Sometimes Beauty Doesn’t Cost a Fortune: Mario Badescu
Who said that good beauty products have to cost a fortune?  For me, it doesn’t when using Mario Badescu products. I posted awhile ago about skincare products I was using and Mario Badescu’s Chamomille Night Cream was on my list.  Recently, I bought a few more products and I’ve been using them to find some great results! Plus, it helps that I could get three-four products for the price of one of the more expensive creams on the market.  Here are my picks:
I always dread whenever I feel my face is about to suffer from a mini breakout. I can feel the oily skin and the itchiness along along with an emerging bump that will subsequently become a pimple. This drying lotion has worked wonders for taming the redness and reducing the size of the pimple overnight. I apply to a clean face before I go to bed only on affected areas.
At first, I wasn’t sure of the purpose of the buffering lotion if I’d already bought the drying lotion. The sales clerk kept trying to convince me that they were two separate entities and had different purposes, but I wasn’t buying it. She gave me a sample to take home and told me to use the buffering lotion in the day if I used the drying lotion at night. Now I understand her when she says that they are separate. I use the buffering lotion during the day on areas that are affected instead of night like the drying lotion. It has a more calming and soothing effect than the drying lotion while still working at getting rid of the breakout.
Healing and Soothing Mask: $20
I also use this mask once a week when my face is in breakout mode for the soothing and calming aspects. Even when my face isn’t breaking out, I use this mask because it’s pretty light and great for sensitive skin. Especially if your skin is just recovering from a breakout, it’s a great mask that won’t feel like it’s clogging up your pores again.
I use this Aloe Moisturizer everyday under makeup or alone and it does a great job. It blends in well and it’s it’s not greasy at all, while my skin feels hydrated and moisturized. It has also worked really well with all of the above products. The only thing I don’t like is the SPF 15 since I usually try to wear a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30.
If you’re looking for some great skin care products that wont’ necessarily break the bank and are effective, I’d say Mario Badescu products are pretty good.  Especially if you have acne-prone or sensitive skin, you will definitely find something for you.
Sources: Mario Badescu
A Few Words from a Product Junkie
Sofia Coppola’s medicine cabinet. Source: TFS
I’ve always been interested in the contents of one’s medicine or beauty cabinet.  I’m always curious to know what products someone uses on their hair, skin, and face.  When I first saw this picture of Sofia Coppola’s medicine cabinet in French Vogue, I thought, “Whoa”. But then again, who am I to talk?
I took this picture after cleaning out my my drawer of hair products. Mind you, these are just the styling/leave-in products. The shampoo and washing conditioner stay next to my shower.  For some reason, I couldn’t bare to throw any of these products away. For myself, and probably plenty of other women, a product promises dramatic results if you use it and you are automatically stuck on the idea. Even if it doesn’t initially work, you still keep it around in hopes of what might happen someday. That is the true essence of successful advertising and the reason why the hair/beauty industry–especially for women of color–is booming. Here I am, keeping it alive and well.
Do I really need all of these products? Nope. I should only be keeping about 3-4 at the most. Most of the products have the same functions, but on any given day, I might decide to switch it up with another product. I kept them because they are so far my “tried and true” items, but I’m thinking I can still stand to lose a few if I’m not in love with them.
And I’m not even going to start on my beauty/makeup case…
Check out those threads
If there is one facial feature that I always strive for perfection then it’d be the eyebrows.
I’m a part of the school of thought that believes the appearance and shape of the brows transform the rest of your face and raggedy brows just aren’t a good look.
Plus, I’ve got something of a wonky left brow that leaves estheticians puzzled when I walk in and they spend countless minutes trying to tame the wild brow.  The hair sticks straight up and no amount of coaxing can make the hair conform.
I have friends that pluck their own brows, but I never could quite get the arch I wanted with plucking. In high school, I’d get my brows overly waxed into a pencil-thin arch that was so laughingly unrealistic that I cringe when I look back at my pictures. .
One day, I was reading an article in Vogue magazine about eyebrow threading. I’d never heard of threading before, but I was desperately trying to find a new, inexpensive avenue for finding the perfect arch. What further piqued my interest was that the author tried a salon here in Chicago, Dilshad’s Hair Design, and said the cost for a perfect arch would be $5.
Needless to say, I made the trek across town and went to Dilshad’s very soon after. There was pain and discomfort, but the arch was great. Two weeks later, my brows were thicker with a great arch.  The total cost for this was $7, with tip.
Now, I’ve been getting my brows threaded for about 5 years and I’ve yet to have a bad threading job as I’ve had with waxing or plucking. I suppose it’s all a matter of preference, but the threading is a bit more painful than waxing in my opinion, but the results are great. Threading is able to grab hair at the root so that there are no strays left behind.
Here is a picture of my freshly threaded eyebrows while out on Saturday night:
I guess it’s more like eyebrow, since you don’t get to see most of the other side, but I thought this would be a good example nontheless. I especially wanted to highlight this particular brow because it’s my “wonky” brow.  It’s not the best job in the world since the arch is usually a bit higher and more defined when I go to my usual lady, but I think they will grow out nicely.
If you haven’t tried threading yet, I’d definitely say give it a go. Â It’s cheap, effective, and the results last way longer than that I’ve experienced with waxing or plucking.
Feeling adventurous? You can try to thread your own eyebrows, too! See Eily311′s awesome how-to video on threading below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVmbHB2p4WM]
Giveaway: Free 1 Year Subscription to Marie Claire Magazine
Marie Claire is one of my favorite women’s magazines to read. A good balance of fashion, beauty and and some very in interesting and well-written articles to boot. So I’m excited about this giveaway. In honor of the season finale of Running In Heels, the Shop It To Me blog is giving away 5 free one-year subscriptions to Marie Claire magazine.  It’s simple, all you have to do is go to the Shop It To Me blog, and comment on what you consider to be the greatest office fashion faux-pas.  And for all of us that work in office settings, I know that we can think of more than a few. So be sure to go here and comment for a free subscription.  The winner is announced on May 1st.Â
Saving Face
Lately, I have been obsessed with having clear and beautiful skin. I recently went to my local Nordstrom spa and got a facial from a outspoken esthetician. She lectured about my skin and was able to conclude that my diet was poor, I’m stressed and whatever products I’m using just ain’t working for me.  She gave me a peel to help calm the breakouts and she evaluated my diet and told me about some vitamins that should always be on my “always” list–that is, they should always be taken, no matter what. Afterward, she recommended some products to aid in rejuvenating my skin.
Since my friend was the first one to recommend this spa and this particular product, I decided to give it a try:
Thalgo Cocooning Cleansing Milk. $34 from the Nordstrom Spa and my new daily cleanser for day AND night. I told the esthetician about my Shu Uemura Skin Purifier and how ecstatic I was about the oi cleansing method and she had me throw the idea out the window. She told me that the oil was just clogging up my skin and not moisturizing whatsoever.  I’m still not 100% ready to give up on the Shu Uemura oil yet.  However, the Cocooning Cleansing Milk is paraben free and very gentle on the skin. I’ve noticed a very (positive) difference since incorporating it into my regimen.
Lerosett Clay Mask. Made by Gunilla of Sweden, this mask is organic and only has two ingredients: naturally organic clay and distilled water. Once the mask is on the face, it feels, as one reviewer put it, “like the oil is just being sucked out of your face”. You end up with a fresh and clean feeling face. Any zits you might have on your face, also seem to either go away or feel much smaller within the next day or so.
And this is the next product on my list to try out:
Mario Badescu skin care is supposed to be very gentle and pretty affordable. Since I’m gracefully aging, night creams are becoming an important and necessary part of my regimen.  This Chamomille Night Cream is supposed to be a bit ligher and better for sensitive skin. I was previously using L’Oreal Hydra-Renewal, but my face would feel extra-greasy.
The best thing I can do for my skin? Water. Lots and lots of water.
My plan? To turn the state of my skin around in the next 6 months and see a noticable difference. I’ve already seen a slight difference so far with the changes I’ve incorporated, so I am very enthused.
Loving It: Nars Orgasm
In my teens and earlier twenties, I never wore blush. Unless it was for prom, I just didn’t understand the purpose. I knew what it was for, but I just didn’t think it would enhance my look anyway. That was, until I discovered Nars Orgasm blush.
The picture above is a rough picture of my hand to show how the color shows up on my skin. I know I’m late to the party here, but I love it and how it positively makes me glow.  I’ve seen the blush on all complexions and I haven’t seen it look bad on one person.  I know it’s a cult favorite and everyone and their mother has co-signed on this blush, but I just had to throw my hat in the ring with an endorsement.  Now? Perhaps on to the lipgloss?
Bejeweled:Tom Binns
This Belfast born jewelry maker has been on my radar for awhile now. Many of his pieces have a uniqueness to them, yet I can always tell when a jewelry piece is by Tom Binns if I spot it in an editorial or on a celebrity.
When Michelle Obama rocked a Tom Binns necklace earlier this year with an Isabel Toledo design, I thought it was a great combination. His designs have an edge to them but at the same time, there is an undeniable elegance. However, some of his designs are not for the girl who doesn’t like to stand out. He can pile on to his designs until only he feels that it is enough. And diamonds are not necessarily his best friend. In a Chicago Tribune article, Binns is quoted as saying, “”I’m sort of undermining the previous notion of what’s fashion and what’s jewelry,” he says. ” ‘A few old pieces of discarded junk and tie it around your neck.’ It’s a very simple equation.”
His pricing can range from about from the about $250 on the low-end to $20,000-30,000 on the high-end, but a typical costume jewelry piece is about $650-$1,200, depending on the materials that he uses.
And since I am living a frugal chic lifestyle these days, but I still covet one of his beautiful designs, I was looking at these simple, but classic earrings on Shopbop (shown below). They were originally $264.00, but marked down to $184.80.
Face Time with Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
I’ve always been intrigued by the oil cleansing method, and I know many people who swear by it, especially when they use castor oil to wash their face. I’m slowly getting into it and it brings me to my stellar review of Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium.  I was a bit skeptical of using oil on my face, when I already have combo skin and the oil can be insane on my T-zone and especially on the nose. However, this cleanser is great! My skin doesn’t feel stripped at all and instead it feels refreshed.  Plus, it does a great job of taking off makeup.
For $32, you can the 150ml bottle, which should last at least a good 3-4 months, if not longer. A small amount of oil on the face can go a long way. For the time being, I think I’m going to put this cleanser into my “keep it” category.
My Beauty Find
As I am getting older, I’ve been paying attention to details in my lifestyle and beauty regimens and what I need to do to better take care of myself.  This includes one of my biggest peeves: under eye circles. There really isn’t anything I can do about them since they are genetic. My father has them and his mother had them. I think her mother had them them as well.  It’s just something that I’ve (unwillingly) inherited. Throughout the years, I’ve spent countless dollars trying to find the one under eye cream that would work for them.  Of course, some creams declared that they got rid of the dark circles forever. Others only promised that they could fade them, but when I tried it, my circles were still there and sometimes even more prominent than before. Or else, I’d wake up with dry and itchy eyes.
Now I’m at peace with my cream that attempts to reduce the appearance of the dark circles. It is Boscia Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment. The price is right and the appearance of the circles has been reduced. I also love how the products are preservative-free and the cream has no scent. This also means no dry and itchy eyes!
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