The MUST Mascara-CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Mascara

If you are like me then you are invariably looking for the BEST mascera that does the  BEST job for the BEST price.  At modeling gigs I'm consistently inspecting make-up artist's bags to see which products they love and carry to each job they are called to do.  One mascara I see in EVERY bag is the CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Blasting Mascara. It gives the look of dramatic eyelashes in just one coat. What you will find is that you do not have to use multiple layers to get the volume you want. An added bonus, it removes easily with soap and water. Contact lens wearers (like me) will love that it’s hypoallergenic too.  You can find it for about $8 at your local drugstore or big box retailer.

Mineral Oil Can Wreak Havoc on a Spray Tan

Have you ever gotten a spray tan and then you notice a couple of days later that it looks cracked and broken?  It's uneven and looks like a patch of earth that hasn't gotten water in weeks, maybe even months.  You are moisturizing your skin, so you can't figure out what the deal is.  It's MINERAL OIL!!  It will wreak havoc on your pretty spray tan or sunless tanner.  The SOLUTION is to use a mositurizer like Curel  or Aveeno that doesn't have mineral oil.  My favorite is the Curel lotion.  It's light, not greesy, moisturizes the skin and has a has a wonderful  fresh sent.  The Curel lotion ranges in price from $3-$7 depending on size, and the Aveeno is $4-$8 depending on size as well.  The best part is that you can find both at your local drugstore or big box store like Wal-Mart or Target.



Aveeno Lotion



Bentonite Clay - A Girl's Best Friend

Have you heard of Bentonite Clay?  I had never, until yesterday.  A friend, who by the way has AMAZING skin, told me I needed to check it out.  She said it's a mask that you mix with water and is pretty cheap.  I checked it out and this is what I found.

This powdered "wonder" clay is called Aztec Secret Works Indian Healing Clay and is easily found at Whole Foods and many online suppliers for around $5.99.  Once you get the clay home you can mix it with water or Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar.  I mixed mine with water.  (You want to be sure to not use a metal bowl or stirrer when mixing the product.)  Apply a thick layer to your face and let it dry.  It takes about 30 minutes.  They claim when it dries you have a pulsating feeling in your face.  I did!!  It's pretty cool.  It's the TIGHTEST mask I have EVER used.  I literally couldn't drink a drink until I washed it off.   Once dry use a washcloth to remove the thick dry layer and  voilá you have skin that looks tight and red (I promise it's not bad).  It looks AMAZING in about 30 minutes.  The redness disappears easily, and the finished result is reduced pore size, tight skin, and anything that needed to be pulled out of the skin out is pulled out.  It's BOTOX-esque in a jar, for real!  It's wonderful.  Baby butt wonderful I might add.  She refers to it as "Biore on steroids"!  I have to agree.  Give it a try!

Self-Tanner-Two Faves

So, who doesn't like to have a little bit of glow this time of year?  It's drab and cold out, and having a bit of color always puts a bit of pep in my step.  I like having color so much that I had a spray tanning membership for the VersaSpa spray tan.  That membership was $70 a month!  I put my foot down and said, "NO more".  I set out on the quest for a replacement, and found TWO that I like just as much. 

The first is Roxanne Rizzo's Bronze Glow.  The spray can with the 360 degree nozzle (yes, it reaches every nook and cranny) retails for $38 + shipping from her website.  If you order, she's in NY and unless you are in the state of NY you won't have to pay tax on your purchase.  Save a bit of $ right there!  The color of this product rivalsVersaSpa's (mentioned above) color if you are familiar with it.  If not, it looks REAL, NOT Umpa Lumpa orange (Wizard of Oz).  It's easy.  I just lay an old sheet on the floor and spray away.  In a couple hours I'm glowing bronze.

The second is L'oreal's Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion in Medium Deep.  This is a gel type lotion that dries quickly and gives you great color.  It retails anywhere from $8.50 to $10.99 at the grocery store, pharmacy or Wal-Mart.  You can get it online as well.  The gel has color so you can see where you are putting the product during application.  Not everybody likes the gel type tanner, but if you take a shower and do it after a shower when your skin is freshly dried and fairly moist, it tends to go on smoother.  Be sure and rub it in evenly and you'll be glowing in no time. [ TIP:  Do you wonder how to get the top and middle of your back?  I put a line of product on the top of my middle finger all the way down the top of my hand and reach around to my back and rub it in that way.  It works like a charm. ]

Here's to your fabulous glow that you got on your recent trip to lovely, tropical Hawaii!!  Wink. Wink.

Click here to buy Roxanne Rizzo's Bronze Glow 

Click here to buy L'oreal's Sublime Bronze

The BEST Leggings for Fall

Who doesn't love a great pair of comfy leggings for the fall?  They're great with boots, sweaters, shirts, t's, flats, and much, much more.  A GREAT go to basic!  Third time is the charm for me this season.  I have purchased two pairs of leggings that were okay, but not great by any means.  Beacause of their lack, I set out to find a pair that held their shape, had enough but not too much stretch, and were thick enough to not see through. Now that's attractive! I found the KENNETH COLE New York leggings at Nordstrom for $49!  Great price, good value.  While checking out two of the sales ladies, one about 28 and the other about 58, both raved about them.  I have to say that I can RAVE about them too.  The waist band also hits at the right spot, not too high and not too low, but just right.  Goldy Locks here! :)

The leggings come in

three colors: 

Dark Heather Gray

Rich Black

True Cocoa

Sizes:

X-Small to X-Large

Regular and Petite



Click here to be taken to Nordstrom's Kenneth Cole New York Leggings





Shu Uemura VS. Revlon Extra Curl Lash Curler Black

This is a blog for people who want to save some dough in these tough economic times, but still want to look fabulous!  I don't know about you, but I love a good find, replacement to what I've been using that still gets the job done well, and a bargain.  I have been in the fashion industry for some time now as a professional model and have picked up a few tips here and there along the way.  I will share tips about saving on everything from make-up to clothing, and even talk about some of my favorite eco-friendly money saving tips and choices, too. 

My favorite eyelash curler is made by Shu Uemura.  I know it's many other's favorite too because we even heard it mentioned in The Devil Wears Prada.  It's a bit pricey at $19, but does do a fabulous job.  It was designed with the beautiful wide Asian eye in mind so it's overall shape is different than many of the other choices out there.  It gets to the root and really curls those lashes.  In a recent trip to Neiman Marcus I noticed they are no longer carrying the brand.  I found a few locations online that have them, but you are looking at $19 + shipping and handling.  Whew!  Rumor has it that L'Oreal (the "now" owner of Shu Uemura Cosmetics) is no longer shipping these to the U.S.  BUMMER!!  I don't know if it's true.  I just heard that from a make up artist last week.  So, now we have to pay INTERNATIONAL shipping.  NO WAY!!  SO with all of this and trying to save some $$'s I found the Revlon Extra Curl Lash Curler Black for $5.99 at Walgreen's.  I LOVE it, it's shape is comparable to the "old one", and find that it does just as good of a job!  It's my new fave I use every day.  AND I saved a bundle too!