Category — Girls Only

As mentioned before I would like to start sharing some unique finds I see on the Internet to support small business. This week I found the link for Ippie Design.

Sandy Ip is a twenty-something girl like myself, but she lives in NYC. Lucky her. She started Ippie designs in 2005 because she says

seeing “the same, tired styles of jewelry from department stores to specialty boutiques to street vendors, I’m left feeling very unsatisfied…that’s the main reason I wanted to create a new brand of jewelry that is refreshing and different, something special, something rare…”

She has successfully created a collection that is “refreshing” and “special”. I own almost all silver jewelery and I thought that Ippie’s designs were simple and classic, yet unique. Something dangling, like her Sterling Silver Teardrop Filigree Hoops would be great for a special occasion but her simple studs make really special everyday jewelery. Her prices are very affordable as well. Check out her store if you get a chance.

Sterling Silver Teardrop Filigree Earrings $60

Sterling Silver Diamond Shaped Studs with Cubic Zirconia $35

Sterling Silver Round Shaped Studs with Cubic Zirconia $35

I am pretty much obsessed with lip gloss. I usually can’t go into Ulta without buying a lip gloss, despite the fact that I have about eighty. I definitely have my faves that I wear over and over the others I donate to my sisters (lucky them). Luckily I stick to drugstore brands so I have never spent over $10 on any of them. I decided to help others who have a drugstore lip gloss fetish with their selections.

Rating (1-5, 5 being my least favorite): 3
Color: Definitely sheer like they advertise but it has a lot of color. I generally like something a little more subtle. It does come in a variety of colors for those that like a lot of color.
Stickiness: Smooth, not sticky at all.
Lasting: Lasts a pretty long time.
Flavor: It has mint in it so it makes your lips tingle. It isn’t bad though.
Overall: It was comfortable to wear and lasted a while but it didn’t go on even. I had sort of a fuzzy lip line that I didn’t like. It works best in combination with something maybe.

Rating: 4
Color: Has color but very subtle and sheer
Stickiness: Pretty sticky but not totally uncomfortable
Lasting: A few hours
Flavor: This also has mint in it and it is way too much. My lips tingled for at least a half hour. I didn’t love that.
Overall: The tingling lip thing way way too uncomfortable for me. I really didn’t use this one much.

Rating: 5
Color: Way too much color. It looked like lipstick to me, not lipgloss.
Stickiness: Felt just like chapstick
Lasting: Lasts a pretty long time because it acted like a lipstick or a lip stain on me. Flavor: Actually I don’t remember
Overall: It was definitely not a gloss really. It had way too much color. It is not something you can reapply because your lip-line starts to look fuzzy like you drank kool-aid.

Rating: 2
Color: It has a little more color than most glosses so make sure you test a lot of shades before purchase
Stickiness: Smooth, not sticky
Lasting: Lasts a few hours. Color fades to a nice tint. Definitely cant eat with it.
Flavor: It has a scent but really not a flavor. You really don’t feel it on much.
Overall: I know this is not a drugstore brand but I included it because I got it free (benefit of working for a fashion magazine). If you buy Clinique face products sometimes you can catch a deal where they will throw one of these in. They run about $14 which is usually a little too much over my budget. It is not unreasonable though because it is a good product. It was comfortable and had a really nice shine and a little shimmer. It has more color than I like but I do wear it when I want to dress myself up a bit.

Rating: 2
Color: Sheer but a lot of color. The particular color I got was horrible. If I still had it I would warn you but I threw this one away (even my sisters didn’t want this color)
Stickiness: Felt a lot like chapstick. Almost no gloss to it at all.
Lasting: Really couldn’t say. Every time I put it on I hated the color so much I wiped it off.
Flavor: See comment above.
Overall: This came out from CoverGirl a long time ago. They still sell it though. I would suggest a lot of other products before this one.

Rating: 1
Color: Very sheer subtle color. Don’t be afraid of the bright ones. They look very subtle on lips.
Stickiness: Smooth, not sticky at all. Very moisturizing.
Lasting: This is not sticky at all so it doesn’t last very long but it feels so good that you will reapply often.
Flavor: No flavor but a nice scent
Overall: I really like this one. It is something I can reapply often and not look in the mirror while I do it. It feels good and it is nice a shiny. Makes you look made up even if you aren’t. 15minbeauty reviewed the Rimmel Light Beam Gloss and she said she loved it so that will probably be my next purchase since I love this one so much.

Rating: 1
Color: Very sheer and sparkly. I would say that this is another one where you shouldn’t be afraid of the bright colors. They go on much lighter.
Stickiness: This is a little on the sticky side but I wear it anyway. It isn’t that bad.
Lasting: Lasts a few hours because it is a little sticky.
Flavor: Great! The names of the color usually hint to the flavor. It is too sticky for you to lick your lips constantly though, so it will last longer than Bonnie Bell.
Overall: I wear this one most days. It is a nice extra little bit of color without being over he top. The color I got (Juiced Berry) is perfect for making me look naturally flushed, which I think is what most people should go for when wearing makeup.

Rating: 1
Color: Every color in the spectrum is available. So if you like subtle you can have that. If you like bold, you can have that. I love my “Viva Glam V” and “Beaux”
Stickiness: A little on the sticky side but less sticky than Beauty Rush.
Lasting: Lasts a few hours.
Flavor: Smells great but no flavor.
Overall: This is my favorite lip gloss so I find I don’t use it that often (I am conserving it I guess… how silly). I know this is not a drugstore brand but at $14 it is so worth it. I only have two though because of the price (actually they were both free because they were gifts)

There are so many other that I could review but it could take me all day. I really have an obsession. Here are some other pretty good lip gloss reviews:

Brainspam wrote about Estee Lauder lip gloss that she bought on Ebay. Beware buying makeup on Ebay. Make sure you check that you are not getting a sample size.

makeupmoxie wrote about Lancome Juicy Gelee

I can not stress enough that if you like a store the best thing you can do is get on their mailing list. You are not guaranteed to get coupons in the mail but it is the only way to get special offers like this.
I love American Eagle underwear (their aerie brand). They are a are playful and cute while still being comfortable. I don’t know about you but if I don’t have to worry about pantie-lines then why bother with the discomfort of a thong. I like to have a little ass to my undies sometimes. I only buy them when they are on clearance because they regularly cost $7.50 (way too much) but drop to $3.95 and even lower. This week I got this coupon in the mail too, offering me a free pair and one for my friend too. I am definitely going to take advantage. This is why it is great to get on a mailing list if there is a product that you really enjoy.

I am also going to be a good girl and only get my free pair. I don’t need anything there right now so I am going to exert will power and just get the freebie. Hopefully

Here are examples of some of the cute undies I like at ae.com

These are some of the cute undies they have on sale right now. From the left are the comfy boy-briefs, the cheeky (shows a little bit of your cheek so you are comfy but your boy is still entertained), and the hipster. All are on clearance for $4.95 right now.

I gave this to myboyfriend and he has yet to wear it… hmmm

Since I moved in with my boyfriend he has learned quite a few interesting things about me. He sees the habits of my daily activities. My primping, planning, and cleaning. Some of them he laughs at and some of them irritate him. Most are little things all girls do. Here are some little tid-bits about girls that most men don’t realize about us.

1. Most girls have a beauty regimen that’s pretty embarrassing if watched during the process but all men praise the results. My boyfriend laughs that I wear a shower cap. It’s pink and plastic like and old lady’s. I don’t wash my hair every day to keep it from drying out and on the days I don’t wash it I have the cap to keep it frizz free. He likes my hair very much. He also giggled one day when he caught me with a facial mask on (it was clear, shiny and hard so my face cant move much). He said I “looked scary”. But then he admires how soft my skin is.
2. You think we “over-pack” we look at it as being “prepared”. You want to be comfortable and feel good about yourself on a vacation. This means having things for all possible vacation scenarios. Do you really want to hear us complain that we should have brought that cozy sweater instead of the halter top?
3. Your clean and our clean are two very different things. Generally when my boyfriend “cleans” I go right behind him and clean again. He thinks spraying bleach on everything makes it clean. Hello… that doesn’t remove dirt. And must we use rags to clean the house? It grosses me out to “clean” with a tattered, bleach stained towel. Ever heard of a sponge?
4. We don’t have any clothing that we are so attached to we are unwilling to retire. Sure we have those great pair of black boots and the pair of jeans we could live in. But we don’t. We actually do know when they have met their end. And when that sad day comes we say goodbye and let go. And if there is that girl who does hang on too long, I guarantee she doesn’t wear it in public. So boys, that college t-shirt that has shredded long ago… let it go.
5. Yes, we are aware that we own at least 10 lip glosses but they all have a different purpose (coral to pink to red for different outfits, day gloss, gloss for dry lips, gloss for kissable lips, evening wear lip gloss…). And yes, we will keep buying more. Why? Because every girl is still in search of the perfect shade and consistency of lipgloss. I still haven’t found mine.
6. In conjunction with the above item… most women have had the heartbreak of having their favorite makeup/fragrance/facial product discontinued. It hurts us deeply. Don’t you guys notice that we will talk about it for days. Mine was a long lasting lipgloss from Almay in a sparkly neutral beige. I used every last drop in the tube. I even wrote to the company to find out where I could still buy it. Alas I was told by email that the product was no longer being made. Sniff.

The first-ever Fabulous! Festival has been posted. Our host, The Bargain Queen has done a great job sorting through all the fabulous entries to bring us some great goodies. Bargain Queen found my post on The Little Brown Dress “Making a Fashion Statement or a Stink” news-worthy and I would like to thank her for including me.

Here are some other tid-bits from the carnival that I thought were interesting:

Of Brands and Bags by Meg at Faking Good Breeding – This is a pretty interesting post about designer handbags and the popular trend of advertising logos and names on the bag for a big cost. She definitely has a point. We Americans are consumers first in foremost and we love to rub it in the faces of those that don’t have what we do have. I am guilty of buying the knock-off bags. I want to look like I have money (which I don’t) and lets face it, my bags are pretty darn cute! Would I sell my first born for the real thing? Nope.

Get Your Hairapy!! by Dexie at Bargain Styling – She reviews Sunsilk Hairapy. If her conclusions are correct women across the country will be saving a lot of money on hair products this year. I kind of wish I didn’t have a whole bottle of the expensive stuff in my shower so I could try this.

The best products for Dry and Frizzy hair by Beauty Bento Box — She reviews Shine Coconut Amla Hair Treatment from Shalini. The question Beauty Box is does it make your hair greasy? I would rather have my frizz than the afternoon of not so clean hair.

Top 5 Bathing Suit Trends for Summer 2007 by College Fashion .Net – If you have read any of my recent posts you know that I am in desperate need of a suit. Thanks for the help.