Nails of the Moment: Maybelline Express Finish in "Racy Red"

This is the polish I decided to wear for the next few days. I have had this polish for over a year so why bring it back into rotation? Well, I wanted a fun color and was in a huge hurry. This polish is bright red and it dries super fast so it was the perfect choice. It claims to dry in 50 seconds. I'm not sure how true that it. I would say it takes about 2 minutes. The other thing I really like about this polish is that one coat is all it takes. And that is exactly what I did. I usually have to have at least 2 coats no matter how opaque a polish is but I needed something quick. One coat was sufficient. It was almost completely opaque plus it actually dried with some shine to it. That makes me a happy camper :)

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

It's cheap. It's effective. It's absolutely perfect! My all time favorite moisturizer is Cetaphil. I've been using it for about 9 months and I have no desire to use anything else. I have EXTRA dry skin and this is the only thing that keeps my skin moisturized all day without feeling or looking greasy. It hasn't clogged my pores or caused any breakouts so I am completely 100% satisfied with this product. I also use it on areas where I have a little eczema. It's been a lifesaver! It completely soothes the burning and itching associated with eczema flare ups. It retails for about $7 for a big tub of it and you can get it at any drugstore. If you have dry skin you should totally give this a try!

Shea Butter 101

What's all the fuss about shea butter lately? Continue reading to see why this product is so awesome.

• What is it?? Shea butter is a natural fat from the seed of the shea tree. Shea trees are mostly found in west Africa.
• What type of shea butter should I buy? I strongly encourage you to buy only raw unrefined shea butter. Shea butter that has been chemically refined can lose some of it's great properties. Raw shea butter is usually a cream color, although some may be yellow. It's a solid that has a creamy consistency that melts with your body temperature. It also has a distinctive smell. It smells kind of nutty. Go smell a bag of almonds or walnuts and you'll know the smell you're looking for when buying shea butter.
• What is it used for? Shea butter is mostly used for cosmetic reasons. It's a great moisturizer for dry skin. It's also believed to be useful in treating skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. It can also be used as a hair moisturizer. It is especially helpful in the care of kinky or coily hair. It makes a pretty awesome makeup remover as well! Shea butter can also be used to treat stretch marks, sunburn, and chapped lips.
• What are the other benefits? Shea butter contains vitamins A and E. These vitamins keep skin supple and moisturized from within. They also help prevent the appearance of wrinkles. Shea butter also contains cinnamic acid which acts as a natural sunscreen.
• Where can I buy it? You can purchase shea butter from your local African store and from a host of online stores. My personal favorites are coastalscents.com and butters-n-bars.com.

Product Review: Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain

When I went to Ulta last week Revlon products were 40% off. Of course I immediately started scanning the shelves for anything that I might like. I saw these lipstains. I remembered the commercial I had seen with Jessica Biel and I was intrigued. I decided to buy one. I got the one in Flame. It's looks like an orangey red color in the tube. But be warned, it's fire red when you put it on! I was a bit disappointed in the color when I initially put it on but maybe 5 minutes later I looked again and I decided I loved it. It's the perfect red for my skin tone so I wore it to dinner. After I got home for the evening I looked in the mirror and my lips were still stained red. It hadn't faded at all. And it wasn't peeling like some other lipstains. That night before bed I used a lip scrub to remove the remaining stain but my lips were still slightly stained! I was kind of annoyed about that but I figured it was actually a good thing because it means the lip stain stays put through almost anything. Overall, I really enjoyed this product and will definitely continue to use it. I may even buy a few more :)

Battle of the Body Scrubs

Sugar scrub or salt scrub? Which one do you guys like??  I happen to like both. I have two favorite body scrubs. One's a salt scrub and the other one's a sugar scrub. I like to use the salt scrub once every two weeks and the sugar scrub twice a week. I use the salt scrub less because it is a little more harsh on your skin than the sugar scrub. I think it provides a better exfoliation though. I use the sugar scrub as a kind of "maintenance" scrub between the salt scrub applications. I can't really have one without the other. I use Soap and Glory Flake Away as the salt scrub(although it has sugar in it, it is salt based) and I use The Bubble Bistro's cranberry body scrub as the sugar scrub. I guess I'll just always have two different scrubs in my shower. lol

Luuux!!

So I got a luuux account!! I've been on it 2days and I'm already addicted. It's so much fun. If you don't know what it is, it's a blogging community where you earn points from writing and commenting on blogs. You can cash in your points for really awesome prizes like Louis Vuitton bags, 7 For All Mankind jeans, and YSL heels. You can also get cameras, macbooks, ipads, clothes, and a host of other things. You guys should give it a try! Here is one of my Luuux posts! Be sure to check it out and if you create an account make sure you add me! :)
7 For All Mankind Women's The Skinny Bootcut Jean,Rinsed Indigo,28

Frangrance of the Day: Prada Infusion d'Iris

This is one of my favorite frangraces. It's a floraly citrusy scent. A spritz on the neck and a spritz on the wrist is all it takes. The smell literally lasts all day! It's very fresh and girly. The best part is that it's a soft scent. It's not overbearing at all. I get tons of compliments whenever i wear it. It's pricey so I wear it sparingly. I'll post prices and a link below to Sephora in case you want to buy it.
1 oz Eau de Parfum Spray $56
1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray $74
3.4 oz Eau de Parfum Spray $100
6.75 oz Eau de Parfum Spray $135
8.5 oz Perfumed Body Lotion $52
8.5 oz Perfumed Bath and Shower Gel $45

Sephora

EOS Lip Balm

After watching a Michelle Phan YouTube video, I decided to try the EOS lip balm. I purchased 3 of the 4 flavors. I got Lemon, Summer Fruit, and Honeydew. So let's start with the packaging. This lip balm has to have the cutest packaging I have ever seen. That's 80% of the reason I decided to try it. It looks pretty cool when you're putting it on. I also find the packaging makes it a little easier to use than traditional lip balms in sticks or pots. All you have to do is take the top off and apply. You don't have to roll anything up or stick your fingers in a sticky pot of lip balm. The dome shape of the balm also makes it easier to apply. It's big enough to cover a wide surface area. Just pucker up and put it on. You don't even have to open your mouth and risk an insect flying in to use it :-) Now let's talk about the actual product. It's 100% natural and 95% organic. It's a super moisturizing balm with a coconut oil base with some shea butter and jojoba oil added in the mix. It has great staying power without being too heavy. It also smells incredible. Plus, it's super affordable. They retail for about $3.50. I absolutely love it and I highly recommend it. If you go to their website here you can find out a lot more about this awesome product and where you can find it in your city.