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.

Dramatically Different... Plus!

I was searching for a new face lotion a while ago and decided to give Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion ($11-$23) a try since I'd heard so many good things about it from people.

There's a part of me that still feels slightly apprehensive about splurging on this, rather than finding something at Walgreen's, but I do like the Clinique lotion. It's light and absorbs well, and it doesn't have any funky smell. It doesn't make my skin feel greasy afterwards, nor too dry. The only thing is it doesn't have any sunscreen in it, so I've been mixing a drop of lotion with a drop of Clinique Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 25 ($16.50) every morning. The Super City Block was an impulse buy while I was browsing airport Duty-Free shops this past summer. I like it, but I think when I run out I'll just buy a drugstore sunblock for face rather than splurge again. SPF is SPF and they should all work about the same.

At night I've been using Grassroots While You Were Sleeping Overnight Moisture Cream ($17, click here for my previous post). I used a trial-sized tube during my travels in Texas over the holidays, then bought my own full-size jar as soon as I got back, and I swear my skin looks better because of it-- much smoother and more even. And, as I mentioned before, it smells absolutely divine.

Well, this started out as a post just about Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, and it turned into a Marcy's Skin Routine post. I guess that's just as well. ; )

Good Skin Soft Reflections Illuminating Loose Powder

I've been intrigued by the new trend on "illuminating" powders and shimmers, etc. So when I went on a shopping trip to Kohls and perused the Good Skin counter (one of their 4 beauty product lines), I felt the need to buy their Soft Reflections Illuminating Loose Powder ($18). It was a splurge, yes, but I just liked this stuff for some reason, and had to have it.

The label claims this :"water-infused" powder will "provide a barely-there luminosity that instantly refreshes and delicately minimizes the appearance of lines and wrinkles for a silky smooth radiance." I didn't really know what they meant by "water-infused" and just kinda sdhrugged my shoulders at it.

(As an aside, this idea of a shimmer powder minimizing the appearce of fine lines is complete bull. Wearing shimmer on your skin is like wearing a tight, satin dress-- any and all odd bulges or lines WILL show up, and will be magnified to proportions you were previously unaware of. Shimmer is still good, but you have to choose wisely where you will apply it).

As soon as I got home I opened up the box to try out my new powder. I was pleased to find a small travel brush inside the box (very handy). I sprinkled some of the powder onto the jar lid, swiped a large blush brush over it, and applied it to my cheeks. "Wait a minute," I thought, "why does my brush feel wet?" I touched swiped the brush on my hands, but felt nothing. Then I dusted more powder onto it and tried again.. and again it felt wet! Then it clicked-- that's what they meant by "water-infused!" I have no idea how they did it, as the powder is clearly a dry powder, or what the advantage is... It does feel kinda wierd at first, so be warned.

The shimmer itself is very subtle, which is nice-- none of this in-your-face, bright shimmer. I've found myself using a touch of this over my blush for a bit of luminosity. Again, one must be careful where to apply shimmer as it can make skin imperfections more obvious. But it can add a nice touch, especially if everything else you have on is matte.

While You Were Sleeping...

I'm always on the look-out for goo travel-size beauty products, as it seems I travel a lot. Knowing that I would be spending the holidays in Texas again this year, I was delighted when I saw Kohls selling 2-week sample supplies of Grassroots night and day face creams for $5.

I immediately fell in love with their night cream, While You Were Sleeping Overnight Moisture Cream($17). Though I think it's the scent that did it more than anything. Infused with Madagascan vanilla, I just love slathering this stuff on after washing my face at night! It has also left my face feeling soft and well-moisturized, without feeling oily in the morning. The cream version is for normal-to-dry skin, there is also a lotion formula available for normal-to-oily skin. Each of these, along with all other Grassroots products, are available at Kohl's stores and www.Kohls.com.

Good Skin All-Calm Redness Tamer

I don't know if it's winter dryness or what, but I've been noticing more redness and blotchiness on my face lately. As a result, I've been using Good Skin All-Calm Redness Tamer($15, now on sale for $13.50 at Kohls) almost every day. This is a product that I actually bought months ago, but noly really started using a lot lately.

It's a tube of green paste, with an applicator very similar to a sponge-tip lipgloss applicator. You dab a touch of the green stuff on your skin, wherever you happen to have a pimple or just some redness, and use your finger to pat the cream in, blending it in. Redness is gone, there's no obvious greenness, and skin looks fabulous. I've been using it a lot around my nose, and just above my eyebrows (I seem to have a red spot just above them, perhaps from plucking?).

If you need all-over face coverage for redness, this stuff may not be the best option. However if you have pimples or smaller red spots on your face that you want covered up, this All-Calm Redness Tamer works like a dream.

By the way, Kohls is currently offering a 10%-15% discount on all beauty items (online, not sure about in-store).

Purity Made Simple: Update

Last week I gushed over how much I've been loving Philosophy's Purity Made Simple facial cleanser. However, I have something to add:

Do not take this bottle with you when travelling.

This past weekend I drove to Lake Tahoe with a bunch of my family. I took my 4oz bottle of Purity Made Simple with me. When we got there and I started unpacking all my toilettries, I found that a bunch of Purity Made Simple had leaked all over the bag. I gues it just got squished, or something with the altitude.... I don't know. However none of my other liquid toilettries leaked.

I probably wouldn't have thought much of it, expect I then remembered TheMakeupGirl having a similar experience several months ago.

This makes me sad, as this is the one facial cleanser I know of that takes off ALL makeup (including heavy eye makeup) easily, and I was so excited to finally have a good way to remove all my eye makeup from nights out when travelling without having to bring separate eyemakeup remover or deal with raccoon eyes. I think I'll have to find a new travel bottle to use, that won't leak. I don't know if the larger-sized bottles have this same problem. I'm just kinda dissappointed. Oh well. Again, I'll just find a different bottle to put it in for when I travel.

Pure and Simple

I've traditionally been a drugstore face wash girl. I just couldn't really justify spending big bucks on fancy face wash, since my skin is, overall, pretty normal. But a few weeks ago I noticed that I kept finding myself feeling irritated by red splotches on my face, or dry/oily spots, etc. So, on a whim, I decided to splurge and brought home a small bottle of Philosophy Purity Made Simple($10-$32).

I'd heard great claims about this product. I liked the idea of it being an all-in-one cleanser, eliminating the need for seprate makeup removers or toners. I also feel an affinity towards Philosophy's stuff, since their products and packaging are just so damn cute! lol

Anyway, so I started using Purity Made Simple to wash my face with. At first I noticed that I got some funny bumps on my face (very small and colorless, so only I could tell they were there when I felt my face). I'm not sure if this was caused by the new facewash, or by the new lotion I was using, or what. I switched to an old face wash for a few days, and then gave Purity Made Simple another try. I have been a very satisfied customer since. My skin feels sooo soft and smooth. If I forget to put lotion on right after washing, my face doesn't feel all tight and dry like with other cleansers. And it takes off makeup like a dream!! Many times after a night out, I'd use eye makup remover and then wash my face, and I'd still end up with black smudges under my eyes from leftover liner and mascara. Purity Made Simple takes it ALL off, no issues.

I have to say, I'm kinda perplexed by Philosphy. They make such yummy smelling 3-in-1 washes and lip glosses, etc, yet their skin care products all have kinda funky smells. Purity Made Simple isn't too bad, but I couldn't get past the "scent" of their Hope in a Jar moisturizer (as much as I loved the way it made my skin look and feel). I also have their Kiss Me Red lip balm, and I've gotten used to it now but it also smells funky. I guess they're trying to be unique? I don't know. I've read others complain about this, too, so maybe if we all compalin together Philosophy will take notice and change this?

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!

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 1

Discom asked how to keep makeup from fading. In typing an answer, I realized it was going to be a long one, so.... she has inspired what will be a 3-part post on how to keep your makeup from melting by mid-day. Today we will take a look at prepping your face for makeup by using primer and foundation. Part 2 will look into long-wearing makeup products, and finally part 3 will be about powders and other products meant to keep makeup in place once it has been applied.

So, let's get on with it!

First off: Primer. This is a new concept to me, and still seems a relatively new idea in the makeup world (or, well, it was only recently that I started hearing about it). Primers are meant to smooth out your face, filling in any lines and wrinkles, so as to create a smooth working surface for your foundation and other makeup. They help absorb oil, to help keep your skin matte and shine-free (oil is often a culprit in makeup melt-down, as it's harder to make makeup stay on a slippery surface). Many primers also have vitamins in them to help keep your skin healthy and happy. I have already blogged about my experience with Philosophy's The Present clear makeup ($25), but I'm definitely curious about trying other brands as well and seeing how they work. I've heard wonders about Benefit's Dr. Feelgood ($26), and Smashbox's Photo Finish Color Correcting Face Primers ($38) look very intriguing.

Second: Foundation. A good foundation will even out your complexion, hide imperfections, but still keep your skin looking "real." It will also provide a great base for your makeup, to help keep it in place. Put a bit of foundation directly onto your eyelids or lips before applying lipstick or eyeshadow to give them a bit more lasting power. Foundations come in liquid, cream, and powder formulas. It's best to go to Sephora or your favorite department store makeup counter for your foundation-- you need to be able to talk to someone about what kind of formula is best for you, what kind of coverage you want, and, most importantly, be able to test the colors to find the one that best matches your skintone. A popular pick is BareEscentuals bareMinerals Powder Foundation ($25, though I strongly suggest getting the Get Started Kit for $60), and Benefit's Some Kind-A Gorgeous ($26) is supposed to be amazing.

That's what I've got. If any of you have suggestions about certain products or experiences to share, please feel free to leave comments with them! And stay tuned for next week, when I'll be posting parts 2 and 3 of my Meltproof Makeup Series. ; )

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...

No Time Like The Present

I've been hearing a lot about makeup primers lately-- they're supposed to help mattify the skin, and keep your makeup from fading throughout the day. I wasn't quite sure how much to believe these claims. But then a couple weeks ago I couldn't resist and wound up bringing home Philosophy's The SchoolBook kit($35), and when I tried The Present clear makeup ($25 on its own)... I was amazed.

I actually didn't even take note of the difference at first, which, looking back, is amazing in itself. It was only later in the afternoon that I noticed that my normally shiny forehead was not shiny at all. The next morning I used The Present again, and after waiting the 2 minutes to let it sink in I looked at my face and, sure enough, the shinyness that had been there, that was normally there, was completely gone. I was left with beautifully matte skin, that lasted all day long. I didn't even need any powder at all, as there was no shine to try to cover up with it.

This is my first foray into the world of makeup primers, and I'm curious as to what other brands are like. But Philosophy definitely has me very impressed so far!

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!

Perceptions

Oh my gosh... I saw this over at The Beauty Brains, and it's amazing. I've seen before/after pics of celebrities once or twice from photo shoots, but it's still amazing, espceially the part where they photoshopped her. It's like models can't even say it's their own face or body anymore. This video was made by Dove as part of their Campaign for Real Beauty, which I am a HUGE fan of. Yay Dove!



(YouTube link)

Back to Basics

Sometimes the most brilliant beauty solutions are the simplest ones. I have to send a bit Thank You! to The Beauty Brains for reminding me of what a useful little product good ole petroleum jelly can be, and pointing me over to this site full of pointers for how to use it. Such as....

Moisturize your lips and more--If you don't want to pay a lot for expensive lip balm, makeup remover, or even facial moisturizer, then your answer is a tube of petroleum jelly. It can soothe lips, take off foundation, eye shadow, mascara, and more. It will even act as a moisturizer on your face. (I've also heard it can be great as a conditioner for your eyelashes).

Lengthen the life of perfume--You've picked out a great scent to wear on your night out, but it's got to last. Worry not. Dab a bit of petroleum jelly on your pulse points. Then spray on the perfume. Now you can dance the night away and not worry about your perfume turning in early.

Soften chapped hands--If you're constantly applying hand lotion to your tired, chapped hands, but then taking it off again so you can get more work done, try this tip. Apply a liberal amount of petroleum jelly to your hands just before you go to bed. By morning, they'll be soft and smooth.

No more messy manicures--During home manicures, it's hard to keep the nail polish from running over on your cuticles. Petroleum jelly can help your manicures look more professional. Dab some along the base of your nails and the sides. If polish seeps off the nail during the manicure, all you do is wipe off the petroleum jelly and the sloppy nail polish is gone.

Smooth wild eyebrow hairs--If you have runaway eyebrows -- the ones where the hairs won't lie flat but curl up instead, control the wildness with some petroleum jelly. Rub a dab into your brows. They'll calm down and behave.

Stop hair dye runs--There's nothing more embarrassing than a home hair color job gone awry. Imagine finishing applying that new auburn shade to your tresses when you notice that you've dyed your hairline and part of your forehead too. Next time, run a bit of petroleum jelly across your hairline. If dye seeps off your hair, the petroleum jelly will catch it.

Heal windburned skin--You've just had a glorious hike through the countryside in autumn. And as much as you enjoyed the changing colors of the season, the hike has left you with an unpleasant souvenir: windburn. Grab a jar of petroleum jelly and apply it liberally to your face or wherever you've been chapped. The jelly helps relieve the pain.

Click here to see even more uses.

I actually feel silly realizing that I don't have any Vaseline in my home at the moment, but I think I'll have to go out and buy a tub of it.

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.

Benefit Dallas

I've heard so much positive buzz about Benefit's Dallas bronzer/blush powder, that I fanlly gave in and forked over my $26 at Sephora to try it myself.

And now I finally know what all y'all have been talking about. = )

Lately I've seen a lot of beauty articles advising readers how to get that gorgeous "natural glow" by using bronzer on your forehead, cheecks, nose, etc (wherever the sun hits) and then topping it off with a rosy blush on your cheeks. Well, Dallas has done that for you-- it's a perfectly gorgeous shade of bronze and rosy pink mixed together. One step and you're good to go. I haven't tried it as an all-over bronzer yet (I've been using Bare Escentuals Warmth all-over face powder for that lately) but I think Dallas has just become my new favorite blush.

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... ; )

Philosophy Hope in a Jar

As I was going through my recent purchases from Sephora, I was thrilled to find a sample of Philosophy's Hope in a Jar included in my bag! I'd been eyeing this product for a while and was itching to try it, but at $35 I wasn't prepared to splurge (especially when I still have plenty of my regular moisturizer, Olay Complete).

So, that night, I tried out my sample after washing my face. I was immediately very pleased-- the lotion felt so light, not at all greasy, and it absorbed into my skin almost immediately (I tend to need to let my Olay moisturizer "sit" for several minutes as it absorbs in the morning before putting on my makeup). The cincher? I swear the few fine lines I've started noticing around my eyes and mouth were less noticeable after using this lotion, even just once or twice. Maybe it was my imagination, I don't know. But my skin just felt... nice. Happy. Not dry, nor oily.

The only downside (and unfortunately it's a big one) is the scent. The scent is just wierd. At first I thought it smelled kind of like eucalyptus, which would have been nice. But as I continued getting small whiffs of it in the minutes after applying it, I realized it didn't smell like eucalyptus at all, but rather something stranger. My best guess is some cross between eucalyptus, citrus, and something medicinal ,and the result is something that lands more on the unpleasant side. I used my Hope in a Jar sample 3 times in a row (night, the next morning, then that night) and by the 3rd application I knew the scent was a dealbuster for me. Which is really a shame, because other than that I was almost ready to run out and buy it.

This experience has, however, reawakened in me the desire to look into other well-known pricier moisturizers, such as Clinique's imfamous Dramatically Different Moisture Lotion. Or perhaps I'll look into Good Skin and Grassroots lotions, as this may be another MAC vs Flirt! type of deal (Clinique, Grassroots, and Good Skin are also all owned by Estee Lauder).


EDIT: Ok, after a bit of online browsing I discovered, to my surprise, that Clinique's moisture lotion is actually less expensive (for the 1.7 oz size) than the Kohls brands.... Interesting. This certainly tips the scale in Clinique's favor, now being cheaper and more well-known, but I will still have some fun doing my comparison shopping. If any of you have any feedback about any of these brands I'd love to hear it. =) Thanks!