Hot Tip: Blotting Papers For Cheap!

Pinky McLadybits via Lainey

You know those thin face blotter papers that cost a bunch of money for a little envelope of them? Toilet seat covers do the EXACT same thing. So, you can grab a few of those and cut them up & keep them with you to blot your face when it's getting greasy/shiny, or if you're super classy like Lainey, just pull one out of the package and use it as-is.

You can also use tissue paper, like the kind used for gift bags, or Kleenex to blot the oil from your face.

It's Not Cheap Being Green: Lush's Mask of Magnaminty

Rusty

You ever have those products that you put down for months or even a year at a time and then when you get some again and you use it and think “Oh my god, why the hell haven’t I been keeping up with this all along?!? This is great!” Probably not, because it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. But I do, and one of the products that I’ll inadvertently abandon and then come back to is Lush’s Mask of Magnaminty face mask.

I’ve used this mask on freshly washed skin and over 24 hours since I last washed my face. I’ve used it in summer and winter, and everything in between. I get the same results every time and this is one of the few skin care products I can say that about given the way season changes affect my skin.

Rusty's Sample Roulette: Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens

Rusty

I order from Sephora kind of a lot. Because of this I have a giant box of samples just hanging out, waiting to be used. This… is… SAMPLE ROULETTE. Due to the brief nature of the use, I will assign ratings as 0 (stay away) 4 (I liked it, but didn’t love it) or 8 (love it and will probably be dropping my own money on it in short order). Enjoy!

I’m not one to use blotting sheets for my face, first of all because I don’t have oily skin and second of all because most of my familiarity with blotting sheets started and ended with the plastic feeling bright blue ones passed around the high school girl’s bathroom when I was a teenager. When I got a sample of Boscia green tea blotting linens I wasn’t anticipating anything extraordinary.

DIY Lemon Sugar Scrub: The Crafty Scientist Makes My Legs Happy! Wait...

Pinky McLadybits

Image via The Crafty Scientist

You may not realize this, but I'm sort of a crafty bitch. I make my own cross-stitch patterns, stitch them, attempt to sell them, and I'll try most crafts. Most. On Christmas Day, I was waiting for my parents to come over when I decided to find a recipe for some Lemon Sugar Scrub. I headed to The Crafty Scientist and found something quick, easy, and easily created from my limited resources.

I cleaned a glass jar, wrapped it with a ribbon and did the best I could with a labelmaker. I then presented it to my Mom, to her delight. Even better, this recipe makes so much Lemon Sugar Scrub that I was able to keep a small container for myself.

Ask Ink: Oil Cleansing With SeaKat

SeaKat

"I've been hearing a lot about the "oil cleansing method" from some crunchy granola types. I've got some fierce adult acne, and nothing else seems to work on my skin, so I'm considering going the natural route. Do any of you have any experience with this method? Is it BS? Does it work?"

SeaKat here! I’ve been using the oil cleansing method for almost a year now, and I absolutely love it. I have sensitive (and in the winter VERY dry) 40-year old skin. Most regular cleansers make me feel “tight” or “pulled” afterwards. Which SOUNDS like it might be appealing to a 40 year old, but it’s not like it gets rid of fine lines! It actually makes them look worse. And sometimes fragrances are a no-go for me. AND it kills me in the heart and the pocketbook to spend $15 or $20 bucks (or more!) for cleanser. That’s money that can be better spent on wine, friend.

The Body Shop Candied Ginger Body Butter: Smooth As Silk, Strong As Steel

Pinky McLadybits

I can't remember the last time I bought something from The Body Shop. At least, I think I've purchased stuff from them in the past...

Anyway, I had some Christmas money languishing in my wallet and decided to try out one of their giant body butters that I had heard so much about. It helped that Christmas scents were 50% off, making the regularly priced $18 body butter only $9. This fit in well with my cheapness and allowed me to buy 2 blu-rays and several Rifftrax with the rest of my money.

SCORE!

Dashed on the Rocks: The Body Shop's DeoDry Deodorant

Figgy

Oh woe is me, sadness in all things, the world is dark and there are seas of tears because The Body Shop has let me down for the first time. Why must there be such pain the world? Why must this deodorant stick exist and ruin my unshakable faith in thee, Body Shop?

But shake it it did, because this thing is kind of crap.

I had high hopes for it, both because it's from my new favorite store and because along with all of its products it boasts plenty of good things: Paraben free, not tested on animals, no aluminum salts (I guess that's a good thing?) and had "Volcanic mineral" (Holy crap, that sounds fancy!) and essential oils. And it smelled nice, like roses.

Tarte Up Your Lips: Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint

Cindy

I've never been that girl, the one who's addicted to lip glosses, sticks or even balm. Truth be told, I wear make-up pretty rarely...but this just might be the product that changes all that.

Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint is so pretty and soft and lovely, without being sticky or goopy and the colors are grand. You can buy these pencil/gloss hybrids individually at a pricey $29.00 a pop, but I bought a value set that included five colors for the same exact price! Now that's a deal I can justify--never having tried the product before and not knowing what color I liked--this kit allowed me to get a huge bang for my buck. And seriously, this deal is everywhere (Sephora, Tarte, QVC), so why would anyone buy just one?

Honey, You Need to Ditch that Apricot Scrub, Part II: Alba Botanica Pineapple Enzyme Facial Scrub

Tamatha

Last time we checked in, I was heeding my aesthetician, Lisa's advice to walk away from my apricot-walnut face scrub. I was loving the Pevonia Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser she had given me a sample of, but had to continue my search for a new scrub, because although amazing, Pevonia is a little too dear for my pocketbook.

I immediately thought of another facial scrub I had tried several years ago, a pineapple one, which at the time, I thought wasn't exfoliating enough. But now, well, we know that less exfoliating is actually better, so it seeemed like a good idea to give this facial scrub another try. Since it is from a brand I trust: Alba Botanica, that only added to its appeal. (You may remember that they make my favorite lip balm.) The facial scrub in question is their Pineapple Enzyme Facial Scrub from their Hawaiian Skin Care Collection.

Like Squeezing An Angel On Your Face: Clarifying Skin Serum by Lilith's Apothecary

Dixie

For years I thought the problem was with my skin - that it was too sensitive, too acne prone, too oily. No. I discovered about a year-and-a-half ago that the problem was not with my skin. It was with the moisturizer I was putting on it. (And with a transient coconut allergy, but that's a discussion for another day.) Apparently my skin has never met a lotion that it likes. But you give my skin a simple oil serum and, *heavens open, angels sing* suddenly it's happy and glowing and acne-free. If only all of life's problems were solved by rubbing a little good-smelling oil on them.

After literally weeks of searching for a facial product in the health food store that would soothe my skin, I turned to Etsy in desperation. 

Sally Hansen Healthy Cuticles Now!: A Dab'll Do Ya!

Vee

My nails are brittle and weak. No matter what I do, I can never seem to have beautiful hands without paying for acrylic nails. Maybe I am not patient enough to use a product long enough for it to be effective, but I've given up trying for long, strong nails and just go for healthy looking hands. Enter Sally Hansen Healthy Cuticles Now!, a cuticle cream with vitamins and soy protein.

You get a little under half an ounce of cream in a cute orange and white container. The cream is rich and emollient, without being greasy and it absorbs quickly. The scent pleasantly perfume-y but not overpowering. I leave the jar on my desk at work and dab it on my nails as needed. Because you need so little of the product, the small amount you get does last a while.

One With My Bank Account: One With Nature Rose Petal Soap

Nora

I have an unfortunate habit of trying to live luxuriously on a tight budget. I'm the kind of person who will get a Brazilian wax anywhere as long as the place promises to get the job done for under $30. At department stores, I buy cosmetics I don't actually need to meet the requisite minimum spending amount in order to get a $28-value bonus gift of miniature lipsticks and eye palettes.

When I wanted to go blonde, I made the mistake of letting two friends who thought it would be "fun" dye my hair because I didn't want to shell out the bucks for a professional. Not surprisingly, I'm usually disappointed with these experiences (never let someone get near your ladybits unless you're sure they've had practice), but sometimes - SOMETIMES - I get it right. An impulse buy of One With Nature's Rose Petal Soap was one such occasion where my penchant for getting the finer things at a cheap-ish price worked out in my favor.

Earth Science Papaya Glycolic Gentle Skin Peel

I'm with you Angry BBQ

Park

Ugh, winter!  This is the magical time of year when my skin if constantly bright red and dry from the wind (instead of the summer when its bright red and dry from the sun).  

Well no more.  Nope, I’ve decided that I’m going to be one of  those cute girls with lovely soft skin, and I’m going to try to do it without  having 3 zillion chemicals on my skin.

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse: Do You Want To Touch Me?

Pinky McLadybits

After reading Kolby's review of Maybelline's Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation and checking out the price online, I decided I needed to get some for myself. I had purchased some Cover Girl foundation that was supposed to be for sensitive skin, but it looked like shit on. 

Target had three different types of the Maybelline Dream Mousse Foundation: Liquid, Smooth, and Matte. The Liquid is for Normal Skin types, Smooth is for Normal to Dry, and Matte is for Normal to Oily. I chose the Smooth because, even with moisturizer that works really well, applying foundation tends to highlight every flake that was invisible before application.

e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer: For Less Than A Grande Latte...

Pinky McLadybits

I have a stupid red spot on my chin and one by my lip. This doesn't happen that often, but it pisses me off mightily when it does happen. Especially since I don't own any concealer. 

DON'T YOU JUDGE ME! Unless you judge me to be awesome, then carry on.

Anyway, I went to Target to buy flasks and a gingerbread house, as you do, and I went to the makeup aisle first. e.l.f. had Tone Correcting Concealer for $1.00, so I was easily persuaded to grab the Apricot Beige and fling it in my cart with the buttwipes and cleansing face towelettes I had already snatched up. I'm a buying machine. 

The Opposite of Stay Puft: Clinique's All About Eyes De-Puffing Serum

Rusty

Eyes can get puffy for a lot of reasons; allergies, other illnesses, overindulgence in certain beverages the previous evening, crying, lack of sleep, lack of caffeine, etc. The important thing is not why your eyes are puffy, but how to get to the point where you can leave the house without looking like you’ve taken to keeping a spare set of cotton balls shoved up above your cheeks.

I bought Clinique’s All About Eyes Serum several months ago in order to get a gift with purchase that was totally worth the expenditure. The Clinique saleswoman sold me the eye serum by mentioning the stainless steel applicator ball at the top and pointing out that you could refrigerate the tube in order to chill the ball down and increase its effectiveness the same way that boxers use cold stainless steel compresses to relieve swelling during fights.

Herbacin Kamille Hand & Nail Balm - Takes on Canadian Winter and Wins!

Park

Canada can be one tricky bitch.  

She reels you in with the free health care and politeness.  She makes you feel comfortable with her safe borders and the soothing sounds of “aboot” and “eh”.  Then, just when you aren’t expecting it: BAM! She throws freezing, skin-cracking weather at you for at least a third of the year.  

This means that frequent topics of conversation between Canadians during the winter months are: 1) How it's aboot freezin'  2)  What skin cream will stop you from having chapped itchy hands 24/7  and 3) some boring thing about Hockey that I don’t listen to.   

Rusty's Sample Roulette: Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation

Rusty

I order from Sephora kind of a lot. Because of this I have a giant box of samples just hanging out, waiting to be used. This… is… SAMPLE ROULETTE. Due to the brief nature of the use, I will assign ratings as 0 (stay away) 4 (I liked it, but didn’t love it) or 8 (love it and will probably be dropping my own money on it in short order). Enjoy!

Ole Henricksen’s Sheer Transformation is another in a long line of samples I’ve received of products that don’t seem suited to my particular skin needs. This one was formulated with anti-aging (still only 25) and dark spot/sun damage reduction (I don’t have dark spots unless you count freckles and the ones on my face have been fading since puberty.)

However, I am dedicated to the process of testing samples and reporting them to the internet so I opened the packet and began my short journey to the bottom.

Honey, You Need to Ditch that Apricot Scrub. Try Pevonia Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser Instead.

Tamatha

Last week when I was getting my brows done, I asked Lisa to leave the tops of my brows alone (I have blond eyebrows, I can get away with this) because my forehead was freaking out. I don't usually have sensitive skin, but on this day, I did. She commented on how dry my forehead was and said I should exfoliate. When I told her I do, she gave me a look. Later when I mentioned that I use an apricot/walnut scrub, her reaction was, "That is THE WORST!"

She then explained that apricot and nut scrubs are actually bad for your skin, because the scrubby bits are too sharp and actually cut your skin. (And then Kolby linked to this article in Tuesday, December 6th's Hot Links, which confirmed what Lisa said, so there ya go.) Lisa then gave me a sample of Pevonia Botanica Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser to try.

Pinky Tries It: DIY Miracle Mask

Pinky McLadybits

I don't know if you've checked it out, but I adore Pinterest. You have lots of virtual boards with names like My Style, DIY, Decorating, Food and Drink, Sexy Men I Want To Bone, or Hair and Makeup. Then when you find something online that you'd like to remember for later, you pin it to the corresponding board. It is highly addictive and you can spend so much time scrolling through the different categories and re-pinning from others. 

One of the things I pin a lot of are DIY things, like crafts or homemade product. I decided that I should actually try out these DIY products and let you all know whether they actually work. First up is The Miracle Mask from College Fashion.