The Cosmetics Counter: Surf Spray

Since I have rather short hair I don't use much in the way of hair products.  My hair usually requires very little in the way of styling and I tend to not go in for expensive shampoos, conditioners or other styling products.  However, last time I got my haircut my hair dresser used a new product (or at least new to me) called "Surf Spray" on my hair and the results were really great so I decided to go ahead and buy it.

When I first got home with it I felt like I had probably blown $25 since everyone knows there is some kind of magic that happens to your hair in the hair salon that can never be re-created at home.  I am happy to report that I was completely pleasantly surprised.  This stuff magically adds thickness and texture.  I spray it on and then just rub my hair while drying it.  What could be easier?  I thought maybe it only worked in short hair, but a few weeks ago Zoe let me try it on her longer hair and it also had great results.

So, if you're looking for something to give your hair texture (not smooth, sleek, straight) give it a try.  It is supposed to be the texture you get after a day at the beach.  Not sure that is exactly true, but it is still pretty cool stuff.

Easy Summer Make-up

Those of you who know me, know I am somewhat obsessed with make-up. I wear make-up every day, but most days I prefer a fairly natural look. Each season I try to come up with a go-to look for everyday that is just a little different. I am really pleased with what I've started wearing for summer so I want to share because I think anyone can do it and it is so easy. I admit that I stole a lot of this from Bobbi Brown's website, but my version is even easier.

OK, so here it is, ZoesMom's easy summer make-up:

Step 1: Use a light powder foundation or tinted moisturizer all over your face. I prefer products with an SPF of 15 of higher. I'm using Clinique's Almost Powder. (I also use under eye concealer for my dark circles, but if you don't need it, don't bother.)

Step 2: Apply matte eyeshadow in very light pink, light peach, or off-white from your eyebrow to your lashes -- in other words all over. One light coat. Make sure the shadow is matte and not shimmer. I'm using Cover Girl French Vanilla (matte) or Sephora's Eye Shadow in Porcelain.

Step 3: Apply 2 coats of dark mascara to your lashes. I'm using Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes or Maybelline Great Lash.

Step 4: If you have thick eyebrows like I do, brush your eyebrows up. You can also use eyebrow gel if you have it, but it's not necessary.

Step: 5: Use a somewhat bright pink to coral blush on the apples of your cheeks. Doesn't matter if it's powder or cream just as long as it is a little bright. I'm using Tarte's Cheek Stain. (This blush is a little expensive, but it lasts forever and it's organic.)

Step 6: Apply a sheer lipstick in a somewhat bright pink to coral shade. You can also use lip gloss in the same shades. I have about 10 lipsticks/glosses that fit this bill, but I just bought Korres' Mango Butter Lipstick in Peach and I'm loving it. It is organic and also has SPF 10 which is nice for summer.

And that's it, you're ready to walk out the door.

The Cosmetics Counter: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

Last week Zoe brought home the gift of conjunctivitis, AKA pink eye. First she had it and a couple of days later Rob contracted it. I thought I had escaped, but no such luck. My eyes started to turn red this past Monday and I wasted no time getting to the walk-in so I could start my eye drops.

Of course there is no good time to get pink eye, but this timing was particularly awful since I had two important meetings to attend and by that I mean attend in person, not like my usual conference calls. The doctor at the walk-in clinic told me I had to throw away all my eye make-up and that I should avoid using make-up for a few days. Now anyone who knows my make-up buying habits knows that throwing away my eye make-up is no small hit in itself, but then being told not to use make-up was the killer since I had to be in a room with company bigwigs.

Normally I buy the more expensive stuff sold at Sephora or department stores, but it occurred to me I could buy some inexpensive make-up at CVS that I could more easily treat as single use. As I was scanning the cosmetics aisle looking for the minimum products I could buy and I came across Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara. Many make-up artists consider this to be the best mascara out there. I was never sold on it because frankly I can be a make-up snob, but I can't say for sure that I'd ever really tried it. Since I didn't know what else might be good, I bought it in Brownish Black.

I have to say I was incredibly surprised by this mascara. It really is good stuff. It goes on smoothly and easily without clumps. The color was exactly what I expected and it lasted all day. It certainly out-performed many other much more expensive mascaras I have owned and at $5.49 each I can afford every color.

The Cosmetics Counter: 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil

This is about as close as you can come to the perfect eyeliner.

The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil by Urban Decay is my favorite cosmetics discovery of 2009. Sometime over the summer I read an article about waterproof eyeliners which I thought would be fun to try for swimming days. I tried a couple of other brands with mixed results, but I wasn't thrilled until I stumbled upon this eyeliner at one of my favorite stores, Sephora. My color of choice is Rockstar which is a dark purple, but any of the colors that don't include glitter or glimmer are excellent choices.

What makes it so great, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

1. It is easy to apply -- unbelievably easy, really. You have to try it to see what I mean.
2. It goes on super-smooth and even.
3. It lasts a long, long time without running or smudging.
4. Even though $17 may seem like a lot for an eyeliner, the pencil lasts a long time.
   

The only downside is that you should use eye make-up remover to take it off at the end of the day otherwise it can be a little bit too lasting.

So if you're looking for a new eyeliner, I suggest you give this one a try.

The Cosmetics Counter: Korres Mango Butter Lipstick

Last weekend I made a pilgrimage to my own personal Mecca, Sephora in search of something ... new. Since I have tried just about every cosmetic out there from eyebrow pencil to lip cream and everything in between, I decided to try a new brand. I selected Korres.

The Korres brand is from Athens, Greece and they are "committed to developing natural skincare, color, and body products that provide maximum results." Sounds like a good philosophy to me. Their products have a lot of appeal in packaging, fragrance, and color pallette. I am a lipstick fanatic so I opted for sampling the Mango Butter Lipstick. Doesn't that just sound delicious?

My color choice was natural purple which is a lovely brownish purple. It is a very sheer, lightweight formula that is also surprisingly long-lasting. The first time I wore it, I thought it wouldn't last more than an hour or so, but I was pleased when it actually lasted a few hours and didn't get dry and sticky in the corners of my mouth.

I will definitely be heading back to Sephora to try more Korres products sometime soon.

The Cosmetics Counter: My Alter-Blog

Because I've got nothing but spare time (ha!) I've decided to start another blog. If you read my posts here, you may have noticed I have a thing for make-up. I decided to turn that "thing" into a blog offering hints, tips, and product reviews. I am always trying out new products and I love to give advice so I've created my own forum. I hope you'll stop by the new blog here:

Make-up 101

And, if you're really interested, you can also follow my alter-twitter @makeup1oh1

Cosmetics Counter: Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Eyeshadow Primer Potion by Urban Decay claims to do what many products have claimed before. The difference is that this stuff actually works!

Urban Decay's claim:

This miracle eyeshadow primer is unmatched by any other in the beauty industry! The genie in this bottle fulfills three wishes: eyeshadow that lasts, more vibrant and lasting color, and absolutely NO creasing.

It goes on quickly and easily although I recommend blotting it on with the wand and then smoothing it out with your finger. It dries quickly and does not affect the color of your eye shadow.

When I bought it I was highly skeptical of its ability to make my eye shadow last without creasing, but being the sucker that I am, I was grabbed by the marketing and bought it anyway. The first day I used it my expectations were low. I put my make-up on at around 7:30AM as I do most mornings and I was absolutely shocked to look in the mirror at around 5PM and see that I still had eye shadow on my eyes. No creases either. Amazing!

The Cosmetics Counter: Drying Lotion

It has been awhile since I have done one of these Cosmetics Counter posts, but lately I have discovered a few new products that I really want to share so I am reviving the category.

The first product I want to share is Drying Lotion made by Mario Badescu.

It is not an anti-moisturizer as the name implies, but, in fact, it is a pimple healer. And it really, really works! I am prone to occasional pimples (not regular acne) and I have tried a lot of these so-called "spot" removers. Most of them don't really seem to work, but this stuff is like a little miracle. Apply this stuff before bed and in the morning any pimples are either gone or really significantly reduced. I've even started putting it on in spots where I think I might be getting a pimple. It is something that has to be worn at bedtime because it is a pink solution that has to be washed off. Also good to note, because you only apply it on the spot, your skin doesn't get all dry and flaky.

At $17 for a small bottle it does sound expensive, but one bottle lasts me at least 6 months.

The Cosmetics Counter: LUSH

I suspect I am a little late to the table on this one, but I have a new love and it is called LUSH. I must, first of all, thank Becky for the introduction to the world of LUSH.

My experience started with the wonderful, fresh smell of the store. It is hard to tell from their website just how delicious the store smells so I highly recommend going to an actual B&M location if you can find one near you. Then the lovely sales assistant helped Becky and I to a hand treatment that left the skin on my hands smoother than Zoë's baby you-know-what. After that I got a tour of the store and learned that all their products are hand made and never tested on animals. They use all natural ingredients and most of the products even come stamped with a best if used by date.

The hand treatment products were amazing, but I knew I would never go through all those steps on a regular basis. The bath soaps were incredibly tempting, but I hated the idea of such a great soap wasting away in the shower and getting all used up by Rob. Ultimately I settled on a set of 3 products to make up a new facial cleansing routine. The names of the products alone are quite alluring:

"Angels on Bare Skin" is the name of my new cleanser/exfoliator.
"Breath of Fresh Air" is my new toner.
"Imperialis" is my new moisturizer.

Yes, the products are on the expensive side, but so far they are really fabulous.

The Cosmetics Counter: Goatboy Soap

My mother-in-law actually discovered this. She has sever eczema and found that the mild soap and lotions produced by Goatboy Soaps really helped. Last year she bought me a few bars and I tried it and it is really great soap. It is especially excellent this time of year when skin gets so dry. My only complaint is that some of the scents are a bit overpowering. The scent doesn't transfer to your skin that strong, but the bar itself tends to be quite aromatic.

If you have very sensitive skin or any skin issue that soap usually irritates, I recommend you give this stuff a try.

The Cosmetics Counter: ChapStick

For my first Cosmetics Counter post of 2007 I think it is time for a little back-to-basics. There was an article in the NY Times today about skin care products and the thrust of the story was dermatologists saying all the expensive creams and potions (think La Mer) are really not worth it and all you really need is some mild soap to clean your face, moisturizer, and sunscreen. The only additional elements in my own skin care regimen are eye cream (I get terrible dark circles) and ChapStick (I get very chapped lips).

I could give up the eye cream, but never the ChapStick. I take ChapStick with me everywhere. And I mean ChapStick brand because the imitations are just not as good so keep your Blistex or Carmex or whatever else. Classic is the best, but Cherry is good too.

The Cosmetics Counter: CoverGirl Lipslicks Lipgloss

I'm not usually one for CoverGirl or really most make-up that can purchased at CVS, but I have to admit I am a fan of this one particular product. CoverGirl Lipslick Lipgloss is really sheer and light. My two favorite shades are Hipster and Demure (admittedly they are the only two I have tried). It is the kind of lipstick that can be applied anywhere -- I mean, it should go on your lips, but you don't need to be in front of a mirror. I keep a tube in my office desk drawer and it is perfect for a quick application just before a meeting or whatever. Plus, it is really cheap -- at around $4 a tube so you can afford to have a few.

The Cosmetics Counter: OH...To Be 25 Again!

Of course, we would all like to be 25 again, right? Well don't get your hopes up, this product is not a fountain of youth. Instead it is a terrific new shade of nail polish created by OPI as part of the 25th anniversary line.

According to all the fashionistas out there short, dark nails are the thing to have this year and this is the perfect shade for achieving just the right look. OH...To Be 25 Again is a rich dark brown -- just dark enough to be trendy, but not so dark it looks goth.

The look, and especially this color have completely revived my love of a good manicure. It makes for a nice pedicure too.

The Cosmetics Counter: bareMinerals

A good friend recently turned me on to bareMinerals line and I admit I was skeptical, but the products actually work quite well. I don't like to wear liquid foundation because I don't need much coverage, but traditional powder compacts tend to wear off so quickly. bareMinerals foundation is a happy medium and you can put it on lightly or add more layers as you like. Plus, I don't know how, but it is SPF15 which is always a good thing.

I bought the starter kit and it comes with 2 shades of foundation, something called Mineral Veil which is a finishing powder, 3 different application brushes, warmth face color and glee face color (which I really love!). I have mostly used the foundation shade that is best for me and the glee face color which is a really nice kind of blush. The starter kit cost me $60 at the store where I bought it. On the bareMinerals website it is a little pricier, but you can find it for less at other sites like ulta.com.

The starter kit comes with an instructional DVD and I know it sounds silly, but it is quite helpful. I watched the entire thing and I am glad I did.

My only complaint with these products is that they don't go on in a hurry. On those morning when I literally only have 5 minutes, I can't spend the time on it or I'll never even get to the mascara before I have to run.

The Cosmetics Counter

First of all, I apologize for my prolonged absence and complete lack of posts. I was traveling first for business, then for pleasure. It has taken me an additional 4 days to catch up with my life. However, I did put my quiet time to good use -- I thought of another feature for the blog. Starting today, I will be celebrating my love for make-up, nail polish, perfume, soaps, etc. I am calling this feature "The Cosmetics Counter" and each week I will discuss a new product that I have tried.

This week's product is Clinique In the Pink lipstick $14.00.

First of all $10.00 from your purchase helps support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s quest to find a cure. Besides my never ending love of lipsticks that was the primary motivation for purchasing this product. I am happy to report that it is a really nice shade of pink and the lipstick itself feels really good on your lips. It is very smooth and the look is slightly glossy. And one of my favorite things about Clinique lipsticks is that there is no odor to them. Because it is also relatively sheer, this is a flattering shade for anyone who can wear pink lipsticks.