This could be a TMI area for most but not for me! How do you groom your bikini area? Or rather, do you? I have had this conversation with men and women and most, thankfully, do. And to make it all one step easier, SCHICK Quattro for Women just put out TrimStyle ($10.99 @ amazon.com) and what a great price! One side is your everyday 4-blade razor and on the other side is a waterproof trimmer. And you can achieve the desired hair length by adjusting the plastic comb position. And the package even comes with the AAA battery! Now that’s value.

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I’m a little obsessed with smooth feet. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, cracked heels are just so gross but they seem to dry out so fast as you get older. Here’s an interesting one I came across recently and it’s not your typical cream or lotion. FARMHOUSE FRESH Honey Heel Glaze ($24/3oz @ dermstore.com) is ooey, gooey and quite moisturizing. It looks like honey, smells like cinnamon and clove and infuses aloe leaf juice, pineapple and papaya fruit extracts inside. I’m tell you, this is one to experience. It even comes with its own flat brush.

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What’s on peoples’ mind when it comes to hair cleansers? Being sulfate-free and this is a trend we’re on board with! But what about sulfate-free but that also works for those of us that color our hair. You may remember last year when we just thought using products that were sulfate-free would make our hair color last longer. No, no, no, it also has to have a color support system in it. You live, you learn.

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Two lines are at the forefront for us right now and one is quite purse-friendly so we’re filing this post with our on-going recs in Budget Beauty!

L’OREAL new EverPure Sulfate-Free Moisture Shampoo ($6.99/8.5oz) and Moisture Conditioner ($8.99/8.5oz) – both @ amazon.com.

AG HAIR COSMETICS Colour Savour Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Colour Protection Conditioner - $20/8oz each @ aghaircosmetics.com.

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Lots of buzz around OLAY’s new ProX skin care line. This collection of six skin care products was 3-years in the making and is made with a sprint in mind instead of a jog. What I mean by that is that they guarantee you will see results within 28-days. The goal with this line is to bring the skin back to how it performed when it was younger. I’ve been rocking the Age Repair Lotion with SPF 30 the past couple of weeks and so far so good. And with the average price of $47 per product, they are a great value. Want even more bang for you buck? Pick up thePro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol for $68 @ walgreens.com. It contains the Age Repair Lotion (1oz), Wrinkle Smoothing Cream (1oz) and Eye Resoration Complex (.3oz). These are a great value in these tough financial times.

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MAC picks! MAC picks! MAC picks! Here are some from two of their new collections.

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Grand Duos (release date March 12, 2009) – they have graduated to the next step and each of these duos is a marbleized melange on one isde and a complementary mono-shade on the other.

Mineralize Blush -- Love Rock (gold violet melange/bright blue pink) and Intenso (orange yellow melange/deep brown) ($22.50).

Sugarsweet (release date March 19, 2009) – here’s a collection right up our alley as it’s inspired by sugar-sweet desserts. Lay your eyes on these colors and cute names.

Shadestick in Penny (light pinky copper) $16.50

Tricolour Lipglass in Tasty (top layer is sheer blue pink with reflects, middle is mid tone blue pink with duochrome pearl, bottom is dark creamy red pink) $17.50

Eye Shadow in Stars ‘N’ Rockets (dirty lavender w/red and pink reflects) $14

Nail Lacquer in Seasonal Peach (creamy pale peachy pink) and Peppermint Patti (creamy mint green) $11

Mineralized Skinfinish in Perfect Topping (pink/peach/lavender melange) $27

All @ ulta.com.

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*Info and pics on Colour Ready collection (out April 2, 2009) coming next week!

My brows used to be a no-tweeze zone imparted by my brow stylist but in the last two months, that has changed for a two reasons - $ and my girl moved. So as much as I can’t take the pain, I have been tweezing. The ones I had were old and did not grip well enough so I was in the market for some new ones and of course turned to the Godfathers, TWEEZERMAN. Fancy some of the new styles below!

Floral Print Slant Tweezers ($25)

Polka Dot Mini Slant Tweezers ($15)

Animal Print Slant Tweezers ($25)

I would recommend their Polka Dot Swarovski Crystal Slant Tweezers because I LOVE their crystals but not for something like this that needs to sit snug in my hand.

And if you are like me and hate the ouch of plucking, applythis afterward. All @ walgreens.com.

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This is m-a-y-j-a-h (like Posh would say)! I finally figured out how to apply a full strip of false eyelashes!! As I mentioned around this time last year, I have had quite a hard time mastering this art and I have watched just about every youtube video, read tips from makeup artists over the years and nothing has consistantly seemed to work but I think I have it with the addition of one key step.

Here’s the deelio - Since my computer is in my diningroom and not near my makeup table in my bedroom, I have a lot of products around it that I play with to give me inspiration. I also keep a hand held mirror on that table so I can see how a lipstick or a swipe of eye shadow looks on me. Two weeks ago when I was watching this EnKoreMakeup video on, again, how to apply a strip of lashes, I couldn’t hold the mirror in my hand so I laid it flat on the table. This caused me to close my lids almost all the way while looking in the mirror. And lo and behold, this helped me get a good application. Looking down into the mirror that is flat on the table in front of me! That did it for me!

Now selecting the different styles is something I can do! Take the 5 new Faux Lashes ($15 @ sephora.com) MAKE UP FOR EVER just put out that are styled for everyday wear. Again, these are now all an option for me to wear and checked out all the ones on display at The Makeup Show this past weekend. And what would be ideal is if I had time in the morning to do a full face including lashes (I’m not a morning person so getting up early has been a chore everyday since I was very little. I have learned to accept this as an adult). I would probably wear the Lori, Genevieve and Monica. And I've also found that their glue that comes with each pack is REALLY great.

So are you one of those that wants to master this? If so, here are things I’ve found work for me and believe me when I say I’ve tried them all!

> Line the top lid where the lashes will rest with waterproof eyeliner likeSEPHORA’s new Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner in the shimmering magenta of Purple ($12 @ sephora.com).

> Curl lashes and apply mascara on your own lashes

> Lay mirror flat on the table in front of you and then apply the strip

> Let me know if this works for you!
 

I’m really digging this container the new ELIZABETH ARDEN Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 20: Pure Finish ($37.50 @ nordstrom.com) comes in. The compact has a built-in shaver or grinder to give you just the right amount you need each time and it just makes everything so much neater when using it! If you use mineral makeup, you know how sloppy things can get when using them. Smashbox has a container like this one too though I have not tried that one.

The powder itself is considered a loose mineral powder even though it’s packed tight inside the compact. And it’s infused with antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E, SPF 20 and a sea water complex. I couldn’t find the exact ingredients for this on their site so I’m not sure if it contains any ingredients that are proven to aggrevate some people’s skin. So as with every product for the face, do a spot test.

Also, I’m not sure if the puff that is included is the best choice for the application tool but you can use your own brush like in the picture if you feel you have more control over that, which I for one, do. Available in 9 shades.

How about finally promising to turn over a new leaf when it comes to hair care and use a shampoo that has no phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, silicones, paba, mineral oils, silicones or petroleum. Ho-hum, yeah, me to. Ummm, ok, only if I should. But what if I tell you it will still foam like the ones you love using? Ok, we’re in!! Enter BELEGENZA (bella-JEN-za)! Say it once out loud … Belegenza!! Love saying that!  And this line IS different from what you are used to. It seems that if you get performance out of a product, it's pretty bad for the environment and vice versa. The reason the line has both is the ingredients. There's nothing harmful inside the product; they are food grade as in, you can eat it, but they don’t recommend that. And these penetrate the hairs instead of just coating them with chemicals. And I really feel the difference in my hair … and the following 3 days that I didn’t have to wash it. The two I used were their GrowOut Shampoo and Strengthener ($24.99/8oz) and the RoMANce Deep Conditioning Treatment ($28.99/6oz). Now I used them right after the other so one could be better than the other but I can report that together, they work magic!
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Here’s some food for thought on hair products from their website summed up perfectly:
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Many products have called themselves green friendly because it has a natural ingredient. The label is then turned into a very lush, tropical, or botanical looking label to have you believe that it is a safe product. BUT, let's look at the amount of that ingredient in the product and the list of "fillers" beforehand. A shampoo formula has a main design that is common. It needs to have a cleaning/lathering agent, and a preservative system. All shampoos that are desirable have these design requirements. Much like a car must have wheels, whether its a Mercedes or a Kia... Most shampoos start with water and then the cheapest (and questionably dangerous) surfactant like Sodium Lauryl(eth) Sulfate, and then they put a botanical much further down the list. The "botanical" magic is usually less than 3% of the formula. Not only that, it usually is hidden in a bunch of cleverly disguised silicone or plastic derivative names like the ones listed above! What's so green friendly about that? http:/belegenza.com