iLiner

NO! on Prop 8!!!

2008-10-25T03:13:00.000-07:00

I feel very strongly about this, and encourage people to comment both sides of the issue, but please no personal attacks. Also, please try to watch the videos before commenting.

how exactly will this harm society?

"Gay marriage has become such an important issue to me, as it should be an important issue to everyone. It's a civil rights issue, period. And the only reason anyone wants to deny homosexuals equal rights is a religious one. PERIOD. Your God says it's a bad thing. But what if my God disagrees? If you take religion out of the equation, THERE IS NO ISSUE. And don't even get me started on the slippery slope end of the argument, because you know the only reason I'm writing this is because I want to legally marry my dogs. Both of them." - Heather from dooce.com

America was founded on the ideal of freedom of religion. Yes, we had a Puritanical Christian beginning. But why were they here? Because the Church of England was trying to tell them what to believe and how to live their life! They were here to ESCAPE RELIGIOUS PROSECUTION, and now 400 to 500 years later, our citizens are trying to do the exact thing that their ancestors tried to get away from.

There will always be exceptions, but the VAST majority of supporters for Prop 8 are religious folks. In fact, 77% of monetary support for Yes on Prop 8 is from people who practice the Mormon religion...both in AND OUT of California.

If marriages were only legal if conducted in a church (a la England) this would be a moot point. It would be up to the churches to decide if they would or would not grant marriage licenses to homosexuals. However, people get married in court houses all the time. This makes marriage a governmental entity as well and we have a strict separation of church and government policy in this country.

To argue that allowing gays to get married would ruin the "sanctity and sacredness of marriage" is ridiculous. Our divorce rate wouldn't be 60% if people truly respected marriage.

I'm positive that Ellen and Portia are more in love and committed to each other than most of the drunken marriages that take place in Vegas. (Britney Spears' 55-hour drug/alcohol fueled marriage anyone?)

Please vote No on Prop 8

Dove

2007-04-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

I usually favor higher end products (just about anything you can purchase at Sephora), but I purchased some of the new Dove Cream Oil Body Wash on a whim while I was in Target yesterday.

I LOVE this stuff. It comes in three different strengths depending on how dry you deem your skin to be. I chose cherry blossom and almond scent because I liked it the best. Turns out it's the middle level of "creaminess". It's not so perfume-y that your whole shower instantly smells like it as soon as you put it on the bath puff. The smell is so light that it is just enough to be smelled but not overpowering. Brought a smile to my face this morning.

Now, let's talk about the lather. TO DIE FOR! The lather is so dense and creamy that its like rubbing bubbly lotion all over your body. At one point I actually thought about how much I had used because it seemed like I was just spreading it around, the lather was so thick.

Use this to shave. Because of the oil and the moisturizers, I have never had such a smooth shave. My skin is still so soft.

I recommend heading to the nearest Target and picking it up.

I know this is off-topic, but it's important to me

2007-04-18T16:46:00.001-07:00

I've never been a huge meat eater and have at points even been a "pseudo-vegetarian."

My meat intake is really limited to chicken breasts, filet mignon, and in-n-out burgers. I eat dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, and milk. Even then, most everything was organic.

After reading information on www.GoVeg.com, I'm done with animal products.

Thinking about my diet, it really shouldnt be that hard to do. The hardest thing will be dairy and egg products, but even then there are a ton of great replacement products. I actually prefer Chocolate Silk Soy Milk to regular chocolate milk. Cheese is my greatest weakness, but I've been hearing about vegan type cheeses for a long time and how good they can be. Luckily, most bread does not contain animal products past, oh say, butter (which isnt in most bread recipes anyways), but you can get replacements for that (I already use smart balance instead of butter.) Tortillas will be hard too at restaurants because most contain animal fat or lard, but its easy to find vegetarian/vegan tortillas at places like trader joes.

which leads me to another conundrum. im moving home and there is no whole foods there. i mean the closest thing to one is this really tiny not mainstream organic foods mart. looks like ill be eating a lot of trader joes foods lol.

I could write a whole essay on the animal cruelty and health aspects, but if you are really interested, the website spells everything out much better than I could.

The health benefits alone should be enough to think about a switch (average vegetarian cholesterol level=133...no documented heart attacks for people with cholesterol under 150...things like that) but the animal cruelty puts the nail in the coffin. not even organic animals are treated humanely!

Do You Have Really Dry Skin?

2007-04-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

I was recently given the opportunity to try Skin MD Natural. I was a little skeptical at first but that went away as soon as I tried it.

I suffer from really dry elbows. I mean dry, to the point where in moments of desperation I have been known to lick my fingers and then rub my elbows. EW. Haha.

Skin MD Natural refers to themselves as a "shielding" lotion. The claim is that conventional moisturizers only replace natural moisture but do nothing to help retain it. Skin MD Natural works by moisturizing deeper and then bonding to the top layer of skin to keep irritants out and moisture in. Having personally gone through many bottles of Bath & Body Works lotion (I can't help it - it just smells so good!) and been less than satisfied with the results, this sounded too good to be true.

But it wasn't. As soon as I slicked the first layer on my elbows, legs, hands, and feet, I could tell an immediate difference. My skin actually felt soooo smooth. It was great to have soft, sleek, smooth legs. It gave my legs a really pretty sheen as well. And it definitely stayed that way longer.

Since I originally wrote this post, the girls over at Meg's Makeup have also reviewed Skin MD Natural (here) The girls bring up a good point that if you like a nice heavy duty moisturizer this is going to feel too light. I recommend slathering on a nice thick lotion and then "sealing" it with Skin MD Natural. Or try a moisturizing creme body wash/ in shower lotion.

Dull Skin Nightmare

2007-04-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

I went to visit some old friends recently and had a bad skin day. You know the ones where you look in the mirror and you obviously need foundation. Once you put the foundation on, however, it looks like your foundation is caked on and dull (I use super sheer reflective DIORskin Pure Light so for it to be dull is a huge deal). On the verge of a emotional breakdown - why wasn't my face matching my neck like normal?!- I ran, well drove, to the nearest Sephora and spent the next 45 minutes comparing every skin brightening face mask they had.

Enter Korres Natural Products. I have always wanted to try their products but was too scared to because I had not heard anything good or bad about them. No news is usually bad news. I took this opportunity to snatch up the wild rose mask which is marketed as an "instant brightening and illuminating vitamin C mask." And so much more!

This stuff is absolutely amazing. Not only does it do everything it says that it does, it does it with the prettiest light rose scent. Skin improvement and aromatherapy all in one? Sign me up! I am seriously in love with this stuff. It smells just like the rose-scented Yankee candles. My skin was soo smooth and so soft, I swear I was glowing.

OH MY GOSH

2007-04-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

I am ssssooooo sorry I haven't been posting. It went from one stressful thing to another and then I couldn't access my blog! Stay tuned though...I have a few reviews to publish.

apology in advance...

2007-02-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of tests this week so posting will be sparse, if there is any at all...

Life Changing Moment

2007-02-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh. I don't even know where to start with this book...AMAZING! If you have ever struggled with body issues, yo-yo diets, food issues...anything...this book is for you. French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

Buy this book today. It is a profound look at how the French approach food compared to Americans.

"The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of food to have or have not; instead, you'll find simple tricks that boil down to eating carefully prepared seasonal food, exercising more and refusing to think of food as something that inspires guilt. It's both a practical message and far easier said than done in today's "no pain, no gain" culture.

Author Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch--or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the "zipper test" could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought.

A number of recipes are included, from a weight-loss enhancing leek soup to a lush chocolate mousse; they read more like what you'd find in a French cookbook rather than an American diet book. Most appealingly, these are guidelines and tricks that could be easily sustainable over a lifetime. If you agree that food is meant to be appreciated--but no more so than having a trim waist--these charmingly French recommendations could set you on the path to a future filled with both croissants and high fashion. --Jill Lightner"

Gym Membership

2007-01-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

Equipped new gym membership and a free* personal trainer, it seems my spare time has been dwindling away. That, or my shoulders have just been so sore that I can't bring myself to type anything of length. Haha.

Anyways, I wasnt sure what I wanted to review today, and then it hit me while I was showering:

Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Restoratives Shampoo and Conditioner!

I've been a major bottle blonde dating back to a bad idea in December 2004. (I thought dying my natural blonde hair brown would be a fun change. WRONG!) My hair has been fully bleached out (by my own means none-the-less) at least 6 times. I swear it only looks fried for maybe 2 days. Even my hair dresser can't believe that it's been bleached as much as it has. It just gets softer and shinier everytime. If you touched my hair today, you would never guess that it's been chemically processed. Its that great.

*free = my boyfriend who won't let me complain my way into shorter workouts...

What a week!

2007-01-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of posts! I just wrapped up the second week of my semester so I have been really busy. School books are so expensive! On a non-beauty related note, I bought my used (like new)Statistics II book on Amazon.com Market place for $50...1/2 of what my school wanted for a used one. I highly recommend it!

Back to beauty business... Some of you may have noticed that I broke down and shelled out for the Kinerase Cream. Boy, was that a mistake. It is the exact OPPOSITE of how amazing the Kinerase gentle cleanser is. My skin was left tight, dry, and slightly itchy (could be a slight allergic reaction as well). Some parts of my skin are so dry that I feel like I have scaly patches and now I have to microdermabrasion my face. *I recommend Olay Microdermabrasion/Peel kit* I normally have, well, normal skin. No dry patches or oily slicks. I can't even imagine what this would do to someone with dry skin.

Back to my beloved Caudalie Premieres Vendanges Moisturizing Cream. I feel bad for straying to begin with.

This day cream is amazing. I literally feel like my skin is going "aaahhhh" after I put it on. Its like drinking a nice glass of water when you are dehydrated. Plus it works really well with the Kinerase Gentle Cleanser.

Much Better!

2007-01-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

She looks so much better with normal hair and makeup. Everything about this look compliments her. I don't even know what to say.

Oh wait...

I do.

Lol. I hated the red lipstick on her....it showed off how much of her gums showed when she smiled and it was too harsh for her features (especially when combined with that weird unflattering architectural hairdos that she always seems to have...)

Going for Broke...

2007-01-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

OH MY GOSH!

I decimated sephora.com last night!

There are some neat secret promotion codes going on right now.

BEAUTE1

MASCARA

And, like always any order over $75 merits free shipping (GODSEND! :D)

Anyways...back to my shopping spree.

I went crazy!

I split it into four different orders that met the $75 min for free shipping (I know..there goes most of my paycheck! augh!) so that I could get more free samples! You can only use one promotional code per order as well so this is a good way to break it down.

Also, I ♥ the free gift boxes they include if you select free gift wrapping. They are so cute and classy. I use them to store things in under my sink.

My shopping bag:

Today's Makeup!

2007-01-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

Today I went for my "angel face" look.

I had pin curls so I wanted something sweet and young...enter becca cosmetics.

Eyes:
becca shimmer in Nymph and Hyawatha
heavy layer of diorshow mascara

Face:
philosophy the Supernatural in natural
Diorshow Powder in Catwalk Pink 003 (creates this flawless pink glow!)

Lips:

Bourjois Effet 3D Mobile High Shine Lip Gloss Cell Phone Charm in Framboise Magnific (the most perfect shade of light berry pink shimmer ever...not sticky or gooey either..very light once its on)

Flawless

2007-01-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

UPDATE:I set my hair in pin curls last night and had second thoughts about makeup like this...it definetely needs sleek hair.

She looks GORGEOUS! I am going to attempt to do my makeup like this today. Shouldn't be too hard, and it will fit my bone structure. I'll keep you updated!

Face Cleansers

2007-01-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

I'm not gonna lie, I've definitely had my skin issues.

I always thought that the things I was using weren't strong enough (things like Murad acne solutions)

One day I tried a gentle cleanser (Caudalie to be exact.) My face was clear within a week. It turned out I had been over irritating my skin and causing the breakouts. UGH!

Then through a deluxe sample courtesy of Sephora, I discovered the all time skin cleanser...

It runs about $30 dollars but it is TOTALLY worth it. Caudalie cleared my skin up (Kinerase kept it clear...) but with in two weeks...no joke...my skin looked like 21 year old skin should look. It was amazing. I no longer needed concealer, foundation, or even powder. My skin was picture perfect and felt the same way.

I'm still using my Caudalie day lotion but I'm saving up for the Kinerase Creme ($117!?!). Honestly if I hadn't already tried the lotion and found out how wonderful it was as well I would never buy something that expensive at my age. But it was sooo nice! Definitely gave me a case of the "gimme gimmes."

Daily Makeup

2007-01-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

No makeup today! yay!

todays makeup!

2007-01-14T13:01:00.000-08:00

oooh im in love with my makeup today!!

eyes-
MAC concealer in NC20
MAC eyeshadow in pollen (all over)
Becca shimmer in Nymph (all over)
MAC eyeliner in teddy (outer top edges...mod/retro style)
Diorshow mascara

Face-
philosophy the Supernatural in natural
MAC blush in style

thats it but i love it!

Hahahah

2007-01-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled upon Meg's Makeup Review for the first time today. The girl is witty!

check out this post! I was literally laughing out loud.

Today's Makeup!

2007-01-10T08:01:00.001-08:00

Today was a super early/short day at work so im only wearing:

philosophy the Supernatural in natural
MAC blush in Dollymix
DiorShow mascara in black
GAP pomegranate chapstick (LOVE it!)

Daily Makeup

2007-01-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

I *LOVE* that blogdorf goodman (blogdorf goodman) chronicles her beauty products every day. So I am going to try to make it a daily thing for me as well!

I cleaned out my makeup case (the big one not the train case) last night and put ALL my makeup back in it. I've basically been travelling for the last 2 1/2 months and I can't believe how much makeup I forgot I owned. Amazing!

Tuesday Jan 9th consisted of:

Kinerase Gentle Cleanser (the only cleanser even close to the wonderful-ness is Caudalie gentle cleanser)
Caudalie Day Creme

MAC eye paint in eyelights
Wash of Bourjois Muti Shimmer Loose Eye Shadow in Illuminateur 10 (shimmery white) with Bleu Swimming Pool 24 (golden turquoise blue shimmer) on my lids.

*as an aside....Bleu Swimming Pool 24 is my new favorite shade! I call it mermaid blue and it is one of the prettiest eyeshadows i've ever seen...

Diorshow Mascara in black

Philosophy the Supernatural in Natural
MAC blush in Dollymix
MAC Bronzer

The Body Shop Lip stain in rose
Lip Injection

Miss Dior Cherie perfume (I can never remember if it is an eau de toilette or a parfum)

Mascara

2007-01-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

The story of my life right here!

I'm only 21 and I could guess I've probably tried over 100 different brands of mascara in my life.

No joke.

I'm pretty lucky in that my eyelashes are really decent on their own, but I was always looking for just the right ones.

Well here are my top two:

For any type of eyelashes there are two easy choices.

Bourjois Volume Glamour ($13, sephora.com)

I've never seen this mascara look less than fabulous on anyone (and believe me I've used it on a lot of people.) It gives lush, dark, long, and full lashes. It basically recognizes any potential in your eyelashes and fulfills it.

Diorshow Mascara ($23, sephora.com or and dior makeup counter)

Diorshow is a pricier version of Bourjois Volume Glamour. It adds slightly more volume and stays a little softer.

In my daily experience, neither of these mascaras flake or bleed onto skin. For darker, fuller lashes, it seems that non waterproof version of any mascara is always better than its counterpart.

First Post

2007-01-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say hi! I, like most people who are reading this, am OBSESSED with all things beauty. Haircare, skincare, makeup...you name it, I've tried at least 5 different brands low end to high end.

Sephora will be the end of me financially. Hahaha.

Feel free to ask me anything beauty related, I'm sure I can help you out!

*iLiner*

NO! on Prop 8!!!

Dove

I know this is off-topic, but it's important to me

Do You Have Really Dry Skin?

Dull Skin Nightmare

OH MY GOSH

apology in advance...

Life Changing Moment

Gym Membership

What a week!

Much Better!

Going for Broke...

Today's Makeup!

Flawless

Face Cleansers

Daily Makeup

todays makeup!

Hahahah

Today's Makeup!

Daily Makeup

Mascara

First Post

iLiner