Recently I've had to rein in the expenses a bit, and one of the places I thought I might tighten up on is my skin care. I love my Origins products, but the full regime is a bit expensive. I'm sticking with the face wash ($20 and lasts several months), but the moisturizer ($61) and the serum ($35) have to go. 

Thankfully The Body Shop sent me an email alerting me to their buy 2 get 1 free skincare products sale, and off to the mall I wandered. Besides a saving in price, I was also looking for products that had the least harmful ingredients. Skin Deep cosmetic safety database helps me evaluate the products I am putting on my skin. It's a helpful tool, but you also have to take into account the ratings on ingredients are often evaluated on "moderate" amounts, which can be much more than how much is in the product you are using. 

The first product (Vitamin E Moisture Serum) isn't rated by Skin Deep yet, but based on the other products in that particular line, it's probably not as good as I'd like. Had I known that before hand, I probably wouldn't have purchased it, but oh well. The second two products (Aloe Soothing Day Cream and Vitamin C Intensive Night Treatment) both had extremely low hazard ratings when I looked them up before going to the store, so those were my main targets. 

Anyways, in place of the Origins A Perfect World serum twice a day, I'm using the Vitamin E Moisture Serum in the morning, and the Vitamin C Intensive Night Treatment at night. I follow the Vitamin E Moisture Serum with the Aloe Soothing Day Cream before applying any makeup. 

So far the results have been great. I just made it through that difficult time of the month without any blemishes, my skin is still soft and smooth and I spent $44 instead of $96. Also, the two serums combined were 2 fl. oz. as opposed to the 1 fl. oz. for a comparable price, and the moisturizer was the same volume (1.7 fl. oz) for less than a third of the price. Regular price I'd pay $60 for all three items, but I'm still saving money and getting more product per dollar.

In conclusion, if any of you ladies (or fellows!) out there need to scale down on your beauty budget, I would definitely recommend checking out The Body Shop.

Yes, I am blogging for the second day in a row. I'm in repetitive task mode at work, and I need to entertain myself!

I was checking out the Zoya website yesterday and playing with their color search feature, when I realized that their colors all are named after girls. As I was browsing, I found the names of half my cousins and the light bulb went on over my head - Christmas presents? I'm a bit concerned that nail polish is a crappy little gift, but then I gave them iTunes gift cards last year, and I think gift cards are impersonal kind of crappy gifts too.

Anyways, I couldn't find all of their names at Zoya, so I went over to Essie. The girls I couldn't find names for are quite passionate about their respective hobbies - writing, dancing, acting and soccer.

For the actress I chose Curtain Call, the writer Well Red and the dancer Foot Loose. The challenge came for my little sister the soccer player. She is 13 and her mom doesn't really like her to wear bold colors, so I think the two I've narrowed it down to are appropriate, but I'm not sure which name is better.

Help - Should I choose "Adore-a-(soccer)Ball" or "Steppin Out (on the field)?

*Edit* Ugh, she's 14! I remember when her mom and my dad got together, she was only 4... The years fly by!

Earlier this week I was using the Glove Me Tender hand cream that I keep in my desk, when I realized that I really don't like it. Like, I'm about to throw it away don't like it. There are two main reasons for this:
1. It makes my hands feel like they are covered in a layer of sticky gunk, even if I use a tiny amount.
2. It doesn't seem to really work.
Now, maybe it doesn't work because instead of absorbing into my skin it just clings to the surface and makes my hands feel gross. It does claim to create a protective shield (a glove-like shield?), so perhaps that is the problem. Whatever the reason, I don't like it. Not worth the $15.

On the other hand, the L'Occitane 100% Pure Shea Butter is awesome. Just take a little bit, rub it in and VOILA - dry and flakey no more! It's a bit bulky to carry in my purse though, and because it's so thick, it's better suited for my feet and legs. If you need some super moisturizing power, and you can afford to pay $39, buy this. It seems a bit steep, but this will last you forever. I've had mine two years, and it's not half gone.

The third item on the agenda is Shea It Isn't So foot cream. This one runs about $15 as well, but it can multi-task! My mom likes to use this as a foot cream AND a hand cream. Genius. I should have followed her example a long time ago, and never bothered with the Glove Me Tender. There really is no reason to buy two products when one will suffice.

In conclusion, I am going to toss the Glove Me Tender, and bring the Shea It Isn't So to work for my desk. My L'Occitane will remain at home, where I will continue to apply it as needed, post shower.

I've determined that it is difficult to find a good foundation brush. Right now I have a Sonia Kashuk foundation brush that leaves streaks because the hairs on it clump together while I'm using it. It takes a lot of patience to use, and even though it was only $10 I was expecting better. I've purchased other Sonia Kashuk brushes before and been happy with them, so this was a disappointment to me.

My other brushes are all MAC, but I would rather not spend $32 for a brush if I don't have to. Does anyone have any experience with the EcoTools ($6.99) or Benefit ($20) brushes?

Which would you pick?

Thanks!

I usually have at least two face washes around at any given time - one in the shower for in the morning, and then one by the sink for before bed. This is my analysis of the current products of choice.

For my morning shower, I've been using the Olay Deep Cleansing Face Wash in the morning, followed by Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam.

Olay Pros and Cons:
Pro - It's only $5
Pro - It doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy
Pro - A little goes a long way, I don't need much to lather up
Con - It doesn't really feel as though it's deep cleaning my skin... If something claims to be deep cleansing, I feel as though it should be more refreshing when I rinse it off
Con - Sometimes my skin feels a little tight after using this

My Origins girl gave me a sample of A Perfect World foaming face wash. At night I wash with this, and then follow with A Perfect World serum.

Origins Pros and Cons:
Pro - Smells good
Pro - Makes my skin feel nice and soft
Pro - Lathers up nicely with a small amount ( the sample she gave me has lasted over a month now)
Con - A little spendy at $20

In conclusion, I prefer the Origins A Perfect World foaming face wash, despite the fact that it costs 4 times as much as the Olay. Although high, the price is not obsene, and I think it is worth the benefits. I'm not dissatisfied with the Olay, but I think that when it runs out I will look for something different.

Any advice for a drugstore alternative for my morning routine?