Treat Yo Self: jewelry cleaning, tailoring, waxing

I love Aziz Ansari's character on Parks and Rec, and I love that he has given me Treat Yo Self.



I'd been lagging in some much-needed treating of myself, so I took care of a few items lately that are worth sharing.

1) At-home jewelry cleaning

You know those little round bottles of jewelry cleaner that cost $5 a pop and kind-of sort-of get your ring clean? I'd been using those for years (specifically, the 6.5 years we've been married), but my ring was never really coming out that clean. I wanted to recreate that sparkly-just-got-engaged ring of 2005. It's been recreated twice, both times when Matt took my ring into a jewelry store and asked someone to clean it. Because I feel pathetic taking my ring into a jewelry store every month to get it sparkly again, I started looking for alternatives. Matt found the well-reviewed Sonic Wave CD-2800 Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner on Amazon.

Let me say this product is amazing. It's pretty inexpensive (we paid $27), it doesn't take up much space, and most importantly it makes my ring sparkle perhaps more than it did on the day we got engaged. It's also kind of funny because it looks like a little spaceship for your jewelry, and when you turn it on this blue light comes on (which to me looks like the future). It takes about 3 minutes for the machine to complete a cleaning cycle.

Matt also read that putting a drop of blue Dawn dishwashing detergent in the machine will further enhance the jewelry's sparkle, so we invested in a bottle.

So, if you want brand-new looking jewelry, treat yo self.

2) Saving busted jeans thanks to a good tailor

You know how I love me some too-expensive Citizens of Humanity jeans? Aside from my maternity jeans purchase (which doesn't count), I only owned two pairs of these jeans, and they've gotten me through many, many wearings over three years. Then I had a baby. No, my body actually didn't change, and the jeans continue to fit me perfectly. But having a baby means lots of crawling around on the floor. So one of my pairs of jeans got a giant hole in the knee. That pair was beyond repair and now is my an around-the-house-only pair of jeans. My other pair of jeans got two holes in the crotch area, but the holes are so tiny and hidden that I thought I should try saving these jeans with the amazing tailor I found about five years ago.

I am so glad I took my jeans in for patching a few weeks ago. I spent $20 to get them professionally patched, and I think that small amount of money was a great investment for what will hopefully prolong the life of the jeans for at least another year, perhaps several more. My tailor put some black material inside the crotch area of the jeans and by some act of voodoo sewing made them look perfectly new. Seriously. Amazing. I'm especially glad I saved these particular boot-cut pants because they are practically obsolete, as a recent jean-shopping expedition to Nordstrom revealed.

3) DIY bikini waxing

Man, if I could choose an area of my body to never have to remove hair from again, it would be my bikini line. Because I don't want to invest the time and money into laser hair removal, though, I've experimented with various DIY waxing options, including wax strips and sugar wax. Prior to our recent Bahamas trip -- which I dubbed our second honeymoon, so I wanted to look especially good -- I went on the lookout for some new products. I stumbled upon the Parissa Strip-Free Hot Wax for face, brow, and bikini. I will admit I was both intrigued and terrified by the idea of strip-free waxing, not to mention the idea of applying hot wax to my own body.

 
I have to say I am now converted. Though a bit messy, I found this product way easier to use than I imagined it would be. We have a gas stove, and I placed the metal wax container straight over a burner. It only took about a minute or two for the wax to warm up. One pot of wax can definitely be used for several different applications. Sure, using the wax was a little painful, but beauty is pain, right? I've never had a pain-free waxing experience. Also, the results really did last a long time, and that's what matters most.

So, ladies, go out and treat yo self.

Anti-bug juice: Skin So Soft

Today's short post is brought to you from my steamy office where temps are up to 88 degrees, thanks to the fact that our AC is disconnected. Of course, the reason our AC is disconnected is a good one: our concrete patio is being poured as I write this! So, I'll be thrilled when we not only have an awesome new patio to enjoy, but also when we have some temperature control in our home. This is one item from the summer bucket list!

So, I'll be making my way back downstairs in front of the fan in approximately 5 minutes before I melt, but I thought I would share this simple product appreciation post.

During the late spring I started thinking about bug spray and how I would rather not spray myself with true bug spray in an effort to avoid unnecessary chemicals, especially during pregnancy. I remembered back in the day when my Aunt Sandra was an Avon lady and she would give me Skin So Soft (I was 8) and tell me it's also a perfect bug repellent. Back then I didn't particularly care, but the lesson stuck. This also appears to be a lesson many ladies have learned from their southern female relatives, and I definitely have plenty of southern females in my family.

So when I passed the little Avon kiosk at our mall in early June I knew I needed to buy a bottle of the original spray formula. I'm so glad I did. So far this summer I have not gotten any bug bites (knock on wood). This is apparently quite a feat given the supposed fact that pregnant skin is more sensitive and more likely to appeal to bugs. For $6 it has been worth it.

Neutrogena Naturals purifying pore scrub

I was pretty excited a few months ago when I saw a coupon for a new line of natural beauty products from Neutrogena. This company's products have consistently been my favorite drugstore brand since I was a teenager, and I was really excited to find another product with fewer harsh chemicals. I've been using a natural body wash for several years, I switched to a zero-sulfate shampoo a year and a half ago, so a healthier face wash was the next logical step.

Of course, I still consider it a bit of a gamble waiting to see whether or not a green beauty alternative is actually as good as the chemical-laden stuff. I am happy to report that this Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub is as good, if not better than, the Neutrogena acne wash I used in the past. (Yes, I will take acne to my grave, let me tell you.) The fun part I've discovered is that my skin doesn't care if I am using an acne wash or not, I will still break out, so why add more unnecessary chemicals to the mix and why not just let nature run its course?

The bottle claims that this product contains no "harsh chemical sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes, phthalates." The product is also not tested on animals.

Besides these great features, I really like the pleasing smell of the face wash. It must be the jojoba oil. Whatever it is, it's refreshing during that 6 a.m. shower. It's also reassuring to feel those tiny exfoliating beads -- it at least feels like something's working!

Finally, the price is right. A tube of this face wash lasts me three months and costs $6.99 at Ulta. You can often find coupons for this line of products in Sunday circulars (or wait for a buy one, get one 50% off deal at Ulta as I did this weekend).

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how much I spend on beauty products, and as I finish compiling my results I'll share them with you in an upcoming post. In the meantime, thank God it's June!

Fave new product: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Last spring as I was winding down my spring cleaning, I shared with you some of my favorite products in my Spring Clean Yourself posts. Looking back on the past year, not much has changed in my beauty routine (besides more time spent in front of the mirror yanking the occasional gray hair that creeps up). I did, though, discover Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage concealer this winter, and I'm quite happy with it.

Unlike the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer that I love so much that comes in a variety of shades (and I, of course, need to extremely white shade labeled "porcelain") this Secret Camouflage product is labeled by numbers. I still need shade number 1, which is made for the palest of the pale, but there is greater variation within an given shade because the palette comes in two parts that allows users to customize the shade to perfectly conceal imperfections based on skin tone.

The Secret Camouflage instructions recommend applying the concealer in light feather strokes, and this helpful hint has given me great success in blending the concealer into my skin. Ever since we got home from Mexico last month I've had a healthy enough glow to my skin that most days I've skipped the tinted moisturizer and just applied the Secret Camouflage. I always feel more confident when I've got a slight tan, so I hope I can keep a little color as the temperatures warm up, but I like having the Secret Camouflage to fall back on as a reliable blemish concealer. My zits will probably never completely go away, but at least I can deal with them better than I could before!

Eye cream: don't get too attached

I already alluded to my brief mall excursion on Saturday (you know, when I got cut off by the Baby on Board guy). One of the two main reasons for my trip was to finally replenish my totally used up supply of eye cream (or eye depuffer, as I more affectionately call it).

The good news is that my new-found favorite Korres Sugar Crystal Antioxidant Collection Regimen Kit lasted me about ten months. The bad news is that Sephora no longer carries this product because it was, of course, a limited edition. Add this one to the list of products I fall in love with only to discover they've been discontinued (insert many curly-hair products of the past here, though thankfully at this point I can still get my hands on these).


Thanks to my success with this Korres product, though, I figured I would give another Korres product a shot and settled on Evening Primrose Against Fine Lines and Dark Circles Eye Cream. I like a descriptive product, and this sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. At $35 for a tube that looks like it should last me many months, this seems like a reasonable solution.

After I've had more time to experiment, I'll let you know how this new product is working out for me. In the meantime, does anyone have a favorite eye cream? Or a favorite product that got discontinued?

Spring clean yourself 7: At the drugstore

I tend to get most of my everyday beauty supplies at drugstores, though several of these "spring clean yourself" posts have shown off some of my pricey items from department or specialty stores. So let's round out this week's series of posts with some drugstore discoveries.

For the best...

Product 11: CVS Pharmacy Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover -- $5.99 (and often on sale -- as it is right now -- for $3.59).

I used to buy the Neutrogena brand that is nearly identical to this, but at $7.99 for the same product it seemed unreasonable not to give it a try. I am getting so much better at buying generic items whenever they are as good as the brand-name equivalent, and I am increasingly discovering that they are usually the same.

Product 12: Cottonballs

I know this seems random, but another money-saving strategy comes into play here. I used to buy those cotton pads for make up removal, but then I discovered how a bag of cotton balls is so much cheaper and lasts so much longer. And at the end of the day, they work just as well.

Product 13: Clean and Clear Persa-Gel 10 -- $5.99

If you've got an obnoxious little zit causing you agony, a little dab of this benzoyl peroxide product overnight will most likely lead to a noted change in the morning. The downside: watch out for your pillowcases! If you need to use this product, try resting your head on an old pillowcase. Easier said than done perhaps, but once you've ruined a couple pillowcases as I have you'll learn your lesson.

Product 14: Avalon Organics Bath and Shower Gel -- assorted fragrances, $7.35 at Amazon

Here's one attempt at removing products from my life containing parabens as well as companies that use animal testing. I hope to use more products that are healthy for me, animals and the planet, and this is a step. Plus, this stuff comes in lots of great scents. Right now I'm using rosemary, and I recently finished a peppermint bottle. They just smell fresh.

For the worst...

Product 15: Alba Botanica Clear Enzyme Deodorant Stick -- $6.45

Here's another attempt at a healthier product, but this was a product fail. The lavender-scented product smells great and is aluminum-free, making it seem like an ideal candidate for a new product, but then I could smell myself by the end of the day, and that never happens. I am a very clean-smelling person. I am waiting for someone to develop an aluminum-free deodorant that won't leave me feeling smelly by 3 p.m.

Product 16: Rimmel Cool Touch Cream Shadow  -- it's super cheap, but...

All I can say is that this a really watery product, and I am now forever a fan of Bobbi Brown eye shadows, which is unfortunate because they are significantly more expensive. Still, I might as well have never bought this product because it's just bad and I have hardly touched it.

The jury's still out...

Product 17: Secret Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant -- $9.99 (though this is another product you'll often find on sale or find a coupon)

I don't have a major sweatiness problem. Instead I'm always looking for ways to combat yellow underarm stains on clothing I'd like to wear for a while. I am not sure if this product is great or not, even though I've been experimenting with it for almost a year. And it's much more expensive than regular deodorant, so I may be switching back soon. You're supposed to apply it at night because that's when your body temperature is the most stable and the product can really go to work. It's supposed to last even after you shower, so the idea is that night-time application should be sufficient to cover you for the entire day. I will say that my new clothes I've purchased since using this stuff have way fewer stains, but I also don't know if this product is as good as plain old deodorant when it comes to keeping you feeling, I don't know...fresh? So if I smell, just tell me.

Ok, now please share: what are your best and worst drugstore products? Got any thoughts on clinical strength deodorant?

Spring clean yourself 6: Scar reduction

I realize the subject "Scar reduction" might seem more roller-derby chick than organizing-girly-girl chick, but I suppose this is where those two worlds meet.

I don't have many scars. I guess I have lived a pretty careful life, in case you can't tell from this blog. I  have one on my knee from when I was in second grade, jumped down a flight of stairs and landed on a vacuum cleaner. But other than that, I'm good...until this summer when I met the only animal that has not liked me.

Enter little devil dog. I met her on the Fourth of July at a cookout. She literally attacked my leg -- ran across the kitchen and latched on with her tiny, ferocious teeth. In retrospect I should have kicked her off me, but being a friend to animals I looked down in shock and then watched as the owner quickly pulled her away. In just a second the damage was done. I had a bleeding, swelling gash in my right leg, and all the ice packs in the world couldn't keep a two-inch scar from developing soon after.

With cautious optimism I tried this product in the fall after I noticed that the scar was not going away on its own.

Product 10: Bio-Oil (scar-reduction product)

I picked this up at Wegmans, our local grocery store, and started applying it once a day in the fall, even though the directions recommend using it at least twice daily. As I began to notice results a month or so later, I started getting more serious and began following through with the twice-a-day application. Tip: If you have trouble remembering when to take a medication or follow another personal routine, consider putting your supplies next to your toothbrush; that way each time you brush your teeth you'll be able to more easily incorporate your new routine.

A little of this product goes a long way. The bottle I purchased only contains 2 ounces (here at Amazon for $9.87, though you can likely find it at local drug stores or groceries). If you look closely at the photo you might see how it looks like I've barely made a dent in this bottle in over seven months of use.

This product has been recommended to not only reduce the appearance of scars, but to also even out skin tone and reduce stretch marks. I can't speak to anything but its ability to reduce scars, and for that it has done its job well for me. My once-red line on my leg has been reduced to a smaller, tan mark that continues to fade. Now from a slight distance it's almost invisible.

Maybe nature could have run its course without the aid of this product, but if nothing else I have been pleased to speed that process along.

Coming tomorrow...final spring clean yourself post...best and worst drug store purchases.

Spring clean yourself 5: Under-eye care

When it comes to personal appearance, besides my hair, I am probably most self-conscious about my dark, sometimes-puffy circles under my eyes. I think I can partially blame genetics for this ailment, but I also notice that waking up Monday through Friday between 5 and 5:30 a.m. 10 months of the year (I love you, summer) exacerbates the problem, no matter how many hours of sleep I get. On the weekends, even though I am just getting my standard 8 hours of sleep that I get during the week, just waking up a couple hours later seems to do the trick.

But when I have no other choice as to when I get up, lately I have found myself reaching for this product...

Product 9: Korres Sugar Crystal Antioxidant Collection Regimen Kit

For the past five years I had been using Clinique's All About Eyes cream, but lately I had been finding myself disappointed with the results. When my last batch of the Clinique product ran out a few months ago, I frantically read all the eye cream labels at Sephora, desperate for something better but not super expensive. A sales associate promised me that in her experience, this Korres eye product is the absolute best item Sephora carries. With that glowing endorsement, and the fact that this set of two items for $39.50 costs less than Clinique's All About Eyes (ringing in at $47), I figured I would give it a try.

I have not been disappointed. Granted, I have been religiously applying it in the morning and at night right before bed (the latter which I did not do as often with the Clinique product). With this religious application, my dark, sometimes-puffy circles have virtually disappeared, leaving me looking, and therefore to some degree feeling, more awake.

How to apply
First, you apply the Antioxidant Eye Treatment for puffiness and dark circles. One pump of the canister creates a button-sized amount of this sugary concoction in your palm, and that is enough to cover both your eyes. Remember to use your pinky or ring finger when applying, because those fingers have weaker muscles and are therefore less likely to damage your already-thin skin. Then you apply a similarly small amount of the Multivitamin Antioxidant Treatment over the thin layer of the Eye Treatment. This second product has a consistency more like a thin lotion.

Organization tip
For the first couple weeks I was using this product I could not keep the two bottles straight, and I was constantly finding myself struggling to read the really fine print on the labels each morning and evening. Then I came up with this solution: use a Sharpie to label the tops of the caps as 1 and 2. Now when I look down at my dresser I can easily find what I need.

The best testament I can make about this product is that, even while I have been at my palest, this product eliminated the dark circles amplified by my super pale skin. If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is.

Spring clean yourself 4: Curly hair products

Let's start today with the little postcard my mother used to have hanging up in her office (in the late 1960s) before she gave it to me...

Actually, in my experience, people expect you to be: 1) artistic or 2) Jewish. The latter especially. I cannot tell you how many times people said to me, "Oh, I thought you were Jewish, I mean you have curly hair." For what it's worth, I did buy a package of matzoh last night (and the label made Matt and me laugh -- it said, "The matzoh with the taste!" Really??? What taste?).

Although I may not be Jewish, I certainly have insanely curly hair. We're not talking wavy here, folks. We're talking mind-of-their-own, source-of-some-of-my-greatest-physical-embarrassment, spiraling, frizzing, 100-percent-genuine curls. One of my greatest pet peeves in life is when people who have *maybe* wavy hair (if they're in the rainforest on the hottest and most humid day of the year and forgot their hair products) claim they have curly hair. I imagine this is how 5-feet-tall ladies feel when someone 5'6" complains about being "short," or someone 65 feels about someone 30 who complains about being "old." Trust me when I say my hair is curly, and if yours is too, I hope my wisdom gathered here from experimenting with about 760 products can guide you somehow.

And if you're a mom and you have a daughter with curly hair, please read:

1) Do not brush her hair. For the love of God, just let it be. It will be prettier that way, and she will not be subject to lots of "'fro" jokes as a child that she will still remember when she's 28.

2) Do not blow dry her hair. Air dry. Again, just let it be.

3) Do not try to straighten her hair. Teach her to love having curly hair (or at least accept it) and learn to work with what she's got.

And if you're a mom and your son or daughter is around 2 years old and still doesn't have hair: maybe your kid will be curly headed! I was totally bald until well into my third year, when the curls started to come in with no mercy!

Ok, now for the products. Let me walk you through curly hair maintenance, from shower to styling.

Product 5: Shampoo: Anything by Pureology
Pictured below: Antifade Hydrating Shampoo

This first product is actually the only one I'll mention that's not specifically designed for curly hair. But it is one amazing shampoo. I do not color my hair (except for two times four and five years ago respectively when I got my hair highlighted and I was famously told by a lady at our rehearsal dinner that I "should never not have highlights," implying that I suppose I look ugly without highlights? Oh well.). But this shampoo is high quality in that it has fewer chemicals than standard drug store varieties, and you can actually feel the difference. My hair gets smoother and physically feels cleaner with this shampoo than it has with any other shampoo.

A few months ago I was feeling like my hair was looking kind of dull and losing some of its natural highlights. My awesome hair dresser Wendy suggested I try this Pureology line, and while I rarely make spur-of-the-moment beauty purchases, I bought this one (from Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa for $27, but also available at Ulta for the same price). A little of this stuff goes a long way. I use a nickle-sized amount about twice a week. That's another piece of curly-headed advice: Do not shampoo too often!

Product 6: Conditioner: Graham Webb Making Waves Curl-Defining Conditioner

Most days when I am not washing my hair with shampoo, I at least use a tiny bit of this conditioner. I learned about Graham Webb products about three years ago when Matt and I were waiting for friends to meet us at a restaurant and I was admiring another curly-headed girl's hair while enjoying a margarita. I said out loud, "I wonder what products she uses," so Matt actually drags me to her and says, "My wife would like to ask a question about your hair," and her guy friend says, "You want to know what products she uses, don't ya?" She had great curls and, not surprisingly, gets asked that question all the time. I get this product at Ulta in the store. Full-price it's $14.95, but I never go there without a coupon --usually 20 percent off one item, or $3.50 off purchase.

Now, on to styling. First, the two styling products:

Product 7: Styling: John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum Extra-Strength Formula

Here's one you can find just about anywhere -- I usually get mine at Target or Wegmans. It's also the only product for which I can usually find a coupon in a Sunday circular. I usually paid around $5.50.

Product 8: Styling: DevaCurl AnGEL

This is another one I get at Ulta (around $17), and it's one I bought on a whim. I think I had tried all the other curl gels out there, and I was looking for one that would do its job of de-frizzing while still maintaining consistent curl shape throughout the day, and this one works as advertised (or the advertisement I saw after the fact). I also love puns, though I hate the word "diva," so I guess we're even.

When it's time to style my hair, here's what I do:
1) Taking wet hair, put two-thirds of my hair up in a big clip, leaving the bottom layer loose.

2) Put a tiny bit of the John Frieda stuff -- we're talking button-sized -- in my hand and work it into the bottom third of my hair, starting at the roots and running down to the ends.

3) Put a similarly button-sized amount of the DevaCurl stuff in my hand and work it into the bottom third of my hair, again starting at the roots and running down to the ends.

4) Reclip my hair so that the next third is loose. Repeat steps 2 and 3.

5) Take out the clip, and while applying the John Frieda and DevaCurl products, hold hair up vertically to give the top of my hair better definition/body to avoid having droopy curls.

6) Spray a little bit of hairspray (any kind will do the job).

What are the best curly-hair products you've found?

Next spring clean yourself product...puffy, dark circles under your eyes? Yeah, me too. Here's the best item I've found for that.

Spring clean yourself 3: Eyebrow gel

If you've got out-of-control, curl-on-their-own-accord eyebrows like me, you may want to seriously consider checking out this next product. I've already got a few ladies hooked on this, and it turns out several other friends discovered it on their own. And, it's another Sephora top seller.

Product 4: Anastasia Brow Gel in clear

To use this item effectively, just make one quick swipe over each eyebrow. It's sort of like a brow hairspray that will keep your brows in place all day. My only gripe with this product is that it can be difficult sometimes to moderate how much makes it onto your brow, so be sure not to have too much gel on the applicator.

You can also buy this product in blonde and brunette varieties at Sephora. There are three more colors you can order directly from the Anastasia Web site: caramel, espresso, and granite. All brow gels cost $21 for this mascara-sized tube that will last you a long time, perhaps years, if you're careful not to over-apply.

Now if you have unruly, totally-out-of-control curly hair covering your head, that's something I've battled my entire life, and that's the subject of the next spring clean yourself post, so stay tuned!

Spring clean yourself 2: Tinted moisturizer

I really hate foundation, so I don't wear it. Maybe one day when my skin tone is even more uneven I will suck it up and make a change, but for now I am content with tinted moisturizer.

Product 3: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain or Nude

I thank my friend Sam for introducing me to this product. Over the years she has introduced me to a lot of products, including a favorite hair product that I will write about later.

I have this moisturizer in two colors to reflect my changing skin tone between fall/winter and spring/summer. I am incredibly white, though thankfully there are people out there even paler than me, so the porcelain color is perfect on my skin tone when I am at my whitest (it is also the lightest color in this line). Nude is one step up from porcelain. If I am really tan, for one or maybe two months out of the year if I've spent enough time at the beach or pool, I skip all tinted moisturizer altogether.

This product contains SPF 20, and I can attest to the fact that it works by itself. Most of the time, though, I wear just good old Oil of Olay underneath the tinted moisturizer to ward off the signs of aging for as long as possible. I also find that a little moisturizer underneath the Laura Mercier product makes it easier to even out coverage.

This product comes in regular and oil-free varieties. A cruel joke of middle school sex ed is that they make it sound like your acne problems will go away after puberty. Maybe they go away after 30? Somehow I doubt it. While my acne is not out of control, I figure the oil-free option is a safer bet.

The coverage, as you can imagine, is light, but I hate the feeling of caked-on foundation. If you struggle with the foundation line that can appear around your jawbone, I have noticed that it is easy to avoid with this product.

You also do not have to use too much of this product for it to work, so one bottle lasts me an entire fall/winter or spring/summer season, sometimes even longer.

I had been buying this at Nordstrom, only to discover that Sephora carries it, and apparently it's one of Sephora's top sellers for $42. Sephora is just more convenient to my house.

Have you found a great foundation? Share!

Spring clean yourself 1: Eye make up

With the start of April, I'm usually motivated to focus attention away from my house and onto myself as I prepare to get a little tan and feel a little more alive. I know ladies are always looking for product suggestions. I am not a huge fan of beauty products as I am a medium-to-low-maintenance girl, but I have experimented more in the last few years, and I've found some favorites. So, today I'll start a short series of "Spring Clean Yourself" posts dedicated to some of my tried and true favorites.

Let's start with eyes. Eye make up is my favorite make up.

Product 1: CoverGirl Lash Exact mascara (non-water proof in black)

Mascara is my "desert island" product. I learned this term at a Mary Kay party my friend had four years ago. Although I do not have many products I consider "essentials," I do love the way mascara makes me look awake even if I really am struggling to keep my eyes open.

I like this particular mascara because it doesn't clump and it last a long time; plus, it's cheap!

I've tried lots of mascara brands over the years, including one by Mary Kay, one by Clinique, and the Maybeline line because that's supposed to be the ultimate mascara. I've also tried a variety of CoverGirl mascaras as well. But this CoverGirl Lash Exact kind has remained my favorite. I also know that some people like to wear brown mascara in the summer, but I like the more dramatic effect of black year round.

Product 2: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Espresso Ink

I did not start wearing eyeliner until I started experimenting with make up for our wedding. The lady at the make-up counter in Bloomingdale's really coated this stuff on the first time I wore it and it freaked me out (and Matt, when I got home). But just a little of this stuff goes a long way, and the special Bobbi Brown eyeliner brush helps you apply what you need. I don't wear this every day, but I do notice how it makes me look so much more alive when I have it on, and it makes me look better in photos.

I've had this one tub of eyeliner for four years. Is that bad? I don't think so. It's worked the same throughout my use of it. You can buy this product at most up-scale department stores. I got mine at Bloomingdale's for $21. The espresso ink color on the Web site looks quite brown, whereas in person the eyeliner looks closer to black, at least to me/on me. The brush I also picked up at Bloomingdale's for $25 (yeah, I know, more expensive than I'd like, but it has held up well. Just wash it out each time you apply eyeliner).

And the best part is I just love Bobbi Brown's music. Just kidding.

Tip 1: Flossing

My first New Year's resolution was to start a blog. Done. My second was to floss every day, mostly to stop lying to the dentist (I am the world's worst liar). So far, so good. Here's my trick:

Tip 1: Floss in the shower

While your hair is getting wet or you're waiting for the water to heat up, take those two minutes to floss.

Like all things organization related, once you make it part of your routine, after two weeks it starts to stick.

By the way, my shower caddy contains some of my favorite things, starting with the caddy itself.
Caddy: from Bed Bath and Beyond
Shower radio: from Amazon (made by Sony)
Curly hair conditioner: from Graham Webb (also available at Ulta)
Curly hair deep conditioner: Ouidad Deep Treatment Conditioner
*This last item is a splurge, but it's worth it for that once-a-week repair.

Next up...resolution #3!