Scrimp vs. Splurge -- from a product junkie!!!!

Vivia - do you really not like Joe yoga??? They make a line that has fabrication similar to Lulu... if you're not feeling it, I can see that... but maybe try it!!! (plus Joe gives you a little boost because they size the clothes a little larger so one can buy a 6 when one is really an 8...)

You know, I actually haven't tried them. I will next time I'm there. The "*kitten* powers" of Lulu are so profound, though. . .but so are the powers of the amount of squats, yoga and spinning I've been doing lately. . . so maybe I can branch out and save $ss. . . .and I love the whole "downsizing" trend. (oh the vanity. . .) I have everything from a 2 to a 6 in my closet right now. (and in dresses a few 8s and 10s).

Brown spots:

AJ - "Immortelle" skin care products by L'Occitane will erase your brown age spots. Go to their website and read about it. It is made from a flower that keeps its color forever even after dried. Amazing products.

I am L'Occitane obsessed. There. I've said it. I am powerless over just about anything L'Occitane, and now I won't buy anything else.
Definitely falls into the "Splurge" category- but all organic, no added chemicals, all are made with Earth-sensitivity and with a conscience. Their suppliers are many times families in business for generations, and women who are given money by L'Occitane to continue, or expand their businesses. Their packaging has Braille on it.

But I can quit anytime I want.

cheryl

Hi

Here is a link with pics...not the best pics, but I tried to pick ones that would show off my face
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9EaM2TRm4bdM&emid=sharview&linkid=link4

The first 2 are from this past October (pre-MFP and derm)
You can see the few VERY dark/big freckles on my nose and under my eye..texture is sort of rough looking
I went to a derm in Nov and paid $350 to treat 4 spots (the cost was per spot or for the entire face) for a laser treatment...the deal is though, the darker the spot the better/quicker it responds
Within a few days the dark spots peeled off and were GONE
I got so hooked I went back 4 more times to have lighter freckles on my face removed but was very disappointed with the results..they faded marginally....it added up

The derm also started me on the obagi skincare system to fade dark spots, prevent aging (she said the combination of the system and retinoid would do what the laser did, but it would take about 1yr for the dark spots to disappear)
The cost was about $350 for the entire system and retinoid (which I am still using now...lasted 10+mnths)
I also researched on line (through ebay or skinstore, skinwest) and could have gotten all the pieces for about $250
I don't think that's TOO bad for a years worth of products that work!
I also don't think you need the entire system....I would focus on the heavy duty products and skip the cleanser/toner and s/s (probably buy drug store for a lot less)

The pic in black with my mom and Ava are was from x-mas...I look a little spacy tired and hot (end of a long day) I was using the system for about 1 month
The pic outside with the kids (white t-shirt) was from this past summer...was using the entire line for about 8/9 mnths

The derm totally tried to get me to try botox but I refused and she let it go
So, if u plan on going I think you just need to be firm on what you want and what you are willing to spend and how far you will go

Hope all this made sense
Let me know if u have any questions!

Kim

I have an unhealthy product obsession. When I walk in to my Sephora, they all know me by name. And I have a friend at the Nars counter at my Neiman Marcus just from going in there so much. He calls me whenever they get new products that would go with my coloring.

My all-time favorites, by brand--
Smashbox:
-Photofinish. I absolutely cannot live without this. It is amazing.
-Photo Op. I have never seen another product like this.
-Soft lights bronzer. I HATE shimmery bronzers and that seems to be all thats out there. This is pure matte and works perfectly for contouring my cheekbones (to make me look slimmer!).
-Eye-liner pallet. I ONLY use cream eye liners and this is the very best. And it will not dry out and it will last for years. I have tried the waterproof jet-set and I do not like the formula as much.
-Peta Pallets: these are such soft, buttery powders. I love them for every-day looks. I have both!
-Bionic Mascara. This is fairly new but it works GREAT. I am very picky with mascara (I HATE Diorshow. Its clumpy and looks more trashy than classy), and this is my every-day pick!
-Concealer stick. I have zits but no one can tell with this product!

Nars:
-Lipstick. I have about twelve shades and this is by far my favorite formula ever.
-Lip gloss. See comment above.
-Eye shadow duos. I have never seen better duos and formulas for light, every day looks then Nars.
-Blush. Every single woman out there should own Orgasm. It is by far the most universally flattering shade and works in almost every single color combination.

Benefit:
-BadGal Lash mascara. This is the best for big, super full lashes.

Too-Faced:
-Kabuki Brush. This is the best bang for your buck at $29. It is super soft and the fibers do not hold product in like a lot of natural-bristled brushes.

Lorac:
-Croc pallet. I just love this pallet of creamy metallic shades! It can be used to achieve just about any look, including Hillary Duff's super smoked out eye makeup.

Michael Kors:
-Leg Shine. Who knew you could actually contour your legs into looking firmer and leaner? This takes a little practice and patience to get the hang of, but once you do, it is the best product for your legs.

Urban Decay:
-Primer Potion. If you have not heard of the wonders this product brings, you probably should not be reading this post. I do very dramatic, colorful eye make up and nothing holds it on better than this. Its the best. Period.
-Delux Shadows: If you are into really bright colors like me, this is one of the best formulas around. The colors blend with almost no effort.

Just a few other tips:
-My brushes are a mix of Sephora brand, Clinique, and Smashbox with a few random Urban Decays and the Too-Faced kabuki. I also have the brushes from the Bare Minerals make up. I hate those brushes. They are cheaply made and provide no coverage and very little color pay off.
-Do NOT waste your time or money on Bare Minerals foundation. Anything in Smashbox works so much better and will actually stay on your face. I don't understand the rage of all of this because sure it may look good for like five minutes, but then it just melts away, even with Photofinish.
-MAC eye color is a waste of your money. You can achieve much better results with a stronger color pay off from other brands, such as Urban Decay. And don't even think about trying MAC Lipglass. Disgusting.

Money Saving tricks:
-I cannot stress the value of pallets enough! Buy in sets.
-Also, as you can probably tell, Smashbox is basically my favorite brand. If you are new or you are building your collection, Nordstrom puts out really great "Glamboxes" every couple of months. These are usually $60-$70 but are a GREAT value. I LOVE THESE. I also recently fell in love with the new Foundation set found at Sephora. It is the best.
-If you are unsure of a color and want to try the look without spending a lot of money, head to the Sephora counter. These products are what you pay for: they are better then drugstore crap but they are not spectacular. They are great for trying those looks, though. And my friend swears by their pressed mineral powder.

The only product worth buying at the drugstore is Chapstick. The rest of it (including every Covergirl, Almay, and Revlon product) is not worth your money. In the world of make up, there is a distinct difference in quality and you should never sacrifice your face to something less then stellar. Department store make up may be expensive, but it is a better investment. After all, aren't we on this site to look and feel great?!

I know this post is long, but I could literally talk about products forever! Hope this helps!

Brown spots:

AJ - "Immortelle" skin care products by L'Occitane will erase your brown age spots. Go to their website and read about it. It is made from a flower that keeps its color forever even after dried. Amazing products.

I am L'Occitane obsessed. There. I've said it. I am powerless over just about anything L'Occitane, and now I won't buy anything else.
Definitely falls into the "Splurge" category- but all organic, no added chemicals, all are made with Earth-sensitivity and with a conscience. Their suppliers are many times families in business for generations, and women who are given money by L'Occitane to continue, or expand their businesses. Their packaging has Braille on it.

But I can quit anytime I want.

cheryl

Thanks - I'll check it out!!
:flowerforyou:

Thanks

Of course it isn't going to work for everyone, but I hear obagi is pretty popular with derms
Before we moved I went for facials at a plastic surgeons office and the esth. at the time (she was great!) was always bugging me to try obagi...I wasn't interested at the time
She raved about the obagi blue peel fading brown spots etc
The derm that I saw recently that rec obagi has amazing skin!
I think the laser treatment was worth every penny, but I only had her zap 4 specific spots...too pricey to consider my entire face
Make sure to ask how many treatments it will take to fade the spots you are concerned with...
I think the texture of my skin improved and the rest of the spots faded due to the skincare system and/or rx retinoid


Good luck and keep me posted
Let me know if u have any other questions...

Kim

Hi

Here are some more before/afters (pre-MFP and derm pics are tough to look at ....yeeks!)
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9EaM2TRm4bfE&emid=sharshar&linkid=link2

I have VERY tough skin that isn't sensitive and doesn't react to anything (negatively)
LOTS of people get red, peel, and breakout (they call is purging) when they start retoinds...this usually last a few weeks
Some people, rather than use nightly..start off 2-3x per week...then work up to nightly
I started using the rx daily off the bat (there are also different strength retinoids) and never reacted with redness etc but I did peel a little (just slap on some extra moisturizer)

Kim

I have an unhealthy product obsession. When I walk in to my Sephora, they all know me by name. And I have a friend at the Nars counter at my Neiman Marcus just from going in there so much. He calls me whenever they get new products that would go with my coloring.

My all-time favorites, by brand--
Smashbox:
-Photofinish. I absolutely cannot live without this. It is amazing.
-Photo Op. I have never seen another product like this.
-Soft lights bronzer. I HATE shimmery bronzers and that seems to be all thats out there. This is pure matte and works perfectly for contouring my cheekbones (to make me look slimmer!).
-Eye-liner pallet. I ONLY use cream eye liners and this is the very best. And it will not dry out and it will last for years. I have tried the waterproof jet-set and I do not like the formula as much.
-Peta Pallets: these are such soft, buttery powders. I love them for every-day looks. I have both!
-Bionic Mascara. This is fairly new but it works GREAT. I am very picky with mascara (I HATE Diorshow. Its clumpy and looks more trashy than classy), and this is my every-day pick!
-Concealer stick. I have zits but no one can tell with this product!

Nars:
-Lipstick. I have about twelve shades and this is by far my favorite formula ever.
-Lip gloss. See comment above.
-Eye shadow duos. I have never seen better duos and formulas for light, every day looks then Nars.
-Blush. Every single woman out there should own Orgasm. It is by far the most universally flattering shade and works in almost every single color combination.

Benefit:
-BadGal Lash mascara. This is the best for big, super full lashes.

Too-Faced:
-Kabuki Brush. This is the best bang for your buck at $29. It is super soft and the fibers do not hold product in like a lot of natural-bristled brushes.

Lorac:
-Croc pallet. I just love this pallet of creamy metallic shades! It can be used to achieve just about any look, including Hillary Duff's super smoked out eye makeup.

Michael Kors:
-Leg Shine. Who knew you could actually contour your legs into looking firmer and leaner? This takes a little practice and patience to get the hang of, but once you do, it is the best product for your legs.

Urban Decay:
-Primer Potion. If you have not heard of the wonders this product brings, you probably should not be reading this post. I do very dramatic, colorful eye make up and nothing holds it on better than this. Its the best. Period.
-Delux Shadows: If you are into really bright colors like me, this is one of the best formulas around. The colors blend with almost no effort.

Just a few other tips:
-My brushes are a mix of Sephora brand, Clinique, and Smashbox with a few random Urban Decays and the Too-Faced kabuki. I also have the brushes from the Bare Minerals make up. I hate those brushes. They are cheaply made and provide no coverage and very little color pay off.
-Do NOT waste your time or money on Bare Minerals foundation. Anything in Smashbox works so much better and will actually stay on your face. I don't understand the rage of all of this because sure it may look good for like five minutes, but then it just melts away, even with Photofinish.
-MAC eye color is a waste of your money. You can achieve much better results with a stronger color pay off from other brands, such as Urban Decay. And don't even think about trying MAC Lipglass. Disgusting.

Money Saving tricks:
-I cannot stress the value of pallets enough! Buy in sets.
-Also, as you can probably tell, Smashbox is basically my favorite brand. If you are new or you are building your collection, Nordstrom puts out really great "Glamboxes" every couple of months. These are usually $60-$70 but are a GREAT value. I LOVE THESE. I also recently fell in love with the new Foundation set found at Sephora. It is the best.
-If you are unsure of a color and want to try the look without spending a lot of money, head to the Sephora counter. These products are what you pay for: they are better then drugstore crap but they are not spectacular. They are great for trying those looks, though. And my friend swears by their pressed mineral powder.

The only product worth buying at the drugstore is Chapstick. The rest of it (including every Covergirl, Almay, and Revlon product) is not worth your money. In the world of make up, there is a distinct difference in quality and you should never sacrifice your face to something less then stellar. Department store make up may be expensive, but it is a better investment. After all, aren't we on this site to look and feel great?!

I know this post is long, but I could literally talk about products forever! Hope this helps!

Love Urban Decay!! Their palettes are amazing and the glittery eyeshadow they have that's like glitter glue is awesome.

I don't usually splurge, but I did buy running shoes the other day that I never thought I'd pay that much for! But, since I walk 30+ miles a week, I splurged a little!