At the risk of sounding like a 26-year-old narcissistic jerk, I get asked a lot what I do for my skin, so here’s the answer.  
 
Up until about a year ago (when I noticed I was getting forehead wrinkles, and my dear grandmother suggested I "use something"), I didn’t do anything all that special – just some soap and water – for real.  But more recently I’ve been conscious of my “aging” skin, and I’ve made an effort to keep it looking smooth and feeling soft.

I’m also compelled to write about this skincare routine because I’ve actually seen great results, I’m mostly head-over-heels in love with each of the products I use, and they’re all relatively inexpensive. 

Morning

In the morning I like to cleanse my skin with Clean & Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Cleanser.  Apparently this stuff has vitamin C and ginseng, that helps “wake up” your skin.  Now, I would think that’s just a load of crap, but I admit that I do feel more energized after using it.  Maybe it’s the act of splashing water on my face, or maybe it’s the citrus scent, but it does help me (and I guess my skin) feel more awake.   My skin also feels very clean and soft after using Morning Burst…which is the main goal, I suppose.

In terms of makeup, it’s no secret that I’m an addict.  However, I’ve never been big into foundation, especially not the liquid variety.  But recently I’ve been completely obsessed with BB creams.  I use them every day (right now I’m using Smashbox’s version, but I’ve also tried Garnier, L’Oreal, and Boscia).  They’re essentially tinted moisturizers that make your skin look glowing and fantastic.  Initially I was worried that these might cause breakouts, because I have somewhat oily skin, but that has not been the case so far!

Evening

Before bed I remove my makeup with the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes.  I’ve tried many brands and formulations of these kinds of wipes, and these are my favorites by far.  They remove every last bit of stubborn water-proof eye make up, and they’re gentle on sensitive skin, which is also an anti-aging plus!  These towelettes do leave a slightly oily residue (“residue” sounds gross, but that’s what it is!) behind, but that doesn’t bother me – it just feels “conditioning,” if anything.

This next step involves my absolute favorite skincare product right now.  If I could marry it, I totally would.  It’s the Lush Tea Tree Water Toner.  First I spray some of this magic potion onto a cotton round and sweep it all over my face (except for my eye area, of course) to remove any dirt, oil, or make up that the Neutrogena towelettes may have missed.  Then, I spray it directly onto my face, maybe 4 squirts.  It feels so refreshing, and it’s gentle, unlike any other toner I’ve ever used.  Apparently tea tree water has natural antibacterial properties, so I’m crediting this bad boy with my lack of breakouts or blemishes recently.

Next comes moisturizer.  I’ve been using this thick, but not greasy, Sensitive Night Cream from Burt’s Bees.  This is my #2 fave product right now.  It just plain works, and doesn’t leave me feeling slick or oily, just soft, smooth, and luxurious. 

The final piece of the puzzle is eye cream.  This is the one area where I’m still looking for a product to fall in love with.  I like my current one just fine, but it doesn’t knock my socks off.  I use Basq Cucumber Tea Eye Gel.  This stuff really helps with puffiness, and the cooling sensation is divine, but I’m not so sure about the anti-wrinkle properties of this one…I’m open to suggestions on a kick-butt eye cream, so let me know if you have one!

So, there it is! Hopefully I remain (relatively) wrinkle-free for the next 26 years! Stay tuned…

GlossyBox is another of the ever so popular beauty product subscription services, in the vein of Birchbox and MyGlam.  Every month they send travel-size (or full-size) luxury beauty products in a super cute box with tips and access to the latest trends.  The service has been hugely successful in Australia, Germany, and the UK and only became available to US beauty addicts this month.  I first heard about GlossyBox on YouTube, I’ve been stalking the company on social media, and I am so pumped that it’s finally available in the good old US of A.

Though not available to the “general public” quite yet, some lucky ladies were able to get this first box for free.  Fortunately, I’m one of those ladies!  GlossyBox costs ten pounds in England, but I haven’t heard anything about the US version’s price. 

I’m super excited to try these products because they’re mostly full-size, from high-end brands.  It’s only been about an hour since I’ve had them, I couldn’t wait, and I already have the nail polish on…I’m also going to use the eye gel and shampoo tonight. Patience is a virtue?

Here’s the lowdown on what was in the April GlossyBox, along with retail prices and sizes.

BASQ Cucumber Eye Gel
“Give your eyes a fresh start with Basq’s soothing and smoothing Cucumber Tea Eye Gel.” ($24 / 0.5 oz)

OPI Kiss Me on my Tulips
“A smooch-worthy shade of hot pink.” ($8.50 / 0.5 oz)

C.O. BIGELOW Lavender & Peppermint Shampoo
“Cleanse and invigorate your locks with this cult classic.” ($12 / 5.2 oz)

CARGO EyeBronzer
“Create the sunny glow of summer year round with CARGO’s easy to apply EyeBronzer.” ($22 / .035 oz)

ERNO LASZLO Hollywood Collection
“This Hollywood Collection of Creams commemorates 85 years of Erno Laszlo with formulas inspired by his iconic devotees:  Ava, Katherine, Marilyn, Grace, and Greta. ($125 / 5 x 0.5 oz)

KRYOLAN High Gloss Brilliant Lip Shine (Toffee)
“This lip gloss is filled with pearl pigments that supply your lips with extraordinary radiance.  *Exclusive to GlossyBox before Kryolan’s US launch.” ($18.10 / 0.135  oz)

Despite its gritty name, Urban Decay has quickly become one of the most talked about and sought-after makeup brands.  In an effort to expand the horizons of the color cosmetics industry, UD premiered a line of edgy lipsticks and nail polishes in 1996.  Although they offer a full line of makeup now, Urban Decay has especially succeeded in developing a cult following with their line of eye makeup products.  

Known for their non-traditional colors and intensely pigmented eye shadows, Urban Decay has gained immense popularity with their palettes.  Here are my fave rave UD products:

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil
I just started using this after receiving it in my April MyGlam Bag.  This thing glides like no other. SUPER smooth.  It lasts for hours and hours, too.  However it is prone to smudging, but only if you do something like rub your eye, or lay face-down on a chiropractor’s table (which I do).  Overall, I give this an A- grade.  I’m definitely considering trying another, more “fun” color in the future. 

The Naked Palette
After hearing tons of hubbub about this palette, I just had to have it.  The $50 price tag is a little steep, but it’s totally worth it.  This is the one palette I would recommend to absolutely everyone, and I’m sure it will take me years to finish using all the shadows.  They’re all wearable and neutral, as the name implies.  My favorite shades are Virgin (a matte white-pink-peach color), Half Baked (the best shimmery gold color ever!), and Creep (a super dark, glittery navy).  I haven’t tried the Naked II palette yet, but I’m considering adding it to my collection, pending an enticing sale…

Eye Shadow Primer Potion
I used to think primer of any sort was unnecessary and just another step adding time and cost to a full makeup routine.  But then I tried this product when it came along with the Naked Palette.  I was instantly hooked, and now I’ll never go back.  This stuff really works.  It makes the shadow glide on smoothly and really stay put.   It makes your lids look the way they’re supposed to – not greasy, creasy, or smudgy.  Sometimes I’ll regress back to just using concealer on my eyelids, but I can always tell the difference.  Recently I purchased the full size version of the potion, in Eden, versus the colorless version I’d tried previously.  I’m totally hooked to the tinted formula; it creates a beautiful, even surface, while brightening up the eye as well.

Urban Decay has a great website where you can get all this neat-o stuff.  Free shipping on orders over $50.  Who doesn’t like free shipping?!  Free samples with every purchase.  Who doesn’t like free samples?!  I like them both.  A lot.  

Another cool thing about UD’s website is that they’ve suggest dupes for some of their discontinued eye shadows.  This is especially exciting for those UD addicts who’ve been with the brand for years.  Any makeup maven knows how tragic it is when one of your staples is retired, so finding a suitable stand-in is awesome.  The trade offs aren’t exact, but it’s pretty neat that Urban Decay is providing this for their die hard fans. 

Future Fave Alert:  After hearing it was on sale for more than 50% off (thanks for the tip, Emily Eddington – emilynoel83 on YouTube), I decided to purchase the Book of Shadows IV, which I will review once I’ve used it a few times. 

Keep rocking, Urban Decay.

And what a fabulous Friday it is!  Friday the 13th, to be precise, but there are no tricks or superstition here.  Welcome to the first of my weekly Fun Fashion Friday installments.  Check back on Fridays for more good times and F alliteration!

Every once in awhile, I’m told that I look like, or remind people of, a character from Mad Men.  Sometimes, it’s not any specific character, other times it’s Joan.  I’m okay with that, and I take it as a compliment.  Joan is one of my style icons, really.  A curvy Marilyn Redux.  I’m overjoyed that 60’s hair/makeup/fashion is hot right now and embrace the “everything old is new again” mantra with open arms.  Though I don’t smoke or have a full wet bar in my office, I’ve been rocking the retro style for some time now.  Here’s how:

Hair
Teasing.  Lots of teasing.  And hairspray.  Avoid any hairstyle that could be naturally-occurring.  Feel free to take some help in the height, length, and volume department.  I’ve been known to sport some, ahem, “enhancements” from time to time.    
 
Makeup
Think liquid eyeliner, tons of mascara (or better yet, falsies!), and red lips!  I’m currently loving Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet.  It’s a perfect wearable red without being too harsh.  Plus, it’s super moisturizing, which is an added bonus.

Nails
Round, pointy nails are pretty very hot right now (or hot enough for me to think they’re hot).  Betty Draper would never be caught dead with short, square nails.  Long and pink!  I’m not talking “I have my own show on TLC” long, but just long enough to enhance the femininity of your fingers.  If you’re like me and can’t grow long nails, give some glue-ons a shot. 

Jewels
Pearls!  Or, better yet, diamonds.  And enamel.  And yellow gold.  That’s all.

Clothes
Figure-flattering dresses.  Small prints, and/or bold colors.    

Accessories
Scarves, low heels, long jackets…  Panty hose - women of my generation seem to have forgotten about these little dandies, but unless it’s 85 degrees outside, I consider them a necessity.  Librarian/hipster/dork glasses.  Must have thick, black, plastic frames.  I got mine at my eye doctor’s office, but I had to ask to have regular prescription lenses put in sunglasses frames.  They were about $30, and they definitely up my overall cool quotient a few points.   

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the first episode of Fun Fashion Friday!  Tune in next week for more!

Because I’m utterly addicted to watching beauty “gurus” on YouTube, I found out about BB cream awhile ago, as it was the hot item that everyone seemed to be raving about.  BB cream, also known as blemish balm (which doesn’t entirely make sense to me), is touted as this miracle product, good for covering flaws, sun protection, moisturizing, solving world hunger, blah, blah, blah…It’s been around in Asian for ages, and high-end versions have been available in the US for some time now.  But being the frugal skeptic that I am, I decided to hold out for the affordable version.  When I heard Garnier BB Cream was out in the US, I started stalking drugstores and finally found it at Walgreen’s.

I’ve been using the Garnier BB Cream in place of foundation or tinted moisturizer for a few weeks now, and I love it.  It works well for me as an alternative because I find foundation to be too heavy much of the time, and tinted moisturizers tend to make my skin super shiny and gross, which leads to breakouts and general icky-ness.   I do tend to have an oily t-zone, so I’ve been using a bit of powder to set the BB cream if needed.  I’m loving the fresh, natural, flawlessness BB cream gives my skin.  Partnered with Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Hot Tamale, it creates a great glowy effect perfect for spring and summer.  The scent is also really nice, in my opinion.  However, in a recent conversation on the subject, I was told that the Garnier cream smelled bad.  But, I was speaking with a rep from Smashbox, who has its own BB cream (for about 3 times the price), so maybe she was biased. ;)

I have been raving about this product to everyone lately, and the proof is in the pudding; the past few days I haven’t even felt the need for any concealer!  The moral of the story is, this is my official stamp of approval.  The cream comes in two shades, and I use the light/medium, which provides a perfect match for my skin tone.  Garnier’s “Miracle Skin Perfector” is available at drugstores nationwide or online for around $10 to $13.  Check out Garnier's Facebook Page - they're running a sweepstakes for a year's supply!

*I was not compensated in any way for this post; I just really like the stuff. :)