Benefit's She Laq

Is this thing on?! Where be the BarStars?!

Lord knows we're buying fantastic stuff, so either it's life or laziness or a little of both.

Well I'm back and have a product that I am totally loving: Benefit's She Laq !What They Say: Use she laq and your makeup will stay put! You can let those tears of joy flow, without looking a mess! Apply this clear liquid makeup sealer to shadows, mascaras, and liners and your makeup stays put... no matter how many tissues you go through. Comes with a complete set of mini brushes. Tips and tricks: Allow to dry completely for about 1-2 minutes before touching it.

What I Say: I really only use She Laq to set my eye liner (and eyeshadow when I go out). I have oily skin so setting my eye liner with powder just doesn't cut it, especially with a long day of class. However, She Laq is great. The only thing is that it does take a minute for it to set, but once it does...you're good to go !

On Sephora.com they recommend using She Laq to prevent lipstick from bleeding - good to know !

The Details:
Benefit's She Laq
$28.00
Get it at benefitcosmetics.com or Sephora

Drugstore Gem: Almay smartshade makeup!

I haven't ventured into the world of drugstore makeup in a while, but since I am a super kind of po' right now I haven't been able to indulge in tanning (yes, I know it's bad for my skin, yes I know that it might kill me, and yes, I know that vanity is a sin). Therefore my could-be beautiful tan Asian-American skin is yellow, sallow yellow, gross yellow, blah yellow. With this lack of color means that I have to get different foundation and going back to that po' thing brings me to this new friend of mine: Almay smartshade makeup!

What They Say: "With smart shade^® makeup, there’s no more guessing or stressing over what shade of makeup is right for you. This revolutionary colorless foundation contains microscopic color beads that are activated when you smooth it on—transforming into a shade that complements your skin tone. You’ll get sheer coverage with a natural finish, so your skin looks smooth and even. Nourishing antioxidants like grapeseed, ginseng and gingko biloba help give skin a healthy glow. Each of the 3 shades cover a wide range of color. All you have to do is choose the one closest to your skin tone—it’s that easy!"

What I Say: I like it ! I use the light/medium and it blends well with my Asian-American skin. It goes on smoothly and has good coverage, more than a tinted moisturizer, but way less than a really pancakey liquid foundation. I have naturally oily skin and this held up really well. I think the part that I love the best is when you splurt it out of the bottle, it's a white-ish gray, but then you smooth it on and -VOILA- ! I think if I ever get back to the land of bronzed that I'd have to kick it up to the 'medium' shade. Ooooh ! I almost forgot: smartshade also has SPF 15, so it's good for everyday sunscreen !

The Details:
Almay smartshade makeup
$13.49
Get it at any drugstore or drugstore.com

Everyone should have one...

Hi there. It is me, your neighborhood, friendly advice giver. I have no beauty products to sell you today. Don't read this if you want to know this season's coolest shoe trend. Instead, this is a public service announcement of sorts. Because a BarStar is always prepared.

You may have heard that to travel anywhere outside the country nowadays, you need yourself a passport. An up to date, super cute, pretty pretty passport. That is their official name, by the way. Even to Canada and Mexico, which is kind of a new thing. And, you should just have one, because even if you just dream of lounging on the beach somewhere exotic, one day, you're going to get an email about a $1.50 airfare to Jamaica, all drinks included for next weekend, and you're going to want to go. But, your lame ass won't have a passport, so no trip for you.

Sure, it is $67. And, you have to fill out an application. (And, it takes 10 weeks to get, so no plans for the next 3 months for you!) But, it lasts for 10 YEARS!! Do you know how great it will be to have a photographic record of your hot 25 year old self at 35 and be like, yeah, this is me. It will be awesome. And, $67 is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount it costs you to expedite it. Or, the nervous tick you will develop while waiting in line at the Passport office on 19th Street 2 days before you have a non-refundable ticket to Budapest and your mom calls to tell you she lost your passport.

For about 3 hours on Friday, I was going to Kenya for work. I was so close to spending two weeks doing a super fun, adult type mission trip ALL EXPENSES PAID by WORK! I don't have a cool job where I get to do things like that. It was out of nowhere. And I immediately thought... Where the hell is my passport? I tore my room apart on Friday night and eventually found it. Oh, and my boss decided she wanted to go to Kenya, so she wins out. I can't wait till I'm the boss. I wonder if there are grantmaking trips to Milan?

So, final lesson... once you shell out the money for a passport... keep track of it. And tell people where you put it (underwear drawer, people... in case I forget come end of April).

My #1 Accessory: Deodorant !

This is cross posted on Files from the Pickle Stealers Purse, but this totally fits under BarStars Buy, because... I buy LOTS of deodorant and I want YOU to buy deodorant (for you and ME). Without further ado, my pick for the number 1 accessory a woman (and man) should have:

I go through phases of obsession which usually pass after a period of time, but there is one thing that I have remained uber-obsessed with: deodorant. It dates back to 7th grade and junior high basketball. We loved our deodorant. At that point, we were all about spray deodorant; it made it less awkward sharing before big games. I think we went so far to use men's deodorant. Really? Could 13 year old girls REALLY need the strength used for 300 lb. men? Either way, we were all about it. Although 7th grade is a long time ago, I have continued to be an enthusiastic user of deodorant, however, not of the spray variety...or gel (gross).

Recently, Caroline and I have reached a painful mile marker in our deodorant world: the discontinuation of our favorite deodorant, Soft and Dri Power Stripe/Derma Stripe Citrus Squeeze. Sadly, Gillette is completely phasing out Soft and Dri. What are we to do? Turn to the internet, of course. There is someone selling lots of Soft and Dri, but there is no guarantee of the Citrus Squeeze (yay!) to powder (ewwwwwwwww) ratio. I have learned to adapt and have found another deodorant to fill the void that Citrus Squeeze once occupied, but it's just not the same. I found another website that still sells Citrus Squeeze and was about to buy 10 sticks which came to $33, however, the shipping was close to $25. WTF. I just can't do it.

On walgreens.com, I found another flavor of Soft and Dri that I liked (but is now being phased out TOO), but I am weary to find out how much the shipping will be.

On that note, my birthday is coming up and if anyone loves me and wants to buy me deodorant, my soul and armpits would be really happy.

An actual email I sent my parents about what I want for my birthday...

hi!

So after much research, I have found what I would like for my birthday. It is the 80gig black video iPod. It retails for $350, with free name engraving. (I would just want 'Jane' engraved, not my last name.)

Here's the deal on the iPod:
-I would prefer the 80 gig over the 30 gig because it would allow me to store more videos--such as movies and tv shoes that I can legally download through iTunes.
-This iPod plays videos, as you probably inferred from above. I could thusly listen to music, watch tv shoes, and watch movies on the go.

But, you say, you already have an iPod. Well, unfortunately my iPod has lost it's battery power, as older iPods do. My battery barely lasts through 1 1/2 hours at the gym. And I like to listen to it while at work, and it just kind of dies eventually. The new iPods have longer battery life, are in color, and allow video. I'm really psyched about the video component. I could watch a movie while on the treadmill or waiting at the doctor's office. Or really anywhere. It's very exciting.

The video aspect is why I like the regular iPod over the nano. I'm ambivalent to size, so I don't feel I need the super-small nano. A regular-sized iPod is fine with me.

So, there you have it. I would really, really enjoy having this new iPod. And, I do want it in black (vice the regular white). And since name engraving is no additional cost when purchased online, I would like Jane on the back.

Here's the Apple iPod site: http://www.apple.com/ipod/ipod.html Easy to buy online!

For other people who might be looking for something to get me for my birthday, there a couple of accessories that would be very useful. The first is an iTunes gift card. I didn't get one for Christmas for the first time ever, and so, for the first time ever, I've had to pay to buy stuff. I would love to get an iTunes gift card to fund my video and music purchases.

Second, a case. Because the screen is such an important aspect of the video-capable iPod, and because I would use the iPod extensively at the gym, be putting it in my bag everyday, etc. I would like a case to protect it. This is the case I am most interested in because it is fits the 80 gig iPod perfectly, protects the screen and click wheel but you can still use the click wheel, has an armband for when running and not watching video, and has openings for all the attachments (ie you don't have to take off the case to charge it).

So there you have it. All of my birthday dreams. If you have any questions just let me know.

Jane

Paper for all Occasions

Last weekend I went to the Papery in Bethesda. This store is designed for people with extra money who want to invest (read: waste) their money on paper products. I do not have extra money, but I managed to spend $50 on awesome paper items.

First, I went through the Valentine’s Day table where everything was 50% off. I chose two sets of stationary, one by mara-mi with hearts—but it isn’t too Valentine-esque—and one by Design Design Inc. called Conversation Hearts. They’re good for writing letters for non-specific events or holidays, but preferably for people I really like given all the hearts involved.

I also bought two sets of thank you cards. Usually I buy thank you cards only when they’re on sale. But, I foresee myself writing a lot of thank you notes over the next year or so. I’ve already had to write three since I got engaged. So, I went straight for the Crane & Co. cards and got a set of simple ecru cards that say Thank You in black. I also got Graphique De France thank you cards that are ecru, gold, and dark green.

Finally, I decided it was time for an address book. I haven’t owned an actual address book since about middle school. Usually I put addresses in whatever planner I’m using at the time. But, the Papery had some very attractive address books and I couldn’t resist. I ended up getting a really pretty book by Pepper Pot. It’s green with cherry blossoms. Try though I might, I can’t find a picture online. Also, it has a page for local vendors, and has listings for phone numbers for dry cleaners, doctor, florist, bakery, plumber, hair stylist, etc. That was interesting, although it’s unlikely there will be a baker whose number I’ll need to have readily available.

Nike+iPod: Making Exercise Tolerable

I hate working out. No, really. I hate it. A lot. But I hate weight and feeling icky and unhealthy even more, so I force myself to do it. I force myself to run.

But honestly? I invested (a small fortune) in some products and gadgets that make running tolerable. I actually kinda look forward to running. And it's all because of my dear friends at Apple (and the people at Nike, who I don't consider to be dear friends because they seem to be trying to make their workout clothes look really awful and ill-fitted on my averagely proportionate, not-too-large-but-not-too-small body. Booo for that, Nike. Booooo.)

When I first learned of the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit, I knew I had to have it. The premise is that you put the little circle thingie in your Nike+ shoe (mine are like those, but with different colors) and plug the little square into your iPod Nano (I bought a black refurbished one). After a brief, painless calibration run, you start exercising. Your iPod Nano displays a special Nike+ menu that allows you to choose a distance-, time- or calorie-specific workout. You choose the kind of run you want, indicate your "goal" (which is in sarcastic airquotes because you can run less or more than the goal and it makes no difference whatsoever) and start running.

A pleasant voice will give you periodic updates on the distance completed and your pace, and you can also press the center button of the iPod to get an update whenever you'd like. The data is also displayed on the iPod screen, but if you buy the special Nike+ Sport Armband, you can't actually see the screen. Which is just as well, because the last thing I have energy for while I'm running is trying to crane my neck around to read the iPod screen affixed to my arm.

(What is NOT just as well is the fact that the armband has a little fabicy cover that goes over the clickwheel of the iPod. Your iPod slips around a bit, and the next thing you know you're canceling your workout when you were just trying to get a freaking progress update. I solved this problem by cutting a big ol' hole in the armband so I can touch the actual clickwheel. It's a problem that's easily solved, but when I'm paying $29 for a piece of fabric that straps my iPod to my arm, I expect the manufacturer to have already worked those things out on my behalf.)

So anyway, once you're done with your run you come home and sync your iPod with iTunes, and iTunes will send your workout data to the Nike+ website. There you can view your runs by distance, time and calories, see how one run compares to another, keep track of total miles logged, etc.

The Nike+ website is, in my opinion, where the real strength of this whole setup lies. My exercise stumbling block is always lack of motivation. If I didn't exercise for three days in a row? Pffft, whole week was shot, might as well just wait until next Monday and start over. But logging my miles and being able to see the total miles I've logged, getting to see my pace increase overtime ... that is freaking MOTIVATIONAL, people. It totally keeps me going.

I've uploaded screenshots of my total runs over time (it's not all of them because they didn't all fit in one shot, but it's almost all of them) and my most recent run to demonstrate the awesomeness of the Nike+ website (and also, look at me and my improved running stats, woo woo!) My distance per run has been consistently higher the last two months, and while I'm still not running the entire 4 miles, I am walking less, thereby increasing my overall pace. My pace during the running parts has also increased. And I would have no way of knowing that if I wasn't using the whole Nike+ setup. Clickety-click on the thumbnails for larger versions of the screenshots.

Unfortunately, motivation comes at a price. I spent $110 on shoes, $109 for a refurbished Nano, $29 for the Sport Kit and $29 for the armband (not to mention the money I dropped on cute workout clothes from Adidas), almost $300 in total. It can be done for less money -- you can buy this instead of the product-specific shoes if you have a pair you're happy with (I did not), and refurbished Nanos are going for as little as $79. So you're still looking at a $100+ investment, but if you really want to get serious about running, it's well worth the investment.

And if you're really enthusiastic about spending money to fuel your workout addiction make exercise more palatable, you can also invest in a video iPod and a season pass to your favorite show to help pass the time on the treadmill. Trust me, there's nothing like a classic episode of Grey's Anatomy to help you forget about the fact that your lungs are about to explode.