Beauty Tips

5 More Packing Tips for the Perennially Over-Packed

June 8th, 2011 by Karen 41 Comments

“Oh…is this yours?”

I wish “carry on” referred to a passenger’s ability to actually carry their bags onto the plane, because if that were the case, I’d start lifting weights tomorrow.

Can I get a show of hands from my fellow packing-challenged girls (you are not alone!)? My flight to Vancouver doesn’t leave until tomorrow afternoon, but knowing how I am about packing, I should probably start now!

You know the saying, “everything but the kitchen sink”? Yeah, forget that. I’m not leaving without the sink. 🙂 But seriously, I tend to over-pack.

I think I’ve gotten a little better lately, though. Had one two many close calls with lost luggage, and out of principle I refuse to pay the extra check-in fees the airlines charge (what a racket!).

Things like e-packing lists have helped streamline the packing process, but I’m always on the market for new tips, like these, which I gleaned from a travel segment on the Today Show last week (which I originally recorded for the NKOTB/BSB live concert performance)…

1. If it won’t fit, wear it

With carry-on space at a premium, wear as many of your bulky items on the plane as you can, like heavy jackets, platform shoes, etc. Not only will you save space in your bag, but since planes tend to be a little chilly, the extra layers should help keep you warm.

2. The goal is containment

Don’t forget those nooks and crannies. Fill any spaces created by larger items with smaller things to save space. For instance, underwear can be rolled up and placed into the cup of a bra, or a bathing suit (or socks) can be rolled up and inserted in a tennis shoe.
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The Goody Summer Waves Roller Project: Have You Ever Used Foam Curlers Before?

May 17th, 2011 by Karen 41 Comments

Have you used foam curlers before?

The other day I realized that in all my years of experimenting with different hair styling doodads, I’ve never once used foam curlers. No particular reason why. I think I just fell in love with my curling iron at a young age.

But since I’ve been hitting the curling iron a lot lately, now might be a good time to give foam curlers a try.

I can remember my granny rolling foam curlers into her wet hair before going to bed, so I plan to do the same with the Goody Summer Waves Rollers ($10 for 15 rollers) some time this week. They’re designed to build big, loose beachy waves instead of dense, tight curls.

I did a bit of research online and came up with the following steps to hopefully make The Goody Summer Waves Roller Project a curly success. 🙂

1. Work in sections

At the scalp, collect about a 2-inch lock of hair in one of your hands (measured about 2 inches along the scalp, as opposed to the length of the hair shaft).

2. Decide on the size of the curls you want

The volume of hair you wrap around each curler determines how tight or loose the curls are. For tight curls, wrap less hair; for loose curls, wrap more.

3. Coat hair with a styling product (optional)

This seems to be an optional step. I’ll probably use a soft hold hairspray, since my hair usually needs the help of a styling product to keep it under control. I’ve also read that a light application of mousse works well.
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How Well Does Sally Hansen Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax Work?

May 14th, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

Written by Emma

Should you take mustachioed matters into your own hands with the help of Sally Hansen’s DIY Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax? Find out now in today’s guest post from Emma.

Sally Hansen Microwavable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax

I have to admit, I enjoy playing with makeup, but I also enjoy sleep. In the past, I chose to stay in bed as long as possible before getting up for work, and I generally didn’t leave enough time for proper makeup application.

However, all that changed last year when I moved to the U.S. and was unemployed for an extended period of time. I started to make an effort to “do my face” in the morning, and in doing so noticed a patch above my nose where plucking just wasn’t working. My makeup seemed to cling to the hairs, and after much thought I decided that I would be brave and wax.

My dirty little secret: I’ve been bleaching my upper lip for years, but I’d never waxed anything on my face before. While contemplating this foray into facial waxing, I noticed a product at my local supermarket that looked like interesting. Sally Hansen Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax ($5.99) sounded perfect for me — no strips needed, and with results that last up to 8 weeks. I liked the sound of that because it reminded me of something my ex-beautician used on a rather more painful region. I thought, “This could be what I’ve been looking for!”

It’s supposed to be simple to use. Just heat based on the directions. Spread the wax using the spatula it comes with (apply in the same direction the hair grows). Then, let the wax cool for about 10-15 seconds. Using your fingers, peel up one edge, and quickly pull the whole section away, along with all of the hair it captured.

Having used it a few times now, here are my thoughts…

The positives

Well, it’s wax. It does what it’s supposed to do.
I do think it’s more convenient than wax that requires the use of strips.

Sally Hansen Microwavable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax
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Have You Shopped These Online Beauty Sites?

May 7th, 2011 by Karen 10 Comments

Written by Sam

Where do you do most of your beauty shopping? There are great deals to be had online, and today Sam brings us three online beauty shopping sites you may not have shopped before.

Online beauty shopping

Tired of harsh beauty store lighting and aisles populated by pushy salespeople? Are you fed up with the dwindling quality of products at some of the bigger beauty stores? If you’re ready to break out of a beauty buying rut, try these three online shopping sites on for size.

Beauty Encounter

Beauty Encounter is one of my favorite websites! There’s a slideshow right on the homepage that shows their five current deals and steals. Most often, the sales are geared around an event (like the recent 15% off deal they offered during tax time) or a holiday (they offered 15% off all natural and organic products for Earth Day).

Clearance items are also constantly being discounted (even now they’re marked down an extra 20% through May), and, if you take the time to browse through their gigantic lot, it can lead to some impulse buys at scary-low prices. Many products throughout the site are already below MSRP, listed as the “BE Price”, which can be as much, and occasionally more, than 50% off.

Every day, they choose a selection of products for their “daily deal” — products marked down even lower than the already low BE Price. In some cases it amounts to 90% off!

Their fragrance department is especially rife with special offers on everything from mainstream scents to niche colognes and perfumes. I like to just sit and wade through the pages and pages of products, many of them new, but also some discontinued, limited release, and other hard-to-find fare.

With every order comes three “free” samples of your choice, but be careful — you do have to pay shipping for them. The samples range from skincare to fragrances to bath and body items. And if you happen to spend more than $100, well, look at that! They waive the shipping fees (shipping is also prompt).

Sign up to their newsletter for an extra (on top of everything else!) 10% off your entire first order. Rest assured, Beauty Encounter is also an authorized retailer for every product they sell, which means you don’t run the risk of buying a knock-off fragrance or a watered-down skincare product.

Folica

In need of a new flat iron, hair serum, or deep conditioner? Well, look no further than Folica. The site offers a diverse array of hair care, styling, and coloring products to suit almost any need…at deeply discounted prices!

Their inventory leans toward the brands and tools the pros use, and you might not find some of the major drug and department store brands. For pro products, however, from Sedu to Davines to Wella, Folica has it all. And if you subscribe to their semi-weekly email newsletter, so can you. 🙂

You’ll get things like coupon codes (like to receive $25 off your purchase of $75), an extra 20% off the Buyer’s Choice Top 10 Hair Tools and Sets, or a free full-size product with the purchase of any item from a specific brand. If for nothing else, subscribing to Folica’s newsletter is worth it just for the coupon codes.

The site also has a vibrant buyers’ review section, which sets it apart from many of the lesser known beauty shopping sites, and it’s completely unregulated. You can read through hundreds and hundreds of truthful, thorough (and oftentimes harsh) reviews.

Folica also puts together heavily discounted product bundles, and if you need everything in one of them, the discounts are severe. As for shipping, unless you desperately need your order immediately, like for an event, or because that’s just the type of person you are (impatient, like me), don’t spring for the expedited shipping. Even with their regular shipping, Folica usually delivers within a few days, tops.
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The Beauty of Baking Soda

April 16th, 2011 by Karen 34 Comments

Written by Sam

Ladies and gentlemen, our next speaker asked if he could bring a pantry out on stage with him. Put your hands together for DIY beauty, and let’s give it up for Sam, as he shares the beauty of baking soda in today’s guest post.

The Beauty of Baking Soda

The girl before me finishes her story, and the applause of the crowd follows her off the stage. I take a breath, hold it. Release. The sound dies down, slowly. Someone just has to get that last clap. I let them do it, then walk up to the podium. I wish they had left some water or something up here.

“Hi, I’m Sam, and I’ve recently discovered the wonders of baking soda.”

They raise their eyes from their phones momentarily, then return to the glow of the screen. I get it. It’s been a long day of…well, the pamphlet called it a “Self-Improvement Seminar.” One kid in the front row rocks back and forth on his folding chair, the old metal creaking faintly. It’s distracting.

“You know,” I begin, “it started relatively tamely. I love to bake. Cookies, cakes, sachertortes… You name it. Anyway. Lots of recipes call for baking soda. It’s a leavening agent. Reacts with acids to release carbon dioxide. Simple stuff.

“But then one day, I spilled a bunch of it all over. My hands were covered in it, like, totally white.” It’s kinda funny how vividly I recall all of this stuff now. I really should have written a script or something, but winging it seemed appropriate in this venue. “So, just like anyone would, I went to the sink, pumped some soap out, and started to wash it off. But something happened. The stuff mixed with the soap, made a paste, ya know? Real bubbly. By the time I was done, my hands were soft. Like, soft soft. I couldn’t stop touching them. I’ve always had a thing for textures and the like. So I did it again.

“Maybe once a day to start, I’d grab a bit of the stuff out the pantry and just make a big bowl of paste with it and some soap, and just scrub. My hands felt so good. After a while, I thought, â€˜What if there’s more?’. But it didn’t come to me until a few days later in the shower. As I was massaging a bit of my regular drugstore exfoliator over my face, I stopped, and it was just like… yeah. I could totally use baking soda for this!”
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Pack It Up (I’ll Take It): Packing Tips and Greetings from the Bay Area

April 15th, 2011 by Karen 46 Comments

The 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower in downtown Toronto

Hey, buddy! I’m baaaack. Yup, I got in from Toronto a few hours ago. I’m still hella loopy with jet lag, but I’ve been bursting out of my Spanx to tell you about the trip.

It was just a quick, two-day jaunt, but it was enough to see that Canada rocks.

A flying Canadian school bus

Toronto has beaches!

California Dreamin’…

I’m under strict instructions not to divulge the mission parameters, yet, but the trip had everything to do with a three-letter word that starts with M and ends with C.

Are you freaking out? Yeah, me too. 🙂

Until the veil of secrecy lifts (soon), I’d like to talk about a subject that has plagued me for years: packing!

Imagine your most packing-challenged friend — you know, the one who brings everything but the kitchen sink — and multiply that by two. The resulting hot mess would be me. If packing was a sport, I’d probably never take home a medal. Most of the time, I just try to bring way too much.

But for this trip, I tried some new things, and I think I actually did pretty darn well.

1. Use a beauty e-packing list

El Hub gives me a hard time for packing, yet whenever we go on trips, all he has to do is throw a toothbrush, toothpaste and contact lens solution into a plastic bag and he’s done. It’s so annoying! I’m a gal who loves her products, and one Ziploc bag is not gonna cut it for me.

This time, since I usually agonize over what to bring, I used a beauty e-packing list to stay organized. It’s basically a checklist of products divided into categories that make sense to me.

No kidding, this sucker really helped. Before the trip, I created the list on my computer and printed it out. Then, I crossed things off as I popped them into my suitcase. Because of the list, packing took me about half the time it usually does.

(NOTE: I’m kind of a makeup nut, so your list may be shorter than mine.)
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Tuesday Beauty Tips: I’m Going Slim Cognito Tonight with the Spanx Mid-Thigh Bodysuit Shaper

April 12th, 2011 by Karen 25 Comments

Hark, what manner of slimming sorcery is this?? Its power is even greater than Nutella’s potent hazelnut hermetics!

Some say that Spanx are forged by magic, and I’m inclined to agree. Selkie’s have been singing the praises of this line of body slimming shape wear for years. There are several different pieces to choose from, but the Slim Cognito Mid-Thigh Bodysuit Shaper wins my personal wardrobe Nobel prize.

But first, a bit about my body. I try to be happy with mine, even though I’ve put on a few pounds over the past year. I’m healthy, after all, and everything works (knock on wood!), and in the grand scheme of things, that’s plenty good enough. Sometimes, though, I do miss being able to wear the cuts of clothing I was able to wear way back when I was thinner. Hence, Slim Cognito Spanx.

About Slim Cognito…

“Maximum compression fabric offers the ultimate control for tummy, hips and thighs, and provides a slight lift for the rear. The innovative style can be attached to your own bra to enhance the no-slip fit of the wide top band. The seamless leg design won’t bind or pinch.”

I discovered the power of this tummy taming monster at my Nordstrom Personal Stylist visit last week, and it was an immediate shock in more ways than one. Sticker shock due to the price — $72 for glorified underwear? Yes, because the proof was in the pudding, or in my case, the Nutella. Wearing Spanx, I felt my mid-section looked the way it did 15 pounds ago.

Over the years, I’ve tried other kinds of shape wear, but these Spanx are the best. I think it may have something to do with their high waist, which sits just below my bra (where it discourages any rolls from sneaking out).

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Be a Flying Beauty with These Airplane Beauty Tips

April 9th, 2011 by Karen 16 Comments

Written by Sam

Captain Sam says, “You are free to move (beautifully) about the cabin.” Don’t let air travel slow you down. Be an airborne beauty with the help of these tips from Sam.

Flying Beauty

Flying is perhaps the worst thing to ever happen to beauty. The dry, stale air. The awful, exposing fluorescent lights. The 12 hours of foundation meltdown. Obviously, planes weren’t meant for photoshoots.

So, how can you combat the common mishaps and mayhem the mile-high atmosphere can wreak? Before you flash your passport and board, let’s find out.

Please prepare for takeoff
Your biggest issue, even if you have oily skin, could be keeping your skin moisturized and supple throughout the flight. That dry cabin air seems to enjoy leeching all of the hydration out of everything (including your face).

The night before a flight, use a deep conditioning hair masque, and leave it on while you sleep for the extra benefit. That way, your locks will stay lush and lustrous throughout your trip, and your cuticles will remained sealed against any toxins that may be present in the cabin.

The morning (or whatever time it might be) before your departure, take a warm shower instead of a hot one (which can break down the lipid barrier on skin that keeps moisture in and toxins out), and try to keep it as brief as you can. Pat yourself dry instead of rubbing, and apply a nice, thick lotion all over within 60 seconds of stepping out of that steamy stall â€” while your skin is still all nice and porous â€” to lock that moisture in. If you have time, slap a moisturizing facial masque on for five minutes or so to give yourself an extra fortification against dehydration.

It's lip balm
Balms are your best friends on long plane rides. To start, because they don’t qualify as a liquid, you can freely get them past airport security without a hassle (making sure you don’t miss your takeoff!). And they’re also mighty multitaskers. Seriously. Oil-based balms (rose or carrot oil being two of the best) can fix nearly any beauty problem you’ll encounter on a plane.

Smear over lips to instantly repair and protect against cracking, peeling, and general dryness. Rub into cuticles to stop them from ripping and pulling (also add a nice shine to your nails, as well as protecting polish from scratching). Dab on the top of cheekbones to add a subtle sheen while pumping up the moisture. Smooth over eyebrows as a down-and-dirty alternative to brow gel. Hey, my brows certainly get wonky after eight hours in a musty aeroplane.
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