Favorite Products of 2009

Here are my favorite products for 2009!

(In no particular order)

1.Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash mascara: I did a review on this. It's just like LashBlast but without the flaking. It gives volume, length, and separates.

2.Bourgois double sided eyeliner pencil (cream end): I can't remember the exact name but I like it because it looks more natural than white.

3.Rimmel primer: This helps my makeup stay on longer (like it's suppose to ;) )

4.MAC paint pot in Painterly: It's the color of my skin, I use it to mask any discoloration on my eyelids.

5.Vaseline Healthy Hand & Nail conditioning hand lotion: My hands are really dry from all the washing and sanitizing I do all day. I finally found something that's not greasy and that doesn't leave my hands dry again 5 minutes after I apply it.

6.Carmex: I will never get tired of this stuff. It keeps my lips nice and soft.

7.Maybelline lip gloss in Blissful Beige: Great color, goes with everything, very natural.

8.Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion: This stuff will get rid of wrinkles (temporarily). It makes your skin so soft.

9.African Royal Hot Six Oil:I use this on wet and dry hair. It really moisturizes my dry, frizzy hair and it doesn't smell gross.

Castor Oil and the Amazing Lash

A while ago I had a few eyelashes that were broken off.  I'm not sure how they broke but they did and they were not growing back.  Of course I was in a panic.  What if all my lashes started breaking off?  What if I have to wear false eyelashes for the rest of my life?  So I searched various beauty sites and found out about a couple of different products.  Most of them were expensive so I decided to check out Ardell Brow and lash growth accelerator. (I later found it at Ulta) Unfortunately, I couldn't find it, so I decided to try castor oil.  I read that castor oil does various things, among them eyelash growth.  I got a small bottle at my local grocery store.

This stuff is amazing!  Not only did the broken eyelashes grow back but ALL of my lashes grew.  Now, I used the castor oil pretty inconsistently and it still worked.  I used it for the first week every night but after that I only used it sporadically. 

Here's how I use it:  After I take off my makeup at night I take a Q-tip and dip it into the oil.  Wipe off the excess (so it doesn't drip in your eye) and rub the Q-tip along both sides of the lashes and at the root of the lashes on the top side.  That's it.  It's that easy and the oil is inexpensive as well.  Definitely worth a try.

L'oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara

The new mascara (new to the U.S. anyway) is a new take on the mascara wand.  The design is a round ball with spikes all over it.  It's similar to the Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes mascara.  The first time I wore this mascara I was a little annoyed because on one eye I had some really long spiky lashes and on the other eye I had regular looking lashes.  I was not happy but I figured I need to get use to this new wand before I go making any rash decisions.  The second time I tried the mascara, I was much more happy with the results.  Although this mascara doesn't give my lashes great length, (actually it probably does have the potential to since I ended up with a few long spiky lashes the first time) or great volume, I like this mascara because it does get to those hard to reach lashes and it gives a nice no-clump coating to the bottom lashes.  Overall, the look is pretty natural.  I haven't decided if I would re-purchase this but it's definitely worth a try.

Haul

I picked up a few things, some that I have been wanting for a while and others that just look promising.

I got 2 lip glosses from  Maybelline (Bogo).  The first one is Blissful Beige.  It's shimmery nude color.  The second one I can't remember the name of.  It's Raspberry something.  It's a great color.  They are both really shiny and last a decent time. 

I also got the new Carmex Moisture Plus.  I only use Carmex chapstick so I was really excited when I found something new from them.  It smells really good, the packaging is definitely better than the the one in the yellow tube.  Unfortunately it doesn't moisturize the same as the little yellow tube.  It's good just not as good, so I'll stick with the original.

Then I got Angora Cardi and Matte About You from Essie.  As you all probably know, matte nails are HUGE for fall.  Matte About You is a top that you can use on any nail polish to make it matte.

I also got the new 3 minute undo from Garnier Fructis.  It's a deep condition with avocado, olive, and shea oils in it.  

Lastly, I got 2 Chi products I've been dying to try out; the keratine mist and the smoothing shine spray (not exact name).  So many people have said that these are great products.  I will definitely do a review on them.

VMA's, Kanye, Taylor Swift, & Beyonce

OMG!  I didn't watch the VMA's but I saw what Kanye did and I am so pissed.  He has the biggest ego in the  world.  So you make good music, so you've got an opinion.  Yeah and?  Other's people's opinion count too.  Kanye, you have no right what-so-ever to take away someone else's moment like that, no one does.   If you want to tweet, blog, vlog about it later go right ahead.  Kanye has no class, no compassion, no decency, and no common sense.  He has a perfect example of grace and decency right in front of him, hello Beyonce, and still he continues to act like a jerk.  Taylor handled herself wonderfully and Beyonce was so so gracious.  Kayne get a clue!  You're a terrible role model and from what I can tell a terrible person as well.

YouTube

O.K. So I've have been debating whether or not I want to make a video for YouTube and I finally did!  It's a short little haul video.  Check it out and let me know what you guys think.  

http://www.youtube.com/kjv80

Haul

So I did a little shopping.  I bought some stuff that I had been thinking about buying for a while and some new stuff I saw at the store and liked.  Here's what I got:

Revlon ColorStay makeup.  Everyone says this stuff is great.  I've worn it twice now and I agree!  It lasts all day long.

L'oreal Hip Color Chrome Eyeliner in Violet Volt.  This eyeliner is so pigmented and so creamy.  It glides on.  I've only tried it once so I'm not really sure of the staying power as of yet but the color is beautiful.

Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in Plaza Pink.  I don't usually wear lipstick but when I saw the ad for this new lipstick line I wanted to try it.  So far so good.  I have only worn it once so I can't give an honest answer on it's staying power.  The color is neutral and the texture is creamy and doesn't dry out my lips.

Maybelline eye shadow quad in Seashore Frosts.  I have been eyeing this little palette for quite some time.  I finally decided to get it when I saw a tutorial using two of the colors and I loved it.

Covergirl eye shadow trio in Shimmering Sands.  A lot of people say this is a great trio to have.  I looked at it and thought "Eh.  Nothing special."  I saw some tutorials using it and finally decided to get it since it was pretty cheap.  Normally I don't buy Covergirl eye shadows because I find they aren't very pigmented.  This trio is o.k.  I've used it a couple times and it's o.k. for a light neutral look.

L.A. Splash eye shadows in Nude Diamond and Premium.  I have never seen this brand before so I was excited to try something new.  I also liked the shimmery look of these eye shadows.  Unfortunately, it's not shimmery, it's super sparkly.  They are still really pretty, I just can't wear them for a daytime look.  They are perfect for the club though.