…for Make Up Brush Cleaner:

Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner.  I’m no expert in makeup, but if I try something and it works, then I’ll stick with it.  I don’t remember how I first heard about Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner – maybe from makeupalley.com.  But the reason why I got it was because it was everything in one:  cleans, sanitizes, deodorizes, and conditions.  I’m not one to mess with shampooing my brushes and using anti-bacterial wipes everyday – don’t want to chance ruining the hairs.  I’m looking for longevity.  Whatever keeps my brushes in tact for a very very long time. 

I started out with the smaller size bottle and soon realized after my first use that this small size was not going to last me very long.  I would get the largest bottle (32 oz.) out there.  First thing I noticed when using this was the smell.  The first word that comes to mind is “toxic”.  The scent is like an industrial cleaner or something used in an auto body shop with a light hint of vanilla.  I tried looking on the bottle for an ingredients list but it was nowhere to be found.  It’d be nice to know if I’m putting paint thinner on my face or not.  After digging online I finally found what it was made of. Ingredients:  Hydrotreated heavy Naphtha, Dichlorofluoroethane, 1-Methoxy-2-Propanol, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, N-butylparaben, Fragrance, D&C, Green #6.

Seems the main ingredient is hydrotreated heavy naphtha.  I could not find any toxicity reports on this ingredient.  However, the ingredient is used in personal care products such as deodorants.  So I’m thinking it’s okay.  I don’t use the brush cleaner that often so I don’t expose myself to the fumes that much.  Bottom Line: It does an awesome job at cleaning all my brushes and they all dry quickly.

My hairstyle doesn’t change much.  It has always been long.  It’s easy to just tie it back in a pony tail, twist it into a bun, or just let it hang down without having to use irons or hair products.  But there are other reasons why I hardly cut my hair.  It is partly due to time constraints, partly due to laziness, and partly because I have never found the right hair salon.  There was only one person that was able to successfully cut my hair short with me actually loving it.  But she upped and moved to Reno, NV.  Bah!  Ever since then, every haircut after that at different hair salons have been a disaster and I eventually gave up on the search for another hair stylist and let my hair grow out.

Recently, I’ve gotten tired of my long boring hair.  And I work with people everyday who think I look twelve years old.  I wanted a hair style change.  I wanted something shorter and more professional looking.  That means I would have to actively search again for a hairstylist that knows what I want.  The first place I started at was the salon that did my hair for my wedding.  Why not?  She was nice.  And even better, her services were affordable. (more…)

I was working at an office with a bunch of girls one day and one of them started talking about shaving or waxing pubes.  She openly said she didn’t understand how anyone can go around and not have that area clean or managed.  Wow.  I was completely silent….because….I’ve never had a bikini wax before.  But I’ve never really had a reason to get a bikini wax.  That is, until we had booked our honeymoon on a tropical island.  So first thing I had to do was read Yelp reviews on local salons that give really good bikini waxes, especially for first-timers.

I have a system of looking through reviews whether it be for restaurants, hotels, shoes, electronics.  I seek out the highest rated.  The number of reviews are taken into consideration.  Averaging 4 stars from 150 reviewers says a lot more than 4 stars from 5 reviewers.  With Yelp, I only look at places with at least 4.5 stars, if not, 4.  But that’s as low as I go.  Then I read all of the 1 star reviews to see what their problem was.  Afterward, I look at the pricing.

Among the highly rated salons that gave great bikini waxes in my area, I narrowed down my selection to 4 potential places.  From there, I narrowed it down to 2 after looking at each website to get a feel of their business.  The way the website looks totally makes a difference.  From the 2 choices, I called each and whoever returned my phone call, I went ahead to book.  I really needed to get a bikini wax the following day because I was leaving in a couple days.  I know, I know.  I should have taken care of this at least a week before.

Anyway, my experience with bikini waxing–>  It was the quickest appointment I have ever had.  I took off my skivvies and wore a disposable underwear that was left on the table for me.  The owner came in and tried to get me to talk so I wouldn’t concentrate on the pain.  I really didn’t note if she double dipped or not since good reviewers look for those things.  I’m pretty sure she didn’t.  Then rip, rip, rip, and a quick tweeze later, I was out the door.

My newly waxed area was raw red for about 2 days.  It even started to develop a few pimples in the area but a little scrubbing cleared it up. Does that happen to everybody? The owner mentioned that the bikini wax would last about a month.  Not true.  It was 2 weeks later until I saw regrowth.  Maybe it’s just my genetics.  I mean… the hair on my head grows fast, too.

It was nice to be ‘clean’ or ‘managed’ down there when I was wearing a bikini.  But now that I’m back in reality, wearing granny panties, I don’t care about how ‘managed’ I am.  So I don’t think I would be keeping up on the waxing for a long while.  At least until my next vacation to a tropical island.

From May 1st to May 15th, NYX cosmetics is having a 10th year Anniversary Sale!  All items on NYX’s website is 50% off.  Never heard of NYX?  Me neither…until last year.  They sell their cosmetics at ULTA.  The only NYX product I ever bought was blush and I’ve never had a problem with it. They say they are an affordable professional makeup line.  I’m definitely eyeing a few things for purchase.