Obsession Confessions of Glamour and Love

Obsession Confession: No Glamour, No Love... Just Truth

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:16:00 +0000

Confession: I've been hiding out a little.

It's true. I haven't posted since May 18th. MAY 18TH! Though I have actually been quite busy over the past few months- my last post about "Samson" will definitely validate that- I haven't necessarily been TOO busy either. I'd like to say that's the problem and have even been saying it to the point where I almost believe it myself, but I know it's total BS.

I actually have a few posts that I've started but have shoved to the back burner and are merely just drafts at this point. One is a review of an acne treatment I tried. Another is a hair update since I intended to post right after I got my hair done. My relaxer was June 18th... If you just paused and thought about the date then surely you realized, 'Um, wow that was a while ago!'

So here's what happened. I started out having an "Ugly Week". We've all had them, right? Nothing fits right. One obnoxious pimple pops up, then another and another. You step on the scale and suddenly start to realize eating whatever you want clearly doesn't work anymore. Overall, nothing seems to be going your way that week. However, the problem came for me when the "Ugly Week" turned into an "Ugly Month" and now I've decided it's just an "Ugly Year", which actually started about September of last year!

I'm 27 years old. My metabolism has officially started its decline from the good 'ole days of high school yester year when I could put in a minimal amount of time and effort working out and have six pack abs by the end of a 2 week period. More than half my wardrobe doesn't fit anymore and had to be boxed up. Then I started developing adult acne. I had nearly flawless skin as a teen. So naturally I assumed back then that I was just lucky and would simply never really be prone to zits aside from the occasional random breakout. WRONG! I've gained 18 lbs so far since I got married in August '08. The idea of taking pix of my face and hair to display in a blog post just did NOT sound appealing to me. Everytime I got ready take pix I'd find some excuse to pause and save the post, planning to come back to it later.

No doubt many of you will read this post and think, "Boo hoo, woe is me, sob story, sob story!" And ya know what, I'd often be one of those people if I was reading this on someone else's blog. I'm often the first person to point out someone else's good attributes and tell them how ridiculous they are for being so overly female. Or I'd come from the other side of things and instead of preaching acceptance, I'd be scolding, "If you don't like these things about yourself, do something about it." But of course it's never the same when you have to scold the person who's looking back at you in the mirror. I've fallen victim to the very thing that often drives me insane about women in general. 'Bitch, moan, whine, cry, oh how I feel so sorry for myself!' I hardly even recognize myself these days because I'm generally not "that" kind of girl!!! Of course, I also used to have a lot more things in my life that made me able to be so confident. And it all came easily. I ate what I wanted whenever I wanted. I never worked out. I'd go out and have a few drinks (without even one thought about how many calories were in my mixed drink!)and then come home and sleep in my makeup like it was nothing. I loved the mall and could shop for hours. Now I loathe the place and only go when I NEED something or when someone else is going.

Basically, I'm growing up and I'm just not a fan... because I'm lazy!!! I don't wanna work out. I don't wanna count calories and eat boring bland food. I wanna quarter pounder with cheese and a 50 cent soft serve cone after! I don't wanna feel stressed out over how clean my face is every single day. Don't get me wrong, I love playing in products just as much as the next girl, but I don't want to feel like it's a necessity to give myself a full on facial on a daily basis!!!

I'm being a little overly obsessive about it all, I know. But I AM a woman and as much as I like to try to resist it, we ALL have our overly female moments. However, I've definitely decided that I'm not going to choose the route of "acceptance". I'm choosing the "get off your ass and do something about it" route... because deep down I'm "that" kind of girl!!!

My next post will be a personal "Making Over My Image" jump start post that WILL include pictures! Im going to put it out there for all to see, which will inevitably require some serious accountability. I kinda have this theory that plastering your biz on the internet tends to provoke an extra dose of motivation!!!

Anyone feeling inspired enough to join me on this dangerous quest?!? ;)

Samson Bentson!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Wed, 19 May 2010 03:23:00 +0000

Hey hey, peeps!!! How is life? Mine? Crazy busy lately! Especially for the past few days.

I decided to enter myself in a contest for the Best Wife of the Year Award by surprising my Hubby with a new puppy! Yeah ok, so there's no real contest but if there was I so would have won cause my man was exciiiiiteed!

Say hello to the first addition to the Bentson family... Meet Samson! He is a 7 week, 4 days old boxer. As of yesterday he starting chewing everything in site (surprise, surprise!), and biting hands and pants legs!

Needless to say, this little guy has taken up much of my time as of late so I thought I would check in to say hi and share pix of my new lil boy! ;)

"Look at my cute little sad face."

Daddy was trying to show Samson to the camera and he was not fan so he bit him on the hand! ha! Bad boy! But I don't care cause it was funny!!

Happy Frickin, Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Happy Monday my fabulous Glamouritas!!! How was everyone's weekend? Mine was not as relaxing as I would have hoped BUT I did get a lot done and that's always good! Yay for spring cleaning... NOOOOT!

Anywho, last week was kind of crazy for me and now I feel so out of the loop so this is just my quick note to all saying "Wasssuuuup!!!"

Update on My Favorite Beauty Tool

I've written about this before but it's been a long time so I thought I'd update. I had fabulously clear skin as a teen. In that regard, I was the envy of many of my pimple faced peers. However, once I hit 25... everything changed. If I forget to wash my face before bed once or twice, I'll have an unwelcome surprise or two within 24 hours. It's painfully obnoxious but what can ya do!?

However, when I use my Clarisonic twice a day like I'm supposed to, my skin is clear, my tone looks more even overall, and I just look brighter and more awake. I feel like I can wear less makeup which is great for me because I tend to stay in bed for as long as possible in the mornings!!!

I will say though that it definitely ain't cheap! My brush retails for a whopping $195 from Sephora and that's for the original brush. The brush head replacements are $25.

But it's so soooo worth it!!!! The thing that got me was the woman in the store I was in who was demonstrating it when they first came out in Sephora. She was clearly in her mid-40's judging by her overall appearance.. aka... she needed a wardrobe makeover and a much more current hair style. But her face was crazy smooth and wrinkle free! So naturally, I HAD to have it! The Clarisonic Face Brush is absolute heaven!

BUDGET GLAMOUR: LA Girl Platinum Collection Dual Blush

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I started my series on Budget Glamour items probably about a month ago and am JUST NOW getting to my 2nd item for review! Pathetic I know and for anyone who was excited about finding budget cosmetics that actually work, I APOLOGIZE for being such a slacker! My goal is to post my Budget Glamour reviews once a week from now on!

So getting right into it, I'm going to continue the series with the 2nd item I tried in the LA Girl cosmetic line which was their Platinum Collection Blush in Dimple/Blushing.

I bought the dual blush set which came with 2 colors and a handy little mirror as well. The mirror honestly wasn't so exciting but that really had nothing to do with why I purchased the blush anyhow! There are 12 different color combo sets to chooose from. I used the darker of the two colors in the pictures above. I decided that was probably the "Blushing" color... especially since it definitely made ME look like I was blushing. I didn't notice at first but after I opened up case in the light I could see that the blush had little sparkly flecks in it. I'm not a huge fan of glittery makeup so naturally that made me apprehensive at first but the sparkles turned out to be suprisingly subtle.

*Indoors*

*Daylight*

LA Girl Plantinum Collection Dual Blush Breakdown

Pros:

A little goes a long way so it will last longer
Very pigmented
Lasted throughout the day (big plus for cheapy stuff)

Cons:

Powder was slightly messy
Didn't blend as easily as I would have liked

Overall Impressions: I'm not sure that the colors were necessarily perfect for my skin tone. For the "Blushing" color in the future I'll likely tone it down with a sweep of foundation powder over the color. But will definitely stay it was worth the $2.99 and I will use it again.

I give it a 4 out of 5 on the Budget Glamour scale.

You can buy this line at lagirlusa.com or cherryculture.com. On lagirlusa.com the Dual Blush was $6 but I bought it for $2.99 on cherryculture.com! Whut whuuut!!!

The Right Kind of Smoky Eye for Your Face

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:33:00 +0000

I thought this was kinda coolio so I'm passing it on....

Click HERE to take the quiz and find your ideal smoky eye look!

Peeling Eyelids?!? Say What???

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:53:00 +0000

So funny story...
My husband and I bought our first house last October. (Woop Woop!!) It's quite the little fixer upper but with a lot of potential. One of the things that definitely needs to be fixed- or changed I should say- are the aluminum windows. We have some large windows and all of them are old and horrible for insulating warmth. Another thing on the "fix-it" list is our OIL HEATING. Oil heating is pretty pricey and we had just about used up the oil in our tank by about February. Needless to say it was a cooold end of the winter season in our house. We didn't want to pay to refill the heat because winter would be over soon and let's be real... we were broke from buying the house and didn't have the money to pay to have it refilled. So we lived on a couple of space heaters, a heating blanket, and a fireplace that seemed to only warm the area about 2 feet in front of it!

Everyone knows that cold weather can wreak havoc on your skin leaving it dry and scaly. During the winter months, hand lotions fly off the shelves along with chapstick and hair conditioner.

Well, with the combination of the cold from outside and the cool, dry air we had going on inside our house I experienced some dryness in the oddest place... MY EYELIDS! Has this ever happened to you???

(You are obviously supposed to disregard the terribly mismanaged brows going on. I'm working on growing them out to re-shape! :))

I inevitably remedied this obnoxious peely eyelids problem by lightly exfoliating my whole eye area with a warm damp wash cloth. Then I rubbled extra virgin olive oil on them before I went to bed each night for a couple days. They were better by the morning of day 3. Crazy though, huh?! That had never happened to me before!!!

Drugstore Brands: Why Are There Fewer Color Options for Powder???

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:33:00 +0000

So, I ran out of my Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Powder! Tragedy, I know! I love that stuff! However, I decided that I would try to find a drugstore brand pressed powder that I could love even half as much, simply for the sake of saving a couple bucks! Well, I have to say that not only did I not find anything comparable, I couldn't find anything to try at all because NONE of the colors were even close to right! For drugstore brand makeup I always go with the main four brands: Revlon, Maybelline, L'oreal, and CoverGirl. Out of all 4, not ONE had a color in their powder options that would match my skin tone. What gives?!

L'oreal came the closest and by far had more options than the rest with their True Match line. But even those options didn't cut it. The color options basically go from tan to dark with nothing really in between or they simply don't have anything darker at all. Then out of the colors they actually do have, they all have pinky undertones instead of yellow or olive, and seem to be colors that are more suited towards a white girl with a really nice tan, as opposed to someone who is actually a darker skinned person. Revlon's new Photo Ready Powder Foundation? Medium deep... That's how dark it goes... MEDIUM DEEP! And I even looked online for that one just to see if maybe the darker colors are only available on their website. NOPE! I know this problem comes up time and time again for us ladies with darker skin tones, but for goodness sakes I thought by now these companies would have learned a thing or two!!

The intriguing part about this though, is that it was just the powder that I was having this problem with. Liquid foundations have several more options available for a broader range of skin tones. Could it be that women with darker toned skin tend to be less likely to wear powder? What do you think???

2010 Oscars- Least Wanted Fashions From a Few Most Wanted Ladies!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:55:00 +0000

Was it just me or were the Oscars this year a little lackluster on the excitement scale?! I gotta say I was seriously bored to tears with most of the show. It wasn't as funny, it wasn't as exciting, and the fashion was less than inpiring! Topping my disappoitment meter were a few major celeb fashion blunders from some of my favorite celeb icons! Can someone please tell me what Charlize Theron was wearing?!? I love that woman. She is goooorgeous! But that Christian Dior dress? Wretched! It's like she was saying 'Hey everyone, since I don't really have any boobs, I'm just gonna wear this dress with little ribbon rosettes in their place! Whatd'ya think?!' Ick!

Sarah Jessica Parker was right on Charlize's heels with another red carpet bomb! So disppointing. I'm thinking she might have been having a little identity confusion with her fictional alter ego Carrie Bradshaw when this Chanel dress was selected!! I LOVE Carrie Bradshaw but I often have very little love for her outfits. Stacy and Clinton would have a field day ripping apart this shapeless sack of a gown! Just Awful! And I'm all for the messy glam look. Many celebrity woman can pull it off so well. However, last night the wispy hair on the crown of SJP's head was a little more mess than glam! She looked like she woke up with bed head, sprayed it with hair spray, then walked out the door. Soooo not cute!

Lastly, my girl Zoe! Now, it seems many have put her in the Best Dressed list for this year for her Givenchy gown, but I'm sorry...to me her dress was a purple plume of disaster! Starting from the top, you're thinking "Ooooh, nice! Loving the sparkles." Then you pan down only to hit the ground with the thud once you see the rest of that dress! The cream sparkles leading into the lilac totally clashed to me. Then the mini purple rainbow of pom pom color at the bottom just put the cherry on top of an extremely disappointing look! I love the girl though so I aint mad at her! Once you're a celeb with mucho dinero, a few fashion DON'Ts are inevitable!!!

****************************************************************

On another note, I wanna give a shout out to Kim Porter of makeupbykim-porter.com who gave me The Sunshine Blog Award because my blog inspires her. THANK YOU KIM! I truly do appreciate it as this is my first blog award!! It's nice to know that my followers/readers genuinely do value the information they find on my blog and consider it helpful to them because that's what it's all about!!

In the spirit of these blog awards, I'm going to go ahead and pass this onto some of the ladies who's blogs I find to be inspiring as well!

Rules
1. Post logo on your blog
2. Pass it to 12 bloggers who inspire you
3. Link the bloggers & let them know!

BLOGS I LOVE!

♥ Kate Gene ♥
TheMakeupSnob
Piinkcupcakez
Healthy Kisses
The Informed Makeup Maven
The Hollywood Heels
The Bliss List
Spoiled Pretty
Rock Me Beautiful
Milan Rouge
Makeup My Addiction
*The Makeup and Beauty Blog

*All time fave!!

Thank you to my followers, especially those that leave me such nice comments! I love you all!! ;)

Gojane.com Giveaway from PiinkCupcakez

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:17:00 +0000

Enter the Gojane.com Giveaway hosted by Piinkcupcakez and sponsored by GoJane.com. Win a $25 certificate to GoJane.com. If you're not that familiar with the site, click here and check out their clothing selection and awesome sales! The Giveaway Ends: Wednesday, March 10th 11:59pm EST.

Click Here to find out how to enter the giveaway!

Random Review: Vicks VapoSteam Inhaler

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:39:00 +0000

Love it or Leave it??

So, I have been MIA for quite a while. Shameful, I know. BUT in my defense, the latter portion of my absence was due to a nasty flu I caught. I've never had such clogged sinuses in my life! and still do even now in fact! It's been 10 days! Ridiculous!!! The more clogged I got the more difficult it became to sleep and after several days of crappy sleep I was pretty frickin irritated! My face hurt, my ears hurt- I discovered sinus passageways in my head that I never even knew existed because they ached and throbbed like death!! Ugh!

Naturally, about halfway through that time I was desperate for some sort of remedy. So I went to the store looking for a humidifier and while I was standing there scanning over the limited options at Fred Meyer, I came across Vicks VapoSteam Inhaler. Everyone knows what Vicks VapoRub does so I thought to myself, Vicks vapors mixed in with steam sounded pretty awesome to me at the time. I was dying for anything that might offer an inkling of relief. It was only $10 so I snatched it up with a quickness!

Well, I have to say that in this instance, the makers of Vicks VapoRub totally let me down. You tell me. When you read the term "VapoSteam", does it not imply to you that there might be actual STEAM that comes out of it? Well, the product name is bit misleading because there is no steam at all and that was a disappointment to me.

This is how the VapoSteam Inhaler works:
You fill up the bottom chamber with hot, "not boiling" water then drop one of the VapoSteam pads into the water, which in turn is supposed to create vapors that you inhale through the funnel shaped top half.

To me, this product didn't do anything better or work anymore effectively than the Vicks VapoRub itself. I could have easily saved myself $6 by simply buying the VapoRub instead for the same overall results. I was highly unimpressed.

Love it or leave it?? Obsession Confessions vote: Definitely LEAVE IT!

A Unique Approach to Filling In Sparse Eye Brows

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:36:00 +0000

If you are like me then you may opt to save a few bucks and pluck your own brows. Lately though, I just can't seem to get them right so I've been going to get them waxed once a month and then I just maintain in between by tweezing them myself. However, I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I'm so focused on shaping and making sure they match perfectly (which of course is impossible)that I tend to overpluck. However, Daneen over at Spoiled Pretty came across an awesome technique by makeup artist Pat McGrath on how to fill in sparse brows for a more natural look. Click Here to read her post.

LA Girl Perfecting Liquid Makeup Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:39:00 +0000

Hello all you lovely Glamaritas! (oh yeah, I went there!) I hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far. I’m not going to lie, I’ve had better days. Work is not so great lately. But whatever, gotta pay the bills right?!

So, this will be my first installment on a series I’m starting called Budget Glamour. I will be reviewing products from some of the most inexpensive makeup lines in hopes of finding comparable products to some of our more expensive favorites.

Nowadays, I think more than ever, it’s worth it to cut a buck or two whenever we can. I fully support low cost products if they can give me results that are similar to the higher dollar items.

The first line I’m reviewing in this series is LA Girl Cosmetics. You can buy this line at lagirlusa.com or cherryculture.com. The first product I tried was the Perfecting Liquid Makeup foundation in caramel. It’s an oil free liquid foundation with 18 different color options. For all you ladies with olive to darker skin tones like myself, there appears to be just enough options for us too. The caramel wasn’t a perfect match but it gave me a subtle tan that looked natural and not pasty like most low end foundations tend to do on my skin.

For the most part I don’t typically have high opinions about low-end foundations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this foundation. It was just like any typical foundation as far as consistency with the exception of the fact that it was a little bit thicker and because of this thickness it doesn’t exactly layer well. Nevertheless, it has a medium to full coverage so there really isn’t any need to layer to build the coverage. I will say there is a slight scent that reminded me of a cosmetic kit I received as a little girl which has always made me think “that’s the cheap stuff”. However, the smell is not overpowering or even that noticeable beyond that little memory. I even asked the Hubs to sniff my face just to be sure! ;)

Before and After(notice the cirlces and little freckles are far less visible in the After shot)
Before and After
Heading out for work...
End of the day...(hat head! lol)
The Perfecting Liquid Makeup foundation held up fairly well throughout the day. I used a primer and a setting powder which seemed to do the trick for enhancing the staying power of the foundation. I will say that I’m not sure how well it would have held up without the primer and setting powder. But I’m ok with using both since the foundation is so inexpensive.

All in all, I’d say this foundation was a rather impressive Budget Glamour item. I bought the Perfecting Liquid Makeup foundation on sale at cherryculture.com for $4 regularly $7. I’d definitely say it was more than worth the already insanely low price tag.

I’d give it 4 out of 5 Budget Glamour Points.

Prescriptives is Closing Up Shop!!!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:04:00 +0000

As of January 31st, Prescriptives will be closing all of their retail counter locations and products will then only be available online while supplies last!

Check out their current online offer and get used to seeing more like this, as you will no longer be able to head into Nordstrom looking for your favorite Prescriptives products as of Jan 31. :(

Receive FREE SHIPPING with any Prescriptives.com purchase of $35 or more! Enter code FREESHIP35 at checkout. Valid through 1.23.10.

Instead of a New Year’s Resolution, How About a New Love Resolution?

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:37:00 +0000

This year…. I will quit smoking…. I will go to the gym 4 times a week and I will pay off all my debt…. I will also lose 20lbs by summer. (The last one is my personal favorite since it is on the top of my list!) But seriously, let’s just cut the crap because we all know perfectly well that most people rarely fulfill any of their New Year’s Resolutions. I sincerely hope I can lose those 20 lbs by summer but let’s just say I won’t be kicking myself if it doesn’t happen because that’s life.

Despite the fact that New Year’s Resolutions are seldom kept, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still make some goals at the beginning of a new year. It’s a great time to reevaluate your life and take time to analyze whatever parts of it that you may not be particularly pleased with.

This year, why not try adding something way more important to your goals for the year and then bump it up to number one on the list. Often we focus so hard on cutting back on those dirty cigarettes or shedding those few wretched pounds that we can easily forget about the goal of nurturing the things in life that truly make us happy.

This year, make it your goal to remind the man in your life how much you love him on a more regular basis. Normally I would recommend NOT making New Year’s resolutions that require daily commitment. However, in this case I’m throwing that idea out the window. Tell him every single day that you love him. Make sure he knows how much you enjoy spending time with him. Make it your goal to be more aware of the small things he puts an effort toward and be sure to praise him for it.

Nowadays with the stresses of life, especially during these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever to embrace all the ways in which our lives are blessed. This year, make yourself a love resolution. Be resolved to love and love well and to make that resolution stick!

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
- Eden Ahbez

TGIF!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:02:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! I'm not sure why but today I am exceptionally excited that it's Friday! I didn't have a particularly hard week at work and I don't have any particularly exciting plans for the weekend but I am soo ready for it! Sometimes you just need a break, ya know!

I do, actually, have plans to try a few things on my wish list. One of which is the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit! So often I come across colors that are described as "natural" which tend to be more "natural" to those with naturally fairer skin tones. It's nice when natural colors come in more options for lighter and darker toned skin.

The shade option for the Natural Eye Kit is only in Neutrals. However, the colors in the neutral kit seem like they may have a universally neutral look to a wider range of skin colors.

Another cool thing I liked about this kit is that it comes with little tutorial cards on how to create a Day, Classic, or Fashion look.

I'm going to get the kit this weekend and try it out! Stay tuned!

Deals, Deals, Deals!!!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:10:00 +0000

As I've said plenty of times before I am ALL about the sales and discounts! Check out a few promotions I noticed as you head into your weekend!! Enjoy!

Benefitcosmetics.com

The Annual Benefit Sale-abration is on! Save up to 70% off your favorite products. For a limited time at BenefitCosmetics.com starting on January 7, 2010.

Limited.com

The Limited's One Day Only Event! Additional 30% off markdowns

Prescriptives.com

Receive THREE FREE SAMPLES of skincare bestsellers, plus FREE STANDARD SHIPPING with any $35 Prescriptives.com order! Enter code FAVES at checkout through 1.09.10.

OOKISA hair products... Scam?

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:10:00 +0000

Are the products even worth it??

If you're like me and you visit a lot of hair and beauty forums, blogs, and makeup sites, you've probably noticed the ads for OOKISA hair products. Between all the different sites I follow I kept noticing those annoying little banner ads left and right which eventually caught my attention. I ended up trying Janelle Beauty Diva Smooth because of annoying little ads like those and the Diva Smooth ended up being a pretty decent product, so I gave in and clicked on one of the ads for OOKISA.
They offered a free trial of the product with just the cost of shipping and handling so I went ahead and ordered some. Little did I know that there was a little bit more to this "free trial" than implied. If you've been curious about the OOKISA products but apprehensive about giving them a try, read this review I wrote about it BEFORE you whip out your credit card for the shipping and handling charge on the "free trial".

Follow the link to read my review: OOKISA Shampoo, Conditioner, and Follicle Renewing Serum: Is it a Scam?

Stretching Your Relaxer

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:58:00 +0000

Good afternoon, ladies!

I hope everyone is having a very Happy Hump Day! In my neck of the wood it's a bit depressing right now with the constant drizzle we've had off and on all day. Very gloomy and it's making me sleepy! :(

I just wanted to post the link for my latest Associated Content article on How to Stretch Your Relaxers.

I know a lot of us lately are trying to grow longer stronger hair by stretching our relaxers as long as possible. My article just shows a few ways that I've been able to successfully stretch from 6 months to a year long. If you have any questions that the article doesn't answer for you, feel free to email me at glamourandlove@live.com. Or comment below and add any tips and tricks that have worked for you during your stretches!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Clinique Holiday Promotion of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:31:00 +0000

Check out these awesome holiday promotions from clinique.com!!

3 Mascaras for the price of 2 -Offer code: KEEP

Buy any 2 clinique.com mascaras and receive a FREE full size tube of their High Impact Mascara in black.

AND

3 Lipsticks for the price of 2 -Offer code: ONE

By any 2 clinique.com lipsticks and receive a FREE full size Long Last Soft Shine lipstick in Bamboo Pink

PLUS

Get complimentary Standard Shipping with any $40 purchase on clinique.com!!!

These promos are only while supplies last so jump onto clinique.com and start shopping!!!

Holiday Wish List 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:22:00 +0000

There are several great products I've tried this year and a few new ones I'm dying to try. My list this year consists of some fabulous products that I highly recommend or fully intend to try based on good reviews I've read. I would rush out and buy everything on this list right now if money was no object. Hence, the "Wish List"! ;)

Cleanser: Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil
Tried it! Rating: 5 out of 5

"The secret to Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil is protecting the skin’s delicate balance while removing make-up and impurities in a single step. Evolved from the original shu uemura cleansing oil, "Classic" is reformulated with an advanced High Performance Cleansing Oil system for significantly improved removability of waterproof make-up.

www.shuuemura-usa.com

Exfoliator: MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel
Dying to Try

"In just 2 minutes a day, [this] easy 2-step system gives you a highly developed skincare regimen plus Microexfoliation™- without recovery time. Microexfoliation™ is a gentle, non–irritating method of removing cellular debris from the surface of the skin, resulting in a smoother, firmer more even complexion. MD Skincare® Alpha Beta® Daily Face Peel yields results far superior to other methods of exfoliation. Significant, notable and lasting improvement is achieved through daily use..."

www.mdskincare.com

Moisturizer: Pangea Organics Nigerian Ginger, Sweet Lavender & Thyme Facial Cream
Dying to Try

"[Pangea Orangics] creams are designed to protect, balance, nourish and provide just the right amount of moisturizing. Ingredients such as Argan Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Rice Bran Extract and Shea Butter are hand-picked for their anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, EFA and Vitamin rich, cell regenerating, and natural sun protecting properties. No matter the skin type, hydration is always a good idea – whether you drink it in or smooth it on. Actually, doing both is best. As for our facial creams, we formulate them with faces in mind, taking into consideration that facial skin is thinner and more delicate than the rest. Feels smooth rather than smothering."

www.pangeaorganics.com

Mask: Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask
Tried it! Rating: 4 out of 5

"Activated Charcoal acts like a magnet to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers, White China Clay absorbs environmental toxins, Lecithin dissolves impurities. Without all that 'stuff' down there, skin 'breathes a sigh of relief.'"

www.origins.com

Eye Treatment: FirstAid Beauty Detox Eye Roller
Dying to Try

"FAB’s Detox Eye Roller contains caffeine, a potent vasoconstrictor that constricts the fine blood vessels that cause dark undereye circles. Hyaluronate and advanced peptides recapture lost volume and increase collagen production to reduce fine lines. Witch hazel protects and soothes the very delicate skin under the eye. The unique delivery metal roller ball gently distributes lymphatic build-up from underneath the eyes, resulting in less baggy looking skin."

www.firstaidbeauty.com

Prescriptives 4-Piece Gift: FREE TODAY ONLY!!!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:33:00 +0000

Walking through Nordstrom on a typical Saturday afternoon of product perusing, I stopped at the Shu Uemura counter when I noticed the words, "cleansing oil". To someone who suffers from acne prone skin, those two words probably sound like an oxymoron! I have heard before that extra virgin olive oil can be used as a cleanser for your face but I honestly have never tried it myself. So, I decided to go ahead and get a sample because I was instantly intrigued.

I went with the High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Advanced Formula said to be for all skin types. The advanced formula is an upgrade from Shu Uemura's "classic" oil and was improved to make the removal of waterproof makeup easier.

I have to say I was highly impressed with this product. My favorite feature was how well it removed my makeup, specifically my eyeliner which we all know is always a hassle! My skin felt fresh, clean, and refined once I'd rinsed. I kept touching my skin (which pretty much just defeats the purpose of cleansing!)because I was expecting there to be some sign of oil residue left on my skin. But nope! It was nice and clean... almost squeaky clean, which was the only downside for me. I have dry to combination skin, so for me the end result was clean but dry. My skin wasn't as stripped as some other cleansers have left it in the past but certainly dry and uncomfortable. I followed it up with Shu Uemura's Vitalizing Retexturing Cream which will be reviewed in a future post.

This product is definitely not for the bargain hunter. It's $28 for only 5 oz. and $62 for the full size (15.2 oz). However, I will say that if the Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil wasn't so pricey I would absolutely purchase it again! It gets 4 out of 5 glamour points from me!

Origins Friends and Family Sale Ends Today

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:46:00 +0000

Today is the last day to take advantage of 25% off of Origins products online along with free standard shipping!!!

Don't forget to use code NovFF to take advantage of this amazing deal!!

Celebrity Makeup Artist Mario Dedivanovic Answers Your Questions!

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Daneen Baird, author of blog Spoiled Pretty has teamed up with celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic to create "Makeup Mondays." Every Monday Mario provides answers to some tough beauty questions submitted by the readers of Spoiled Pretty.

I was fortunate enough to have my question answered by the fabulous Mario Dedivanovic regarding how to obtain smudge-proof foundation that stays on your face and nowhere else.

If you are like me and suffer from foundation that tends to smudge onto anything and everything you touch, Click Here to see Mario's solution to that problem.

The Limited 30% Off Family & Friends Event

noreply@blogger.com (GlamourandLove) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:41:00 +0000

From now through November 8th take 30% off regular AND sale prices online when you use the code "678" at checkout.

PLUS, also now though November 8th all pants and jeans are Buy One Get One 1/2 Off! One of my favorite, best fitting pair of jeans was purchased at The Limited... which was suprising because I didn't expect them to make jeans that would accomodate my oversized thighs!

Take advantage of this 'limited' time offer while it lasts!