Recently, while perusing one of my countless magazines I saw that Anastasia Beverly Hills had this mini wax kit.    Anastasia is known for her celebrity brow styling and for us non-celebrities a variety of eyebrow grooming kits and related products that we can purchase to pretend we can get brows like the celebrities on our own.  HA!   I’m only kidding, I do really like the Anastasia products and they work really great.

Since her other products are fantastic, I figured this must be too.  I’ve tried another brand of pre-wax strips and had horrible results.  I have been on the hunt for a wax kit, but I really dislike the thought of having to keep a huge jar of wax and then heat it up, blah blah blah.    I just don’t want to mess with it, but I want to be able to wax the annoying eyebrow strays and the really annoying lip hairs that drive me crazy.   So I ran to Sephora to check it out.  Only my local Sephora doesn’t have it.   I didn’t feel like ordering it online, well, just because I didn’t.  It’s only $12 and the shipping would probably be half of that again.

Then I ran into my local Ulta – we have a new mega Ulta near my home which I am thrilled about and paranoid at the same time because it’s just too close!   But I did run into one of the little kits and I grabbed it up.    The jar of wax is tiny (PERFECT!) only .5 oz – think of a jar of eye cream size which typically is the same size, just not with all the excess pretty packaging that eye creams have.   There are 5 small wooden sticks for application and 14 substantially sized muslin strips, and instructions on how to use the kit.  This seemed like the perfect kit to me.

You only have to heat the wax about 10 seconds in the microwave and apply with the stick.  The muslin strips are quite large and can be cut in half to easily remove the mustache lip hair.  Each half of the strip works on each half of the lip area and I would say the same for the eyebrow area as well.  Lickity split – the hair was gone, I’m able to save myself a wad of money by not having to go have my lip hair removed professionally and spending no less than $15 each time.   $12 for this kit will give you many uses before it is gone – at least 14 uses (the number of strips).  So lets do the math:  $15 x 14 trips to have a lip wax = $210, (not including tip) so I figure I’m saving myself at least $200!   This is the bargain of the century!

I think that qualifies as Beauty on a Budget – don’t you? 

p.s. – the Ulta website has the incorrect price of $21.  It is only $12 in the store – they really should fix that.

Finally!  Here they are, one of the first looks at the Degree Women Natureffects new body mists and deoderants in their new scents.  I told you a few days ago about the new fragrant combinations created by Ann Gotleib, now you can enjoy them yourselves as well.

Beauty on a Budget – that’s what Degree Natureffects has for all of us.  Beauty in scent and protection and at a budget price of only $3.99 retail!   These fresh new scents were created to release your “Outdoorphins”.   Now that Winter is waning and Spring is knocking on our doors, these new scents make me anxious for Spring. 

Avaialable at retailers nationwide.

I remember as a little girl when the “Avon Lady” would come by.   That’s what they were called in those days.  I grew up in a small town that didn’t have department stores with cosmetics, only the Dime Store where you could get the drugstore brands.  So when the Avon representative would come by our house for a visit you felt like the department store came to you.  I loved the catalogs she left and more than anything the little miniature tubes of lipsticks in a sample shade you’d like to try.    I would secretly collect these from my mother and grandmother and put them on my pretty white and red plastic beauty vanity and play “makeup”.  Fast forward about 40 years and Avon is still a force in the beauty world thru the Avon Representatives and the Internet too.

One of their newest products is this Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact Lipstick.   I love all the angles and precision cuts of the lipstick – it reminds me of something diamond cut.  It also makes it go on with getting every corner, nook and cranny of your lips.  The lipstick is made with pigment boosters to make the color more rich and true to the shade.  I really was surprised at how long it lasted (several hours) and how true the color stayed.  I’ve been wearing the Brilliant Berry shade, which has a very slight shimmer to it and also like how creamy and moisturizing it is, as usually longer lasting lipsticks are very drying. 

Right now it’s on sale at an introductory price of only $4.99 from a regular price of only $8.    Truly a great Beauty on a Budget lipstick!

Look party ready with these beauty items on a budget.

Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition nail colors from the Tracy Reese collection are great for being stylish and budget-wise.   Shown here in 4 shades

• Gigabyte – a light pink shade for those wanting a demure color
• Opulent Gold – a golden/silver/greyish/brown hue all in one  – very hot!
• Fast Lane Fuschia - a great holiday pinkish red
• Disc – for a warm coppery tone

For you lips red is all the rage – recently at the Nordstrom Cosmetic Trend show red lips were shown for holiday and people of all ages were lined up to find their perfect shade.    The key is to be sure to line you lips when doing a dark shade – you don’t want the lipstick to run into the fine lines around your mouth.   You can also find a long-wear shade so you doesn’t disrupt your look when having a few cocktails.  Try:

• Rimmel London Intense Wear Lipstick – shown in #166 Temptation
• Rimmel 1,000 Kisses Lip pencil – in 021 Red Dynamite
• N.Y.C . Ultra Moist Lip Wear – in Firefly, if you’re hesitant to go the red route

Trying to figure out gifts for the eco-friendly person in your life?   Try one of these great bags by Alicia Silverstone for ecoTOOLS.  Alicia is a passionate environmental activist and she has joined with ecoTOOLS to create a line of natural hemp cosmetic bags which are feminine and workable in one.   The pretty floral print is made with a non-toxic ink and many times I think of hemp as not so soft, but these are soft, yet sturdy.

The top one shown is the Overnight Bag ($19.99) and shown underneath it is the interior with zip pouches made of a recycled PET lining.  You can also remove the pouches as they are Velcro attached.  

The second bag shown is the Train Case ($14.99) with a zip top and it is a perfect size.   There’s also a removeable compartment in this one too – shown in the photo below the train case.

On the bottom is the Cosmetic Bag ($8.99) for all your must-haves in your handbag.    

Wondering what to put in one of those great bags or just want to use some natural skin care yourself?   Try out these bath and body products by ecoTOOLS.  They’re paraben free, phthalate free, dermatology tested, allergy tested and never animal tested and they’re 98% made from nature (so the company says). 

You can get ecoTOOLS at Ulta or go to their website (I have highlighted) to see where ecoTOOLS are sold near you.