Happy Thanksgiving! Featuring got2b texture powder

Happy Thanksgiving! Today I'm quite thankful for a lot! My family, my love, my pet kitteh, my friends, my job, my house, my car, sunshine, turkey and so much more! What are you thankful for? 

Today I'm featuring got2b texture powder- back 2 bed (I wish!) from Schwarzkopf, for your hair. 

Today of all days is going to be a rushing madhouse, so if you don't have time for the full glam thanks to last night's partying, use got2b texture powder on your hair. 

It creates texture with a tousled, separate look with satin matte powder. It won't leave a white film like regular powder and does a double duty of eliminating hair oils on unwashed hair for a cleaner look while adding volume.

It is a fine powder you carefully coat your hands with (depending on length if hair). Rub your palms together - you won't see the powder but you'll feel it. Run thru hair, scrunch, smush, twist and curl. 

Voila- instant sexy bed head!

This product is perfect on wet or dry hair, for volume and a great to-go look! 

www.got2b.com

Peace & Love & Beauty!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, shop local and please stay outta the shops today - today is for family and friends and turkey. Go nuts on Black Friday, but keep thanksgiving for the family!!

RAZRBAR- Men's Grooming at it's Finest

In this blog series, I aim to showcase many different beauty products, for men and women, as well as salons and places to get pampered.

Today I am featuring RAZRBAR for men, and I brought my boyfriend Stephen along as my test subject. And also as a treat for him to get pampered! Man grooming, if you will.

As soon as we walked in the door, immediate attention was paid to us. Front desk Erin gave Steve a choice of beer and I got coffee. Then our Master Barber John Simonton greeted us and took Steve over to his station and they discussed what look he wanted. Steve was in for the Top Shelf Shave & a Haircut, which included an energizing facial scrub, a close shave, a haircut and a host of aromatherapy and hot towel treatments.

John’s secret to his close shaves are knowing good grooming is the key to confidence and success. After apprenticing and working at a few Philly barbershops, he went to the RAZRBAR team in the high-status of Master Barber/Trainer.

The RAZRBAR is hip without trying too hard. Blond wood floors, lots of light, wide-open spaces, marble and granite countertops, and chrome accents all serve to create a manly space. The front of the salon was a lounge area with premium shave products and accessories for sale, and in the back was the grooming and hair stations along with a foot soak area.

John prepped Steve with hot towel and trimmed and evened up his hair, then shaped his beard and shaved his neck. He then wrapped a hot towel around his face with aromatherapy oils for relaxation.

John then gave Steve a facial scrub and a cool toner and shave lotion to soothe with a cool towel, and had a chance just to chill for a moment.

When he was done, Steve said it was the cleanest shave he ever had, and definitely a cool experience.

RAZRBAR just celebrated it’s one year anniversary, and men of all ages take some time for themselves to get groomed and move on with their days, and looking ever better because of it.

RAZRBAR does bachelor parties, happy hours and other events to cater to the discerning an. Give a call – 610-489-7297.

Find your close shave grooming experience at RAZRBAR at Providence Town Center

171 Market Street, Collegeville, PA 19426

Thanks to Ed, John and his amazing RAZRBAR team!

Peace & Love & (Manly!) Beauty!

Day 15- Smelly Cat Soaps- Soap for people who smell like cats..or just want cool and yummy soaps!

Day of Beauty 15- Smelly Cat soaps- local, fun and adorable!

Fun, unique, delicious-smelling soaps, in creative and cute shapes, reasonably priced. These soaps are great for you, your friends, your family, your kids, for anytime! 

Vicky Cangelosi is the creator and artist behind these delightful soap creations. “While I am not new to the crafting world, I am new at soap making. I love to mix and create different colors and scents, and my kitchen smells amazing every time I make a new batch of soap!” Vicky makes these yummy lather-ific creations in Quakertown, PA. 

Man Soap 

These adorable custom soaps come with a scent of your choosing- apple pie, coconut verbena, lavender, just about any scent you desire. There’s even Mans Soap and Ladies Soap which you can order in any scent including men’s and women’s fragrances through the Etsy website, where many local and small business crafts are sold. 






Shapes such as cows, doggies, kitties, tiny sea turtles, baby hedgehogs, piggies, fishies, buttons, and ballerina and daffodil imprints. Elephants, flowers and my personal faves, the Millennium Falcon and R2D2 of Star Wars.  

R2D2

Millennium Falcon - Soap for those who have gone where no one has gone before..

These soaps are perfect for gift giving, hostess gifts, holiday presents, wedding and shower presents, to say thank you, guest soaps in the bathroom, anywhere really!

Shop today and buy some awesome soap from Smelly Cat Soaps- support Vicky and other local shops this week, and use this awesome Special shopping code: SMCATLOVESFBFANS to save 10% off your order of Smelly Cat Soaps!

Ballerina Soap

HELLO- buy local and shop small businesses this holiday season! #ShopSmall

And let me know what you think- which soap shape and scent is your favorite?

Peace & Love & Beauty!

DERMALOGICA GIVEAWAY- coming soon!

Good morning! it's a short week! 

Yay! And to add to the fun, I'll be announcing a #Dermalogica giveaway on #500DaysofBeauty at engchik.blogspot.com soon! 

So, watch this space!

Maybelline Mascara- Day 14

Hi Lash Lovers!

Welcome to Hump Day!

Today's post is a product that my friend Stephanie McGinly Wenitsky loves- her Maybelline Mascara!

I love it too! She says it is always reliable, and with several types and shades (I like Very Black), you can't go wrong. Affordable and easy, Maybelline Mascara is a beauty pick essential.

I especially love the Maybelline Lash Discovery Mini Brush Mascara because it grabs those tiny lashes that otherwise wouldn't get tarted up with a bigger brush.

The soft round teeny bristles carefully coat your lashes, drawing them out for a dramatic look. I feel better working around my eyes with this brush too, I'm less apt to poke myself in the eyeball!

It's available in washable and waterproof, as well as safe for those who wear contact lenses.

This mascara doesn't seem to flake or smudge, even if you touch your eyes a bit, even on the hottest days. Nothing worse than having deep dark circles under eyes in the middle of the day!

You can find this mascara at most drugstores, Target, Ulta and more, for around $6.50.

Teeny brush= Big lash results!

Peace & Love & Beauty!

Bye Bye Under Eye, Indeed! Day 13: it Cosmetics by Jamie Kern

So, I’m amazed. Just…gobsmacked, if you will.

It’s Monday morning. Great long weekend with family, but not much sleep, long drive to and from the log cabin, and up before daybreak to get to the gym. As I’m getting dressed, I feel today would be a good day to try out my new Bye Bye Under Eye concealer from it Cosmetics by Jamie Kern. 

Because, I’m looking a little tired and worn, and my undereyes are looking a smidge (smudgy!) purplish and wrinkly. The literature DOES say it can add the look of a full night’s sleep.

Yeah, ok…

Some days, I don’t wear much makeup at all. I have pretty excellent skin for being in my 30s, I’m blonde with pinky skin and green eyes, and usually some powder and mascara is all I need. 

See ya, under eye circles! Ka-pow!

But, I thought I’d try it today. I dabbed it on, easily. It glides on with a patting motion with my ring finger, so I blend under my eyes, and I did a bit of my nose too, since I got a bit of sunburn over the weekend hiking in the mountains.

Whoa, this looks pretty nice! I look good!

Fast forward to 6:30 in the evening. I’m still beat. And my face still looks as fresh and wide-eyed and dewy-skinned as I did at 7am when I applied this. My eyes feel all pouchy, yet, I look pretty good for a Monday. My redness on my cheeks is toned down, and my face looks nice and smooth.

Best of all, I can still see my skin. I’m not so caked in concealer that I’m all covered up and you can’t see my natural glow. I’m still me. When you are up close to me, you don’t see caked-in makeup, you don’t see it at all.

I look awake! I’m using this tomorrow! And the next day!

This concealer was created with the leading plastic surgeons in Brazil as a full coverage, highly pigmented anti-aging concealer that utilizes truly innovative technology and ingredients. Bye Bye Under Eye offers a waterproof, yet moisturizing, formula that stays put no matter what. The pioneering formula contains high concentrations of Vitamins K, A, C, E and Collagen, which are clinically proven to reduce under eye puffiness and discoloration while strengthening the delicate skin of the under eye area. Bye Bye Under Eye is hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic.

So, I'm a believer. I'm a customer for life now. Because when you find that one product that transforms you- this is it. 

It comes in four shades: deep, tan, light and neutral medium (which is what I have on).

It’s $24 for a tube of Bye Bye Under Eye. You can find it online, or at QVC and Ulta.

PLUS- if you shop now through November 25^th, save 25% with Promo code FRIENDS2013. (valid on orders of $30 or more).

Peace & Love & Beauty!

Day 12- MISSION Skincare Pink Lemonade Lip Balmer

Day 12 UVA/UVB SPF 15 Pink Lemonade Lip Balmer of #500Daysofbeauty

Yay it’s the weekend - happy Saturday! 

This weekend I am trekking in the mountain wilderness with my family and it is mega cold here, even though it’s fairly mild at home. I need a good lip balm to keep my lips from getting chapped, and I have discovered it with MISSION products.

Use MISSION on lips. Lips feel good. Good lips are happy lips.

I started using MISSION products a few years ago and their formulas are created for athletes and geared towards the turmoil a body can through. Many of their products are perfect on or off the field, and while hiking, they do just fine.

They have a variety of products endorsed by pro athletes that continually use their products, and Serena Williams, and she likes the Pink lemonade lip balmer.  It sinks in, moisturizers, doesn't leave a sticky residue or bad taste. This is a perfect year-round balm.

Athletes need lip care that goes above and beyond what traditional lipbalms can provide. With powerful broad spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection and a long-lasting, vitamin-enriched formula, MISSION’s BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 15 Lip Balmers are clinically proven to lock in moisture for up to 8 hours on the male or female althlete. They contain natural moisturizing ingredients that keep lips feeling smooth and soft - before, during and after competition.

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.5%), Oxybenzone (6.0%)

UVA/UVB SPF 15 Pink Lemonade Lip Balmer is on sale for $1.99 on the MISSION website. 

Peace & Love & Beauty!

What's the Buzz?! Burt’s Bees Radiance Day Cream

Day 11 of 500 Days of Beauty!

Tanyka Renee has the buzz! This busy-bee author, Playboy model, and pro athlete adores Burt’s Bees Radiance Day Cream. 

"I love this product because it is organic and great for giving your skin a glow!” she enthuses.

Do you feel the royal radiance!?

This wrinkle-fighting product has Royal Jelly and Shea Butter infused within which is perfect for energizing those on the go and for those who want to revitalize their skin.

99% natural and chock-full of goodness, a little dab goes a long way.

The Burt’s Bees company is dedicated to making the world a cleaner, greener and better place by doing what the bees do- working hard on natural products that leave love and goodness behind.

$18 for 2 ounce jar of Burt’s Bees Radiance Day Cream.

Peace & Love & Beauty!

Day 10- Almay Makeup Remover Towelettes

Day 10 of 500 Days of Beauty!

You've got your goodies, you have your faves, but as we head into the weekend, you need to remember to remove your makeup after a night of fun, or a hard day at work!

With a great new look, Almay Makeup Remover Towelettes removes makeup in one pass, doesn't feel greasy and soothes and hydrates your skin. There isn't a greasy residue like some others I have tried, and you don't have to rinse afterwards.

They are fragrance-free. dermatologist tested, and hypoallergenic.

Created with a lovely skin-loving blend of aloe, green tea and cucumber, you can't go wrong when turning in for the night! Also great for refreshing your face after a workout. 

Find these pretty much anywhere, Ulta, Target, Drugstore.com, your local drugstore.

Peace & Love & Beauty

#500DaysofBeauty

Day 9 of 500 Days of Beauty! Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo & Conditioner

Today is a fun and easy one. It’s snowing in Southeast PA, and it’s kind of difficult to have nice hair when there are wet heavy flakes splunking on your head.

It's tingly...everywhere! Sold at Trader Joe's.

Enter my favorite new shampoo and conditioner, Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle. Tea tree oil does amazing things for your skin, helps blemishes, aids colds, and so much more. I've always been a fan of tea tree oil and keep a small vial of essential oil around for such things. I love it in hair care form, but I see very expensive versions of tea tree oil shampoo or face wash or body wash and usually just pass it by.

However while shopping at Trader Joe’s last week, right before I checked out, I saw a selection of shampoo, conditioner and body wash- huge 16 ounce bottles for just $3.99! So I grabbed the pair and tried it out.

And I’m so glad I did! My hair looks great! With organic botanicals such as peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme, and of course, tea tree oil, this is a great product with an amazing price. The shampoo effectively cleans away styling product residue and the conditioner smooths and repairs the hair shaft.

These formulas would sell for significantly more in a salon, here at Trader Joe’s, they are awesome and affordable.

I usually have about 3-4 different shampoos in my showers and two more in my gym bag, as I like to change it up and some days I’m in a mood for a different scent. But you can’t beat the tingly goodness of Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle on your head!

Sold in Trader Joe’s stores near you!

Peace & Love & Beauty!

#500DaysofBeauty

Day 8- Happy Veterans Day and Clinique Foundation!

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to all who have served this great country. You deserve so much! I'd like to personally thank my friend Samara who served in the Air Force. 

For Day 8 of #500DaysofBeauty, we’re discussing her favorite beauty product, which is Clinique foundation. She adores the coverage, the feel and the price of this great foundation.

Cover up!

This liquid gives moderate coverage over blemishes and under eye darkness. Very light and help achieve a wonderful natural look.

Patent-pending* micro-mirrored technology optically resurfaces skin. Ultra-lightweight liquid formula is oil-free, non-acnegenic, too!

There are over 30 shades to offer smooth, great coverage, with no irritation.

All Clinique foundations are allergy tested and 100% fragrance free.

$26 a tube

Thank you veterans!

Marisa Millier, JustJared.com

Peace & Love & Beauty!

Day 7- Fun Friday! LUSH Soft Coeur Massage Bar

Ladies and Gents- welcome to Day 7 of 500 Days of Beauty. 

It's been a week of amazing products and today we're going to discuss one of the most fun companies out there: LUSH- because it’s FUN FRIDAY!

Massage this!

LUSH is gearing up for the holiday season (Too early for me to talk holidays just yet!) so my next LUSH post will include on their new holiday favorites, but today we are discussing their Massage Bars.

LUSH is more than just a pretty face, however, with virtually no packaging or wrapping on their items, and their website boasts products that are 100% vegetarian, 83% vegan, 60% are preservative free, 38% are packaging free.

Today- a super-fun LUSH item. Enter these little gems. Solid lotion, essentially.

LUSH massage bars are a unique product that I’ve never really seen anywhere else, as well as being preservative-free. They are created from silky moisturizing butters and lovely essential oils and they melt from warm skin contact. No need to mess about with bottles or pumps and waste.

They leave just enough on your hands and skin; and they don’t melt so fast that it becomes messy.

I got the Soft Coeur Massage Bar the other night at the King of Prussia LUSH store in PA because it smells of toffee and honey and chocolate and has a soft chocolaty core. The literature says that it’s for a honeymoon and lovers and wooo all kinds of smexy things, but I actually have this little accessory at my desk. It’s a cold Fall and my skin is so dry, especially my hands. Using the computer, touching clothes and paper and what have you, working out, hand washing…my poor hands look like they belong to a charwoman!

Thank Heaven for LUSH Soft Coeur Massage Bar! and coffee, too.

The mini heart massage bar sits next to my computer and looks cute, and I pick it up a few times a day, run it across my palms, fingers and knuckles, and relax for a moment. I wait a moment or two for it to sink in, but it generally doesn’t leave my phone, keyboard or mouse greasy.

I love how it smells, I love there is no waste, I love that I don’t have to wait for it to be absorbed (like a big splodge of hand-pump lotion), I love how it makes my hands soft not squishy, and you only use as much as you rub across your body.

Take care not to store this in a really hot room (like the kitchen or bathroom) the bedroom or living area works best, on a little dish or the LUSH massage bar tin. If you travel with it, make sure it’s stored safely so it won’t melt. That said, my office is pretty hot, and it’s not going to melt like a candle in an attic in summer, just be mindful of where you keep the bar when not in use.  

The Soft Coeur (the Honeymooner) massage bar is sold in LUSH stores and online for $8.95.

Made of Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Honey (Mel) , Cocoa Powder (Theobroma cacao), Fragrance , Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine, Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate

Peace and Love and Beauty!

#500DaysofBeauty

Day 6: Hollow & Ridge Essential Oils and Toners

Hi! Day 6 of #500DaysofBeauty!

With so many beauty products on the market, it’s easy to have a favorite for your hair or body. But what about your mind and all your senses, together?

I was recently introduced to luxury essential oil mistress Issa Dixon, whose brand is Hollow & Ridge. This trio of handcrafted essentials oils- Calm, Arouse, and Balance- is currently the hot seller at Hollow & Ridge, and they do wonders for my well-being.

Balance is crafted from vetiver, rose otto, patchouli, and lavender. This oil smells crisp and earthy and fights lethargy and depression. It smells wonderful and I feel my blood pressure ease up a bit when dabbed on my wrists while at work.

Arouse. One sniff of this sensory oil and suddenly you feel transported to a far off land with sensual smells and feelings. Arouse is created from jasmine, vetiver, neroli, and lavender and is a vacation from your daily grind. Rub a drop into your palms and inhale, then give a backrub to someone you care about. Ahhh…

Calm is crafted from Geranium, Petitgrain, Lavender, and Rose Otto. These delightful oils are merged to create a mental oasis free from agitation and irritability. This is the oil I use to relax at night, when I’m home from work and the robe and slippers are on (what? I can’t wear heels 24/7; it’s not good for my knees!)

These 3ml bottles are sold together ($38 each) or separately at $95.00 for the trio.

Rose Water Hollow & Ridge Toner

There is also two delightful face and body toners coming soon- lavender (my favorite) and rose water. Feel so cool and refreshing, smell great and energize you!

All oils are packaged in bottles Issa procures specially for their likeness to the colorful and hazy beach glass that she scoured the Amalfi Italian coast for. This luxury essential oil genius distills the lavender in micro batches to ensure highest quality of oil used in every blend you find, and in every Hollow & Ridge product.

You can find Hollow & Ridge at Anthropologie’s top 10 stores nationwide, as well as online.

Copper Stills for distilling essential oils from HollowandRidge.com

 Peace and Love and Beauty!

#500DaysofBeauty

Day 5- Mainely Cole’s Organic Cucumber Revitalizing Facial Toner

Day 5!

Want a toner that doesn’t sting, strip your skin or leave it feeling heavy? Try Mainley Cole’s Organic Cucumber Revitalizing Facial Toner. I have fairly sensitive skin, and I spend a lot of time in the sun, plus I use sunscreens that probably aren’t the best for my face (more on that later and which ones to use!), so finding this product was like Christmas!

This refreshing toner is an all-natural product made by Heidi in the great state of Maine. After a thought-provoking conversation with her father a few years ago, Mainely Cole’s came into existence after her father was gone.

“My father and I were discussing ingredients that people were using on their skin. It is the body's largest organ and everything is absorbed through it. The conversation seemed scary, but it was soon forgotten until months later after my father passed away suddenly,” says Heidi.

It’s Mainely Cole's goal to create the finest products from ingredients from around the world. They aim to produce excellent skin care items that are all natural and organic, plus help provide the vitamins and minerals that your skin needs to be healthy and amazingly beautiful, while still being good to the environment around us.

The cukes are good for you! (picture courtesy of MainelyColes.com)

The Organic Cucumber Revitalizing Facial Toner by Mainely Cole’s contains incredible ingredients like Organic Aloe, Cucumber, Coconut oil, Jojoba, Vitamin E, Tea Tree Oil, Black Willow Bark and Rose Mary, as well as pure cucumber hydrosol which is a natural anti-inflammatory.

I quite enjoy this product, makes my skin glow, ordering is super easy, Heidi is a dream to deal with, and today, enter the code CRAFT at checkout and save 25% off your entire order!!

I guarantee you’ll be back for more- incredible products for your skin, all natural and good for you- you won’t want to miss this!

The Organic Cucumber Revitalizing Facial Toner by Mainely Cole’s is $25 for an 8oz bottle.

Peace & Love & Beauty

#500DaysofBeauty