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Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 5 – Simplehuman Wide-Angle Mirror

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Tiny apartment life means no room for a vanity. It also means that the sink and bathroom counter are very small and that the mirror sucks. So I, like many other women, have a foldable lighted makeup mirror. I own the older version of this one from Jerdon that rotates to a magnifying mirror. It has an AC Adapter in the front so you plug in any powered skincare tools or hair tools you’d like to use in front of a mirror. Instagram fodder? Not really – but it gets the job done and that’s what I need.

 

A Little Chic, A Lot of Cash

Simplehuman, however, makes mirrors for folks who want their makeup mirror to double as a photo prop. This eight-inch lighted mirror of theirs costs $180 and is already enough to make my eyes bulge out of my head like a Looney Toons character. It’s prettier than what I use, for sure – but it is smaller, single-paned, etc. Similar models with a few other bells and whistles (including WiFi – WTF?) run up to $250. A mirror does not need to be network connected!

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Called It – Kat Von D Lipstick

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Kat Von D LipstickKat Von D Lipstick is Baaaaack

This is an entirely obnoxious personality trait of mine, but man – being right feels good!

Several months ago, I speculated that Kat Von D lipsticks were getting an overhaul of some sort. After I published that post, I received some fairly validating interaction with the brand.

Spoilers: I was right.

But…Is it New Coke all over again?

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Worth it? Shiseido Lash Curler

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Curled my Lashes, Bent my No Buy - Shiseido Lash CurlerShiseido Lash Curler, $20

Eyelashes are serious business. Often if I’m not wearing any other makeup, I’ve probably at least curled my lashes and thrown on a coat of mascara. My lashes are light brown and tend to point straight out from my eyelid so I tend to look a little worse-for-wear than I am. It’s silly, but that 30 seconds of effort makes me look a bit more awake and alive. I’d seen magazines and blogs praising both the Shu Uemera and the Shiseido Lash Curler but I initially dismissed it as hype because, back then, the idea of prestige cosmetics was comedy to me.

On the Cheap

For the longest time I used the Sonia Kashuk lash curler from Target. It was passable; I’d used better (cheaper) ones in the past. I hadn’t put much stock in an eyelash curler as an, “investment,” tool. A lash curler is a lash curler, right? After all, they’re fairly simple and straightforward. Is there that much difference between the $5 option and the $20?

Upgrade

Last year, in spite of my misgivings about spending $20 on something so simple, I splurged on my first prestige eyelash curler. I decided I was going to go with a cult favorite and selected the Shiseido Lash Curler over the Shu Uemura for, initially, accessibility’s sake.

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Worth it? Amlactin Moisturizing Body Lotion

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AmLactin Moisturizing Body LotionAmlactin Moisturizing Body Lotion, $14

Although I primarily use physical exfoliation for my body, I’ve dabbled in chemical. One such experiment was buying and trying Amlactin Moisturizing Body Lotion. I’ve had good luck with AHAs in my facial routine, so I figured I’d give it a shot for my skin. I purchased the Daily Moisturizing variety.

Cost

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January 2018 Favorites

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January 2018 FavoritesJanuary 2018 Favorites
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly, $22 / Jergens In Shower Sunless Tanning Lotion, $7 /
Tresemme Heat Protectant, $4 / MiroPure Straightening Brush, $40

Unsurprisingly, when I wrote the title of this post, I wrote 2017 instead of 2018. My January 2018 Favorites are short and sweet.

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Worth it? MiroPure Straightening Brush

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MiroPure Straightening Brush // straightening brushesMiroPure Straightening Brush, $40

No matter what I seem to do, I can’t seem to bring myself to stick with consistently styling my hair. I’m not particularly good at it. I like sleep more than I like fiddling with my hair first thing in the morning, and that often means my hair isn’t as smooth and visually tidy as I’d like. Late last year I became aware of thermal straightening brushes and shared my initial thoughts in November. Since, the MiroPure Straightening Brush arrived and I’ve used it more times than I can count.

First, we’ll get into how straightening brushes work, then to my review.

How do Straightening Brushes Work?

All brushes are designed a little differently (here’s a Dafni, for instance), but the core concept is the same. The back plate of the brush (analogous to the cushion area) is heated just like the plates of a flat iron. Likewise most or all of the, “bristles,” or, “teeth,” are constructed of or surrounded by that same plate material and are heated.

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