Full Frontal Makeuping

Hello lovelies.  I have a lot of things swirling in my brain to talk about, but it's simply not the right time to do so.  It would add fuel to an already out of control fire.  So, instead I bring you makeup.

Peekaboo!

Korred Quercetin and Oak primer, Crushed Botanicals liquid mineral foundation, and MSC Effin' Perfektion Powder.   This is my first time using Crushed Botanicals liquid mineral foundation.  I think I'm in love, ya'll.  It has all the buildable and blendability as a mineral makeup foundation powder with none of the danger of over-powdering.  I rate this product an A-FREAKING-PLUS.  I personally mix the Fair and Light since my skin has both yellow and red tones to it, and it matches my neck and chest perfectly.  Like, literally disappears.

As much as I am a proponent for using brushes on one's eyes and lips, I have not quite mastered them for foundation, so I just use my tips or a beauty sponge to blend.  You can tell here that I have some very definite red splotches on my cheek bones and a bit of yellowing under my eyes

Ta Daa!!! You can see how awesomely it covered the red spots and neutralized the yellow?  This was with some Effin Perfektion Powder to set it.  I have Kelli's mineral makeup setting spray (Along with a host of her other products that will be reviewed soon!) but have not had a chance to use it yet, as this tutorial was was an impromptu middle-of-the-night thing.  Please also forget the lack of blush - my favorite finally ran out and I'm heartbroken over it, so haven't looked around for another one I love quite as much.

Now, on to le eyeballs!

Products! NYX shadow base in white, Benefit Stay don't Stray eye primer, liner marker in black, kohl black liner, MUFE Smoky Lash in Black, NYX eye/brow pencil in Taupe, and MSC Kiss with a Fist, Pixie, Ohm and Sugar Plum. Not pictured because it rolled under the bed: MSC Jive Talk.

Tools!

Make sure your eyeball is naked.  Well, naked except for your primer and a touch of shadow base.  Then lightly tight-line with the black kohl pencil.

Put Jive Talk in the inner corners and ducts of your eyes.  Pat, don't sweep.

Then pat Pixie on to the middle halves of your lids, taking care to saturate the lash line.  Pixie is such a decadent color - true soft purple with more gold glitz than I can begin to explain.  If you don't have it yet, you definitely need it!

 On your outer halves of your lids, pat on Sugar Plum.  It's another super decadent, rich color.  It makes me want to roll in it akin to a CEO rolling in the money they'd have if they cashed their checks.

Blendy blendy! VERY light windshield motions from full inner to full outer.

Highlight with Kiss with a Fist, blending it down into the other colors on your lid and in your crease.

Line your eyes with the pen, and then use Ohm to set it all.

Better shot of the lower lash line set with Ohm.  The gold in the Ohm really brings out the gold glitz in Pixie and gives you just enough sparkle.

One more of the top.  I just love the way this blended out.

Definitely an evening look, and definitely accentuated and made all the more lovely with glasses!

Stay Madd, darlings!

Review: Mama Product - Queen Helene Mud Pack Masque with Natural English Clay

As always, my reviews are not in any way compensated.  It's just because I like the products.

So, I'm sitting here feeling frumpy and watching Motherhood, with my face slathered in the above named mask.  I'm watching a movie about another frazzled mom and her absurd life, and waiting for my face to dry and turn me into a fat, caucasian version of a frumpy motherly terracotta soldier. 

Now you can be one, too!

The pitch for the Mud Pack Masque boasts firmer skin and softened lines, but the draw for me is really the exfoliation and oil control it provides.  Additionally, it's a lovely english rose scent, which is one of my relaxation triggers. 

It's a standard masque - apply to skin, allow to dry and harden, wipe off with washcloth and warm water.  Because it gently exfoliates, it definitely leaves a glow and eliminates the dull I've-been-up-for-36-hours-straight haze that one's skin can occasionally accumulate.

It has a very thick, creamy, muddy consistency making application very easy and even kinda fun if you're into the whole texture thing. 

It takes approximately 20 minutes for it to dry, and it definitely dries firmly.  (See above reference to terracotta soldiers.)  Removal is somewhat messy, but that's a signature feature of any mud mask.

The ingredients for the Mud Pack Masque are minimal and delightful in their simplicity:  Distilled Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Glycerin, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Iron Oxides, Fragrance, Methylparaben

The fragrance is a bit strong, so if you have a sensitive nose, this product isn't for you.  Other than that, there's not much negative I can say about it.  I also don't advise it for anyone with dry skin, simply because it is a beast when it comes to it's attack on excess oil.


Queen Helene is one of the few ethically responsible broad-scale companies out there, and their commitment to being decent doesn't stop at their ingredients - they're fairly priced. Another positive.

Sally's Beauty Supply carries Queen Helene  products, and I've also seen them available in Albertson's grocery stores.


Go forth, defrump yourselves!

Review: Green and Comfy OS pocket and sized AIO diapers

In the ongoing search for a reliable, inexpensive diaper, I stumbled across Green and Comfy diapers on eBay.  Now, everyone is wary of purchasing mass-produced diapers on eBay, and with good cause.  However, when I saw that they were once the Wonderworks diaper company, I was at ease but not quite sold.

See, here's the thing:  when diaper companies go through massive face-lifts, their products do too.  I think this is pretty universal, actually.  Anyway, while I loved loved loved the Wonderworks diapers, I was concerned that the Green and Comfy incarnation just wouldn't be the same.

Thankfully, I was wrong.  They are, in this Mama's opinion, better.

Let's start with the price.  If ordered directly through the seller on ebay, bypassing the auctions, they are $5.  Auctions for individual diapers start at $3.99.  This is universal for the pockets and the AIO's.

One-Size (OS) pocket diapers

Fit:  The pockets are One-Size, with three rows of rise snaps.  On the smallest setting, my 11 lb. 24" son is comfortable.  They are generous in fit, though, as even at 9 lbs, he swam in them.  They feature elastic in the back, to allow for a snug and leak-free fit around the waist. Additionally, the wings feature a snap-over option for trimmer babies.

Legs:  I'll admit - the lack of leg gussets had me skeptical.  As long as the rise is set correctly and the waist snapped tightly, though, there is no problem.

Materials:  The outer PUL is a very tight weave, trim but sturdy.  The inner suede cloth is high quality with an anti-pill quality.

Performance:  These are absolute work horses.  Because Green and Comfy does not yet offer inserts to go with them, I used the bumGenius one-size microfiber inserts.  My son, a heavy wetter at 2 months old and already sleeping in six hour stretches, was able to wear these for up to five hours during the night with no leaks. 

Overall impression:  You CANNOT get a better pocket diaper for this price.  Or any price, really.  Zero leaks, zero pilling, excellent construction, and very trim on the child.  I'm in love.  The only downfall is the lack of included insert, but that can easily be remedied.

Sized AIO diapers

Fit:  I have only tried the small, as Bug is only two months old.  That said, they have a fit that is really quite middle ground.  I can see these working for very petite as well as rather chunky babies.  Like the pockets they include the back elastic to ensure a snug fit.  The wings also include the snap-over option that is found on the pockets.

Legs: Same as the pockets above.

Material: Same PUL and suedecloth, with a wide absorbent core.

Performance:  Definitely not as long-lasting as the Pocket diapers.  I was displeased to find that these leaked considerably after only a two hour nap.  They held up well for trips to the doctor's office and grocery store, as well as short car rides.

Overall impression:  Not so impressed.  These will be used for our back-up diapers only, and I will not purchase them again when Bug outgrows them.  I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I will pack them up for any later children, or whether I will pass them on to another family for free.

Review: Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment

You know, I don't think I have anything negative to say about this stuff.  I first discovered it almost five years ago when Kinder Major was newly hatched, and fell in love with it from day one.

Let's start with the basics, shall we?

Ingredients:  Being that it is a zinc oxide formulation, it's thick and creamy.  It's paraben, petrolatum and mineral oil free.  It contains sweet almond oil, beeswax, vitamin E, calendula, chamomile, jojoba, lavender, rosemary, canola, and soy oil.  All of these wonderfully healing and soothing ingredients blend together perfectly.  (No, really.  Consult any herbal, all of these extracts compliment eachother.  They're not just tossed in willy nilly like you'll get with some products.)

Scent:  Has a very soothing, fresh scent.  Not terribly overpowering.

Feel on the skin:  Oh wow.  A lot of zinc oxide based ointments can become gritty, but this stays smooth and creamy.

Does it stain, you ask?  Not that I've encountered thus far.  It's also safe for cloth diapers.

Most importantly, does it work?  Abso-freakin-lutely.  I use this on EVERYTHING, from scratches to bruises to bugbites.  I even use it on actual diaper rash!

This product gets ten starts on a one to five scale, with five being the best.**

One word of caution:  Upon first opening the tube, some of the oils can rise to the top and separate a bit.  It's best to massage the tube well before each use.

**I am NOT being paid to endorse this product.  I reallty do just love it that much.

Review: The Prenatal Cradle - Original

So, being that I'm about 85,000 weeks pregnant with my son (okay, not really, 31w3d,) and suffering from a number of musculo-skeletal issues including SPD, I decided I'd go ahead and pick up one of those ever-stylish full-body jock straps prenatal support devices.

I went with the Prenatal Cradle Original (henceforth referred to as the PCO) in XL, per the manufacturer's suggestion.  I'm a big girl at 270 lbs. pre-pregnancy and 5'9" tall.  I've had back and pelvis injuries in the past, so I wanted something that really did a fantastic job of distributing the weight from my growing belly all over the place, instead of just concentrating it.

It should be noted before I go any further that purchasing the  PCO in a brick-and-mortar store in my area was impossible.  Of the three maternity stores we have, none carried or were willing to special order it in for me.  I ordered online from the retailer who offered the lowest price and fastest shipping.  I'm a single mom - I'm all about bargains.  The downside would be their strict no-return policy on "personal wear" - very understandable.

Let's start with the Aesthetics first.  What can I say, it looks like a giant jock-strap.  Seriously.  Same elastic webbing, same weird triangular shape, and me without a protective helmet to act as the cup.  It's stated that it can be worn above or below clothes, but trust me ladies... you don't want to wear it above.

Comfort:  Well, you're wrapped up in elastic webbing.  Not terribly comfortable.  Still, it does allow for a very decent range of motion, and isn't as rigid as some prenatal support devices are.  It breathes well, so there's little skin irritation.  It should be noted here that the PCO is LATEX FREE.  Score one for us anaphylactics!

Fit:  Here is where I can't decide to cheer or boo.  Given my very plus-sized stature, I ordered the XL, per the manufacturer's recommendation.  Pre-pregnancy I'm a pant size 22/24 W, and a top size 26/28 W.  I'm 5'9" tall and 270 pre-preg.  Obviously, I've gained a bit more since then.

The fit is... extremely generous.  I would wager to guess that a woman who falls into the 30W to 34W size range would benefit best from the XL.

On me, it's absolutely lacking support and slack in some areas.

Sorely, sorely disappointed if only because of the lack of return policy and my desperate need for it.

My solution at this point was to take it in at a few crucial places, namely the apex in the middle of the back where the shoulder straps met and the sides of the underbelly strap.

Once those adjustments were made (OPC XL now fits like the L is described size-wise,) we had success!!!!

I have a history of birthing large babies.  My first was a 10 lb vaginal birth, and my son appears to be following in his sister's footsteps. 

With the step-down in size, I have the support I need to be able to do things like get up off the couch, drive, and even bend if I do it gently.

Overall impression:  Run extremely large sizewise, but true to it's marketing promises otherwise.  Offers decent amount of support, comfort, and elastic is latex-free.  Good buy, but try it on first if at all possible.