I am not officially 31 (Ouch!). That means that I have fully entered into my 30′s and it’s time to really start taking care of my skin. Thus far I haven’t committed to any brand of “anti aging” products, and I can say I have tried a bunch. The newest brand I’m trying? 3LAB.

3LAB Co Founder Erica Chung was on a quest to create the “perfect product”, and through her search she created the 3LAB products that combines the most innovative technology and advanced ingredients available that improve the health and beauty of the skin, while reversing skin damage and combating the signs of aging. Who doesn’t want to look younger? 3LAB is sold at some of the most top of the line stores around. Barney’s New York, Nordstrom and Bliss just to name a few.

If you are looking for a good anti aging cream then look no further an the M Cream ($260). Yes, it’s expensive, but aren’t all miracle creams? The gel-cream skin hydrator is light in texture and easily absorbed into the skin. It provides the skin with vital stress-relieving nutrients and relaxes facial muscles to reduce wrinkles.

Everyone needs a good lip moisturizer, and the Perfect Lips ($40)  product does the job. Perfect lips provides long lasting hydration while treating fine lines and wrinkles. It even gives you lips a little extra plump! Every girl needs a good pout!

Almost every woman I know is on the look out for good facial products. So if you are willing to spend a few extra dollars then the 3LAB brand is the way to go!

Have you ever experienced a Brazilian wax? Well I have and if you take any advice I give take this….Don’t do it! Whoever started this trend was a horrible human being. Why do women subject themselves to this? Because it’s sexy? Maybe…but no matter how sexy your man may tell you it is, I promise you it’s not worth the pain.

How about the poor women who wore corsets back in the day? They pulled those things so tight they could barely breath…why did they do this?? So their waist would appear smaller! Fast forward to modern day and us women wear body shapers. I admit that I like to wear them under dresses and stuff. They really do slim you down. But why don’t men have to wear anything to hold themselves in? Maybe their bodies could benefit from a “shaper” of some sort.

Do you know that it takes me 3 hours to get my hair highlighted and cut? (yes I am admitting that I “help” my hair a bit by highlighting). That is a really long time! And why? To feel prettier? Yes! That is the only reason. The good news I do it for me, and for no one else. But I still look at it as a pain in the butt.

High heels are another painful invention. Do my legs look ten times better when I wear them? Sure! But why do my feet have to suffer? Why is it OK to squeeze our feet into pointy toed shoes? Why do we rock 10 inch heels (ok I’m exaggerating)?  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wear them. Sometimes I see women walking all tall and confident in them and think…”wow…I wish I could wear those shoes”. But then I have to wonder if they are feeling excruciating pain with every step like I feel when I wear them. Maybe they are just better actresses than I am!

What do you think? Why have women always been the ones to sacrifice their time, and money and feel the pain to be beautiful. Do you think men appreciate all we do??

The other day I looking in my bathroom mirror and I saw a very scary site. Maybe it was so scary because I truly didn’t expect to see it…but needless to say I was shocked. Yes dear readers I have a confession…this girl’s hair is beginning to turn gray! That’s right! Right there in the mirror were some gray strands of hair.

I guess I am lucky to have light hair, because I have never noticed the gray before. Before being pregnant I did keep up with my highlights pretty well, and since then, my hair has been looking pretty shabby. I am just dying to get my hair done (which I am doing this coming Thursday). But now I know I am not only covering up the dirty blond hair to be a “true” blond again…I now will be forced to keep it up to keep the gray out!

Can I really be going Gray at 30? The Captain has been showing some gray hairs for a while now, but he reminds me that gray hair in men is distinguished. Why is that?? Women are forced to feel shame about gray hair, and men look “distinguished”? Damn those double standards!

But it’s official….This girls hair is showing some signs of gray. I guess once you hit 30 it’s all down hill from there? Or maybe I had gray hair before but always had it covered with my highlights? Either way it’s there, and now I look at it every time I look in the mirror. My hair appointment couldn’t come soon enough…bye bye gray!

I was watching the biggest loser, and during the show one contestant was crying in her audition tape about feeling fat, and not sexy for her husband…it then zoomed in on her husband who was in no way thin and balding. Why isn’t he crying about not feeling sexy for his wife?? Why is it that women look in the mirror and put themselves down and men look in the mirror and feel sexy?

Women are always putting themselves down. It’s true. Even if you are the skinniest little thing in the world…a woman still looks in the mirror and points out her flaws. I’m too fat, I’ve got a big nose, my hair is awful…it doesn’t matter what it is, it’s just always something. If men put on weight they high five each other and call it a “beer gut”. It’s something that they take pride in. Gray hair, recedinghair line? All just maturing with age. Women on the other hand….diet till their end of days, color their hair, and take precious time to apply make up each and every day. Look at the whole Tiger Woods fiasco!? All anyone keeps saying is “but his wife is so beautiful”. Why? Is it ok to cheat on an ugly wife?? Would that have made more sense?

The Captain and my dad seem to think it’s in our genetic make up as women to desire to be attractive. I personally think it’s all gotten worse with media always showing unrealistic standards. But either way it is what it is. For example, before my wedding I was on a very strict weight watchers diet. I lost a bunch of weight, because I wanted to look back at my wedding pictures and know that I looked the best that I ever would look. And I’m glad I did because I felt amazing, and loved being able to wear a bikini on the honeymoon! The Captain?? No effort at all! Nada!

So what is the phenomena all about? Can you shed some light on this issue for me?? Anyone?

Me..with no make up (and holding my friends adorable baby)

I came to a really rough realization today….ladies you may relate, and men you just don’t have to (whether that is fair or not is another story). After looking at a bunch of recent pictures of myself I have come to find that I have reached that point in my life where it is necessary for me to wear make up…yes..it’s true…this once easy going face that could go out into the world daily with out a trace of make up, now just looks pale and splotchy when I show my face with it out….The pale faced monster has emerged.

Even though I love all things Vampire these days, I honestly don’t wish to to be as white as one. Some people can pull the look off…like Nicole Kidman. She has a BEAUTIFUL pale complexion. Her skin is like porcelain, but mine??? White, red, splotchy and dry…WTH??? I was always happy to be the girl that throws on some moisturizer in the morning and call it a day. I actually took pride in it…but not anymore!

Look at the picture to the left…it’s kind of small so you may not be able to tell…but my chin is red, my nose is red and dry and I seem to have dark circles under my eyes. I know tanning and the sun is bad for you, but I look and feel so much better when I am tan!

I guess my carefree no make up days are over. I guess I am left to feel like a lot of women do, that I need to put on make up every day…that is if I want my skin to look good of course! Now I’m bummed….Just Great!

When Santa asked me what I wanted for Christmas I was browing through a magazine and found this eye shadow kit. It had like 50 different shades of eye shadows, all in one nice case. It was perfect! I tend to stick to browns and purples, but always like to experiement but I don’t want to buy a bunch of different two color sets…so when I stumbled upon this set I thought it was great! And the good news was it wasn’t expensive! Not when you think of what it would cost to buy 50 shades of eyeshadow! I have been using it since then and the colors are great!

Take the Sephora Brand Palet that appears in the picture on this post.

Sephora Brand Set Contains

- 20 x eyeshadow shades
- Compact powder
- 4 x blush shades
- 24 x lip gloss shades
- 2 x double-ended applicators
- 2 x lip gloss brushes
- Powder and blush brush
- Built-in mirror
- Sleek compact case

And it’s only $34! Just think how great this kit would be to travel with? You have your make up needs all in one little compact case! I think Sephora is great in general since you can get so many great brands all in one store, and they have everything out so you can try. That part is my favorite. I am actually a huge sucker when it comes to make up…and even a bigger sucker when they offer to put the make up on me..I must have a sign on my forehead that reads WILL BUY WHATEVER MAKE UP YOU PUT ON ME. But the bright side with this product is that it’s all in one!

So next time you are in Sephora don’t pass by the Sephora brand. They are great products and best of all you won’t break the bank when you buy them. To other things people love check out the Diaper Diaries Things I love Thursday.

The way to describe it best is it’s like a marker. It’s different than a lipstick because it’s a lip stain. Therefore, it’s meant to stay put! And let me tell you it did! I was a little nervous because lipstains in the past have dried out my lips. This is not the case with this at all. I was in a wedding last week and as it turned out the color I requested worked well with the red dresses we were wearing. I brought it to the woman who was doing my make up and she loved it! She applied the outlast lipstain first (with out needing a liner) and put on a top coat of gloss! The gloss isn’t very necessary, but it was a nice touch. The great thing was that my lips looked like it had on lip color all night with out me having to reapply every time I had a drink!

So here are the main reasons I love this product:

1. It didn’t dry out my lips
2. It looked like I had nice color on my lips while still being natural
3. It stayed put throughout the day
4. It has a very yummy smell

You can find the product at most drug stores and the suggested retail is $7.29. A bargain if you ask me! I am happy that I actually liked the first product I was given to spread the word about because I will be honest, if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t be spreading the word!

So as a woman who usually only will wear lip gloss, and can’t stand lipstick. I can now recommend the Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain. I definitly recommend giving it a shot!

See more of what people love over at the Diaper Diaries Things I Love Thursday Carnival!

When I was planning my wedding I had a vision of what I wanted to wear to my rehearsal dinner. It was a white flowy dress…and I found it! The problem with white dresses is that you need to wear something underneath them because they are very very see through…so I went on a hunt for a  nude or white slip that I could wear underneath…and can you believe it? I couldn’t find one! I went to department stores…and Victoria’s Secret and target, and kohls…I even had a woman who works at sears tell me that I could maybe find one in their catalog but they aren’t found in stores…and if they are they look like grandma slips. I found it amazing! My grandma or mom would never let me out of the house as a little girl with out a slip under my dress. I eventually found one…but it was certainly a search. For those who care I found it on a sale rack at Kohls…ONE! There was only ONE!

This is when I decided that I was going to bring back the slip! I guess one person can’t really start the movement but it’s a start. I own a bunch of slips and silk night gowns. I feel so pretty when I wear them under my clothes. I also LOVE to wear silky nightgowns to bed….now I know many women will say “but you don’t have kids…you can’t wear that around your kids” and my answer to that is I guess you are right…but for now…it makes me feel pretty…so I will continue to do so.

Victoria’s Secret is kind of an addiction for me. I know that the stuff is expensive…but I personally find their bra’s to be the most comfortable, and their undergarments to be the softest and silkiest. I do have one gripe though…their size system is awful! I am not sure who can fit in their size small nightgowns but it certainly isn’t me….but other than that their stuff makes me smile.

So ladies..It’s time to bring back the old school femininity that the women of years gone by had. They had silky thigh high stockings, and garters. They wore slips and camisoles beneath their clothes. Take it from me…it will make you feel extremely sexy. Go on…just try it! Let the slip movement begin!

Eyebrow Waxing

It started with waxing. Ouch! Each time I would go, I would sit in the chair while the woman poured hot wax on my forehead, and proceed to rip my little hairs out in one swift motion. It was over pretty quickly, but I would be left with lovely red marks around the eyebrows. This would last a good while and would be rather embarrassing when seeing other people out. I ran into someone at the mall once and felt like I had to explain the red…to which the person responded with “ooooo ya, what’s that about??” Yes pretty embarrassing. Not only was I left with a red splotches around my eyebrows, I would break out!  I continued with that for many years.

Eyebrow Threading

That is till after college. Then, I heard about “threading”. For those of you who don’t know what that is, here is Wikipedia’s definition.

Threading is an ancient method of hair removal which originated in Persia spread to the Middle and Far East, and is now gaining popularity in Western countries. It is equally popular with both men and women in Arab countries.

Practitioners use a pure, thin, twisted cotton thread which is rolled over untidy hairlines, moustaches and so on, plucking the hair at the follicle level. Unlike tweezing where a single hair is pulled out each time, threading can remove an entire row of hair, resulting in a straighter line.

As the top layers of skin are not peeled or traumatized, threading is an alternative for those with sensitive skin or who use Retin-A, Accutane, and similar products^{[citation needed]}. However, it tends to be as or more painful than waxing. Hair removal lasts for about four to six weeks.

Ouch again! I heard of this method through friends. I found it to be a bit painful, almost as much as waxing, but this time I didn’t break out, and my eyebrows looked cleaner. It consisted of lying back in a chair, and then a woman took two pieces of twine and ripped out my eye brow hairs. I have no idea how the string does this, but it does…it’s a mystery.

Eyebrow Plucking

About a year ago my friend brought me to the mall where a woman she knows would give us a deal on eyebrow plucking. I have always hated plucking. I felt that each pull of the hair would make my stomach turn. It’s like minor torture if you ask me, but I know in my head that this method is the best way to shape your brows…so in the name of beauty I went for it. Boy did it hurt, but boy did my eyebrows look amazing. The woman charged me $15 which is a lot more than the $5 I pay for the threading, but that $15 price tag is so much less expensive than if I went to any other eyebrow “plucker”. Did you know they charge like $50! And that’s for a woman in the mall! This baffles me!

Do-It-Myself Eyebrows

So I thought, you know what? I can do this myself. So I got Tweezerman Tweezers. I read about them in a magazine so I went for it. I had no idea how many types there were! Slanted, straight or pointed, and they came in many colors and prints! Which to choose?? I went with a pink slanted pair. So I set off to tame my eyebrows on my own. When I would look close up, it was amazing how many little blonde hairs there were! I try. I try every day and somehow there is always a hair out of place! How can one keep on top of this? It is a daily job that I am not so sure I am good at.

So how do you do it? I never realized how obsessive I could become about this. The little hairs mock me daily. Alright ladies, it’s time to confess. What is your method to tame the madness?

Expensive Skin Care

I have not yet decided if it’s worth the money to buy expensive products. Personally, I feel that it’s important to get good quality when it comes to the products I put on my face. But how much is too much?  

La Mer products are heavily advertised in “fashion” magazines. Many celebrities claim that they use these products, but who can afford that $230 price tag? Does it really work miracles? Honestly, if I found out it really helped prevent wrinkels, and really was a wonder products I might consider it! On the other hand, year after year Oil of Olay wins awards for being the best drug store brand, as well as a brand that has stood the test of time! Is it best to go in the middle? I tried using the Clinique 3 step Process. It seemed to be fine. I learned that I have very dry skin by going to their counter, but other than that I did not find the products to be that spectacular. I am not sure what I imagined would happen when I found the best products for me, but I don’t think that was it.

My Skin Care

Back in October I hosted an Arbonne party for my friend who sells the products. Arbonne is like Avon or Mary Kay in which the salespeople are independent consultants. The products are all natural. She was new in the business and needed a start, so I graciously offered to host. It was a decently successful party, successful enough that I was able to get free products out of it. Now, I must admit that I am easily sold. Any trip to the makeup counters leave me spending much more cash then I wanted. This one time my friend brought me to a free event at Laura Mercier and specifically said I didn’t have to buy anything…well that day I got a Saks credit card and spent over $300 on products! I guess those people did their job! At this Arbonne party my friend gave me samples of their face wash line. They have many different lines but I chose the anti aging line because as I mentioned above, I feel like now’s the time to get ahead of those nasty lines! I LOVED the products. I tried the face wash, the toner, the facial jelly, and the night cream! Together I honestly believe that may face has never felt better.

The downside of using these products is that when I need it, I can’t just go out and buy it. I am an instant gratification type of girl and it drives me nuts to wait for the products to be shipped in. Another downside is paying freight for the products. This is an added cost, and in most cases I don’t order items online due to freight costs. But where does that leave me? I found products that I like, and enjoy using. Do I stray for the sole reason that I have to pay freight? For now the answer is no.

I am still on the quest for the perfect eye cream. Currently I am using dermilogica eye cream. I had a gift card to a salon and they sell the products so I figured I’d give it a try. So far there have been no miraculous changes, but then again, my face is still pretty wrinkle free.  Crows feet are not coming around my eyes prematurely if it’s up to me!

So what products do you use on your face? Do you have an eye cream that works wonders? Am I supposed to feel it working? Do you believe that you get what you pay for when it comes to these products? Is the added cost of an expensive product worth it? Or are drug store products just as good?

As a side note if you are interested in the Arbonne products and need a consultant, let me know and I can get you my friend’s information!