Happy Autumn, everyone!
Now I realize the word beauty is in the title here, so men, before you click away, stay tuned, this first tip is for everyone…
DIY: World’s cheapest, non-bacteria-laden face exfoliant…
No need to buy a fancy scrubber when you can DIY!
For those who don’t get these things hammered into their heads by 6 beauty magazines a month, like I do, exfoliation is basically any kind of scrubbing of one’s skin. Now my research tells me (see bit about the 6 magazines a month) that the best kind of exfoliation for your face is one of these fancy battery powered scrubby brushes (i.e. Clairsonic, Olay, etc.) and the accompanying fancy(read as: pricey) exfoliating gel. I did this for about a year and my skin did look much improved – smoother, better toned. HOWEVER, my new routine of 8+ months has the exact, same effect at a fraction of the cost – liquid face soap, with a sprinkling of baking soda. Ta da! It’s something so low-tech it will drop your WPM by at least 5.
That’s right, take your favorite basic non-medicated face wash (I use Purpose), and buy one of the plastic bottles of baking soda with the click-top lid, and sprinkle some baking soda in your hand (mix with the face soap), wash your face as usual (circular motions work best), and you have a great facial exfoliator you can use once a day and look as fresh and bump-free as someone who sadly paid $150 for their set-up. Everyone has baking soda at home (right?) so you can try this for free any time you want. If you like it – let me know!
Now on to a decidedly girlier topic… One of my 3 addictions in life (besides books, the other addiction is pens, don’t get too excited!) – I’m talking about nail polish.
Manicure Selfies: OPI Shatter tests…
OPI shatter and it’s various spin-offs have been out for a few years now. I got a white Avon version 2 or 3 years ago and I wasn’t super impressed and didn’t try others at the time, but have since figured out that the versions with sparkle (not glitter, but fine sparkle) are much prettier than the flat colors. They also make your manicure last at least a week and tend to camouflage the polish wear at the end of your nails that just can’t be helped unless you have minions that do all your chores for you (and type for you as well).
Gold Shatter over red polish.
I tried 2 color combos recently. First — OPI Gold Shatter over OPI Innie Minnie Mighty Bow which is a pink-leaning red. I LOVED this – it was super-festive, very Christmas holidays or Chinese New Year – fun, happy, and lucky all rolled into one. Only one coat of gold shatter is needed, and 2 coats of the red.
Magenta Shatter over pink polish.
Same basic method but in different colors… Next I tried plum/magenta OPI Nicki Minaj Super Bass Shatter over OPI Chic from Ears to Tail which is a soft bubble-gum pink. This wasn’t as amazing to me at the gold/red combo, but still fun. The sparkle in the Super Bass is much more subtle than the gold was. I used 2 coats of the pink and 1 of the shatter. I may try this over black around Halloween, who knows? Oh! And I always recommend using a basecoat and a speed dry clear coat to make your mani last it’s longest.
Well whether you give a hoot about beauty tips or not, I hope you have a fabulous week ahead, and keep reading! BTW, I’m half way through 50 Shades now. I’m not very impressed so far, I’d heard there were issues with the writing style (mediocre) and I think that’s correct. If I had a dollar for every time the heroine has said “Oh my” so far I’d have a very posh lunch out indeed!
Time for a coffee,
Maddy
Carpe Capulus 