Monday, February 15, 2010

Product Review: Neutrogena® Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes

(image source: neutrogena.com)

The description at neutrogena.com says: Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes effectively dissolve all traces of dirt, oil and make-up--even waterproof mascara--for clean, fresh skin in one easy step.


These gentle, ultra soft cloths contain superior cleansing technology so effective it removes even waterproof mascara. With one step, it leaves skin thoroughly clean with no heavy residue, so there's no need to rinse. And it's gentle enough to use around the sensitive eye area, even for contact lens wearers.

Make your skin make-up free the easy way.

My review: I absolutely love this product. I have tried a lot of cleansers but I have never really felt like they have removed my make-up. I don't remember where I first read about this product but after seeing them in the store, I decided to give them a try.

These towelettes do exactly what they claim. They remove all of my make-up including waterproof mascara. I don't wake up the next morning with black circles from the left over mascara.

I also love that they are very gentle. My face used to get very red after washing. This was a problem if I was trying to wash my face in order to change my make-up. With these towelettes, I can reapply make-up immediately. My skin is very sensitive and it has not felt dry and itchy at all with these.

Finally, my skin has been incredibly clear lately. I have been able to wear my liquid foundation (which usually makes me break out). I have been using this product for about a month now (each package contains 25 towelettes) and my skin looks great. I would definitely recommend this product.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Nail Polish Review: Essie's Tart Deco

I decided to buy this polish after seeing reviews on many of my favorite blogs. This is unlike any color I have and I decided to give it a shot. I bought this and another color Saturday night and painted just my pinky with this color to decide which one to use. It went on so nicely and was such a great color that I painted all my nails this color the next day. I used a top coat which apparently was a mistake. When I woke up Monday morning, all my nails (except my pinky) had turned orange. The nice pinkish coral color had transformed into neon orange. I promptly took off the polish (but not before taking a picture). Here is a not-so-great picture:

It is kind of difficult to see but the pinky is more of a pink color and the rest are orange.

I decided to give this color another try this weekend without a top coat. The results were much better this time but I'm still not completely sold. I do like the color. The best way I can describe it is the color of an orange candy heart. I wish it had more of a pink undertone than it does.
                                
(This is a true representation of the color)


(This is what I wanted it to be like)

The formula has also been inconsistent. When I painted my pinky, I was in love. It went on smoothly and only required two coats. When I painted them yesterday, it went on quite streaky and required 3-4 coats in order to look smooth.

I still like the color and will use it again. However, it has not earned the titile of Nail Polish Love. Has anyone else tried this color? What were your results?

No exuse

I don't have any good excuses for not blogging earlier. Well, maybe that isn't true. After I typed that, I remembered that report cards and IEP progress notes were due this week, my husband left to go to a school for a month, and I got sucked in by this book:
(image source: amazon.com)

This one was just as good as Sloppy Firsts. I bought this on a Saturday and had it finished by 8:30 Sunday night. I became even more intrigued by these books when I realized that Jessica Darling was the same age as me. I made this connection when she described 9/11 happening in the fall of her senior year. Her story was just like mine. She had decided to go to Columbia University when suddenly our country was attacked. I couldn't believe it as I read this. I was actually scheduled to go visit a college on Long Island the week after 9/11. The trip was obviously cancelled and my world was shaken. Her story continued to parallel my life throughout the book. I can't wait to buy the third book today.

On another note, I have decided to buy a Kindle. After I finished Second Helpings, I found myself wishing that I could instantly download the next book. I think I have convinced Dave that I need one so I think that will be my Valentine's Day present. I did a little research and I think I have decided on the Kindle over other e-readers. If you have a Kindle or another e-reader, let me know how you like it. What are the pros and cons of the one you have?

Monday, January 25, 2010

Book Review: Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty



With the month of January almost over, I have finished my first book of the year. I was given a Borders gift card for Christmas. Usually I spend those immediately, but I held off in order to make an informed purchase. As I stated in a previous entry, I have quite a few books that I need to read. For some reason, I just have not been motivated to read them. Anyway, I finally spent my gift card two weekends ago. I decided to buy Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Both of those books were on my TBR list.
I decided to read Sloppy Firsts first. I wanted a light-hearted read to ease me into the goal of reading 25 books this year. This book was a great choice. There was a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it. When it was over I literally yelled “What? It’s Over?” out loud. If it hadn’t been 8:00 on a Monday night, I would have gotten in the car and driven to the bookstore (which is 30 minutes away).

Sloppy Firsts is about sixteen year old Jessica Darling whose best friend, Hope, has just moved away. Jessica has trouble relating to her “friends” aptly nicknamed the Clueless Crew. Jessica struggles to decide if it is better to have acceptance and be unhappy or express herself and lose acceptance. She finds an unlikely ally in Marcus Flutie, a socially unacceptable druggie.

It is easy to say that I loved this book. It was not an extremely deep, thought provoking book. However, I could totally relate the Jessica’s internal struggles. I found myself thinking about my own teenage years and wishing this book had been around then. I asked myself many of the same questions that Jessica asked and had many similar experiences. I think almost any female that has lived through high school could relate to this book. If you are looking for a light, feel good read, be sure to pick this book up.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Trouble Focusing

I am having a very difficult time focusing lately. I am terrified that it is my anxiety coming back to haunt me. It has been at least 5 years since I was on any sort of medication for anxiety and I would like to keep it that way. However, I am finding myself worrying about little things lately. As I said before, I really don't want to go back on medicine. That feels like admitting defeat. I am hoping to combat it through things like yoga. If anyone has other suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Now on to what led me to post this in the first place. It is now the 17th day of 2010 and I have yet to truly start working on my goals. I am eating better but I still have to start exercising. The one I am really struggling with is the reading. I have started two or three books that I am having a hard time sticking with. The thing is, I was really excited to get these books. Now that I have them, I can't seem to focus for more than a couple of pages. I need to commit myself to reading these which means I need to start turning my computer off and get reading. Here are the three new books that I am excited to read:



(Image source: borders.com)

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty



(Image source: borders.com)
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman



(Image source: borders.com)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I am starting with Sloppy Firsts because I've heard it is a nice light read. 24 starts tonight so I'm not sure how much reading I will get done. However, I have tomorrow off so I plan on doing as much reading as possible then. Hopefully I'll be able to focus.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Nail Polish Love: Sephora by OPI Too Good for Him

On New Year's Eve I decided to drive an hour to the mall that has Sephora and Forever 21. Forever 21 was a complete disaster. I have seen some really cute stuff from there but I can not handle digging through the piles of clothes to find the cute stuff.

After fleeing from Forever 21, I booked it to Sephora in search of Nars Orgasm blush and a fun nail polish to wear that night. Sadly, they were completely sold out of the blush so I went for my trusty Smashbox Soft Lights in Prism. I also happened to find a perfect nail polish for the night. I give you Too Good for Him:



Here it is shown by itself. This is how I wore it that night. I don't usually wear glitters alone but I really liked this look. This isn't the best picture but the polish is a pinkish purple, blue, and silver glitter.

A couple of days later I decided to try it over another polish. A couple of months ago I purchased OPI's Pamplona Purple. I really like the color but it seemed better suited for spring/summer. However, Too Good for Him toned it down perfectly. I LOVED this combination. It even got a few compliments at work on Monday.



Sorry about the poor quality of pictures. I really need to find a better location wtih good lighting to take them.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Goals for 2010

Sorry for the delay in posting my goals. The first five days of this new year have been insane. I will leave that recap for another day. Without further ado, he are my goals for 2010.

1. Read 25 books for fun- I love to read. This summer I spent a small fortune on books because I read them within a day a two. Unfortunately, I have not done much reading since September. Once school starts it is difficult for me to do much more than collapse on the couch when I get home. Lately, I find myself reaching for my computer and mindlessly playing on the internet for hours. Not good. I joined a book club that meets once a month so it should not be too difficult to meet my goal. If I read the book club book and at least one other book a month I will be set.


2.Lose enough weight/inches to fit into my size 4 pants again- This is a simple goal. My dress pants don't fit. That's a problem when you have to dress up every day. I have 4 pair that are big enough but that doesn't give me much variety. I don't have much weight to lose. In fact, when I went to the doctor today the scale said I had already lost 3 lbs. since last time. Now I just need to keep this up.

3. Create and Start a 101 in 1001 list-I have seen this done on a few blogs and I think it's a great idea. I originally wanted that done by January 1 but I just couldn't think of enough. Stay tuned for this one.

4.Do at least 30 minutes of housework each night after work- I hate to admit this but my house is often very messy. Between my husband and dog, it is a never ending battle. The bigger problem, however, is my motivation (see #1). I think I can realistically commit myself to 30 minutes of housework and still have time for relaxation. I am hoping this will result in a much tidier house.

5. Reconnect with 2 old friends- I will not go into details but there are two friends I have lost touch with that I really miss. They are great friends and I primarily blame myself for the distance that has developed. This is actually the most important goal for this year. Friendships are very important to me. With my two best friends on the other side of the country, I really need to work on my friendships here.

So there you have it, my goals for 2010. I think all of my goals are realistic and I look forward to accomplishing them.

(Stay tuned for another nail polish review. I've found another color that I'm in love with)