Bake Sale

Mmmm. Baked goooooods. I can't help it--Real Girl loves, loves, loves beauty products that smell and taste like sugary treats. And I've found a line of treaty goodness that I just adore! You know I had to share.

Welcome to Temptations. It sounds like a soap opera name, and to that I say: Yes, Fernando, I slept with your brother before I knew he was your father while I still thought--hey, maybe he's just a cousin--and the baby is his!

Bath & Body Works continues to get the Real Girl Beauty stamp of approval, and this line is scrumptious enough to keep me testing there for hours. My current favorite scent--Crazy Caramel Corn--is no longer on the website, which is sad, but there are so many others I want to try! Can you say Frosting Forever?

For years, the paradigm of scented three-in-one shower gel/bubble bath/shampoo has been the Philosophy line. But I confess it's not my very favorite. Certain of the scents have a chemically end note, and in my experience, they don't linger on the skin after you shower. The Temptations line? Lingers. Rich. Smooth. Velvety. And non-drying! The detergent is completely gentle, and works better than the Philosophy to keep your hair from drying out. Although I personally prefer it as body wash than as shampoo.

I also adore my Temptations Spicy Gingerbread lip gloss, a caramel-bronze that I shoved under Beauty Chick's nose--madly ordering her to "smell!!!"--the last time we had girlie drinks together. To my dismay, Bath & Body Works no longer features any Temptations lip glosses on its website, and so I don't know if the product has been...gasp...oh, I don't want to say it. You know the word. Starts with a "D" and ends with an "iscontinued."

The Liplicious line, however, does have some gorgeous sounding glosses as an alternative. Caramel Latte. Hot Cakes. Maple Syrup. Cotton Candy.

Oh for beauty's sake. You know I'm making a trip to Bath & Body Works tomorrow to try this new Liplicious line.

What about you guys? What are your favorite scented treats? Favorite foody scents? Favorite Bath & Body Works products? Sharey share share!

And I remain your,
Real Girl
xx

We're Your Dream Curls

Yay, Real Girl loves a good drugstore find! Especially if it makes my hair look all scrumptious-like. I can't tell you how many times people ask if my curly hair is natural. I always answer the same way: Yes it is. But it gets some help.

By which I mean, I scrunch. Boy, do I scrunch. But the whole process is so much easier now--and the result so much bouncier--with Frizz Ease Dream Curls.

If you are like me, with fine wavy hair, then Dream Curls will certainly help you scrunch your way to spiral curls. I wish I knew how it works. The ingredient list contains no alcohol, which is crucial for any hair product. And, indeed, there's no sticky, stiff after-feel at all. Your hair's texture will seem productless! And yet...it will somehow do more of what you want it to do.

Will this product work on straight hair? I don't know, but I suspect maybe. For years, the beloved scrunch-product of the straight-haired has been Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, which I confess never worked all that great for me. But I suspect, if you use the Dream Curls as I do, you might get some tousling action going on. Here's what I do:

1. Spray hair when damp, then scrunch.

2. Scrunch with one hand while using hair dryer with the other for about 5 minutes.

3. Let dry fully on its own.

4. Spray once more when dry.

5. Repeat steps 1 and 2.

See? The curly hair is natural. But it gets some help indeed.

I'll be really interested to hear your results!

But what about you gals? Any great drugstore hair finds we need to know about? Have you loved the Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray? Or any other Frizz Ease products? Anything to dish at all?

Of course I'd love to hear it!

Real Girl

xx

Wowder!

Oh, ladies, the search lasted long time. La Real Girl? She is shiny. But I don't trust most powders--or at least, I hadn't found the right one. Wrong color! Too cakey! Makes me break out!

My perfect powder would have to be loose, for sure, not of the compact variety. Because the ingredients that gel the powder into the compact can make you break out (yuck!). And that sponge you use to apply is just a trip to Bacterialand. So beautiful, loose, translucent powder. To be applied lovingly with a fluffy brush. (I have my favorite powder brush, but feel free to share yours in the comments!) This powder would have to become invisible once applied. It would be light. Airy. And, lo and behold, it would manage my shine.

I introduce to you Lorac Face Powder. I love it so much I want to marry it.

Will this eliminate shinies all day? No, not without reapplication. But boy does it make my skin look nice in the morning. A light dusting of translucent powder sets your makeup beautifully. So, for instance, feel free to dust your eyelids after eyeshadow but before mascara to help that shadow last longer. Set your blush, bronzer, foundation, concealer, whatever you may use. If you're not a fan of foundation, this powder acts as a nice substitute. It balances skin tone without looking makeupy. How did I live without it!?

My perfect color is P2, the second lightest. It's best for fair skin with yellow undertones. For truly fair skin, with blue undertones, you'll want to try P1. As for darker skin? Experiment in a department store or Sephora to see if there's a tone for you.

We've never chatted about powder before! Wow me ladies! Can't wait to hear about yours.

With love from,
xx,
Real Girl

Now You C It!

Wow, February sure went by fast. You'd think it was a shorter month or something.

Real Girl's back! And lovelies, I've got some great products to bring you in the coming weeks! But right now? We're going to revisit an old ingredient favorite. Cosmetics marketing is such that the hot new thing, the latest technology, whatever's never been seen before gets most of the attention. But one of the first beloved antioxidants should not be overlooked.

I'm talking Vitamin C here, and not in tiny concentrations.

Why C? Primarily for two reasons. 1) It helps fight UV damage, one of the prime causes of skin aging. Vitamin C won't replace sunscreen, but it will sure help it work. 2) It promotes collagen production. Collagen is the fountain of youth for skin, keeping it smooth and lifted. When the gorgeous structure of collagen begins to break down, there starts the sagging, and here come the wrinkles. So if Vitamin C's gonna help boost that collagen production? I'm all for it.

Studies show that up to a 10% concentration of Vitamin C is safe for all skin, but keep in mind that it is an acid, so you might want to go lower if you're particularly sensitive. My recommended form is a serum--to be worn close to the skin, under moisturizer/sunscreen. I've been using Obagi Professional-C Serum, 10%, which I enjoy for its easily spreadable liquid texture. I've gotten no breakouts to report, but I would recommend avoiding the lips--the serum tastes rather bitter (to you or whomever might be smoochin' you!). I would certainly, as well, consider upping my concentration to the 15%. But perhaps the 20% is just too costly.

Or if you'd like something less costly than the Obagi? All you really need is a proper concentration. My recommendation (unless you cope with sensitive skin) would be 10-15%. If you've got oily/breakout-prone skin, avoid serums with oils. Anthony Logistics has a nice 10% alternative--it may be marketed towards men, but it's still got lovely ingredients. And using my account with amazon.com, I've set up this nice SEARCH for you so you can explore other options! Feel free to ask my advice on any particular Vitamin C product in the comments section.

But what vitamin serums might you use? Or have you tried Vitamin-C creams? Feel like shouting out whatever you've been holding in while I've been gone? It's nice to be back!!!

With lots of stored up love from your,
Real Girl
xx

Hiatus

My lovelies, I've become scared of my own blog. Scared to check comments, lest all the nice people are expressing their disappointment over no new posts. Scared to check blog emails lest there be events and products I just don't have time for right now, even though I so wish I did.

I'm disappointed that my schedule has changed enough to keep me away from these pretty pink pages. BUT I have a plan.

I'm going to take a month to store up some product review entries, so that I can get back on my once-a-week schedule. If I write and save a few posts during that month, then I'll have some emergency reviews to fall back on in case I can't post during any given week.

So check back at the end of February, folks. By then, I'll have a safety net.
AND you'll find out then, too, about the superb beauty ingredient that's an oldie but goodie you should definitely pay attention to!

xx
Real Girl

Short Break!

Real Girl's off on vacation now, due back on January 3rd. My first order of business upon returning? BRUSHES. Powder, blush, and concealer. Any last minute brushy suggestions for La Real Girl?

Also when I get back, we'll see if the two latest additions to my beauty regimen are well worth the time and $$!

Have the happiest of New Years, my lovelies!
xx
RG

Sophisticated Palettes

Are there any last-minute gift shoppers out there? Or have you already bought your gifts for others...but of course you deserve a little treat too?

Enter the palette.

Real Girl hearts a good all-in-one makeup kit, and I think the best cosmetics gift you can give is one that has options. Choose wisely, keeping in mind the color groups your giftee already wears and feels comfortable in. But the beauty of a palette is that you'll also be giving her colors she may not have chosen for herself--but will find that she adores. That's one reason I love getting palettes: all the makeup experimenting with none of the cost. Yum!

Specifically, I'd like to turn your attention to the glamorous and adorable options from Too Faced Cosmetics. I quite love the small and compact Candy Box, Caramel Truffles, which features a layer of 6 flattering pinky-browny glosses, underneath which lies a gorgeous tray of 4 goldy-bronzy-silvery eye shadows, both tiny lip brush and shadow wand included.

But perhaps a more gifty presentation can be found in the gorgeous pink and black Lace Case, with its mixture of both light and dark glosses and eye shadows. Or, for someone who enjoys more of a laugh--of the slightly naughty kind--there are the cheeky Quickie Chronicles, each with a title of its ideal girl, and a palette of appropriate shadows, glosses, and 1 blush. If you'd like to spend less, a smaller option would be the equally adorable Mini Quickie Chronicles. For convenient ordering (with Real Girl royalties) browse the Quickie Chronicles on Amazon.com, or just click on some examples below!

For more Too Faced palette goodies, check out the Kits section of the official website. Warning: It may make you want to max out your credit card.

But what about you? Favorite palettes and kits? Or favorite cosmetics gifts?

Have the happiest of holidays, my lovelies.

xx

Real Girl