Product Reviews

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for Your Body and Face: Highly Recommended for All My Alligator People!

December 31st, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

OK, so the packaging for CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($18.99 for a 16-oz. jar) is a bit…clinical, and it isn’t particularly schemxy, which is why, if you aren’t in the know, you might end up passing it by, but let me tell you…this jar is a gem! It’s a drugstore miracle for My Fellow Alligator People because it’s so, so moisturizing.

My skin gets dry and itchy this time of year, and this actually keeps my face and body completely moisturized. I can’t even count how many jars I’ve finished. It’s so good! — even arguably the best moisturizer I’ve ever found for super dry-skinned peeps.

The formula is chock-full of hydrating ceramides and hyaluronic acids — ingredients thirsty skin loves — but I think most of the heavy lifting is based on how the ingredients are delivered. The fine folks at CeraVe found a way to time release the moisturizing power slowly over the course of 24 hours, so your skin is constantly receiving hydration all day (and night) long.

Developed with dermatologists, Moisturizing Cream for Normal to Dry Skin has a unique formula that provides 24-hour hydration and helps restore the protective skin barrier with three essential ceramides (1,3,6-II). The formula also contains hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s natural moisture.

With ceramides 1, 3 and 6-II

Hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s moisture

Non-comedogenic

Fragrance-free, non-irritating formula

–ulta.com

cerave moisturizing cream ingredients — What’s inside

The thick, rich cream melts right into my skin the moment it hits it. Plus, it’s unscented, so my current favorite fragrance, Lancôme Idole, remains front and center stage.

I use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on my knees, elbows, shins, feet, hands and cuticles… Heck, even my friend Jane over at Daly Beauty swears by it as a face moisturizer. I usually get the jar that comes with a pump, but it’s also available with a regular ol’ screw top.

Oh, and if you like to save money (um, who doesn’t?), CeraVe has a coupon right now for $4 off any of their products.

So, yeah, this stuff kicks dry scaly skin’s boo-tay! I have to warn you, though — it just might be a CeraVe gateway product. The Moisturizing Cream opened the doorway for me to several other CeraVe loves, including the Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Renewing SA Cleanser, Skin Renewing Night Cream and Healing Ointment. Half my bathroom is now filled with CeraVe, and I’m not mad about it.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Our plans tonight involve chillin’ at home, watching movies and eating bread! Yup, I made a brioche in my new bread maker yesterday, and it turned out pretty good — soft and a little sweet, with a slightly yeast-y tang.

It’s delicious!

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Bite Beauty Upswing Full-Volume Mascara, and a Merry Christmas Eve!

December 24th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

bite beauty upswing mascara — Volume, length AND lift

“Like sands through the hourglass…so are the days of our lives.”

You know you watched HELLA soap operas when you see the brush on the new Bite Beauty Upswing Full-Volume Mascara and mumble the Days of Our Lives intro, hahaha!

This sh*t is crazy!

What’s with the curvy brush?

Bite designed it that way so the center of the brush head holds as much product as possible, which is then supposed to maximize how much mascara makes it onto the center of your lash line.

Concentrating the product right there in the middle is supposed to lift and thicken your lashes where you want it most — which is music to my ears (eyes?), because I’m all about mascaras that lift, lengthen, hold the curl, and embiggen in a bad-@ss way.

I want — no, I need — mascara to work minor miracles, and the ones I keep in heavy rotation all do it to varying degrees. Currently, I think the best overall mascaras for drama are Laura Mercier Caviar and Chanel Dimensions de Chanel, but neither of those are cruelty-free and vegan, unlike Bite Beauty Upswing.

“Upswing Mascara is powered by clean, vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free ingredients, including tree berry wax instead of beeswax. Tree berry wax, derived from berry fruit peels, grips lashes for volume and gives them an instant and buildable boost that’s both lightweight and smudge-resistant.”

-Official PR

The bottom line

If you’re looking for big, beautiful, dramatic lashes that can be seen from a mile away, AND you want a cruelty-free and vegan option, Upswing is legit. It doesn’t smear or flake, it layers well, and it’s easy to remove; however, one thing to keep in mind is that you may need to use a few layers. I’m a girl who likes A LOT OF LASH ACTION on my eyes, and I use about three, which is actually pretty normal for me.

Where to find Upswing

Upswing just launched on the Bite Beauty website and will also be available at Sephora stores and online starting December 29. It’s $28 for a 0.40-oz. tube, so price-wise, it’s in the same ballpark as Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, Too Faced Better Than Sex better and YSL Faux Cils. It comes in a single shade: black.

Some quick comparisons before I float away on a pink, sparkly inner tube…

Too Faced Better Than Sex — Upswing and Better Than Sex are in the same category, IMO. Both are cruelty-free and vegan, and both are made for bold lashes. Upswing is waaaaaaay better overall, though. It gives you more volume, more curl, more length, and it isn’t nearly as smudgy or flaky. Frankly, if you’re debating between the two, go with Upswing.
Laura Mercier Caviar — Upswing offers similar curl hold, length and lift, but Laura’s Caviar is more volumizing and doesn’t require as many layers. That said, it isn’t cruelty-free or vegan either.
YSL Faux Cils — Upswing isn’t as dramatic in terms of volume/thickness, but it offers similar length and curl hold. Again though, it isn’t cruelty-free or vegan.
Chanel Dimensions de Chanel — Better than Upswing when it comes to overall volume, length, curl hold and lift, but it’s also slightly more expensive at $32. That, and it, too, isn’t cruelty-free or vegan.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. One more sleep until Christmas! 🎅🎄 Coywolf, El Hub, Pretty Girl Rosie and I are just hanging out at home. We made some homemade lemonade, finished making a batch of brownies, some cheddar biscuits, and now we’re listening to Christmas music and rocking out. How ’bout you? I hope you’re having a nice night.

Product Spotlight: Wander Beauty Trip for Two Blush and Bronzer Brush

December 17th, 2020 by Karen 5 Comments

wander beauty trip for two blush bronzer brush — This brush is a makeup bag staple.

This $34 dual-ended blush and bronzer brush by Wander Beauty gets used daily! It’s a workhorse. It never sheds, and it beautifully blends all manner of formulas and products. It’s also cruelty-free (a big plus). A makeup bag must!

Calling all students, moms (cat and otherwise), and basically any and everyone who loves makeup but doesn’t care to fuss too much about it. Wander Beauty’s Trip for Two Blush and Bronzer Brush is your new BFF (best face friend).

If you’re unfamiliar with Wander Beauty, they’re a fairly small cruelty-free beauty brand all about fast, fresh, easy makeup, and that sums up this brush in a nutshell. It’s designed for use with bronzer and blush, but I lean on it for my entire face base, and no matter what I throw at it, it handles it with ease and grace.

wander beauty trip for two blush bronzer brush head — A closer look at the blush brush

It adeptly blends liquid and cream foundations and tinted moisturizers without leaving streaks behind. Cream blush, powder blush, gel blush, bronzer or highlighter — this brush fabulously feathers them all with gradients that transition seamlessly from light to dark. It makes it easy to do my entire base from start to finish. I just clean it gently between products by running the bristles across a paper towel.

The bristles, by the way, are synthetic…which I know some makeup lovers have a love/hate relationship with because, over time, synthetics can stiffen up. That said, this brush is just as soft today as it was the first time I used it, and I’ve been using it pretty much every time I put on makeup for a few months.

Did I mention that the bristles don’t shed?! Good stuff!

I really like the size of both brush heads too. They’re just right. They cover a good amount of space on my face, but they aren’t awkwardly big, so I don’t accidentally end up with bronzer or blush in places they don’t belong.
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Product Spotlight: You’ll Be Drawn to Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Powder Shadow Pens If You Love One-And-Done Eye Makeup

November 10th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

Your amusing factoid of the day!

The part of a pen responsible for the click-click-clickity sound is called “a thrust device.” 🖊️

You’re welcome! 😁

There’s no thrust device in these new $7 Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Shadow Pens, and aside from their cylindrical packaging, they aren’t very much like pens at all… When you twist them open, there’s a sponge tip inside, which is basically a fairly traditional preloaded eyeshadow applicator. In fact, there isn’t a felt tip or a ball-point pen applicator or a thrust device anywhere in sight.

Semantics, schemantics.

These cream shadows are great for a single, purposefully messy sweep of color on the lids because they’re only moderately pigmented, so they’re perfect for washes of quick, easy color.

The formula is on the thinner side, but I wouldn’t call it watery. It’s almost like someone melted a MAC Paint Pot and thinned it out a bit. It’s slick and slippery when it moves across your skin, and it takes some time to set, so you have a good 10-15 minutes to blend.

I would caution against using too many “pens” (“air quotes”) on your eyes in one sitting, though, because there seems to be a tipping point after which too much shadow results in the colors mushing into a muddy mess.

I also find the applicator a challenge to use and, even with the pointed sponge tip, the shadow always ends up a little bit off…which makes these difficult to use for layered looks with multiple placements.

That said, the price is right, though ($7 MSRP). They’re less than $10 each! And the wear time is fabulous. They last all day long on my dry lids with barely a hint of creasing, and that’s without using any primer with them.

If you’re a fan of one-and-done eye makeup, I think they’re great. Just remember to stick to single shadow looks, OK?

I would suggest starting with Flare, the matte cool-toned taupe. It’s the one I wear the most, and it’s a neutral everyday shadow color a lot like MAC Groundwork Paint Pot but more gray.
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Urban Decay Empire Eyeliner Is an Enchanting Jewel-Toned Gem

October 29th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

If you like the KAPOW! of black eyeliner but usually gravitate toward subtler shades like charcoal gray and brown, first of all, HELLO, ARE WE MAKEUP TWINS? Second, check out Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Empire ($22), a jeweled eggplant purple. Allegedly, it is not magical…but I’m not so sure about that.

urban decay empire closeup — Fallin’ for purple wings

Whenever I want some serious smoke, Empire softens into a hazy, gorgeous gradient…that’s also smudge-proof when it sets and stays put on lash and water lines. You can also use the super-smooth formula to draw razor-sharp wings or trace your lash lines with skinny-mini streaks.

urban decay empire k smile — Understated purple drama

Depending on the lighting, sometimes it looks matte, and sometimes there’s a hint of shimmer.

Magic, I tell ya!

Empire is a permanent fixture in UD’s lineup. Could it be your new favorite eyeliner for fall? 🤔

Ballerina daughters

Because Rosie is my youngest child. 😊 Anyway, Connor takes a live Zoom ballet class on Wednesdays, and apparently Rosie has decided she’s a ballerina too.

She parks her torbie booty in the middle of the floor and watches Connor jump over her and twirl around. It’s the funniest thing because Rosie’s just so chill about it. I’ve never seen a cat so unbothered…

Now Connor’s ballet teacher and the other little girls are used to Rosie’s cameos in class. I’m tempted to get her a little kitty ballet tutu of her own!

I’m running to Target in a few to grab some last-minute Halloween items because it’s going to be a very IMPROV Halloween ’round these parts this year.

Remember the crazy things we did, like go to Halloween parties?

Since nobody’s really trick-or-treating in our town this year, we’re taking Coywolf to a pumpkin patch on Halloween morning, and then we’re going to carve jack-o-lanterns in the afternoon. I’m also going to try doing a Halloween candy hunt for her (kinda like an Easter Egg hunt) in our little circle, if I pull it off.

What are you up to? I hope all is well.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen