A Drugstore Jewel

Hey there,

I'm so excited to share with you a great makeup item I found at a drugstore.

Spotlight on: Revlon's Age Defying Makeup & Concealor Compact with Botafirm, Oil Free and SF 20.

Wow, that is a mouthful of a product name, I know. I bought this at Rite Aid one day; it was on clearance and it cost me about $5. YES, that cheap! I really loved the presentation of the product and since I knew I would have to change foundations soon because of summer, I decided to pick this one up. I don't remember its exact price that you can buy it at without a clearance. So just hunt for a clearance (Rite Aid has tons of them) if you would like to just try it out. I did and I'm loving it every time I use it.

This compact has a mirror and a sponge inside, along with a concealor and a foundation. I've never used the sponge applicator because it takes too much product It comes in eight shades, which should fit most skintones, in my opinion. If you find that the color of the foundation does not perfectly match your own skin color, then just mix the foundation and the concealor for a lighter shade. I prefer to use a powder on top to set it and to add some color. If that doesn't work, just use bronzer and problem solved :) If you have yellow-undertones, you will most likely find an amazing match and will be satisfied. These are the available shades from what I know:

01 - Ivory Beige

02 - Nude Beige

03 - Sand Beige (my shade)

04 - Natural Beige

05 - Medium Beige

06 - Honey Beige

07 - Natural Tan

08 - Early Tan

Will finish up later....

Candle Review

Hey there,
So going along with the theme of posts on new topics, I'll review a candle today. I love burning candles, but I am quite peculiar about the scents. Being the kind of gal that absolutely adores sweets scents such as Bath and Body Works' Warm Vanilla Sugar, I was bought in right away by:

Spotlight on: Slatkin & Co.'s Vanilla Shortbread.

You can find it at Bath and Body Works, which is scent heaven!!! I believe it runs for $19.50 for 14.5 oz/411 grams. I am not completely sure because I got this as a Christmas gift from my friend M. I am also not sure whether you can get a smaller size, if you would just like to try it out. Do your research on their website and see. You are getting a lot of product for the price, trust me. It comes in a glass jar which has a tin lid that has Slatkin & Co. imprinted on it. There is a rubber between the lid and the jar itself. This is what the label on the bottom says:

Highly frangranced candle created exclusively by Harry Slatkin and developed and tested by our team of Home Frangrances experts. Made using the highest concentration of frangrance oils, an exclusive blend of vegetable eax and lead-free wicks for optimal performance. Burn time of approximately 40-65 hours. Warning: Do not burn candle for more than 3-4 hours at a time. Allow to cool before relighting. Keep out of drafts.

I am so addicted to it, it's unbelievable how fast my money runs out over there. You will want to eat this candle! It's delicious and rich in "flavor." I can almost guarantee it. Not only does it smell yummy but it even looks yummy. It definitely reminds me of the vanilla shortbreak cookies, even though I don't like them (for their texture, not their smell). And come on, it even has little chunks in it. I think they're cinnamon because I personally feel that there is an extremely light cinnamon scent in it. I can almost smell nutmeg in it too. I don't know; maybe it's both, or maybe it's neither. To my own perception of the scent, it sometimes can smell lemon-y, but that doesn't b0ther me as I like the mixture of different oils that you get in it.

Do not doubt the ability of this candle: what you smell IS what you will get. Within a few seconds, the whole room begins to smell like the candle itself does. The room's smell is quite true to what you smell one inch away from the wax. That can lead you to only needing to burn it for a few minutes, if you just desire a light scent (and by light, I don't mean this is a light scent; I mean as in the longer you burn the candle, the bigger the intensity of its scent). If you are a fanatic like mysaelf, burn away - there's no need to stop. I would repurchase this a million times, if I ever need to haha.


*Pictures will follow later*

~ TheBeautyBebe

Another version of P10P?

Hey there,
I've been productive lately in using my whole makeup collection in general, rather than only a selection of it. Yet, I am hitting on new pans but none of the stuff I had up for the other P10P. That's so unfortunate because now I have about 18 things that are nearing their end. I'll give those till May - that's it! I have also approached the end of many hair products. After counting them, I decided they would make a great round of Project 10 Pan, a new version (I'm pretty sure someone out there must have thought of this at some point). There should be anywhere from a week to two weeks of applications left in each item. Let's say I'll update this the last week of March; sounds reasonable to me. There's only two things I will repurchase, although at no rush for that. I forsee a second time of doing this, soon. As for the rest of the products on the list, I am anxious to never see them again for a long time haha.

1. Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo - DONE
2. B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Wash (will buy again) - DONE
3. 365 Herbal Mint Shampoo (I use this to wash my brushes) - DONE
4. Skintimate Flirty Mango (will buy again - it smells delicious) - DONE
5. TRESemme Thermal Recovery Conditioner
6. Coconut Oil Exfoliator - at home preparation
7. Listerine
8. Johnson's Baby Oil (I've had this for a whiiiiiileeeeeee)
9. Garnier Fructis Style XXL Volume Root Booster
10. Garnier Fructis Style Curl Scrunch Gel

These will run out so fast, I can see it coming. I will update you for sure.

~ TheBeautyBebe

Gold and Pink Look

Hey there,

I haven't posted in such a long time and wanted to make a comeback with something new: a tutorial! Well, not really because I do not walk you through it. I just show you what I used and you can see how you can recreate it if you would like. All products have been purchased by me throughout the last year. I do use both drugstore and department store brands.

Products used:

Eyes

- Urban Decay Primer Potion (the original - prepares the eyelid for color and keeps the shadows on for long without creasing)
- MAC Paintpot in "Soft Ochre" (for base)
- Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Wet/Dry Shadow in the color "Hot Ginger" (gold-y, shimmer-y; I used it dry today)
- Lancome Color Design eyeshadow in "Five Star" Metallic (purple-ish pink, carefully blended with the gold shadow, start in the whole crease then maneuver the color according to your eye shape)
- Lancome Color Design Quad, eyeshadow "Daylight" (matte finish, used as a highlight color for the browbone, blend with "Five Star" for faded effect)
- MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack" (gel eyeliner, used for waterline and tightline)
- Estee Lauder Artist's Eye Pencil in "01 Softsmudge Black" (smudged on the lower lashline)

Lashes ~

- Clinique "High Impact Mascara" in 01 Black (one coat only)

Eyebrows ~

- L'Oreal HIP Duo in "808 Foxy" (I used the matte brown color)

Lips ~

- Maybelline lipstick in "550 Sand" (beige color, super smooth)
- NYC lipgloss in "538" (the sticker peeled off so I don't know the exact name, sorry :[ but it's a beige color as well, smells like coconut)

Face ~

- Clinique "Almost Makeup SPF 15" foundation in 03 Medium
- Lancome Blush Subtil Powder Blush in "Cedar Rose" (contains fine/small shimmers, light peach color, gives a highlight effect, especially on tanned skin)

*PLEASE NOTE: I did not use a concealor today *

Yep, that is it for today. So glad to be back; I should learn to update more often.

Till later, bye bye!!!

~ TheBeautyBebe

Give your nails a little help

Hey there,

As I have stated before in one of my posts, I used to be a huge nail bitter. I spend about a year dependant on press-ons and fake nails because I couldn't grow my own nails. About two months ago, I decided to stop 11 years of purely destroying my poor nails and the area around them. Proud to say I have not bit my nails since. I know it's hard and you may think you won't be able to do it. Actually, I know exactly how that feels. But I also know the feeling I get when I see my nail beds recovered and the nail growing past the flesh. I finally have nail tips! And that is all due to these two:

Sally Hansen's Green Tea + Bamboo Nail Strengthener and Sally Hansen's Grow Nails Now Nail Growth Solution

You can get either (or in my case, both!) at drugstores. Since they are nail treatments, they will cost more than a Sally Hansen nail polish. With a buy one, get second 1/2 at Rite Aid, both products came to around $12.99. I dislike its packaging, it's a bit too much. I understand that unlike nail polish, using a nail treatment needs directions. But, if the directions are in the back of the bottle, it's unnecessary to tag along more paper with same directions. I wish Sally Hansen thought of that. However, for the product, I can get past that fact. On to the each product review.

1) Name: Green Tea + Bamboo Nail Strengthener

This is pretty much your ordinary base coat and top coat. It comes in a 0.5 fl oz/14.7 ml bottle that has cute packaging (green top and label aww). The brush and the bottle are the same as any S H nail polish. The directions on the back of it say the following.

TO USE: Apply 1 coat as a base coat. Let dry. Apply 1-2 coats of your Sally Hansen nail color. Let dry. Apply Green Tea + Bamboo Nail Strengthener as a top coat for a high gloss finish.

Now, you do not need to use SH nail polish; any brand works just fine. I like it as a base coat and as a top coat. It dries fairly quick and has a nice texture that makes my nail feel softer before using nail polish. The "high gloss finish" is definitely achievable with only one coat of this. It also makes my nail color more long lasting and it takes longer to chip. I love it for that purpose. As a nail strengthener, however, it failed to impress me. I was super excited for the green tea action,, which didn't happen with me. I did not notice any major strengthening to my nails neither while having this on nor after using it. Since this costs more than the regular base or top coat, I won't repurchase it just for that purpose. I will be in the lookout for a new nail strengthener as soon as I am done with this. I brush it on my nails at least 2 times a week, so for the half of bottle left, that should take me about 1 month.

2) Name: Grow Nails Now Nail Growth Solution

Directions: Brush generously over nails and cuticles; gentkly massage in. Let nails dry before applying nail enamel, or wear alone for a natural look.

This is one of my favorite nail treatments out there. I find the price to be reasonable for the quality of the product. The brush is just like the other except that it initially looks like a stick - you need to distribute its hairs manually. You brush it on like a nail polish but this is made of a different texture. You will see air working with it and dry it on your nail as soon as contact happens. If you do not massage it into your nails and cuticles, it will just stay on your skin and become sticky and then uncomfortable all over your hands.

This stuff works miracles. As directions stated, I use it 5-10 mins before layering on a base coat - 5 min to masage it in and 5 to let it dry. Your nail will feel stronger after the first week of use, even though that is not the purpose of this product. As for length/nail growth, you will definitely notice a different within the first few days. Even after many generous applications (two coats each time - one before base coat and one after top coat, twice a day, every day of the week!), this stuff never seems to run out. It's been over three weeks of using it and I'm only done 1/5 of the 0.45 fl oz/13.3ml bottle (btw, the weight is not visible on this one; I was looking hard to find it,, rgh). I am going to get a backup of this soon because I love it!

Just for a side note, I have not been using this simultaneously with my Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream (for which I already have a review) so I can assure you any results of changes in my nails are due to both of these products and nothing else.

On to explore more treatments for my lovely&adorable fresh new nails.

~ TheBeautyBebe

Exfoliater Review

Wow... It's been so long since I haven't blogged. The snow outside has me on a blogging mood. So here I am. Lately, I have been addicted to exfoliators - both face and body.

Spotlight on: The Body Shop Nutmeg and Vanilla Body Scrub
I got this as a gift from my friend Ennie. So the price I found on the website (www.thebodyshop-usa.com) is $20 for 200 ml/8.4 fl oz. You can also purchase it in a 50 ml/1.69 fl oz jar (only part of a Christmas Limited Edition Gift Set). The packaging is cute and simple. It comes on a jar with a warm toned theme. The jar itself is clear which allows you to see how much product you have in there. The scrub itself is a cream color, a mixture of milky body wash with dark brown sugar (or honey, I think it's honey) & nutmeg (which is walnut shells turned into powder, or in this case rougher than powder) granules. It is meant for body use so I wouldn't recommend as a face scrub; it is a bit rougher than necessary.

The title is truthful to the smell - pure nutmeg and vanilla scent that will permeate the room. When I use this in the shower, I don't need any bath gels or anything that I usually use for a nice ambience and smell. This does the trick. As the website says, it will make you nostalgic, a feeling I love. You might have to stop yourself from trying to eat this thing, sooo delicious hehe. However, the scent won't stay in your skin for long after you cleanse it. If you are a fan of the frangrance like I am, your best bet is buying a lotion part of the line.

The granules are very chunky. Sometimes they will stay on the rim of the jar and stop you from fully closing it so make sure to clean the sides. I usually begin scrubbing by taking product from the rim and then moving on to the cap. I rarely need to dig in the jar itself. This also saves me from allowing water get into the jar. If you are afraid that might happen to you, try pouring a little of the scrub into the cap and then putting the jar away from water contact, since you won't need it.

On to how effective the product is...
I really like using this on my knees and ankles. Use circular motions around any area of your body for better rresults. If your skin is so dry to the point of seeing cracks in it, stay away from a scrub because it could make it bleed. Try some conditioning on it (whether it's home remedies or store solutions) and then use this scrub. It works miracles during those lazy days I forget putting lotion on my legs (yea, that's baaad!). I will use this three times a week max, sometimes it works better every third day or so. The honey makes your skin soft and nutritions it after the scrub takes out the dirt out of your skin (remember, scrubbing depletes your skin's moisture so the honey is a major plus is ANY face or body scrub!).

Those are my thoughts. Maybe some day, I will blog about all of the items I have from this collection. Until my next post, stay warm and enjoy my blog :)

~TheBeautyBebe

Mineral Powder Review

Hey there,

So I am not much of a fan of mineral makeup in general. I really do not get its point. But I still try some.

Spotlight: L'Oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Powder

Dime sized hole since I hit pan, finally!

If you are used to (and tired of!) reading reviews of my favorite products, here goes an exception!!!

My thoughts, a bit harsh...

First of all, the price of this foundation powder is skyrocketting in comparison with its quality. I think I paid $12.99 for it, a long time ago. it comes in a 9.5 g/0.33 fl oz jar that has the typically huge lid and small product-filled bottom. I have it a try for a week and hated it, left it aside for over six months, and now went back to it because I am desperate to run out of it.

The company claims that this product will provide a "flawless finish." Well, it did absolutely nothing for me as a foundation. The color range is lacking and oftentimes mismatched. There are eight shades, only eight!! My mediterranean olive skin tone came up as third before last. That's absurd in my opinion as there are tons of shades darker than me - two other colors won't cover that darker range. In almost all of L'Oreal's foundations, I am in the Buff colors. Well, I got this in 418 Buff Beige and it's way too light for my skintone. Given that you don't have samplers/testers in drugstores, it would be much simpler if the company kept true to naming its shades. It won't even my skintone nor hide any imperfections like the majority of drugstore brand foundations. That is a bummer! :[

The crescent moon shaped brush it came with is completely useless; it is as rough as you can get with a pressed powder brush - the handle is awkward, it sheds without being used, and I would never consider putting it near my face. Because it is so harsh and fake, once you try to swipe it in the product, the pressed powder is scapped off into a pigment powder. I was not expecting that. If I wanted loose powder, I would not have gotten pressed powder. After a few applications, it seemed a bit chunky, which I despise in pressed powders.

Now that I hit pan on this powder, I noticed that it is not fine in texture; actually, it has layers of pressed powder instead of the common practice of loose powder in a jar and THEN it gets pressed. It is too rough to apply on the skin, even at a light hand. It's too heavy for a regular mineral powder. How did I hit pan, you ask? I have practically forced myself to use it to set my foundation (liquid). I swirl my nicest and softest brush in it for a better application throughout my face. I sweep it extremelt lightly or else this will end up looking cakey on me, which tends to happen with all mineral foundations. This also prevents it from making me look pale, since it's only a little bit of product on brush to my face. It also failed on me as a highlighter, which was my original thought to use it as when I realized it was too light of a foundation. Speaking of that, I am disappointed at it mineral foundation properties. I have another L'Oreal Mineral Powder that I am somewhat satisfied with, but this is purely useless.

I like that this powder has SPF 24, which helps certain people who are the laziest at wearing sunscreen (like me!). I also like the fact that this is unscented/fragrance free. If it smelled horribly, it would be the least of my problems with it. But I still appreciate that it's frangrance free which makes it bearable until I finish it. It also works for all skin types, a result I can attest to since I have used it as different times of my skin type cycle - from dry to normal to semi-oily. I tried this on my mother, who has sensitive skin, and her skin was not irritated afterwards. So I'd give it a plus for being friendly to sensitive skin women. As for its lasting powder, it leans more towards long-lasting, but still not enough for a whole day of work or school. It is also readily available. I don't remember not having seen this product at any drugstore around me.

If this was a high-end product, I would have returned it within a few days. I am someone who thinks it is worth it to try anything, but I would suggest you try some other L'Oreal mineral powder instead of this. Save your money, please.

~ TheBeautyBebe