Five Recession-Proof Household Beauty Products

Let’s face it, not all of us have the kind of paychecks to be dropping big bucks on the latest YSL Lip Lacquers, Murad’s skincare products, or other beauty favorites that require you to sacrifice your hard earned moolah for high quality. Here are some tried and true remedies and everyday household products that can immediately spruce up your image, while still maintaining their multifunctional value. Best of all, they’re budget-friendly and most are sold in bulk or pack a great bang for your buck. Never look at olive oil the same way again!

1. Vaseline –– This one’s a given. This old-time favorite is not only just good for scars and cuts. It can be used to groom your eyebrows, double up as clear mascara for lush lashes, and work to soothe dry, chapped lips. Mix a dab of it in a pot along with your favorite lipstick and you’ve got yourself a naturally glossy pout.

2. Aspirin –– Got a throbbing headache? Or how bout some pesky zits? Yup. The generic form of this common pain-reliever has proven to work wonders for glowing skin. The technical name for aspirin is Acetylsalicylic Acid, which, as you could guess, is a compound containing the acne-fighting ingredient, Salicylic Acid. An aspirin mask––consisting of 3-4 (give or take) uncoated crushed tablets, a squirt of honey, and a teaspoon of water––can combine to form a fantastic face mask when left on for 10-15 minutes. Your skin will look noticeably brighter and feel softer, thanks to the exfoliating and soothing properties of aspirin and honey. The mask also helps to reduce redness and large pores. Feel free to alter or add on to the “recipe”––with additions like yogurt––to really give your face a treat.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar –– If your skin’s looking a little patchy or uneven, good old apple cider vinegar can do the trick (Bragg’s is a cult favorite). When used as a toner, it can help clear up blemishes and other problem areas, giving your face a smoother texture and complexion. The acidic content will help to remove old, dead and tired skin cells from the surface to reveal the new, radiant ones waiting to shine. But be careful! Make sure to dilute the vinegar––with a water: vinegar ratio of your liking––to prevent the acidity from being too harsh on your skin. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar at hand, lemon juice can also provide a similar effect!

4. Green Tea –– Running low on your favorite concealer? Steep two bags tea in warm water and cozy up to a mug. Instead of disposing the teabags, stick them into the fridge to chill for about a half hour. Make sure the tea bags are cool and dry before placing them over the eyelids for a makeshift eye compress. After 10 minutes, your lovely peepers will look refreshed and wide awake. The tannin and caffeine in tea bags have been proven to reduce swelling (baggy under eyes) and discoloration (dark circles), while the antioxidant EGCG aids in removing under eye fluid buildup—the main culprit for under eye circles and bags. Your boss will never know you danced the night away yesterday á la J. Lo, unless you tell her of course.

5. Olive Oil – Who knew this household cabinet staple could double up as an eye makeup remover? Not only does olive oil trudge through eye shadow, mascara, eyeliner and the likes, it also promotes eye lash growth. Eyelashes, like any other strand of hair on your body, grow dry and brittle if not properly hydrated. Keep your lashes lush and healthy by using an eyelash brush to coat them with olive oil every night. Castor oil is a great alternative. Go on girl, bat away!

Sources:

http://www.acne.org/aspirin-mask-reviews/75/page1.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_5056658_make-aspirin-mask.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/the-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://www.easywaystogogreen.com/organic-foods/benefits-of-braggs-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/reuses-tea-bags.html

http://www.life123.com/beauty/cosmetics/eyelashes/eyelash-growth.shtml

Nicki Minaj x OPI

Busty rap superstar Nicki Minaj signs a deal with OPI to land her own line of nail polish to debut on shelves in January 2012. The line features six nail polishes, named after her very own songs.

From L to R: "Super Bass," "Metallic 4 Life," "Save Me," "Fly," "Did It On 'Em," and "Pink Friday."

Though I'm not a huge fan of Nicki, I can say that OPI did a hell of a job with these shades. Incredibly Nicki Minaj-esque.

What do you all think? Will you be purchasing from this collection when it hits stores?

2011 Fall Beauty Favorites

To make up for my excruciatingly long hiatus, I've decided to compile a list of my favorites that have been doing my beauty routine justice this fall. From high-end cult raves to pleasantly surprising drugstore finds—I've got a variety of products that will hopefully be as beneficial for you as they are for me.

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette — Hands down. You've heard about this palette from your best friend, to YouTube video gurus to celebrity makeup artists worldwide. And by now, I'd probably be judging you if you haven't snagged this already. The palette indeed lives up to every bit of hype that it receives. Urban Decay is well-known for having high-quality, cruelty-free, richly pigmented eye shadows. The palette packs 12 gorgeous neutral shades with a delicious candy-bar looking punch in packaging. The colors are perfect for an everyday office look but are also perfect for a night out on the town, as the textures range from matte to shimmer. The set includes a Taklon eye shadow brush/a duo-ended 24-7 eyeliner in Zero/Whiskey (depending on when you picked up the palette). A mini version of the famous UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) is also included with the set to ensure your shadows will stay put on those lovely peepers long after an eight-hour work day... even possibly past a hard-earned happy hour. (Purchased from Macy*s, $48)

2. Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Crimson — Wow. This is quite possibly the FIRST red lipstick I've ever been able to pull off in all my years of makeup hoarding. I picked it up on a whim after looking for a nice deep red lip color for the fall, well knowing I would probably be disappointed after several attempts of trying to find the perfect red lip. The colors would constantly clash with my skintone, look too intense or have weird berry undertones——but NOT this baby! After light-handedly (very pigmented!) applying this on my lips, blotting it a few times with a tissue, and cleaning up the edges... I could not stop looking at my lips. Crimson gives me that true red that emulates a classy, old Hollywood-esque look instantly, while actually COMPLIMENTING my skintone. This is a look I'd never thought I could pull off until maybe I reached my cougar years (HA!). If you do plan on grabbing a hold of this lipstick, always, ALWAYS make sure to moisturize with a great lip balm before application. The formula is very matte and will pronounce dry, chapped lips. Otherwise, the color, packaging and lasting power are all truly phenomenal. Thanks, Revlon! (Purchased from CVS, ~$6)

3. Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme in Buttermilk — I must admit. This foundation took me a while to get used to, at first. It wasn't until I recently gave it a second try that I realized this product was now an essential part of my beauty routine, but only for nights out. I learned of this product from one of my favorite makeup artists, (YouTube:Gossmakeupartist) who raved about this product for excellent coverage. While my aforementioned posts might have suggested that my acne scars diminished, this is far from the truth, although the techniques and products I've listed have aided tremendously. I still suffer from the occasional pimples and pesky acne scars that I spend a little extra time covering when I have someone to impress. Instead of using the Graftobian Glamour Creme as a foundation, I find it has been wonderful to use as a spot-concealer for my acne scars, before applying a light coat of my foundation. The trick is to dab a very minimal amount on the area and PAT away with a concealer brush. If you feel another coat of foundation on top would be too cakey, finish the application off with a dab of pressed powder to set the concealed area. For myself, I've never had a problem with caking and have experienced flawless results by using this method. The formula, though, is very opaque and meant primarily for costume/stage makeup use, so it does need a light hand and adequate removal before you go to sleep. (Purchased from camerareadycosmetics.com, $14.99)


To be continued——

REVIEW: Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

Hello beautiful people! Hopefully if you are still keeping tabs on this blog, yes, I am still alive and well. I have been busy being more mindful of my skin and experimenting with my face routine, while also trying ways to reduce my hyperpigmentation issue, of course. I decided to stray from my previous routine with my African Black Soap for more hassle-free and less messy products. This leads me to my recent amazing discovery - the Olay Professional Pro-X kit.

You may have heard or seen about this brush on commercials, beauty forums and on sites like Amazon or eBay, and truthfully - this brush does indeed live up to its hype!

Since the dawn of time, I have wanted the Clarisonic Skin Care System. For those who are unfamiliar, the Clarisonic system was the first innovator of the vibrating skincare brush. Their brushes range from its original brush with 2-speeds to its travel-size version Mia, which operates on one speed. Its range of brushes run everywhere on the web from $100-$200. Being the frugal beauty enthusiast that I am and considering I have yet to find a steady income after just graduating from college, this was a challenge for me. On one hand I could spend my measly part-time paycheck on this device that has been so raved about and temporarily sacrifice my social life and bills, but on the other hand - is this product really worth it?

I remember the countless times I'd add the Clarisonic Mia to my Amazon cart and just stare at the glaring total, hesitating to proceed to enter my card info. Thankfully, it never happened. And all thanks to Olay Pro-X. As soon as I saw the commercial for this new brush system, I hopped onto Makeupalley (my trusted source for product reviews) and scoured through the comments. Sure enough, it was rated a 4.7/5 from a good amount of buyers as well as those on Google and Amazon. In total, I paid a fraction of the price ($29.50) for a brush that works probably just as well as the Clarisonic.

Yes, I understand that I have not tried the Clarisonic, but how much more different can it be? The Olay Pro-X is cute and compact, uses gentle brush-heads to get all the grime off my face by the end of the night, and has 2 different speeds. I've been using it every night with my PanOxyl Cleanser with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide and my skin has never looked better. It's also water-resistant so I can also bring this in the shower with me without worrying about damage.

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Product Features Cleanses skin 6 times better to basic cleansing Helps maximize the immediate hydrating effectiveness of your anti-aging moisturizer Designed with 2-speed,rotating system delivers daily deep cleansing and gentle exfoliation,Water resistant,Replaceable soft bristle brush head It includes the Pro-X Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser recommended for daily exfoliation. 2 AA batteries also included

My only gripe is that I wish it wasn't battery operated and instead could charge like the Clarisonic, but I can live. For $29.50 I surely cannot complain about looking forward to washing my face every night with this baby.

So if you're stuck on the fence and are hesitant about dropping the benjie's on a Clarisonic, try the Olay Pro-X. Your face and wallet will thank you!

Sigma Brushes: Affordable, Comparable to MAC Brushes

Cringing at the prices of MAC makeup brushes that you can no longer afford? Why waste your hard earned money when you can buy Sigma brushes at a fraction of the price? For almost the same unbeatable quality? These brushes are raved about from YouTube artists to many other beauty junkies alike, and they truly live up to their hype! My favorite is the pencil brush! It's exactly like the MAC 219 and works amazingly in blending eyeshadow colors into the crease or creating that outer-v shape and only $9! I'm so glad I found out about Sigma because I'd be burning a hole in my wallet spending $20+ on MAC brushes when these can do the exact same job. Just cause it's not as popular a brand doesn't mean the quality is worse! Also, if you spend $30 on the website you can get a free gift! Happy shopping!

Diminishing Acne Scars

Acne scars will be the death of me. I've fought a long and hard fight against them but always seemed to end up back where I started again. Until now. The battle finally looks like it's coming to an end..

I've suffered from acne for a good chunk of my teenage years. I am now 22 and still face the few occasional pimples but nothing compared to the pizza face I had in my younger days. I would buy every type of acne treatment on the market and when that didn't work, my stubborn self would resort to popping my pimples. For some reason, I thought a temporary flaming bump was way more atrocious to look at then the aftermath it would leave behind. Little did I know these pesky little scars would follow me up until today. Since then, I've tried whitening creams, glycolic peels, sulfuric masks, scrubs, masks, you name it.. but nothing would work. It's pretty bad that I actually started thinking about saving up a motherload to get laser treatments. Until I noticed that maybe I wouldn't have to... and I have a couple products to thank for that.


1. African Black Soap - I recently purchased Madina's African Black Soap because of the great reviews it received on the web. There's some debate about this soap not being the "original" pure African Black soap but I definitely love what it's doing for my skin right now. Formulated with cocoa butter and vitamin E, it's targeted towards diminishing blemishes and marks. It also can be used for your body wherever you need to even out your skin. It's only been a few days and I already see an improvement in the fading of my scars. If this doesn't work for you, it still makes an excellent cleanser as it removes virtually EVERYTHING from your face. My face always feels squeaky clean after using this every night. It also helps that it smells creamy and barely leaves a print on my wallet.

2. Bio Oil - This product has also received a lot of acclaim on the web. I was hesitant to use it at first because I have oily skin. I thought Bio Oil would just make my face oilier and break me out even more but I was wrong. This was the first successful product that has aided TREMENDOUSLY in fading my acne scars noticeably. Yes, even my friends/family members have seen the difference in my skin. Although it might be a little steep ($10-$13) for a drugstore product, the results are amazing and a 2.5 oz bottle will last you probably a year. After cleansing I just dab 2 drops using my fingers and rub it onto my scars, every night and morning. This product requires patience and results won't happen if you decide to give up after a few weeks. I've been using this for about 3 months and my skin is slowly reaching the level I want it to be. Trust me, it will be so worth it the day you wake up with glowing flawless skin.

3. Exfoliation - Along with cleansing, I try to scrub away dead skin cells every once or twice a week. I either use the Aspirin mask (mixed w/pure Aloe Vera gel), St. Ives Apricot Scrub, or St. Ives Green Tea Scrub. Exfoliating at least once a week is so essential for renewing your skin.

4. Water - Water is the winning beverage for your face and body. It flushes out toxins and wastes out of your system but also hydrates your skin to deliver the nutrients it needs to speed up the healing process. While 8-10 glasses of water alone will not magically cure your acne/scars, it plays a huge role in the process.

5. Giving your face a break - Let's face it. We all love makeup. But foundations contain way too many foreign chemicals and ingredients to be keeping on your face 24/7 (Whether I'd like to admit it or not, me not removing my makeup properly before going to sleep at night was a huge contributor towards my acne/scars). If possible, skip the foundation and/or concealer or choose a couple days out of the week you can to avoid it. Let your skin breathe and regularly wash your makeup brushes before applying for the next time! Also be sure to wash your pillowcases every week, or sooner!

These products/routines have definitely aided in clearer skin for me. What are some products you recommend that have worked for you?

The Look 4 Less: ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder Duo = A Cheap NARS Dupe!

Ever wanted to get a hold of the NARS Orgasm/Laguna Blush & Bronzer Duo but hesitated to shell out the $39? Dying to achieve that healthy glow - all year round? This is where ELF's Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder comes in.

Don't be fooled by the picture. That is indeed ELF's product, although the colors and even packaging (including mirror) are identical to NARS'. Here's the kicker, ELF's is a FRACTION of the price! Can you believe it? Three lovely smackeroos for a dead on NARS dupe!

For those who aren't familiar with the NARS duo i'm referring to, it is a highly coveted and hyped blush and bronzer compact that provides the most universally flattering shades to compliment any skin tone. Orgasm (the blush... get your minds out of the gutter!) is a peachy pink hue with golden shimmer and Laguna (the bronzer) is a warm natural looking tan with a hint of shimmer.


Okay sure, there's a teeny weensy catch. NARS' Orgasm is slightly more of a pinker hue than ELF's (in the pan at least). ELF's shimmer factor is also more subdued, yet still provides that beautiful glow that we all crave. Needless to say, the similarity is clearly evident. Well, it's enough for me and my burnt out wallet to give NARS the boot, at least.

So, ELF's duo is cheaper by a landslide, and the color payoff is about two times more pigmented than its opponent. (With that being said, it should be applied with a slightly lighter hand.) It lasts all day and does everything the NARS duo can do but better. I think it's clear who the winner is here. Oh and for the record, I am in NO way endorsed by ELF.