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cathubbard@hotmail.com
I recently went on vacation and somehow lost my beloved eye makeup remover. This is a product that I use multiple times daily – after showers, at night, and for countless touchups throughout the day. I have tried numerous brands – high to low. I have always used a liquid formula and my current favorite is the WalkMart Equate Oil-Free Liquid Eye Makeup Remover.
The claim is that this is the generic equivalent to the Neutrogena Oil Free Liquid Eye Makeup Remover. After using numerous bottles of the Neutrogena brand I decided to try the generic brand and actually found I liked it way better. I also have to add that the Equate brand is $3.97 for a 5.5 oz. bottle. The Neutrogena brand is $5.97 for the same amount. Neither are very expensive, but I truly do prefer the Equate brand. Here are my thoughts about Equate:
THE PRETTY: It works, minimal lash loss (if ever), no harsh smell, inexpensive, the bottle lasts a long time.
THE UGLY: When traveling can be messy.
THE VERDICT: This is my HG eye makeup remover. I will gladly spend my money on other high end products.
I was about to purchase my beloved Equate when I came across a new product by Neutrogena called the New Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover Lotion. The cost for this is $6.97 for 3 fl. oz. A bit more expensive than the liquid version, however as I am getting older and I am constantly trying to find ways to keep the fine lines around my eyes at bay, I really liked the idea of a moisturizing lotion to take my eye makeup off. I decided to purchase this and wanted to share my review of what I liked, didn’t like and whether or not I would repurchase.
THE PRETTY: I really like that this came in lotion form, I did find this product to be moisturizing and this did do a pretty good job of taking off my eye makeup. I also liked that this form of remover would likely be much less messy when traveling since it is a lotion and for some reason my liquids can sometimes tend to leak. The scent is an extremely light, fresh and barely there which was nice.
THE UGLY: I felt like I had to use a lot of this lotion to get a full eye makeup removal. Although my skin felt soft after removing, I also felt that I was wiping and tugging at my eyes, which is NOT a good thing. I also used this for some touch ups during the day which was messy and goopy. With the liquid form, I simply stick a q-tip in the bottle and dab up any smudges. With the lotion, I felt like it was getting everywhere. I also lost a couple of eyelashes when using – this could be a complete coincidence, but I love my lashes and hate when they shed.
THE VERDICT: The Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover Lotion is a pretty good remover. I will keep this for travel and when I am in a pinch. If you do like lotion eye makeup remover please give this a shot as this was not a bad product by any means, just not my choice for removing eye makeup.
Hopefully this helps in the event you were in the market for a new eye makeup remover or if you were wondering about this new Neutrogena product.
All the best,
Catherine
I love pretty, pink lipsticks. They are girlie and remind me of my Barbie dolls growing up. I remember one of my first lipsticks I began wearing in middle school was called Zinc Pink. It was an ultra nude, ultra frosty Revlon shade that my girlfriends and I wore incessantly. The look was so 80’s and so not good. Ah, live and learn…
I recently became obsessed with these princess pink shades of lipstick. I like to put a sheer, mauve colored gloss over them to achieve a shiny, feminine look. Two of my favorite lipsticks of the moment are YSL #7 in Lingerie Pink and NYX #595 in Strawberry Milk. The price difference between the two is quite shocking – the YSL can be found at department stores and Sephora for $34.00, whereas you can pick up a tube of NYX for $3.99 at your drugstore or Ulta. From a quality perspective, they are relatively equal. I do feel that the YSL lipstick is a bit more moisturizing and YSL packaging is second to none. That said, you could save $30 and pick up a NYX tube and be perfectly content in my opinion.
As you can see from the swatches below, the two colors are nearly identical. If you are looking for a pretty pink lipstick you can’t go wrong with either of these pretty shades.
Here are some celebrities featured on Glaamspot sporting some beautiful princess pink lips:
I am always searching for dinner items that my boys will eat while satisfying my husband and I. These Skinny Sloppy Joe’s with Skinny White Cheddar Sauce are dynamite and a perfect weeknight menu item and they are “skinny”.
In order to lighten these up I used lean ground turkey and the cheese sauce has a roux base with skim milk so there is no cream. You can use any kind of bun you like, or if you are going low-carb skip the bun all together. For these pictured I used a bag of Kings Hawaiian Rolls. I love the soft texture and sweet flavor of the buns combined with the tangy meat and creamy cheese sauce.
These are a delicious treat not only for a busy weeknight, but at potlucks or when you are watching a game. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family and I do. One quick side note, I actually read a tip on AllRecipes where a reader stated that if you fill the cups in a muffin tin with the leftovers and freeze. When frozen just pop them out and store in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Each one is the perfect size for a bun and ready to microwave at a seconds notice.
All the best,
Catherine
Skinny Sloppy Joes with Skinny White Cheddar Sauce
Ingredients
For the meat mixture:
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 c. water
1 t. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 t. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. tomato paste
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 bag Kings Hawaiian Buns
For the cheese sauce:
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/2 to 3/4 c. skim milk at room temperature (to desired thickness)
3/4 c. white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat to medium high. Add ground turkey and cook until brown. Drain any fat and discard.
Add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until they begin to get soft. Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Taste and salt & pepper to your hearts desire.
For the cheese sauce, take a small saucepan and heat butter on medium heat. Once heated, add flour and cook for a few minutes. Once butter and flour have combined, whisk in the milk in a slow, steady drizzle. Add cheese, cayenne and dry mustard and whisk together. Turn heat to low and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Gently warm your rolls and top them with a healthy portion of turkey mixture and cheese sauce. So good, so yummy, so easy!
Let’s face it, when we are trying to be healthy it can be a difficult balance so I do indulge in the protein bar/snack bar on a fairly regular basis. I know that eating whole foods – fruits and veggies is best, but being a mom, working and blogging I just don’t have the discipline to always have fruits and veggies with me. Plus, truth be told, sometimes I just don’t feel like eating a fruit or a veggie and want something with some chocolate in it!
A few things I look for in my bars is that it be tasty , healthy, have a decent amount of fiber, some protein (the more, the better) and be under or right around 200 calories. So here are my favorites:
1. Kind Bars: These bars are all natural, gluten free, wheat free and have a low glycemic index. While all flavors are tasty, my absolute favorites are:
Dark Chocolate and Cherry with Cashews + Protein: 180 calories, 9 g. fat, 4 g. protein, 22 g. carbs and 3 g. fiber
Almond and Coconut (if you aren’t a coconut lover, you will HATE these): 190 calories, 14 g. fat, 4 g. protein, 14 g. carbs and 4 g. fiber
2. Cliff Bar Kidz: These are as the name implies designed for kids, but I love the brownie flavor and so do my boys.
Chocolate Brownie: 120 calories, 3 g. fat, 3 g. protein, 22 g. carbs and 3 g. fiber
3. thinkThin Bites 100 Calorie Bars: These are the perfect little snack when you are trying to lose weight and are craving something sweet to hold you over. Sugar and gluten free, these are the perfect little bar to keep in your desk drawer or purse.
Toffee Nut: 100 calories, 4 g. fat, 6 g. protein, 12 g. carbs and 1 g. fiber
4. Lara Bar: This bar is all natural and when I am trying to eat clean this one is my go to. Unlike the other bars, the ingredient list on this one is minimal. My favorite flavor, peanut butter & chocolate chip only has 4 ingredients – dates, peanuts, chocolate chips (ok, there is more ingredient in here) and salt. The taste is delicious, although not like a peanut butter and chocolate cookie you will be extremely satisfied after eating this one.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip: 230 calories, 12 g. fat, 5 g. protein, 26 g. carbs and 4 g. fiber
I hope you enjoy this, please share your favorites with me – I am always on the hunt for something yummy!
Take care!
Catherine
I have an unhealthy obsession with nude-pink lipsticks. I have so many from different brands that resemble one another, however my favorite without question is Tom Ford’s Spanish Pink.
I stumbled upon this color by total accident. I was racing through Nordstrom and was sidetracked by the gorgeous display of Tom Ford lipsticks. I swatched several shades but was instantly enchanted with Spanish Pink. I told the gal at the makeup counter I would take it and proceeded to fork over my credit card. I didn’t think to ask the price but was expecting to spend anywhere from $25 to $35. Imagine my shock when, with tax the total came to $54 and change. OMG, I was stunned, but rather than part with this stick of pink perfection I paid and went on my way.
Truth be told if I knew the cost I am not certain I would have made the purchase. I mean $49 before tax is outrageous for a lipstick. However, since I do have it I must admit that I really love it. The color is creamy, opaque and the perfect shade of pink. This stuff is also super moisturizing. My lips tend to flake quite a bit and get very dry and I have no bleeding or feathering with this stuff. Yes, for this much I do expect perfection and I will say this stuff definitely delivers, but I have been looking for a dupe and until recently I was not able to find one.
Fast forward several months later…I am in Wal-Mart and come across the Milani lipstick in #26, Nude Creme. This is almost an exact color match for the Tom Ford Spanish Pink. In terms of creaminess and opaqueness they are a replica. As much as I love my Spanish Pink now that I have a great dupe and can save myself close to $50 I am going to stick with my Milani Nude Creme.
I recently posted some fabulous looks featuring women wearing this nude-pink lip on Glaamspot. Here are some of my favorite celebrity makeup looks featuring this lip:
