What Product Has You Buzzin'?

This week, I'm all about Burt's Bees Hand Salve. It's packed with things like sweet almond oil,  olive oil, bee's wax, and vitamin E with a healthy dose of Eucalyptus oil so it's not only super nourishing for your skin, but it also has a slight medicinal smell in a completely pleasant way.



I really like the metal tin that it comes in, partly because I'm a sucker for cool packaging, and it's also pretty handy for me to tuck into my purse and not worry about it leaking all over the place and turning everything into a gooey mess.
Since it's a salve and not a lotion, it does go on pretty thickly and takes a few minutes to sink in. Once it does, though, it makes a huge difference. My hands are much softer, visibly smoother, and are lightly scented. If you're like me and you're the kind of gal that worries about different fragrances mixing, don't fret; it doesn't last long. If you're busy doing a lot of things with your hands, I would reccomend waiting until you have a few minutes to rub it in and let it absorb completely so it doesn't get that greasy feel.
The colder the weather gets, the more I'll be using it and applying it to not only my hands, but my elbows, knees, ankles and feet to keep them pretty and supple through the Winter.

Over all, I'd give it a solid A. You can usually pick up Burt's Bees products at Target, Walmart, Walgreens, and most other major retailers with most of the products under $15.

XOXO,
Ashleigh

PS: Burt's Bees does not test on animals, so that's another few points in their favor.

Plum Perfect

As I mentioned in my "favorite things" post, I'm in love with plum shades of lipstick. We all know that I frequently wear the bold lip, and plum is nice alternative to red, especially as the temperature dips lower and lower here in San Antonio (thank you tropical storms and cold fronts!).
Last night I went to Walmart and picked up Plum Perfect from Maybelline's plum line, went out to the truck and applied a quick swipe, and fell in love with the creamy, deep berry shade. I test wore it around campus today and received several compliments from ladies AND gents, so I think Plum Perfect has earned itself a permanent spot in my beauty arsenal. It may not take the place of red, but it's pretty darn close.

"
Swatch on my hand


Tube, a pretty shade of grape-y purple.

Since it's Maybelline Colorsensational, the color applies true-to-product and crisply with minimal feathering and lasts without significant fading.

Xoxo,
Ashleigh

From A to Zurich

Last post I mentioned that I reccommended From A to Zurich (OPI) as a perfect shade for Fall. I bought a bottle of it, swatched it, and absolutely fell in love with it. From A to Zurich is a gorgeous berry red that reminds me of cranberry jelly and makes me want to pull out my trench coat.







Since I have solar nails* right now, I had to apply three coats of polish to completely cover the white tips.

xoxo,
Ashleigh

*post to come

Liplicious? Indeed!

I've been buying the Liplicious lip glosses from Bath and Body Works for quite some time now. They have a great, long lasting formula that never feels sticky, a wide range of colours to choose from, and they all taste and smell great without breaking the bank.



Lately, I've been forgoing my usual red lips in favour of trying out more nude lipsticks and glosses in an attempt to broaden my horizons, cosmetically of course. I think I've finally found one that I really like, and knowing my dislike of nudes, that's saying something.
Whipped Vanilla is a very pretty creamy pink with gold flecks throughout- very "nude-but-better." As the name suggests, it's very lightly flavoured with vanilla, but does have a stronger vanilla scent to it, so if you don't like scented lip products, watch out. Personally, I love the fact that it's scented/flavoured because it helps me cut down on my cravings for sugary sweet things. Whenever I start thinking "Oh, hey... caramel would be good right about now," I just put on some lip gloss and in a few minutes, the craving has passed.


So much shine!

According to the Bath and Body Works website, the Liplicious products are packed with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil, which are both great moisturizers, especially for delicate skin. I find myself reaching for this more often than I do my Burt's Bees chapstick, even when I'm at home.
Bath and Body Works usually offers specials on the Liplicious line and at the time of this posting, they are generously offering a "Buy 2 get 1 FREE" special. Definitely take advantage of it if you can, I know I'm stocking up!



Cost: $7 at Bath and Body Works
Grade: Solid A

Healthy Flush

I like my blushes to be pretty, pink, and healthy looking- never clownish like some of the girls I see when I'm out and about.
I picked up some of Boots Blush Tint Creme in Blossom at Target a few weeks ago, and I really love the blush, because it's in solid, stick form which is perfect for portability. I blush to admit (no pun intended) that most of the time, my make up is done on the run and since this Blush Tint Creme is solid, I don't have to worry about spilling it all over myself or the car. It has a smooth, creamy finish that blends seamlessly into my skin. I just use two quick swipes across my cheek bones, blend with my fingertips, and I'm good to go!


Before blending


After blending

Blush Tint Creme is hypoallergenic and, according to Target's website, comes in at least three different shades, though I'm relatively certain I saw more actually in store.


Swatch on my wrist so you can see the actual colour of it.


Price: $9.99 at Target
Grade: A

Right Said Red

I was wondering around Walmart Monday night, perusing the make up aisles as I often do, when I stopped in front of a Sally Hansen display. At first, it looked like they were just reissues of old favourites just in time for the holiday, but then I actually read the sign- Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure. It's supposed to be base coat, nail colour, and top coat in one simple step, which is great for me, because I hate the drying time between layers.
I actually really liked Complete Salon Manicure, which surprised me, because I typically have an on-again-off-again relationship with Sally Hansen products. Complete Salon Manicure has a wider brush that tapers into a slightly thinner point, which means that the polish gets better, more even application across the nail bed, without painting your cuticles. I'm pretty sure Miss Manners says that's a no-no.



If I had one complaint about the polish, though, I would have to say that I don't particularly like the drying time, but that's more because I want my polish to dry like it was yesterday. It will take a little bit of time to get used to not having to apply topcoat at the end.



Cost: $6.49 at Walmart
Is It Worth It: Yes

Eyes Lips Face for a buck?

I’ve been seeing the scant E.L.F display at my local Target for quite a while and I finally decided to give them a try today. I very carefully perused what little selection they had and was torn between a three pack of liquid liners for $3 or a five piece eye make up set for $5. That’s right, it breaks down to just $1 a piece. I really was not expecting much out of this set.

The eyelash curler that comes with it is very bulky and difficult to use, BUT once you get it positioned comfortably, it actually curls lashes very well.



The eye shadow quad is called Drama and I wish that it offered it. When I swatched the colours on my arm, they looked pretty nice, but when I actually applied them, they were pretty wimpy. The teeny little eye shadow applicator that came with it is particularly horrid- very scratchy and so small it barely picks up any of the little pigment that these eye shadows offer.



I hated the “brightening” eye liner in black (how is black “brightening”?), but that may be because I am much more comfortable with liquid liners or applying liners with a brush. Apart from that though, it seemed to tug at the eye lid a little, which is always bad, and didn’t apply very darkly. When I wear black liner I want it to be BLACK, not a pale imitation of it.



However, I LOVED the Lengthening and Defining mascara! It applied very well with no clumping, even after three very liberal coats and my eyelashes are still pretty soft.



And to round out the package, it came with a “professional” smudge eye sponge. I usually use cosmetic sponges (you know, the round or square one that come about twelve to a pack for under $5) and really love those, so I was hoping “Oh, a stick form of it would be fabulous!” It’s decent. Not good, not bad, just decent.









Cost: $5 at Target
Is It Worth It: Debatable