bareMinerals. To go, please!

“I don’t like powder! It gets in my nose and I can’t breathe. Stop! No more. I don’t want it. Karleeeeee”

This is the usual bit I get from my mother every time I try to apply her makeup. The woman goes into it with her nose upturned, an annoyed roll of the eyes and a begging plea to leave her be. It’s not that she doesn’t like the way she looks after it’s all said and done, it’s the process she can’t stand.

Taking a sneak peek into my mother’s purse, the only cosmetics you’ll find is a mini Aveeno moisturizer, perhaps a chapstick and a comb; needless to say, she’s a low-maintenance gal. So, when I found an easy to use, portable, refillable and most importantly, effective product, I knew I had to toss one her way. And she hasn’t stopped talking about how much she loves it since.

BareEscentuals has come out with the bareMinerals Mini Refillable Buffing Brush, an all-in-one mineral foundation and brush.

Let me give you a little background on the company and their products:

BareEscentuals is a cosmetic company started by Leslie Blodgett that dates back to the 1970s and is responsible for the birth of bareMinerals, rareMinerals, Buxom and md formulations. If you’ve ever tuned into a late night QVC infomercial, I’m sure you’ve stumbled upon Leslie and her products at one time or another, they’re everywhere.

Working at Ulta, it was our number one priority to sell bareMinerals. We had the displays, the t-shirts and the oh so nifty “swirl, tap and buff” tagline. Though I sold bareEscentuals everyday, I never really thought about using it for myself; I was more of a liquid foundation girl. The main line of products, bareMinerals, is a series of mineral-based powder products ranging from foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, eyeshadows and liners and something they call “mineral veil,” a light finishing powder. Their products are created from “all natural” ingredients and claim to actually improve the appearance and feel of your skin with prolonged use.

The majority of their products require a pot of powder, a buffing brush and a lot of patience and neatness. There’s the opening of the pot, the pouring of the powder into the cap, swirling the brush in the cap and tapping off any excess product. Just typing that is exhausting — so when I found a one-stepper, I had to have it!

Only $14 for at least a month’s worth of powder foundation and a buki brush to buff it in, a steal in any book. Pop off the cap and turn the bottom dial and start buffing it into your skin in a circular motion–super easy! Toss this baby into your purse and never be without a healthy, even-toned glow.

I decided to do a little extra trial research before writing this post, so here are all the things you can do with your bareMinerals powder on:

1. Lay out in the sun–its got SPF 15 built in!
2. Go for a run in the park– it’s matte so you won’t even shine!
3. Layer on any bronzer or blush
4. Drink a chocatini
5. Have a screaming match with your boyfriend
6. and of course… look fabulous!

So… go out and buy this little nugget. It’s great for the low maintenance girl on the go AND gals like me where this is my first of many makeup steps. Enjoy it and let me know what you think!

Tip: Take a few extra minutes and get someone working at Ulta or Sephora to do a free color test for you. They’ll try a few different shades on you and find your perfect match. I ended up buying the light (for the winter and my not so tan days) and the medium beige for the summer.

Barbie Gone Bad?

Happy Sunday everyone! Because I’ve been too busy to write a post this weekend, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been working on for class instead. It’s a short infographic about the popularity and demise of the Barbie doll.

I’ve had multiple classes where Barbie’s intentions, repercussions and  ethics have come up. Anyone have any thoughts on the 50+ plastic gal? Does she represent something darker in our society, such as vanity, superficiality and sex or does she empower young girls with her on-the-go style and professions? Or…is she just a doll? Tell me what you think!

It’s All About the Glow

The sun is hot and the air is thick and you’re expected to look like you just came off the set of a perfume commercial– in your gold-tinted monokini and chunky diamond necklace stepping out of your infinity pool in slow motion, just in sight of your Masserratti—but that doesn’t really happen. In reality you’re probably stuck inside eight hours a day in stagnant air under the listful illumination of the florescent lights hovering over your sad little desktop. Then, when you eventually escape the life-sucking dryness of the office, you’re met at the door with the deep blow of dense sweltering humidity that can only come after a long day of hot summer sun. Depressing.

But don’t give up hope! Though you don’t live the life of Uma and her big ugly teeth, you can grab hold of some of her and other celebs’ skin secrets.

Summer is all about the glow. Maintaining a soft dewy complexion that screams hydration is completely doable, using some easy steps and strategically selected products.

Starting off with a clean, smooth canvas is your first task. If you don’t already have one, invest in a body brush, like the Round Body Brush from The Body Shop, to slough away dead, dull skin. While you in the shower, pour a bit of your favorite moisturizing body wash or exfoliating scrub (check out Bliss’ Blood Orange + White Pepper Sugar Scrub!) onto the brush and start scrubbing. Using a circular motion, lightly move the brush across your body, from your shoulders, down to your feet. Keep in mind, if your skin is sensitive, you should stick with a washcloth, as the brush’s bristles may be too rough.

Tip! Using a body brush alone or for an extra boost, with a caffeine scrub, can reduce the appearance of cellulite anywhere you use it. Though the effects aren’t permanent, the give your booty, thighs and stomach a little lift when you need to be in a bikini!

After you’re done exfoliating, use a mild soap cleanser to get rid of an excess oils from your scrub and step out of the shower.

I never use anything solely meant for my body on my face, and neither should you! Your face experiences the most exposure to sun and pollutants than any other part of your body, therefore it is more prone to sensitivity and irritation. Make sure to use a scrub intended for the only the face and neck to provide a gentle exfoliation. You don’t want to go for the big-grain salt or sugar scrubs, you’ll regret it when you come out looking like a lobster.

Next, choose a body lotion with a hint of oil. I know this sounds counterproductive to ridding yourself of oils from the scrubs, but a tiny bit of pre-mixed in oil will help seal in the lotion’s moisture rather than leaving you a slippery mess. I’ve bought plenty of expensive lotions and have come to the same conclusion with all: Johnson & Johnson’s makes the best. I’m telling you, run to CVS and pick up a big pink bottle of Johnson’s Body Care 24 Hour Body Lotion and slather some on. I love this stuff! I’ve got my mom, friends and even the boyfriend using it! The light whipped lotion has a slight floral scent and goes on oh so smooth. I put on the dewy lotion right after I step out of the shower, while I’m still slightly damp, rather than after I towel completely off, which I find really helps in keeping your skin moisturized throughout the day.

Now that your body is ready, your face needs some lovin’ too, but first,  a quick story about $70 face cream. One day, a gorgeous blonde blogger stepped through the doors of a magical land of Smashbox, Bare Minerals and Urban Decay called Sephora. The blogger set out to find a facial serum to boost her not-as-youthful-as-before skin and give it a little radiance. The hunt was on. She searched high and low, through shelves upon shelves of lotions and potions, dodging advances of the helpful, yet overbearing gay salesmen. Just when she thought her hands had no more room for testers and she thought about giving up, she came upon Bliss’s Youth as We Know It Concentrate. This stuff had everything the blogger was looking for: plumping and anti-again properties, silicon for a dewy finish and look! a $32 price tag. The blogger was sold. She took her purchases to the magical counter of credit and handed the MAC counter reject her card. “That’ll be $144,” the woman said. “Oh my!” gasped the blogger. She knew she’d gone a little happy with the bronzers, the mascara and the tweezers but wow. “I’ve worked hard this week,” she said to herself, “I deserve a treat.” So the blogger paid and was on her way with her new shiny black bag and red tissue and skipped home in delight. When given a minute at an unusually long light, she thought to herself, “My that was expensive….what did I buy?” Looking over the list of products typed neatly on her receipt, something popped out at her: “$70?!” she exclaimed. “I bought $70 face cream?!” Turns out the oh-so-perfect product had been moved to the wrong shelf and therefore mislabeled. Angry and frustrated the blogger decided it was best to try the product and if not anything else, return it and blog about it. And hazah! It was awesome! Her face looked fresh and young and had a subtle glow to it. The light citrus scent filled her nose as she swiped on the serum, checking out her new skin in the mirror. After some careful sleuthing on the magical giving tree called Ebay, the blogger found the serum for much less cash and decided she would never be without a bottle and to spread the word! And so, the two (she and the bottle…) lived happily ever after. The End.

^ That extremely long and far too detailed story pretty much sums up how what I think about the concentrate–perfection! After I wash my face and swipe on two pumps of this stuff, I put on my moisturizer (try Hope in a Jar with SPF20) and go through my normal makeup routine. Fast, easy, and with an Ebay account, affordable.

So that’s it! A few simple steps can leave you skin looking and feeling soft, supple and beyond all, glowing.

Polish for your Peep Toes

It’s summer!

Besides being the time to turn on the AC, break out the bikinis and flag down the ice cream man– sandal season is also in full swing!

As much as I love strolling the cobblestone-laid streets of Boston in a heeled boot or a pointed-toe flat, nothing says sunshine and happiness like an open-toed wedge or a cute gladiator sandal or a simple thong-flat or a t-strapped heel… okay okay, you get that I have a problem…

So, now that you’ve ventured into the back of your closet and are officially in the summer spirit, you notice your feet.

If you’re like me, you can’t afford to get a pedicure every Saturday and you’ve been forced to find alternatives– at home pedicures!

I’ve been cooking a lot more lately, so I’m going to form this ‘how-to’ as a recipe:

Ingredients:

Basin large enough to fit both of your feet

Hot Water (not too hot!!)

1 tsp Lavender Oil

1 cup 2% Milk

1/2 cup Epsom Salt

1 cup Honey

Cuticle Cutter

Pumice Stone

Nail Clipper

Nail File

Nail Buffer

Base and Top Coat Polish

Nail Polish Color of Your Choice

Body Lotion

For a soothing soak:

Starting with clean feet–

• Fill a basin (you can get one from CVS) 1/2 full with hot water.
• Drop 1 tsp of essential lavender oil into the water.
• Pour a cup (you can add more if you’d like) of 2% milk in.
• Add one cup of honey — I like to heat it up a bit before, it makes it easier to pour.

Now that you’ve mixed my perfect concoction of spa-like ingredients, take a dip! Get comfy and soak until your tootsies are nice and pruned. Once you’re out, rinse off your feet off in lukewarm water and towel dry.

Tip: You can get really crafty and wrap up a sachet of popperie in a cheesecloth tied with a ribbon instead of using the lavender.

To smooth out the rough edges:

• Get a decent set of cuticle clippers for yourself at Sephora or Ulta or any other cosmetic supply store (bring them to your next professional pedicure appointment and reduce your risk of catching any kind of disease off their equipment — gross, I know.) Gently clip away your water-soaked, soft cuticles, being careful not to go clipper happy and cut off any live skin.
• Soak your pumice stone in the water for a few moments and begin scrubbing your heels and footpad in a circular motion. I don’t use pedicure razors (eyelash curler looking razor) because it’s wayy too easy to cut off too much, where as using a pumice stone is so gradual, it’s hard to do damage.

To shape your nails:

• Clip your nails so that they are level with the tips of your toes.
• For the majority of the filing, you’ll want to go straight across, only slightly rounding the edges at the end.
• Using a buffer, like Sephora’s 4-Step Nail Buffer, smooth the tips that you filed as well as the entire nail. The 4-step is great because it numbers out exactly what order to use each side and is small enough to toss into your weekend bag.

For perfectly polished tootsies:

• Glide a smooth, single layer of base coat, like Sephora by OPI base coat, over nails and wait a full minute to dry.
• Whenever the weather heats up, I get in the mood for bright colors. My current favorite is Sephora by OPI’s Caliente Coral– it’s a deep, almost red orange that reminds me of a hot Mexican summer night. Guaranteed to curb your craving for a little spice.
• If you’re feeling a little adventuresome, whip out Sephora by OPI’s Leaf Him at the Alter or Iris I was Thinner for a sparkly emerald or grape purple color.
• Coat your nails with two layers of whatever color you’re in the mood for and wait four minutes. I know that sounds like a really like time, especially considering nail technicians apply top coat right after the polish, but believe me, if you’re not experienced, wait and let your nails dry.
• Once you can tap on your nails with a fingernail (lightly!) without leaving a mark, you’re reading for the top coat.
• Again….wait! Nothing is worse than taking a good 20 minutes to perfectly paint your nails and then ruining all of your hard work because you were impatient to get to the remote.

  

  Cover Me in Petals, Iris I was Thinner, Leaf Him at the Alter, Caliente Coral

Tip: Run extremely cold water over your nail, and if the water beads right away, your nails are dry enough to put on another coat.

Slap on a nice coat of your favorite body lotion — try Lush’s Dream Cream — you’re all set. Viola! New, clean polished nails for your wayy too expensive straps of leather and wood we call sandals.

Try this:

To keep your feet looking smooth and silky, grab a tub of Vasoline Original and slather some on before bed. Then, put a pair of socks on and when you wake up– they’ll feel amazing and totally touchable — you know… if you’re into that.