Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths

My new most favorite beauty product is Skyn Iceland’s Glacial Cleansing Cloths. These cleansing wipes are great for taking off makeup, cleansing your face after the gym (or anywhere else at any time). They contain white willow bark (a naturally occurring form of skin clearing salicylic acid) to help keep your pores clean and banish breakouts, cucumber and chamomile to sooth and tone, and Skyn Iceland’s very own “biospheric complex” which incorporates Icelandic glacial water (helps to hydrate the skin), Arctic cloudberry and red cranberry seed extracts (anti-aging), and encapsulated oxygen (radiance). The pack is $15 for 30 wipes (the breakdown: 50 cents per wipe plus tax) at sephora.com and skyniceland.com.

I already use their Glacial Face Wash and figured I’ve love their new makeup removing wipes. Let me just say that these are refreshing and  wiped away all of my makeup, including my beloved waterproof eyeliner. My skin felt soft, clean, cool, and not the least bit irritated. I usually use baby wipes or oil cleansing to remove my makeup at night (before I wash my face) but I think I’m in love with these now, at least for nights when I’m too lazy to do a pre-oil cleanse and just want to go to bed. I also can’t wait to use these after workouts. I’m sure the cooling effect will feel fabulous!

Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish

A few months ago, I was wondering down the cosmetic isle at Target and, on a whim, decided to buy a new nail polish. I very rarely paint my nails and thought it might be fun to pick up a summery shade to play around with. Per recommendation of a friend, I picked up a Rimmel 60 Second nail polish in the color Sunnyside, a bright, shimmery, pinky-coral. It looked pretty in the bottle and I loved the promise of quick dry time.

I just used it today and I am disappointed. The formula was really goopy and didn’t paint on evenly at all. I always use my trusty Sephora base coat and top coats, and even with those it still looks uneven and streaky. The shimmer is also more of a glitter and looks strange. On the plus side, it did dry quickly. I will probably remove the polish tomorrow as I’m too lazy to do it today. I didn’t really blow a lot of cash on this item (I think it was under $3) so I’m not too disappointed but I will not purchase Rimmel nail polishes in the future.

Deodorant Files: Secret and Lavanilla

I can never find a deodorant that I’m 100% happy with so I’m always on the lookout for something new. I’ve been using Dove for a while and it’s been working out well but I decided to try two new ones. Both are vanilla based scents, which is unusal for me to pick since I tend to favor fresh fragrances, especially in deodorants.

The first was Secret’s Va Va Vanilla in their “scent expressions” line. It’s in solid form and goes on sheer. The scent is supposed to be vanilla but to my nose, smells nothing like it. I’d say it’s kind of a fruity-floral without a trace of vanilla. I felt dry all day, even through a fairly intense workout. While it holds up well, I would not buy this scent again. It will compete with any fragrance or lotion you apply and is a bit cloying.

The second deodorant I tried was from Lavanilla in Vanilla Coconut. The scent held up well although I felt a bit of underarm moisture after a few hours. I should note that this is a deodorant and not an antiperspirant, so it’s possible that you will end up sweating. I like the idea that it’s aluminum free and “good for you.” I would not buy this product again, either.

Even Though It’s Still Only July…

Lets talk about a Fall trend that kind of creeps me out: Matte nail polish. To me, this feels entirely all wrong. I tried it once and it felt like I painted my nails with chalk. While it’s been slowly coming on for the past few years, I think the trend will really hit full circle in Fall 09. Brands like Zoya (above) and Man Glaze have been doing the mattes for a while, and I hear OPI will follow suit soon with a new version.

If you are into nail art (ala Konad and the like) I can see this bringing a very cool textural element to your mani, especially tone on tone (matte black with shiny black). We’ll see how the trend pans out and if it sticks around.

Etsy: Current Things I Heart

 

Top row, left to right:

1. Vampiress Couture Wrap from Lolashowgirl, $49

2. Small Aqua “Nest” from Heatherpalmer, $60

3. Michael Miller Print Purse from Mabels, $35

Bottom row, left to right:

1. Aceo Seaweed Print from Woolandpaper, $4

2. Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers Scrabble tile Pendant from Tinytreesboutique, $6

3. Purely Sweet Necklace by Itsbeautiful, $25

Chica Girl Magazine

I did makeup for a photo shoot a while back for this awesome online magazine, chicagirlmagazine.com. You should definitely check it out if you get the chance. The issue won’t be out for a little while, although you can register for the site and read back issues. It features real women and girls with real stories to share.

Also, check out the newscast as well (I’m mentioned in the very end!) http://gooddaysacramento.com/features?articleID=55996

I’m Back! + Ugly $1100 Shoes

The sickness was much more serious then I thought, involving a trip to urgent care and the good old E.R. Oh, joy! After two shots in the bum, nearly three weeks of rest, eating nothing but soup and saltines, and three different medications, I am finally feeling somewhat normal again. Hooray! My health insurance actually turned out to be fairly decent, too.

I ate “real” food (not soup) for the first time in a while on the 4th of July and it was glorious. Other then that, my 4th was pretty uneventful as I was still feeling pretty out of it. I spent the majority of the party laying down and trying to avoid “excessive” sunlight (thanks, meds, for taking away what could have been a wonderful day floating in the pool).

I can tell that I’m feeling much better because I developed the strongest urge to buy shoes. I purged my closet of all of my shoe sins recently. Farewell, four inch pointy toe heels that I can’t even walk in! Goodbye, cute eyelet wedges that would slide off when walking. Adieu, Marc Jacobs knock-off sandals that were falling apart after only one wear (note to future self: don’t do knockoffs). I know there’s no point in buying new shoes right now, with all of the work I’ve missed, but it is very nice to “window shop” (er….browse online).

I was checking out my really bad super secret addiction (Hautelook.com) for designer shoes. Some were cute and some were really ugly, for example, these Bruno Frisoni Pertol sling backs. Horrid! Or! Perfect for your Little Bow Peep Halloween costume. I can’t even fathom paying $330 for these (and that’s the 70% off sale price), let alone the original $1100!  If you add up the combined total of all the shoes I’ve owned in my entire lifetime, it would not even be close to $1100!

*Insert space for dramatic effect:

I don’t even know what to think. Would you wear these?

Update (Kind of)

I have been M.I.A. lately due to trying to figure out the dental system my mom is in and trying to speak to a live human instead of recordings. I am also currently sick. There will be new blogs soon, but until then, check out this article I found on how to feel better when you are having a bad day.

New! “Sea” Necklace

This one is indeed for sale. To see more photos or to buy, click here.

Creative + Cute!

I just spied these on Etsy and had to share. These pretty little pins/broaches by Gulguvenc are made out of PET plastic, ensuring at least a few bottles will never make it to the landfill. Check out more fantastic pieces on her blog, especially the lamps which are amazing!