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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Chels’ Favorite Things #21

I’ve been ALL over the place the last few months so I wanted to do a Favorite Things, round-up post of sorts, to sum it all up since I’ve been loving a lot lately! Let’s jump right into it!

GelShine At-Home Gel Colour System

While I was in Texas in August I discovered one of the most fabulous things ever. Let me just preface this by saying, I have the most basic makeup/getting-ready routine so stores like Sephora typically stress me out. I don’t like having tons of options (hello, 24-page menus!?) and I almost always wear the same makeup, so I’ll just let you imagine how I would twitch when I walked into such a huge beauty store. AND, I’ll also say, I’m definitely the kind of person when I see something, like a new polish, eyeshadow, or hair treatment, I convince myself that I need it. So I buy it. Then I use it once. So, for my wallet’s sake, I tried avoiding Sephora at all costs.

Now that being said, while I was in Texas with my sister and Kate, I for some reason had the strongest desire to buy red lipstick. And since there are roughly 12 million shades of red lipstick, I decided to head to Sephora since they carry so many brands. I walked in the store, asked for help, and the lovely salesgirl pretty much handed me a tube of Nars Red Lizard lipstick and said it would look great on me. I tried it on, loved it, and was heading to pay when I heard my sister having a slight panic attack at one of the in-store displays. As I walked over, I noticed she was standing in front of the Gelshine At-Home Gel Colour System.

I think at first I tried talking her out of the purchase but after we started looking at the kit, we realized that it was actually pretty snazzy. Not only does it come with everything you need to do your own gel manicures in about 15 minutes but we quickly realized how much money it would save you. Not having to drive to the salon to get your nails done, not having to chit-chat with your manicurist (not that there’s anything wrong with it… it just takes time!), not having to tip, not having to sit around and wait for your nails to dry.

We left Sephora without the machine. When we got back to my sister’s house we were all still talking about it because it just looked that awesome and then we started reading really good reviews about it online. My brother-in-law ended up chiming in and pointed out that my sister does get her nails done a lot and for $159 we all soon realized that after a few uses, this at-home kit would pay for itself. Before we headed out to dinner that night my brother-in-law ended up driving us all back to the mall so my sister could buy the machine, HA! Good man

The following day was the moment of truth. My sister and I tested the machine out and, I’m not even kidding, we gushed the entire time. If someone had been videotaping us we could have made an infomercial and sold millions of these for an easy payment plan of $29.99/month.

The step-by-step instructions are so simple, too! I finished my own mani in 15 minutes! No drying time or anything extra.

I ended up wearing my polish for about 2 weeks without any chips! And I must admit, my most favorite part about the machine is that it uses an LED light instead of UV, which makes it safer on your hands and skin. When the polish was ready to come off, it actually peeled nicely so I didn’t even have to soak my nails in acetone, which is a huge plus. This is definitely something I will be asking Santa for this year! OBSESSED.

Boxing

That’s right. I’ve been boxing! Every week I, along with two of my most favorite co-workers from Healthworks, Zoe and Sarah, box with one of the trainers. I mean, I’m by no means the next Laila Ali, even though that’s what my dad insists on calling me, but this is such an amazingly sweaty workout. I do enjoy nice arms and boxing has definitely helped keep mine nice and toned. Plus, nothing gets your heart pumping like jump roping and nothing gets your frustration out like punching the heck out of something

Strip T’s

Earlier this month I went to dinner at Strip T’s in Watertown for my friend Becca’s birthday. Dinner was spectacular but peep what we got for dessert. Fried brioche donut with blueberry pastry cream and lemon frosting.

I wept when I cut into this masterpiece. I think a few of us split it? To be completely honest, I can’t even remember because I was blacked out due to excessive happiness. I very well could have eaten the entire thing on my own without even realizing it. Pure joy. As I was eating this I promised myself that if anyone comes to visit me that I would take them to Strip T’s to experience all of their deliciousness.

Little Men

I got to see my cousin’s sons last month who are the most precious gems I’ve ever been around. While my dad and I were in NYC for a sad reason, it was amazing to be reminded of all of this happiness by getting hugs from these two muffins.

Andy Cohen

Have I ever told you that I am madly in love with Andy Cohen? Welp, I am. And when I found out he was coming to Boston (he went to college at BU!) I cleared my calendar so I could get his book, Most Talkative, autographed. The book is hilarious. There were times I would be on the phone with Kate and read her excerpts that had me dying laughing. But not only is it funny, it’s inspiring. His story is fantastic and it gave me the chills how he came full-circle. And If I’m ever a grouch in the morning it’s likely because I stayed up too late to watch his show Watch What Happens Live. I’m slightly obsessed with all Bravo TV programming and it’s mainly because this man is behind it.

I’m always a bit weary to meet celebrities in real life because I don’t want to be disappointed. Some people seem fantastic on TV then you meet them in real life and they’re huge duds or worse, so rude! But I was happy to see that Andy was just as peppy and fun in person as he is on TV. He even said he “loved my sass”!

Pumpkin/Fall

Living in New England it’s kind of a given that you’re obsessed with all things pumpkin and fall. I love summer the most and I’m still in denial that it’s over, but fall is cozy and you get to wear cute clothes and lots of layers. A couple weeks ago I was invited to my friend Sara’s Hipster party. Yes, I dressed up like a hipster and I kind of loved it!

I made a Pumpkin Dip, courtesy of Closet Cooking that was a huge hit. We had it out with the appetizers but it definitely could be a dessert dip, too. I brought some sliced green apples and gingersnaps for dipping purposes. Oh, yum.

Someone even made a pumpkin keg, which was about the most genius things I’ve seen in all of 2012.

Best snack of all time

Something I absolutely love about social media is I get some of the best food ideas. A few days ago the lovely Eat Well With Janel posted a photo on Instagram of a whole wheat bagel with mashed avocados with hot sauce. Ever since I saw her picture, I’ve been craving this, so I went to the grocery store to buy some bagel thins. While this is just so simple, I probably wouldn’t have ever thought it up on my own, haha. It was so satisfying for lunch yesterday! And as Janel pointed out it also makes a great breakfast. Janel is a Registered Dietitian so if you’re looking for more tasty but healthy meal ideas you should definitely take a look at her blog and follow her on Twitter!

What are some of the things you’ve been loving lately? Do share!

And don’t forget to enter our Martha Stewart Planner Giveaway. It ends tonight at 11:50 EST!!

[Chels]

Labels: Andy Cohen, beauty, family, friends, healthworks, pumpkin, Sephora, Sephora Gelshine, Strip T's, Strip T's Watertown

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

My Favorite Inexpensive Beauty Products

I find it funny when people ask me questions about beauty products or what I do to keep my skin clear and in good shape. Sometimes when I shake people’s hands they’ll tell me I have unusually soft hands. Or whenever I get a mani/pedi the ladies always tell me how nice my feet are and how soft my skin is. A lady on the T actually stopped me one summer and told me I had “really nice feet”, which instead of being flattered, I got creeped out that she was even looking at my feet long enough to realize they were “nice”. Thankfully, my stop was next and I quickly exited the train

I find all of these questions to be funny because the truth is, I really don’t do a whole heck of a lot when it comes to keeping my skin in good condition. It’s something I don’t even think about too often. I take a less is more approach to beauty. I’ve found that the more fragrance and gunk I pile on my skin, the worse off it is. So years ago I decided to keep it simple when it comes to beauty products. But the real truth is, I actually kind of despise taking a long time primping and pride myself on the fact that I can get ready to go just about anywhere, work, weddings, events, etc., in under 20 minutes. It’s sort of my thing. I have my routine down to a science and the best part? I keep it cheap and I don’t feel guilty if I splurge once in a while on my Kiehl’s lotions or Chanel eye makeup

In no particular order, here are my favorite inexpensive beauty products:

Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly

Yes. Vaseline. It’s been one of my go-to products since forever. When we were younger my mom would put a thin layer on our faces before we went out to play in the cold to prevent wind burn. Ever since, I’ve sworn by the stuff. I use it on dry patches of skin, in place of lipgloss, and a huge secret, every night before bed I put a very thin layer of it on my face, in the corners of my eyes, and around my nose. It might sound kind of gross, but my sister and I swear by this! It keeps my face well-moustrized while I sleep. On the nights where I forget to use it I can definitely tell a difference when I wake up since my face feels tight and dry. The first facial I ever got a couple year ago, the aesthetician told me I had “the perfect amount of oils on my face”. I debated on whether or not I should share my secret with her in fear she might yell at me and say I shouldn’t put vaseline on my face! I ended up telling her and she said that’s probably why my skin was so balanced! Woop. You just have to remember not to glob it on since you don’t want to completely clog everything. If you have oily skin, this might not be the trick for you, but if you have little dry patches or combination skin, using petroleum jelly could be the fix you’re looking for.

Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream

Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream is one of my favorite products and has been for about the past 10 years. I have eczema (wonderful topic to discuss on a food blog, yeah?), and when and if I run into a situation where my prescription cream runs out or I just want to give myself a break from it, I buy this cream. It’s really the only thing that works as well as my prescription to fight itchy spots. I’ve found that for under $10, this is one product I can’t live without.

Grooming Scissors/Comb

Okay, so bear with me. The above photo is of a mustache/beard scissors and comb set. No, I don’t have a mustache or beard. Go me. But I use this set to trim my eyebrows. I promise you they’re the best tools you can have when you don’t have time to get your brows waxed and for under $5 they’re quite a steal. I don’t even know how I decided to buy the set, but it’s been in my bathroom vanity for years and I use them all the time. Using the comb, I brush my eyebrows up (you’ll probably look a little crazy after doing this, but it’s cool). When you brush all the hairs up, you’ll see which are uneven and above the “natural line”. That’s in quotes because I don’t know if it’s an actual term in the eyebrow waxing/tweezing world. I guess at these things half the time because they sound right. I use the top of the comb as a guide and use the scissors to trim the uneven hairs. This is my favorite little secret. I once saw my sister immediately after doing this and she was all “OMG, who did your eyebrows?! They look sooooo good”. She nearly fell over when I said I did them myself. And for the record, my sister doesn’t really say “OMG”. I can see her emailing me after reading this saying I made her sound like a ditz

Bright and Shine Lux Glossing Spray

Every once in a while, especially if you’re a brown lady like myself, you need a little gloss/shine/pick-me-up kind of sheen added to your hair. The problem is, most sprays add build up and extra weight to your tresses. Or they smell weird. The salon where I get my hair blown-out uses Alter Ego Hasty Bright and Shine Lux Glossing Spray after blowdrying it and I’ve been loving it. I loved it so much that I asked if they sold it and, to my surprise, they did. I bought a bottle for $13.50 but just discovered, if you do a little digging, you can get it for less on Amazon, naturally. It adds the nicest shine without weighing my hair down. Plus, it smells delightful. The last time I saw my sister she asked what I was using because my hair looked and smelled so lovely. As you can tell, all my sister and I do is talk about beauty products. It’s kind of our hobby.

Olive Oil

Mmm, olive oil. Not just for cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I love me my Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Body Polish that I discovered recently, but before that I always relied on olive oil. Making my own body scrubs is one of my most favorite activities. Mostly because I’m just proud of myself for not spending $30+ on a scrub elsewhere when in reality it’s the same thing. I feel kind of cool whipping up my own concoctions. I usually mix some olive oil and some sugar. Or I’ll do sea salt if I’m looking for a coarser scrub. If I want to get fancy I’ll add in some peppermint or lavender oil. Just be extra careful when you’re showering because the olive oil can make things slippery. Read more about my homemade body scrubs here.

Pumice Stone

I think part of the reason I get awkward compliments on my feet is because I pumice and scrub the heck out of them when I shower. Pumice stones are generally just a few dollars at any drugstore and are probably one of the most necessary tools to keep your feet in shape.

Faceclothes

I don’t clutter my shower by with fancy loofahs or brushes. A simple facecloth (or washcloth? Whatever you want to call it!) works just fine for me to scrub away. Since my skin is so sensitive all of the other things are often too rough anyway.

Nail brushes

I keep a nailbrush in my shower or on my bathroom sink at all times and scrub my cuticles and fingernails like there’s no tomorrow. I even use it on my toe toes sometimes. There’s nothing I love more than clean feet and hands! I also don’t know why I’ve used the phrase “toe toes” twice in one week on the blog.

EOS Lip Spheres

I just wrote about EOS lip spheres in my holiday gift guide, but I must reiterate. This is my most favorite product in life. I’m probably exaggerating a tad but it’s a top 5, for sure. Before I put any gloss on, I use this as the base and I swear it’s the secret to silky smooth lips. I mostly use the lip spheres alone since I never feel the need to add anything else on. It adds a nice subtle shine and protection that lasts all day. I haven’t had chapped lips in fo’evaaaa. Plus, it has SPF in it so that’s an added bonus!

What are your favorite inexpensive beauty products? Do you have any beauty secrets people would be surprised to learn? I’m actually kind of oddly intrigued by people who use mayonnaise in their beauty regimens. Anyone?

[Chels]

Labels: Alter Ego, Aveeno, beauty, Bright and Shine Lux Glossing Spray, california olive ranch, EOS lip balm, olive oil, vaseline

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Posts Tagged ‘beauty’

Chels’ Favorite Things #21

My Favorite Inexpensive Beauty Products