Foundation junkie.

Over the next few days I'll finally finish up my Giorgio Armani Designer Shaping Cream foundation. A big deal for me considering how long I've had this jar. Years. Literally. I bought it waaay back in the day, used it for awhile, "cheated" on it w/other foundations and buried it in my makeup stash where I forgot about until I recently rediscovered it and decided it was time to finish it up once and for all. These days foundation is one of the few makeup items I'm faithful to until the product is used up. As you can see I have quite a collection of newbies. No slim pickens here which makes it difficult for me to refrain for opening and using them all at once! Luxurious double-silk blend cream foundation. Modeling silk fibers firm and contour skin while sculpting oils replenish and smooth skin with elegant, weightless coverage. Luminous micro-silk particles illuminate the face for an even complexion with a radiant finish. While I don't have any specific complaints about the Designer Shaping Cream I can say that for me it doesn't really do anything special to justify the $65 price tag. The formula, shade (I'm #6.5) and wear are on par with brands you can purchase at the drugstore for A LOT less moolah.

Here's my stash. I think I'm leaning toward the Tarte Amazonian Clay or Revlon Photoready since I've had both for a few months now. I have 2 identical bottles of Photoready (I wear shade 008 - Golden Beige) thanks to some type of BOGO sale which is fine with me because I've gone through at least 2 bottles of this foundation already. For poreless, airbrushed skin in any light. Love love love it. I'm not a huge fan of true matte foundations since I find that they can look kind of flat and bleh on me. I prefer formulas that leave a dewy finish and Photoready does just that. I've never tried the Amazonian Clay foundation but after reading rave review after rave review (after rave review) I decided to try it out even though it does have a matte finish. A long-wearing, skin-perfecting full coverage foundation with UVA/UVB SPF 15 infused with Amazonian clay for better, longer, truer wear. I picked it up in the shade Medium. After I finish these I'll move on to the other products pictured which consist of:

Giorgio Armani Maestro in shade 6.5. A total game changer with a formula that is easy to apply with unified distribution, and covers imperfections. An ultra-fine-oil-pigment suspension that perfects the complexion, instantly igniting skin's natural luminosity. A water a powder-free base. I cannot wait to try this. 

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme in shade 320 - Warm Golden. Finally, truly decadent makeup offers ultimate performance. The mousse-like texture feels like silk on your skin. And, the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy. Another one with rave reviews across the blogosphere and on YouTube.

Revlon New Complexion One-Step Compact in shade 02 - Tender Peach. For completely undetectable coverage. The 2-in-1 cream to powder formula gives you perfectly smooth, even-toned skin that breathes. Impulse buy. I think...

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel in shade 53 - Light Beige. I remember when Sephora sold this brand back in the day. I ordered my bottle from Amazon's UK site but Asos' US site sells it as well. Its fresh and instant blending gel texture blends and glides onto the skin for an even, natural finish with no mask effect. Imperfections are erased, signs of fatigue are smoothed and the skin's radiance is boosted for up to 16 hours. Made from an instant anti-fatigue vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula with litchi, goji berries and pomegranates. Sold!
L'oreal Paris Magic Nude Liquid Powder in shade 320 - Natural Beige. Our 1st revolutionary liquid-powder formula that glides on and transforms to a fresh, powder-like finish. It's so light, like you're wearing no makeup at all! I've already used this once (in my defense there's no seal on the bottle so curiosity got the best of me!) and I like it. Coverage is sheer but buildable.

Giorgio Armani Hydra Glow in shade 5.5. This was a holy grail foundation for me until it was discontinued a few years ago. The bottle's pretty much empty but for some reason I can't bring myself to get rid of it. Luminous Silk has a cult following and sooner or later (much, much later considering how many products I already have!) I'll try it.

L'oreal Paris True Match Lumi in shade W4 - Natural Beige. Combines 3 powerful ingredients that work to improve your complexion the more you wear them. 40% pure water for all-day hydration. Antioxidants and Vitamins C and E for improved clarity and skin tone. And Liquid Light Technology for an instant, luminous glow. I tried the regular True Match foundation months ago and hated the way it looked like it was sitting on top of my skin rather than absorbing into my skin. I hope I like Lumi's formula better. As a side note (L'oreal Paris I'm talking to you!) I've noticed the gorgeous rose gold pump our friends up north in Canada and over the pond in the UK (and maybe elsewhere) are blessed with. Here in the US we get a boring silver pump. For the record rose gold is widely popular throughout the US and has been for a few years now. It's here to stay. Just sayin'. 

Laura Geller Balance-N-Brighten in Medium. A unique Baked powder that can be used on its own or combined with your favorite base for a flawless finish. This newly formulated foundation is mineral oil and paraben free. It is also loaded with the age-fighting, anti-oxidant protection of Centella Asiatica and White Tea. Designed with swirls of soft tan and cream, its luxuriously smooth and silky texture helps offset ruddiness, brightens sallow tones, and balances most complexions. Another impulse buy. Ugh! :)

Bare Minerals in 2G - Golden Medium. Our award-winning mineral foundation gives you all the flawless coverage you want with a no-makeup look and feel that lasts up to eight hours. The creamy minerals diminish the appearance of imperfections without drying out skin. Our groundbreaking formula is clinically proven to promote clearer, healthier-looking skin. Formulated without parabens, binders, fillers, or synthetic chemicals. Although it's cooled down considerably in NYC over the past week (thank heavens!) this one is better suited for autumn/winter because summer heat and moist skin + application of anything powdery = a cakey mess. No bueno. 

Have you guys tried any of these? Thoughts?

Throwback Thursday starring "vintage" Bath & Body Works!

First things first friends - Happy Friday eve! I thought Throwback Thursday posts might be a fun way to look back on the past. When I came up with the idea earlier this week I knew exactly where I was going with it...which brings me to tonight's post - Bath & Body Works summer scents, vintage style!

From the Temptations line, circa 2007: Iced Tea Twist Body Lotion and Iced Tea Twist 3-in-1. Nothing says summer like a tall glass of sweet, lemony iced tea. I've been using the lotion every night because it smells ah-mazing! It's also really moisturizing. I use the 3-in-1 as a body wash only since I don't really do bubble baths or feel like this would make a good shampoo. The Temptations line was discontinued a long time ago but if you're feeling nostalgic B&BW currently sells this candle which smells just like Iced Tea Twist.

Also from the Temptations line, circa ?: Frozen Daiquiri Body Lotion. There's nothing like a fresh cocktail of sweet, seductive strawberries. Go ahead, drench yourself from head to toe. Have another. Oh, all right - just one more. Indulge. Delight. Here's to you! Frozen strawberry goodness on this thirsty Thursday! Love love love. I think this scent was released a few years in a row as part of the Summer Temptations collection. I also think I have the matching body splash floating around somewhere in my bedroom. Hmm...

Cool Watermelon and Maui Waui body splashes, circa 1999-ish. Fruity, tropical, sweet and perfect for summer. I don't know about you but I think I prefer the body splashes over the fine fragrance mists. They always seem to wear longer on my skin.

Another win for the Temptations line, circa 2007: Simply Divine Cherry Pie Body Lotion and Simply Divine Cherry Pie 3-in-1. A warm cherry fragrance mixed with notes of pie crust and whipped cream. For me the warmth of the cherry makes this a great scent for fall too. Simply divine indeed!

T.G.I.(almost)F.!!!

Recent hit and miss.

It goes without saying that most of what I mention here on the blog I'd recommend. It's really easy for me to go on and on (and on and on!) about products I love. But like every other beauty addict I do come across products that just don't work for me. Here's one of each but since I live by the "waste not, want not" rule unless the product is truly sh!teous I begrudgingly use it up. 

TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray. The BEST. Hands down. Super fine mist. Super cheap and you can find it everywhere. Totally (totally!!!) weightless and leaves no film on your hair. I LOVE this spray. It smells great too. I use it on wet hair w/my blow dryer and on dry hair w/my flat iron. Love love love. 

Chi Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray. I tried this because I hate the pump on the TRESemme spray. Its clumsy and if you don't depress it the right way the nozzle leaks. Kind of annoying so I (temporarily) ditched my beloved TRESemme over beef with a nozzle. Rather than just switching up the nozzle. Really. Because nothing sets you up for flat iron failure faster than a wet heat protection spray. Chi's super fine mist is great. Big points for this Chi but it all went downhill from there. After a few spritzes of this my hair was left with a heavy film on it that just looked dull and felt gross. After several maybe 2 uses I poured the rest of the bottle down the sink and decided to try the Moroccanoil Heat Styling Protection Spray . Because I hadn't learned my lesson the first time around. The jury's still out on this one because while it does feel like it leaves a film on my hair I'm nursing my hair back to health due to the summer heat and my pre-filtered shower water days. I'm going to give this spray some more love before giving it a definitive yay or nay. For now I'm back to regularly using the TRESemme spray and using the Moroccanoil spray on occasion.

Back to Pretty Little Liars! I'm typing this post during the commercial breaks.

Fitness update and how I eat healthy.

Happy (?) Monday! So today I began week 2 of ChaLEAN Extreme. I'm in the Burn phase now and dripping with sweat during these workouts (thanks to my hot apartment and summertime) so the Push and Lean phases are gonna be T-O-U-G-H. The weights I'm currently using are probably a little lighter than they should be and here's why...

I ordered these from Walmart.com but when I opened the box one of the 7.5 lb. plates was damaged and cement was leaking out of it so instead of using 15 lbs. in each hand I'm using 12.5 lbs. Walmart's customer service is great and they already sent me a replacement set but fate stepped in and THESE went on sale over the weekend (they're still on sale - I think today's the last day of the sale). They're the Bowflex SelectTech 552's and Chalene uses 'em. When I noticed them last week for the first time I was like "what are those and where can I get them?", went online, saw the price and nearly fell out of my chair. I told myself my weights, though kinda flimsy, will do just fine and filed the SelectTech's away in my memory. Until this weekend when Bowflex advertised the sale on their Facebook page and reduced the price from ridiculously expensive to "Self? Are you ever gonna be able to get these any cheaper than this? I think not." So I ordered them. I'm sure my UPS guy will be thrilled. Really.

Moving along to eating healthy. This is a 24/7 job for me. I wasn't born with a fast metabolism and I love food so moderation, moderation, moderation. My Dad has a lightening fast metabolism and I frequently subject him to my incessant whining about the unfairness of it all. Here are todays eats which is pretty typical since I try and limit my cheat eats to weekends only. Posting = accountability.

Breakfast: 1 cup of Greek vanilla yogurt w/fresh blueberries and half a glass of grapefruit juice.
Mid-morning snack: Coffee and a Nature Valley protein bar.
Lunch: Multrigrain English muffin w/a veggie burger, fresh baby carrots and sliced cucumber.
Afternoon snack: Small peach.
Dinner: Tofurkey Chick'N and Apple "sausage" w/peppers & onions and zucchini that I roasted in the oven.
Plenty of watered down Crystal Light throughout the day. Love the flavor but hate the sweetness so I cut it by using more water or less mix.

Unless I'm eating a salad for dinner I cook my dinner veggies in advance over the weekend so that when I get home from work during the week all I have to do is heat up my plate in the microwave. Super quick and easy. Totally speaking my language now...

Fitness and eating healthy takes effort. Work, personal issues, holidays, etc. can get in the way so if and when they do pick yourself up and get back on track. Your body will thank you. And so will your mind and soul.

PSA: Selena Gomez' new album Stars Dance is out tomorrow! I really couldn't tell you what Selena sang prior to "Come & Get It" but iTunes has been streaming the new album all weekend and I've been listening to it nonstop. I already pre-ordered my copy and you can check it out here. Today's the last day the stream will be available.

PS: I'm getting good at including links in my posts. You've been warned.

Current faves.

To call this post "June Faves" would be ridiculous at this point...tomorrow begins the 4th (!!!) week of July. Since I already had a few faves set aside for June I figured I'd combine them with my July faves (so far) and do a "current faves" post. Not my preference as I look forward to writing about my monthly faves but work's been unseasonably busy which has led to long hours at the office and it's been HOT AS HADES in NYC for like 2 weeks which has turned my apartment into an oven (I don't have an air conditioner). I think today's the last day of the heat wave so relief is on the way. So without further adieu here's what I've been loving lately and as soon as I figure out how to add live links to my posts I'll include 'em when available so you can purchase away!

ChaLEAN Extreme: Get ready to burn fat, boost your metabolism, and get LEAN with this clinically proven fat loss system that uses cardio and resistance training in a brand-new way to get you better results in less time. I'll do a more in-depth review via a future post but for now here's what I have to say. I'm one week in and I love this program. I'm a P90X/P90X2 "graduate" and was looking for a new program so when one of my favorite YouTubers recommended this program I was sold. Here's the link to her review - I hope it works! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgtqU7El2mA. I ordered my program on Amazon for about $110. Chalene's motto throughout this program is "Go heavy or go home!" and I'm totally up for the challenge of using heavier weights. Again, a more in-depth review of this program will follow in a future post which will include a description of each workout along with the program schedule.

Culligan WSH-C125 Wall-Mount 10,000 Gallon Capacity Filtered Showerhead, Chrome Finish: I've heard quite a bit about how "wonderful" NYC water is. My hair disagrees. Big time. It's been feeling really straw-like for the past few weeks. I haven't changed my hair care routine at all so the cause of the problem's been a mystery to me. Until last weekend when I took a shower at my Dad's place (he lives in Nassau County, Long Island) and realized that maybe my shower water's the culprit. When I wash my hair here at home it feels like I'm showering with chlorinated pool water.  Gross, gross, gross. I ordered this filtered shower head on Amazon along with an extra filter cartridge for around $35. It was a breeze to install (all by myself!) and my hair feels noticeably better now. From here on out I'll be using a shower head filter. Who knew water could be so damaging? Well worth the money spent.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Moisturizer w/SPF 40+: I've been hearing about the JM line for awhile now and was in the market for a new moisturizer so when I read about this one and its high SPF I was sold. A daily-wear sunscreen for the face that helps protect from sunburn with broad spectrum SPF 40. This formula is infused with Josie's signature ingredient, Argan Oil, which moisturizes and hydrates dry skin, fights the signs of aging and improves skin tone by moisturizing for a radiant, renewed looking complexion. Argan Oil Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40+ is lightweight, Paba Free, and for all skin types. It's also Cruelty Free and Vegan. I have the 2 fl oz. bottle which I purchased at Sephora for $32. I've been using this for about 2 months now but since my skin is really oily in warmer temps I have to wait until autumn/winter to really get a feel for how good this moisturizer is. So far so good though. A little product goes a long way so if the price seems steep keep in mind that the bottle will last awhile. Also, if you're looking for this and having difficulty finding it note that a "new and improved" formula is due out soon so don't worry that it's been discontinued.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Simmer: Released via the Tropical Taboo collection this shade is described as a burnt rose with peach/gold pearl. It's gorgeous and will transition well from summer to fall. The best part? You can still order this limited edition blush via MAC's website for $25. Get it now while it's still available!

Wet n Wild Coloricon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana: You'd have to be really, really, really pale for this shade to give you a bronze glow. I'm an NC25 with medium toned olive skin so I use this to highlight my cheekbones, bridge of my nose, inner tear ducts and cupid's bow. What I love about it? The formula's a dream to apply and blend out. It's heavily pigmented with a nice sheen (no shimmer/glitter) that looks natural. It's cheap (only a couple of bucks!) and you get a ton of product for your money. It's part of WNW's perm collection. You can pick this up at the drugstore or anywhere else that sells WNW. 'Nuff said.

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly: Part of MAC's perm collection and described as a nude beige. The shade is a straight up cream with no shimmer or frost. I use it as my eye primer. Every single day. It helps my shadow last all day (I have really oily eyelids). This is a holy grail product for me. I hear MAC's increasing the price on paint pots soon so if you've been eyeing any of them now's the time to pull the trigger while they're still $18.50. Bare Study's next on my "to purchase" list.

MAC Custom Palette Eyeshadow X 4: Here are the shades clockwise from top left:

Malt - Soft pinkish-beige (Matte)

Bronze - Gold brown with gold-bronze shimmer (Frost)

Sable - Gold-plum w/bronze pearl (Velvet)

All That Glitters - Beige w/gold pearl (Veluxe Pearl)

Highly pigmented? Check! Long lasting? Check! Beautiful and neutral shades that look great any time and for any occasion? Check! All of these shades are part of MAC's perm collection. I purchased my palette for $57 via MAC's website.

Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Malibu Heat: It's back this year! I totally missed the boat on this one last summer so when it popped up online this year and had rave reviews I picked up a bottle and I LOVE it. Inspired by hot pink sunsets and 27 miles of beautiful beaches, Malibu Heat is the perfect west coast blend of juicy pineapple, California oranges and creamy coconut milk. It's tropical, sweet and perfect for summer. My gripe about all of B&BW's fine fragrance mists is that they don't last very long...at all...(Pure Paradise I'm looking at you!). On days I wear this scent I carry my Malibu Heat travel size FFM w/me to reapply throughout the day as needed.

Pretty Little Liars: You'll come to see that I'm late jumping on the bandwagon quite frequently. Here's a prime example. I have my sister (who's been watching PLL since it first started) to thank for introducing me to Aria, Spencer, Hanna, Emily and Alison etal. though the first time my sister forced me to watch played a random episode I didn't really like it. It wasn't until earlier this year that I decided to see what the hype was about and give the show a second chance. My sister played the pilot episode for me and the rest is history. I caught up to the current episodes last week and while it's great to be current with the show it sucks that I have to wait for new eps now like everyone else. For a few months I had what seemed like an endless number of episodes (sans commercials!) to watch. If you don't watch this show on ABC Family you need to do the following:

1. Join Netflix, etc. so you can watch all of the previous eps. All of them. In proper order.

2. Start watching the current eps like the rest of us on TuesdAys @ 8pm on ABC Family.

"I'm still here bitches. And I know everything". -A

You're welcome.

Sorry that there are no swatches of the makeup reviewed in this post but I wanted to get this up live as quickly as possible and for me editing takes forever and a day due to my OCD tendencies. :) 

PSA: Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is on! I love Nordies and now's the time to snag some really great deals so check out the website ASAP! I placed 2 orders yesterday for some killer boots, 2 bangles, some makeup and a nail polish set. Score!

Behind the scenes.

Hey guys, more posts coming soon...just taking care of the back end blog setup which is A LOT of work. Almost done (hopefully) - live and learn right???

PS - I'm putting together a few of my June favorites for my next post so stay tuned!