Another magical jar

Anyone who has made a purchase from Sephora knows that they offer 3 free samples online and in-store. I received a small sample of Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation with 1 of my recent orders. One word . . . A-H-M-A-Z-I-N-G ! ! !I have discoloration similar to melasma on my face so I used the sample just on the discolored areas for about 10 days and it faded the discoloration by at least half. I wish I had taken before and after pics for comparison.


Sephora
This product is so impressive that I went ahead and forked out the $48 to buy the entire Ole Henriksen Enlighten Me Kit at my local Sephora store. I can't wait to see what a longer period of use is going to do for me!

Long-lasting eyeshadow

I have discovered a way to make my eyeshadows last longer. Even the cheapies.

I prime the eyelid with Loreal DeCrease primer. Then I apply the eyeshadow with a DAMP sponge applicator. Dip the applicator in a little bit of water then blot the excess moisture off of the applicator until it is almost dry. It will still contain enough moisture to put on the eyeshadow. Then just sweep on your eyeshadow. If it drips or takes longer than about 30 seconds to dry, you used too much water. You can just blot the applicator again with a tissue and apply more eyeshadow.

There IS one type of shadow that doesn't seem to work quite as well . . . glittery eye shadow. These are the eye shadows that have slightly larger glitter in them than you find in a shimmer eye shadow.

I have deep-set eyes so creasing is a problem for me. This trick has worked for me, even with the cheap eye shadows from the Dollar Tree.

Nail polish substitution

It is my understanding that this Chanel Peridot nail polish is really big this season. For those of us on a budget, I have found a similar shade. It is from Rimmel London's Lasting Finish Pro line and is called "Rags to Riches". It is slightly less gold than the Chanel polish (which is perfect for me) and cost less than $5 at my local Wal-Mart. I'm sure it can probably be purchased just about anywhere.

Leftover Halloween candy

As is the case with so many years past, we bought way too much Halloween candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Every year, I tell myself to just get 1 bag of fun-size candy bars and then, somehow, I manage to convince myself that we're going to need more candy this year so I buy 3 or 4 bags. And every year, we get maybe 25 trick-or-treaters and end up with tons of leftovers.

So this year, we have a plan. I had the Hot Tamale take out what he wanted for his lunches. Then I took a few pieces for myself and PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER. That way, I will actually have to plan way ahead if I want any as you can't exactly defrost chocolate in the microwave and it will keep me from over-indulging. (Yes, People, I have "mad" thinking skills!!!) The remainder was divided between 2 nearby families with kids.

So rather than eating all of the leftovers, freeze them. It will help you control your weight, cholesterol and your diabetic coma!

Cut calories in your salad dressing

I've figured out a great way to cut back on the calories in your salad dressing. I mix 1 T of Hidden Valley Hickory Bacon and Onion Ranch with 1 T of BBQ sauce. 1 T of the ranch only has 55 calories and 1 T of bbq sauce only has 25 calories. I also added a 1/2 t of lemon juice to my dressing today since there are no calories in it. There are 110 calories in 2 T of the ranch by itself and only 80 calories in 2 T of the bbq ranch. The bbq ranch is absolutely delicious and, because the bbq sauce has such a strong taste, it flavors your salad more but takes less to do it.

If your necklace is too small . . .

I was talking to a girlfriend of mine last week and she was telling me that she had purchased a stunning pearl choker but when she got it home, she discovered that it was too small. She went on to tell me that she wasn't going to be able to wear it.

I had one word for her - EXTENDER. What is an extender you ask? Well, it is a little piece of chain that you attach to the fastener ring of your necklace and it extends the length of your necklace by about an inch or inch and a half. It has a ring at the end of it so you still have a way to fasten your necklace.

This handy little item can be purchased at any jewelry store or it can also be purchased at your local Wal-Mart. The ones at Wal-Mart are sterling silver and cost less than $5.00.

Don't let a little thing like fit stop you from wearing your favorite jewelry pieces!

Cheap update for your shoes

I wear these shoes alot. They're comfortable. They go with just about anything. And they recently got a cheap update.

I purchased the shoes several months ago at K-Mart on clearance for $5.00. A month or two ago, I was browsing through Target and stumbled across these shoe clips. The price? $4.00! The shoe clips are made from black and silver zippers so even though it's a flower, it's still edgy. You can buy several pairs of different shoe clips and take them on trips with you to change up your look. I also stumbled across a really fancy beaded pair that I've had for years that I can use to dress up these same shoes. Talk about packing light!

I found it!

I previously blogged about how much I loved Demi Moore's taupe nail polish. I was seeing the taupe nail trend in magazines and online. I absolutely fell in love with the color. I'm not exactly sure what my attraction is but it is a great neutral shade because it seems to pick up the undertones of your clothing.

So I went to my local Wal-Mart to scour the shelves for a great taupe polish that would compliment my skin tone and not look chalky. I looked at different brands and compared them side by side before I made my selection. I have a winner ! ! !


"Taupe Drawer" Pure Ice Nail Polish by Bari Cosmetics, purchased at Wal-Mart, $2.00
It is affordable and easy to find. It's got slightly more purple than gray or beige so it looks great on cooler medium skin tones. It's not too dark or too light. It doesn't attract too much attention so it would be great for the office.

Everyone should have one really great neutral polish that will work for anything and I have found mine.

Hairstyle makeover

I just returned from helping one of my friends surprise one of her friends with a little makeover. This friend of a friend had been wearing a wig while her hair grew back and she finally had some regrowth but didn't know what to do with it. My friend thinks that I'm the short-hair expert so she called me in. It was the easiest hairstyle second only to my own.

Her wavy hair is approximately an inch and a half long. I had her wet it down and then just threw one squirt of Sleek and Shine anti-frizz serum from Garnier Fructis. I worked this in with my hands then combed it into a style. She looked so sophisticated. Unfortunately she wouldn't let us take any pictures.

When you have curly or wavy short hair, you don't really want to use alot of gel and other products on it. I normally only put a serum on my hair and let it air dry. Curly/wavy hair will do what it wants to do. It's the cut that determines how it looks.

Did you know . . . ???

Alot of people may not know this. It's a very useful piece of information that I got from someone I once knew.

Did you know that you can clean your sterling silver jewelry (or any tarnished metal) using a pencil eraser? Its true. I have cleaned many pieces that were showing some tarnish by just rubbing them with a regular pink pearl pencil eraser. It makes the jewelry look brand-new. After rubbing the metal with an eraser, you may want to rub it with a soft cloth such as a soft washcloth or old t-shirt and Voila! Good as new.