Espresso Citron Exfoliant

Espresso Citron Exfoliant

bodycoffeestore.com {$39.00}

I first bought this exfoliant at a local spa here in Las Vegas. I have to admit I bought it because it was on the clearance table. I had been reading a lot about coffee products for skin, and the benefits. So I figured I would try it out. The first thing you notice about the product is the look and texture. It literally looks like grounds of coffee being squeezed out of a tube. Very weird. It also has a very strong lemony coffee smell, if you can somehow imagine that. I used it on my entire body and it felt like I was rubbing large coffee grounds all over. I looked silly covered in a grainy, brown foam. My hands were tingling from the exfoliating action. What we girls do for beauty is beyond comprehension. As soon as I rinsed it off though, I felt the benefits of this product. My skin felt so super soft, and clean. I followed it up with my regular soap, just in case, I didn't want to smell like a Starbucks. The real test though was after I got out of the shower and dried off. Living in a desert and trying to keep your skin silky soft can be a futile battle. I was so pleasantly surprised though when my skin didn't feel like it even needed lotion. I wore a short skirt that night to show off my new glowing, dewy legs. I had been on a mission to find a good exfoliant, till that night. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who loves have silky smooth skin. It is the best exfoliant I have ever used.

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier

$12.99 {Sephora}

I had first heard about this product in InStyle magazine. My first thought was "yuck" I can't imagine cleaning my face with oil. Then I did a little research. If you clean your face with harsh soaps they tend to dry your face out, which causes your body to produce more oil which clogs your pores and causes breakouts. So by using clean oil you won't strip your face of it's delicate moisture balance and your skin stays clear. Makes sense to me. So I was kind of excited to try it. I was making my weekly visit to Sephora when I saw the mini travel sized bottles in the bins near the check-out counter. They only had one kind so I grabbed it. Later that night I carefully read through the illustrated instructions. (Don't worry it's only three steps.) First you massage the oil into your dry face. You then wet your hands and use them to emulsify the oil. This part is really cool it feels really relaxing. Then you rinse off with warm water. OOH-AAH! My skin felt so soft and clean without the tight feeling you get with some facial cleansers. It also removed the toughest of eye make-up. It might sound funny, but the oil smells really good too. I am extremely sensitive to scents, so it was great to see that this product had a super natural smell. After a week of using this, I noticed that my face was amazing, soft, dewy, and I had no blemishes. You can really tell that this was designed by someone who knew what they were doing. Per www.shuuemura-usa.com, Shu Uemura was a make-up artist in Hollywood in the 1950's. After noticing that many of the actresses developed sensitive skin from the daily use of heavy stage make-up, he created this cleansing oil, that gently cleanses while maintaining skin's natural level of moisture. There are six different formula's for all skin types. Like I mentioned earlier I have only tried the A/O (anti-oxidant) formula . I highly recommend trying this product for yourselves, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Neutrogena Wave Duo

Neutrogena Wave

Price: $15.99 {Target}

The Disney Princess has been re-invented by way of Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato & Vanessa Hudgens. So when Ms. Hudgens peddles the latest in Neutrogena's product line, it appeals to the princess in all of us. I mean who doesn't want Vanessa's skin, she is adorable. I know my daughters are crazy about her. So I decided to try out this new little gadget called the "Wave". It seems like a great idea, something that removes more dirt than just washing alone. I chose the Wave Duo, it gives me the option of two settings, one for "gentle daily massaging" and one for "deep pore cleansing". I really liked that it comes with everything you need to get started, i.e. battery & cleansing pads. There is nothing I hate more than, getting home with my newest gadget just to find out I need batteries, and of course, I am out of the size I need. So the first night I used it right before bed. I was disappointed right away, there was no foamy lather. I remembered the commercial perfectly, Vanessa had some foam action going on as she danced around smiling and giggling. So I looked at the box again, just to make sure I was doing it right, and there is definitely a foamy faced girl on it. The next thing I noticed was that my Wave was dripping all over my clothes. Note to self: you can not dance around the bathroom like Hudgens while washing your face with the Wave. The next thing I took note of is that while it was easy to navigate around my cheeks, chin, and forehead, it was not so easy to get my nose, and the little crevasses by my nostrils. Also the cleanser pads are really heavily scented, and it is not really a great smell. At the time I used it I had a blemish on my chin, and it burned the heck out of it. I went ahead and rinsed off the foamless cleanser, and felt my skin, it really didn't feel much different than it normally did when I washed with just cleanser. I chalked it up to a bad first impression, and decided I would try it again the next night.

Night 2: I tried running a little less water over the cleaning pad to see if I could get some foam going, and possibly less drips. No luck I pretty much had the same experience. By this time I am really disappointed, not only is my blemish burning again, but it actually seems to be getting worse. So again I rinse off the cleanser and follow it up with my usual moisturizer. When I go to rub it into the areas under my eyes and cheeks I suddenly get a flashback from the movie Home Alone when Macaulay Culkin puts aftershave on his face. I feel like screaming AHHHHHHHHHHH! My cheeks are incredibly raw, and the area under my eyes are peeling. Right now I'm thinking, thank god I have not kicked it up a notch and used the higher setting on this thing. It's official I have been the victim of buyers remorse. I would not recommend this product to anyone. Not only is my skin worse off, but I don't like that I can't use my regular perfume-free cleanser with this product, but am stuck with Neutrogena's highly perfumed, non-foamy, blemish irritating cleanser.

It has been two days since I used the little scourging demon, and my skin is still raw, irritated, and peeling.

Beauty Blender Make-up Sponge

Beauty Blender Sponge/Cleaner

Price: $34.95 {shop.beautyblender.net}

This little sponge offers more in cuteness than in utility in my opinion. I first saw this adorable hot pink sponge at a beauty class. The instructor raved about them, and so I rushed to my local spa and purchased it. I was super excited to try it out with my new HD Foundation (to be covered in another post). The directions say to run under water to make the sponge slightly damp. When I watched a tutorial on application I was instructed to apply the foundation to the backside of my hand to warm it up a bit. So after dipping my sponge in foundation, I press the sponge on my face and then move it in an upward motion. This is better than just rubbing your face with the sponge as it gives a more even application. At first I really loved the feel of the sponge. It has a great innovative design. The tip makes it really easy to get in and around the eye area. But then I noticed that my nose had splotches, and slight swirl marks. The area around my cheeks and chin seemed even, but again on closer inspection I noticed uneven application on my forehead. So I thought well maybe it is the foundation, so on Day 2 I applied the foundation with my fingers. No swirl marks, no uneven application on my nose or forehead. My foundation looked great like my skin, but better! So in summary, the pros to this product are: The cute shape, design, and color. It comes with its own darling little pedestal to dry on. The cleanser top has a great dispenser that makes it really easy to clean. The cons: uneven application of foundation, which is the whole purpose of the product. My fingers worked much better at even and adequate coverage. Would I recommend this product...no save your money and go buy a package of sponges for $5.00 at the drugstore if you have to have sponges, otherwise just use your fingers.

Maybelline Pusle Perfection by Define-A-Lash

Maybelline Pulse Perfection

Price: $12.49 {Target}

When I first saw a commercial for the vibrating brush mascara, I thought,"You have got to be joking me, how the heck would a pulsating brush help build up lashes." putting a moving wand near or around my eyes is not my idea of fun. These inventors have obviously never seen me putting in make-up in the car. So when I pulled the long slender tube out of the package, and removed the golden tab from the top, pressed the button and the tube started vibrating, I thought... Wow this IS kinda neat. The package says and I quote, " 7 must-haves of lash perfection, 1-luscious thickness, 2- luxurious length, 3-smooth separation, 4-intense color, 5-shapely curves, 6-healthy luster, 7-zero clumps. I first applied the mascara to my bare lashes. If this stuff works I wanted to see if it would withstand the ultimate test. Do my lashes look longer, thicker, or curvier, with no help from my eye make-up. The directions say to press the button then apply the brush to the base of the lashes. This tickles. A LOT! But so long as your eyes aren't too ticklish you should be able to withstand the vibration. I personally thought it was easier to put the brush to the lash line, then press the button. This way you don't feel like a swarm of bees are headed straight

for your eyes. Here is a before picture:

My lashes are virtually non-existant. So after I had one eye done I did notice a significant difference in lash length. Here is the after pic...Don't forget this is with no other make-up on just mascara:

Okay so I have proven to myself that I CAN take a picture without any make-up on and there are no cataclysmic repercussions. So on with the review, the brush is nice and thin and is easy to maneuver around. The pulsating does take a little getting use to, but my lashes do look and feel longer, and don't seem to be too clumpy either. Whether this is from the vibrations or the formula of mascara, I couldn't really say. I do like this "new wave brush"... get it, new wave. He, he, he, okay I'll keep my day job. So #1 Luscious Thickness ✔, 2 Luxurious Length ✔, 3 Smooth Separation [semi-✔], 4 Intense Color [semi-✔], 5 Shapely Curve ✔, 6 Healthy Luster [what the heck is that?!?], 7 Zero Clumps, there are slight clumps on the ends of my lashes, but for the most part ✔. So would I recommend this pulse perfection to my friends and family....Yes I actually would. I give it a 4 out of 5. Here are the after photos with make-up... I had to throw these in.

WELCOME GIRLS!

Welcome Girls!

This is a beauty blog created by two sisters who both have an addiction to make-up. We decided that enough was enough! We are tired of seeing advertisements for the latest lengthening mascara, tone identifying blush, and ultra long lasting lip stick, only to rush to the store and spend too much to have it, then finding out it really is no better than the previous three or four we bought. So we got to thinking....(Dangerous Activity) ;) JOKING! We should create a blog where everyday gals like us could go for advice on all the latest beauty care products. So Ms. Mascara was created. We are going to try every new product we can get are hands on, and give un-bias reviews for all. This way when you see the next commercial for the vibrating brush mascara you can log on and see if it really is too good to be true. Lets face it we are one of the biggest demographics out there and they are always looking for new ways to reel us in. Don't get me wrong I have bought and used some really great products recently, but the name if the game really is value. Are we getting what we paid for? So without further ado, welcome and please enjoy our beauty blog.