Review On the ProX Brush

Let me be clear....I LOVE THIS BRUSH!!!!!!! Got it? Okay great, I'm glad! The first time I used this brush I couldn't stop touching my face. It was the most amazing feeling ever!!! Now this post is a little two in one deal. Because I am going to send out major love about this brush I also have to issue a warning. Even though we need to exfoliate and deep clean our skin every now and then it is damaging to do it too often. Also, pLeAsE be careful what you are scrubbing your face with (see info below). I have used this brush for a month now. For the first week once a day then only once a week for the rest of the time. I also started this month using my Glimpse gel cleanser WITHOUT scrubbing beads and I STILL felt smoother than SMOOTH!!!!! With that  said, let me introduce you to my friend Kim. I have known Kim for YEARS!!! We grew up together, went to school together and upon coming to Utah have had SUCH fun girl's nights out spent reminiscing and eating yummy food. In her own words, here's what she's been doing professionally =):

-I got my Associates in Science from UVSC

-Went to Dallas Roberts and did 1200 hours education and hands on training.
-Did extended education on Laser treatments through a laser facility and got certified in that. I hope to work in the medical side of Aesthetics in the future. 

-I am now a licensed Master Aesthetician. 

Now here is what Kim wants us to know about exfoliation:

 Don't get confused by this info...exfoliating is a good thing BUT just not overdone.

Anything that lives has to die and if we don't do anything about it, then it will just sit there making the skin look dull and lifeless. Not to mention acne sufferers, dead skin cells can clog pores and that could worsen acne! Exfoliating the skin by using "mechanical exfoliation" in excess can cause more harm than good. Studies show that scrubbing often, can irritate the skin causing inflammation. Inflammation can cause premature aging on the young skin, and accelerate the aging process even further for the mature skin. Now a days this would be something to avoid. Many of the exfoliating properties used in "scrubs" are harsh ingredients like crushed walnut shells, powdered sea shells, ground up plastic. In a research done by the American Association of Dermatology, when they examined a face that had been exfoliated three consecutive days. Microscopic view proved that the surface of the skin was scratched, irritated and inflamed.

Industry Tip: dry skin tends to flake and have a layer of embedded dead skin cells on the surface, "scrubbing" for this type of skin should be done once or twice weekly. Combination to Oily skin types should "scrub" only once weekly. Sensitive skin types should avoid all types of "mechanical exfoliation"

M.I.A.

So sweet Jenni was kind enough to inform me that I have been M.I.A. for quite some time and that I left you lovely ladies hanging without results of some products I had been testing. So...

First: Let me just say... I apologize for leaving you hanging on the results of the tested products.

Second: I am totally going to give you my good excuses for being gone so long:

1: I was traveling around working for Lancome, doing makeovers and training counter ladies.

2: I'm pregnant, and therefore getting huge and tired, and still chasing after my two little nuggets who are 2 and 4.

3: Every time I watched a video I made, I cringed and felt incredibly stupid (I.E. "Ugh... why did I make a video when I looked so bad?" "Why do I do that weird thing with my mouth when I'm nervous?" "I sound like a man.").

Third: I hope those were good enough excuses, and I hope you forgive me.

Fourth: Here is my long forgotten review on.....

THE OSMOTICS HAIR CARE LINE!!

*Excuse the makeup in this picture. I was tired, swollen, & just not in the mood to do any. Just try to focus on the hair. :) *

So.... I LOVE IT!! I really feel like the Osmotics hair care line really has given my hair more volume, more thickness, and has made it healthier, softer, and shinier.

The shampoo really cleansed my hair and the great thing about it is that it does not contain sodium lauryl sulfates which dry and irritate the scalp.

The conditioner really makes the hair soft and manageable but does not contain heavy oils or waxes that leave the hair limp and dull.

The serum is the nice little cherry on the top, that really gives your hair A+ results!

Basically, for those wanting to help their lack luster fine locks.... these are a great buy!!

As I said in the video ages ago....

You can purchase these products at either your local Dillards (if they carry it), or online at www.dillards.com.

The Shampoo is $24.00, the Conditioner is $26.00, and the Serum is $69.00.

You can also purchase them straight from the company online at www.osmotics.com. Right now they are having a Stock up Sale and if you Buy 3, you get 1 free.

Anyway, that's the review, sorry I neglected you ladies for so long. Have a great day, and great hair to all!!!

Revlon Under Eye Concealer Review

For those of you that reviewed this product with me please send any pictures you wish to have posted, email your reviews or leave you thoughts in the comments. Can't wait to hear what you thought!

Review It With Me

I just went to Walmart and purchased the Revlon Color Stay under eye concealer that they have. Do you want to try it out with me and put in your two cents? For those of you wanting to participate we will be reviewing this product from Feb. 16th-March 16th. Go out and get it and tell me what you think!!!

For the month of March I will be doing makeup looks where 95% of the makeup comes from drugstores. What are your fav items from the drugstore???

Top 5 Cult Beauty Buys That Don't Deserve The Hype

These are my opinions. This means they are not fact =). Just a disclaimer before I say something not flattering about something you may be using. I just hope to save some fabulous ladies out there money. I am going to be starting a series for YOU to send me a review on a product and we'll post it. You either rate it or hate it and it will be called Reader Review. Do you already have a product in mind? Write a review and send it to dollcosmetics@gmail.com.

Like I said in previous posts. This mascara is TeRrIbLe. I know there are a lot of lovers out there of this product but I don't see it! There are SO many others out there that are better, that don't clump and that lengthen. It is the most natural mascara out there, I'll give it that...but that is ALL. For some odd reason, beauty editors and makeup artists alike love to put this down as the best mascara ever created, when it’s one of the worsts that I’ve ever tried. Keep in mind that all of those celebrities are being paid a nice sum to say it's great. That's my two cents, try it for yourself and come to your own conclusion. I recommend Lash Blast as a good budget buy.

This lotion was ALL the rage when it came out and couldn't stay on the shelf to save it's life. Let's be honest, a lotion that could double as a tanner? That's HUGE!!! But alas things have evolved and this lotion hasn't. It isn't water or sweat resistant and drips down your body as if trying to flee back to the bottle from whence it came. The smell is altogether not great and there are just better options now a days...aren't we LuCkY??? I for SURE recommend Sally Hansen's Airbrushed Legs!

Bare Escentuals/Minerals is clearly the "rage" with a lot of people that want something that is better for their skin. First of all, YES, I am all for that...but I am also wanting more. I want something great for my skin that actually gives me good coverage. I was not personally impressed with this line and hope that something better will come along in the future.  I will be trying the Matte foundation formula here soon and am hoping it will work for me. Let me be clear, I do NOT hate this line, I just think it is over-hyped.

I would NEVER buy another foundation from MAC and if they came out with something new, I would have my guard up like CrAzY. I used to love it until I tried other things and found out that this foundation is just not all it's cracked up to be. I still have SO many of them though and will use them all up in tutorials. I have found Makeup Forever is great, Cinema Secrets is amazing, and Chanel hold its own as well. Like the post title says....doesn't deserve the hype.

MAC started out as a great product founded by two men from Canada that saw the need in the industry for a stellar product for MUAs. With any line, however, when it gets bigger or is just there for a long time, management switches around, ownership changes and product quality, as a result, can also change. Estee Lauder acquired controlling interest in '94 and completed "the deed" in '98. Some higher up artists didn't like what was going to happen to the quality, jumped ship and headed over to Makeup Forever (singing voice) which is amaaaaazing!!!!!! So, once my "rose-colored glasses" came off I saw MAC for what it was and is. They have some great shadows, I can get that LOTS of other places, all of their creamy things, Paint pots, blushes, color bases are terrible. The application is awful and FAR superior products used for the same thing can be found ALL over Sephora. I still like their lipsticks, I'm a sucker for a good palette and I love most of their brushes. I won't stop buying MAC but I am no longer a slave to them.

Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Blow Dry Perfector

My good friend Anita told me about the Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Blow Dry Perfector and the minute she told me about it I was intrigued. I don't have extremely unmanageable hair, it has a bit of a wave and some frizz, but with a 15 minute blow dry and a 10 minute straighten I am all good...I do get a little frizzy as the day goes by, but it's nothing I worry about too much. But I have always dreamed of stepping out of the shower with stick straight hair (I know this is possible with the Japanese and Brazilian treatments but I'm also not willing to fork out $300+ for something that will grow out). This seemed like the next best thing. So of course, as any product junkie would do, I headed straight to Shoppers Drug Mart to see if it was available in Canada and guess what? I got the last one! For $15.50 my dream would soon come true! Until I read the package...it promises to give you smooth, frizz free, more manageable hair for up to 7 shampoos, but you are still required to use a heated styling tool (blowdryer and/or straightener) after every wash. Well, if it could save me even 15 minutes every morning, I figured why not try it out....and by try it out I mean disregard all of the warnings on the label and endure the awful smell of the first step (think a mix of Nair and hair dye). So I followed the instructions (minus using the Fructis Sleek and Shine shampoo and conditioner, I already have 4 different bottles of shampoo in my shower, I definitely don't need one more) and hoped for the best. I got used to the smell, and the cream from the second step made everything better. I noticed as I was getting ready to do the final step, the blow dry, that my hair did have less frizz in the towel-dried state than it does normally....exciting! During and after my blow dry I noticed that my hair was extremely soft, and it felt more manageable....but it was no miracle. After finishing my blow dry I still had those irritating wavy lumps that needed to be straightened out...so on I went to my best friend, my straightening iron. I'll admit it, the straightener glided over my hair and it fell straight, but I'm still not totally convinced...it looks like it always does after a good blow dry and straightening...But I did get a few compliments at work that day - somebody actually said "wow, your hair looks really straight today!". And it was still frizz free at 10 pm! Hmmm....let's see what happens over the next few shampoos.....well guys, nothing happened. Ok, my hair was softer, but a bit of the initial smell came back after the first shampoo and I really don't see a big difference. And after the second shampoo my hair was totally and utterly normal.  I started using some of the leftover cream, and I like it, which may mean that the real key to this whole "schpeal" is actually a heat activated styling cream.

My recommendations: 1) if you like to try out new products instead of just reading reviews, give it a try and see for yourself. It did not damage my hair at all so you don't have to worry about that, but it also did not perform any miracles; 2) keep the second step (heat activated cream) and use it again and again until it runs out, it's a very nourishing cream and I'm convinced that it's the reason my hair was so soft...maybe Fructis has another product just like the cream which can be purchased on its own, or you can try KMS Flat Out, which I personally like a lot...so go forth and experiment ladies! Good luck! But don't expect any miracles!

Would I purchase this product again: Probably not. It's a lot of extra work and doesn't give you the results promised. For those extra 20 minutes you could just give yourself a really good blowdry and make it last for two days, or for an extra $10 you could get a professional blowout.

Before

After

Thank you to my bestie Sarah for writing this post!

DUO Glue Review

Been along time coming but here are my thoughts on the glue that "everyone" says to use.

Heads UP!!

Hey ladies!

Just wanted to give you a little heads up/review on some of the latest products from MAC. I chose products that would give you a nice coral look for summer, and ones that I feel would work nicely on many different skin tones. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you get some of these great colors before they are gone!


The new MAC line To The Beach will be in stores on May 26th.

Mac vs BFTE Foundation

$26 dollar MAC foundation vs $12 Beauty From the Earth.....which is better? Let's do a little experiment shall we?

Chanel Mascara Review

My friend Codi just sent me samples of mascaras and I started with the Chanel Intense Volume and Curl Mascara. I LOVE it!!!!! It will run you $28 so it is pricey but I am happy to say that I was able to try the trial size and will be using every OUNCE that I can. The next review will be on Lancome Volume Mascara. The search continues.....

Sponge vs Brush

Monica's question: When to use a sponge and when to use a brush?
It all depends on what type of coverage you are going for. A sponge will give you more of a full coverage whereas a brush will, most of the time, be less. If I really want to pack color on my lid I will use the applicator instead of a brush. If I want a more natural look, not only will I use a brush but I won't use a base either. For foundations it is the same but you can still get great coverage with the 187 brush if you put on more. I hope that helps!!!

Most Used and Needed Brushes

Nicole is building up her brush collection and asked which ones I use the most. Here they are =).
From left to right they are:
- MAC 129 for blush and bronzer
- Loew-Cornell (LC) 7450 Chisel Blender for liquid liner (Michael's Craft Store)
- MAC 239 OR the one above it is the same and cheaper at Michael's. It is LC 3/8" Maxine's Mop.
- MAC 272 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! For crease work
- MAC 217 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! For all blending and some crease work
- MAC 187 For foundation (1000x better than the 190!!!)
- Nicole Miller Powder brush and MAC has the 150
The Green handled brushes are the MAC travel sizes. They are the same #'s as the regular brushes just shorter and a different color. They are great starter brushes but I am building up my regular sized ones now. Also you can go to coastalscents.com and see their brush selection. I have heard great reviews on them and you can get up to 13 brushes for only $16.95 plus shipping. Check it out!!!