beauty – Page 18

Christmas Recap

December 31, 2012 - 7:53 pm | December 31, 2012 Arbonne, Badgley Mischka, beauty, Christmas, Hobbit, Miscellaneous, Shower gel, Soap, Tea, teavana tea

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December 31, 2012 by Cassy

Did you guys get anything good for Christmas? I did! So naturally I have to brag 🙂

First, my boyfriend got me Lord of the Rings Blue Rays!

I saw the Hobbit during opening weekend, and couldn’t stop talking about LotR for weeks leading up to Christmas Day. I was also really tempted to order it on Amazon for myself, but my sneaky boyfriend told me not to and really surprised me with the gift. As if that’s not all, he also got me a Badgley Mischka clutch! I still haven’t had a chance to use this yet, so maybe I’ll get to use it for our anniversary dinner in January. I think he did a good job picking something practical and colorful.

Then, we had a White Elephant at work and I got some awesome Teavana Tea Set and Mug Infuser. I love their tea, so this was a great present to have. I’m very sensitive to caffeine, so tea works great. Plus, this will help me stay healthy for my 2013 resolution, since tea has natural antioxidants and caffeine. Finally, I got this awesome Arbonne Spa Set from my friends’ white elephant.

I don’t take baths, but the shower gel smells REALLY nice. It foams and it lathers sufficiently, and I still can’t get over how great this Pomegranate-Mandarin mixture smells. The lotion lasts for a long time too, but the lotion has these glitter/sparkles in them. That’s just a little too “teeny-bopper” for me, reminds me of those spray mists I had back in high school. The awesome thing too is that this Spa Set is vegan. I heard from someone that if you have soap scums in your bath tubs, it’s because of the animal-based products you are using. When you switch to plant-based products (shampoo, soap, shower gel, etc.), the soap scums won’t be there. I just cleaned my bathroom yesterday (getting ready for a brand new 2013), so I’ll make sure to keep an eye out on the stuff. However, it’s still hard to convince my roommate to switch his toiletries to the plant-based ones since most plant-based stuff smells too feminine for males. Maybe I should do some research on vegan products for men (2013 goal).

By the way, I re-purposed that adorable spa box to store my contacts, extra toothbrushes, and other feminine stuff. It’s so cute and roomy.

Hope you guys all had a great Christmas! And happy New Year!

Category: Miscellaneous

| Tags: Arbonne, Badgley Mischka, Beauty, Christmas, Hobbit, Shower gel, Soap, Tea, teavana tea

Cosmetics Trends of 2013

December 11, 2012 - 9:00 pm | December 11, 2012 2013, bb cream, beauty, Cosmetics, health, Sustainable packaging, trends

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December 11, 2012 by Cassy

I read this article from SupplySide Insights, in which experts and companies are predicting what the trends for cosmetics in 2013 will be. Not to sound overly critical, but some of these trends are pretty stupid.

Classic Cool Colors – Um…doesn’t the word “classic” imply that it will never go out of style? Maybe it went through a tough breakup with warm colors, left the apartment, traveled the world, and now it’s back, kicking ass with cool colors? Nevertheless, experts predict that 2013 will bring bright, deep, metallic red eyeshadows and eyeliners. Black will be infused with silver or gray mica, and dark blue will work for nails. I kinda like the dark blue nails…but red eyeshadow? Too vampy for me…
Cosmetic Kits – Self-explanatory. When you’re lazy or clueless (like me), a kit is perfect to help prettify yourself. Also, great gifts for Christmas. But are we really going to see more of this in 2013? Can I make my own customizable kits? Was that an idea for a new start-up? You can thank me later.
Green Packaging – Finally! This has been trending for all of 2012, so I’m glad to say many companies are *finally* getting the hint and converting to greener packaging. Greener packaging meant more cost, but the desire to protect and save the environment, driven by consumers, are now driving R&D towards innovation and lower costs. This should have been the trend every year, not just for 2013.
Natural Ingredients for Face – Seriously…people have been fighting for natural ingredients since forever. Well, for me it started in July 2011. So glad companies are using ingredients that are beneficial and safe for us and our planet. This is one thing I hope to see more of in 2013.
Multi-Functional Cosmetic Products – Yes! Multiple uses for my mascara! BB cream that also act as primers, SPF, and moisturizer…AND it doesn’t clog my skin! Do such products exist? YES! Consumers demand everything, and eventually companies will make it! Let’s just hope it doesn’t cost an arm & a leg.