PRODUCT REVIEW: Tumi Capra Travel Wallet

As several of you know, I like big wallets. Big, Constanza-sized wallets. I have no idea what I need such space for but it's nice to have a big zippy wallet that holds lots of cards and the checkbook, and stows all the receipts I inevitably save. I have lusted after this quite a while in the orange shade, the perfect shade of Hermes orange, no doubt, and when I happened into a Tumi store at Mall of America last week I had to finally buy it. I paid $278 for this wallet, in a GORGEOUS green, only to find out it went on sale on their website like three days later!  Since they couldn't do the price adjust, I returned the one I got in Minneapolis back to the store by mail for a full refund and rebought online where it was almost half price on the urging of the store manager.  I ended up buying the green, the orange and then a small coin purse in green also, because it would make a good bar hopping wallet that can go in the swingpack I also picked up at the Coach outlet.  For perhaps $50 more I got three items vs just the one.  So I am nothing if not thrifty. I buy what I want at the best price I can get.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Mario Badescu Silver Powder

This is a product that I have lusted for after reading about it in the past but never thought it was a worthy investment, despite being only $12. But while at the Nordstrom Mall of America I saw it on quite a large MB display. So I grabbed it.  I tested it out after a shower one night.

PRODUCT REVIEW/Faceoff: Chanel Corrector Perfector VS Maybelline Fit Me

So before I took the Chanel back, I attempted a side-by-side with the Maybelline. Similar consistencies, though for $6 and change the coverage of the Maybelline was MUCH better. Bear in mind that the color of this Maybelline is not right, though even the right shade (20 in pics 10 is better though), its still requiring a few coats. But for $6 and change that trumps $40 a tube in a second.

PRODUCT REVIEW: CHANEL CORRECTEUR PERFECTION LONG LASTING CONCEALER

While on a totally rad girl's weekend, I went to the Nordstrom at Mall of America. I made a beeline for a few things, one of which was the Chanel counter to pick up this product.  It's retailing for $40, and had it been worth every penny I wouldn't have batted an eye, as I am sure you are aware concealer is my thing since I have serious undereye craziness.

Short version:
If you like your concealer to, I dunno, conceal things, then this is not the product for you to drop $40 on.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Speck Candyshell iPhone 4 case

Photo: Speckproducts.com

So one of the many expenses that go into a new phone purchase, a hard case is definitely one I always immediately grab and always recommend. I am not particularly clumsy with my phones, but in the event that it takes a dive, I want as much protection as possible. Especially with all the reports of broken screens on the iPhone. I got myself a Speck Candyshell, and one for the husband as well, in part because it works well with a screen protector (I like Invisible Shield and Phantom Skins, both wet-apply) and because it seems to have an extra space or airgap between the phone and the case. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: the iPhone 4 ...aka the review I never thought I'd be doing

So after Sprint screwed most if not all of their customers, especially long-time customers who were with them over a decade, by taking away their upgrades and credits and employee discounts for some asanine reason they thought was good customer service, I decided I was done. They haven't put out an exciting phone out in years, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. They also cannot seem to figure out when I really joined Sprint, despite being repeatedly provided with a copy of my receipt from when I first switched in 1999, New Years Eve to be exact.  I have been told and read several different dates and years, not one is correct.  They wouldn't correct it, even with proof, and of COURSE after repeatedly losing the copy they wanted the original (why, so you can lose that too? No.)

Despite my deep disgust for ATT, and because my husband no longer works for another telecom company and works to support ATT, I figured I might as well start looking around. My entire family and all my coworkers recently had gotten iPhones, simply for lack of any better phone options. None of us were all that excited about Android, and it seems awfully unstable in the times I have played with it, not to mention a battery destroyer.  The folks at the ATT store out by my Boss's house were very helpful with all the guys at work, so I began to harass them about contract buyouts, options, etc.  Because our Sprint Contracts were almost up, they were willing to buy us out, which really was a credit on the bill and I covered the payout to Sprint on my final bill. Easy enough.  We started the port, ironically when there was an outage after a software update for ATT, though I would probably have waited had I talked to the husband first....

Anyway...About the PHONE:

LATISSE UPDATE: again

I am still using the Latisse most days. Since its been 6 months since I started I wanted to let you all know that the length is DEFINITELY remarkable. The thickness and darkness are no different than before. I had hopes for the  thickness but at least they're longer. They also seem to curl better and the curl stays a little better than before.  I still use as much mascara unfortunately but it looks infinitely better.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Ted Gibson Individual Color Conditioner in Captivating Copper

Photo: Beautybar.com

I have been lusting after this product for a while, I read reviews, and talked myself back out of it about ten times in the last month. Because my beloved Aveda Annatto and Bixa supplies were almost completely tapped out and I cannot seem to find anymore even on Ebay to replenish (long discontinued), and Madder Root just is not the right tone, I figured I needed to track down a new coppery depositing conditioner.

I ordered 2 bottles from Beauty.com, and they are about $25 a pop for 10oz. An Aveda tube at 8.5oz is I believe$18. 

FOLLOWUP ON It! Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye....Its falling into the PASS category.

Photo: QVC.com

I have given this a couple go-arounds now, and even several months before coming back around at it, and I am NOT impressed, not at all. I am wondering what product(s) were actually used on the models on the QVC presentation because the consistency and the total lack of opacity does not jive with the results they showed on the presentation--at all.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Too-Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer

It's awfully hard to come back to this and talk about makeup and frivolous stuff when the last entry is about Mr. Wyatt....But I must heal and keep going.

My first post back will be a review about yet another concealer trying to cover my ridiculous circles.  I picked up this TOO-FACED one on Beauty.com though I've seen it at Ulta and Sephora.  I was buying something for the next review so I decided to lump it all together.

Contrary to the name, this is not my idea of flawless coverage, let alone ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS as the name implies....