Instead of trapising all over Sephora to replace everything I have started to look towards drugstore brands. I don’t have a problem with drugstore brands. The thing is, I really enjoy going into stores where I can see the make-up, really examine how it works, talk to sales people about their opinions and what would work best for me, perhaps even try it out!

Whenever I’m shopping at Wal-Mart, Rite Aid or CVS I feel like I’m just standing around looking at a wall of make-up with no clue what to try or what will work for me. It’s not fun. Somehow that feeling isn’t with me at Target. I love their Pixi, Sonja Kashuk and Boots lines (more on those another day).

I was immediately drawn to L’Oreal Paris’ Bare Naturale Line. I love the packaging and the brushes each product comes with actually seem to be decent quality. I couldn’t decide which powder product to start with so I took the simple route and picked one of the glosses. It’s called the L’Oreal Paris Bare Naturale Gentle Lip Conditioner in Soft Bloom.

Umm…This shit is totally amazing.

It goes on really smooth and the tint is really light (I actually wished I had chosen a brighter color because on my light pink lips the Soft Bloom was pretty much an exact match). I love how soft it makes my lips and it conditions fantastically well.

What’s more? It’s totally NOT sticky at all. One of my biggest lip gloss pet peeves is stickiness. It just makes my lips feel gross. This one doesn’t at all.

I can feel the results long after it wears off.

The Soft Bloom is also sheer enough that when you kiss someone it won’t show on their lips and they will get softer lips too. Win-win!

I HIGHLY recommend.

I bought mine for $8 something at Target, but you could get yours at Rite Aid this week because all L’Oreal products are Buy 1, Get 1 Free this week, you could get two!

I also bought the L’Oreal Bare Natural Soft-Focus Mineral Finish in Translucent. More on that another time!

First is their Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control Extra Strength Serum. I love this stuff! It works seriously well on keeping my hair smooth and soft. It also smells really good. It was pretty cheap too. Sadly, I don’t remember exactly how much it cost, but whatever it was it was totally worth it. You can get it for $5.44 on Amazon, but I got mine at Target.

Second was Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control Anti-Humidity Hairspray. I recently started working at a pet store and it gets VERY humid there. There are many times during my shifts where I need to clean and move around a lot. My hair is pretty layered currently and needs a little help staying in an updo. This hairspray does the trick. Now, I have to admit I’m not really a believer in hairsprays…I don’t know I suppose they just remind me of my preteen years trying crazy hairdos and hairspraying every single updo until my hair doesn’t move at all. I have all of those visions in my head and they are not appealing.

I willed myself to forget about all those prior experiences and gave hairspray a chance. I am completely in LOVE with this hairspray. It goes on pretty evenly, has a decent smell (for hairspray), holds well and most importantly still allows hair to have a healthy shine, move normally, be touchable. This stuff is awesome. I love it. You can get it for $5.19 on Amazon, again I got mine at Target.

The next one I want to try is the Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Ultra Smoothing Balm. When I do I promise to let you know what I think about it.

Also, I <b>finally</b> realized how to have all of the comments approved. I’m so bad at that stuff. So from now on when you comment they will pop up right away. Hoorah! Technology is wonderous.

I had one from Bath & Body Works. It was some sort of clarifying something. I don’t remember the exact brand or name, but it was awful. I hated the way it smelled and made my face feel. My girlfriend even complained a few times after I used it that my face had a chemical smell. After a few tiny breakouts I knew I needed something different.

I got rid of that one as soon as possible. Once again I found myself at Target and went on the look for something brand new.

I love that Target has new and interesting brands not the same old things that you can get everywhere. I was looking at their more environmentally friendly products when I found something called, Juice Organics: Brightening Cleanser. It sounded perfect! I love all things organic and I am always in for anything skin brightening.

What’s even better? It was on sale for about $8 and came with a free sample of their Brightening Moisturizer.

I have to tell you, this stuff makes my skin feel SO good. They were super sneaky to include that moisturizer too because it’s so light and fresh that I have to have it! It’s perfect on my craptastic oily skin. It cost $19.99 in store, but I have a feeling it’s going to be worth it.

My skin really does look and feel luminous and it even seems to have helped minimize my pores. Love it.

This is another product I think I will keep up on even after my finances improve. Maybe this time having less money is really teaching me something about finding great products on the cheap. They also have a serum that sounds pretty great too.

If brightening isn’t your thing they also have a Nourishing System and a Pomegrante System. They also sell a brightening shampoo and conditioner, but that I’m not so sure about.

Now to the product. With money tight for me and pretty much everyone I’m not able to travel the two hours to Philadelphia and buy my normal shampoos and conditioners. So on a recent trip to Target I decided to pick up a new set to try.

I was immediately drawn to the new Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths collection. I’m currently growing my hair long for the first time in my life and it’s now half-way down my back. I’m still learning how to care for it and anything that will help it stay healthy as it gets longer sounds good to me. Plus, to be perfectly honest I am very susceptible to good advertising and those commercials with the always fabulous Stacy London really piqued my interest.

Further, Pantene is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every bottle to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, a program that creates real hair wigs for women fighting cancer. You can learn more about that at: www.beautifullengths.com.

I have been using this collection for about 2 months now and let me tell you this stuff gives you results! This is the first shampoo I ever used where people have stopped me to ask me what shampoo I am using because my hair just looks so lustrous and shiny.

My girlfriend has even complimented it on numerous occasions and restocked me when I was getting low!

I truly adore this collection and I will actually continue using it even after I’m able to afford the more expensive brands. Heck, money I’m saving on my shampoo and conditioner is money I can save to get that fancy hair straightener. Right?

That’s the way I’m looking at it.

You can pretty much get these at any store, but I got mine at Target for about $3 each.

If that sounds like you, set your sights no further than….

Amazing Grace by Philosophy

I promise you this scent is tops for when you want your significant other to catch a wiff and say, “You smell amazing”. For serious.

I find the best way to achieve overall success with this scent is to go all out. Do not give a little spritz of perfume and hope for the best. This needs to be experienced in layers.

(If you think I am just trying to sell you something please see my disclaimers. I get nada from this. I just care about you and the quality of your scent.)

The no longer sell the set I own now, but they do sell this Amazing Grace Ultimate Fragrance Set so I’ll base this post on that.

Here is what I recommend doing the night of a date*.

1. Start off with the 3 in 1 Body, Hair and bubble bath. Wash your hair and body. Rinse off!
2. If you have it put the Amazing Grace conditioner in your hair and let that sit.
3. Use the Buffing Wash all over your body to get rid of all that dead skin. Rinse off well.
4. Do whatever it is that you do to your face.
5. Rinse conditioner out.
6. Step out of shower. You already smell so nice! Towel off.
7. Once dried off before dressing use the Amazing Grace Firming Lotion on thighs, upper arms and tummy. Use the Body Butter everywhere else.
8. Get dressed and spray just a little of the perfume on neck and wrists.
9. Put the hand cream in your purse for later.

All done! Style hair and dress as usually. Prepare for compliments.

I really love this fragrance. It always makes me feel pretty, feminine and sexy.

* Just fyi I realize this stuff is a bit pricy. I only use this on actually date nights and thus have had my products for over a year now. So it will last you.

After using the Remington for about 4 months I set it on top of my bunny, Penelope’s cage in a basket before going to sleep one night. I guess at some point the cord fell down and Penelope took the opportunity to pull it into her cage and devore it. By morning when it was discovered the cord and thus the straightner were ruined and deemed useless. I threw it away and have been sans a straightner ever since. That was in July. So it has been many months of bad hair days. You already know my dryer situtaion.

So bring in the ghd IV Styler.

Here are the specifications direct from Sephora’s website:

What it is:
A ghd hot pink IV styler and heat-resistant iron pouch with a roll mat and two matching hair clips.

What it does:
Ghd presents the limited-edition ghd hot pink IV styler. The unique ceramic technology heats this iron up to its maximum temperature in seconds; locks in moisture, natural oils, and hair color for total hair protection; and creates the straightest, sleekest locks as well as fantastic curls, twists, and flicks. Also included is a hot pink roll mat that’s the perfect heat-resistant base to rest your styler on while creating up-to-the-minute looks. The roll mat doubles as a heat-resistant carry case to protect your styler on the move. The ghd hot pink IV styler is equipped with advanced features such as improved temperature control to maintain heat during styling, a sleep mode, and universal voltage.

What else you need to know:
-Ghd styling irons are designed to curl, straighten, flick, and/or wave the hair.
-Ghd styling irons emit infrared heat and produce negative ions reducing static and creating shine by closing the cuticle.
-Ghd styling irons have floating blades for flexibility and smoothness.
-Ghd styling irons are equipped with built-in integrated circuits and platinum heating elements arranged in a mesh grid pattern which covers the entire aluminum plate; these features ensure a constant temperature throughout the styling process, without hot and cold spots.
-Ghd styling irons have a built-in micro-processor embedded into one blade—this monitors and regulates the temperature of the blades.

To support Breast Cancer Awareness, ghd will donate $15 from every hot pink styler sold to the Young Survival Coalition.

Sells for $255

I have never been very good at doing my hair and now that it is long for the first time in my life I have to start actually styling it.

I own a bunch of crappy hair-dryers and one not-so crappy one that I really can’t use. It’s one of those complicated versions that is supposed to straighten as it drys, but it takes nearly an hour and I’ve only used it a handful of times in over a year.

Enter the T3 PRO Dryer in Pink

Here are some features:

• The T3 dryer delivers shiny, smooth, frizz-free locks in half the time.
• Powered by T3′s patented tourmaline technology. Tourmaline is infused into the dryer so it won’t wear off.
• Pretty and pink!

If the features were not enough the glowing recommendations in the review section really hit it home. People who own this dryer really love it. I would love to be in love with my dryer. I hate mine.

It sells on Sephora with a 2 year warranty for $119 with free shipping.
Now if I own that dryer I would really need the attachment to control my hairs natural wave and perhaps make my hair look a little less Betty Suarez.

T3 Tourmaline Professional Ionic Diffuser

Features:

• World’s first Tourmaline ceramic diffuser
• Dries hair quickly, while adding softness and shine
• Perfect for wavy or problem hair (A problem is putting my hair lightly!)
• Naturally emits ionic and infrared power
• Simple, effective, unbreakable design.

Same great reviews as the dryer.

Can be purchased at Sephora for $30 and it would include free shipping if purchased with the dryer.

Now you know at least one thing you can get me for Christmas. More products I am lusting after to come!

When I came back to the site I discovered a winner hidden in my comment approval section! (I have to figure out how to turn that off.)

And the winner is…….THE OVERTHINKER!!!

You have won a fabulous mini beauty bag featuring plenty of goodies from places like Duross & Langel and LUSH.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I’ll be emailing you today to get your address so I can mail you your prizes.

Enter Duross & Langel’s Vitamin C Moisturizing Conditioner. It actually took me a while to try this stuff. I was still suffering through Lush’s American Cream and no so sure I wanted to take on another conditioner that was only going to disappoint me. Still my bottle of American Cream was starting to run low and at $26.65 for a 16.9 fl oz bottle of a product I didn’t even like the results of? It was time to try something new.

As far as prices go the Vitamin C Moisturizing Conditioner is a bit more expensive at $14 per 8 fl oz bottle, but I am willing to pay the money as long as the product works.

This conditioner totally delivered!

Pros:

• I only had to use a small amount to completely do my past the shoulders head of hair.
• The smell was very nice. Not too strong, but not to light. Perfect.
• It rinsed out really well.
• My hair was tangle free and soft!
• My hair was bright and shining even though I had recently dyed it.

Cons:

• The price. Though it’s made using fair trade ingredients by hand so it’s worth the extra.

I love this conditioner and I will definitely be getting more in the future. Finally a conditioner I feel I can use long term. I haven’t used the same conditioner twice in about 3 YEARS. This is big.

And people wonder why I’m so obsessed with Duross & Langel.