Finally, these are products that I have tried and do not want, to not recommend and most importantly, do not like!

First product: Seche Clear Crystal Clear Base Coat by Seche Vite. It sucks, ‘nough said. It doesn’t make polish last, it chips and peels within hours of putting it on and doesn’t do anything for my nails. This is actually my second bottle, because I love the Seche Vite Clear Top Coat so much, I thought for sure that it was my nails, so I tried strength treatments and buffing them and nothing worked. I tried a different base coat and it was awesome. Even though this cost about 8 dollars at Ulta (cheaper at Sally’s) this stuff is going in the T-R-A-S-H.

Loreal Paris De-Crease Eye Shadow Base. This stuff is about 7 dollars. The consistency is goopy, the color is orange-y, it creases, doesn’t make shadow last the 8 hours that it claims, the packaging sucks (with a doe foot applicator that is curved and flat), it smells like chemicals and just over all doesn’t do what it claims. I am a firm believer that the best eye shadow base can bring life to even the cheapest of shadows. If you buy one professional make-up product and only one, buy a eye shadow primer. My favorite is Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Some people like the Urban Decay Primer Potion, that works great too, the formula is just as good, however, I feel like the packaging is in convenient. One tube of Too Faced Shadow Insurance has definitely lasted me way longer (over a year and still going!) than any Urban Decay Primer Potion has because of the packaging and drying up faster.

www.urbandecay.com and www.toofaced.com

Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo and Revlon ColorStay Eye Shadow Quads

The first product that I think is okay is the Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo for oily/straight to normal hair. First, I will explain what a dry shampoo is supposed to do. The idea of a dry shampoo is that it’s supposed to hide grease/shine and odor from your hair. It allows you to get an extra day out of that ‘do. It definitely works. When I straighten my hair, especially, I really like to get a second day out of it, just for the purpose of letting my hair rest after I put that much heat into it. I spray this at my roots by my forehead, down my part and at my crown, nothing at the ends or through my hair at all. It definitely gives me that extra day if my hair is greasy but it is certainly not a spray and go product.

Here are things that I don’t like about it. Once it dries, it dries WHITE, like baby powder white (it is supposed to), and then you comb it out. However, because my hair is so dark, the white doesn’t exactly ‘comb out’. I usually have to brush it, (as directed) mist it with water, smooth it out and go over my roots and part with the flat iron, add hair spray to tone down the whiteness and then I’m good. It does give a lot of volume and it truly does eliminate any shiny-ness.

Now is this a good product for someone who a. has dark hair and b. is a wash-and-go kind of person? NO! You will spend more time trying to tame the white than you would if you just dunked your head and gave a good scrub. This is for someone who heat processes their hair (and from wet to done takes more than 10 minutes) and really wants to get a an extra day out of their straightened hair. This is great for me because my hair is so curly and to shower and straighten it is not a five minute job. So I will say I wish there was one made for darker hair and I would LOVE IT. However, this one as difficult as it may be, is worth it to me. 

There is also a waterless foam shampoo for curly hair, I do not plan on trying that because washing my hair and leaving it curly is actually a five minute job. Mousse, scrunch, I’m out! Anyone else tried it? Love it, like it, hate it, or toss it? Comment below with your experience and tell us your hair type too!

My second it’s okay… product is Revlon ColorStay Eye Shadow Quads in Stonewash Denim and In The Buff. These are the only quads from Revlon that I have and in general I like the colors! I like neutrals and I prefer blue-grays over bright blues or charcoal-like grays. However, the payoff isn’t great, the price isn’t great (+/- 7 dollars), the packaging is boring and they do not have 12 hour staying power as promised. I wish the darkest colors were darker and then you could at least have a complete look with a crease color/liner, but they are just mid-tone.  If you have other quads that you have tried and you think they are awesome, let me know, I’d love to review them. Make sure you tell me what brand and the color. Here are some swatches, they are NOT one swipe.

LIKE IT! These are products that I like, are impressed with, but not overly in love with…and I will tell you why.

Bath and Body Works PocketBac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel. I like it because it is the pure alcohol kind of hand sanitizer. It does not contain triclosan (a scary chemical worth reading about if you have it in your soaps!) and the packaging is adorable (they have cute little holders for keys and purses, they are small 1oz. packages). It is also affordable (I did 5 for 5 dollars) and the scent selection is really good. You might ask, Dearest Bitty, what on Earth is the problem then? The smell is SO STRONG. I prefer my hand sanitizer to kill my germs, not freshen a room. It last and lasts like perfume and does not go away. I feel like I have to wash my hands for it to fade. Solution: I cut them with the cheap-o plain hand sanitizers to lessen the smell. You get what you pay for right?

Next, like it are the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Extreme Wear Nail Color. There are several things that I like about these nail polishes especially, the price, they are usually between 2 and 3 dollars! The brush is good, the pay off is usually pretty good, every once in a while it is a three-coat color but not often. They do seem to last just as well as many of my other drugstore brand nail polishes (on my nails with base and top coat and in general, in the bottle) and do have some unique colors. Dearest Bitty, then what is the problem? I find that the color selection is pretty crappy! There are usually only like 15 colors out at any given time in any given store and damn it, I want to see more colors and more stock, these are a great value and I want to see them on the shelves! AND frankly, while you’re at it, make a base coat for two bucks!

I have decided to do a little thing I will call: Love it! Like it! It’s Okay… and TOSS IT! I am going to do all of them to start, but from now on, I will use this classification (such a science major) for individual products or brands to review. That will allow me to tell people things that I tried and liked or things I do not like or do not recommend. I am going to try to do things that I think people might hesitate on because they are A. too cheap, how could they be any good? Or too overpriced, no way is this worth it. This month they are mostly deals. HERE WE GO!

LOVE IT: Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub and WET n WILD Megalast Lipsticks, Long Wearing Lip Color, Color Icon Eye Shadow and H2O Proof Liquid Liner (not pictured or swatched)

First, the face wash is fantastic, it smells wonderful (like grapefruit, duh) and it foams and gently exfoliates. The smell lasts and I love the formula. It does contain salicylic acid, so if you do not have acne-prone or oily skin and have dry/sensitive skin, this might not be the product for you. It does come in a creme cleanser and gel cleanser (all containing salicylic acid) but ALL ARE ONLY SEVEN (7$) DOLLARS EACH!

Wet n Wild. This stuff is no longer your little sister’s cheap-o make-up. They have seriously stepped up their game. I LOVE these products specifically and plan on trying more stuff (more eye shadows, lip liners, eye liners, powders, etc.) because I want to let you guys know if it is worth it. The only thing I probably won’t try is their foundations, only because I am so sensitive to that stuff I really can’t risk it. First, this eye shadow pallete is amazing, it is neutral and half are matte, half are frost (in the color 249, Vanity). The pay off is excellent (with or without a base, see below: one swipe, no base) and the quality is unmatched by many of its more-expensive drugstore counter parts (especially the matte colors!) The lipsticks are also matte, they are a bit drying however paired with a similar shade of gloss, they are phenomenal. The neutral/peach/mauve will actually make it into my March Faves. The liquid eye liner actually stays in my purse because I love it for touch ups. It is truly waterproof, which is good and bad, eye make-up remover is a must. The pay off is excellent, it doesn’t dry out and is very pigmented. If you wanted to try a liquid eyeliner to play with but didn’t want to spend the $$ this is an excellent first buy. The BEST PART is that they are still just as inexpensive as they used to be, most of their stuff not costing more than 4 dollars.

I am taking requests, anything you want to try but don’t dare buy? Let me know.

Nail Tips and Tricks

Finally! My top ten nail tips and tricks for long-lasting manicures and healthy nails. Some of them may seem pretty obvious however, I thought I would share what works best for me.

1. Wax On, Wax Off. I use a buffer block on my nails every time before I paint them. I use a three-sided one from Sally’s. I use the three-sided in particular because I use it so often, I don’t want to wear my nails away to nothing. I use this after I take all of my old polish off (never peel your polish off, always, ALWAYS, remove it with remover) and buff them until they are smooth. I have made them rough before putting polish on and smooth and honestly, my manicure lasts longer when I buff them.

2. Through Thick and Thin. Whether you use a salon brand or a drugstore brand of nail polish, the key is a few thin layers. It is best to have two thin coats rather than one thick coat, not only will they dry faster but also last longer. If you have polishes that are older and are too thick, they make nail polish thinner, which acts just like paint thinner. I use a few drops of Beauty Secrets Nail Polish Thinner and it works great to thin an old nail polish. To preserve polish integrity, it helps to store nail polish up-right at all times.

3. Prime It, Baby! Use a base coat. It is going to keep the polish stuck to your nails longer and keep it from chipping. It will also prevent the polish from staining your nails in the long run. I have tried several and right now, I recommend Orly Bonder. It dries rubbery and works great. Lately, manicures have lasted for 7 to 10 days, and sometimes I get bored and choose to change it before it has chipped to bits.

 
4. Let It Dry, Let It Dry, Let It Dry. This may be obvious but make sure to let all of the layers dry before adding another. Remember, it may take 8 hours for nail polish to completely set (have you ever had marks from your sheets after painting your nails and going to bed, when you thought they were dry?) The thinner the layers and letting them dry completely is going to lead to a longer lasting manicure.

5. Snap, Crackle, Pop! Do not file nails after you have let your manicure dry completely. It will break the seal and thus make your polish chip much sooner. Do the filing after you remove the polish before the base coat. Also always go one way with the file (unless you have a crystal file, then file back and forth) because going with the grain and then against it will lead to your nail beds flaking and peeling.

6. It’s Like Formal Wear, For Your Nails. Use a top coat. I like to use one coat after the polish color is dry and then use a second coat sometime later in the week to keep it lasting a few more days. One of my absolute favorites, that I have been using for YEARS and YEARS is Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. You will not be disappointed, this stuff dries in seconds and is so shiny.

7. It puts the lotion on the… Creepy! Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize. Make sure hands and cuticles are moisturized daily. My favorite products are Bert’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème and Lush’s Dream Cream. If you are on a tight budget and expensive moisturizers are not on the list but a great DIY manicure is, olive oil makes a great moisturizer. Slather it on before bed and your hands and cuticles will be good to go.

8. Where’s the Friggin’ Protein, Mom?! Food. Eating foods that are rich in polyunsaturated fats such as; peanut butter, nuts in general, fish, whole grains, oils (canola, peanut, soybean, sesame, sunflower, vegetable etc.) are great for both hair and nails. Foods like dairy, or green leafy veggies are rich in calcium and calcium is good for nails. Some vitamins such as B, B12 and C are great for strong, healthy nails. You can find vitamin B and B12 in animals products such as fish, red meat, poultry, dairy products, avocado, barley, oats, lentils, potatoes, molasses and soy-based tempeh. Vitamin C can be found in veggies, fruit and fruit juices. Lastly, and most important, PROTEIN. Our nails are made mostly of protein, so don’t skip the soy or meat. It is important to remember portion control when it comes to protein. Most of us eat plenty of protein per day so remember to choose a lean meat such as chicken or turkey over beef or pork. Beans, seeds, nuts and eggs are also rich in protein.

9. 04903. Drink water. It is good for your hair and nails just as much as for the rest of your body. Hair and nails will be the first thing to show signs of consistent dehydration. Drink up, 8 glasses!

10. Prunes Are For Juice. Lastly, don’t soak your nails because the water will dry them out and lead to chips and cracks in your polish. Keep water to hand washing and showering.  Wear gloves when doing dishes. If you are big into baths (which I, notoriously am) keep your nails out of the water as much as possible. Make sure to dry them well afterward and apply your favorite moisturizer!

I hope this was helpful. Let me know if any of this does or doesn’t work for you. Feel free to comment your favorite nail tips and tricks for everyone to share!

With Love For My Little Robyn Eggs.

So. I know that I promised to do nail tips and tricks but I am trying to figure out exactly how I want to do it. I am not sure if I want to take pictures or write them out. I am in negotiations, so in the meantime, here are my favorite things for February!

Now, I can’t guarantee that I will do this every month, but I will try. I already have some things that I just got a week ago that I am pretty in love with. It also will probably not be this extensive because a lot of stuff I got for Christmas and I am just getting to trying them because I was moving, unpacking, using up old etc. etc. Where do I begin?

LUSH!

http://www.lushusa.com/cgi-bin/shop/scan/MM=09c269293ac5a81e73c2b7f9d38cad50:0:20:21.html?mv_more_ip=1&mv_nextpage=catzoom%2findex.html&pf=sql&mv_arg=&cat=Bath%20Bombs&expand=&sexpand=&itemcount=&sort_field=

Top picture, left to right: Lush’s The Olive Branch Shower Gel, Lush’s It’s Raining Men Shower Gel, Lush’s Dream Cream, and Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter. Bottom Pictures: Lush’s Big Blue and Dragon’s Egg Bath Bombs.

First, I love Lush stuff and I got a whole bunch for Christmas and I recently made an order. I love The Olive Branch Shower Gel, it is very Mediterranean and moisturizing. That bottle is actually almost gone. I save them because they recycle their bottles and containers and give you free stuff for them (woo! Free stuff!) Now, the ‘It’s Raining Men Shower Gel’ has a funny story. My friend went to RI to visit some family and I made her to go the mall and get this because it was sold out on the website. Of course, the only one left was the gallon size (which is fine, it is the body wash version of my favorite Lush Soap, Honey I Washed the Kids)! Next, the dream cream is actually an all-the-time-favorite, especially in the winter. It is not too thick and not too thin, absorbs well, smells awesome and works great for even the driest skin. What more could you ask for? The pacifica body butter I got at Sephora and it is a vanilla coconut heavenly treat. It smells SO good. The images for the bath bombs are from the Lush website, I used them, and they were amazing. Big Blue smells clean and oceany and Dragon’s Egg smells like sweet orange candy. Another funny story about them, is that they have a lot of stuff in them. Big blue has seaweed that kind of floats all around the tub, annoying. When I used the second half of it, I put it in some nylon and then they didn’t float all around the tub. The Dragon’s Egg is PACKED full of gold glitter. Glitter everywhere. I had it in my hair for days. If it didn’t smell so darn good, I probably wouldn’t get it again.

If you have never heard of Lush or don’t know anything about the company they are really fantastic. All of their products are handmade, using quality ingredients and many are vegan. They even have little stickers on them that tell you which company member made that particular product on what day. They also eliminate packaging as much as possible by making a lot of ‘solid’ products such as bar shampoos, conditioners, lotions (their butter bars are so amazing), exfoliant, face washes and of course, soaps. They are Canadian… go figure.

Eyes

Clockwise from left: Too Faced Naked Eye Palate, Vellum by Mac and Urban Decay - Naked Palate on the bottom.

The palates are just fantastic. They are great for traveling and have everything you need for a night look, an day look. They have mixed and matched mattes and frosts and the color pay off is awesome. I have been using either of these just about every day that I wore make-up this month.

Vellum has a funny story. As you can see, it looks white. Well it’s not! It’s PURPLE. Yes. It has a purple duo-chrome that when I put it on my eye, looks like a lilac purple. I showed everyone I ran into on the first day that I wore it and no one believed me until I showed them the actual pan. I’ll post pictures next time I wear it. It was a pleasant surprise, considering purple is my favorite color. 

Nails

I am loving my color wheels and my China Glaze Crackle Polish and China Glaze holographics. I spent a lot of time to organize my color wheels (I have a problem) but I am glad that I did. As for the crackle polish:

They look pretty cool. I have the black, white and teal. The teal is my favorite it is called Crushed Candy even though it looks exactly like the China Glaze non-crackle color For Audrey. Second is the holographic, I love the purple (big surprise) it is called Virtual Violet. It is opaque in one coat and my picture isn’t great:

Face

I have been wanting to switch to a different foundation for a while and I decided to try the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation (in cream ivory) and it is so beautiful. It is just like silk, it is smooth, medium coverage and just looks so nice on. It is for both oily and dry skin so it is great for everyone. It is a little pricey but I am incredibly pleased with it. Second, is my ‘beauty blender’ knock-off sponge from Ulta. It was cheap, I don’t have to buy those disposable sponges (for the few times I actually use them, I apply foundation with a dual-fiber stippling brush) for blending around eyes and brows, it works great. Last, my synthetic blush brush from Sephora. It is one of their professional platinum brushes, #55, and it is so soft, I can’t believe it’s not real hair. For what I paid for it, it should be real hair! (I’m glad it’s not, synthetic brushes tend to absorb less product including make-up and brush cleaner, win win $$) 

Lips

Top: Evolution of Smooth Chap Sticks in sweet mint and summer fruit. Bottom Mac Dazzleglass in Utterly Posh.

Okay so I know I’m the last person to be on the EOS egg-shaped chap stick bandwagon. Suck it, I love them! They do not find their way into my jeans, then into the dryer, resulting in me shopping more. They are petroleum-free which is great for your lips and they last a really long time. I don’t find myself re-applying all of the time (because there isn’t petroleum in them). They smell great. The Mac Dazzleglass is an orangey pink color and I have been using it like crazy. I love orange lip colors because I have olive-yellow toned skin (even though I am pale in the winter) which makes warm colors look great on me. Orange is also super trendy right now, which is not at all why I got it… Why do I have a TV?

Random

I have been addicted to Buffy (again). I have watched all of the seasons once through a few years ago and I am re-watching for the second time and watching them in coordination with Angel and I love that the story overlaps and connections and let’s be honest David Boreanaz? YUP! I also just finished A$$holes Finish First by Tucker Max. HYSTERICAL. I pre-ordered this book before it came out in September and I was so excited to read it and then I got so busy and packed it away (like a dumb dumb) and finally dug it out to read it. I will say it is not quite as funny as I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, but it is not disappointing. I will also fair warn you that this is not for the faint of Heart. This book is the most offensive and disturbing piece of literature that I have ever read, other than IHTSBIH. Imagine Daniel Tosh writing a book about his adventures at Duke Law School, sex, drinking, girls, fetishes etc. It’s funny, I laughed out loud reading it, but I am not recommending this to anyone.

Favorite Favorite

Honorable Mention

Viva La Juicy perfume by Juice Couture and Mac Pearl Glide Eye Liner in Rave (it’s sparkly deep purple) and it looks amazing with brown eyes! I love love love.

That is all my Robyn Eggs. Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think!

Cheers,
Bitty

For my first post, I couldn’t decide exactly what I wanted to do. I created this blog a while ago and I just couldn’t bring myself to jump on here and start writing. I kept a list around of all the possible blog ideas and none of them motivated me (obviously). I thought I might give a review of the Robyn concert that I recently attended. Well, she was amazing, end of blog. I thought about doing a review on the Snooze Fest of 2010, I mean the Grammy Awards; Arcade Fire. End of Blog. Maybe Gaga’s new song or Gaga performance at the Grammy’s? HA! She can do no wrong… I love her. I also wanted to rant about the new light bulb law. Is that a joke? We spend 15 years getting mercury out of everything, we put it in light bulbs and now they are the only ones you can buy? Hmm, I probably will still write about that one…

I narrowed it down to four ideas about a week ago. First, I was going to do an introduction to myself. I like to do make-up, cook things, know things, and insert something witty here, nice to meet you, too. Then, I was pretty sold on doing a ‘good-bye blog’ to my friend Moe, who left for Poland for the semester. She’s probably getting drunk, I’m over it. I hope you have fun Lil’ Ke$ha. Moving on, Lush/Sephora/Ulta Haul? I got a whole bunch of stuff and this is the most interesting thing I have to say: Lush’s temptations soap does not smell like apples, It’s Raining Men is heavenly, Laura Mercier is now my new favorite and I love the crackle nail polishes.

But no. I had to get to the core of my inspiration, my friend Kate and I’s (our?) stomachs. Yes, my Little Robyn Eggs, it’s recipe time. This is a super simple, healthy, and delicious, did I mention simple? So simple a caveman (I mean Kate-Woman) can do it.

Honey Mustard Chicken

• 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 4 tbsp. olive oil (That’s tablespoons)
  
• 4 tbsp. honey
• 2 cloves fresh garlic chopped or grated
  
• 1 tsp. lemon basil (a sprinkle [optional])
  
• 1/4 cup Honey Mustard
  
• seasoning salt and pepper to taste
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

I am totally estimating on the measurements. If it looks like a good amount of sauce, you are good to go, double this for more people or if you are feeding two, save half of the sauce for dipping. Feel free to use regular yellow mustard and a little more honey or skip the honey and just use honey mustard. I love honey so bring it on. And please, fresh garlic, skimp on the basil if you have to, but don’t skimp on the garlic.

Chop up the onion and the garlic and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil (lightly cover the bottom of the frying pan) and saute them until the onions are almost clear (keep stirring them up). Add all the other ingredients (except the chicken). Mix it all together, once the honey has melted into the mustard, place the chicken breasts in a glass pan with the rest of the olive oil on the bottom. Lay them flat and cover them with the sauce. Bake for a half hour (or so) on 375. Now, set your timer so you don’t forget. Please, ladies and gentleman, don’t be scared to cut into the chicken to see when it’s done. If you don’t have the meat thermometer then cut them open to be safe, if there is any pink, put it back, step away from the chicken and let it cook a little longer.

Next, veggie stir-fry. Take your favorite veggies, I like broccoli and cauliflower and carrots for this, but use any of your favorites (peppers, pea pods, zucchini whatever is in the fridge, use it up). First, chop up the other half of that onion and set that aside, cut the cauliflower, carrots and broccoli into bite size pieces. For two people, you’d want about 4 palms full of veggies total. Put a little olive oil into a frying pan with a little garlic, and a splash of soy sauce, splash of water and a dash of pepper. Put the onions in first, wait a minute, put the carrots in second and cover it, wait a few minutes then put the broccoli and cauliflower in, toss it up and let it cook on medium (covered). Keep checking when the broccoli is wilty and the carrots are soft (come on, get a fork and give them a try, when they taste done they are done!)

While you wait for the chicken and veggies, cook up your favorite whole grain pasta or whole grain rice according to the package directions and season how you like it. I like to throw a few teaspoons of pesto in there with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, however you like it. Really, I am a gracious kitchen dictator, I leave the seasoning of the grains up to you.

When the chicken is checked and done, the veggies are cooked through and your pasta is drained and seasoned viola! Add wine and…eat. Feel free to add a salad to get some extra good for you fiber and nutrients in your life or have the salad with the left over chicken for lunch tomorrow.

Yum Yum!


Stay tuned for some nail polish tips and tricks next.
Be good my Little Robyn Eggs.
Until next time, Cheers!

tumblrbot asked: WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT ON YOUR PLANET?

Alaska, I’d bring my friend Moe so that she could find a boyfriend husband. I’d bring my friend Leigh too, so that she could help me, help Moe, find husband.