My picks

Lips: This week I found Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick in an old purse. I can't remember why I stopped using this. For now, this is what I'm loving again. Most lip balms tend to dry out my lips after I get used to them.

Hands: Neutrogena Hand Cream works the best for me. It goes on pretty thick and doesn't absorb right away. However, it will stay on after multiple hand washings and my hands are always back to being soft after wearing this to bed.

Hair: Infusium 23's Frizzologie line is hard to find, but really does the job for protecting hair as it gets colder...and all year round but especially in winter when hair can get really dry.

QuEsTiOnS....I wonder about eye creams. Does anyone in their 20's use them and are they helpful? I'm also thinking of trying RoC's Multi-Correxion Night Treatment because I've read favorable reviews.

Fall II

With a recent post about Fall I started thinking about my favorite cold-weather products which I would have a difficult time living without.

Lips: Carmex. Some people love Chapstick...but I love Carmex. All I have to do is put it on at night and I'm usually set for tomorrow. It's simply the best.

Hands: My hands get crazy dry in the winter...I mean cracking and bleeding! I have found no lotion to work better than Curel Intense Therapy lotion. It just stays on there, even when you wash your hands...awesome! I get dry patches of who knows what- eczema probably- on my face and this also helps a lot...it says "gentle enough to use on the face" right on the bottle!

Feet: Okay, this doesn't really go along with the others...but my feet get really cold in the winter, I must have poor circulation. The only sock that does the trick is the Wigwam Merino sock. I mean, this is the only sock. I must admit-its not the most attractive sock out there. But its like other socks have a time limit where they start to give in to the coldness...but this sock keeps fighting to keep my feet warm. One day I actually got called out for wearing the same pair of socks everyday. I had to inform this person, no, I actually own multiple pairs of the same sock...deal wit it!

What are your cold-weather must-haves??

Fall

Another season. I like how they're just long enough for everyone to be excited about a new one. It does mean a change in routines. I can feel my hands already starting to reach their winter dry phase. Gotta stay healthy!

Here's what some of the offerings are for this season:

Philosophy "I Love Candy Corn" 3 in 1 shower gel: Candy corn does have a shelf life for me, but this product would make a nice addition to the shower. Sometimes Philosophy can veer too sweet with these products, so I'm thinking this is no different. I wonder if the gel stays separated in the correct color formation over time? Or is that just the bottle??

Sidenote: Thoughts about Trends...It's hard to really understand all the emphasis placed on "trends". In large part I feel like it's the creation of the fashion magazines in order to promote certain brands and certain magazine issues season after season. (That being said - I love the Allure Best of Beauty List issue every year. I love to see what products I already own/have thought about owning.) After reading Fall is about "earth tones" and rich "purples" year after year or Spring is about "pink" and "corals", I just think it becomes cyclical and not really worth putting stock in. I think most are pretty standard, no one wants overdone makeup unless you're going to the Oscars. The basics seem to be dark eyes, light lips or vice versa. Or are these just my thoughts??

With that said, apparently bold lips are in again for fall. Reds, dark reds, purples, etc. It's interesting because I've thought red lipsticks have been making a comeback for awhile. Especially with certain age groups. Aka mine. I'll admit to buying a few reds to try on, but I can never find the right color. MAC's Ruby Woo shade gets a lot of buzz, but I haven't purchased it yet. Also, their Dazzleglass Creme looks cool...like an extra wattage lip gloss with MAC colour.

Metallics and shimmers are big again. I'm a Nars fan and I love their Indian Summer Duo Eyeshadow color. Also, the Brumes duo looks good if you want something a little darker and not metallic.

Nars has also made me want to break out of my OPI rut. Check out their new Tokaido Express Nail Polish. Apparently it's named after Japan's most popular high-speed rail route. It's a great color and a part of the purple trend.

Burt's Bees

It's about time for another post, and it's about time for me to give a shout-out to local heroes, Burt's Bees. Growing up in Raleigh, I was always familar with Burt's Bees because they are based in Durham. My mom knew someone who worked at the factory and we always ended up getting little travel sizes of everything. We got some make-up too. Now you can find Burt's Bees at Target and Wal*Mart, amazing! They were bought by Clorox, and I think some unfortunate crap went down before and after that.

Everyone loves the beeswax lip balm. Its so smooth, smells great, and has the menthol that tricks you into thinking its "working its magic". But I'm in love with the Lip Shimmers. They feel great on your lips and improve your lip's condition at the same time. Unfortunately, most of the shades look horrible on me (and sad to say, probably on other people too). But there are two that I love: Rhubarb and Merlot. Burt's Bees, if you're listening, why not get rid of that ugly white "Champagne" and try something new like a deep coral-red? And really, they're less expensive than buying a tube of lipstick.

But this is news: they just came out with a system of products for acne. If you're interested. I'm skeptical, (as always with acne products), but I signed up to get the free samples mailed to me anyway. We all want to think something natural will work better than the chemicals that irritate your face. They get the salicylic acid from willow tree bark rather than synthetically. Perhaps I will let you know how it worked out in a later post.

P.S. that's Burt.

Hands

I chopped up an onion on Saturday and my hands still have that slight eau de onion. On another note I saw Julie & Julia last night. The Julie part of the movie wasn't that great, but with all the foods I was brought back to my question...how do you get the smell of onions off of your hands? I've tried rubbing my fingers on the steel of the faucet, that's the most popular way of my coworkers. Lemon juice is also popular. What I like to do for a quick fix is a coffee or sugar scrub. Pour some ground coffee or sugar in your hands (I like about a handful) and scrub for about a minute and then rinse off. I don't think it does a great job with getting rid of the onion smell, but it lets me continue on with work without being nauseated by it. Most importantly - it makes my hands feel great! They are super soft.

Thanks for having me!

I am very excited to be a part of this blog. How perfect, I thought, for my first entry to be about a product that my dear friend Susan introduced to me more than a decade ago. I'm talking about Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. Queen Helene is one of those brands that doesn't try to get you with the flashy container. Its also one of those brands that you wonder where the frick they came from because it isn't owned by Proctor and Gamble. Trust me, you don't want to know how much stuff that company makes thats not only in your bathroom-but everywhere else too. If you're interested.
Anywayz, if you have any consistent form of acne, or great skin, this mask is nice. It has sulfur, which helps dry up pimples and make pores look smaller. It also smells great, looks great on your face for some reason, but watch out-it can sting a little, especially if your face is dry.

What's funny about this product too, is that its all-natural. You'll see it in Whole Foods (with a jacked up price) but you can usually find it at any drugstore. Outside of drugstores, its less expensive. You used to be able to get it wherever they sell skin care products, but lately it can be a little harder to find. Some of the Queen's other products can be hit or miss. But this one has been in my bathroom for years.

p.s. And of course you get 33% more, free!!! (Come on, they're not fooling anyone with this. Its been on the tube for ten years.)

Candles

I relocated recently and I'm having fun with my new apartment. I was scared on moving day because I was worried about the previous tenant and if he had cats or anything that smelled like an old person. Surprise! He didn't. What I did find was that I had a stuffy smelling apartment on my hands. I also detect a whiff of fruit snacks in the air - maybe I'm just overly critical, but I always feel like it smells like Fruit Gushers when I first enter. It's kind of weird! So I've been working around the clock to get rid of it. It's not a bad smell, it's just not something I want to keep in my apartment.

Without question my favorite candles are Root candles. I have been saving a back-up supply of about 8 candles for the past 2 years now since my last visit to Medina, Ohio. Patchouli is my favorite, and also the strongest scent so I've been loving the effect it has on my place. But I'm running out!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I've been thinking about making a big Root candle order online to re-stock my supply, but the website I went to this morning is not the old Root I know. They've made it hard to find the basic candles I love and they're calling all the basic candles scents "Legacy" candles now. What the...? Lame. But I'll probably still order in a few months if I see some improvement from them.

I'm not willing to give up on Root just yet, but I'm in the market for new brands. The Capri Blue line at Anthropologie is good, but I don't like to burn them all the time because they can be a little too sweet sometimes - like when you're eating. They're more of an after-dinner, watching HGTV candle.