I'm back...

That was an extremely long hiatus to say the least.  Very pitiful, I know, but I hope I won't disappoint with this return.

Time for a Fresh, New, Start...

So here I am attempting to resurrect this blog and make posting on it a top priority.  I have such a backlog of pictures, products to review and NOTD's that I am definitely embarrassed that my last efforts were less than fruitful.  Expect to see regular postings in the extremely near future!  Thanks and Happy New Year!!!

I have nothing to disclose.

Nail of the Day: Jesse's Girl JulieG Collection in Stiletto

I thought I'd post a quick nail of the day with a polish from the Jesse's Girl JulieG Collection ($3.99) that came out a few months ago.  I purchased several colors along with a few other Jesse's Girl nail polishes as well directly from the site although Jesse's Girl is also available at RiteAid stores.  I have to say, though, that out of all the colors from the collection, Stiletto is by far my favorite.  All the polishes I ordered applied absolutely beautifully and wore well, but this particular color was just outstanding.  It's a lovely pale taupe-y gray with some slight silver shimmer.  It seems more neutral than cool which makes it suitable and flattering for any skin tone and I think it would also be appropriate in any season but more so in the Spring and Winter. As of this posting this polish is still available for purchase on the Jesse's Girl website.

Full Disclosure:  All products in this post were purchased by me for review purposes only, for any questions or concerns regarding this matter please refer to my Disclaimer/Disclosure page.

New Rating System

I decided to change up how I do my ratings on reviews because, as I'm looking at past posts, my current rating system is pretty ambiguous even though they are based on letter grades.  So instead of giving a letter grade in a product review I will be rating products in terms of the likelihood I would ever repurchase said product(s) in the future.  Therefore, I will be rating as follows:

Highest Rating:  Beauty For Us All Likely Future Repurchase

Next Highest Rating:  Beauty For Us All Probable Future Repurchase

Lowest Rating:  Beauty For Us All Never Repurchase    

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize: The Body Edition

Fall and winter are my absolute favorite seasons of the year, not only for the Holidays associated with them but also because of the cozy, bundling up element of it all.  With that being said there are the not so fabulous results of all the cold and coziness:  dry, parched and flaky skin!  Generally my skin exhibits some element of dryness throughout the year and it’s not consigned to my face alone; it’s a head down to my toes sort of thing.  Because of this I seem to be in a perpetual search of different moisturizers, creams, lotions and lip balms to help treat my various afflicted areas.  In one such search I came across Olay Total Effects Body Lotion (13.5 oz, $7.99 but varies) which contains niacinamide and since I’m in a huge anti-aging kick I thought I’d give it a go.  Normally I’m a bit hesitant on purchasing scented body lotions because I like to wear perfume and don’t want the scents competing but I did find this particular fragrance pleasing; it has a subtly warm scent that lingers for less than 20 minutes. 

Niacinamide or vitamin B3 is a skin care ingredients that has been shown to improve the appearance of redness, uneven skin tone, fine lines/wrinkles, sallowness and texture.  The study I came across with those findings is based on a 5% concentration of niacinamide and while I don’t know the exact percentage in the Olay lotion I can say that I do think it’s a fair amount since it shows up as the third ingredient on the list right after water and glycerin respectively. 

I definitely have to say that I do enjoy this lotion a lot, the fragrance is warm, the texture is substantial (midway between a lotion and a cream, not watery or too thick by any means), and it absorbs easily enough while still leaving skin nicely moisturized.  I’ve been using this lotion for a good 3 weeks and while I can’t say much about its anti-aging elements yet, I can say that the dryness and overall texture of my skin has improved tremendously, especially on my heels and feet.  For those reasons alone I think that this lotion is a keeper for me and a definite repurchase.

Final Beauty For Us All Rating:  A

Topical niacinamide reduces yellowing, wrin... [Int J Cosmet Sci. 2004] - PubMed - NCBI. (n.d.). National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved October 26, 2011, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18492135

Full Disclosure:  All products in this post were purchased by me for review purposes only, for any questions or concerns regarding this matter please refer to my Disclaimer/Disclosure page.

Up Coming Posts

I've been really busy lately but I have also been buying lots of things that I will be reviewing and posting this coming week.  Lots of Fall/Winter beauty must haves as well as plenty of nail polish posts.  Here are the subjects of some of the upcoming posts:

-Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
-Fall nail polish colors
-Berry lips
-Colorscience Sunforgettable Review
-Jesse's Girl JulieG Collection Stilletto Review
-Exfoliation
-Favorite Fall Perfumes
-Seasonal Home Scents

And many, many more to come!





*I have nothing to disclose.

Fall Wish List Vol. 1

My all time favorite season, Fall, is quickly approaching and I'm absolutely ecstatic about it!!!  Before the season is actually upon us, I like to think about the beauty and skin care products that I feel I need in order to combat the invariably dry skin I will no doubt be suffering from.  And not only that, but I do like to change up my color palette in favor of deeper, richer tones which I'm sure a lot of you do as well.  Here are a collection of products that I'm eyeing right now and I will be making this an ongoing series throughout the season because I love this time of year so much!

Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7oz for $65.00



I first smelled this perfume from one of those magazine leaflet things and I was sold.  It smells like the original Sensuous perfume but so much better because it has vanilla and coconut in it as well which are two scents that I love.  I can't wait to get my hands on this, it's going to be my go to Fall scent!

Estee Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Radiance Serum, 1.0oz for $40.00

This is a new serum that just came out which is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  It is also suppose to help speed up cell turnover and clarify the skin.  I love serums and I'm really excited about this one.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus, $27.00



I've used this product several times before but I haven't used it in the past two years because I ventured out to other powders.  I will be buying this as soon as I'm through with my Estee Lauder Double Wear Mineral Rich Loose Powder Makeup (which I do still love by the way).  I feel that the MSFN gives a really natural finish while still offering good coverage and more importantly it doesn't make my skin look dry even in colder weather.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencile Travel Size 5pc Set in Naked, $32.00



I'm really excited for this set, Urban Decay's 24/7 eye pencils are my go to liners.  They have never let me down; they come in a great range of colors, and they don't smudge or budge on me.  I also like using them as bases for smokey eyes and they don't irritate my waterline either.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil Stash 5 piece set, $34.00



Another of my Urban Decay favorites are the 24/7 shadow pencils and this is a great value.  I like to use these shadow pencils as liners, eyeshadow and as bases as well.  These don't budge, smudge or irritate my eyes either!

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Sensuous Rouge, $28.00



The price point on this is a little bit more than other Lauder lipsticks but it does have a few more benefits than the average lipstick.  It's suppose to be very moisturizing and super pigmented which makes me very excited!  I have very dry lips all year round but especially in the Fall and Winter so these are going to be a godsend!  The two colors that I'm looking at in particular are Cheating Heart and Sensuous Nude.

I hope you enjoyed peeking into my Fall Wish List!  The next installment of this series will be on body care items so please stay tuned!!!



I have nothing to disclose.