Urban Decay's NAKED 2 Palette

I'm beyond excited to get my grubby little hands on this....

It's currently sold out on Urban Decay's website...but Sephora has them...click HERE....mine is on it's way!

My Sephora Top 10

in no particular order....

1. Urban Decay's NAKED palette (LINK)

Hands down the best eye shadow investment I've ever made. My sister and a couple friends have bought it as well and love it just as much as I do. I'm a brunette with greenish hazel eyes and I use almost every color in this palette. It comes with a tiny bottle of their primer potion, which I love as well, and totally worth the $40 something dollar price tag 

2. Clarisonic Skin Care Brush (LINK)

My friend suggested this to me. She had one that she received as a Christmas gift and really really liked it. I have my fair share of complexion woes and I love this. I use it primarily at night after I take off my make up and wash my face with this before I go to bed. It reminds me of the deep cleaning you get when you go for a facial. I'm one who would wash my face and never get that really clean scrubbed feeling..this does the trick. I also have skin that gets really dry in some places (mostly my nose) during the winter and find that cleansing with this helps cut down on the flakiness. If you don't want to go for the regular sized one, there's also a smaller sized one called the Mia for about $80 less! I also use my normal face wash with this..while the samples from Clarisonic were nice..any facewash will do. I once did try it with my face scrub..no success!

3. Lancome Definicils Mascara (LINK)

This is my go to mascara. I've tried tons of different brands..from Maybelline's Great Lash that everyone calls the best and who can beat it at $4 a tube...sorry didn't give me the length I wanted...to the cult following that Diorshow Mascara has...flaked on me and really bothered my eyes. I always go back to Lancome Definicils. It lengthens and it's not a mushy mascara that I find under my eye in an hour or two. I love the way it stiffens on my lashes..as a contact lens wearer that's important so I'm not constantly feeling like my make up is flaking into my eye. They do have the new Definicils Precious Cells...in my opinion the original is better..the Precious Cells had a clay like feel on my lashes I didn't care for.

4. Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder (LINK)

I've never been a huge bronzer person. In the summers in New England, I'm usually sporting a tan and in the winter I went with the white face and blush look...once I started using this, I quickly found out how the latter look wasn't working for me. I use this as an a quick all over face powder to give me a little color. I went with the light since my skin is fair and I don't believe it looks like that tacky bronzer painted on look that many ladies are sporting and adds that little ooomph I need to get thru the winter pasty white months.

5. Dior Airflash Foundation (LINK)

A couple girls recommended this to me. During the summer months, I typically wear a sheer tinted moisturizer. My goto brand has been Laura Mercier. However, once the tan has faded and I need some more coverage..the tinted moisturizer just doesn't cut it. This foundation is fabulous. I've never used a product with such great coverage. It does take a couple tries to find a way that you're comfortable applying it. Some spray it right on their face, I spray it on a kabuki brush and then apply it to my face. It does have a big price tag, so I don't wear it daily and usually use it once a week and for special nights out. Once in a while I do get some dryness from it and will take a break. I have read reviews with people complaining about breakouts as well since there's a small amount of oil in it. If your skin can handle this, you'll be hooked!

6. Fresh Brown Sugar Face Polish ( LINK)

The most amazing face scrub I've ever used. I love Fresh products and this is my favorite by far. A little bit of this stuff goes a long way. It smells so good and does the job. The tiny sugar crystals exfoliate your face so well. No other face scrub/exfoliater that I've tried comes even close to this one.

7. Make Up Forever HD Finishing Powder (LINK)

I tend to have a shinier face...once I put on concealer and foundation, I need a little something over it to help it set in and last me the day. I was using Bare Minerals Mineral Veil but got frustrated with it. Those stupid little tops would snap off on me and the stuff was everywhere in my make up case. If any got on my clothes..like one tiny speck even...it never comes off for me. I read reviews about this finishing powder and love it. It sets everything in and is a bit lighter than the mineral veil. It is a little powdery..when I swirl my brush in it, I get a little dust..but for what it does..that's a very minor downfall!

8. Clinque City Block Everyday Sunscreen (LINK)

I wear this sunscreen every single day. It doesn't matter if it's 80 and sunny or -10 degrees and a blizzard out. I never leave the house without sunscreen on. This is light enough to put right over my moisturizer, doesn't clog pores, make you greasy or shiny, and protects you against harmful rays. A daily staple for me and if you're not wearing sunscreen and care about wrinkles or think the spf in your foundation is enough..it probably isn't!

9. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light (LINK)

I think the same friend that recommended the Dior Airflash led me to this primer as well. You might not think you need a primer, and some may not, but if you find yourself looking in the mirror at lunch time thinking where did my foundation go..one might work for you. I feel like this primer is light enough...I moisturize, suncreen, prime, then comes the make up. the same as the Clinque Cityblock..it doesn't clog pores or make my skin feel heavy and creates a nice blank canvas before I put my make up on.

10. Urban Decay Primer Potion (LINK)

I started using this once I purchases my NAKED palette. The times I haven't used it, I usually get the dreaded eye shadow crease or the colors I so carefully put on are just mushed together and create one. One tube might seem expensive but goes a very long way. I think I'm going on month 5 with my current tube and I use this everyday I wear eyeshadow..which is typically 6 out of the 7 days a week. They also have some tinted primers...I purchased one this summer and loved it..gave a little extra shimmer that I loved for the summer months!



It was quite hard to narrow down my list to just 10 things...maybe I'm a Sephora whore..but I love all things make up and body product related. There were quite a few items that should get an honorable mention..like Nars Blush in Orgasm, Laura Merciers Secret Concealer, Bliss Body Butter, L'occitane hand cream, Clinique Chubby Sticks, Rosebud Salve...ahh the list goes on and on!

Meaningful Beauty

who knew that I would stumble upon a skincare line from an informercial. who knew I would LOVE this stuff and have a big fear that it will disappear from shelves and I won't know what to do with myself. I'm not big on the informercial watching...but this past spring I went through a downright terrible time with my complexion. I'm 33...I honestly thought the days of zit cream and acne were over now that I've moved onto gray hair and wrinkle worries. To my dismay..last winter and spring things got bad...so bad that one day I contemplated calling out sick to work because I was too embarrassed to show my face. It got so bad I called my doctor to see what magic she could suggest.

Then...a little fairy god mother esthetician friend of mine had a suggestion. She had a friend in the field who suggested a product to her...it was this stuff...Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford.

I know you've probably flipped by the informercial with Cindy Crawford and her French dermatologist and his magic melons that he uses in this stuff. It sounds a little phooey. But, on the recommendation of a skin care professional who had first hand knowledge of the woes of my complexion..I figured what do I have to lose? I will admit, I don't love all the products and really hate that it's the tv offer where you have to sign up and they just ship the next month's supply to you. so, there's a way around it. Some Sephora stores are now carrying a little sample size kit for $49 as well as the full sized products that you can buy individually. I have 2 Sephora's near me..a big one inside a big mall, and a little one inside a JC Penney. The little one has this kit which came the cleanser, serum, day cream, and night cream. These "sample" sizes lasted me for over a month.

The only product from the sample kit I could without was the cleanser. It was a nice cleanser but there was nothing special about it. After using this for the past 6 months or so I've noticed a dramatic difference in my skin. Before I was breaking out..and not just blemishes here and there..they were the ones you could feel under your skin for days and days that erupted on your face. My doctor coined this as my "hormonal" acne..thanks doc. Those breakouts have disappeared and the look and feel of my complexion has really turned around. These products have had just a really calming effect on my skin.

My go to products that I purchased at my Sephora inside my local JC Penney (weird that the bigger one isn't carrying this stuff yet..but whatever) are the Antioxidant Day Cream with SPF 20, the Glowing Serum, and the Night Cream. This trifeca of products I, now, cannot live without. There are additional products like eye cream etc that I have yet to try. I have also found some products on amazon and ebay (if you can deal with the auctions etc..I'm too impatient to) and do offer a little bit of a discount. My skin care estetician friend fortunately didn't have the bad complexion woes I did, but instead had rosacea issues which this helped tremendously with as well. I know it's not targeted for acne issues and I think I had a pretty good skin care regimen before with products from Kinerase and Philosophy. I also like that these products handle the anti-aging thing for me to..any anti aging product I bought before..from serums to night creams..really really dried me out.

So..a little review of a product I'm loving. I suggested it to a friend who was having similar issues...she's a month in and liking it to!

Some Cool Weather Running Essentials...

I love that the snow is melting, I can see grass, and I can start running outside. It's a little liberating to my usual must hit the gym for turbo kick class schedule where I'm indoors all the time. It keeps exercising fun when you have another option to go to besides being a complete gym rat.

Now that the first 5k race of the season is under my belt..I decided to treat myself to a couple new things to keep the runner in me half alive and keep the road races going this summer...

First off...I needed a new running jacket. It's still a little chilly out there. I have one or two clearance rack TJ Maxx fleeces I've been rotating through and a really beat up stretched out I used to be an XL and am no longer jacket from Old Navy that's just too big but will do if the others are in the laundry and I've been a bad wife and haven't done a load all week.

One essential requirement on any running attire for me..must have a pocket, preferably zipper, to hold my car key. I do most of my running at local bike path since Casa de Allan is on a main road and people whizz up and down it in their larger than life SUV's. I prefer the zipper because I had my alarm remote thingy in an unzippered pocket. It flew out somewhere between mile 1 and 2..yeah..finding it kind of sucked.

I grabbed this jacket at the Gap...on sale for $34.99 and I had my Gap Give and Get 30% coupon...as you can see I really like it. Best thing..in this somewhat chilly weather I love these thumb holes so I can avoid wearing gloves..no I wasn't just giving you a big thumb's up..I'm showing off my fancy thumb hole deal! Also..please ignore the no make up look..the husband was away, it was a Sunday and I was going running..who needs make up for that kind of day?

Another fun essential..a good chapstick. I'm a chronic lip biter and most stuff I've found just wears off immediately. One lip balm I found that I love..mostly because it gives a little gloss but mostly because an hour later, I still feel like I have it on....Rosebud Salve. $6 at Sephora...sometimes if I'm not in the mood for a lipstick kind of day..I grab this...so I really feel like I got my 6 bucks worth since it's great for running outside or good for a day when I'm not feeling the glam squad needs to come out

Another little fun item that's become a life saver for me because of my sensitive eyes...Skin Organics Coffee Berry with Hemp Oil Balm. I wear contacts and if it's windy out my poor eyes water like there's no tomorrow. At a road race last weekend people probably thought I was crying it was so bad. I love this balm and sometimes during the winter I put it on my eye area at night because its so moisturizing. But, even better, I slick a little near the corners of my eyes and its a life save for preventing my eyes from getting dry and watery. Mad props to my sister, Heidi, for discovering this. It was one of her "Favorite Things" circa Christmas 2009...my sisters and I knock off Oprah's Favorite Things and pick our favorite things of the year for a Christmas exchange every year..so much fun!

This balm is sold at Whole Foods

It's like a giant chapstick..I use it in the corners or my eyes and on my lips as well.

Some other no brainer running essentials..My IPOD of course..if I didn't have that I'd probably carry on a conversation with myself the whole time, as well as a good pair of sneakers. Good sneakers are important..last summer I was suffering from such hip pain only to get fitted for a pair of sneakers to find out my old ones had way too much cushioning that cause me to roll out when I ran.

And of course...my pretty Sigg water bottle

So maybe you're not a runner..but you should get outside now that the weather's warming up and exercise that body of yours! So, if you don't run, go for a nice brisk walk! You deserve it, you need it, and it does a body good! You're not going to live a long healthy life watching reality tv with a plate of bon bons in front of you!

Spalook.com Friends and Family Sale!

I really like this website. I bet there are a million websites where you can get the products that http://www.spalook.com/ sells..but they're always on sale or there's always a great coupon code on this site!

Here's a coupon code for 20% off..the best thing..a lot of your high end brand names..Kinerase, Philosophy, Clarisonic (best face washer ever...click HERE to see my previous post about this little gem), Dermalogica, Dr. Brandt, Ojon, Kate Sommerville, and Murad just to name a few! Plus..free shipping on items over $50 all the time!

This is my go to spot for my favorite absurdly pricey moisturizer..Kinerase which is generally always excluded from coupon codes. Enjoy!

I got NAKED this week

I've been reading about this palette by Urban Decay on blogs and websites since around the holidays. I've never really used too many Urban Decay products but after my little make up class last weekend, I decided, in my fit of retail therapy to fill the void of my traveling husband, to bite the bullet and give it a whirl.

My only disappointment..apparently the demand for the Naked palette is so huge that Urban Decay can't make their 24/7 eyeliner pencil fast enough. This palette is supposed to come with a double ended black/whiskey pencil...so a big boo that I got stuck with the brush..because I have a million floating around.

here's a shot of the inside...notice my fluffy blue robe in the mirror :)

Here are some close ups of the different colors...I'm loving that they're not your typical boring neutrals and that there's a mix of shimmery and matte and a great range of colors.

Here's a pretty cool picture from http://www.makeupgeek.com/. It shows all the colors against skin to give you an idea of how they'll go on.

I must say...I'm thoroughly enjoying this. I have brown hair and hazely sometimes they look light sometimes they look brown eyes. These colors are working well. It took me a couple days to get used to how powdery UD shadows are. You definitely swipe the brush and tap..if I didn't, I found shadow getting everywhere. It was also my first time using UD primer..must say..I did love it. I only noticed the eye shadow wearing after probably 10 hrs..and this was after a 2 mile run at the gym and a power yoga class.

now...my new secret obsession....searching YouTube for videos on how to use the Naked palette. I can't tell you how many hours of entertainment make up tutorials on You Tube provided for me this week. It might sound silly...but just try it. I tried a new foundation and was given the suggestion to look at a tutorial on YouTube for application tips...I'm now addicted!

Just a couple looks I'm enjoying so far...

-Toasted on the lid, Hustle in the crease, Sin as a highlight on the browbone and a little Hustle to line the lower lashes

-Naked on the lid, Hustle in the crease and Virgin or Sin as a highlight on the brow bone

- Toasted on the lid, Buck in the crease blended up into the brow bone, Hustle in the crease and Virgin as a highlight on the brow bone

Just to name a few! This palette is sold at Sephora and, I believe, Ulta stores as well. Good luck finding it in stock at the stores...I went to two different Sephoras last week and both had none in stock. Online might be the way to go...and Sephora is having a special with face care samples until April 5th...so what more of a reason do you need now!

I'm not a make up guru...but I do like to go to Sephora and try new stuff. This palette retails for $48 at Sephora and I'm deeming it a good 48 bucks spent. You get a ton of colors, liner or brush and a little bottle of primer. I also find myself using a lot of colors..not like other palettes where you have some butt ugly colors you would never ever use!

Lastly..my favorite Youtube tutorial..I think it's her neat little accent that makes it my fav

Essie at Target!

After I got the first pedicure of the season for Mexico in February, I've been itching for warm weather to come and for me to bust out the flip flops and be able to wear them with a straight face..aka not being the moron wearing them in 40 degree temps. The weather in New England has no cooperated as I sit here at work in a dress with a scarf on since my office is a bit chilly today.

Even though spring has been quite nippy here in RI...but it hasn't stopped me from going through the nail polish collection, ditching the really old stuff and deciding what new colors I'd like to buy for the warm weather.

This week I went to 3 different Target stores..all different locations. Hey, I was bored, there are 2 conveniently located with 3 miles of each other near me..and I went to see my mom this weekend and what do the ladies in my family do best...shop. At Target no less.

So, on all trips I was tickled pink to see that Target has started to carry ESSIE nail polish. This revelation may have been one of the most exciting things that happened during my weekend. Yes, Mr. Allan is still away so little things like this are really exciting to me.

I LOVE Essie nail polish. In my book, it's sooooo much better than OPI. It's almost the same price but it stays so much longer than OPI. I have a million and half nail salons near my house and I drive to a certain Star Nails in Middletown, RI, solely because they have Essie Polish.

So..my Essie scores at Target...

Wicked..to fufill my dark polish needs

Imported bubbly for the hands

and a little Plumberry

I also tried their top coat...I'm not a huge fan of how thick the OPI top coat is and after trying to thin it out with some nail polish remover..it was time to move on! Essie nail polish was sold at all my local Targets for around $7.

I love this stuff

Thank you to my sister for introducing me to this stuff and thank you to my sister in law for reminding me how much I love it and had forgotten about it! I love this stuff. Once upon a time I was an over highlighted blond...I know, what was I thinking, especially with my black eyebrows. Maybe I was trying to rock the Denise Richards look from years ago when Charlie Sheen wasn't crazy and everyone talked about her kiss in Wild Things. Then, I met my lovely hairdresser who brought me back to brown. My sister suggested this glaze by John Frieda. They make some specific to your hair color and this clear one as well. It gives my hair a little pick me up while I'm trying to trudge through the 6 weeks between color because I'm turning gray rapidly period. I use it maybe once a week when I need a little something something. It leaves my hair super shiny and silky..something my way too blow dried hair needs. Consider it a little tlc for those, like me, who give their hair a run for their money with the stuff I do to it on a weekly basis.

Band Aid Friction Stick

This is the ultimate savior for women who like some killer sandals or heels but are scared to wear them because they'll hurt your feet, the strap will rub wrong, or you'll get a blister. I made Mr. Allan truck it to Walmart on the eve of our Mexico trip...when we found out they were sold out, we went to CVS...when they didn't have it, it was on to Rite Aid. I have a love affair with this stupid thing once spring hits and my stupid mom Dansko clogs get shoved in the closet and I can whip out the flip flops and sandals.

Of course...it was in my ziploc bag full of my 3oz toiletries for the plane ride...just in case I needed a quick swipe...

I call it my blister block...if you put on a pair of sandals and can totally tell where a strap might rub you wrong...you simply take this bad boy and rub it right on the area. It's similar to a flat tube of chapstick or a mini tube of deodorant, the wheel at the bottom rolls the stick up and you can rub it right on the area. The key is...you need to rub it on right when you feel a strap, the back of a shoe, the thong part of a flip flop rubbing. If you wait until you have an actual blister..it doesn't have the same effect. During spring and early summer when my feet are just getting used to the feel of flip flops, this is always in my purse. A small warning...if it's beastly warm out..it will melt! I also had this in the limo when we got married as Mr. Allan and I were trucking it around downtown Providence and I was in some good sized heels and I think a bridesmaid here and there rubbed a little on as well! It's been a life saver so many times...when we're out at night in the summer..you never want to be that chick who's walking barefoot on the street when the bars let out...or anywhere!

I usually find the Friction Block by Band Aid at Target and Walmart for around $7.

Another new love....

It took 32 years, but I have finally found a skin care regimen that works for me. I know you might read this and think...woman, wash your face and moisturize...but it's really just not that simple. I have weird skin...some days it looks great, in the wintertime it's so dry that my nose peels like I have a sunburn, and then there's this bout of breakouts I've been experiencing in my 30's...not to mention..where does one 32 year old gal even start with the anti-aging crap?

It's been rough the past year...I finally found a moisturizer I love but I couldn't get the breakouts under control. I wash my face in the morning and at night and exfoliate quite frequently but I just couldn't get them to stop. So, a couple months ago, I was having a nice leisurely lunch with my friend, L. She mentioned this product...a gift from her mom..and, of course, impulsive me, had to buy it since she was having some similar skin issues and it helped her.

I must say...I'm in love with this stupid thing. My husband saw it near our electric toothbrushes and said..what is that thing? He kind of looks at me like I have three heads as I use it morning and night...but my face looks sooooo much better. I haven't had those huge I can feel them just hurting under the surface of my skin sitting there waiting to ruin my week breakouts since I started with my Clarisonic Cleanser.

I can't even describe how much I love this little doo-hicky machine. It gives me such a deep down clean that is the equivalent to a mini facial for me. It's no wonder why I was probably breaking out so bad...washing with my handy dandy face wash doesn't compare to washing my face with the Clarisonic. I'm sure there was make up, dirt and who knows what that I was wasn't getting off my face every night.

I bought mine at http://www.spalook.com/. They have some pretty kick-ass coupon codes and I nabbed it for 20% off with free shipping as well.

Here's how I justified my purchase....I probably get a few facials a year...I spend around $80 plus tip, not to mention the countless anti-acne face wash, spot treatment, etc I've purchases when I'm feeling bad about my skin and walk through the doors of any CVS, Target, Walmart, Rite Aid, or Walgreens. So, while the Clarisonic may be a little expensive (don't forget to google for a coupon code!), in the long run, absolutely, positively, 100% worth it....at least my face thinks so!

Beating the winter blues...

Right about now, I'm all set with winter. I hate it. I hate being cold. I hate runny noses. I hate the static I get wearing a million layers and scarves etc. I hate how parched and dry I feel..from my hands, to my face, I feel like a cold, crackly mess. It's right about now that I try and convince Mr. Allan that we should move to a warmer climate since our summers are so short and our winters suck in New England.

So, here's my middle of the winter survival products that help me bring me out of my winter slump. The weather sucks outside so go and grab yourself a little beauty pick me up.

My hands are so dry right now..to the point where I'm surprised my knuckles aren't cracking. Some of it's an occupational hazard..I work in probably one of the most dirty germ infested buildings in RI...Family Court. I must purel my hands 10-20 times a day and vigorously wash them the same amount. So, in an effort to keep germs away, I kill my hands. This is my favorite hand cream..I've blogged about it before and I'm mentioning it again because it works! I've tried Neutrogena, Kiehl's, Eucerin, you name it and nothing compares to this.

Gardner's Helpers Hand Therapy by Crabtree and Evelyn

Besides my hands, my feet get totally shafted during the winter. I keep up with pedicures when I'm showing them off during the warm months, but in winter, they get neglected. One product I love is Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream. I love to put this on my feet right before I go to the gym. I slather this on, put on my white gym socks and then my sneakers and my feet get a treat while I go to the gym and work out. It helps prevent gross cracked heels and keeps my feet smooth during the winter months.

When it comes to my body..during winter I have dry weird white legs...I feel like I could put on a whole bottle of moisturizer and they're begging for more. I have two favorite go to moisturizers...one smells nice and girly the other is a no nonsense product.

My first favorite is L'Occitane Shea Butter Body Lotion. I discovered this when we were on our honeymoon. We were staying at the Four Seasons in Maui and our lovely marble bathroom the size of my bedroom at home was stocked with L'Occitance products. They had this awesome shampoo and conditioner that I haven't been able to find many places but this body lotion was to die for. My skin was a little weathered from the Hawaiian sun. We'd been in Hawaii for about a week by the time we go to Maui, lots of time by the pool and hiking and this replenished my skin. My apologies to housekeeping at the Four Seasons..I had to steal about 5 bottles of this stuff...bad I know, but I kept taking it with us for the day and shoving it in my purse only to come back to our room with a new bottle waiting!

The skinstore.com has pretty good prices on L'Occitane stuff...www.skinstore.com

My more luxurious lotion I love...Fresh..it comes in a couple different scents I love..like Brown Sugar, citrus scents, lemon etc. It's my girly I'm going out with Mr. Allan tonight type lotion...when you're feeling like a little more than just the regular stuff.

While we're on the topic of Fresh...they have  a face scrub that phenomenal. My face gets so dry my nose peels like I have a sunburn. I need to exfoliate a couple times a week and this is my go to product..it smells great and does the job.

If you're not up for going out and buying some pricey products...there are things in your pantry you can use as well. There was a great article in my local paper on Sunday with some home remedies for beating the havoc that winter can take on your body. Here are a couple home grown recipes and solutions.

Home made Body Scrub
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of an edible oil such as olive, grapeseed, or coconut oil.

Mix together in a mason jar and lather on body and rinse off.

Home Made Lip Scrub
1 tsp of brown sugar
1/2 tsp of butter

Mix together and rub on your lips. Wipe off and then follow with a lip balm.

Some other tips....to make your bath extra hydrating, add 1 can of coconut milk. Shake well and add to your bath water. For a hydrating easy face mask..use honey. Clean your face and then rub honey all over it. Leave on for 10-15 minutes and then wipe off and moisturize.

One of my great loves....

I have weird hair. In looking at pictures, you might say, whatcha talking bout willis? But, it's my horse and pony show...my hair is plain weird..from the texture to taking care it, it's big work. I was blessed with, what I like to refer to, as my white girl afro. My hair is wavy...weird wavy and in the very back of my head, downright curly. You might ask...but I never see pictures on the blog of you with curly hair. That's because it's only curly in the center back of my head. If I attempt a curly look, I resemble a drowned poodle after the rain, or a sticky looking body wave perm from the 80's. Yes, I refer to the 80's as out of style, a lot.

So, because I can't pull off a Rebecca Gayheart curly.....I painstakingly straighten my hair daily. Yes, daily. It's alot of frickin work. So much work, that last week I burned the back of my head with my lovely Elchim hair dryer. But, I have found one product that helps with my hair woes. It makes my sometimes burnt out straight hair feel soft and silky. It's my lifesaver, my co-pilot every a.m. when I'm in my pink fleece robe and the top half of my hair goes up to start the 15 minute multi part drying process. My hairdresser gets mad props for introducing me to it. My BFHP (best friend hair product) is Moroccan Oil.

This little bottle retails for $18 at my favorite salon. It lasts me about 3 months. I use a dime sized amount in my white girl afro and smooth it through just like I would with any hair product. I dry my hair and it leaves it so smooth. I am someone who has tried at least 50-60 different straightening products that claim to get the curl out...this works better than anything else I've tried. All hair types can use it. My oldest sister has stick straight hair and uses it and my older sister rocks the WGA as well and knows my hair woes first hand.

Just one note....I cheated on my Moroccan oil just once. My salon ran out and I bought it's counterpart...Moroccan Cream...it was alot heavier than the oil and was a bit disastrous as it didn't get along my my hairdryer nozzle and sometimes left me with a weird feel to my hair after being blasted with heat. So, stick to the oil.

My Good Deed for the Day

It's the Hap-Happiest time of the year....umm coupons galore and online sales.

I LOVE Friends and Family discounts....and it's Sephora time until 11-3

Thank GOD! I just ran out of my fantabulous Kinerase moisturizer. Mr. Allan would have a kitten if he knew it cost $130...now he doesn't have to know...or maybe he might if he reads this, but I doubt he does...so my secret is safe with my 8 blog followers.

Go get yourself some goodies

I love Sephora

Things I'm digging right now

Here are a couple items making my fall fabulous....

non fat of course...a tall nonfat pumpkin spice latte has 200 calories and 0 grams of fat..a nice treat but you need to watch it...it's loaded with sugar :(

I'm not a huge lipstick wearer..most glosses I get my hair stuck to my lips when the wind blows...but this almost has a tint of color and goes on nice and thick for fall

I really don't know how you a carve a pumpkin without one of these babies....

This a splurge with a price tag of $60 ...but I love it. I've used Orgins Never a Dull Moment, Kiehl's almond scrub, St. Ive's stuff...this is the rolls royce of face scrubs. It's fall and my face is feeling dry and weird so I love a good morning scrub with this!

Favorite Product of the Week....

I've been a hair funk for the past 6 months. After I got married, I went for the post wedding chop. I was blessed with this strange very curly in the back and bone straight up front thick hair. I can't go without washing it for a day or else I get weird curly hair along my hairline. I also can't go without drying it. I resemble the Ogilve perm girl who stuck her finger in a socket

If you don't know what Ogilvie is...you obviously weren't a child of the 80's

But...after the post wedding chop, I embraced my shorter locks but knew Mr. Allan preferred them long. After the newness of the cut wore off, I missed having long hair to toss about and it was way easier to do yoga poses with my hair in a pony tail vs. flapping in my face. It's been the great grow out for the past 5 months of so. Finally my do can be pulled back. However, I've been struggling with shampoo and conditioner choices. I was a big fan of Trader Joe's Citrus Shampoo. For $3 a bottle, it did the job. However, some bottles are good, others not. I may sound a little crazy..but sometimes it conditions beautifully, other times, I'm stuck with a snarly mess.

I then switched to Kiss my Face. I love that it's an all natural product, but I went through the conditioner at warp speed. I would use one bottle of shampoo in the time I used two bottles of conditioner. I know you're probably saying..hey genius, buy an extra bottle of conditioner...but Target is always out of it, obviously someone's having the same issue as me.

So....my product of the week is my new favorite shampoo and conditioner- Bumble and Bumble. It's pricey, but a nice treat I like to indulge in. It conditions well, has a clean feel to it and makes my hair soft. I want to dry and straighten my hair when I use this. This product makes it worth my while. A pet peeve of mine is going out with wet hair or just shoving your hair in a pony tail while wet. Have I done it? Yes. Is there an exception once in a while. Yes. But, it just makes me feel so unkept, like I wasn't worth the 20 minutes in the morning to make myself look nice.

My Target PSA....right now they're selling a twin pack of Shampoo and a twin pack of Conditioner...so it's basically buy one get one free!

Nars Blush

I've read about it countless magazines. I've seen it on so many websites. I've read rave reviews about this product. So, I had to try it.

Nars Blush in Orgasm. I love it. Go out and get yourself some.

Mourning the loss....

of my T3 Featherweight hairdryer. When my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas a couple years ago, I forwarded her a link to Sephora's website to the T3. I felt like I needed this hairdryer. As a girl with thick wavy, curly in some spots, straight in others hair, this hairdryer was calling my name. I straighten my hair daily because when I try to do the curly look, I look like an 80's commercial for Ogilve perms. If you don't know what the 80's are or what an Ogilve is, you're making me feel old.

My mom's response..who spends $200 on a hairdryer? Um...you can for me for Christmas!

My betrothed and I had a lovely 3 year courtship. I took her out last week and she wouldn't turn on. I stood in my pink robe in utter disbelief. I tried 10 times to turn her on, played with the switch in the bathroom, and nothing. I may attempt to return her to Sephora, but I'm not sure how that will pan out after using her for 3 years.

We had many good times, many good and bad hair days. I always thought she did get really hot and wish there was a warm and cool setting. But, she had the best nozzle attachment for straightening. Now that Mr. Allan is in the picture, I know I'll never be able to buy another $200 hairdryer or to slip one by him. I'm so sorry our good times in the morning have come to an end. My back up Conair stinks and I've had poofy weird hair for the past week.

On days when you're just not feeling perky

Now that I'm newly in my 30's, having a couple drinks or maybe staying up too late is taking its toll on me. I can remember back to some UMASS days where we'd start at 6pm and end around 3am and I'd bounce awake in the morning, shower, and head to the GAP for an 8 hour shift.

ahhhh...the good old days. Now everyone that lived at 288 Puffton is now married, some with kiddos, and most, not hanging until 3am anymore.

One little secret weapon I've grown to adore is Origin's No Puffery. This is a miracle gel. When you go out on a Friday night, have one too many drinks or are convinced to take a couple shots and you wake up the next day feeling like H-E- double hockey sticks, this stuff works wonders. If I wake up looking sunk in, or with puffy dreary I'm really 31 now looking eyes, I rub this cooling gel on and it helps start the day not feeling like crap

http://www.origins.com/templates/products/sp_nonshaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY5811&PRODUCT_ID=PROD4480

It won't cure your hangover--for that I rely on a fountain soda from Wendy's and a single with no mayo or cheese, but this stuff will make you look way better than you feel!