Beauty Expiration Dates

Courtesy of the February issue of Real Simple magazine:

Your products won’t last forever, but here’s a comprehensive list of cosmetics and how long you can expect to keep them:

Anti-aging and acne treatments: Three months to a year. Antioxidants are easily oxidized, so be on the lookout for any changes in color.

Body lotion: Two to three years, particularly if it’s in a pump container.

Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel: About three years.

Bath oil: One year.

Sunscreen: Check the package for an expiration date.

Mascara and liquid eyeliner: Three to four months. Make sure you’re diligent about replacing these items to prevent contamination and infections.

Eye and lip pencils: Three to five years. Sharpen them before each use as a way to preserve them and keep them clean.

Lipstick and lip gloss: Two to three years.

Foundation: About two years. Most bottles are designed to last that long. And if you don’t use it, chances are you didn’t love it to begin with.

Perfume: About two years. To get more mileage out of a perfume, resist the temptation to display a pretty bottle on your vanity. Instead, stash it away in a cool, dark place.

Nail polish: One year.

Hairstyling products: Three to five years. Most are alcohol-based, which helps preserve the formula.

Bar soap: Up to three years.

Shaving cream: About two years.

Deodorant: Up to two years.

Eyebrows

As I am home for the holidays and am short on time, today I am reposting an oldie but a goodie. This entry was originally posted 6/7/06. Over six months later, I am still using both products and loving them every bit as much.

I've been battling my eyebrows for years. I began plucking at 18. My brows had always been... big. However, strange as it may be although they covered a large amount of space, there was actually little hair doing so. This has made shaping a buit tricky, and has made it necessary to use brow pencils or powder of some kind. I've been using a Revlon eyebrow powder kit for longer than I care to confess (it's only been recently that I started paying attention to those so-called make-up expiration dates), but have been wanting to find something new.

I recently got a gift card to Sephora and as I was browsing around in the store yesterday one of the lovely ladies who works there pointed me towards Stila's Brow Set. She recommended it highly, and helped me pick out the best color for me. I also picked up a Sephora Eyebrow Brush to go along with it.

I used my new brow powder and brush this morning for the first time, and immediately fell in love. It went on nicer and smoother and looked more natural than my old powder ever had! I don't know if it was the powder, the brush, a combination of both, or simply using something that was nice and new and fresh, but I'm loving it. I'm not in the habit of splurging on make-up like this (the brow powder was $16 and the brush was $9) but the brush will last me for quite some time and the powder for a good 2 years or so, so I'm satisfied. I have to say, the appeal of knowledgeable staff to help you out and being able to test the products before buying are starting to convert me to slightly pricier products over the drug store brands. Plus (such a frivolous thing) the packaging tends to be so much cuter.... =P

Boi-ing!

To be honest, I've kinda been scared to try concealer. I've heard such horror stories about it caking and cracking and basically looking obvious (which kinda ruins the whole ffect of using it to begin with). So I've kinda stayed away for a while.

But then I started looking through Benefit catalogues and such, and I have such a hard time resisting their products.... So one day I went to Sephora and just tried a ton of their products (the staff there mujst've thought I was nuts, I kept running back and forth from the Benefit aisle to the mirrors to where they stashed the cotton balls and q-tips, etc). And when I tried Boi-ing($18), I was quite pleasantly surprised to notice a difference. A good one. And suddenly I just had to have it.

I got the middle shade (02) which is the one suggested for anyone who isn't super light- or dark-complected, and I've been gloriously happy with it. It has NEVER caked or creased or cracked on me. By the end of the day it usually looks the same as it did when I put it on that morning. Sometimes I use my fingers to dot it under my eyes, sometimes I use my concealer brush, the effect is mostly the same either way.

Basically.. this stuff is awesome. And it certainly was a lifesaver for me recently, when my girl friend and I went to Vegas for the weekend and I had to cover up the massive circles under my eyes from getting absolutely no sleep. ; )

PS- In case you need an excuse to buy Benefit products, they're currently giving away a free Color Plump pencil with any orders of $65 or more. Check out the website for more details!

MAXimize Your Eyes, Pt 2

Let's talk some more about the beauty bounty The Makeup Fairy sent me last week. ; )

Max Factor Lash Perfection mascara($6.89 at drugstore.com) The first thing I noticed about this mascara is that it has the same funky, new wand as Cover Girl's Lash Exact mascara (seems other brands are already jumping on the bandwagon! Interestingly, even the tube shape and style looks similar to the Cover Girl mascara...). As you readers know, I loved Cover Girl's mascara and quirky new wand, so I had an inkling already that I was going to like this mascara, as well.

I tried it out, and basically had the same results as with Cover Girl Lash Exact-- long, beautiful, full lashes with no clumps. They are the same price, too, so I'm not sure if there's really an advantage to one over the other. However I did buy Cover Girl Lash Exact in Black Brown, and my Max Factor Lash Perfection came in Black, so now I have one for daytime and one for nighttime. =P

I also got Max Factor MAXeye Liner in 100 Night Club ($5.89 at drugstore.com). It's one of those autmatic liners that don't need to be sharpened (you just twist up from the bottom), which is nice and easy. I find that kind often glides on better than regular pencil liners (at least when talking about drugstore makeup). Sure enough, when I tried it the liner went on smoothly and evenly, allowing me to make a fine line for daytime wear. Once applied, it is also fairly budge-proof.

Next up: The last item I need to write about is Max Factor's MAXwear Lip Color. Stay tuned for that review!

Cirque de Beaute' at Sephora!

Beauty gift sets galore! Whether you're shopping for yourself, or getting an early start on your holiday gift list, you're bound to find beauty sets to please! So head on over to Sephora.com to check out The Greastest Gift Show on Earth! Let's see, I can already think of one friend who'd greatly enjoy the LipFusion Perfect Pout set ($39), and Philosophy's The Holiday House ($35) has already made it onto my Amazon.com Wishlist. Or how aboput Nars Multiple Orgasm ($49)? ; ) Oooh! And how about Stila The Gift of Glaze($28)! I've been wanting to get my hands on one of their Lip Glazes for a while now!



My goodness.... It's too much! Anyway, get your booties over there now to check out all these goodies!

MAXimize Your Eyes

I recently recieved a gift package from The Makeup Fairy full of samples of some of Max Factor's latest and greatest beauty items. Wheeee! I will be gracing all of you with reviews of each of the products I got to try. Today, we'll be taking a look at Max Factor MAXeye Shadow ($4.69 at drugstore.com). The shadows I got are Baja Bronze (yellow, with light and darker brown shadows along with it) and Smooth Sailing (a trio of blues). The colors can look a bit intimidating in the compact (especially the blues) but they are SUPER sheer when applied. As in, the lighter color in each of the trios can be barely-there-subtle. I haven't tried applying the shadows wet, I'm sure you'd get stronger color that way. But I'm quite happy with each of these sets. I like playing around with blues eyeshadow when I'm wearing something blue, and I love the yellow in Baja Bronze, especially when I use one of the brown shades for contour. And, scrolling through the other shades available, I'm quite drawn to a few of them (like Vintage Vixen and Compass Rose) and so may be adding to my Max Factor eyeshadow collection soon.

MeltProof Makeup, Pt 3

This is the third and final installment of my MeltProof Makeup series! After this, I should hear no more complaints about makeup fading mid-day. ; ) Let's get to it, shall we?

Ok, so once you've got a good base for your makeup, and applied beauty products that have substantial staying power, you've done most of the work. All that's left now is to find a little something to "set" the look, keep it fresh and vivid all day long. This is the job of a good face powder. Loose or pressed, it's your choice-- I have always preferred pressed as it's more compact and easier to tote around, but I think it all comes down to personal preference. Once your makeup has been applied, a dusting of powder will take care of nay leftover shine, and help set your makeup so it won't budge. My current fave is Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends Transluscent Oil Control Powder ($10.99 at drugstore.com). Many people also swear by Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil ($19).


While perusing the latest Benefit catalogue I came accross an interesting beauty tool- She Laq ($28), a liquid "sealant" that can be brushed over eyes or lips after makeup aspplication to seal in your makeup and keep it in place. It comes with a nifty brush set so you can easily apply the stuff over your eyeliner, shadow, mascara, or lipcolor. I have not tried this stuff and am not sure what to think of it-- I'd love to hear reviews from any of you who may have tried it.

Well, ladies, that's all I've got. I hope this post series has been helpful to some of you. As always, let me know if you've got extra tips for us! Other than that.... have a safe and happy halloween, everyone. =)

Meltproof Makeup, Pt 2

We've already taken a look at how to prep your skin in order to help your makeup stay put longer. Now let's take a look at the kinds of makeup items themselves that have great staying power.

Eyes

Let's start with the eyes. I find that a cream-to-powder eyeshadow formula tends to have better staying power than regular powder shadows. I don't have particular recommendations for this category, so I invite you to leave yours as comments! I know Revlon also has a line of Colorstay eyeshadows that may be worth a try.

For eyeliners, liquid or gel liners are almost completely budge-proof. I have yet to master the art of liquid liner application, but adore MAC Fluidline ($14.50) and Bobbi Brown Long Wearing Gel Liner ($18). Depending on the kind of brush (and color) you use to apply, you can make the line thick and dramatic, or fine and subtle.

Cheeks

I've heard claims that powder blush stays better than cream, and vice versa, so this is a bit more trial and error (and may have more to do with the texture and oiliness of your skin). But if you really want flushed cheeks that last, your best bet by far is a stain. Benetint($28) by Benefit is amazing. Another good choice that's a bit mor economical is Sonia Kashuk's Lip and Cheek Tint($7.99 at Target stores). Be careful when using either of these, they're called stains for a reason. Also, be sure to start out with just a little bit (a dot or 2 on the apples of the cheeks) and blend quickly. You can always add more color if you want a deeper flush.

Lips

If you want subtle color that lasts, dab a bit of Benetint (or any other stain) onto your lips. This will be more of a rosy look. But if what you crave is true color that stays put all day long, your best bet is a long-wearing lipstick such as Cover Girl Outlast Double LipShine ($8) or American Beauty Super Plus 10-Hour Lipcolor ($16.50, though currently on sale for $13.20). These can be a bit drying on the lips, so keep the accompanying gloss (or your favorite gloss or balm) on hand for touch-ups. It may also help to put on some lip balm about 5-10 minutes before you apply the lip color.

To help your regular lipstick stay on better, find a lipliner that either matches your lipstick or your natural lip color and fill in your lips entirely with it. This will give your lipstick a little something to cling to. Then apply lipstick with a lip brush. Go for thin coatings of lipstick, and more of them, rather than slathering on a thicker coat. I've been impressed by Revlon ColorStay Soft & Smooth Lipcolor (approx $8 or $9 at drugstores) and MAC lipstick($14).

Wishlist: MAC Holiday Collections

After reading TheMakeupGirl's review of MAC's new holiday gift sets, I think I just may have to run out and get some! I think my favorites are the Lip Kits (in fringe, pleat, beaded, and ruffle). Two lipsticks and a lipglass and a cool clutch for $32?? How do you say no to that?

There's also a Viva Glam lip palette ($32) with all 6 Viva Glam colors in it. I actually remember hearing about this when they had it last year but when I tried to buy it they had already sold out. Perhaps I will make another try at getting my hands on it this year.

Boy, my makeup tastes have been expanding onto more expensive territory, and my wallet ain't gonna be very happy with me...

Cover Girl Lash Exact Mascara

I've been hearing so much about this amazing new mascara (and brush) by Cover Girl-- the brush is apparently made from a different type of plastic and desgined so that it's virtually impossible to get clumps on your lashes. Really?? hmmm. A quick google search found many raves, but also a few angry rants about this product. Well, there's noyl one way to find out whether this beauty breakthrough really is as fantastic as everyone claims it is!


The verdict? I'm in love! My lashes looks long and luscious (my sister has commented on my mile-long lashes each time I've used it). I have gotten a couple teensy clumps, but nothing like with most thick, lenthening mascaras. I kept staring at my lashes all day long yesterday, amazed at how long and natural they looked. And I haven't had any flaking or eye irritation, which has been a problem with other mascaras. This may replace my trusty Neutrogena Lash Tint as my daily mascara... (and that says a lot).

Cover Girl Lash Exact is available at drugstore.com for $6.89. I'm telling you, gals... this stuff is worth trying.

Benetint and BadGal Lash and Dandelion... Oh My!

I was at Sephora yesterday (bad Marcy! You know only bad things, and spending too much money, come of this!) and found this adorable and awesome gift set of The Best of Benefit. You get Dandelion (a "ballerina-pink facial luminizer", $26), Benetint (a rose cheek and lip stain, $28), and BadGal Lash mascara ($19), ALL in an adorable little keepsake box. This is a $73 value, folks, for (wait for it) all of $42!!! (Also available at www.BenefitCosmetics.com)

How was I expected to resist this?? ; )

Ok, so I had already been contemplating buying Dandelion, and I bought Benefit's PocketPal a while back so I know of the wonders of Benetint (and am starting to run out, by the way) so this really was a great value.

I used Dandelion today, as part of a neutral and light pink makeup day, and I have to say it is quite nice. Gives a very soft hint of pinkness. On those with medium to darker complexions it might be too light to show up well as a blush, but it might still work well as an all-over face powder, lending that hint of a pink glow that warms up your whole face. I think I'm much more likely to use Dandelion as an all-over face powder (as opposed to Dallas, which I use more strictly as a blush since I don't think the color is that great for a full-on bronzer. BTW check out the incredibly adorable limited-edition Dallas makeup palette! $28).

I must admit, I'm almost a bit scared of trying the BadGal mascara. That wand is huge! lol It's definitely a mascara for big nights out on the town. But my best gal friend and I are going to Vegas for a long weekend in November, so I will definitely be putting it to good use then!

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers for Eyes

Several weeks ago I bought Neutrogena Mineral Sheers for Eyes in Shell ($7.99). I swear, I have used it almost every day since then! I LOVE the lighter color of the duo, I apply it to my lips and they instantly looks perked up, more awake, yet it's natural enough that it could potentially pass as no makeup at all. Last week I went ahead and bought another Mineral Sheers eyeshadow, in Stone (a purpleish duo) and have been very pleased with it, as well.

The colors are true to their name-- they are very sheer. But it's kinda nice that way, they just give a nice, light wash of color. And the staying power is pretty decent-- I put my makeup on at 8am and it's still there by mid-afternoon, and later.

I'm also partial to the packaging, with the slide-out cover. It's quite cute. ; )

Make-Up Remover on the Go

This is brilliant!!

Every time I travel I debate whether I should throw my eye-makeup remover in with my toiletries, but I usually decide not to-- the bottle is bulky, I have nothing else to put just a few day's worth of the solution in, etc. So I figure I'll just have to make my face wash do double duty for the weekend (or however long I'm travelling). Which usually means that I end up with hard-to-remove mascara smudges under my eyes the morning after a big night.

Well, now I'm gonna have to get my hands on these travel makeup remover wipes ($4.50- $5 at VictoriasSecret.com) from Brittish company girl2go! They come in 2 different packs, containing 10 and 15 wipes each, and are said to "deep clean at the same time they soothe and repair skin with lavender and allantoin, a healing, moisturizing agent, which stimulates healthy tissue formation."

Sounds pretty sweet, huh? Perfect for tossing in my travel bag, and I'll finally be able to wear heavy makeup while travelling without having to worry about fighting raccoon eyes the next morning!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Lots of beauty brands, big and small, have been launching special editions of their products to help fund Breast Cancer research. I was going to put together a post full of such products that I've come accorss, but then found that other blogs have already done so-- and possibly done a much better job than I could! So here are links to some great posts highlighting products that support breast cancer research.

Lipstick, Powder 'N Paint

Beautiful Makeup Search (this looks like it'll be an ongoing series of posts, so be sure to check back over the course of the month)

The Product Girl

If I find others along the way, or if I spot products that aren't already spotlighted in any of the above, I'll be sure to mention them here. Shop to your hearts' contents, gals, it's all for a good cause!

VS Very Sexy Makeup

Victoria's Secret recently launched its own makeup line, Very Sexy. I had a $10 off coupon I recieved for my birthday recently, so I went to my local Victoria's Secret Beauty store and checked some of their new products out.

I have a mosaic eye shadow kit that I bought from VS before they had their own official makeup line, and I adore it. So I was curious about some of their new mosaic compacts-- they have eye shadow, bronzer, and blush (left) powder mosaics, plus mosaic lip palettes ($18 each). If you like playing with blush, you may really like these-- they had a good variety of different shades in their mosaics that looked very fun. I liked the shadows-- they go on surprisingly sheer, and the colors are very pretty.

I also spent a good bit of time looking at their eye shadows ($12), and was very temped to buy Blindfold (a pale lilac) and No Strings (a darker, shimmery purple). They would have gone great worn with their sparkling eyeliner ($10) in lilac flash. I actually was very tempted by these eyeliners, they would be so fun to wear for a night out on the town!

The loose shimmer powder ($18) looked cool, too, but it didn't seem to come with a built-in applicator meaning I'd have to buy a separate brush for it. For $18 I'd rather it be a complete package. I also liked the gel eyeliner duos ($12, right), gel liner is such a great way to achieve a dramatic look that's much easier to use than liquid liner.

As for lips, they had a fun selection of lip gloss($12) and lip lacquer($12, left). I liked the lacquers, particularly Crush and Get Lucky, though these also did not come with any sort of applicator so you'd have to use a separate lip brush or your fingers. There's even a lip plumper (I'd expect no less from VS) for $18. It apparently has "Self-adjusting pigment [that] reacts with skin's pH to enrich natural lip color." Hmm.. asounds interesting. Perhaps I should've tested this one....

In the end I settled for an eye liner ($10) in Exotic Plum. I like that these eyeliners have a built-in smudger at the end.

Best of Sephora 2006, PLUS Sephora Blog!

I recently went over to the Sephora website to discover their new homepage listing all their Best Products (voted on by 150,000 Sephora shoppers)! Check out results such as Best Cleanser (Philosophy Purity Made Simple), or Best Lipstick (Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita). And there's much, MUCH more where that came from!

AND get this... Last week Sephora launched its own Beauty BLOG! You bet your booty I'm adding them to my bookmarks list!

Is it silly how excited these 2 findings have made me? I'm positively giddy... lol! I guess that's what a growing addiction to beauty products will do to ya... ; )

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

This is one product I have heard about often: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara has been mentioned time and again in magazines and websites as, well, the perfect mascara. It comes in washable and waterproof formulas, in black, brown, and clear. The packaging is bright and colorful, making it easy to find in the most cluttered makeup bag. And did I mention that it's cheap? It's listed on Drugstore.com as $4.49.

As much as I'd always heard about this wondermascara, I'd never triend it... until last week. I was standing in line to check out at Target and was glancing over all the little extra goodies they have on sale beside the check-out counter, when I saw this product (the washable version, in black) on sale for $3.99!

Now, I have to admit-- I'm not much of a mascara girl. I have naturally dark lashes and during the day usually get by with just wearing eyelinder. However I do like having mascara for nights out, so of course when I saw this much-talked about product on sale for a mere few dollars I grabbed it raced home to try it.

Perhaps it's not being used to wearing a lengthening mascara everyday... but I was amazed when I spread this on my lashes! It was like they doubled in size instantly! And NO clumps! Now, I have experienced that before with different mascaras only to find clumps forming a little later, so we'll see... I have also read that you can keep clumps at bay by swiping the wand through a kleenex to get rid of excess product before using it.

Anyway, I kept the mascara on the rest of the day and did not notice any smudging. I only applied to top lashes, though-- I think that's a tip that's wise to follow with any mascara (I personally prefer to highlight the bottom half of my eye by lining the inner rim of my lower lid with a dark liner instead of using mascara). Then, at night when I took a shower, I purposefully skipped the eyemakeup remover to see how it would do with a regular cream clenser. I was quite pleased to step back out of the shower with my mascara gone, and only a trace of black smudged under one eye. Other mascaras (particularly waterproof ones) have left me with raccoon eyes after using makeup remover AND washing my face.

Do other mascaras work better than this one? Possibly. Are they worth the extra money? That's up to you. I'm always dissapointed in that I have to throw away barely used tubes of mascara after the required 3-6 months since I don't use them every day, so to me I'm quite pleased to only spend $4 for a product that works pretty darn well. I will say, however, that to me this look still seems a bit severe for daytime and I still prefer to use Neutrogena's Clean Lash Tint for casual daily wear-- it gives lashes a bit of a kick, but looks 100% natural. I'll save the big guns (like Maybelline) for evening. ; )

Benefit Eye Bright

Some days, you need some help looking "bright eyed and bushy-tailed." This is when makeup can do its best work. It can make you look alert, awake, and neat when you feel the least bit like any of these things. Benefit Eye Bright ($18) is one of these such tools. It's a light pink colored pencil that hides the dark coloring that can creep up underneath tired eyes. Just slick a little bit over your dark circles and blend just a bit (on light-skinned gals like me, there's hardly much blending needed at all) and your eyes look instantly much more awake.

You can also dab a bit right in the inner corners of your eyes, near you tear ducts, for a nice brightening effect, or just under the arch of your eyebrows for an instantly more groomed look and to add a bit of depth to your eye shadow job (Benefit sells a separate brow highlighting pencil, also $18, but they really seem like the same thing to me).

So, while you really *should* be getting a good 8-9 hours of sleep a night, we all know that on occasion that is just not quite possible. On those days, Eye Bright is your friend.

Where There's Smoke, There's Fire (in other words, smoky eyes are hot)

The Smoky Eye look seems to be "in" again for fall (wait, has it ever been "out?"). This really is a great look-- it's classic, it's foxy, it highlights the eyes, it's versatile (you can do it with basic black or charcoal gray, or be more playful with blues, greens and purples). And taking the time do perfect your eye-makeup is often a better way to go when you're dressing up as it's more likely to stay in place than your lip color.

I have to say, though, that I'm not a big fan of this trend of pairing smoky eyes with non-existent lips. Yes, it is important to be low-key with the rest of your make-up when going bold with any one feature, or else you risk looking kind of... trampish. However that doesn't mean you have to look as if you've completely erased the other features from your face altogether. Or like you're dead. Take Mischa Barton, here, at left-- her lips just look.. wierd. Often when I've seen this look on celebs (often on Jessica Simpson or Keira Knightly, right) their eyes look very bold and dark but the rest of their face is pale and uni-color. Not a good look, in my opinion. It's just too severe, and often looks kind of un-feminine. I'll look at their face and think they look kind of sickly.

There's nothing wrong with a soft pink or peach blush. Or with a bit of lip gloss. Your lips do not need to match your skin tone. If nothing else, at least let them be their own naturally rosy color, with a bit of lip balm on top or something, instead of caking them under tons of nude-colored lipstick. Lips should still look natural.

As wonderful as the smoky eye is, it is also quite tricky to master. Lucky for us, Elke Von Freudenberg, makeup artist to the stars and fellow blogger, has outlined the steps needed to perfect this look. Enjoy! And please remember-- after you've mastered your smolderingly fantabulous eyes, finish it off with a spot of gloss. And some blush. Thanks!

(and thanks to Juliet over at Beautynomics for the how-to link!)

The Brush Off

We all know the importance of a good set of makeup brushes. They help make application easier, smoother, more pleasant (hello super soft brushes!). Here's 2 makeup brush kits that are both adorable and good buys, both from Sephora:


My husband got me this Two Tone Portfolio Brush Set ($42) for christmas last year (yay amazon.com wishlists!). It's a great deal when you consider that you're getting 6 quality brushes plus the cute carrying case. The kit includes a blush brush, a powder/bronzer brush, a lip brush, a concealer brush, an eyeshadow brush, and an eye countouring brush. I use these brushes almost exclusively now, abandoning my old drugstore-bought brushes.



This other set (Mini Clear Brush Set, $6) I just found on monday... and immediately bought it. This set includes a mini blush brush, eye shadow brush, eye shadow applicator, eyeliner brush, and lip brush. Ok, so the "blush brush" is probably too small to actually use, but all the others should still work fine even though they're so small. And the case itself is only about 3 inches long, so it's absolutely perfect for stashing in your makeup bag when you're travelling. Plus, it's only $6. You can't beat that.

I have a couple other beauty buys from today, including the Benefit Bright Eye pencil and Maybelline Great Lash mascara that I snagged at Target for under $4. Those reviews will be coming soon. ; )