Get the Most Out of Your Products

Even though it takes me a long time to get to the bottom of my lotions and potions since I tend to be fickle, it does happen eventually, especially with my favorites.  Even though I have a ton of products, I don't like wasting them.  So when you get to the bottom of a tube, and can no longer squeeze any more out, don't throw it in the recycling bin just yet.  Using regular old scissors, cut the tube in half. 

Now you can use your fingers or Q-tips to scoop out the rest of the product that's left inside.  I find that there's usually at least a few applications left.  So that the product doesn't dry out, just tuck the bottom half into the top half.  It fits neatly together, though I recommend scooping out the product from the top half first, as I've done in the photo above, so when you put the pieces together, it doesn't get all over the bottom half of the tube. 

Review: OPI Moon Over Mumbai Nail Polish

It's no secret that my love for light colored nail polished goes hand-in-hand with inability to get weekly manicures and unwillingness to do may nails every few days myself.  Light colored polish doesn't show chips as much, so manicures, be it at a salon or at home, can stretch much longer.  While I love my Essie Mademoiselle and OPI Bubble Bath, I felt the need to get something with a slight edge while everyone else was rocking the blacks and navys.  Side note: even light colored polishes turn my nails yellow while wearing a base-coat, so the effects of wearing round-the-clock dark polishes would be frightening.  So I turned to a soft shade of gray.

I discovered OPI's Moon Over Mumbai in CVS of all places almost a year ago, and have been wearing it almost exclusively ever since.  I'm still working my way through the same bottle, so if you're hesitant about spending $8.50 for a bottle of nail polish, you really get a lot of use for your money.  The color is sheer, so I usually put on 3 thin coats (seen above), allowing drying time between each, and finish with an acrylic top coat.  The bottle I bought advertising having an extra-wide "professional" brush.  I'm not sure if all bottles in this color come with this larger brush, but it does make the polishing go faster.  I generally get about a week out of my home manicures, with a few small chips here and there, but I have only myself to blame since I definitely use my nails as tools.  Sometimes I just assume that everyone knows how to do their own nails, but I'd be happy to do a tutorial if that's not the case!

Bottom Line

Product: OPI Moon Over Mumbai

Website: www.opi.com

Retail Price: $8.50

Category: Nails

Recommendation: My favorite, long wearing, every day nail polish

Try This At Home...Olive Oil Baths

I'm not one for baths.  I am the unfortunate combination of being somewhat of a germaphobe and an incredibly lazy housekeeper.  I don't enjoy the idea of sitting in my own dirty water, much less dirty water in a dirty tub.  Once I get a giant 2-person tub (have you seen the one on this season of House?  Love it, it looks like an egg) and have a live-in housekeeper, I'm sure then I'll be a bath person. 

However, per doctor's orders I need to start taking regular baths in Epsom Salts, which can be very drying.  Since I don't have bath oils lying around (per above reasons), I decided to pour in a glug of regular olive oil.  At first I didn't think it would do anything, since of course it just floated around on the surface of the bath (oil and water don't mix!), and it didn't smell like pomegranates or exotic flowers, and it sure didn't make any bubbles.  But I don't use baths to get clean, I use them to soak.  Then I take a shower.  So back to my point.  The olive oil really worked to make my skin silky and soft.  I could definitely tell the difference between the skin that had been soaking in the water and the skin that hadn't - and the skin that had been in the bath wasn't dry at all.  If I really want to indulge next time, I'll add in a couple drops of Lavender oil along with the olive oil, but it's really not necessary. 

Next to try....olive oil in place of moisturizer.  As long as I don't smell like salad dressing.

Holy Tarantula, L'Oreal!

So as I mentioned in my last post, I am testing out L'Oreal's Last Boosting Serum.  I haven't really paid much attention to the campaign until I started flipping through this month's Marie Claire and noticed Frieda Pinto's absolutely ridiculous fake lashes jumping out from the page.  I'm all for fake lashes, and it's really no secret that they are used in mascara ads, but this has taken it to a whole new level.  I think drag queens would look at this ad and think, hmm, it's a little too much.  Whether these are actual falsies or the photo-shopped kind, L'Oreal has pushed it to the level of me saying "gross" instead of "gorgeous."

 

If you're not convinced that this is 100% fake, check out this still from the movie Slumdog Millionaire:

I realize it's not as zoomed in as the ad campaign, but you would notice if she had two tarantulas hanging off her eyes.  I still think it's possible that the serum can boost lashes, but definitely not by that much.  I hate it when products ridiculously over-promise, because then users can't help but feel either a) ripped off, and/or b) somehow not pretty enough to live up to expectations.  And for what it's worth, I think Freida is ridiculously beautiful without the need for any photo-shopping.

Currently Testing...L'Oreal Lash Boosting Serum

I think every woman alive would love to have longer, thicker eyelashes.  Since I (and most women I know), can't afford lash extensions or Latisse - these can run you hundreds of dollars over time - makeup companies are finally jumping on the bandwagon and selling lash boosting products over the counter.

Sorry Coco, but I am cynical about how effective these potions are, so I decided to do a little test.  For the last week or so, I've been applying L'Oreal Lash Boosting Serum to my right eye, and will do a comparison after 4 weeks are up to see if it really does boost lashes.  It's interesting to note that on the package, the product claims to make lashes appear fortified, nourished, and strengthened.  That's great and all, but if I'm going to apply a serum twice a day, I want my lashes to appear thicker, longer, and flirtier.

I'll let you all know how it goes!