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I Want to Be Eve Myles or How Leonor Greyl is Keeping My Hair Fab, Despite What I Do To It

I have decided I want to take time off from being a red head. Don't get me wrong, I love my red hair. It partially defines who I am. However, I want to try something different and have decided to go really dark brown. Think Eve Myles from Torchwood.


Except there is a problem. My hair (when I started) was a really light, bright red. For those of you who don't know much about how hair color works, you can't take warmth out of your hair (the red) without adding ash (a cool tone). Here is the problem. Adding ash to really warm, light colored hair can sometimes make it go battleship gray. And while I do like Stacy's sparkle-y gray streak on What Not To Wear, it's not for me. My point is, it is a process, trying to get my hair from fire engine red to really dark brown.

Excessive coloring can strip the moisture out of hair and damage the hair cuticle itself. And while my hair is short, I still want it to look healthy and vibrant, not dull and harsh. To keep my hair looking it's best while I continue to dye it darker and ashy-er, a few products from Leonor Greyl have been saving my locks.



Masque A L'Orchidee' by Leonor Greyl has been my go-to hair masque for deep conditioning treaments in-between all of my frequent coloring. This conditioning mask is formulated with plant lipids that strengthen the hair, film-forming silk proteins for unparalleled shine and botanical oils to increase hair flexibility.





The rock star in my hair arsenal to keep my tresses singing is no doubt the Huile De Palme, an oil you apply before you shampoo to really give hair a serious moisture and shine boost. It smells fantastic, too. I have actually been sleeping in this, to get the most out of the treatment. For a decadent experience, apply the oil (or the masque) to your damp hair, microwave a damp towel for about 30 seconds and wrap the steaming hot towel around your hair. This will make your locks drink in the Huile De Palme and leave you with amazing hair.

While I am still working on achieving that Eve Myles color, my hair looks amazing, despite the fact I have colored it three times in as many weeks!

I love it. Check it out!




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Glamping Day Four: The Bear

On our last day in Gatlinburg, I was awoken by Abz yelling, "OMG! A bear got into our trash! It's everywhere!" Like any good sleuth, I immediately put on shoes and ran outside to the scene of the crime. It was there that my father-in-law and I, he in his robe, discovered that our large protective trash bin had been carried from one end of the porch to the other. (These are claw holes from where the bear grabbed the bin.)



Our house happened to have a wrap around porch that went almost the entire distance around the cabin. You could only exit from the one side. The bin had been carried past several chairs that did not give a wide berth, a grill and my wet clothes from Zorbing.

The bear then apparently shook the large bin until the metal piece that kept it closed fell off. The doors then opened, the trash cans fell and the bear dragged the trash bags into the woods. It was everywhere. However, the bear kindly did not disturb the chairs, grill or my wet clothes, which was really nice, all things considered.


Everywhere we went in Tennessee, I saw the same message. Garbage Kills Bears. Being an animal lover and certainly NOT wanting to kill bears, I decided to pick up the garbage. While my mother-in-law later pointed out I didn't need to clean it up (??), I couldn't fathom leaving the trash there.


Picking up the stuff on the driveway was easy. Climbing down the muddy, steep hill in my MBT shoes and a skirt was a different matter. Not wanting to negligently kill a bear, I risked falling in mud to pick up gross leftovers. I continued to brace myself (which always yields a 50/50 chance of falling) on branches and rocks down the short incline to the tree line to retrieve the trash. (It is steeper than it looks here. Trust.)


When I made it to the tree line, I stood up and took a breath, looking back over my shoulder at all of the trash I had cleaned. Feeling proud, I looked down the mountain and then up at the clear blue sky. I was filled with pride from my good deed.



In the next breath, I heard the loud crackle that is only accomplished when something very large and very heavy moves in the woods. Instantly knowing the bear hadn't yet left the very trash I was collecting, I did what any good non-bear killer would do. I hiked my skirt up to my hoo-haa so my legs could take wide steps up the steep hill and I ran like nobody's business back into the house.

I would like to point out a few things:

1. I carried the collected trash with me and left it in the drive way.
2. I pulled my skirt down before running into house, where I almost smacked into my father-in-law, who looked perplexed as to why I was running.

I then hurried around telling everyone what happened. Loxy's bro and sister-in-law actually went outside looking for the bear. Don't ask, I don't know what they would have done if they found it. Perhaps just photographed it, I suppose. Loxy himself saw the bear from an upstairs window, but I was the only one with a close encounter of the bear kind.

What does this have to do with makeup?

After my encounter, I was visibly shaken and looked a little "off". Not wanting to go to breakfast at "Little House of Pancakes" looking disturbed, I turned to my new favorite trick to make your eyes look naturally amazing.I used Mally's Lash Illusion Liner under my eye, just along the base of my lower lashes. Then I lined the inner corner of my upper lash line with the same liner. Here is the key. I used Tarte's Rest Assured pencil on the inside rim of my lower eyelid. Then use the Rest Assured just under the line I already created under my lower lash line with the Mally pencil. I finished off my eye with the creamy shimmer part of Rest Assured just dotted and smoothed out in the inner corner. This makes your eyes pop while looking refreshed, without looking like you are wearing any makeup!

What are your tricks for looking great, despite being almost chased by a bear? (or anything like that!)


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Glamping Day Three: The Hike

As mentioned, I don't like outside. I like inside. Where there is air conditioning, snacks, my dogs and television. However, my super active brother- and sister-in-law joined us and wanted to "see the Park". I understand this as a reasonable thing to do, but I had yet to make good use of the screening room in the lower level of our swanky house.

Resolved to being outdoors all day, I needed to up my SPF game. I am in the middle of fading some serious melasma (brown splotches from sun damage) on my face and I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible. The products I am using to erase my sun damage are finally working, so I don't want to risk a thing.


I was told we would be hiking up a portion of a mountain, to a waterfall and then back down. The beauty of this is (sadly) lost on me, but I used it as an opportunity to seriously test out some products. My products would have to withstand the sun, sweat and brow wiping for an extended period of time.

Here is what was on tap for my hike:

Jan Marini AntiOxidant SPF 30
Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer
Tarte Eco Cheek Natural Cheek Stain
Tarte Four Day Stay Lash Tint
Tarte 24/7 Lip SPF
Frederic Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Zero Humidity Frizz Control

Halfway up the hill, we found this sign, which made us laugh at my mother-in-law, who was panicking and constantly asking us to practically walk on the side of the mountain trail that wasn't the edge.


I was laughing so hard at Abz, I accidentally snorted in a fly, only half of which came out of my mouth. Hilarity ensued. Also, it was gross.



We finally reached the small area where the waterfall was located. It was pretty. I don't know about the rest of the country, but in Baltimore, we have railings everywhere to make sure we don't fall off of things. On this park trail, at the waterfall, there were only faded signs asking us to step back. One woman fell three times, on slippery rocks where there was falling water. As klutzy as I am, I took this as my clue to go back down the mountain.



So how did my products fare after hours of sweating in the great outdoors?Jan Marini AntiOxidant Face Protectant kept me looking positively pale. I love this stuff! Plus, it never felt thick or looked white-ish, which is a huge plus in my book. And it's waterproof and sweatproof to boot!


Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer assisted in my SPF goals and truly made my skin look radiant and glowing. I love how fresh my skin looks with this and it held up pretty well, despite the fact it isn't waterproof or sweatproof.

Tarte Eco Cheek Natural Cheek Stain gave me that perfect Evangeline Lily creamy cheek flush I was hoping for. This color is gorgeous, dries down nicely and lasts and lasts. Plus, it is a build-able color, so you are in control of how soft or bright your cheek color can be. It has a nice sheen that isn't too much, but isn't too subtle. Perfect!
Tarte Four Day Stay Lash Stain didn't run or flake. My lashes were not crunchy and didn't look like I was trying too hard, which is a good thing when you are in the wilderness, even if you are glamping.Tarte 24/7 Lip was lovely as ever, its bright color a nice change from my usual no-color lip protection.


Frederic Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Zero Humidity Frizz Control is a complicated product. I spent a lot of time researching a product that used a real sunscreen to protect my locks. Apparently, it's illegal for hair products to list an SPF rating for hair products, so I had to do some real research to find a product that had an actual proven (to my satisfaction) SPF ingredient (in this product, it's Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, which is listed as the fourth ingredient). My hair color did not suffer, but I am not sure I can suggest this product wholeheartedly. While it did protect my hair, it also made it crunchy. My hair protectant quest continues.

Check back tomorrow, for my last day of Glamping, where I met a bear.


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Glamping Day Two: Zorbing in Pigeon Forge

Day Two of my Glamping in Gatlinburg extravaganza was unique. We started the day hoping to go whitewater rafting and when we had called on Wednesday, we were told the river was dam-controlled and Thursdays were a no go. We excitedly called on Friday to schedule our rafting tour. Turns out, Friday was a no go because of the dam as well. When we asked why were weren't told this on Thursday, it was because we didn't ask specifically about Friday. Ugh.

Not off to a great start, I insisted on Zorbing. Why I wanted to do this, I have no earthly idea. Basically, Zorb is the "sport" of rolling down a huge hill in a hamster ball, with or without water. It started in New Zealand and it just so happens that Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is one of the only places you can officially Zorb in the US. I don't like roller coasters and I generally dislike fun (my co-workers will agree, as I have almost never gone to a happy hour in 13 years). But I wanted to Zorb!


I understood from the Zorb website that I would get wet. Really wet. I also knew my family had no plans for me to take the time to retouch my makeup, so I tried to plan a day that would allow me to not look like a train wreck while not getting sunburnt. After Zorbing, we were planning on spending the day at Dollywood, where I had hoped, but doubted, they would have large breast themed attractions. Rides or no rides, I didn't want to look like a drowned rat, so here is what I was banking on to help me maintain some kind of decent appearance:

Tarte Eco Cheek Stain: a gorgeous creamy peach stain.


Jan Marini Skin Research AntiOxidant SPF 30: Waterproof UVA/UVB SPF 30, my new fave sunscreen.



Tarte Lights, Camera Splashes Waterproof mascara: the waterproof version of their amazing mascara.


Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes in Grey 22L: a beautiful gray liner for blue eyes that lets you look glam without looking like you are trying too hard - especially when you are Zorbing in Pigeon Forge.

Once I saw people leaving Zorb, I realized that getting wet wasn't really what was happening. It was more like being put in a washing machine. I left my hope of not being a hot mess in the red van that took us to the top of the hill. I got out of the vehicle, into the ball, and went down the hill.

Two fun facts before you watch the video:

1. If you crank the audio, you can hear me screaming the whole way.
2. My shorts fell down.




After my trip down the hill, how did I fare? My eyeliner was almost gone, my mascara stayed put, and my cheek stain held its own, although slightly worse for the wear. I did reapply my sunscreen, as I am not willing to risk burning my skin for my blog. All in all, I would say Zorbing is the ultimate test for makeup (and the closest thing you can get to actually being put in a washing machine. And while my slightly made-up face held up ok, it didn't matter. This is one of those times my inner beauty took over and out-shined my makeup.


Check back tomorrow for my day of hiking, which fulfilled my outdoorsy quotient for the rest of my life.

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Glamping Day One: Conquering My Fear of Heights

On our first day in Gatlinburg, we discovered that the rivers to go White Water Rafting are dam-controlled and that we could not raft on Thursdays. Determined to find some other kind of outdoorsy thing to do, we opted for the next best thing, Ober Gatlinburg. Ober Gatlinburg is perhaps a German-based "amusement park", best known for its snowflake logo and its tram, which goes to the top of one of the mountains. My sister in-law Abz and I decided to go there because we wanted to Alpine Ski.

In order to prepare for the day, I would need serious sunscreen, eyebrows that lasted all day, some light foundation to even out my skin and some kind of lip protection. Considering my average day includes 23 products, NOT INCLUDING SKIN CARE, this is asking for me to leave out quite a few things I consider essential. But back to Ober Gatlinburg.



In order to Alpine Ski, our goal in going to Ober Gatlinburg, you have to trek fairly high into the mountains. The first leg involves taking a 15 minute tram ride up one part of a mountain. The tram ride itself was terrifying because it:


1. Held too many people.
2. We saw a bear, so
3. Everyone rushed to one side.
4. It goes so high off of the ground.

Once you get to the main section of the park, you then take a ski lift to a higher section of the mountain, in order to dry sled down again. Abz and I considered backing out of this Alpine Ski because it looked like it started at the top of the mountain, which was so high we couldn't really see it. We both realized we were more afraid of heights than we thought. However, we convinced younger sis-in-law, Jojo to go with us. We got in line for the ski lift and then almost chickened out again because:



1. The ski lift was an open car.
2. It went too fast when it started.
3. Your legs dangled a schmillion feet off of the ground.

Once we got on the lift, me by myself and Jojo and Abz in their own car, I defaulted to singing L'cha Dodi, a shabbat song. I had hoped my fearless sisters in-law would join me in voice from the next car and calm my nerves. Alas, they just yelled, "Why aren't you waving back?" My eyes were shut as I sang about the bride of shabbat and hoped this leg of the trip would be over.

When we finally reached the top, hopping off at our stop, we grabbed our Alpine Ski Sled and waited nervously to go down hill. Since we could control the speed, it felt very safe. Indeed, it was. The 8 year old with one arm in a cast went down in the sled next to mine. I could no longer view this as a "challenge of wills". In fact, it was a semi-slow ride down a concrete channel in the side of a mountain. Oh well.



After my terrifying ski lift ride and not so terrifying dry sled down the mountain, how did I look?



My eyebrows stayed in place, despite my furrowed brow and constant sweat wiping, thanks to Tarte's EmphasEYES Brow Pencil. The color looks more natural than the powder I was using, and the tiny pencil strokes looked totally natural, especially when I combed them out with the brush on the other end. My brows are very thin at the ends and this beefed them up without looking fake. This held up all day so, considering it's the one thing I will never leave the house without, yeah brows!


My Jan Marini Antioxidant Waterproof SPF 30 protected my face from the sun all day, which is ultimately the most important thing you can do to stop aging in its tracks. The formula is really light and non-goopy. It has one of the best sunscreens available to combat UVA and UVB rays, Parasol 1789, and it dried quickly to an oil-free matte finish that worked well with my tinted moisturizer. Plus, it's waterproof and perspiration proof. I am not sure I can go back to using any other sunscreen!


The tinted moisturizer I decided to put to the test on this trip was Tarte's Smooth Operator. This tinted moisturizer, provides a 20 SPF (but please don't count on your foundation to protect you!) in a creamy, slightly tinted base. This tinted moisturizer is sheer, but provides a little coverage - I had the Evangeline Lilly radiance I was hoping to achieve. It also stayed on and looked fresh for about 8 hours. Not too shabby for all of that activity.


Finally, I turned to Tarte again for their 24/7 Natural Lip Sheer to protect my lips. The color it added was nice and bright and the SPF 15 protection was great. This isn't glossy, so if you are looking for a glossy balm, this isn't for you. If you are looking for a lightly colored balm to help your lips retain moisture while you're outside, then this is your stick. I wore this all day and it had great staying power and superb lip protection.

Check back tomorrow for one of the coolest things I have ever done (and can't wait to do again!).

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My Vacation : Glampin' with My In-Laws


For my summer vacation this year, Loxy and I took a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with his dad, stepmom, two stepsisters and his brother and sister in-law. Now, before I tell you anything further, I have to tell you how this trip came to be.

My father-in-law turned 60 this year and decided he wanted to do something as a family we wouldn't normally do. Somehow, this turned into camping. While I grew up camping, both in a tent and in a camper, I couldn't fathom that they wanted to CAMP. See, my in-laws aren't camping people. They winter in Florida and take spinning at the Club. They eat out more than they eat in and have Help to manage their lives while they are out and about being busy. They are awesome, but they are not camping people.

When I first heard of this birthday plan, I was horrified. Not because the idea of camping isn't for me (although it's not), but because camping is NOT for Loxy's family.

Thankfully, camping to them means electricity. It also meant a five-thousand square foot house, with a sauna, hot tub and built-in movie theater. We would all have private bathrooms and they would be nice. This trip went from camping to glamour camping or "glamping" in the bat of an eye.




Realizing that my sanity would remain intact, I decided to put my glamping trip to use and see what beauty products could live up to my glamping activities. While we are all admittedly "inside kids" (minus my Israeli Army bro- and sis-in-law, who kayak in Alaska for fun), I decided to stretch my comfort level and venture outside.


So what was on tap for my glamping trip? Zorbing, taking a tram up a huge mountain and dry sledding down the other side, hiking up a mountain to a waterfall, visiting Dollywood and running from a bear. (By the way, you shouldn't run from a bear, you should make yourself look BIG and back away slowly.) But more on all of that later.

My beauty goals? Find products that can hold up to the heat, humidity, sun and sport while keeping me looking as "Evangeline Lilly on Lost" as possible. While I know I don't look like Evangeline on her worst day, I just want to look fresh, cute and naturally gorgeous. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Find out tomorrow what held up and what gave out.


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Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara


I was recently found myself at home on the Fourth of July and got hooked watching Saturday Night Beauty on QVC. The item that brought my to my knees and had me at the door of Sephora at 11:59am Sunday morning was Tarte' Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara. I know, I am late to this party, but better late than never, right? You can watch part of the QVC presentation here, just click the video tab.

This mascara contains some form of rice bran wax, which allegedly makes it puff up and makes your lashes look thicker, longer and even add curl. It is perhaps best known for coming in a faux croc case, which is cute, but I could easily live without. It claims to make your lashes thicker by 430%, which sounds insane. But it looked so good on QVC, I ran out Sunday morning and picked it up.

After trying it out, it is undeniable that my lashes are mucho thicker than without mascara. It doesn't clump, but because it makes my recently less-teensy lashes so thick, it borderlines on looking like false lashes. That said, I think if I used a clean mascara brush and combed it out first, it could look perfect. You don't really need more than one coat and it does make my lashes curl and stay that way all day. It is definitely more expensive than I would normally spend on mascara, but it does work shockingly well. If you want pa-pow lashes that could almost pass for fake, this is the mascara for you.

I really like this! Definitely check this out.

Save 40% off your Tarte purchase when you use checkout code FF09, good only until 8/24/09

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.

Klorane Conditioning Balm

As I previously mentioned, I color my hair a lot. While I keep it really short most of the time (think old school Charlize Theron or Sharon Stone), it still gets damaged and dried out, so I am always on the look out for a shampoo, conditioner and treatment products to help make the most of my stressed out tresses.

I had heard about a new product by Klorane that used pomegranate tannins to help bind the hair color to the hair shaft. I understand how shampoos and products can strip hair color and how you can avoid it, but I have never tried using what gives fruit its acidity a chance at maintaining my hair color. Naturally, I was curious to learn more.

According to Klorane, here is how it works:


KLORANE pomegranate extract:

Since Ancient and Egyptian times, the pomegranate has been the fruit of fertility and good luck par excellence. KLORANE pomegranate extract is rich in tannins and so highly astringent. This gives it the ability to fix color on keratin, so the color lasts even longer.


Proven effectiveness:

These color-fixing properties are reinforced by protective, repairing and nourishing active agents. With its gentle cleaning base, KLORANE Beautifying shampoo with pomegranate extract repairs the hair fiber and keeps hair color radiant for longer.



I tried Klorane's Color-Enhancing Conditioning Balm with Pomegranate Extract. This product added a nice sheen to my hair and gave it some light styling hold and a tiny bit of texture. I used this product on wet hair and let my hair dry. It looked fabulous and saved me oodles of time. This Conditioning Balm definitely helped keep my hair conditioned and soft. It didn't have a strong odor, which I always appreciate. I tried the shampoo and conditioner, which worked fine on my color-treated hair. My hair color did fade slightly, but it always does. It's red. That is just the way it worked. However, the Conditioning Balm earned a place in my styling aid arsenal!


Have you tried Klorane? What did you think?





Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.

Hi. My name is Kelly and I am an addict.

Hi, my name is Kelly and I am a hair color addict. I color my hair every three to four weeks.

I do this at home because otherwise, I would not be able to afford other luxuries, like food. I use a variety of brands, some drugstore and some beauty supply. I really like Garnier and Ion. I have been coloring my own hair since gal-pal Bridget and I discovered Sun In in the 5th grade. I haven't seen my real hair color since the summer before 5th grade. At least, not more than an inch of it at a time. The crazy thing is, I'm not kidding. Bridget will vouch for me.

When Frédéric Fekkai came out with a home hair color kit that had GORGEOUS shades of color, I had to try it. They only rhad one red with a kick to it, and my options for staying red were a bit limited, so I went with the 6R. It reminded me a little of Tori Amos, so it wasn't a hard sell.



Here is why this kit is different. It comes with a pre-treatment to help ensure color adheres evenly. It doesn't use a bottle to mix the color, you use a brush and bowl. It costs $30. This had better be some amazing color for three times what I would normally spend. The colors are a little different from the usual color lines in boxed color at the drugstore, so I guess they had that going for them.




I decided to only use half of the kit now and save half for later. My hair is uber short and doesn't need all five ounces to saturate each strand. Here is the deal: Kids, don't try that at home. Home hair color is like chemistry class and if you don't mix the exact correct proportions, you end up with facacta hair. After I measured out exactly one half of each container, I added them to the bowl and mixed with the brush.

A bit about this bowl, please. It's made of a hardy styrofoam. Bleck. For $30, I would have hoped to keep it or at least use it more than once. Then there is the brush. It's a bit on the flimsy side. This becomes a problem when I am trying to section off my hair and get to the roots. I did like that the brush was not as wide as my normal brush but with such short hair, my hair was too heavy for the brush - if that makes sense. I ended up switching to one of my usual brushes I had waiting in the wings. (I prefer the bowl and brush method over bottles every time and have the collection of them to prove it).

The color had a very strong odor to it, stronger than many boxed colors I have used recently. That wasn't a big deal, though. You leave the color on for a total of 35 minutes (longer than most boxed color) and then rinse and use their conditioner.

The end result? When I first did the color, it came out really nice. It isn't as light as I thought it would be, but I had heard their colors start darker and end slightly lighter, after several washes. Either way, the vibrancy of the color is good. The feel of my hair, however, is really dry. While that is pretty common for me to have some dryness, this is definitely a new level of dryness I need to combat. Thank goodness I had Leonor Greyl Hair Masque on standby to help fight this battle. I also have a bit of gray and that was covered nicely.

After wearing and washing once, some of the original color faded and left me with more of a multi-tonal color, versus the flatter one-toned color I saw after I first colored my hair. I am much happier with it now than I was when I first used the product. In fact as more days go by (and I am constantly amending my original post before publishing it), I might even dare say I love it.

Flash forward to one week later. This specific red is having a really hard time staying put in my hair. After one week, the color has changed dramatically. In fact, the color is now a really faded orange. Part of that could be my hair. I have been testing a shampoo with a gentle sulphate, which could have led to the fast demise. It could be that my hair is so porous, and the red so delicate, the color couldn't permanently attach. That said, I washed my hair 3 times in one week and the color faded to the point where Mr. Lox said, "I think you need to do your hair. When was the last time you did it? It looks a little blah."

The colors available are interesting and slightly different than other colors currently on the box hair color market. The directions for use are slightly different, so be sure to follow the directions and don't go on your previous box hair color experience. For a $30 box of hair color, I am not sure I would use this again, at least, not while I am on makeup spending probation. And while my particular shade of red is really pretty, I have been really happy with my Garnier experiences. I'm not sure this rocked my world enough to warrant switching to a color that was three times as much.

Have you tried it? What do you think?


If you are new to coloring your own hair, or looking for a color you can't find at the drugstore, you may find this kit helpful. I can't suggest the reds - in the end, my color faded dramatically very quickly.



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Glowelle: You Might Find This Addictive.


Everyone wants that radiant glowing-from-within-look. When I recently did makeup for a wedding, the phrase that kept getting repeated was that they wanted to look "lit from within". Who doesn't want to look that way? Poor diet, not enough sleep and a bad day can make that glow start to fade.




However, a group of beauty-conscious women at Nestle's wanted to change that. They wanted to give you a way to obtain beauty though nutrition. So together, they created Glowelle, a drink that would help make you more beautiful from the inside out. They had a really big idea based on a few rules:

1. Create a beverage with natural ingredients. No artificial preservatives, flavors, sweeteners or colors allowed.

2. Include research-backed, skin-beautifying ingredients.

3. Select the best ingredients and test for authenticity, potency and efficacy.

4. Put amounts of these ingredients into the products that have been shown to work.

One serving of the Glowelle mix I tested included only 50 calories and the equivalent of the Selenium found in 2 servings of salmon, the Quercetin found in 25 apples, the Vitamin E found in 108 almonds and the Lutien found in 8 cups of romaine lettuce. This drink is packed with antioxidants - more so than many Berry Drinks found in health food stores. But the big question is: does it work?

I tested Glowelle for a week. I am really lucky to have nice skin to start with, but a friend who recently moved back from Tennessee actually said, "you look like you are glowing", which forced me to run into the kitchen and present Glowelle to her, using my best Vanna-hands. I tested the Pomegrante Lychee flavor. Here's the honest truth. I think this flavor leaves a lot to be desired. It has a very bitter aftertaste. As usual, I like to play, "Hey! I dare you to taste this" with my co-workers and Mr. Lox. Here were their reactions to the Pomegrante/Lychee flavor:




Mr. Lox: "Hey this is really good. Wait. UGH! What is this? It was good. What is happening? Is this real life?"

Jess.I.E: " I touched my tongue to the spoon. I can't do more than that."

Tennesse Lizzie: "I really like this. What is the big deal? It's not that bitter."

Sarah: "Are you crazy? No way am I drinking that."

JoJo: "YUM! I love this. Where can I get it? Are they doing a testing in Baltimore? I'm not kidding, stop laughing at me! I love this! It tastes great!"

I found that either adding a bit of Splenda (which adds artificial chemicals) or adding a bit of Agave syrup changes the taste entirely and I rather like it that way. I have also tested the Raspberry Jasmine flavor and found that it also had a slightly bitter aftertaste. However, it wouldn't stop me from drinking it (especially after a little agave syrup).

After drinking it for 7 days, I did feel noticeably better. I can't really describe it, other than to say I felt lighter and happier. My skin looked really nice. Other women have reported their skin looked younger, more hydrated and brighter. I asked super friend Xina, a holistic natural health practitioner (whose knowledge is really coming in handy lately) what she thought. "I like that there is not a lot of sugar, which is where drinks like this fall apart. There are no chemical flavors which is also a good thing. This contains all good for you antioxidants, I would be interested to check this out."




I work in advertising and I can tell you I have seen many a product where the enthusiasm stops once you pass the first glossy page. From start to finish, these ladies are excited about this product and want to share it with you and it shows. They are confident they have something special. From free tastings, a calendar to mark how Glowelle is working and new ways and recipes to drink it to the really nice packaging, the people that launched this product believe in it.

Glowelle isn't cheap. It's about $40 for a week's supply of the powder mix and $120 for a month's worth. You can also pick up the pre-made drinks, which have double the calories (and cost a little more). While this could be a budget-breaker, everyone I talked with about the product said they would gladly give up their Starbucks habit to have glowing skin. The best part? You can probably check out Glowelle for free at one of their tastings happening everywhere. You can also jump right in and purchase Glowelle at Neimans or online.

In an effort to be a fair judge, since I am always trying new skin care products, I also asked enthusiastic work pal Jojo to try a week of Glowelle. Here are her thoughts:

I was nervous the first time I went to take a sip because I had heard that others didn’t like the taste. But in the name of beauty, I closed my eyes and down the hatch it went! To my pleasant surprise, I not only tolerated the taste, but I really like it. It reminded me of fruit punch with a small bitter finish. Now I was super pumped because I liked the taste and I knew that there were tons of antioxidants in one glass that I wouldn’t normally get in a single day. Every morning for seven says I faithfully had my Glowelle drink with breakfast. I noticed after two days that my skin felt softer. I normally have somewhat dry skin and now it felt more nourished. After four days I felt better all over. I really love Glowelle and what it is doing for my skin and over health. I look forward to my drink with breakfast and will continue to use Glowelle as long as I can afford it. It’s all about prioritizing your spending and trust me, Glowelle should be a priority.

Have you tried it? What did you think?

If you want to look better naturally, check this out!

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Guest Blogger, My Beauty Bunny: Tarte celluFIGHT

The following post is from cruelty-free expert, My Beauty Bunny.

Twilight - Edward Cullen

I’m all for sexy white-skinned vampires (a la Bella and Edward) but we all know dark tans are slimming (and blinding people on the beach with my white thighs is just embarrassing). We also know that roasting in the sun is a quick and easy way to get skin cancer.


Enter Tarte’s celluFIGHT, a why-didn’t-someone-think-of-this-before product, that combines a self-tanner with a skin-firming cream. It’s got clinical research to back up its skin-firming abilities, but like with all cellulite creams, you have to use it continuously to see results. (And remember, if you stop using it, you’re back where you started.)

I like the gradual tan it gave me – I didn’t have to worry about splotches of orange or anything crazy. I usually exfoliate before using this type of product, but even when I didn’t, the color was even and looked completely natural.


I was starting from Edward Cullen-white, so I wasn’t expecting to turn into one of the Real Housewives of Orange County-tan overnight. It gave me a nice, natural glow – exactly what I wanted.

And, the self-tanner smell was there, but it was very light compared to other creams I’ve tried. And, I have a super strong sense of smell.

The price is a bit high ($40.00), but if you consider how much you’d pay to buy BOTH a self-tanner and a cellulite cream, it’s really not that bad.

Overall, a good cruelty-free purchase – I’d recommend it. Tarte has a lot of other good stuff too – they are one of my favorite cruelty-free brands.

jen-small

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Makeup That Didn't Like Me

I love makeup, in case you hadn't noticed. I love to explore its possibilities, find new products that no one knows about and revisit old favorites. But sometimes makeup doesn't love me back. Perhaps what I got was expired, bad mojo or just plain bad. Here are a few recent products that I wanted to fall for, but that didn't want my love.


Too Faced Metal Eyes Eye Liner: I picked up the color Dirt Bag at Sephora and was very excited to try it out. The color was totally unique, the glitter looked amazing and I ready to fall in love with this line I knew nothing about. However, I should have paid attention. When I went to check out, the product wouldn't scan. After getting another scanner-doo-hickey to work, the cash register wouldn't accept my debit card. In the past, that might have been a problem, but I knew I was flush (with at least $20), which would cover the cost of the eyeliner. Debit card accepted, but then the pin pad didn't work. After we changed registers (and many apologies from Sephora) and the purchase was finally mine, I raced to the car to try it on. While looking in the rear view mirror at the awesome color, the eyeliner started to burn my eyelids a little. I figured I was tired and something else had gotten in my eye, so I let it go. The next morning, I used it again and IT REALLY HURT. It hurt so much I had to wash my eyelids (and face) and start again, making me late for work. I think the Universe was trying to tell me something. (Or I have an adverse reaction to something in this liner that isn't in other liners.) I should have paid attention.



Lip Fusion Lip Plumper: I went to Ulta one day to see if rumors were true and that Bare Escentuals Buxom in Sugar was finally available as a single gloss. It wasn't (not at that time, anyway). But the handy sales associate said I should check out an even better lip gloss (better than Buxom Sugar? As if.) and asked me to try Lip Fusions XL Plumper. When I point blank told her she wasn't about to up-sell me from $18 to $50 FOR LIP GLOSS, she dared me to try it. I did. IT REALLY HURT. I wiped it off after about 30 seconds (I wanted to be fair and give it a try) but it still hurt. Honestly, I think it was months before I even looked at another lip plumper and considered cheating on my Buxom again. Lip Fusion lip plumper shall hereby be known as El Diablo in my book. I am all for suffering for beauty and not getting double chocolate chips on my Pink Berry, but I draw the line at Lip Fusion. That said, one of my girlfriends swears by this plumper.


Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara: Everyone seems to love this mascara. In fact, it tested so well in the States that Cover Girl is releasing it in China. I suspect the ladies in Xiangi will have the same problem I had. The brush is so big, it dwarfs the actual size of my lashes. In other words, this brush is so thick, my lashes aren't long enough to handle it. Instead, I get mascara all over the rims of my eyes. For me, it's like trying to put on mascara with a wet mop sponge. Way too big to get the job done. Even with my amazing results from Talika, I still can't use it. Kudos to you if you can, I hear it's great. This mascara was not meant for me.

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