In Which a Shampoo Makes Me Weak in the Knees

For months I have seriously cut back on my shampoo addiction. With the economy being in the tank, I am saving more, giving more to charity, and trying not to be such a consumer. But I am weak. I have moments where I just cannot resist temptation. My first mistake was even walking down the shampoo aisle at CVS. The bold colors of this line jumped out at me. I flipped open the lid and took a sniff and it seriously took me a few minutes to regain my composure. It smells THAT. GOOD. It had me at hello, but the scent is just the tip of the iceberg with these little gems.

:: Vitamin Shampoo and Conditioner ::

Good things:

1. First and foremost: Sulfate-free and Paraben-free. This is important to me, as I'm trying to eliminate the use of sulfates.
2. THE FREAKING SMELL. Choices like blueberry avocado, acai berry guava, and my choice: blackberry pomegranate. And the scent DOES linger throughout the day.
3. Unlike some other natural shampoo lines, it doesn't dry your hair out at all.
4. The real sell on this line is the use of superfruits. Not sure that does lickity split for your hair, but it can't hurt.

Bad things:

1. You can't eat it.
2. Sometimes the bottle makes it a little hard to squeeze out the product, but sometimes you have to work for the good things.

If you're in the mood to treat yourself to something yummy and nourishing, I would indulge in a set from this line. I don't think you'll be sorry.

Revlon Beyond Natural Eyeshadow Quads

I bought this on recommendation of my friend's mom, whose eye makeup always looks professionally done. Every time I talk to her I am distracted by how beautiful her eyes look. It's artsy and natural all at once. Now, a lot of that is talented application. But I can't resist heeding the advice of someone whose eye makeup I adore. And I ended up adoring these little shadows too.

:: Revlon Beyond Natural Eyeshadow Quads ::

Good things:

1. Has a cream to powder finish that makes it easy to apply but sets rather nicely.
2. The colors are gorgeous. Pigmented but natural, and very blendable.
3. Cute little compact.

Bad things:

1. I wish they had more shades, but I guess this whole line is devoted to "natural" beauty so they aren't going to give you a huge range of color.
2. I wouldn't recommend these to people who have oily eyelids. They tend to get a little shiny midday, so I'm guessing you'd want to stay away from these or else use a lot of powder to set them.

Mascara: The Good and the Evil

I feel compelled to blog about a good mascara after falling for what is quite possibly the most over-hyped, over-marketed mascara to come along in years: Maybelline Lash Stiletto. I fell for the marketing crap and bought this, thinking my lashes would be long and shiny and amazing. I was a fool to believe! I threw the tube out after one use, which I NEVER do. I always give things a few tries. But, I didn't think it was possible to make your lashes look worse than they do with nothing on them. This mascara lives up to none of its promises.

So, in the spirit of honoring that which is good...

:: Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost Mascara ::

This mascara is a staple in my bag. I wouldn't necessarily call it a holy grail item, cause it's not perfect. But the price and the performance are such that it's the one I grab most days, and I have repurchased many times over.

Good things:

1. It does volumize your lashes pretty fabulously.
2. For the most part, it doesn't clump or make a mess of your eye area.
3. Doesn't flake off during the day.
4. Cheap.

Bad things:

1. Sometimes it can get a little shitty on you. i.e. it globs up on the wand and acts like a fool. If this happens, I resort to wiping the excess off with tissue first or just buying a new tube. It's not a problem most of the time, though.