MAKEUP - FASHION - BEAUTY


Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Indoor Tanning Ramble and Tips


So I'm sick :( I must have caught the bug going around, but I went to the doctor today and I have coxsackie virus. It sounds icky and it is icky. I have been feeling terrible all day. I took tons of multi vitamins and ate a lot of fruit so hopefully I will be feeling better by the weekend.

Anyway, I went to a new tanning salon yesterday and I am quite pleased with the results.. however not so much with the price. To date, I have been to four different indoor tanning salons and I think I have figured out what I like best. I have been in the lower end beds (the cheapest) and the most expensive.

I went to Beach Bum tanning yesterday which has many locations in the Tri-State area, and I don't think I am going to go back. I paid $20 for a ten minute session in their Platinum Level Bed. I did the lay down bed, as I am a bit scared to do stand up. I didn't use a lotion, even though I probaby should have, but nevertheless I got quite a bit of color. I tan really easily and my color showed almost immediately after I left. The only reason I won't go back is because of the price, I know another place that is half of the price for an even stronger bed, even though it isn't quite as "nice". If you are interested in checking out Beach Bum, you can find a location at their website here.

If you are new to tanning, here are a few tips and tricks I have learned over the past two years.

  • Invest in a lotion bottle. Tanning lotions can help you tan quicker and faster- there are many different types such as a tingler, bronzing or cooling. You can purchase lotion packets at any tanning salon that usually range from $5-$15 per packet. This can get expensive if you purchase each time, so buying a bottle is less expensive. I reccomend purchasing them off of ebay or a webiste, as tanning salons over price them.
  • Wipe your tanning bed down yourself before you tan. It is really important that you do this, as you cannot trust the girls who work at the salon to truly sanitize the beds before you use them. This can prevent the transfer of diseases, and other nasty bugs that you can get as most people do tan naked.
  • Wear tanning goggles. Most tanning places will provide you with a set, but if they don't you can simply purchase them once and bring them with you each time you go. They are relatively cheap- $4 or $5. Not wearing these can severly damage your eyes, as closing your eyes is not good enough.
  • Shave, exfoliate then moisturize before you go tanning. Shaving after will remove a bit of your tan!
  • Know your own skin. If you get burnt easily, admit to it! If your face tends to get red or get irritated wear SPF on your face! It is important to know how your body reacts to tanning so that you can tan safely.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Vines and Roses Jewlrey Haul

Okay, so I got a lovely jewelry haul last Friday from a local shop called Vines and Roses which is in my town. It's a great little boutique and it has some fabulous sales for Mothers Day.



I purchased the two necklaces above, they are so so cute. I have a huge thing for flower accessories nowadays, I think it's because I have started to wear my Marc Jacob's Daisy Perfume.



I got the peace sign ring for $15 I think and the bow tie ring for $9.50 which is a great bargain. They were both 50% off so I just had to get them both. I finally got a manicure, so I wanted to start wearing some pretty rings again. I have on my nails Essie's Gucci Muchi Puchi which is a baby doll pink that is a bit darker than Essie's Fiji.


Finally, I got two pairs of earings. God, I love dangly earings. They are so flattering on me and I am grateful my ears can stand tacky, costume jewlrey, unlike many people I know who can only wear 14kt gold in their ears or sterling silver. They both are gorgeous pairs of earings and I can't wait to wear them. I tried the leaf pair on and they are quite heavy, I tend to only wear heavier earings when I go out, so I'm saving those for a special occasion.

I got my mom a wallet for Mother's Day too, but I forgot to take a picture of it. I got her Crocs for her birthday which was last Friday so I burnt a hole through my wallet this weekend! Okay I know what your thinking... Crocs? Really... Crocs? I think she's been lemming these for awhile, as they look quite comfy (trust me I would NEVER wear them) but I was walking through the mall and there was a Croc stand and it was practically calling my name. I got her the Malindi ones shown above for $29.99 and they are quite cute! I think she's going to return them and get them in black, but I tried them on and they are perfect for doing gardening or just relaxing at home. You can purchase a pair here on the Crocs' website.

Project 5 Pan

So everyone knows what Project 5 Pan is right? Well just in case you don't, it's basically where you have to use 5 products up before you buy anymore makeup! That's not really working out for me, because it's terribly, terribly hard to finish an entire 5 products. I attempted it, and this is how far I got... also I bought loads of new makeup... oops!


The top product is Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. I had the 1 oz. size and I LOVED it. I used the entire thing up in about a month and a half, and I need to go buy me another one! It's a pretty light weight heavy duty moisturizer and does exactly what it says it's supposed to do- "Rapidly boosts skin's moisture level." I use it every night before I went to sleep under my Clean and Clear Acne Spot Treatment. I got it in a swap, but you can get it here in two sizes, the 1.7 oz and 2.5 at Sephora or any major department store,

The second product is Rosebud Co's Brambleberry Rose Lip Balm which retails for $6 at Sephora. Okay, so I've had this for over a year? And I'm still not done! And I use this like 20x a day and my friends use it too... I doubt I'm going to finish this any time soon. According to it's description, "The infusion of berry, honey, vanilla and Shea Butter gives this lip balm a wonderful scent and moisturizing ability." I've gotten a mixture of responses to the smell of it, some people absolutely hate it, but I think it smells quite nice. Anyway, for $6, you should give it a go! It's quite a good lip moisturizer.

I'm going to try my hardest to finish a total of 5 products, but I am going to buy makeup and stuff in the process.. I guess it's not a real Project 5 Pan, but oh well! :)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mini Sephora Haul 1

Welcome to my blog! I'm super excited to start this up, I really hope I can keep it going too. I'm planning to update at least three times a week, so this should be really fantastic!

So here is today's little haul from Sephora. I haven't had a chance to really test these products out, so I can't review them, but I'll give you my first impressions.


Ok first is Benefit's Lady's Choice lipstick from their Spring 09 collection. I really, really, really love the color. It's a gorgeous 'natural nude' and it looks perfect with my NC40 skintone. I've only worn it once, and it had pretty good staying power, so I'm thinking this is going to be HG!


Next up is Benefit's Coralista Blush which is a 'rio pleasure' face powder according to Benefit's website. I didn't even swatch this yet, because I wanted to take a picture of it first, but I am definitley using this tomorrow. It's been said that it's a perfect dupe for Nar's Orgasm blush, but this looks a little bit pinkier in the pan. Also, the packaging is super cute- leopard print- but it's really bulky and not great for travel at the same time. Plus the brush it came with is pretty much useless.


Last but not least, I got this Sephora Brand Coconut Cream Body Butter for free as I am a Beauty Insider and you get free little gifts after you spend 100 dollars. You just have to accumulate them in your 'bank' by giving them a beauty insider card to swipe every time you make a purchase. If you are not a Sephora Beauty Insider, and you shop at Sephora, for heavens sake sign up! You can do that here at the Sephora website and don't worry, it's free! Anyway, about the body butter- I used a little smidgen of it, and I quite like it. The smell is really tropical and the formula isn't that greasy.