My mission today is possibly one of the biggest of all of beauty challenges: I have to go to the DMV to take a new license picture and somehow make it look cute.

The nasty florescent lighting, the institutional blue paper background … there are many elements that point toward certain disaster. Plus, I think the picture-taking dude that works at the nearby DMV REALLY HATES his job. He purposely waits for your eyes to be crossed, or for you to look like you’re confused before he snaps away, thus preserving your startled doe-in-the-headlights look for all eternity.

The only decent license picture I ever took was when I was 21 and weighed 20 pounds less … needless to say, I need a little bit more help now, since the fresh blush of youth and innocence has left (I’m not bitter!).
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I love trying new products – it’s the best part of being a beauty addict! However, when a new shampoo, skin cream or cleanser doesn’t work for me, I don’t want be stuck wasting money on a product that I don’t like. I usually buy products at the store and not online because for me, a big part of the experience is being able to smell and see the texture of whatever I’m buying. Plus, I like being instantly gratified. =)

I do three simple things to maximize my beauty dollars.
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Ahh, it’s been fun, but ‘tis the end of MAC MAKEUP WEEK here at Makeup and Beauty Blog.

This won’t be the last you’ll be seeing of it though – I’ll be sure to hold more MAC-themed weeks like this in the future.

For all of you that sent in e-mails, thanks for sharing. As promised, here’s what you, the lovely readers, love most about MAC!
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Alberto VO5 Tea Therapy Clarifying Conditioner in Vanilla Mint Tea

It’s usually standard operating procedure to wash your hair with shampoo every day. While this may work for many women, it doesn’t work for me because my hair is thick, wavy and dry. No, I don’t walk around with a stinky head of hair a la Pig Pen. I “shampoo” using a cheap drugstore conditioner!

Why Skip Shampoo?
I started skipping shampoo when my hairstylist noticed my hair looked and felt overly dry. She asked what my routine was, and I told her I was coloring my hair, and then on top of that washing and blow drying it straight every day. She suggested skipping a day (even skipping two or three days if I could handle it) between washing and blow drying. That way, my blow out would last longer and I wouldn’t have to subject my hair to the daily abuses of heat styling. Another alternative she mentioned was to skip shampoo entirely a few times a week. She suggested using water to rinse my scalp and hair and then following up with a conditioner.

I did this for a few years until I realized that I hated spending so much time with my hair dryer. If you have thick, long, curly hair and wear it straight, you know it can take from 45-60 minutes to blow it out. If you’re blowing it out at least four times a week that’s four hours spent with your blow dryer! When I had this epiphany I realized, holy crap, all that time I spent fighting to get my hair straight I could’ve been doing other things like learning French or building a better mouse trap.

So about a year ago, I decided to stop fighting nature and embrace my wavy hair. That’s when I learned about the world of conditioner washing.
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After a long day, I like to relax sometimes by watching the telly. What can I say? Buffy reruns are quite soothing. And don’t pretend that you can resist the lure of the “America’s Next Top Model” marathons on VH1, either. I know you can’t. It’s physically impossible.
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