm slightly jealous because the one I bought last year came in all black and now they're selling them in a much cuter red/black combo, but I'm going to have to live with that since my brushes are all still in perfect condition and I can't justify buying another set. (I know, I know... My life is so tragic. They should really make a Lifetime movie about it, don't you think? But only if I get casting approval - you give that up and there's no telling what can happen). So if you need brushes, check out the sets at Sephora. And if anyone out there has another use for a lip brush, let me know. I hate to let a good purchase go to waste...

Not Particularly Buttery Nor Creamy

If I buy a body scrub, I expect it to... well... scrub.  And this one has such fine granules of sugar there's barely any scrubbing to speak of.  I stood there in the shower this morning sad that my new body scrub was not scrubbing and sad that I had to actually go to work.  (Why am I not independently wealthy?)  While the Butter Cream Body Scrub by DuWop smells yummy, the scent doesn't last long enough to even enjoy while you're toweling off.  With the lack of delicious scent and the negative scrubbing, this is an all-around disappointing body scrub.  I would guess if you had sensitive skin, perhaps this scrub would be delicate enough for you, but, really why spend $24.00 bucks if my dead skin isn't even being ripped off?  That 24 bucks could've bought me three pounds of Dunkin's coffee.  Three pounds!  That's a lot of coffee to not be sitting on my kitchen counter right now.

Everyone Could Use Some (Aroma)Therapy

I've been kind of into the aromatherapy lately. Not in a weird, hippie, "I want to save the planet by burning patchouli oil and never washing my hair" kind of way, more like "The smell of Orange Ginger is really nice in the shower" way. And for the most part, I've been using the Bath and Body Works line. Partly because it's convenient to run over to the mall and pick some up, but also because it's cheaper than most spa brands and just as effective. Which all makes the fact that I went online today and saw that their entire aromatherapy line is on a HUGE sale that much better. (Don't you love when that happens? It's so rare that something I actually don't mind buying at full price goes on sale. Do you think there's any chance True Religion will follow their lead and slash prices on their new summer jeans?) The sale is amazing - it's buy two items, get two free. So you can purchase a body wash and a scrub, then get the matching lotion and hand soap for no extra money. Or buy a scentport with the fragrance insert (insert? What the hell are those things called?) and get two more refills for free. Your bathroom won't have to stop smelling like Eucalyptus Spearmint for months! Plus, when there are sales like this it's a good time to try fragrances you're not sure of. I've always wondered if I would like the Jasmine Vanilla shampoo and conditioner, but I just never got around to testing them out and now I can. It's also the perfect opportunity to stock up on their Home Fragrance Oils, which I already know I love. With the sale, it'll only be $17 for four bottles. That's fantastic! At that price, there's just no excuse for your house smelling like wet dog or kitty litter when it could smell like the delightful Mandarin Lime. What are you still doing reading this? Go to Bath and Body Works now! Move, move, move!

Not the Ultimate Curl

I am a big Boots cosmetics fan so I'm so sad to report that I don't like their Ultimate Curl mascara.  First of all it has a huge price tag ($10.00) which I wouldn't mind if it actually did what it was supposed to, but it completely fell flat on me.  I even used my eyelash curler beforehand and my lashes were still not curled any more than they are with all other drugstore mascaras I've tried.  While the wand evenly distributed the color and it didn't clump at all, it wasn't worth the money.  Also, the really strange thing to me is that the company says the Ultimate Curl Mascara can be used as just your mascara or as a base under your favorite mascara.  Who in the world would want to have two mascaras?!  I know I'm a complete product junkie but that seems absurd.  I will still buy their shampoos and other skincare products and makeup, but I'm steering clear of mascara from Boots.  I'd rather use the ten bucks on one of their killer lip glosses.  Or on a martini at my local bar Coda.  Either way, the ten bucks is going to better use.