Affiliate Links

Chapstick Duo: Novel, but Not Good

by
Chapstick DuoChapstick Duo, $4

A few weeks ago, my lips were dry ALL. DAMN. DAY. Miraculously, I somehow had no lip balm in my purse OR desk at work.

How?!

After work, my husband and I had an appointment and couldn’t stop home for me to restock from my stash there. My lips were DYING, so we stopped at a CVS so I could run in and get some balm. I just went up to the register, expecting regular ol’ standby Chapstick to be there. NOPE.

Instead, I’m greeted with Chapstick Duo, a silly-looking double-ended EOS wannabe. The appeal of Chapstick Duo is that you get two balm flavors; mine was a sophisticated pairing of Cotton Candy and Pink Cupcake. There was no time; I grabbed it, paid, and went on my way.

Read more

Worth it? Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade

by

This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Content is the same but may have been edited for clarity and readability. Any additional commentary is noted in line.

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade hasn’t been new in a while, but I didn’t bite when it first came out. Although I love the idea of creme and gel products for eyeliner, I wanted to observe the market and opinions for taking the plunge. Despite not being the first product of its kind, it quickly achieved cult favorite status.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade pot and boxAnastasia Dipbrow Pomade

I eventually decided I would go for it, but hadn’t gotten around to buying it. Then, I won a contest in a community I am a member of – and won Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Taupe. Taupe is the, “safe,” shade that, if you aren’t sure or can’t go get color-matched, you should pick (it will work on the widest variety of brows). That was six months ago (from the original 4/24/2015 posting).

Read more

April 2018 Favorites

by
April 2018 FavoritesApril 2018 Favorites
1. The Laundress Signature, $20 / 2. Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer, $8 /
3. Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion, $19 / 4. Clarisonic Smart Turbo Body Brush Head, $32

Thanks for bearing with me through technical and scheduling difficulties that delayed the April 2018 Favorites from its usual posting slot. Details on them, including two reappearances, after the jump.

Read more

The Verdict on my Balayage Highlights

by

I unexpectedly had to reinstall my image editing software, so the graphic for my April Favorites was not done in time for Favorites to go live today. SOON, and thank you for bearing with me. :)

Balayage Prep

It took me a while to work up the nerve to pursue balayage a couple years ago. I loved the first two appointments, but my third was lackluster. The salon, which I enjoy in a general sense, switched up my colorist without notice for my third appointment. She didn’t do a great job, and I’m not okay with just feeling, “okay,” with the results of that kind of beauty spending.

I rescheduled, wrung my hands, and ultimately canceled my most-recent appointment (around St. Patrick’s Day). At the time, I decided I was done spending several hours and over a hundred dollars, twice a year, on it. I know that, compared to most people who color their hair, my commitment was barely that. I resolved to give myself more time to formulate my final verdict on my balayage highlights.

DIY

“Maybe,” I wondered to myself, “I could do this myself.” I’ve done plenty of other things that are generally pro-only. I’m educated, risk-averse, and tend to adhere to process. Down the rabbit hole I went to learn about levels, lightener, developer volume, processing times, etc. I was surprised to learn that it sounds a lot easier than one might expect if one is working with hair that has not been previously colored or otherwise chemically tampered-with.

Read more

Melanoma Monday 2018

by

Melanoma Awareness Ribbon - Melanoma Monday

As long as Beauty Skeptic is an active website, I am going to post, and repost, about the dangers of not observing sun-safe behaviors. May is Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness month, and the first Monday in May (today!) is Melanoma Monday.

Last year, I was blown away by this beach that has sunscreen dispensers for public use.

You can learn more about my family’s experience with skin cancer in my 2015 post. So far, I’ve dodged a bullet but my dumbass did use tanning beds for a few different periods of my life prior to my mom’s discovery.

Keep yourself safe by:

  • Limiting exposure during peak hours.
    • It doesn’t take long! A half hour outside around noon caused my feet to develop tan lines in the shape of my flats. As an office worker, I typically do not apply sunscreen to the tops of my feet buuuut maybe I should.
  • Wear a hat if you can swing it. Target has some inexpensive, cute ones; here’s a simple one.
  • Use a good sunscreen. I’m far from the only one who touts Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence as the best.
    • I did recently learn, though, that some folks with very sensitive skin tend to have issue with it due to the alcohols in it.
  • Cover up if you can stand it.

Near Coral, Use Physical

Hawaii is on the cusp of banning sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are effective sunscreens, but have been found to contribute poor shape of the world’s coral. After application, it is washed away from skin in seawater, and later, washed away in a shower which results in waste water. If you live in or plan to visit regions closer to coral reefs, consider a physical, rather than chemical, sunscreen instead.

The Bottom Line

Stay sun safe, friends.

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 10 – KISS Brow Stamp

by

While there is a ton of nonsense on Twitter, it isn’t usually where I run into ridiculous products. Yet, a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a ridiculous product on that very site.

Behold,

KISS Brow StampKISS Brow Stamp


stamp on eyebrows.

Like any elementary school student, I am unreasonably entertained by ink stamps. I’m intrigued by what appears to be the promise of a single, swift, single-step brow. But what good is a quick, easy-to-use product if the product doesn’t perform? I took to Ulta’s site to investigate since brow stuff has been on my mind a lot as of late.

KISS’ Claims:

Benefits:

  • Never struggle with brows again! Just press the brow shaped sponge onto powder & stamp the color onto your brow!
  • Cover sparse areas or just create perfect, natural looking brows

The KISS Brow Stamp product is powder, rather than ink-based. You pat the brow-shaped sponge applicator into the product, then press onto your face.

Caveats

Read more