May 2009 Favs

I thought I'd do a quick post of some of my current beauty favs.  Some of these are old favorites; some are new finds.

1.  L'Oreal Everpure shampoo, conditioner, and deep conditioning treatment/restorative mask.  This is a sulfate-free formulation.  So it's great for processed, color treated hair.  The deep conditioner is, IMO, comparable to the Fakkai deep conditioning treatment at about 1/3 of the cost.

2.  Revlon Colorstay liquid foundation.  I'm picky about foundation, and it's hard to find a shade that works for me--most are too yellow-ish.  But I love the Revlon Colorstay.  They have different formulations for normal / dry and oily skin.  And it really does last all day.  Lately, I switch it up with the MAC mineralize skin finish natural, which is a great mineral foundation, or sometimes I use a quick dusting of the MAC over the Revlon as a setting powder.

3.  The Coastal Scents contour pallette.  The brown contour shade in this pallette is really dark, and I'm really fair.  And yet, it so works for me.  I use just a tiny bit and really buff / blend it in.  Love it.  Gives the illusion of cheekbones.

4.  MAC's Stars N Rockets eyeshadow.  This is a pinky-purple shade with just the right amount of shimmer.   I know that bright eyeshadows are not for everyone, but I LOVE them.  This is one of my favorites.

5.  Neutrogena Build-a-Tan.  This is a lotion-type self tanner.  And you do kinda have to be careful not to miss any spots.  But the color is natural, not to orange-y, like some self tanners I've tried.

6.  Lush Rock Star soap.  I love, love, love the candy scent of this stuff.   

7.  MAC powder blush in Well Dressed.  I've used this product in Pink Swoon for years.  But recently, I've switched to Well Dressed, which is a more grown-up pink.  I like it--very natural.

8.  Crest Healthy Radiance teeth whitening system.  The set I have includes daily whitening paste and weekly deep cleaning strips.  I'm oddly obsessed with the shade of my teeth.  And this set works incredibly well for the low cost. I'm sold.

LT Creates Jewelry on Etsy

Ok, so I wanted to give a little "shout out" to LT Creates Jewelry on Etsy.  Etsy.com , as you may know, is a web site where individuals sell their hand made wares (or sometimes, just craft supplies).  I think it's such a fab web site, and I love looking at what people are making.  However, I've only ordered anything once or twice.  But there's this great vendor who makes and sells jewelry from vintage silver-plated flatware.  Her work is really, really nice in my opinion.  After C. got a spoon watch from LT, I was ready to go ahead an place my order.  I got a spoon watch and matching spoon bracelet.  You can see a pic of the watch above.  The bracelet I got is identical, except that instead of the watch face, it has a turquoise bead.  I love both pieces, but if I had to pick one, I'd probably say that I actually like the bracelet best.  The pictures here and on Etsy really don't do the pieces justice--they are much prettier in person.  You send LT your wrist measurement, and she custom sizes them.  And I just love, love, love that this is vintage 1940s silverware that's been repurposed; that idea really appeals to me.  I ordered online and had the pieces in hand in less than a week.  And I think the prices are quite reasonable.  The only drawback IMO is that they are both somewhat difficult to clasp.  The clasp is large, and I'm sure that the piece is secure while one is wearing it, but it's a bit difficult to negoiate.