Dior Mascara is Magic

Ladies, lemme tell you, I’m in love. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about their Diorshow Mascara (the original one); how it lengthens, volumizes and wipes your ass for you all at the same time (ok, so maybe I over-exaggerated on the lengthening part ;). Hollywood makeup artists apparently use this in their repertoire to make celebs look fabulous. The only problem I have, is that my lashes stick straight out and refuse to curl, even with all the tricks of heating my curling iron with a blow-dryer, etc. and Diorshow doesn’t promise to do that either. So, what to do??

After a little (well, a lot) of research, I found that out of all the other brands, Dior also has what they call a ‘Maximizer’ which is supposed to be a conditioning/thickening and curling treatment for your lashes (it’s a primer that you put on before you put on your mascara). And let me tell you, it works wonders. I love this stuff. It keeps my lashes curled and feeling strong and it individualizes each strand to define and lengthen.

Now what about the Diorshow (in black) mascara? It really does create that ‘POOF’ of your lashes that we have always wanted a mascara to do! It’s perfect for day and you can lay it on thicker for a night look, but it really does give you full, beautiful lashes. Trying it on at Sephora doesn’t do it justice because the brush really has so much to do with the application of the mascara.

Take my word for it!! These two together are a match made in heaven! Great for a weekend look too..hint, hint!

Illuminate Me!

Now that summer is right around the corner, I’m sure you’re looking to see what makeup will give you that dewy summer glow without the stickiness or heaviness. Well, I’ve struck gold, ladies.  Literally! It’s a gold, coral shimmer that makes you look like you have cheeks of a goddess.

It’s called Super Orgasm Illuminator by Nars, $30 (and if the name is any indication of how you feel after you look at yourself in the mirror, that would be a reason in and of itself to go buy it!). It looks awesome on.  I felt like a million bucks after trying it on. And get this – it’s a two-in-one product: a cream blush and cheek highlighter. And a tiny bit goes a loooong way – I mean, I put a ¼ of a pea-size on my finger and it was more than enough for both cheeks.

Now, how do I know there aren’t better products compared to this one? Funny you should ask, because I happened to be obsessed with highlighters, and I just so happened to have tried a bunch on. Here are the others I’ve tried that aren’t as up to par:

- Benefit Illuminator in Sun Beam, which is also supposed to be a gold illuminator.  It was not cute.   First, it’s in a tube with a nail-polish-like applicator. WTF? Second, it pretty much disappeared into my skin and I felt like I had to use a lot just to get the effect I wanted. Negative. Next!

- Benefit Illuminator in Pearl Meets Girl. This one gives you a much more pale look than that sun-kissed look. And even though soooo many people have raved about this product, maybe it’s for more pale-skinned people. Definitely not for us girls that have a brown, yellow or olive undertone.

- Mac Luster Drops in Sun Rush. Now this one I’m probably going to buy. I tried this on and it just gives you that radiant, golden glow that you can use by itself or layer over a blush. I will more than likely layer this over the Super Orgasm for a little extra sumthin' for those sexy summer evenings.

Facial at Burke Williams Spa

I don’t know why I haven’t written about this sooner, but I went to Burke Williams a few months ago and had their ‘Nourishing’ facial done. Mamma Mia! It was freakin wonderful. I’m usually not one to go in for facials because 1. They’re expensive as all hell and 2. I can’t really see the effects of one and 3. They’re expensive as all hell!!! Umm hello! Who can spend almost $200 a pop?? Well, not this girl, lemme tell you. I’m on a budget. It just so happened that they had a special (I think it was under $100) and I had a gift card. Cha-ching! Anyway, I LOVED this facial.  It was over an hour (hell yes!) and I left feeling oh-so relaxed and my skin was GLOWING. I’ve never seen my face so puurty like that before!

Also, let’s not forget that you can use their spa facility for as long as you’d like before and/or after your treatment. Even if you get a $50 treatment, you can go and enjoy the day in their whirlpools (yes, there’s more than one), steam room, sauna, showers and get all dolled up with their lotions and creams. It really is a treat to come and spend a day here, but those who are averse to being naked or seeing other women naked – beware! I’m out in all my glory when I go!!

Happy Friday!

Oil For Your Face (instead of Honey)

A friend recently introduced me to this concoction of oil, almond and castor oil that’s only $1.99 for a 4 oz. bottle (you can find it at CVS) called Aceite 3. She told me she used it to give her hair that extra bit of shine, so when I tried it on my limp hair, it made it too greasy (I found that putting it only on the ends is much better).

However, you can also use this for your face since it’s an all-natural product. Since I ran out of honey in the shower (my man got hungry J) I decided to try this instead. Now, it doesn’t come off as easily as honey does, but it does leave your skin super soft and smooth. It’s a wonderful alternative for honey. Just a thought, but maybe try alternating both just to keep your skin supple. 

Thickening Hair Treatment

Ever look at models and think “damn, I want that hair!”?  Well, I have news for you – it’s all extensions! Ok, ok, so we all knew that, but there IS a way to actually grow naturally thick hair.

I went to my hair stylist/therapist extraordinaire and she suggested that even though it’s quite pricey, to start on Nioxin’s Shampoo/Conditioner treatment #3 (the strongest for fine hair or hair that’s falling out). I’m here to tell you I’ve been using it for about 6 weeks now and it works miracles. My hair is growing in thicker and it’s longer than it has been since I can even remember. And you know how I know? Because other people have noticed, not just me.  It also helps that I’ve been massaging my scalp too, which helps circulation so make sure to include that in your routine in the shower.

Ask your hair stylist which system number would be best for you, but from what little I know, the even numbers are for those people who are bald because the consistency is sticky and it will mess up the hair for those who actually have hair. The odd numbers are for those who have thinning hair or are losing it (although I’m not sure what the difference is between 1,3 and 5). Also featured in the pic is the scalp treatment, which I just got so I’m going to be trying that out soon enough. 

Facial Hair Removal

I’m Egyptian and that means I’m a hairy mofo. I’ve always had issues with facial hair (I have man-like sideburns!) and a mustache will grow in quickly if I’m not on top of that mess. But the best method for hair removal? Hell, I’ve tried (mostly) all of them and shaving has proven to be the best for me.

Now, you may be looking at me sideways right now, with your nose, cheeks and eyesbrows scrunched, but wait! I just learned that Marilyn Monroe AND Elizabeth Taylor used to shave their faces! So there! I knew I wasn’t the only one! And to be in the company of beauty icons – I think that says something.

I’ve tried waxing – it gives me acne; I’ve tried threading – it leaves me with tiny red bumps all over my face; I’ve even tried an ancient Egyptian tradition called Halawa (a sugar wax composed of sugar, lemon juice and water) – that was just plain painful and again, made me break out. But shaving?? Umm, yeah. 

Granted, you do have to keep up with this fairly often, but I’m trying something different now – instead of shaving just out of the shower with my face wet and lathered up, I’m doing a dry shave. I had never tried it before this week, but I actually really prefer it! It doesn’t grow in as fast (for some crazy reason) and doesn’t leave that 5 o’clock shadow that I’m deathly scared of.

I haven’t tried electrolysis which I’m sure is much more effective and long-lasting, but for now shaving works for me. What are your thoughts? 

Getting Back Into A Routine

I’ve decided to try something a little different – for the next month I will religiously stick to a beauty routine – day and night. My skin has been acting a fool lately! It’s been dry, I have breakouts almost every other day; it’s just a mess right now so I need to take some quick action. And, I think the best thing is to go with more natural products to bring back the balance of natural oils to my skin. (FYI, I know this seems complicated, so you can always simplify it for your routine by doing only moisturizer/spf in the morning and cleanser/serum at night). Also, these aren’t even my favorite products, or ones that I know will work, but I’m all about testing different things to see how skin will react, so I’ll keep you updated.

Here’s what I’ll be doing:

Morning:

1. Cleanser: Cera Ve (in the shower)

2.  Moisturizer/Softener of Skin: Honey (in the shower)

3. Toner: Clinique Clarifying Lotion #2 (I need to start getting back in the habit of using a toner – a separate post to come about toners soon)

4. Dark Spot Eliminator: Clinique Even Better (I’m still testing this out b/c I don’t know how well it really works yet)

5. Moisturizer/SPF: Oil of Olay Regenerist UV Defense Regenerating Lotion, SPF 50

Night:

1. Cleanser: Cera Ve

2. Moisturizing Oil: 100% Jojoba Oil

3. Moisturizer/Serum: Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum

4. Applying Castor Oil to my eyelashes and eyebrows (it’s apparently great for hair growth, so I wanted to throw in a little extra something into my routine)

2x/Week:  Moisturizing Mask: Greek Yogurt left on my face for 15-20 minutes

Daily:  Water, water, water! I’ve so been slacking on this!!

I’ll let you know how I’m feeling in the morning after tonight’s rituals!

Gel (aka Shellac) Nails

I’ve heard a lot lately about shellac nails, especially with my wedding coming up. My friends have told me that it lasts over 2 weeks (umm, huh??) Well, so far, so good. My nails look freakin awesome (many girls around me have said so, it’s not just my ego talking!) and it’s been four days since I’ve gotten them done. They really do look like I got them done this morning. Hell, if I did get a regular manicure this morning, they would probably already be chipping!! I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on the color also, which is OPI’s gelcolor Louve Me Louve Me Not.  Apparently, you can only use this special type of nail polish. When the lady at the nail shop told me to choose a color, she got so pissed when I chose a color from their regular stash – damn! Sorry!! Either way, don’t be weirded out when the girl puts on the polish, dries it then goes to put (what you think is) nail polish remover – it’s really not! In fact, you walk out with completely dry nails to the point where you can open a can of soda and not have to worry about your nails getting messed up. Another big perk!!

I’m not sure if you can do French tip shellac nails, but after this round, I’m going to find out!!

Spring Is Here and With It Comes….COLOR!!

If you’re like me, you feel differently around mid-March/beginning of April – everything smells different – fresh, alive, renewed. And with that, comes my renewed sense of wanting new stuff to go with my enhanced mood! So what to do this year? Well, you can do a variety of things to spruce up your wardrobe or your look in general. One of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to upgrade your look for a season is different colored nail polish.

Luckily for all of us, one of the biggest trends this year is colorful nail polishes. OPI and Essie are two of my fav brands because of their wide variety of colors and the quality of the polishes. And both brands just so happen to be coming out with a variety of lines this Spring. I have yet to try (any new colors) but I keep seeing so many stylish women and celebs sporting this fashion and it makes all the difference in adding a splash of color to their wardrobe. Here are three of the biggest color trends I see for this season:

Neons – don’t ask me why this 80’s trend is coming back, but it is and in a big way. BUT, if you don’t want to invest in a piece of clothing for this passing fad, I say take it to the nails (not the mattresses :).

Tangerine – between nail polishes, blushes and lipsticks, this is the big color trend for 2012. And given that you can wear it in a variety of shades you can play it up or down in whatever works best for you.

Pastels – lavenders & seafoam greens seem to be making a big splash on the scene this year. And just in time for Easter and Spring! Loving Essie’s and OPI’s color palettes for these – I’d say check out OPI’s Go On  (pictured below) and Essie’s Nice Is Nice or Playdate. 

Let me know if you have some other suggestions for colors/nail polishes that you love! (Oh, and I promise it won’t be so long before my next post again!!)