Neck Creams: 9 Top Rated Ones from TotalBeauty

Olay Total Effects Night  Firming Cream for Face and Neck
$21.99

If you could tell your younger self anything about skincare, what would you say?  I think many would warn about the very real ravages too much sun does deliver. To that, I would add, to remember to care for your neck as scrupulously has you do your face.

I am a total TotalBeauty fan. I love them for very early on, accepting my beauty blog DivaDebbi into their coveted inner circle.  I love that real women take the time to write reviews and rate the products that give us their, "Best and Worst of..." reviews. I also trust their Beauty Editors recommendations, having had great success with many of them over the years.

Additional confession?

CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara

CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara
$6.99

I'm not 100% sure how CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara ended up in my Walgreen's basket. Maybe I was just disoriented, being in Walgreen's instead of CVS. I'm pretty certain the CoverGirl Queen line was created for women of color, but mascara is color blind, is it not?

What a lovely surprise this mascara is!  It reminds me a lot of CoverGirl's Lash Exact, a mascara I used for quite a long time. The down side was that it dried out quickly, the pluses, however, outweighed it; Clean, full lashes, zero flakes and budget friendly.  I can't be sure why we broke up...

ELF Studio Baked Eye Shadow Trios

ELF Studio Baked Eyeshadow Trios
$4.00!

Have I ever entered and exited a CVS without perusing the cosmetic aisle and leaving with a purchase???

In a word, NO...

I was down to the point where my Nailtiques #2 strengthener was as thick as sludge.  Time for a new one. I know there is formaldehyde in this product, which I don't exactly love. That smell because is permanently etched into my nasal membranes, having had to dissect a C-A-T (sorry Scoots), to fulfill my science requirements to graduate college.  One of the reasons my nails are as hard as granite, is because I use Nailtiques regularly.  There is simply no better strengthener out there; chips, splits and peeling will become a memory I promise.

But I digress...

On the way out, I saw the ELF display, a brand I have never tried. The Baked Eyeshadow Trio's caught my eye. I toiled between the 1st and 3rd palettes, settling on the slightly bronzier third one. I was looking for a way to add a bit of pop to my eye crease, without an obvious amount of color or contrast.


What a great shadow this is! Infused with good for your skin ingredients  Jojoba, Rose, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape, it applies as smoothly as my best shadows, yet costs a fraction of the price. The glitter factor is nil, just a soft wash of glow.  I use the lighter shade under my brow bone and in the corner of my eye and the darkest shade to add some definition to the outer, upper corner of my eye.

How did it hold up through a day of wear???  Brilliantly! I still cant believe my good luck.

ELF stands for Eyes Lips Face.  Oddly their website  gives no backstory, so I still know nothing about the brand.  The site, however, is filled with highly rated reviews for many bestselling products.

You best believe, I'll be trying other ELF offerings...How about you?  Have you tried ELF? Anything to recommend?  I promise to share my future ELF flip and flops. Stay tuned...

xox,
DD

Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser: Answered Prayers

Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser
$5.99

I picked up Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser on a whim during a CVS run.

For once, I thought I would start at the lower end before throwing beaucoup bucks, at a problem. This time, I got lucky.

I don't know what's been going on with my hairline near the front part lately.  Out of nowhere, I have some breakage and flyaways. 

How is it that a brand new beauty woe can crop up while you sleep???  

Is this fair???  Does this happen to men??? Or does it and they are just in happy oblivion???

Maybelline Master Kajal Liner

Maybelline Master Kajal Line
$8.99

I decided to change up my eye make up routine. My new look is minimal shadow, less mascara and bolder liner. Somehow, it's looking fresher to me.  The only glitch has been trying to get the liner down.

What's the point of simplifying if the technique is forcing me to waste precious time in the clean up department???

Smashbox pot gel eyeliner was a slippery foe. The cap on Eyeko's Skinny Liquid Eyeliner, fell off in my makeup bag 3 nights in a row.  If there is anything left in there, it's no where to be found. Rimmel ScandalEyes Gel Eyeliner had a very dry texture that "skipped" in spots as I tried to apply it. I searched CVS for an old Almay standby, a waterproof gel pencil, but I think it's been retired to the beauty graveyard.

What's a Girl to do?

Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion Deep Dark Color
$6.79 Drugstores nationwide

Well, that is certainly a mouthful!  Like most Girls, I can easily be persuaded to try a well rated drug store "cheat".  I'm also a sucker for a good list.  As a blogger for TotalBeauty, I do consider myself a fan of the site and I'm grateful to all the women who take time to rate and review products.

When I received an email about The 20 Best Drugstore Buys, I set aside some time to read it properly, note pad in hand.

The very first item,  Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion Deep Dark Color caught my eye. My Kate Sommerville 360 Self Tanning Towelettes are an expensive addiction. Reviewers loved that it was quickly absorbed, didn't streak had no discernible "self tanning" odor scent and of course, a lovely price