Your Perfect Blush? PH Matchmaker Blush- Physician's Formula

I have been wanting to purchase Stila's Custom Color Blush in Pink for months now, but the $20 price tag kind of set me off.  I was really excited when I saw that Physician's Formula was coming out with their own shade-sensing blush, for an affordable $13. The PH Matchmaker Blush is supposed to sense the ph level of your skin and adapt to your skin's perfect color within 60 seconds.

As for the packaging, the compact itself lights up, just in case you decide you want to put on your blush in the club, I guess...HAHA. Like anyone would do that? No, it is a nice touch in case you want to touch up your blush, but I wouldn't recommend it with this one, as you could end up looking like a clown.

Me in the Physician's Formula PH Matchmaker in shade Natural.

I chose the Natural color, but there is also a Rose shade. The Natural blush color is very heavily pigmented and it looks nice, but a little definitely goes a long way. I wouldn't exactly call it "Natural", but it provides a believable color. I don't know how much the shade actually changed from the compact to my face. It looks pretty much the same? But I guess I will believe Physicians Formula when they say "The first ever blush with pH Power Complex transforms into your perfectly personalized hue!" (listed on the box) Maybe my ideal color was the color that I saw in the compact? At any rate, I still want the Stila Custom Color Blush. From trying it on in Sephora, it was the exact pink that I blush and you don't have to worry about putting on too much.

Bottom Line-This is a heavily pigmented blush.  A little goes a long way. It also doesn't seem to change much from the compact to the face.

Will I Buy it Again?- Probably not.

Where to Buy- Drugstores everywhere

Cool and Inexpensive Accessories Site! My Cents of Style

I am always on the lookout for a website that offers really cute accessories at low prices, and I found it at My Cents of Style. Everything is $40 and under, with most jewelry ranging around $10. Here are some of my key finds for this month!

Talent 260 $36.60. Click here to view on Site.

Angie- $9.60 Click Here to purchase

Marlee, $10.60 Click Here to purchase

Margo, $10.60 Click Here to purchase

Mardy, $30.60. Click Here to purchase

Mae $9.60, Click Here to purchase

Rico, $36.60 Click Here to purchase

Helen, $10.60. Click Here to purchase

Your Perfect Pink? Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

I am usually a sucker for anything that says it was designed just for you. That somehow, make up will sense the perfect color to compliment my complexion and make me look better than before. So, of course, I fell pray to Dior advertising, and had to try out the shade-sensing Dior Addict Lip Glow for myself.

According to the Dior website, Dior Addict Lip Balm is:

A made-to-measure lip balm that beautifies and durably enhances the lips’ natural color. A customized color result : thanks to its Color Reviver technology, Dior Addict Lip Glow reacts directly with the unique chemistry of each woman’s lips before releasing its color ingredient. Lips seem revived from within, amazingly fresh, full and radiant. 

Well, I tried out the balm, and at first I didn't like it. On my lips, the color turned a soft, but punchy pink that took some getting used to. After a while, I really started to like it, and now I wear it every day. I like a lot of gloss, so I usually pair it with some clear, shiny, lip gloss on top. I wasn't really convinced that the shade didn't  just turn the same color on everyone, so I asked my friend Jamie to try it out. 

Here are the results:

Me on the left, Jamie on the right.

Both Jamie and I used Dior Addict with my clear gloss. I have "Light" skin with golden undertones, while Jamie is more of a "Fair" or "Porcelain" complexion. The shades are very similar, but the glow balm is slightly more pink on me and mauve on Jamie, so there is a small difference in the shade.

Dior Glow Balm also contains SPF 10, and moisturizes with Mango and Luffa Cylandrica (similar to a cucumber plant, and often used to soften the skin), so you are also protecting and softening your lips every time you apply it. 

Dior Addict is not cheap, but if you like pink lips, and have $30 burning a hole in your pocket. You will love this balm. Thrifty girly-girls, I will be looking around for a cheaper version of this product, and I will let you know as soon as I find one!

Bottom Line- Softens and provides lips with a perfect but not necessarily natural, pink.

Will I Buy it Again?- Yes, if I have $30!

Where to Buy- Neiman Marcus or Dior.com

Cool Site- Temptalia.com

Temptalia is cool beauty website with a great idea- type in the name of a high-end beauty product, and Temptalia will pull up a list of similar less expensive shades. The listing also includes a percentage of similarity, and an explanation of the percentage.

For example, I typed in Nars Orgasm for blush, and Temptalia came up with pages of similar products. One product that came up was E.L.F. Blushed, which I reviewed here, and it gave it a 90% rating, saying that it was less pigmented than the original (Not sure if I agree. I think Blushed is more pigmented). They have a listing of contributors on the site, and I am guessing that they are the ones that tested the products. I really wish the site gave an explanation of the percentages, and listed the product matching in some kind of order, like highest to lowest percentage, and included price range, but it does not. At any rate, it is a great idea if your favorite product is discontinued, or if you need to save some $$$ and have time to research and test a long list of products.

Bottom Line- Great site if you have the time. Wish the list was shorter and more concise with less duplicate listings.

To Visit- http://www.temptalia.com/makeup-dupe-list

Dr. Oz's ALL NATURAL Fat Fighting and Metabolism Boosters!

First, let me say that I heart Dr. Oz. I trust him, and I think he has great knowledge and advice. Whenever I get a chance, I try to catch his syndicated show (since his show is Oprah's brainchild, it has replaced her regular show time in a lot of national markets.) I also think that everything we need to cure everything is already available in nature, we just have to find it.

That being said, I am so excited to bring you Dr. Oz's all natural Fat and Metabolism Boosters from his show on February, 13, 2011 (try to catch it again, if you can!). A lot of these supplements are hard to find in regular drug and vitamin stores and are best (and cheapest) researched an purchased online. I went to my local GNC looking for 7 Keto, and they had no idea what I was talking about, but I easily purchased some on Ebay for $16.00.

Here are Dr.OZ's all natural Fat Fighting and Metabolism Boosters:


1. Metabolism Booster for People Over 30- 7 KETO, 100 mg, 2X per day.
2. Fat Buster- Forskolin- 12 mg in the mornings.
3. Belly Bloat/Muffin Top Fighter- Caraway Seeds- A handful every morning after breakfast.
4. Appetite Suppressant- Saffron Extract- 88 mg, 2X per day


Bonus Supplement-
Additional Supplement for Metabolism Boosting Power (Not from February 12 show, but from an earlier Dr. Oz show)- L Carnitine- 500 mg, 2 X per day (I have read online elsewhere, that to lose weight you may want to increase to 2000 mg per day).

I am so excited to try all of these supplements out, and I will let you know what I find out! 7 KETO and L Carnitine are the first that I am going to try. Dr. Oz said these supplements are especially helpful for those in their 30's and 40's who have tried everything else to lose weight, and can't seem to get their old metabolism back. That is me!

Bad Breath Busters! Therabreath

Face it- we all have bad breath sometimes, even though nobody wants to admit it. Bad breath can be a big problem, especially during the Winter and Spring when allergies and illness are common, and it is so embarrassing. Believe it or not, a lot of bad breath occurs in the throat and tongue, NOT only by the teeth and gums. To start off with, it is always important to floss every day, just to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and to catch food particles that may be stuck between your teeth. Those particles can rot just like food does in your kitchen, and smell just as bad if they spend enough time stuck between your teeth.

To catch those little buggers, I love the minty fresh flossers I buy at CVS.  A guy at work got me hooked on them, and I keep them in my purse so that I can use them throughout the day if I need to (being stuck in traffic is a great time to floss! Keep your eyes on the road, of course!) The kind I buy is generic, but you can also purchase them through G.U.M.online, or find them in your local drugstore. Also, don't forget to make brushing your tongue a part of your daily teeth brushing (I saw on Dr. Oz that the whiter your tongue is, the more likely it is for particles to get stuck in the crevices in your tongue and produce bad breath. I have a kind of white tongue! Eeek!)

Something else that really helps especially if I have been sick or have allergies, is Therabreath mouthwash, created by Dr. Katz out of love for his bad-breathed plagued daughter. Every night, I swish for 30 seconds with Therabreath between my teeth, and then gargle it in my throat for 30 seconds. I repeat the process sometimes, if necessary. I don't know what it is about Therabreath that works so well. According to the Therabreath website, Dr. Katz believes bad breath is caused by Sulfur Compounds, and his formula works to attack it. Dr. Katz's patients have eliminated 98% of the Sulfur Compounds that cause bad breath. At any rate, I am hooked! Therabreath is fresh, minty, works like nothing else! There is no alcohol in Therabreath, so it does not have a mediciney- taste that makes you want to gag. I am willing to drive all over Dallas looking for Therabreath, and it is often sold out. This is because it really works! It is not cheap, but for $10 a bottle, it is more than worth it!

Bottom Line- Every girly-girl should have Therabreath in her beauty arsenal!

Where to buy- Drugstores everywhere or www.therabreath.com

Monthly High End Beauty Samples Via Mail for $10? Yes, Please!!!- Birchbox

If you are like me, the only time you enjoy going to get the mail is A. If you get a magazine subscription, or B. If it is Christmas. Well, that is about to change! With a $10 monthly subscription to Birchbox, you get about 5 deluxe high end beauty samples by mail, in a cute little box. I just started my subscription, and I am already in big trouble, as I have already bought one of the deluxe samples in full size (Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum! It clears blemishes and helps fade acne scars and skin discoloration $29, and I am dying to buy the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint in Pearl  $38. It makes your skin glow and has great coverage in a lightweight formula). That is the great thing about Birchbox, it is also a neat little website with carefully selected beauty products that seem hand picked by a caring staff of beauty product lovers. There are brands you recognize like Stila, Dermologica, and Juicy Couture, but there are also lesser known brands like Jouer that have amazing products that you might not ever hear about our try on your own. Not only that, the products that are selected for you are based upon a quick questionnaire that you answer about your beauty routine. My friend Stephanie also subscribed to Birchbox, but this month she recieved a completely different box than I did! Birchbox has now made going to get the mail something I look forward to. Why not make your mailbox a little more beautiful?

My February Box- Every month the selection is different

To Subscribe to Birchbox for $10 per month- Subscribe (Tell them Megan from Girly-Girl in Big D sent you!)

Milani Illuminating Face Powder- Color, Highlight and Bronze!

First thing's first- I love Milani Cosmetics. They are affordable and come in great colors. Also, they don't seem to have as many orangy and pinky tones in their make-up they way that other common drugstore brands seem to. I almost didn't buy the Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Amber Nectar, because I had just bought another bronzer, and I wasn't sure what this powder would do. Was it a bronzer? A highlighter? A blush? Well, I am so glad that I bought it, because it makes my pale winter skin look a-maz-ing!!! It is the perfect shade of soft peachy- highlight and light bronze, so it looks natural, and it gives my skin a glowy, bronzed look that is healthy and natural and somehow perfect for my light skin tone. So, the answer is, this product does it all- highlight, blush and bronze-and it looks natural!

If you have light skin with golden/warm highlights, you must, must buy the Amber Nectar!!! It is a limited edition, so you better goto the drugstore before I do, because I am buying the whole stock.

Available Shades:

Amber Nectar- Peach/Pink Glow- Light-Medium Skin (highlighter/bronzer/blush with gold/peach highlights)
Hermosa Rose- For a Natural Glow- Medium Skin (bronzer/highlighter/ pink-blush)
Beauty's Touch- Pink Glow- Fair Skin (Looks like a pink blush/highlighter for the very fair)

Bottom Line- Amazing bronzer/blush/highlighter.

Would I Purchase Again-? Ummm...I am buying every Amber Nectar I can find!

Where to buy- Drugstores everywhere, or Milani.com. Only $9.49!

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer- An Inexpensive Version of YSL's Touche Eclat!

I have been a bad girl lately, and I have not updated my make-up to go from Summer to Fall/Winter, when my light skin goes from somewhat tan to pasty white, so imagine my lack of surprise when my Maybelline 24 Hour Concealer in Cream started to make orangey like dots on my face where it was supposed to blend in. Well, it was time for me to get to the drugstore and purchase a new concealer for my lighter skin (and a new foundation as well, but more on that later).  Imagine my delight when I saw the new Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighter and Concealer Pen? Right away I thought it must be Maybelline's cheaper version of the YSL cult favorite/award winning must have product, YSL Touche Eclat. I wasn't big on "brush" type concealers, but I thought I would give this one a try. I purchased the Nude color, as Ivory is often too light, and this shade looked like it had the right light amount of light sandy beige that my skin needs.

I couldn't wait to try it, so I opened it up in the car after purchasing it. Guess what? The brush is actually very easy to use, and makes concealing facial discoloration a snap. The formula is also light, but buildable, so you can cover quite a bit, and more than once, without feeling like your going to look cakey. The Nude shade blended right in, and the highlighting pigments actually deflected away attention from my skin imperfections, and gave my skin a soft glow. The Dream Lumi Highlighting Concealer is not for those that need a lot of heavy coverage, but if you are looking to cover mild acne and sun damage, this concealer is perfect.

Available Shades-

Ivory
Radiant
Buff
Nude
Beige
Honey

Bottom Line- Light, buildable coverage, easy to use pen, and inexpensive price makes Maybelline's Dream Lumi Touch Concealer and Highlighter pen a great alternative to YSL's Touche Eclat.

Will I Purchase This Product Again?- Definitely!

Where to Buy- Drugstores everywhere

Biosilk Shine On Spray- Makes Your Hair Like Silk!

I was looking for a spray-on hair shine and silkener product, and I love Biosilk Silk Therapy Serum, so I thought I would give this spray shine product a try. Biosilk Shine On Spray is amazing! The aerosol spray is fine, lightweight, and easy to use, and it instantly makes your hair soft and silky and eliminates frizz! My hair is highlighted blonde, and is very dry and frizzy. After I use this product, it feels so healthy and soft, and my frizz and poofiness are GONE!!!! Who cares about shine?? This product does so much more!!! Shine on Spray is not cheap in stores, pricing at around $17, but you can buy it online for $10.45 at Amazon. I am normally very finicky with hair products, but I am sold on this one!!!

Bottom Line- BUY THIS PRODUCT IF YOU HAVE DRY HAIR!!!!

Would I Buy This Product Again?- YES!!!

Where to Buy- Drugstores, or Amazon