Can you really prevent eye wrinkles?

I'll admit it - I'm a moisturizer slacker. I wash my face twice a day and often times don't moisturize after, simply because of pure laziness. Of course, my skin gets dry and I find that my makeup doesn't go on as nicely. But something dawned on me one day. I was putting on my mom's makeup and noticed how wrinkly her eyelids are. I love my mom to pieces but, seriously, she has the weirdest eyelids - you literally have to gently pull the skin up on her eyelid so you can get eyeshadow on. Afterwards, I began to panic. "This is going to happen to me one day," I thought!

So I hightailed it over to Sephora and talked with a skincare specialist about what I could do to prevent eye wrinkles. Since I am still young, she suggested Clinique's All about Eyes Rich eye cream, a rich and creamy moisturizer that should be applied in the morning and before bed. I bought it for $28.50 and so far I'm loving it. I don't apply it directly to my eyelids - I apply it underneath my eyes and around my orbital bone - all the way up to my eyebrows. I'm not sure if it's in my head or not, but I do feel a certain tightness in the area I apply it to after a few minutes.

Clinique's All about Eyes Rich eye cream says it "diminishes the look of undereye circles, shadows, fine lines - instantly and over time. De-puffs, calms with botanicals. Helps boost natural collagen production. Strengthens skin's moisture barrier against common irritants. Ophthalmologist Tested."

I guess time will tell as to whether it works or not!

I'm sick!

Hey everyone - sorry I haven't been blogging. I've been feeling under the weather this week and have a horrible sore throat today. I have plenty of blogs to come, like my most recent Sephora haul!

Don't you hate it when...

Your eyeliner is perfect on one eye - and then you mess it up on the other eye? I know I do.

And the winner is...

The winner of the $20 Sephora gift card is...MARCIA! She guessed that this woman above was 71 years old, and she really is 72! This woman's secret to firm, glowing skin - Vaseline. She applies it every other day, upwards on her face!

Putting Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller to the Test

So my boyfriend (he's going to kill me for mentioning him on my blog and posting his eyes - he wanted me to just call him a "friend!") is going to test out Garnier's Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller for me (even though it technically is for women). Awhile back, he asked me what he could do to diminish the dark circles and puffiness under his eyes. And last week, my friend asked me to review this product. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone and have my boyfriend review this for me!

Garnier's Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller says it has a unique combination of "skin-nutrients" that reduce under-eye puffiness and dark circles for renewed, refreshed eyes. It should be rolled under the eye from the inner corner to the outer corner, one to two times. Then use your fingers to blend it in. Apply it in the morning and then as needed throughout the day. Results are typically seen after one week of use.

Let's see what happens!

A Surprise from My Mom: Manual Override Concealer

My mom is a huge fan of QVC and happened to see the launch of Jay Manuel's (of America's Next Top Model) makeup line, Manual Override Comestics, and had the urge to buy me something.

She ordered me the "Manual Override Conceal," which arrived in the mail today. It's a nice sized tube. I put a dab of it on a blemish on my face and so far I am pretty impressed. The formula is creamy yet light and does deliver coverage. It should be applied after you put on your foundation.

Then I really decided to put it to the test. According to the brochure that came with the concealer, this product can conceal dark circles, age spots, freckles, and anywhere you have uneven skin-tone. Plus, the conceal should last all day (we'll see about that) and does not settle into lines, wrinkles, and pores. I used the formula to cover up my freckles, as you can see above in the before and after. What do you think of the results? Certainly not a miracle serum, but also not too shabby for $19!

Is Super Smooth, Straight Hair All in the Brush?

I have straight-yet-wavy hair, which I unfortunately iron everyday with my Chi. Why? Because I have a semi-edgy haircut (as you can see above) that I only like when it is stick straight. Problem: I can never seem to get it as straight and perfect as my hairdresser.

According to my hairdresser, here's the secret: Pull a comb through your hair as you are straightening it with the iron (as demonstrated in this YouTube video). So, I used to have the same comb as the girl in the YouTube vid I just posted, but, unfortunately, it broke. In its place, I bought the above Conair "Go Straight" brush, which has thick bristles that grab onto your hair and pull it straight.

My thoughts: this brush is bulky and hard for me to operate with my left hand. I can't get it really close to my roots either. And when I pull the brush through, it makes me hair static-y. All and all, I am not loving this brush. But, hopefully, I'll get the hang of pulling the brush through my hair with my left hand while ironing my hair with the right!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about the brush above or any other tools you use to get perfectly straight! Comment below! :)

Some Revlon Products Buy 1, Get 1 Free at CVS

Just got back from braving the snow to get to a doctor's appointment, and I decided to swing by CVS for a few things. I took a peak at the products in the beauty aisle (bad me, but I didn't buy anything!) and noticed that some Revlon products were buy one get one free, like Revlon's foundations, matte eyeshadows, and Colorstay 12-eyeshadow quads, which are fantastic and well-worth the price!

Many, Many Thanks to Jeri at 99 Pink Balloons

As you can all see, I have a beautiful new header for my blog. This was made by Jeri at 99 Pink Balloons, a makeup addict and blogger from New Zealand. THANK YOU so much Jeri! Please subscribe to Jeri's blog (http://ninetyninepinkballoons.blogspot.com/) - she is fantastic at makeup. She has many fun looks and she even tells you how to perfectly wing your eyeliner!

Update on where to find Cargo Cosmetics

Hey ya'll - I just got an email from a PR firm that manages CARGO Comestics. Here's where you'll be able to find CARGO products in the future:

"For 2010, CARGO has begun an evolution with its relationship with Sephora that will take several months. We are focusing our brand on Sephora Inside JC Penney and we will be a top feature brand for them. By the end of this year, over 200 Sephora Inside JC Penney stores are expected to carry the full range of CARGO products. We will be removing CARGO from the other Sephora doors in North America . CARGO products will continue to be sold within Sephora's European markets: France , Spain , Italy , Netherlands , Portugal , Romania , Turkey and the Middle East . In addition, CARGO will continue to be available at Ulta, QVC, Beauty 360, Independent Beauty Boutiques, Murale (Canada) and Boots (UK)."

Why Mascara Makes a Huge Difference

Here's what my eyes look like with and without mascara. It's a huge difference. I can't imagine not wearing mascara. By the way, I'm wearing Maybelline's Pulse Perfection mascara.

Giveaway: Win a $20 Sephora Gift Card!

Hooray - I've reached 20 subscribers! I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and commenting on the products I've talked about. I really appreciate it. And since I appreciate it so much, I wanted to do a little something for you. I'm going to give away a $20 gift card to Sephora BUT I am setting up a little contest to get it!

A co-worker (Nikia you cannot enter this!) gave me a photo of this woman (see above) who says the trick to getting young looking skin is by rubbing Vaseline upwards onto your face every other day. The person closest to guess how old this woman is will win the gift card, which I will mail out to them (nationally or internationally)!

Comment under this post with the age. I'll send an email to the winner. The giveaway will end next Saturday morning, January 23, at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. That's when I will announce the winner on my blog (and the age of this woman). Good luck!

Perfect for me: Maybelline's Pulse Perfection Mascara

I know I am on a Maybelline kick today - but I LOVE Maybelline's Pulse Perfection Mascara. It really is comparable to Lancome's Oscillation Lash Mascara (another love of mine) and it's almost half the price (Lancome is $34, Maybelline is $14).

So Maybelline's Pulse Perfection Mascara has a vibrating wand, which helps to make sure the mascara goes on clump-free while lengthening and adding volume to your lashes. It really works for me. It's a must have in any makeup collection!

Drugstore Must-Have: Maybelline Smoky Quad Palettes

Want to get a lot of bang for your buck? Then you have to purchase Maybelline's Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quads. I am absolutely in love with them - not only are they affordable, but the pigmentation is great. The offer everything from neutrals to purples to greens to smokey colors (like the palette I have above). Plus, there are directions on each eyeshadow indicating where on the eye it should be placed!

Urban Decay On Sale NOW on Hautelook.com

Everything is under $10!

What's in My Purse?

Many makeup/beauty bloggers and YouTubers often do a "what's in my purse" post/video, so I decided to follow suit. If you're interested in learning what I keep in my Coach bag, read on:

1.) Tide to Go Stick
2.) Lip gloss and a sample of Lorac's sample lip gloss in Glam (which I love), both from Sephora
3.) My boyfriend's watch (I've been meaning to get the battery replaced for him!)
4.) Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizer
5.) Neosporin Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy with SPF 20
6.) Purell Hand Sanitizer
7.) GenTeal Moderate Eyedrops
8.) Target's Ibuprofen
9.) Pepto-Bismal caplets
10.) Eclipse gum
11.) Car keys/House keys (complete with a Twilight keychain of course!)
12.) Umbrella
13.) Coach wallet
14.) Hair elastic
15.) Verizon LG enV3 in Maroon

Where's the makeup tutorials, Boston Beauty Addict?

So I PROMISE I am going to start doing a "Look of the Day" or maybe just a "Look of the Week" for you guys. I just got a new camera and I am still trying to figure out how to adjust the settings so that you can actually see my makeup. Right now, when I take the photo, the makeup doesn't show up so well. But I'm working on it! :)

Calling All Cargo Fans: Cargo 50% off at Sephora

I was at a local Sephora on Sunday and I happened to be looking through the store and noticed that Cargo products were half off! When I asked the saleswoman why, she said it was because Sephora was discontinuing the line in stores! So, of course, I had to take advantage of this sale to buy Cargo's Essential Eyeshadow Pallette in Dark Neutral (originally $32, now $16). I also picked up a Tarte Frxtion lip conditioner.

Am I in love with Cargo's Essential Eyeshadow pallette? No, not really. The pigmentation of the shadows isn't great. But it's still a good purchase for $16, at least I think so.

Now, here's what you SHOULD pick up from Cargo if you can still snag them: their blushes. All of them are great and many double as bronzers!

Best Moisturizer for Combination & Basically All Skin Types

I received a request from one of my subscribers asking what would be a good moisturizer for combination skin. I have combination skin and I've tried a lot of expensive moisturizers in my day, like Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. But the one moisturizer I love the best (and always keep in my vanity) can be bought from a drugstore. It's Cetaphil's Moisturizing Lotion.

This product was recommended to me awhile back by my dermatologist and I swear by it. According to the Cetaphil website, this product is a "non-greasy formulation that is mild, non-irritating and long lasting. This gentle moisturizing formula contains emollients and humectants that bind moisture to the skin. This fragrance-free moisturizer contains no lanolins or parabens that could irritate sensitive skin."

I've been using this moisturizer for years and I never get breakouts from it. And for the cheap price of like $10 or so, it's well worth it.

What moisturizer do you swear by? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

MAC 7 Lash: Big Disappointment

Now I'm sure many of you are going to disagree with me on this one, but I was not impressed with MAC's 7 lashes. I bought them for my New Year's look (I tried to take a photo for you guys but it didn't work out - so I'll just redo the look for this blog).

Here's what I didn't like about them: I told the MAC makeup artist that I wanted a fairly natural lash that was just going to give me a hint of volume and length. When I put these on my eyes, I felt like I had long spider legs on. I hated the spacing in between the lashes as well. I thought that added to the fake look.

Since I've never really worn lashes before, I did have some difficulty putting them on. After several trys, I finally got the right eye to work. But my left eye was doomed. I ended up taking the lashes off and going without them. Sadly, $12 wasted.

I will give MAC some credit though. The tracking of the lashes are very thin, which was nice because you could get them really close to the lashline. And the glue they offer for $8 is really good and I would recommend getting it.

All and all, maybe I would try MAC lashes again, but in another design. And I definitely need more practice in putting them on!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm wishing you a happy and healthy 2010!

Thank you for reading (and subscribing to) my blog. I am so appreciative of your support. They'll be good things to come on here in 2010 so be sure to stay tuned! And, as always, please feel free to contact me if you have any ideas for blog posts or if you have affordable products you would like me to try.