After my out-of-body glitter experience with Lippmann’s Happy Birthday polish last week, I thought I’d go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs when I spotted the sparkly bottles in their 10th Anniversary Celebrate Set ($35, limited edition).

If you really think about glitter — and I mean REALLY think about glitter (LOL!) — there are different kinds, right? From the Celebrate Set, I’d expected shiny happy glitter, but it surprised me with darker, less shimmery shades.

The color 411…

Ruby Slippers: For this shade, Lippmann jammed bits of red glitter into a black jelly base. The glitter bits vary in size, and the resulting polish, a semi-opaque black with a medium-shine finish, strikes me as something that would go well with sexy Halloween costumes, perhaps a nurse or traffic cop. It’s not something I’d wear every day, but it earns points for originality. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Funky Chunky: I just could not get this color to look pretty… It’s a shiny black with black hexagon-shaped glitter, which, in theory, could be very cool, right? Nope, not for me. While it has potential, it looked bumpy and messy, like fresh tar. That, and the glitter hardly even sparkles, BOO! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C-

Superstar: This polish packs small bronze glitter bits in a brown jelly base. I’ve liked the color ever since I saw it in last year’s Holiday 2008 collection. I still think it’s fun and totally appropriate for fall. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Ruby Slippers

Superstar

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Man, oh, man! There’s just so much I love about L’Oreal’s Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara ($5). Two coats transform my eyelashes from toy car to monster truck, and at just five bones, it’s also pretty cheap.

Before

After two coats, WOWZA!!

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Does The Greatest Scrub of All ($13) live up to its name? That’s hard to say, but one thing’s for sure: It looks *way* cute.

Doesn’t the pink/blue/gray packaging have a girly feel to it, like it’s a product that obviously doesn’t take itself too seriously? And, hello, the claim on the front of the tube? — “exfoliating grains that pop when you press them”?

Explosions get me every time…

A scrub for everyone

An exfoliating facial scrub marketed for all skin types, it contains salicylic acid (aka BHA) to slough away dead skin cells, control oil, clear clogged pores and fight pimples, and, as an added Tabs-approved bonus, Soap & Glory claims it was people tested (as opposed to animal tested, meow!).

I really like washing my face with it in the mornings, when the minty, kinda floral scent feels invigorating — much better than a wake-up call and without the annoying ring.

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To streamline my travel beauty routine and the airport screening process, I try to avoid packing products that 1) are liquids and 2) require a bunch of steps to use.

That’s why, for my trip last week, I grabbed a pack of Clean and Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes ($6 for a pack of 25).

They’re pre-moistened and come in a re-sealable bag that fits snugly into my carry-on luggage (a suitcase small enough for an overhead bin).

These beauties do double duty, making them ideal for travel. They remove most kinds of makeup (gloss, foundation, powder, blush and eyeshadow with ease) and cleanse skin at the same time. Even better, you don’t have to rinse.

After late nights playing Kitty Glitter, I liked returning to my room and removing my makeup in a flash.

They feel soft against my skin, have a light soapy scent that smells fresh and clean, and I don’t detect a residue or sticky film (I use them on my face and neck) after using one.

But when pitted against waterproof makeup, they kinda disappoint.

It took a lot of gentle rubbling to thoroughly remove long-wearing products like MAC Fluidline, Stila Lash Visor Waterproof Mascara and Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner.

It’s not a dealbreaker for me, but it does keep them from earning flying colors.

Being just $6 per pack, feeling great on my skin and smelling so nice, I think they’re a great bargain, but I do wish they worked a little better on waterproof stuff… Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Casual Fridays

Tabs is taking advantage of the new MBB Casual Friday work attire policy. What do ya think of his new outfit?

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Silicone-free drugstore conditioners are like pop stars who write their own songs — few and far between.

That’s why my eyes lit up when I read the ingredients on this bottle of Garnier Fructis Body Boost Conditioner ($5 for 25 oz.) at Tar-ghay.

I’ve been searching for a new product to condition wash my hair with, and I wanted something silicon free (for an explanation of condition washing from an old 2007 MBB post).

Why no silicone?

Because I’ve been hearing good things about silicone-free condition washing. From a hair performance point of view, silicones are said to add smoothness, slip and shine (from my experience, I agree), but many women refuse to use them, believing that they build up and weigh hair down over time.

Condition washing with Garnier Fructis Body Boost

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