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cathubbard@hotmail.com
I have exceptionally sensitive skin. Due to this I am often leery of trying new products and have steered clear of trying any new BB Creams. When I am looking for a natural look for the weekends, I currently have a Nars tinted moisturizer that does the trick. Well, one day while perusing the aisles of Walgreen’s I came across the Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase BB Cream. I was sucked in by the Kinerase name and figured I would give this a try.
The claims of this cream are widespread and include the following:
- Evens skin tone for a more radiant complexion
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes
- Skin looks brighter and more vibrant
- Skin feels soft and hydrated
- Visibly extend skin’s youthful expression by improving its defense.
I don’t see this as a life changing or holy grail item for me, but I will definitely use the bottle up and might repurchase if there is a good sale or if I am in a pinch.
Here is a swatch of the product:
Here is the product rubbed in, it offers very sheer coverage:
I am a complete chocolate freak. I love it and even though I try to be calorie conscious, I do find myself indulging in chocolate daily. During a recent trip to PCC (a Pacific Northwest store similar to Whole Foods), I saw Cacao Nibs and decided to give them a try.
I remembered seeing these covered on a feature of the Today show with their resident nutrition expert, Joy Bauer. During her segment she spoke of cacao nibs and how they were rich in anti-oxidants, iron and magnesium. Also high in vitamins and fiber, these seemed like the perfect addition to my diet. I purchased the Cacao Nibs sweetened with organic cane juice because I wanted my nibs to be on the sweeter side. The taste can be likened to a very dark chocolate that has a crunchy texture somewhat like Grape Nuts.
My favorite way to enjoy these is with a 100 calorie pack of Chobani Greek Yogurt and fresh raspberries. The cacao nibs give these just the right amount texture and chocolate flavor that I love. This really feels like a treat, rather than a healthy breakfast or snack. I have also enjoyed cacao nibs in yogurt, oatmeal and my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I do caution to watching the amount of these nibs you use per serving. I generally add about 2 tablespoons to my yogurt which is 75 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of fiber and 1.5 grams of protein. Here are some pics of my fave snack:
As a quick update, I breezed through my first bag of Cacao Nibs and saw that you can find these on Amazon as an add-on item here. The cost is $3.59 (WAY cheaper than what I paid at PCC) and if you are an Amazon prime member and order more than $25, shipping is free!
Enjoy!
Catherine
I love a good deal and I am no different when it comes to makeup. In many cases I feel that makeup products you find at the drugstore are equivalent (and sometimes even better) to department store brands.
I have had my Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette which retails for $27 for for a while now. I use it regularly and have been really happy with it. Great pigmentation, super smooth application and the colors are very rich. However, since I am always on a hunt for a great dupe, when I saw the NYX Naturals Eyeshadow Palette on Nordstrom.com for $7, I decided to order it. Here are some images and comparisons of the two palettes:
Below are swatches of the NYX Naturals Palette. I swatched the four colors from darkest up to the more peachy color. I ran my fingers at the exact same pressure as the Urban Decay paletete.
I am a highlighter junkie. One Sunday morning I was perusing the newspaper and saw a circular for Ulta that featured their new Naked Skin Urban Decay Naked Highlighter which retails for $29. I simply couldn’t resist so I decided to purchase.
A few days later my package arrived and I tore into it. Immediately I noticed a pronounced shimmer-very fine glitter. Some highlighters contain glitter however I prefer a sheer, glowing look and was a little scared off, at first. Here is an image of the product packaging:
The Pretty:
– Packaging is very nice
– Finely milled powder is very good quality and goes on smoothly
– The product has the effect of a loose, shimmery powder that is generally found in a loose formula so this
one is good for traveling.
– The swatch reminds me of a slightly lighter MAC’s Soft & Gentle. If you are a fan of Soft &
Gentle, chances are you will like this.
The Not-So Pretty:
– There is glitter. Although there isn’t a strong presence of glitter it is there and I did find some when using on my face. So if this scares you off, you may want to stay away.
– Excellent for travel as there is no chance of having this explode like a loose powder
I am going to keep this item because the color is pretty and I will use it when I want a little extra glow from my highlighter. However on a daily basis, I am going to stick with one of my staple highlighters for daily use which are MAC’s Lightscape or Benefit’s Hight Beam which both offer an excellent glow without any shimmer.
Here are some images of my favorite celebrity looks that have definitely utilized the “magic” of highlighter. See more on Glaamspot!
I am a certified mascara junkie and I am not a snob about it at all. Everything from YSL to Wet & Wild, you can bet I have tried it. With all my mascaras, I have to say that my tried and true HG mascara is the Buxom Lash Mascara.
There are other Buxom mascaras, however my favorite is the basic one shown here:
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| The Buxom Brush |
The PRETTY about this mascara:
- Lengthens like crazy
- Provides awesome volume without looking fake
- No clumping
- Awesome brush allows even application and separation
- This mascara works well from the first application to the last dispensing the perfect amount. You don’t need to wait for it to dry out a bit or worry about too much product getting on the brush.
- Although not super pricey, this mascara does cost $19 which is still a lot in my opinion.
- You can only buy this mascara at Sephora, which can be a bummer.
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| Photos provided by Glaamspot |
Several mascaras I have tried out recently…
