These Hangers are an Absolute Must...

These have to be the best thing to keep your wardrobe looking nice. They are ultra thin, velvet-flocked (which pretty much means coated with a soft fabric type coating) hangers to keep your clothes from falling on the ground. I've tried plastic with hooks and cloth covered, but the plastic ones are slippery and the cloth ones are just too thick. This is the perfect middle ground!

Sunburn Lotion for Those Holiday Vacations

This is hands-down the best sunburn product I've found, and the best thing is, every beach town in (practically) the world has it. I'm fair skinned, but love the sun, and sadly have been through a lot of bad burns. This is the only lotion I've ever used that prevented peeling. You have to be disciplined though in applying it twice a day for a few days, and it is a little greasy. I swear it works though!

Best Everyday Body Lotion

I love this total drugstore cocoa butter, it smells like you are on vacation, and it is the most hydrating thing ever. It costs around $4, so you can use as much as you want and not feel guilty. I read about it in the 'best of' magazine sections for so many years that I finally gave in and bought it. Now it is one of my standards. No colors/dyes either, I can't handle purple lotion. This isn't my absolute fav for sunburns though...I actually use something else(Banana Boat After Sun Lotion)...so I'll have to post that one next!

Fake Eyelash Recommendation

So many fake eyelash options, how to choose? I use these maybe once a year, but I never know which one to grab at the drugstore. The results are in and the makeup artists are all saying the same thing. Ardell brand in #124. I'm not sure how important the number 124 is, but three different makeup gurus all called out the number so that's what I'm going with. Happy diva times!
Ardell Fashion Lashes Black 124 1-pr.

Quick Ring Size Fix For Those Cheap Heavy Baubles...

Great idea for a too-big, but too-cheap-to-size-it ring. Remember that one you bought last week? And that other one you bought the week before that? The big costumey ones? The little worker bee will fix the slips and slides. You just put a dab of this 'glue' on the inside and it will stay put. Genius.

At Home Hair Glaze

Yikes, I'm not sure if this should even be on the market. Isn't this what trained professionals are for? I actually used this for quite awhile, and liked it a first. The thing is though, it says to apply it roots to tips (obviously because otherwise you would end up with funny colored roots), but the formula is so heavy that it really weighs your hair down. I just felt like it ended up a little to greasy. Shiny good. But greasy bad. I think I will leave this one to the pros...

Gimmicky Goods

These 'Beauty Magnets' might make you laugh a little, but what a cute adder to a bachlorette gifty basket. Supposedly the ancient ritual of putting these tiny charged discs on your face makes your circulation increase...soooo....you look like a million bucks! I'm not sure, but a map of wear to put them onto your face comes with the set up, good thing.

Cuticle Oil That Works!

Solar Oil...I swear by this stuff, it is the absolute best. The bottle is cute, lasts forever, and has a diagonal side so you can tilt it toward you without holding it. Genius! The oil feels really silky when you massage it into your hands and your cuticles look better right away. No delayed gratification here. It has been a favorite for so long, I can't believe I haven't written about it yet. I am going to have to dig into my own medicine cabinet to remember the great stuff that I've been holding out on!

Kukui Products

Here is the new secret ingredient: Kukui. It is in all sorts of lotions and oils, even Proactive uses it. I'll add more products to the list too...

Airbrush Makeup from Dior

Just like the Evian spritzer, here comes a new can to spray at your face. Geared towards producing a 'flawless' finish, this micronized spray makeup by Dior is a great improvement on regular foundation. It looks a lot like the finish of mineral makeup, if you do it right that is...Dior Airflash at http://www.saks.com/

Nail Hardener...Does It Work?

I tried Revlon Calcium Gel Nail Hardener 10 days ago when I was feeling like my nails were particularly pathetic. The package says '60% thicker in just 4 days', and although I wasn't quite sure how they measured the %60, any improvement sounded good to me. It went on easily (as anything clear does) and looked shiny, which I liked. Fast forward 4 days, and my nails were notably thicker and stronger. BUT, checking in today (6 more days) and it chipped off like regular polish does. Sure, it isn't as bad as colored polish would have looked, but it looked like clear nail polish does when the ends all wear away and there is a circle of shiny in the middle of your nail. You need to take it off with nail polish remover - not that big of a deal - but not what I was expecting. So...as long as you are thinking you will need to take it off, it really did make stronger nails. I'm definitely up for trying it again when I'm feeling a little brittle...

Avoiding Deodorant Disasters

Gal Pal markets these Garment Deodorant Removers, and they work, I just tried mine today. BUT...they are just round sponges! Hilarious! I have to say though, it would be a cute gift and you couldn't use your old kitchen sponge to clean your clothes anyway. Basically, the directions just say to rub the sponge on your spot. If that doesn't work, put a little water on the sponge, ring it out, and then wipe the damp sponge on your clothes. There doesn't appear to be any coating on the sponges, and the packaging doesn't make any amazing claims about secret ingredients either. You can't exactly just fake your own though, most sponges now come with chemical layers and you would definitely need to hunt down the same type of foam sponge - so I say go for the Gal Pals, you can use the same ones for a long time anyway...

No Mess, Quick Nail Color

I tried these for a wedding, when I knew for sure that I would be running late. They are made by Avon and are called 'Instant Manicure Dry Enamel Strips'. It was so great, because when I finished doing them (in the car) they were already dry. The packets come with some extra ones, like press-on kits, in case you mess up or for if your fingers are wider or thinner than the average. They are almost like stickers, except that there is no glue just pre-dried nail polish. You would think they would look different, but if you put them on carefully they really look painted. It's the weirdest thing.
I've recently heard there are knock-offs now in the drugstore, which might be cheaper, but I would wonder about quality. These are $8 each, but you get a free one when you buy. So...$4 really, which is cheap for a manicure but not quite the deal that painting them yourself would be. My attempt lasted over a week, which is pretty good for my nails, and they looked good despite my less than surgical steady hand. They make pedicure ones as well. Click below and search 'Instant Manicure' to find them on Avon.

Terrible Bottle, but it Smells Great...

My favorite new scent is 'Princess' by Vera Wang. Sadly, it has a sort of tacky bottle that I don't know if I can bring myself to buy! I couldn't not tell you about it though, because it is so light and fresh. Maybe they were going for the medicine cabinet crowd...that is where mine will be hiding.Vera Wang Princess Perfume - 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray

Customized Soap Chips For Your Guests

These soaps are such a cute idea for your guest bathroom. They come in a nice display box, or just order the refills and then put them into any basket you like. The flavors are yummy (mango butter, white grapefruit, cinnamon orange, etc.) and they are made of all natural ingredients. It could also be a great hostess gift if you ordered the little box with only 5 soaps in it. www.valseyandme.com

Traveling Dry...No Need To Check

With all of the new travel rules banning liquids in your carry-on, I have started to look for 'dry' options to pack. I use these makeup remover pads from Almay now. Since they are so inexpensive, I just leave one in my makeup bag ready to go. These ones are the 'oil free' which I would definitely recommend for any eye makeup. The regular ones are really oily, but work well for long-wearing lipstick that stains into your lips.
New Customers Save 5% on Today's Order. Savings Applied at Checkout. Offer Ends 10.17.2007

Keeping the Girls From Peeking

We all have those button up stretch dress shirts that fit right...usually. Then you lean the wrong way a little and all the sudden you have a massive gap. Yikes, no bra shot intended. This product (www.bugcatcherz.com) can help. It is basically double sided tape that fits around your button. Just one thing though...if all of your button-ups do this all the time, it is time for a new size not a roll of doublestick!

Natural Pumpkin Hand Cream for Halloween

Here is a lotion that doesn't contain artificial fragrance or dye - a fun seasonal option. Desert Essence Organics Pumpkin Hand Repair Cream. It moisturizes with pumpkin seed oil...which is super silky, and for the price - you could use a bottle a week stress-free. I know drugstore.com has it and they have a sale going on right now:
The Big October Sale - Get up to 40% off at drugstore.com. Offer ends 11.02.07. Enjoy!

Anybody Out There Using Mascara Primer?

Maybe it's just me, but I don't like this stuff. All of the big companies, department store lines or drugstore brands, make it. I've tried Lancome's and I've tried Revlon's but it is just too much. While it is supposed to make mascara go on smooth, I actually think that all of that white gunk makes my mascara get more clumpy. I know you need to wiggle the brush back and forth while you put it on (like normal mascara), but still no dice. Love to know if anyone likes this stuff...

Life After the 'Chicken Cutlets'...

'Cleavage Cupcakes' offer a new alternative to the old 'chicken cutlets', you know what I'm talking about ladies. These are much cuter and potentially giftable to someone close (like a sister!). $44 at http://www.cleavagecupcakes.com/

1 Minute Manicure...Miracle???

No, not so much. Good idea though! I really thought I would like this product, because it would be insane if it actually worked. Basically, it is oil and salts, and you are supposed to rub it on your hands (and cuticles) once a day for a minute or two. I would use it while my hair conditioning mask was on in the shower. It did keep my cuticles nice and they stayed more hydrated than usual. BUT, the packaging was a disaster and only the oil would squeeze out of the bottle with little or no 'essential' salt. So now I'm left with a big bottle of only salt! It would be great if someone could redo this in a better format. Maybe keep them separate and I squeeze some of each into my hand before rubbing it in???

Gripper Barrettes

Scunci (you know the Target/Walgreens hair elastic brand) now makes no slip hair barrettes that have gripper plastic on the inside. They actually work really well, maybe too well for my damaged thick hair, but smooth healthy hair would probaby work perfect. They claim 'no slip grip for all day hold' and I bet it is true!

Foundation Primer - Fence off the Foundation:)

Just this one simple step will make your makeup last so much longer! I never used to put foundation primer on under my makeup, until I started thinking about how gross foundation was. It is pretty much made up of synthetic chemical ingredients or plastic derivatives. So, I changed my mind - and it works. No more smudges either. Most of them contain vitamins and antioxidants. I like Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (www.Nordstorms.com), they also have a hydrating version and an oil-free formulation.

No Chip Nail Color - I'll Believe it When I See It!

'Sally Hansen No Chip 10 Day Nail Color'…can this be true I wondered??? So blatantly called out in the name of the product. Ballsy. Honestly, I have never had any nail color last this long in my life, even with professionals doing the manicure, and this was no exception. I would say it lasted longer that some of the others I've tried, but definitely no where near 10 days. I like the color though, so maybe I'll bring it into the salon next time and see if they can make it work.

Bungee Bands...For Your Hair?

Bungee Bands by Smoothies, I like em...but you might not! You wrap these hair bands around your ponytail and hook the ends together. No snags and you can pull them really really tight before you latch them. Here is the thing about these though, anyone with textured (curly) hair will love them, but if you have smooth straight hair I'm not quite sure...

Love, Love, Love The Lip Scrub, Scrub, Scrub

I found some cool 'lip exfoiliant' today, which I'm not sure that I need, but it would make a really cute present. It comes in a little brown box with a ribbon and is called 'the lip scrub' by Sara Happ. It comes in other flavors too, think Brown Sugar, Almond Creme, or Peppermint. Yum! The name is a bit obvious, but it is fun and trendy, and I think only about $20 at http://www.thelipscrub.com/