Tried and True (Blue)

remember Bath and Body Works? i know you all do, because you went there during high school everytime you hit up the mall to get your Cucumber Melon lotion and your favorite Juniper Breeze body splash! then, like me, you probably outgrew B&BW and moved on to Sephora, Nordstrom's, etc. for your bath and body needs. what we didn't know was that while we were ignoring B&BW all these years since, it was growing up right along with us!

although it's still not my most beloved store, there are definitely some things worth checking out at the old B&BW. what i'm really into right now is their True Blue Spa line, an in-house brand of goodies that is supposed to give you a spa experience in the comfort of your own home. they have tons of products ranging from lotions to hand creams to scrubs and even self tanners (one of which The Beauty Addict is a big fan of!). the product that's getting the most love from me at the moment is their I'm In The Mood For Scrub Foaming Body Buff With Shea Butter Beads, $20 (for 16 fl. oz.). this bright blue scrub works overtime at getting your body smoothed, exfoliated, and softened. i don't know about you but i like a really good buffing from my scrubs, and it seems that a lot of them don't get the job done at all! they're either too creamy with not enough beads, the beads are too gentle or they just plain don't work any better than a washcloth! definitely not the case with I'm In The Mood For Scrub, which really attacks that dry, scaly skin and leaves your body as smooth as glass! it only takes a small amount massaged into wet skin, making sure to really hit all the dry areas like elbows, back of arms, knees and shins, to leave you as soft as a baby's bottom. it's the perfect thing to use before self tanning because although the shea butter beads leave you moisturized, they never leave you greasy or with a film lingering on your skin. this scrub rinses clean and as an added bonus, it smells great! although $20 might seem like a lot compared to the scrub you use now, it's worth it to have a product that really does it job and lasts for a long time. i'm planning to try more things from the True Blue Spa line, and i'll report back on what other gems there are waiting for us at B&BW!

what are your favorite scrubs? any tips or tricks on how to get your bod in tip top soft and smooth shape? let me know in the comments!

WTF?!

can someone PLEASE tell me what in the f**k is going on with Katie Holmes these days?! girlfriend went from an adorable, super stylish and age appropriate young mom to a 75 year old crazy lady circa 1986! i don't care if she's shooting a movie or not, i wouldn't look like this in public (or private!) for 10 million dollars a DAY! how can you go from looking like this (right) to that scary 80's Mary Kay grandma up above? she needs to straighten out that HIDEOUS hairdo, wash off all that theatre makeup and start from scratch. has anyone else been wondering what's up with her lately besides me?

ISO Summer Moisture

it's officially summer, and i couldn't be less thrilled. YES! i said it. i am not a big fan of the summer anymore! when i was younger and summer meant no school, running around free with no responsibilities and swimming and sunbathing all day, me and summer were very close. now that i'm all grown up and responsibilities never end and i don't get to swim, to me summer is just a hot, annoyingly long stretch of feeling sweaty and extra pale. plus, in the summertime wearing makeup isn't half as much fun because no one wants to feel anything heavy on their faces. because of this, the first thing that has to change about your summer routine is your moisturizer! you've got to go lighter, sheerer, and for most people, less moisturizing.

during the colder months i love to slather all kinds of luxurious, thick, super moisturizing creams on my slightly combo skin but in the summer that would be a recipe for disaster. instead, what i like to look for is a product that is light and easily absorbed but still does it's job making sure my skin doesn't get flaky without also turning it into an oil slick. one of my newly discovered favorites for this job is Clean and Clear's Dual Action Moisturizer, $5.99. now i know what you're thinking; Clean and Clear is for teenagers! and yes, it is a line marketed towards younger people, but this moisturizer is worth venturing into teenybopper territory. it's oil-free formula is perfect for hot, humid summer days when your skin needs hydration minus the extra greasiness and the small amount of salicylic acid included helps to clear pores and fight breakouts without drying out your skin. it's light, absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and ready for makeup. an added bonus? after applying, the Dual Action Moisturizer gives your skin a refreshing cool tingle! it might surprise you at first but it's a very nice pick-me-up on a muggy morning!

if you're looking for a lighter moisturizer but don't need salicylic acid or a tingle, another great, affordable option is Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, $10.99 (for sixteen ounces, a LOT of product!). i've had my bottle of Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for almost three years now and still haven't finished it up! i absolutely adore this lotion and it's heavier, cream counterpart for moisturizing my thirsty skin and creating a perfect canvas for makeup (especially when used under the eyes, it really sets the stage for a smooth concealer application). the lotion is a perfect summer choice because it's light, soothes and plumps up the skin without leaving it greasy and absorbs without leaving behind any stickiness. it's important to use only a small amount of this lotion because applying too much could leave you shiny, but when used in moderation it's great! non-comedogenic and perfect for sensitive skin, Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion contains no lanolins, parabens, and is fragrance-free.

if you're looking to treat yourself to something special, then Ojon's Tawaka Ancient Tribal Rejuvenating Cream, $55, is the product for you. this 99% natural cream is chock full of wild-crafted antioxidants including savage cacao, which has the antioxidant equivalent of 204 pounds of blueberries! hypoallergenic, preservative and color-free, Tawaka moisturizes the skin and protects it against damage from free radicals. why do i love this so much? first of all, although it has a hefty price tag, you're getting 6.1 ounces of product in this jar--a humongous amount! most face creams of the same price give you 1.5 ounces if you're lucky, so if you look at it the right way, Tawaka is a bargain! the cream itself is almost the texture of a balm but somehow manages to completely disappear once you've applied it to your skin! now, let me tell you, your face is left unbelievably soft and hydrated, but there is absolutely no trace of any kind of 'product' left behind on your skin. it makes the most amazingly PERFECT base for mineral makeup of anything i've ever tried, acting as a kind of natural primer that holds the minerals and makes everything look smooth and glowy. i've never had it cause any kind of irritation or breakouts, and on the contrary it actually seems to soothe troubled skin. although i reserve this cream for my face, you can use it all over your body and even in your hair! it's a perfect do-it-all product for summer and even better for traveling since it eliminates lugging along a moisturizer, makeup primer, body cream, and hair smoother. i've had my jar for atleast 6 months now and still haven't put much of a dent in it, so it'll last you quite a while if you can make the initial splurge.

using a lighter moisturizer in the summer will help to prevent all kinds of nasty occurrences like clogged pores, mid-day oil slicks, and makeup meltdown. what are your favorite products to use when the temperature rises? let me know in the comments!

Clean and Clear and Cetaphil products can be found at your drugstore and grocery stores and Ojon's line can be purchased from QVC.

Lash Stash

i just happened to come across this on Sephora's website and wanted to share--swoon! SEVEN mini mascaras for the price of one expensive mascara ($28)?! now that's a collection i can get on board with! there is nothing i enjoy more than buying/testing new mascaras so of course this Lash Stash really gets my blood flowing. only problem is, i've found in several cases (such as Too Faced Lash Injection and Benefit BAD Gal Lash) that the mini versions of some mascaras are NOTHING like their full-sized counterparts. i have no idea how this could be, seeing as how i'm sure the formula is the same (how could it not be?) and the brush is also the same design, but i'm telling you it's the truth. there is no comparison between the mini Lash Injection and the regular one! the mini gives no volume whatsoever and you're left with the most average results you can possibly imagine. i've never tried the full-sized BAD Gal Lash, but the mini didn't give me any volume or length, either, and i know that the original is supposed to give you mega-lashes. any ideas on why the smaller packaging changes the final results of the mascara?

More Chi for Me!

you know how sometimes you're using a product that you're totally thrilled with but after you've been loyal to it for awhile you start to notice your eye wandering over to something else? this is exactly what happened to me recently after using my beloved Kiehl's Heat Protective Straightening Cream,$15, for a little over a year. it works wonderfully, is top tier in my personal Hair Product Hall of Fame, and does everything i need it to do, but...i want to try new things that work even better! and so goes the life of a beauty junkie.

when i was doing research on Folica.com before purchasing my Babyliss Pro NANO Titanium Flat Iron, i read a lot of customer reviews that recommended using CHI (pronounced "chee", i always thought it was pronounced "kai"until my hairstylist embarrassingly corrected me!) haircare products and they really peaked my interest. i had never tried any of CHI's products before except for one of their flat irons, and with all these rave reviews i figured it was high time i give them a spin.

since i like my naturally wavy hair to be as flat, straight, and silky as humanly possible, CHI's Silk Infusion seemed like the product for me. Silk Infusion is a serum that was designed to be used as a leave-in treatment to smooth, soften, and strengthen the hair using ingredients like silk, wheat and soy proteins. it doesn't cause build-up (supposedly, i'll have to report back on that claim after further use), leaves the hair super shiny and protects against heat-styling. now i used serums when they first came out back in the original Frizz Ease days, but for quite a few years since i've moved on to hair creams, so i was very nervous the first time i used Silk Infusion since we all know that if you use even a drop too much of serum it can ruin your whole blowout and leave you with a total grease mop! because of that fear, i didn't use enough and my results were only so-so. the second time i used Silk Infusion (always on damp hair before blowdrying) was last night and i conquered my serum overload fear, used the right amount (i'd say about a dime-sized drop distributed evenly throughout my hair but concentrated more towards the ends), and got the most amazing, exciting, jump-up-and-down results from a hair product that i've gotten in years! my hair was literally as smooth as silk and as shiny as glass! and remember, it was just last week that i got my hair dyed, bleached, and highlighted, so it's not in it's most naturally shiny state. i only had to run my flat iron over each section of hair one time and it fell completely flat and silky, as straight as a poker, just the way i like it! and the smell- the SMELL! it's the most luxuriously expensive salon smell i've ever smelled. total haircare heaven! the only not-so-heavenly part of Silk Infusion is that it can be pretty pricey; i got my 2 oz. bottle at Walgreen's for a wallet-breaking $13.50, and let me tell you that 2 oz. is not a lot of product! the only good things about this are 1. you only need a tiny bit so a 2 oz. bottle should last you a long time and 2. you can definitely buy bigger bottles or find better prices online.

as if one amazing product from CHI isn't enough, i also recently acquired their Shine Infusion Thermal Polishing Spray, $10.99, which is a weightless shine-enhancing finishing spray that leaves your hair soft, de-poufed and perfectly 'done'. it's a miracle fix for your second day hair that is feeling a little dry and fuzzy and needs something to make it look brand new again! now i know that just a few posts ago i went on and on about how my L'oreal Studio Line Shine Seeker Glass Shine Spray is such a great product for such a great (low) price and how i felt no need to use something three times as much just because it was high-end but...well... isn't there room for more than one shine spray in every girl's bathroom?! ok, now i know i'm rationalizing, and if i was ever low on funds my L'oreal shine spray would be just fine, but i think i like the Shine Infusion just a little bit more! i really prefer how Shine Infusion comes in an aerosol can that sprays out an extremely fine mist as opposed to the pump spray of the L'oreal product. and once again, the Shine Infusion has that amazing expensive salon smell that i just can't get enough of! the point is, they're both fabulous products and i will continue to love and use them both.

after trying and adoring these two products from CHI, i'm wondering what other things i'm missing from this incredible brand! what are your favorite CHI products? have you ever tried Shine or Silk Infusion, and if so, what did you think? let me know in the comments!

Egg Crazy!

ok readers, today i have two little words for you: PED EGG! this little contraption has completely won me over and now i am ready to get on top of buildings (or on my webpage, same diff) and sing it's praises! this amazing little tool is my newest must-have and just might be my favorite purchase of 2008 so far!

you know how after a spring and summer of wearing nothing but sandals your feet get all heinous and hoof-like? well, mine do. since i basically start wearing sandals in April and never go back to shoes until after September, my feet start to resemble those of a Cro Magnon. my heels get rock hard and all scratchy, i get a bump on the outside of each big toe, and i am horribly embarrassed to wear cute, strappy sandals when my feet are the texture of concrete. i mean craggy concrete feet don't exactly beg to be put into a pair of Manolos, do they? or, in my case, a pair of really cute sandals from Target! i have a heavy-duty pumice stone that i keep in the shower and even though i go crazy on my feet every few nights, they never get smooth or soft like i want them to be. i've tried those salicylic acid creams, metal exfoliators, sandpaper-like devices, and nothing works well enough. enter the Ped Egg!

the Ped Egg is actually a plastic egg-shaped device that has stainless steel micro-files on one side and a little area to catch the dead skin that you remove when you use it (and a truly wonderful thing-- once you wear out the blades on the file that comes with the Ped Egg, you can purchase three replacement files for only $9.99!). it's quick and easy to use, fits comfortably into your hand, is easy to wash with soap and water, costs only ten dollars and works better than ANY OTHER FOOT SMOOTHING TOOL I HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE IN MY LIFE! even after a top-notch $40 pedicure my feet have never been half as smooth as they are after using the Ped Egg for under ten minutes. it basically just shaves off the old, hardened, dead skin that accumulates on your feet and is impossible to remove any other way. it gets rid of years of craggy heel build-up and leaves your feet perfectly smooth and soft! and the best part? it doesn't hurt a bit. not even a teensy little bit, and believe me, i would be willing to put up with a little discomfort to get results this amazing, but i don't have to!

since i'm a weirdo person who enjoys things like facial extractions and Biore Pore Strips, my favorite part of the Ped Egg is taking off the lid when you're done and seeing all that dead skin that you've just removed! it's highly gross and super satisfying. i thought since i try to practice full disclosure with my blog and really give you my honest opinion on the products i write about that i'd show you what was in my Ped Egg after the first time i used it. reader beware!

i really hope that if you have any roughness on your feet, you'll give the Ped Egg a chance. you will fall in love with how simple, painless, and easy it is to have baby soft feet again after suffering from hooves for so long! i bought mine (a limited-edition pink version supporting breast cancer) at Walgreen's and you should too because if you end up not liking it, you can return it with no questions asked. now go get Egging!

the Ped Egg and it's replacement files are available at drugstores like Walgreen's and Rite Aid, Target, WalMart, and at their website.

Hair Color Upkeep

HOLA readers! i'll just jump right in and tell you that the odd mystery-face picture you're seeing above is The Kitty herself! last Tuesday i had an appointment for a cut and color by the fabulous Katie at Wack Salon here in Portland, OR and after over four hours in her chair, i emerged a brand new woman! well, a brand new looking woman that is. does anyone else seem to find that every time they go for a major cut/color it takes them this long before they're finished? i feel like i'm the only weirdo out there who's hair always takes over four hours to do! anyways, i had my shoulder-length, faded auburnish-brown hair transformed into a mid-neck length A-line cut with some cute bangs in a fresh auburn shade with some bright coppery highlights! and i LOVE it. i would highly recommend going to see Katie if you're ever in the area, because she is amazing!

now that i have my naturally mousy dishwater blonde hair cleverly disguised as a gorgeous deep red, i'd like to prevent it from fading and becoming boring, so i thought today i'd give you my tips on how to keep newly colored hair looking as good as the day you left the salon! if you're interested in maintaining your own freshly dyed hair, read on!

most traditional shampoos contain harsh detergents and Sodium Laurel Sulfates (or SLS) which are the ingredients that give you the lather that you think is responsible for cleaning your hair. problem is, SLS can strip the healthy natural oils from your mane and also destroy your expensive color! i know the thought of using a shampoo that doesn't lather is very weird to most people, as it also was to me, but i swear, you can get your hair clean and soft and full of body without the suds! one of my favorite ways to cleanse my hair without the suds (also posted about here) is by using WEN Cleansing Conditioners, $28. created by L.A.-based hairstylist Chaz Dean, WEN Cleansing Conditioners clean your hair without the harsh chemicals and detergents that most shampoos contain. by using natural astringent and antibacterial qualities, WEN leaves your hair soft, silky, clean and healthy, all the while perfectly maintaining your dye job! there are several different WEN formulas, but my favorite is the Fig Cleansing Conditioner that was created for dry, damaged, or ethnic hair. it leaves your hair super hydrated without weighing it down at all, and it (like all of the Cleansing Conditioners) can also be used as a leave-in treatment! so put away your shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, and styling cream and just get yourself a bottle WEN, stat!

if you just can't part with those beloved suds, another great shampoo and conditioner set you can try is Pureology's Anti-Fade Complex Hydrate Line. these formulas are not only gentle, hydrating, and super concentrated, but they're also sulfate and salt-free, 100% vegan, and are never tested on animals. their Anti-Fade Complex Hydrate Shampoo, $23.95, produces tons of luxurious lather that deeply but gently cleans your hair, leaving your color as rich and beautiful as the day you got it done. it's also extremely concentrated, so although it's pricey, this shampoo will last you many months used a few times a week. and if you're paying good money for quality hair color, isn't it worth it to buy good products that will help to maintain your look? their Anti-Fade Complex Hydrate Conditioner, $23.95, uses jojoba oil, shea butter, and a multiweight protein complex to restore moisture to your hair and leave it soft, smooth and bouncy. an added bonus is the stimulating tingle you get on your scalp from the peppermint oils that this conditioner contains! i LOVE it!

to keep your colored hair in tip-top shape, a deep conditioning treatment used once a week is also essential. right now i'm loving Redken's Smooth Down Butter Treat, $14.25, for extra hydration. it uses an ionic smoothing complex of macadamia oil, candelilla wax, and cationic refiners to restore your hair's lost oils, smooth roughness and unruly texture, and zap your frizzies with a humidity resistant finish. this deep conditioner is thick, smooth, and seems to melt right into your hair, leaving it super soft with just the right amount of slip. for strengthening hair that's lost some of it's muscle due to coloring, i adore Joico KPAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor, $16.95. this intensive protein treatment has a balance of 19 essential amino acids that adhere to your hair to reconstruct it in the places it's weakened and protect it from further damage. it smells absolutely amazing, like clean, fresh bananas, and there is a noticeable and visible difference in the health of your hair after ONE treatment! after my last hair dying debacle where the stylist messed up my color and had to dye my hair TWICE and tone it THREE times, Joico KPAK DPR was my savior! in one ten minute treatment, my hair went from over-processed straw to the soft, silky texture i'm used to. this is one little tube that i cannot live without!

other tips for keeping your hair color from fading? using a leave-in product with some sunscreen in it, wearing a hat or bandana when you know you'll be out in the sun, and saturating your hair with conditioner before going swimming in either chlorine or saltwater. if you're dedicated to being vigilant about protecting your color, you'll save yourself a lot of money the next time you have a hair appointment and end up only having to get your roots touched up! good luck from The Kitty, and i'll let you know how the products i've recommended here today work at keeping my red bright and fresh! meow!

Electro Flash Mineralize Eye Shadows

well readers, you may want to remain seated before you read this next bit of news, but...it seems that MAC has a new collection out! LOL! how shocking, right?! i'm only joking, i adore all things MAC and i love their many, many collections and never miss a chance to run to the nearest counter to check them out! which brings us to this post, which is on the stunning Mineralize Eye Shadows that are in the Electro Flash collection. check out all nine of these beauties, below...

aren't they gorgeous?! i looked at all of them in person today at the MAC counter and i have to say, although all nine are really amazing, my favorites are Sea & Sky and Odd Couple (which looks much prettier and brighter in real life)! these shadows are incredibly pigmented and look gorgeous used as both shadow and as liner (i even tested some out wet! they were fab!). for $17.50 a piece, you're getting a large amount of shadow, several different colors, and endless eye shadow combinations! not a bad deal.

there are also lipsticks and glosses in the collection, which you can see here, but the eye shadows are the standout product. have you tried or purchased any of these shadows, and if so, how are you liking them?

above photo of the eye shadows was borrowed from ebay.

Iconic Show

so readers, today i got the scoop on a new DiorShow mascara, and i'm not sure but i think i might be the first person to be reporting on this! i just saw it today at Nordstrom's and my eyes almost popped out of my head because it looks VERY PROMISING!

Iconic Show is it's name and it's housed in a very sleek, glam silver tube (it looks a lot like the white tube pictured to the right except it's silver) and it has a silicone brush that has bristles on it in rows at an angle...kind of like rows of little silicone bristles spiraling around the wand! i didn't get a chance to try it on my lashes (because by that time i had already piled on about 15 different mascaras!) but just the appearance of it looks very exciting! the silicone bristles are short, small, and placed very close together, which makes me think that it would be EXCELLENT at lengthening, separating, and fanning out your lashes instead of spiderfying them like the original DiorShow. now i know i might get flamed for that prior statement because many, many people adore the regular DiorShow, but i've tried with three different tubes and several formulations (regular, waterproof, Ultimate, Blackout) and none of them have really wow'ed me the way they're supposed to. i have searched far and wide online and can't find one picture of Iconic Show or any information on it, but i did call a Dior employee and they told me that this new mascara is slated for a Fall release and isn't available for purchase now; it's currently being displayed in the stores to create a buzz and so people can lust after it (i'm guessing). strange because i don't remember the Dior SA i talked to today in Nordstrom's telling me i couldn't buy it...but that's what the Dior person said on the phone. so, very exciting news for those of us who don't yet have a DiorShow mascara to call our own!

if anyone has tested out Iconic Show at their local Nordie's, let me know how you like it! and remember, you heard this fresh-off-the-counter news here, first! ;D

Drugstore Buys

hello readers! boo, it's Monday! Monday's are the worst because they're the very first day of a long, 5-day work week that seems to stretch on and on forever. my prescription for a way to get through a never-ending Monday? planning an evening trip to your local drugstore to haul some fun, inexpensive beauty goodies! lately i've realized that my recent posts have been mostly about drugstore items, and i wanted to let you know that i have not shunned high-end beauty booty, i've just been on a drugstore streak lately. i promise lots of pricey, high-end reviews in the weeks to come!

to begin my recommendations for great guilt-free drugstore buys, we'll start with my new favorite cleanser, Garnier Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure Detoxifying Gel Cleanser, around $6. i decided to pick this up on a whim last week because it was on sale for the ridiculously cheap price of $3.19, and because i've been curious about the Garnier skincare for a while now. let's just say i was not disappointed! this cleanser is chock-full of good-for-your skin ingredients like vitamin E, grape extract, green leaf extract and vitamin B5. it's also oil-free and non-comedogenic, so it's safe to use for those who are acne-prone as well as those who aren't. it's allergy and dermatologist tested, and it gently cleanses without drying the skin. i am in love with this cleanser because it lathers up nicely with one pump, smells clean and fresh, takes off every speck of my makeup (including eye makeup) and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight and dry. the apple green packaging is cute looking and super convenient with it's pump dispenser that can be turned to the 'closed' position so that it won't leak product if you have to throw it into your purse or travel with it. i feel that this cleanser really gets my skin squeaky clean in a way that some others don't, and i like that especially right now in the hot weather that makes my skin feel more sweaty and oily than usual. so far after using it for about 3 days, my skin is calm, clear, and soft. i'm sold!

next up is something that i'm very excited about finding! Dove's Cream Oil Ultra Rich Velvet Beauty Bar Soap, $3.89 for two bars, is the second version of this hydrating Dove soap formula. first there was the body wash version, which i own and like except for the fact that the lid traps water from the shower and won't let it out, so when you pick it up to use it, old, cold shower water squeezes out along with your shower cream! this really grosses me out, so much so that it prevents me from using the body wash, because i just imagine that there are all kinds of nasty germs and bacteria brewing in that trapped water! not the kind of thing i want to rub all over my skin. such a shame, because the formula has oil in it and really helps to moisturize dry, flaky skin. i'm so happy that now i can use it without the gross water problem since Dove has introduced the bar version! now that i've washed with both formulations, i even think i like the beauty bar better because it's lather seems fluffier and i feel slightly more moisturized and smooth after my shower.

if you're like me and are always on the lookout for that perfect lip balm, i would highly suggest giving Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, $3.49, a shot! this 95.29% natural lip balm is packed with healthy, hydrating ingredients like ultra-emollient lanolin, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and beeswax to seal moisture into the thin, delicate skin on your lips. what has me hooked on this lip balm is it's light, smooth texture. when i first applied, it seemed like i wasn't really getting enough of the balm to transfer onto my lips no matter how many times i swiped! this frustrated me, and i almost wrote it off as a miss, but it was after i went on with the rest of my day and noticed that over an hour later the balm was still perfectly in place and my lips were very soft and smooth! i guess i'm used to a more heavy, waxy feeling texture, but this featherlight balm stayed intact for longer than any other balm i've ever used. it has no taste, which is a huge plus for me, and no artificial smell! score! and, since this balm is so thin while still being very effective, it makes it perfect to layer underneath glosses or lipsticks when your lips need some extra hydration. a great buy for under $5, these balms also come in different flavors and formulas, like Medicated, Lifeguard's Choice, Honey, and Replenishing Balm with Pomegranate Oil!

last but never least, if you're looking for a waterproof mascara to keep your lashes looking lovely in the rising temperatures, i would highly recommend Cover Girl Volume Exact Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black, $7.50. as i've written before, i'm a big fan of the regular version of this thickening, lengthening, non-clumping mascara, and the waterproof version doesn't disappoint. i decided to pick up a waterproof mascara because it's been ungodly hot here and i didn't want to risk having a mascara meltdown, so i went with a trusted favorite, and i'm glad i did! although the waterproof version of Volume Exact seems to be a tiny bit less volumizing, it still gives the same great results as the original, and it comes off easily with my Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes, and Lips, $16.50. i've used Take the Day Off exclusively since i was a teenager, and it works so well that i've never even felt the need to experiment with other makeup removers! i usually tend to avoid waterproof mascaras like the plague because i think that all that extra pulling and tugging to remove them wreaks havoc on delicate lashes, but sometimes it's a necessary evil, and as long as you remove the mascara correctly, your lashes should be ok. my tip for tug-free waterproof mascara removal is to take a cotton pad (NOT a cotton ball, i don't think they work half as well), saturate half of it with makeup remover, and press it onto your lashes for a good 1-1.5 minutes for each eye. this will begin to melt and loosen up the bond the mascara has created over your lashes, so that you will only have to use the most minimal pressure to remove the pigment. after holding the pad over your lashes for a minute, apply gentle pressure and sweep the pad straight downwards, repeating as necessary. never, ever wipe back and forth over your lashes with the pad, it will cause unnecessary pulling and tugging on the fragile skin around your eyes and damage to your lashes. it's my personal belief that unless you have major mascara smudging problems, you should only use waterproof mascaras on special occasions, and your lashes will thank you for it!

what are your favorite drugstore guilty pleasures? your favorite, cheapest finds? let me know in the comments!