Bad Gal Update

Remember my post on Benefit's Bad Gal Lash mascara? I really liked the product at the time and after using it for over a month now I can safely say that this is the best mascara...maybe ever. I wear it all day long (for about 12-18 hours) and it never budges. It doesn't smudge. It doesn't lose its lash definition. My lashes just look amazingly long and full all day long without a single clump. It is rare that I do an update post on a product that is, well, still awesome, but I thought it would be helpful to see how this product works long term.

If you are in the market for a mascara this is the only thing you should have on your list!

Rosebud Salve...IN A TUBE!

Buy it online here

My favorite lip balm of all time (ever!) now comes in a tube!! The original Rosebud salve has been in my purse for as long as I have been old enough to actually carry a purse. The only downside of the balm, in my opinion, is that it comes in a pot because it A) gets gross from so many dipped fingers and B) easily melts when left in warm temperatures. The tube would fix both of those problems actually making this an unstoppable lip product.

I haven't been this excited about a product in so long!

FINALLY...St.Tropez

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St. Tropez Sunless Tanning Lotion:

There is so much to tell! First of all, I recommend that anyone using this product watch the video tutorial on the St. Tropez web site. If you don't you will miss some really key tips that helped me apply the tanner. Here are the tips that I found most important:

1. They are SERIOUS about using gloves. I tried to use my hands at first and after about 5 seconds had very orange hands that would not come clean when vigorously scrubbed. Use gloves.

2. Put on way more than you think. The video recommends about three pumps just for one leg. This seemed like a lot to me so I used much less and therefore could hardly see my tan the next day. Use more.

3. Buff off excess instead of rub. Against the tutorials advice, I tried to rub the product in instead of smoothing it all over and then buffing it in with a buffing pad afterwards. I didn't have a buffing pad (hence the rubbing) but once I saw that the rubbing was just making a sticky mess I got out an old wash cloth and that worked perfectly for buffing. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me earlier that their "buffing mit" was really just a wash cloth that fits on your hand. Gently smooth the lotion on in one area (e.g. one leg) and then buff the product out in circular motions. Then you can move on to another area. Buff.

4. A lot comes off in the shower. This kind of relates to tip number 2. The video explains that a lot of product will come off in the shower so you need to use more than you think you might need to actually get a good color. They recommend that you put the product on at night and let it set and then shower off the excess product in the morning after the color has been absolred into the skin. Because I didn't use that much product, I was horrified when I stepped out of the shower without much color. I should have used more for better results. Don't be afraid to apply a lot, but do shower off the excess or it will get all over your clothes/sheets/furniture/etc. the second that you sweat.

5. Leave the gas mask at home. Most self tanning product absolutely wreak. This does not. It smells subtle and lovely. No need to be afraid of stinky fumes here.

6. Get help with your back. I enlisted some help for my back otherwise there was going to be very distinct areas that I could not reach, but remember to smooth out the edges. In other words, make your back meet your front, rub the sides of your body, don't forget that the sides exist, it's not just a front and a back...you get the idea.

7. Wait, then buff some more. I thought that I had buffed everything out really well, but after about an hour I noticed dark spots around my ankles and elbows. Just buff these out with the wash cloth again and they will blend in nicely.

8. Use moisturizer when the video tell you to. The video recommends that you use moisturizer on the back of one hand, add a little bit of product, and rub the backs of your hands together. Then get between your fingers. Use more moisturizer around your wrists to smooth the line between the wrists and the hands.

9. Keep baby wipes handy for areas like finger nails, toe nails, between fingers, and on elbows. This is where you get the dirty, rusty-looking streaks so use the wipes to clean up areas right away so that they don't show up later.

10. Did I mention to use more than you think you need? USE MORE!

I'll take some photos the next time I re-do the process. Because I didn't use enough the color isn't really anything special, but I loved the scent and how clean it looks. The entire process was a little stressful and much more complicated than using my Jergens lotions, but overall I am very happy with the much-anticipated St. Tropez and I can't wait to use it again!

Where's the St. Tropez?

Well, unfortunately it's in the mail. Sephora no longer carries the brand (what??) but they do still sell it on the web site. One seriously over priced shipped order later I will be a happy camper, but I won't be able to use the product until tomorrow evening after work so I will have to report back on the matter on Monday morning. The Sephora sales woman even noted how strange it was that the store no longer carried the brand on its shelves and she revealed that St. Tropez is the only brand she will use for her sunless tans. That's a good sign! I don't think this product could be recommended by more people. Tomorrow evening can't come soon enough!

Until then, to keep the suspense alive, watch this amazing tutorial on how to apply the product.

In other news, I thought I would share a little hair trick that I have been using to keep my curls under control in the intense summer humidity. Now I know that this goes against lots of advice from various stylists, but it works for me so here it is:

If I just let my curls air dry out of the shower I usually end up with frizzy squiggles all over my head. However, I find that if, after getting out of the shower with clean/conditioned hair, I apply a pea-sized amount of conditioner to my strands I end up with super soft waves that are bouncy and frizz-free. My reasoning? The conditioner weighs down the hair and therefore keeps some of the wacky volume at bay. This is definitely not something that I would recommend to anyone with greasy/flat/limp/fine hair, but it is my saving grace in the summer. After applying the conditioner I comb through my hair and squeeze out any excess water with an old t-shirt. Then I apply a bit of Moroccan Oil for extra smoothness and let it dry.

Try it out and let me know how it goes!

Coming Soon...

Coming soon...the moment sunless-tanning-summer has been waiting for...ST.TROPEZ Sunless Tanner!!

It should arrive this afternoon, I will apply this evening, and report back tomorrow morning.

Until then, read some of the reviews that have gotten me so excited (they're at the bottom of the page in the link below).

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P261321&categoryId=B70#BVRRWidgetID

ps- should I be worried about the people that say it can be really messy, dyed their hands, and got all over their clothes and sheets? Hmmm...I suppose for every rave review there will always be some skepticism!

Is it worth it?

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Let me preface this by saying that I know that higher priced brands are able to use better quality ingredients in their products so I won't try to compare drugstore brands with the top of the market products, but let's examine regularly priced Sephora brands like Benefit and Tarte with brands like Chanel and the new line of products out from Burberry.

When I saw the new Burberry ads I couldn't help but wonder...why? Why would I be enticed to buy a 24 dollar lip liner? Just for brand recognition? I found the color palette of the collection to be seriously boring and the packing to be nothing special.

Likewise, I don't understand the allure of Chanel makeup. Yes it is prestigious to pull out the double-c'ed compact and powder your nose, but would you really buy something just to be seen with it? I don't find that the shadows and blushes are anything special although I have been known to walk out of a department store with a stripe of every shadow color marching down my hands.

I own one Chanel lip palette and only because my friend knew that I would never ever buy it for myself and she gave it to me as a birthday gift. I love the product, but it was way too expensive to justify purchasing for myself.

What do you guys think? Are designer products really worth the intense price tag? Would you try Burberry's new collection?

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Foaming Moisturizer

Oprah likes it...what can go wrong?

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Foaming Moisturizer:

The self tanning summer continues. I think that I am now officially the proud owner of the entire Jergens sunless tanning line. Remember my post about the Jergens express moisturizer that turned me orange and streaky? And how I knew I should have tried this foaming moisturizer that comes highly recommended? Well, here it is!

First impressions: It says that it dries instantly and it is not lying! This stuff came out of the can like mousse and dried the second I applied it. I was a bit panicked because I have zero time to actually blend it all in before it was dry, but when I woke up the next morning I only had two streaks on my left arm. Not bad, right? They were easy to blend away with a damp washcloth so it was no big deal. I liked that it did not smell in the slightest and wasn't messy (although I wish there was more time to blend!!). It would be great if you wanted to apply it in the morning before work or school and didn't have time to wait around.

I've only used this for one full weekend so I will have a better idea of how it works over the long term in the next few weeks. To be continued!