MAC Attack! In Extreme Dimension Lash

I’m not a mascara expert-but for my stubby asian lashes, I have to admit I am impressed.

I went to Macy’s hoping to grab the Lancome’ Hypnose mascara, art liner, and make up remover set for $25, but the salesperson said the WW mall location only had 3 and were sold out.

That’s just another blog.

So, I’m almost through all of my samples of Laura Mercier and Clinique, Benefit etc. so I thought I’d get an old standby-MAC’s Zoom Lash or False Eyelashes-both I’ve tried and really like.

I kind of outgrew MAC’s ultra-madeup foundation and intense eye looks a few years ago, so I’ve shied away from their counter.

So I needed a little help from the salesgirl–I’m usually looking for length, volume and a little curl.  I already had mascara on, and it was woefully inadequate-felt like I had nothing on.

In Extreme is like Bobbi Brown’s After Party–it’s mascara you can put on, like say if you have a hot date or event after work. Over your morning mascara.

IT DOES WONDERS.

The brush is big and pretty fat-and the formula easily glides on and POOF my lashes were a 1/4 inch longer and curling up nicely.

And they stayed in the position until I took it off 9 hours later!

The best thing for me is-I don’t like lots of steps so if the mascara doesn’t come off with something gentle like Cerave’s facial wash, I consider it a fail. Too much work.

Even when I used to take intense aerobic workouts, I never used anything more than Great Lash, non water proof and never had a problem with smears.

I venture to guess most mascara formulas are water resistant nowadays. Just standard.

Anyway.

I’m a one coat mascara gal – so MAC gets my vote!

k

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I Vote for Coconut! Island Soap & Candle’s Body Lotion

I’m not sure when I decided to stop wearing perfume.

I had a friend who doused herself in so much fragrance that when I stepped in her car I got a head rush. I think it was an 80s thing to wear so much perfume-back in the days of Giorgio, Poison and my “to this day it gives me a headache when someone else wears it,” Estee’ Lauder’s Knowing. (Ick) The fragrance kind of went with big padded shoulders, big hair and of course, lots of makeup.

Anyway, so somewhere along the line I really started liking the rich, not very sweet smell of coconut. When I attended a holiday shopping event last week on the invite of Island Soap and Candle owners, Rosaline Wang and Richard Emery, I figured it would be a great opportunity to buy gifts.

Island soap uses all natural oils in their products and a little goes a long way. I’ve found that most fragranced lotions are not very moisturizing, because the emphasis is on perfume. Not so in the case of Island Soap’s Creamy Coconut Body Lotion. Just a small amount glides on the dry areas-it is lotion-based, so even though it’s not one of those thick creams, it moisturizes better than many of those without the sticky feel.

I spent Saturday afternoon in a coco haze of dreaminess when I took my nap. There’s nothing I like better than a shower and a nap and having a pleasant fragrance is icing on the cake!

I also picked up the Coconut Body Wash which shares the same light scent and is also gentle and moisturizing. I tested the moisturizing capability by not slathering lotion on after my shower, and measured how dry my skin got. It felt good.

Island Soap has a huge selection of great smelling soaps, lotions, body washes, lip balms, lip glosses, and candles large and small. Visit them online at <a title="Island Soap and Candle" href="http://www.honolulusoap.com
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Looks Like Half A Snowball – Konjac Facial Scrub Pad

I remember when I was 13 or so and though I didn’t have zits, I imagined I did, or at least my Mom would buy me those beautiful Neutrogena clear glycerin bars.

She also would buy the little scrubby pad that was like sort of like a net, but more abrasive.

When I think back, there were all sorts of things Mom would get me though I didn’t really need-but I would use nonetheless.

So, I’m tooling around The Face Shoppe-a cool Korean cosmetics and skincare boutique that has all sorts of cool this and thats.

What they are most known for are their cloth facial masks that make you look like Freddie from Halloween – but make your skin moist and smooth.

I am tactile. I like to touch things, and even in the age of germs, I do so anyway. So I’m waiting to check out and I’m squishing this thing.

It turns out it is a wash pad made out of konjac root-or to Japanese -konnyakku-a fibrous, jelly-like rubbery health food.  Even in the package I can see it is moist.

After cleansing with Cerave’, a reader’s high recommend for sensitive skins, I gently rub the squishy snowball on my skin in circular motions.  I’m not one for scrubbing or rubbing with vigor when it comes to my face so..it’s pretty mild.

I’ve used this nifty little thing for a week now, and I, person who lives for the next new facial cream, have to say my skin is softer. Much softer.

Even Dr. T said my skin was looking really good the other day-she looks at me pretty close up and I trust her opinion.

So-for $5-why not? Smoother skin and an amusing shape and play toy.

k

Waxing Poetic? Or just waxy?

Every once in a while I try something because why not?

I was in safeway and needed hair conditioner, and I thought what the h-how about use this Herbal Essence stuff and have as good a time in the shower as those girls in the commercials?

Well, yep the product smelled nice, but rinsing it out of my hair at home, where the shower pressure is decent, well it took a really long time.

And, it left a funny filmy film on my hair as I rinsed.

Oh well-it was only $4.

Then, I ran out of my Neuma conditioner, and being the hair spoiler I (usually) am, I thought Longs drugstore might have some good brands.  Even bedhead or something.

The best they had was Nexxus-so I chose the light moisture version. Smelled kind of strong-but I bought it.

The shampoo was ok – but the conditioner. That was another story.

Felt (feels) like the $4 bottle. But at $18 a bottle – made me very unhappy to have the same experience, plus stinky fragrance.

I should take it back-but I figure it’s too much trouble and the salesclerk wouldn’t get me anyway.

k

Pert Plus Revisited? Shampoo and Conditioner Together?

I think I was reading Elle or INstyle-just checking out the pages and saw this “tip”. Maybe it was More (old fart) magazine-yes, that makes more sense, because when you are getting older you have less time in general so you’d probably want to save some time during the grooming process.

The shower pressure at H club is unbelievably low.  Only 2 shower stalls have decent shower heads so I can rinse my Japanee thick wire hair in an expeditious manner.  The other showers are dismal. Once I mentioned it to my hair and she said, “rinse longer”.

Seriously, the last thing I want to do is stand in a shower at H club any longer than necessary.

Sooooooo

The tip was to shampoo your roots and condition your ends at the same time.

Yes, you read that right.

Like the same as Pert Plus where you just shampooed and conditioned in one application and more importantly-one rinse cycle.

So I tried it one day. I think I was using Nexxus light moisture shampoo and Neuma conditioner on the ends.

Felt ok, but strange to be sudsy and moist at the same time.

My hair performed ok that day, though I wondered if my roots wanted a little conditioning.

So, yesterday at the trade show, I asked local hair expert Lincoln Wang of BOSS Beauty Supply-and he said-no, it didn’t make sense to combine the steps, because shampoo opens the cuticle, and conditioner closes it.

Sort of leaves your hair confused.

Life is confusing enough.

So, H club, please increase the shower pressure in the name of quick grooming and non-confused hair everywhere?!

k

4X-I’m GettingOld.com

So, I’m at the gym this morning, and the overhead light is shining on my face as I wash my hands.

Seriously, I see something kind of shiny over my left eyebrow.

Damn, it is a white hair.

My hair turns a very silvery white- and I’m not sure yet if that is lucky in a weird way.

I try to pull it out with my naked fingers, but it’s too slippery to pull out.

Later, tooling around Longs drugstore in search of whatever, I see that Revlon is having an implements sale.  I check out the 4x magnifying mirror and gasp in horror at all of the other unplucked hairs-BESIDES the original shiny white one.

I get home, and I have brand new tweezerman tweezers, yet I have a hard time grabbing many of the hairs using the new 4x mirror.

What does that mean?

Is it possible that the mirror magnifies more than what the tweezer can pluck?

Did the chicken cross the road, or a tree make a sound in the forest?

Other things to ponder while the time ticks by.

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