Beauty Lite

Where have I gone?

Danielle — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:12:56 +0000

Not sure if anyone noticed but I haven’t been posting on here in a while. I finally realized that I don’t have the time or motivation to be a good beauty blogger – and I feel GREAT about it. It feels like a weight has been lifted, so I definitely know I’m making the right decision.

I still have a different personal blog which is much easier to keep up with and I love it! Feel free to join me over on Tumblr – organizeddanie.tumblr.com – and follow me on Twitter @OrganizedDanie.

xo, Danie

Moving Day!

Danielle — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:00:50 +0000

Today Steve and I are moving into a bigger apartment!! Up until now we have been living in a one bedroom one bathroom apartment. It hasn’t been bad, it’s just enough space for two people, but we didn’t have enough room for all of our STUFF! We each have full bedroom sets and living room sets so all of Steve’s furniture has been in storage for the last four months.

Our new place has THREE bedrooms and two bathrooms I was so happy when we found a place that was going to fit all of our couches into the living room. Once it’s all set up I’ll post some pictures. I really have no idea how it will end up so it’ll be interesting. Oh! One of the best parts is that my friend Cathy lives right across the street with her boyfriend!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

Wonderbar Labor Day Sale – 20% off!

Danielle — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:28:28 +0000

Today through Monday you can get 20% off your Wonderbar order by using code “goodbyesummer” at the checkout. You’re welcome

Tomorrow Steve & I are moving (more on that tomorrow) and we haven’t started packing yet! It’s about 6:30pm on Friday and our families are coming over at 9 tomorrow morning to help us move – I’d better get packing! I hope you’re having a more fun Friday night than I am, haha.

Additional Ingredients I’m Avoiding

Danielle — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:00:09 +0000

In my first post on ingredients to avoid, I mentioned parabens and sulfates. Here are two more ingredients I’m trying to avoid or use sparingly and some reasons why.

Silicone (and other “cones”)

Silicone emollients are occlusive – that is they coat the skin, trapping anything beneath it, and do not allow the skin to breathe (much like plastic wrap would do.)

Recent studies have indicated that prolonged exposure of the skin to sweat, by occlusion, causes skin irritation. Some synthetic emollients are known tumor promoters and accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are also non-biodegradable, causing negative environmental impact.

Anecdotal evidence indicates silicone to be toxic to the human body. For more detailed information on the dangers of silicone simply key “silicone toxicity” into the Google search engine.

– Source

Phthalates

Two decades of research suggest that phthalates disrupt hormonal systems, which can cause harm during critical periods of development. Phthalate exposure in pregnant women, as measured by urine samples, has been associated with a shortened distance between the anus and genitals in male babies, indicating a feminization had occurred during genital development. Shorter anogenital distance is characteristic of female sex in both humans and animals. Other research in humans has shown that baby boys exposed to phthalates in breast milk had alterations in their hormone levels.

Other research in adult human males has found exposure to some phthalates is associated with poor sperm quality and infertility. Further research in male animals has shown that exposure to various phthalates causes birth defects of the genitals – such as hypospadias (an abnormal location for the opening of the urethra on the underside of the penis) and undescended or small testicles – resulting in low sperm counts and infertility. Female laboratory animals exposed to phthalates also have been found to have alterations in sex hormones and experience fetal loss.

One of the ways that phthalates interfere with reproductive functioning is by reducing the levels of sex hormones, which are critical for development and functioning of the sex organs. Additional research suggests that these same mechanisms may link phthalates to breast cancer. Phthalates have also been shown to cause proliferation of breast tumor cells and renders anti-estrogen treatments, such as tamoxifen, less effective against tumors.

– Source

Stay tuned to see the next installment which will discuss fragrances and nail polish!

(unless otherwise noted, all images are from Google Images)

A Broken Maybelline EyeStudio Eyeshadow and How I Saved It

Danielle — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:00:22 +0000

Let me start out by saying that I broke the eyeshadow, it’s not Maybelline’s fault at all. Here’s the only pic I have of it before I dropped it:

The unfortunate victim is the Sinful Cinnamon baked shadow on the right. If you’ve tried these shadows before you will know that they are domed and the weirdest thing happened when it broke… only the domed part that sticks out above the shadow pan broke apart. See what I mean?

I was so pissed at myself that I accidentally broke this before I even got a chance to try it so I decided to try to find a way to salvage it. I had a small container from a sample of Clinique Moisture Surge (awesome, btw) so I funneled the broken pieces into the small jar, smashed it all up, and now I have two separate eyeshadows! Here’s the process in pictures.

The finished product that I “created” is a very pretty blend of the two original colors I started out with.

Have you ever broken a shadow before? Were you able to save it in any way?

Zoya Dannii with Sally Hansen Crackle in Antiqued Gold

Danielle — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:17 +0000

Zoya Dannii alone

with Sally Hansen Crackle in Antiqued Gold (indoors)

outside

close up

July Birchbox

Danielle — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:56:23 +0000

Birchbox had a really special treat for us in July. This month’s picks are all personally selected by designer Cynthia Rowley and even the outside of the box is cute!

“I’m super low maintenance but I do have my favorites. These are products that I feel enhance beauty without masking it or changing it too much – it’s always better to be low-key and to rely on your natural good looks!” -Cynthia Rowley

Here’s a pic of the box next to my planner for scale.

The inside of the box – such cute wrapping and a letter from the ladies at Birchbox.

philosophy purity made simple one-step facial cleanser – this perennial award-winner is pH-balanced to gently clear away dirt, oil, and makeup without drying out skin

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-useage Dry Oil – a makeup artist favorite. This multi-use oil gives face and body a pretty glow (minus any slickness), and it works to smooth flyaways, too.

Redken shine flash – a must for Cynthia’s runway shows, this weightless spray gives hair a brilliant finish

Zoya Touch Collection Nail Polish in Pandora – Neutral gets a sexy makeover in this creamy, slightly metallic nude. This perfect accessory to summer’s bright fashions

My favorite item this month is the Zoya polish! The oil is pretty cool too but I’m still trying to figure out how to use it. (BTW, the value of the full size items in this box is over $90 but the box only cost $10!)

Have you tried any of these items? What are your thoughts?

Bonus Pic: Zoya Pandora with Sally Hansen Crackle in Antiqued Gold

Summer Hair Challenge from No More Dirty Looks

Danielle — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:13:26 +0000

This weekend I’m participating in a hair challenge. All you have to do is shampoo, condition, comb through once and that’s it! The point is to leave it alone – no heat, no leave-in conditioner, don’t put anything in it at all! Siobhan and Alexandra, the beauties over at No More Dirty Looks, are even going to give away a prize at the end of the challenge! One winner, chosen at random, will receive a basket full of natural & organic haircare products from NuboNau.

My hair is wavy/curly and definitely frizzy. I usually style it by straightening it or putting gel or mousse in it to enhance and control the curl. When I don’t style it, it air dries into a frizzy funky mess (that’s my point of view anyway). Here are some other pics for comparison:

Curly

Straight

My Hair Challenge Picture

… and a side/back view…

I feel like it’s not coming across in the pictures exactly how bad it looks in reality. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. I feel like every woman has higher standards for her looks than other people do of her. All I know is I couldn’t wear my hair like this to work because they prefer a more polished style. It would be nice to know I don’t have to do much to it on weekends though! I think I’ll try it out again tomorrow. I’m going to my very first bridal show with my step-mom Liz. I’m really excited but I’ve heard they are overwhelming, so wish me luck!

Tarte Friends & Family Sale – 30% Off!

Danielle — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:18:14 +0000

Tarte’s Friends and Family sale just started today and runs through next Monday, August 15th. Just use the code “FFAUG” to receive 30% off your order.

What will you get?

I can’t decide if this is good timing or bad timing… I just ordered two Tarte sets from QVC – the 8th World Wonder Best of The Amazon 7-pc Clay Collection and the Glow Your Way To Gorgeous 8-pc Maracuja & Clay Collection – so I don’t think I need to buy anymore right now. Darn.

Easy to Find Sulfate-Free Shampoos

Danielle — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:13:29 +0000

Finding and using a sulfate-free shampoo is not as much of a challenge as you might think. More and more brands that we all know are coming out with a sulfate-free version of their product. It might take you a bit of time to get used to shampoo without SLSs, but your scalp will thank you.

Common brands with sulfate-free (also written as “no SLSs”) items:

Tigi Rockaholic Livin’ the Dream Sulfate-Free Shampoo (Target, 8.45 oz. for $13.95)
CHI Rx Moisture Therapy Shampoo (Target, 10 oz for $8.99)
Bubble Shack Hawaii carries a variety of soaps (Target, 3 bars for $15)
L’Oreal EverPure and EverStrong are their lines that carry sulfate-free hair care items (found almost everywhere, MSRP $6.99 for the shampoo. Also 100% vegan!)
Redken Nature’s Rescue Refreshing Detox Shampoo (Ulta, 6.8 oz for $16. Also paraben & silicon free!)
As well as most of the items from ALTERNA, Organix, Burt’s Bees, Blow Hair Care, Carol’s Daughter, Philosophy, HerCut, KeratinPerfect, Living Proof, Phyto, and Samy products (all of these can be found at Ulta and/or Sephora).

What is your favorite shampoo?

Related Post: Ingredients I’m Avoiding