Shop it out

Sun, February 28 2010

The other day Jenn and I went to Kohl’s and she forced me into some retail therapy. Although, I am usually not a big shopper, I did get a few things for myself and it did make me feel a bit better. I love that Kohl’s always has sales and everything I bought was discounted. Some things even rung up cheaper at the register than I expected which is always a plus. The truth is, I buy a lot of things for the house to make it homey but I do not always buy a lot of things for me so it was a nice change of pace. It beats staying at home and browsing the internet for a life insurance online quote, any day.

Studio 35 Powder Brush

Thu, February 25 2010

I lost my powder brush (by Palladio, I purchased it at Sally Beauty a few years ago) to the floor behind the toilet. It was “good bye for good” as there was no way I was going to use it again. LOL I headed to Walgreens to look for a substitute and figured I’d spend about $10 and the two powder/face brushes I saw by the big makeup companies were indeed that price. There was a tiny section of lesser known brands, one which was ecofriendly and Studio 35. Both brands were significantly cheaper and I walked away with the powder brush by Studio 35 because the other brand had none in stock. I was thrilled to spend only $6.99, which is about half of what I spent on my last powder brush.

I was not so thrilled when I opened the package and the handle and brush fell out as separate pieces. However, tape held it until I could hot glue it and now it’s just fine. Obviously, all products occasionally have quality controls issues; this is to be expected. I’m just happy that I can say this unfortunate beginning did not predict my entire experience.

This powder brush is really full and dense. The dark hairs are not quite as fine as the previous brush I used nor does it taper quite so much so it feels a bit more aggressive on the skin but it’s certainly not painful or uncomfortable, just noticeable. I do not have super complex make up needs so all I can say is it applies my powder well, on bare skin or over foundation, and because the hair seems to hold the powder a bit better than my previous brush (and stays in place a bit more) so there’s less mess on the bathroom counter. It blends enough for my needs but, as I said, those needs are not complex.

I simply love that the Studio 35 Powder brush has barely lost any bristles. Where I was lint brushing my face after using my previous, more expensive brush, which would leave my face covered in fine hairs that were difficult to remove. Although some hairs have escaped onto the bathroom counter, I’ve only ever had one stubbornly stick to my face and because the hair is a little more coarse, it’s easier to remove, too. I had pretty much lost hope that any powder brush wouldn’t frustrate me with hairs falling out so to find that in a cheaper brush is awesome.

The handle on this powder brush is a bit shorter and a little thicker, too, than other brushes I’ve used. It’s still easy to grasp, however. It does seem like the brush will lose its shape over time as the hairs like to stay in the shape they take during use but since I have been storing is in the plastic pouch it came with, this helps to reshape it in between uses. Plus, the pouch works well for travel, makes it easy to find and ensures my brush stays clean. I have yet to wash the brush, because I do not usually wash my brushes, but I have read some reviews that suggest Studio 35 make up brushes get even better after washing. I will have to give it a try.

Overall, I think this is a quality product and wouldn’t even mind if I had to replace it more frequently than I have had to replace other brushes. It is half the price!

A summons

Tue, February 23 2010

I haven’t been paying too much attention to the news lately but I did happen to catch Colbert and The Daily Show the other night at Mom’s and learned of Obama’s emergency summit to discuss the health care plan. Since then, the GOP has been all up in arms screaming “A Trap! A trap!” which seems the kind of thing they like to do. I mean, even though I am for the health care bill (although it’s been stripped of many important parts already), wouldn’t it make better sense to gather to together and form a productive plan of attack as opposed to just attacking the president without considering how you can have your voice heard in a product way? Regardless, it shall be interesting to see how it turns out and I hope something can finally be done to help the folks who might be struggling and needing North Carolina health insurance, can find some relief. But the government seems to work slower than I like to, so we shall see.

Sally Hansen Complete Care 4-N-1 Extra Moisturizer Treatment

Tue, February 23 2010

So I’ve been using this smoothing, strengthening, lengthening nail polish which is also a “mega gloss top coat” for a few weeks and I have to say, it’s been pretty effective; although, I probably cannot attribute it all to the polish itself. Before I go any further, let me explain that when I start to use a new product like this, I am much more mindful of my nails and I curb my bad habits like picking at or biting them.

Sally Hansen Complete Care 4-N-1 Extra Moisturizer Treatment comes in a typical nail polish bottle. While the polish is clear, the square bottle itself has a pink gradient on it which gives it a slightly prismatic look. If you picked up a blue bottle instead, it does not have the extra moisturizer in it and is the regular formula. I do not know if it might be more drying and, as I don’t even know how to tell if my nails are dry, all I can say is this formula seems to work well enough.

The bottle comes in typical Sally Hansen packaging and is surrounded by mirror-esque cardboard. In some pictures, this makes it look like there are several bottles in the package but this 4 in 1 product is, indeed, only 1 bottle. For some, a price of upwards of $10 will be too much to pay but I think the results really paid off for me.

This nail polish can be used in one of two ways. As a base coat, it fills in cracks and crevices to smooth your nails. Apply another coat, then a coloured polish and finish off with Sally Hansen Complete as a top coat for a super classy 4 layer polish. If you only desire to use it as a clear coat, apply two coats of the polish. Because I do not wear much nail polish, I opted for the latter option and applied two coats.

The polish is thicker than it is thin and it doesn’t seem to take too much to cover a nail. It’s easy to apply and dries fairly fast but you should be mindful of your nails when drying. Sally Hansen Complete Care 4-N-1 Extra Moisturizer Treatment definitely adds gloss, even when just used as a clear coat and I love the shine of my nails. Physically, they feel pretty smooth but almost any polish does make my nails feel smoother. However, I do notice that the tips of my nails do not get quite as jagged so quickly so I’ve only really needed to file them once or twice in about a month.

The real promise of this nail care product is that it does promote nail growth. Most of mine are longer than they have been in years. The strengthening properties are also easily recognizable. One of the main reasons I cannot keep long nails is that, the longer they grow, the more they crack and peel. Cracking and peeling are virtually things of the past now that I am using Sally Hansen Complete Care 4-N-1 Extra Moisturizer Treatment and my longer nails have stayed that way.

I have had 2 nails break off since I began using this product; however, it was not a total break and they regrew fairly quickly. I have had a small crack in one of my nails for some time now but the polish has prevented it from breaking entirely. It does seem as though my nails grew more quickly in the first week or so of using this product which is to be expected from the “30% longer nails in 5 days” advertising claim. The growth is slower and less noticeable at this point but my nails are at a point where they don’t look as stubby as before, so that’s fine by me.

If I have one complaint with Sally Hansen’s 4 in 1 Nail Treatment, it is that it is nail polish and, as such, will chip and peel eventually. If you’re like me, then the tips of your nails will receive the most damage and sometimes in a shockingly quick time period after painting them. While it is easy to apply just a bit of polish to patch up those chips once or twice, I found that the entire nail should be stripped and repainted after that, so that it looks the best. Otherwise, you’ll just be covering up the bubbling and cracking of the old polish which new and that is simply not attractive. Folks who do not impose any stress on their hands might find they do not need to do this frequently. The areas on my nails which do not usually come in contact with anything do look pretty good and the nail polish is resilient there. However, working inside or outside the home will certainly shorten the life of your nail polish and you may have to take it all off and reapply once or twice a week. Maybe that’s normal for some; although, I find it a bit annoying.

However, it’s a small price to pay for a product which has shown me big results. Although, I have been using it pretty regularly, I am surprised at how long Sally Hansen Complete Care 4-N-1 Extra Moisturizer Treatment has seemed to last and would probably buy it again.

I Need Some Vitamins

Sat, February 20 2010

My family has done a good job of getting and keeping me sick. I’ve retaliated with ginger ale, orange juice and chicken soup where applicable but it only goes so far. It seems that theirs are super germs. LOL As I type this, I’ve got an outbreak of cold sores so I’m scouring the web for remedies and treatments (not for the best colon cleanse) but everything looks like I’m just going to have to deal with it. Eeps! Uncool.