PRODUCT REVIEW: FRS Energy Drink--Low Cal Orange

Photo: FRS

I learned about this stuff from the Hungry Girl website and there was a try-it offer that included a bottle of the concentrate and a pack of the chews, though the liquid is now replaced by the powder packets, which I am sure is easier and cheaper for them to ship.

The first thing I tried was the concentrate. It's a jug about the size of a soda bottle that comes with a little dixie-cup style measuring cup. So I dumped one serving of the liquid into a cup and added the water to it and stirred.  At first I thought it wasn't the best tasting stuff but it grew on me a little. It's kind of like strong tang.  I didn't notice any sort of energy increase, but I do know that I didn't fall asleep at my desk. So that has to mean something...

LATISSE aka the beginnings of a lengthy review.

Today at my yearly dermatologist appointment (or should I say, full scale inspection that should have resulted in a lovely dinner!) I asked about Latisse. I have been reading about it on blogs, in mags, on forums, and obviously seeing Brooke Shields and Claire Danes in the ads hasn't hurt either. I only hesitated because I was concerned about eye color change. I like the color of my eyes so adding more brown isn't really appealing, but I figured if that happened I would quit using it.

So I called the pharmacies around town before filling it, on the recommendation of the doctor and nurse practitioner, and ended up just settling at CVS. Regularly priced, it's $98 at Walmart, but I'd rather pay more than enter the gates of hell, Target didn't have it in stock to give me a price, CVS was $115 and Walgreens was $119. I went with CVS, and was smart enough to get a coupon from the Latisse website for $20 off. So vanity is not cheap. I really hoped this product would help me get darker, denser lashes so that my morning mascara routine could maybe be cut in half. It seriously takes like 10-15 each morning just to do my mascara. Which is ludicrous. But we'll see.

I will try to take pics as I go. And hopefully at the end can show a series.

Stay tuned!

UPDATE #1 on It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye--

I FINALLY received this stuff today, it's a long skinny tube that seems like there might be nothing going on but just as a quick test on my hand, it doesn't require much. I see this being like the Mary Kay tubes that last a decade.

Color is good, they were right, this color would suit many complexions. It also came with a double-ended brush, I might give it a whack when I try this stuff out tomorrow morning.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Fountain on Locust.

Photo: Fountainonlocust.com

I guess I am a couple years late to review this place, but since I was there again tonight with friends I decided to give it a go.

This place is a winner.  Because I am still healing from a lot of nasty dental work plus a pretty heinous oral surgery from last week...and some complications from that (boo!) I was really limited on what I was able to order, besides their very famous ice cream, which was a given being that I am dealing with serious sugar addiction. 

The pro to that was that I was going to venture back into soups, which is something I've been kind of "banned" from with the infection I have going on (did you know that soup/heat causes the infection to spread like wildfire? Not exactly what I wanted to deal with so I avoid it lately).  Anyway...I decided tonight to try out their Hummus and pita as well as their Corn Chowder.

COMING SOON Take 2: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer.

I read about this a few months ago in a magazine, I am thinking it might have been Lucky, sometime in the last say 4 months.  I have also seen it pop up on MakeupAlley a few times, and read a few reviews in the Productville area, then the plethora of youtube reviews, though from what I understand, and what some of them say, the company sent those reviewers the products for free to try.  In order to remain unbiased, I made sure I purchased this myself.  Since I knew it's been on HSN before, and I, of course, missed that presentation, I made sure I hurriedly bought it tonight from QVC since it was a one-time only thing, and I am pretty sure that the price I paid, $23 maybe, includes a nice looking brush.  I BARELY got in on time to get the color I wanted, which QVC called medium, but the company  calls Neutral Medium. For once it appears I am NOT the lightest shade in something.  Thankfully my Pre allowed me to buy it online in a hurry. I should have this within a week or so.

I cannot wait to try this out. It looks fantastic, and just watching the presentation on QVC I was pretty impressed. We shall see.  So stay tuned for an initial reaction and I am sure Ill make a followup.

Coming soon: A product review for Acne.org Treatment

I am in the process of trying to reign my face back in.  I have definitely retired the alien deathray laser gun (Clarisonic) for now, that thing seems to have been the biggest culprit the raging acne I developed. I don't know if it's because it harbors bacteria like nothing else, or if it's just not cleaning as well as it should...who knows. But it's not worked well for my face.

A lot of folks on various blogs and forums have mentioned this Acne.org line of products as being godsends for their faces, so last week I ordered myself a tube of the Treatment, which is a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide treatment gel.  

PRODUCT REVIEW: Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles Eye Roller

After reading the reviews over on Makeupalley.com, a site at which I kill many hours during a workday, I decided I would pick this item up. I kind of figured that my shiners would not likely benefit from the tint, as it was probably WAY too sheer...but I was pretty surprised that it's really NOT that sheer. It is by no means opaque, but it's definitely not sheer. Considering how many layers of "opaque" concealer I need to not look like the walking corpse I usually am,  the idea of swapping a few out to have a little "brightness" is definitely appealing.  And this has allowed me to lose at least two full on layers of spackle.  I start with a layer of this, let it dry down a bit, then I add the opaque stuff. Then I rub the roller on the top of my finger and dab more of this over the opaque. Rinse. Repeat. A few more times. And yet that's still less than I usually use...

PRODUCT REVIEW: Smashbox Pro Waterproof Second Skin Concealer

Photo: QVC.com

After viewing a particularly compelling presentation of this on QVC last week I finally decided to try it. I know, I know, you're thinking "the models on there have barely any facial failings so of course a concealer will work wonders!" and you're right, and I still bought it, hook, line and sinker. 

CLINTON KELLY for QVC

Last Friday brought the premier of Kelly by Clinton Kelly  for QVC, a line of clothing designed by Clinton from What Not To Wear.  I immediately snatched up the Deep Purple version of this "faux wrap" dress, in sizes Medium, Large and XL just to be safe. I have so far received the Medium and the XL and may be keeping the Medium, unless when the Large arrives it fits well. It's immensely flattering, as I kind of expected it to be. And I love the color. I, like everyone else, am really into the deep purple this fall. Which is a nice change from my blue, teal and green closet.   It actually makes that gigantic fail of a "mothers apron" on the front of me look less grotesque, and for that I am pleased.  I figure it might be a good wedding guest dress.  Here is the multi-color  version from the QVC site.

SHAMELESS PLUG: Iron Barley Restaurant

Last Friday I got to spend some quality happy fun time with some old buds of mine (HI GUYS!) and for our "monthly meeting" we chose Iron Barley.  My husband and I are quite fond of this restaurant but with it being on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, the ability to get a table kind of made it harder for us to deal with, so we backed off.  I was quite excited when the gang all went on Friday and it was a REALLY nice night and we could eat on the back patio, which was a delight.

I got my usual "Panella" appetizer which is a flaming skillet of incredible.  Three lovely wedges of melted mozzerella with some really great "broth" of some kind on top and some pico as well, and it's served with wheat tortillas. It's so good that is really all I should get because it fills me up so well. For like an hour even!  But then I got the Strip steak as my entree, like a fool, since I had just had serious dental work the day before, so chewing was not exactly smart. And it's like taunting a dog with table scraps when you get a divine piece of meat and you can't eat the damn thing.

There's seriously not a bad thing on the menu, and the service has been pretty stellar every time. Though it's a little pricy for a regular meal out...it's definitely worth it and is a great experience every time.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Cover Girl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Brown

Photo: Covergirl.com

I think the color actually has a real name but BROWN is really what it is. A really deep dark chocolate brown.

Usually I line my eyes with just the Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner that I got from QVC, but lately I have been trying to oomph it a little, possibly in part due to my Kim Kardashian makeup love. So I started lining my eyes with a dark brown pencil along the lashes before adding the Smashbox. Though some days I go a little beyond and look like a hooker. But that's not exactly a terrible thing. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: Loreal Voluminous Mascara Waterproof in Carbon Black

I love to watch the YouTube videos that Kim Kardashian and her makeup artist Mario put up, there are 3-4 "parts" showing how he gets her all spackled up for an appearance. Her makeup is generally pretty bang-on amazing, so I always try to emulate it, in the laziest way possible, of course.

Photo: Lorealparisusa.com

Mario mentioned that he loves Loreal Voluminous, especially the Carbon Black shade, and I know of at least one very lovely blonde mamacita that likes that one also. But I need waterproof mascara or my mascara will run down my face like a freakshow.