Going to the Chapel

Today will be a quickie!

This morning, I received my sister Wubba's "Save The Date" card in the mail today and it sparked a memory of me testing out her "wedding" make-up while I was down South for the holidays.


We were looking through all her bridal magazines and at around midnight, I decided to test out some makeup looks on her. I'm proud to say she has "hired" me to do the job.

I think the key to wedding makeup is to look natural with a little kick. I've seen many brides that try for the smokey eye, and they wind up looking awful in the pictures.

I am attaching a picture of my job done, keep in mind, it was very late at night!

Cosmetics Stimulus Plan

Hi Beauties,

A lot has happened since I last posted!
Since the US is in such financial turmoil, CCW has been trying to cut down on the high-end cosmetics and trying to shop "smarter".
I used to be able to walk into Sephora or Bergdorf's and easily spend $150 without batting an eye. Now, I need to seriously think about what I should spend my hard earned moola on.
I have decided to be more "savvy" about my cosmetics shopping and I've discovered some great "Drugstore buys".

Here's a list that will help you get started.

1) Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Blasting Waterproof Mascara in "Very Black". At only $7.65, only 2 coats of this make my lashes pop where Dior would charge you $26 to look this good. Buy it here.

2) Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow Quads in "Designer Chocolates". With 4 shades all marked where you need to apply them, there's no messing this up. Sometimes, I only go with the one base shade for day and since I carry this in my makeup bag, I can easily add the other colors for a more dramatic look. Looks great, stays on all day, how can you now want this? Um, and can you believe the price? $4.99, if you buy it here.

3) Styli-Style Eye-Line & Seal in Bluestone 109. I can be honest here and tell you I fell asleep with this stuff on. I know, I commited the one cardinal sin. I slept in makeup. BUT, maybe it was a good thing because I truly tested out the product. I woke up, and this stuff did not budge an inch. It is truly waterproof. I have a HUGE problem with eyeliner sliding down my face during the day, this is not the case. I went out and bought one in brown and for the price I paid, I can afford the black. This is a good alternative to the Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner that you will pay $21. Buy it here for only $6

4) Loreal True Match Foundation in Natural Beige. I know I said it before in my last post of '08, this stuff really matches your skin tone and I look like I have nothing on. I can dot it on problem spots or when I got out, put it on my whole face to even out my skin tone. This price is well worth the money $10.95 to buy it here.

5) Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin. This feels like nothing and gives my skin a nice pinched look. It is a great alternative to the Nars Orgasm Blush that you will drop $25 on. Buy it here for only $5.99

6) Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser. My grandmother used to use this so I always think of her when I use it, but she did know a little something about skincare. Since I wear waterproof mascara, this is the only thing that will take it off and I don't have to worry about wrinkles under the eye. It is extremely gentle. I used to use Lancome Bi-Facial makeup remover but at $26........this girl's gotta eat you know! Buy Pond's here for only $8.29, and it lasts a looooong time.

7) ELF Tone Correcting Concealer. This unfortunately you cannot get at a drugstore, but you can buy it online and it's only $1. So ladies, come on, gorgeous glowing skin is only $1 and a click away. Since it's so cheap, I stock up when I can. Buy it here for $1

8)Revlon Super Lustrous Creme Lip Color in Just Enough Buff. Wonderful nude color that I grab for every time! It feels really nice on my lips, sometimes I don't need any chapstick underneath.
Buy it here for only $7.99

9) Olay Quench Body Wash. I'll admit, those Philsophy body washes in Pomegranete and Tangerine smell sooooooo pretty, but this is just as pretty and only $8.79. You'll drop at least $20 on the Philosophy brand. I love Olay products because I feel like I don't even need body lotion afterwards. Buy it here for $8.79.

10) Wet 'n' Wild Bronzer in Acapulco Glow. Especially for the winter season, I think we all need some color back in our faces. I'm not going to spend $25 on an expensive brand when this is just as good. Get the price. $2.99 and you look absolutely stunning. Not orange, not like you've been away for 2 weeks baking in the hot sun. Just glowing. Perfect! Buy it here.

So, I think that's a great list to start yourself off with. Does anyone else out there have some great drugstore buys to share with us here? Post away, let me know.

On another note, I think I need to address my title: Certified Cosmetics Whore. Um, I'm thinking of changing it slightly. The word "whore" never really felt right. I think it's a bit too crude, so to speak. So I'm going to be going by "Certified Cosmetics Junkie" CCJ, Better, sounds better to me, does it sound a little less gruff to you?

I'm super excited about this post, I hope to hear from anyone who has some great buys!

I remain yours,
The CCJ.

12 Days of Christmas.....

Oh how I love the Holidays! From Thanksgiving, to New Year's I'm a busy little bee! Although they can be hectic, nothing warms me more than a cup of egg nog and spending it with family and friends.
I was inspired by the Christmas Carol classic "Twelve Days of Christmas" to write my very last post of 2008 and to ring in 2009.
So below, you will see a list of some things (12 exactly) that CCW has discovered in '08 and cannot live without.

1) Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in "Just Enough Buff". This is by far the prettiest nude color I have ever worn. I can put a bright bold lip gloss on top and it mutes it just enough so that you don't see my lips arriving before the rest of my face. Buy it here for a 2 pack of $13.31

2) Sunsilk Hydra TLC Shampoo & Conditioner. Definitely worth every penny you spend. It makes my hair super soft and ask my friend Momto2, I have very coarse hair. This makes it manageable. Buy it here for only $4.49

3) Nars duo Eyeshadow in Portobello. My hatred of mushrooms did not even deter me from buying this. It's so so pretty! Very neutral, you can wear this every day and it doesn't look like you're wearing makeup at all. Nars products have great staying power. It lasts me all day! Buy it here for $32

4) Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette. What I love about this pencil is, it is so thin, my eyebrows don't look drawn in. What I love even more is there is the spooley brush on the end to even the color out. Being Asian, I'm a bit limited in the eyebrow department so I need as much help as I can get. This makes my eyebrows look totally natural. Buy it here for $18.

5) Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream. The most wonderful thing about this product is a little goes a long long way! Just a pearl size amount is fine for my hair. It takes away all the fly-aways and makes my hair shiny to boot! Worth the money. Buy it here for $27.

6) Loreal True Match Foundation in Natural Beige. Who knew that such a wonderful foundation could be found in my local drugstore? They were not kidding when they said "true match". I really did find a color that matched my color tone exactly. Sometimes I like working with liquid foundation, I can put on as little or as much as I want for my own coverage. I like to dot a bit on my foundation brush and just put it on my T-Zone for work. I look like I was born with perfect skin. Buy it here for only $10.95, can you believe the price?

7) Avon Pore-fection Skin Refining Toner. As of late, I've added toner to my skin care regimen. I like my skin to be as clean as it can be before I put on moisturizer. You'll be surprised how much extra makeup comes off on the cotton ball. I bought it from my local Avon Lady for only $6

8) L'Occitane Verbena Soap. Momt2two had a luxurious stay at the Four Seasons and brought me back a couple of bars. While using it, I convinced the Mooch to try it and we've been hooked ever since. The smell is so clean and fresh and it makes your skin so soft! Buy it here for $10/bar.

9) Jonathan Dirt Texturizing Paste. I admit. The Mooch tried this product first and I've been dipping into it every now and then. This wax does amazing things for my hair. First, it makes my side-swept bangs look like they've just been styled, I rarely have to push them out of my face. And second, when I don't blow dry my hair, which is often, I just run a dab through my hair and it has that nice "slept in" look. Buy it here for $26, and use sparingly.

10) Chapstick. Now, this was not discovered in '08, I've been using this stuff since maybe I was 12 years old, but it is something I cannot live without. I replenish every few months and buy about 5-10 tubes at a time. I often find old coats with 2 tubes in a pocket. Every so often when I change purses, I will find one in there, but I cannot live without this. I have one at my desk at work, one in my purse, one at the side table in front of the TV, one at my computer desk and one at my side table next to my bed. Like I said, I cannot live without this. Buy whatever flavor you like, I like medicated. Buy it here for only $1.99

11) Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige. This product makes my skin look like I drink 10 glasses of water every day! I love to use this at night over a candlelit dinner while gazing longingly into Mooch's eyes. I put this on my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, my Cupid's bow and my chin and I look lit from within. One bit of advice, go light on this product, you don't want to look greasy! Buy it here for $38.

12) Nars Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna. This product is the end all-be all of products. The blush (Orgasm) literally looks like, well, you know. Hence the name. The bronzer side is perfect to sweep on my forehead, my cheeks and my nose. I look ready to go. Don't go too heavy on the bronzer though, you don't want to end up looking like Lilo! Buy it here for $37.

And that my beauties, is the last must have list of '08.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivis, whatever you may celebrate and a very Safe, Happy & Healthy New Year.

Thank you to the 3 people who read my blog, I love writing this and I hope to continue many more posts in '09!

I remain yours,
The CCW

Pathetic

Just pathetic. My beauties. I'm so sorry I have not posted in like, FOREVER! I have been SUPER SUPER busy with stuff and I got a little sidetracked.

Enough about me though, seriously, let's talk beauty. YAY!
So, coming up in January will be the big 3-3 for me. Yes. 33! I just can't believe it. I feel like high school was yesterday and I cannot believe I'm in my early thirties (Thank goodness I can still say that).
I know you're wondering where I'm going with this. I do have a point. See, in High School, from what I remember, my skin was beautiful. Maybe the monthly pimple, but it was glowing! I don't really remember having to deal with Clearasil or anything like that. I would really just wash my face, put on some moisturizer and be gone.
Now? It's so sad. My skin regime in the morning and night takes a good 20 minutes. I wash my face, tone, serum, and then the proper moisturizer, then....yes...EYE CREAM! YIKES!
So the real reason why I'm posting? In my teens, I've never had to deal with acne, but as soon as I entered my mid twenties, it's a constant battle. Ugh. Adult acne of all things.
My main concern? Blackheads. Gross. Yuck. Something I've never really had to deal with.
I've tried so many products, I would not even want to go into that right now.
But I found something.
In these hard recession times (Thanks GW!), I'm finding that my weekly trips to the Bergdorf Beauty level are few and far between. I can barely go to Lord & Taylor. $35 for face wash? You must be joking, I have bills to pay.
The product I'm talking about is so much more inexpensive and it just requires a quick visit to your local drugstore.
It's called the Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser. This product has literally done wonders for my skin. Particulary the blackheads I tend to get on my nose.
Remember my earlier post on the Neutrogena Wave? Forget that.
This product is really really great! I use once a day with the little pad they include and my skin feels baby soft! In addition, my blackheads have really cleared and my skin glows.
Buy it here for only $19.99 for starter pack with 20 cleansing pads included.

Until next time, I remain yours,
The CCW

Squeaky Clean.

Hi All!!!!

Since early summer I've really wanted to post about this subject but have been testing out a few more products before I go do that.

Well, I think I've had plenty of time to make a recommendation, right?

Ok. So the topic this time? Clarifying shampoos. You may not think of shampoos in that sense...I know, they're ultimately supposed to clean your hair, but I promise, the 2 products I am about to mention will do so much more that just clean your hair. Before I started using it, I really didn't think about it.

However, do you really think about product build-up? No, of course not. I never did either. But then I read in Allure Mag (hello ?????) that it's good to use a clarifier ONCE A WEEK to really get out the product buildup and make you hair super clean, and super shiny.

So, CCW, she did some research. For a year and a half I have used Aveda "Detoxifier". This stuff has been absolutely amazing. My hair feels, CLEAN. I know, shampoo is supposed to make your hair feel clean, but this shampoo, really makes me feel like NOTHING is in my hair. I love it. It's important that I mention that you should really use this product once a week. Esp, for those people with color treated hair. You don't want your gorgeous highlighs stripped of their color, do you? If you love Aveda Hair Products like I do you can buy it here for only $9.50.

But, due to the recent financial crisis that this country is in, I figured, not everyone could afford the $10 asking price for the Aveda Shampoo. Therfore, CCW has tested out yet another clarifying shampoos for everyone. And I must admit, this does deliver "almost" the same outcome as the Aveda. It's called "Degunkify" by Herbal Essences. And at $3.99, seriously it's totally worth a shot.
This shampoo has pineapple and cotton leaf that really "tingles". I mean it, it really tingles. And I feel like it really gets the crap out of my hair. Even the Mooch likes it. Just like the Aveda, really just use it once a week because the ingredients are stronger than regular shampoo. Buy it here for only $3.99

On a final note...........If you certainly cannot afford anything right now, I can give you a little "homeopathic" clarifying shampoo you can use.
Beer. Yes. I said it. Beer. Good ole' fashioned beer. This actually cleans out the hair. I'm no chemist, I don't know what ingredient in beer makes this work but it really does. Again, only once a week girls.
Wash your hair with your favorite shampoo as usual. Before you condition, take a beer and pour it over your hair. Doesn't matter what kind. Once you pour it over your head, wash it out, then apply conditioner. Then wash out. I promise your hair will not smell like beer. I promise!!!
Last night, the Mooch could NOT believe I was actually washing my hair out with beer, but all the same, my hair was as shiny as glass. Believe me when I tell you, this stuff works!!!!

I remain yours,

The CCW

Picture Perfect

Hello Beautiful!

So summer is coming to a close and the cold weather is soon upon us.

Recently before winter '08 was over I discovered one of my miracle products.

I've read about Makeup Primer and what it does for skin. Mostly, I thought it was really just a crock to get me to spend more money on something that "says it works, but really doesn't". After all, that's what this whole business is really for, right? Trying to sell something by telling the consumer that they would be absolutely ugly if they don't buy it? I admit, I fall prey to that almost every time, but please take my word for it. This product really works.

I've tried just 2 primers, and I can honestly and objectively say which one really works. I tried Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. The only thing that really happened was it was a really offensive smell and I just felt like I had an extra layer of makeup on. Then I read in "Allure" about "Smasbox Photo Finish Primer". This primer has won countless awards from Editors and Readers of Allure Magazine.
** On a side note, I have mentioned Allure Mag so much on my blog, I really do hope you have a subscription by now**.

So my "Official" review of this Primer? It's amazing. It really is this extra layer of "protection" for makeup. Let's face it, I'll totally admit it. I'm a 30 something (ugh) and as my mom "Marge Simpson" says it, I'm really not getting any younger. I admit, I have fine lines under my eyes. Fine...VERY FINE. I use this OVER my moisturizer. One pump and I quickly swipe it over my whole face, and nothing, NOTHING sinks into those tiny fine lines I have. It's great.
One of my good friends, Mom to 2, says she doesn't have time for primer, but it really is 2 seconds out of her morning routine to just DO IT!!!

In conclusion, just buy it. It really is worth every penny. Really. For only $36, buy it here.

Am I crazy to say I am totally OVER summer already? I'm ready to break out the cashmere and feel all warm and cozy, instead of overheated and sweaty.......

I remain yours,

The CCW

P.S. I wish a big congrats to my friend Jen, who is expecting her 2nd baby. I think it's a girl. So to Jen, I say, "I can't wait to meet lil' Darcy" LOVE YOU!!!!

Long Time, No Post

I know.
I know.
It's been ages. I feel like a loser not posting ANYTHING since I got back from the beach. Truth? I'm still sort of in "Vacation" mode. Yes, I came back from vacation in the middle of July but you can't expect a girl just to jump back into life that quickly?
I took off from the gym when I went on vacation and I rarely go anymore. The Mooch goes in the mornings without me now.

I do hope you will all forgive me.....To my 2 faithful readers, I apologize.

But, no more excuses, I'm back to posting. I really do have loads to talk about but I'll start off slow

I've been hearing such wonderful things about Natural Boar Bristle hair brushes. How they're better for your hair than plastic, they make it shiny, blah blah blah. In reality, because I have such thick coarse hair, those bristles run over my hair, they don't actually make it through.
All the celebrities rave about the "Mason Pearson Hairbrush"line saying it's the best and only brush they will ever use. While they are probably right, sometimes I think that celebrities have just way too much money. I for one, cannot spend $126 on a FRIGGIN HAIRBRUSH!!!!!! So CCW needed to find some less expensive alternatives.

While I was Target, I noticed the Sonia Kashuk Bristle Hair Brush. I don't actually think it's Boar Bristles, but it was totally worth a try at only $14.99. Do we see the major price difference here?
My official review? This brush is pretty good. It actually goes through my hair and maybe I'm just imagining but my hair has been extra shiny since I've started using it. It's a pretty good brush that will not break the bank. Buy it here.

So my dears, I know I have said it before, but I will try to post on a regular basis. I'm starting to sink into reality that I cannot spend my life on the beach sipping Mojito's all day! Fall is right around the corner!

I remain yours,
The CCW