My sister and nephew recently spent about a week and a half visiting my family. We had a lovely and memorable visit, but the cold my sister passed along to us all lingered on. What a fantastic opportunity to sample Essencia Aromatics Bath Salts! This blend of Rosemary and Eucalyptus essential oils helps provide relief from stuffed sinuses. I must admit, just smelling it in the jar helped me breathe again! This product can be found on the Essencia Aromatics website. A generous 16 oz. jar of these bath salts retails for $16.
Reviews By Type
David Scott Cosmetics Advanced Waterproof Eyeliner
I love the precisely-lined eye that only liquid liner can create. Problem is, I find applying liquid liners difficult. My hand is steady as a rock, but brushes with too much give are too challenging for my use. David Scott’s Advanced Waterproof Eyeliner has a brush stiff enough to apply liner with laser-like precision, but soft enough to eliminate tugging at the skin. I applied this eyeliner perfectly to my lids on my first try!
I sampled this product in Teal, and love the rich flash of color. What a stand-out way to shed winter-drab color. To top it all off, the David Scott waterproof formula is even smudge proof!
David Scott’s Liquid Liners are available in Teal, Black, Denim Blue and Brown (pictured, from left to right). Retail price is $19.95. This product is available via David Scott online! I personally can’t wait for David’s online store to launch!
Red Lips For The Budget Conscious Courtesey of ELF Cosmetics
If I purchased every red lipstick and gloss shade I wanted this Fall, I would have to file for bankruptcy. For those who can’t resist having many options, E.L.F. has terrific choices for just $1.
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Jane Iredale Active Light
I’ve now sampled many Jane Iredale concealer products: Disappear, Lid Primer and Active Light. Woman to woman: if you have something to hide, you can depend on your dear friend Jane.
Active Light is specifically designed for use on the under-eye area. This revolutionary mineral-based formula has a prismatic effect, diffusing light to make the area appear brighter. Better still, this talc-free formula is also laced with vitamins and anti-oxidants to help lighten dark circles while reducing puffiness. I’m impressed with how bright and alert I appear when wearing Jane Iredale Active Light. Use this concealer, and people will be convinced you slept well the night before.
Always a fan of product cases, I have to make a note of the unique dispenser. Twist the bottom of the long handle, and the concealer is dispensed through the brush at the top. This pen-styled dispenser makes it easy to control the amount of product you use, though I highly recommend blending with your fingertips instead of the brush.
Jane Iredale Active Light retails for $25 via Jane Iredale Direct, and is available in six different shades.
Raging Hair Distress
Feeling it was time to return to my "roots", I visited my salon to have my highlighted hair dyed a semi-permanent brown. This is nothing new. Periodically I like to return back to my natural color, and give my stressed tresses a well-deserved break from the tortures of highlighting.
Egads! Due to a rookie error on the part of my stylist combined with my over-porous highlighted hair, my desire to get back to "normal" resulted in an Elvis-worthy black dye job.
Thus began my quest to answer the age-old question… How do you lift the color black? I conducted some online research and read advice ranging from washing hair repetitively with harsh shampoos (or even–yuck–laundry detergent) to get the color to rinse out, to bleaching the hair and switching to a permanent color. Not what I wanted!
Luckily, my stylist semi-redeemed herself with an idea. One stylist referred to the process as "shampoo bleach" and another stylist called it a "bleach cap". It’s a mixture of 1/2 shampoo and 1/2 bleach. The solution is evenly scrubbed into the hair for only 5-10 minutes. This is enough time to lift the color a bit, but not enough to do any harsh damage. My once jet-black hair is now a deep chocolate brown. Sure, it’s still WAY darker than my natural color, but I’m actually quite fond of it! Plus, my hair is still as soft as silk, so I don’t feel like I sacrificed hair health to lighten my shade.
Just thought someone might find this useful!
Share your own raging hair distress story by posting a comment!



