HIGH MAINTENANCE FOR A LOW MAINTENANCE LOOK, BY HARD CANDY

A few months ago, I received a gift from a lovely fellow blogger Marie, who writes Marie Loves Makeup.  One of the items, Hard Candy Eyeshadow in "High Maintenance," has become a favorite of mine.  

Its subtle pigment makes a great day wear, with sheen that brightens up the eyes in a sophisticated way.  

With just a sweep of the darker shade inside the crease, and blend the lighter hue all over the lid, an easy, graceful eye makeup is done:

Skin Care Blog Post - Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub

Does green equal clean?

While we all love the natural benefit of organic products, some of them don't possess the cleaning power we seek.  

However, I have often heard good reviews on Burt's Bees personal care products - a friend of mine boasts their lip gloss the best she ever tried - so I thought: why not?

And to the drugstore I went and picked up Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub.  Let's find out if it worked:

The Claim, according to Burt's Bee website:

"...provide gentle exfoliation

...mild enough for daily use on all skin types

...help naturally remove traces of dirt and makeup

...moisturize your skin" 

Exfoliates, cleans, and moisturizes - Sounds like a winner, right?  Here's my take:

Likes:

• Fruity, citrus-y smell
• Took off my makeup
• Grounded texture did a good job exfoliating
• Left my face soft, clean and refreshed
• Came in a glass jar - very environmental

Dislikes:

• Direction was hard to follow, but eventually I got used to it
• My face felt a little oily afterward

 

Overall Rating: 4/5


Re-purchase? Maybe. I do like St. Ive's Apricot Facial Scrub better, and it costs less, so I will probably buy that instead. But please don't get me wrong.  The Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub did work well.

Final Impression: For an organic product, this facial scrub cleaned thoroughly. I guess in this case, green does equal clean.

Love the reusable glass jar it came in

 Very dry on the first touch

 Much softer and smoother after adding water

EYE MAKEUP REMOVER ALTERNATIVE: VASELINE

In 1859, petroleum jelly was discovered to protect and heal cuts and burns.  A young scientist named Robert Cheseborough then created a lighter version of petroleum jelly and mass-produced it as an ointment.  His first factory opened in 1870 and he named it "Vaseline".  Since then, Vaseline became a vastly popular item on drugstore shelves everywhere.


Overtime, people used Vaseline in more creative ways, including as a beauty product.  Like them, I am a huge fan of Vaseline and often use it to sooth chapped lips.  However, only until recently did I learn of this awesome, new trick: Vaseline takes off makeup!

Just look at all the mess that came off with two gentle wipes:

As a frugal girlie girl, I hated spending $20 on pricey makeup removers.  At $2 - $3 a bottle, Vaseline works just as well.  It also makes my skin soft and smooth, and doesn't irritate my eyes.  What a great discovery!

FASHION'S NIGHT POUT BY REVLON

With a catchy name - "Fashion's Night Pout", anyone? - Revlon's newest nude lipstick is my newest fave.  With a creamy mixture that didn't seem to dry the lips and a sexy color matches just about anything, this lipstick by Revlon makes one of the best lipsticks I have tried.  Plus, it costs less than $10!

 

Revlon lipstick in "Fashion's Night Pout"

Revlon lipstick in "Fashion's Night Pout"

Without Gloss

Revlon lipstick in "Fashion's Night Pout"

With Gloss

EASY DESERT IDEA: BUTTER-SIZZLED BANANA IN COCONUT AND CINNAMON

This desert I kind of created on a whim.  Surprisingly the outcome was pretty tasty.  If you want an easy-to-make desert with creamy and cinnamon flavor, then you should give the "Butter-Sizzled Banana in Coconut and Cinnamon" (yes, I totally made up the name) a try.

What You Need:

1 Med Banana (ripe but not overly ripe)

2 Tbl Spoons of Coconut Milk or Cream

Cinammon

1 Tbl Spoon of Butter 

What You Do:

Step 1: Slice Bananas

Step 2: Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat

Step 3: Add banana slices into the melted butter, let it cook for 2 minutes until down side is golden 

Step 4: Flip each banana slice over and cook the other side for 2 minutes until down side is golden

Step 5: Place banana slices on a plate.  Pour coconut milk or cream over and sprinkle cinnamon

Sweet.  Creamy.  Savory.

VALENTINE'S DAY DATE NIGHT IN

Life after baby involves a constant struggle to give up what couples enjoyed before.  A simple date night, for example, becomes a difficult evening of extra costs (sitter), ceaseless worrying (let's call the sitter, for the tenth time) and a few other things of emotional stress. 

For my husband and I, we have only gone out alone one time - yes, you heard me right, ONE WHOPPING TIME - in the past six months.

To honor Valentine's Day, we decided to have a date night.  But instead of out, we stayed in.

We didn't order pizza and wear pajamas like the ordinary.  In fact, hubby made dinner and desert that were quite extraordinary.  We even decorated the house and dressed ourselves up, as if we were going to a nice restaurant. 

As the baby soundly slept, we dined and wined ourselves to our heart's content.  It was no less romantic than any of our previous Valentine's dates.

Life changes after a baby, but life still goes on.  With a little effort and creativity, any couple can reinvent romance and take themselves back to the way they were - at least for a couple of hours.

Valentine Themed Decorations.

Steamed crab for dinner.

 Of course, the baby monitor never left our sight.

All dressed up, no where to go, but that's just fine with me.

Decadent desert: home-made creme brule

Skin Care Blog Post - AT-HOME FACIAL HOW TO

A facial at the spa can cost a pretty penny.  In this economy, it's hard to afford this type of luxury.  A facial done at home, however, costs virtually nothing.  All you need are a few essential items and you can refresh and rejuvenate your skin.

Here are the steps to an at-home facial:

Step 1: Wipe makeup off of your face

You always want to start with a clean face.
 

Step 2: Wash face thoroughly

Step 3: Steam face with a face steamer for 5 minutes

This will open the pores, where dirt and oil is likely trapped.

If you don't have a steamer, you can boil some water with a pot and put your face over the hot steam from the boiled water.

Step 4: Apply a peel-off face mask

When the pores are open, the mask can get into the pores.

After the mask is peeled off, you can see the dirt and blackheads leaving with the mask.

Step 5: Apply an ice pack 

(I used a home-made gel ice pack made from liquid dish detergent.  

Find out how from this link.)

Applying something cold will close the open pores.

Step 6: Dip cotton ball with toner and apply all over face (Optional)

Step 7: Apply night cream

Protect your skin through the night with a layer of night cream.

An at-home facial is easy and cost-effective.  It leaves your skin full of radiance and leaves your wallet with little damage.


Enjoy!

Skin Care Blog Post - How to Treat Your Skin Every Day, Week, Month and Year

There is only 1 chance to make a first impression and that's why a clear, beautiful skin is so important to obtain.  If your skin is bad, no amount of makeup can cover it up.  So be kind to the skin you are in and treat it well every day, week, month and year!

Every day:

• Wash your face thoroughly once every morning and once every night
• Wear moisturizer
• Wear SPF
• Take your vitamins

Every week:

• Let your skin breath by not wearing any makeup 1 day of the week
• Exfoliate

Every month:

• Get a facial.  An at-home facial is fine too.  Your skin has been good to you, so you need to be good to it too.

Every year:

• Get a full-body, head-to-toe skin exam from your dermatologist for skin cancer.  Early detection can save your life!