Dry shampoo

Washing your hair everyday is not good for your hair. It gets stripped of it's natural oils and it will get damaged more quickly, especially if you blowdry and/or use heat styling tools often. I always knew this, but with my super-straight fine hair I was a grease ball on the days I didn't wash my hair. My days were divided into Hair Wash Day and Ponytail Day. Then I discovered Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo ($19 for 2.5 oz, $11 for 1 oz). My mom tells me dry shampoos were around in the 70's, but it seems like such a modern invention. A little bit of this on oily spots makes it possible for me to wash my hair every 2 days. I know some people think that's gross, but whatever--my hair is healthier since I have washed it less. This stuff also makes my hair easier to style and it feels thicker. I actually have better hair on days I don't wash my hair because I use this. No more Ponytail Day. But there's more: It makes my dark roots less noticeable when I am in need of a highlight touch-up. Because of this, I don't know if the white powder would look funny on darker hair, but it seems like it would blend in well. I tried the Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray ($21 for 3.2 oz) because I thought it would be more convenient and less messy (powder does end up on your clothes occasionally--the only drawback to the non-spray powder), but it just doesn't absorb as much oil or cover up my roots well (so maybe it's a good option for brunettes). And I ran out of the spray really fast somehow. So, when it came time for a refill, I went back to the original powder. I don't take any trips without this stuff and I am tempted to buy the cute 1 oz bottle to keep in my purse. This stuff is amazing!

I love you, Shu Uemura!

So I finally did it. I paid $19 for the Shu Uemura eyelash curler. So worth it! I know that is a ridiculous amount to spend on an eyelash curler, but hear me out. I had read that this eyelash curler was the best in countless magazines, but I refused to believe that there was any one eyelash curler that worked better than others. It either curls or it doesn't, right? Well, I had a lot of money in Sephora gift cards from Christmas to spend (woo!), so my curiosity got the better of me and I bought it. This thing is the queen of eyelash curlers. It is super wide, so it gets all your eyelashes. It has a super strong pad so you can safely squeeze your eyelashes hard enough to get a good curl. I have really straight eyelashes and after a few pinches at the tip, middle, and base of my lashes (which you should do with any eyelash curler to get the best curl), it looked like I was born with perfectly curled eyelashes. So, if you use an eyelash curler, bite the bullet and buy this!

Bare Escentuals: What I think

Here we go. I'm sure you have seen it in an infommercial or at makeup sotres or online or....basically anywhere. I was so not into the mineral powder foundation thing because I just culd not conceive of powder foundation. I thought it would look old lady-ish. But I was curious. Then my mom had a bunch of Bare Escentuals stuff that was the wrong color for her, so it was the perfect chance for me to give it a go. So I tried the whole "swirl, tap, and buff" thing with the mineral foundation in fairly light and brushed it all over my face. It really did look flawless. My skin tone is uneven in random places (i.e., a reddish area on my left cheek and chin and freckles on my nose) and it covered that all up, which my liquid foundation did well enough, but the mineral foundation looked more natural. I soon bought the handy buki brush which is just like the kabuki brush but with a longer handle and it gives more coverage than the flawless face brush (although that is great for the mineral veil, which is just like a finishing touch after you are done putting everything on). I know all the different brushes and different kind of minerals can be overwhelming, but once you figure out what you actually need and will use, it's so easy and it makes my makeup routine take a little less time. Not that I was complaining about how long it took; I actually really enjoy putting my makeup on every day. Basically, the most important things to get are: The bare minerals foundation, the handy buki brush, the concealer brush, and the bisque (I like the SPF 20 summer bisque--bique is basically a spot concealer for under eyes and blemishes, but it supposedly does lots of stuff). Nice finishing touches are: Mineral veil (I like the tinted one, but the most popular one is the translucent powder) and eyeshadows and the amazing BUXOM lip glosses (they smell like cake, but feel minty on your lips--yummm!). Oh my gosh, there is so much to tell about! Just get the starter kit for $60 and the bisque (doesn't come with the kit) and you can see for yourself what you like. I don't need to tell you how much I love it. The fact that it is the longest I, the product slut, have stayed with the same foundation should tell you how amazing it is. Good luck!

Coolest Necklace Ever

I loved this necklace so much that I ordered it for a Christmas present to myself. It saw it in a couple magazines and it was a bit hard to locate, but I finally found it on www.nordstrom.com. I love that it is only $50 and it is by an extremely well-known designer, so that I can feel just a little posh. Ready for the best part? Inside the already-cool gold ball at the end is Missoni's great-smelling solid perfume. It is the most functional piece of jewelry I own. All the charms are a little bigger than I expected, but I love big chunky jewelry, especially on long necklaces, so I'm fine with that! I highly recommend it and--if you are less selfish than me--it would make a perfect gift!

I may have found the best mascara

I, like many other women, am always hunting for the perfect mascara. I have tried Benefit's BADGal Lash (loved the fat brush, but it flaked a bit), Too Faced Lash Injection (had the big brush of BADgal, but didn't flake, so it was my favorite for a while), Lancome DEFINICILS (good, but required many coats and didn't do what trusty Maybelline Great Lash can't do), and countless Maybelline and Loreal brands. I may have finally found a near-perfect mascara--and it's Cover Girl! That's right, Cover Girl Lash Blast, in it's ginormous orange tube is my new favorite. It has those amazing little rubber bristles, and a lot of them. If you are scared by the little rubber bristles, don't be. Just try them and see if you can make it clump. Just try it. Yes, the giant tube and brush were a bit awkward at first, but once you get used to it, your lashes look long and fat! I have the wimpiest lashes around (they look non-existent without mascara) and Lash Blast made them look fake! Ok, maybe not fake, but pretty frickin close! And you can't beat the price! A close second? Cover Girl Lash Exact. If you want your mascara to not move even if you pour water on your face, then get the waterproof formula. That stuff sticks. The only thing about the mascaras with little amazing rubber bristles is that they seem to dry out faster. But with that price, who cares? So, those are my favorites...for now.