Chapstick True Shimmer

I have mentioned in the past that my name in high school was "lipstick queen" and it's something that makes me proud. It's kind of a family thing. My mom would never let me leave the house without wearing lipstick. She said it made me look "washed out." In my grandmother's final year with Alzheimer's disease, she still proudly wore her lipstick. I remember her on the flight back to Illinois for my grandfather's funeral. I will never forget that precious moment when she pulled a tube of lipstick out of her pocket and had me apply that bright pink color to her lips.

All these years later, a nice solution from Chapstick. Their new True Shimmer would be a great compromise for those who don't want to wear lipstick but still need moisture and a little sparkle. True Shimmer provides moisture, shimmer, and an illusion of color. I feel so bare without lipstick, but with True Shimmer, I can get a subtle amount of color and it feels great! It will work great to wear to the gym, breakfast, work, or just to cruise to the library and grab a few books. You never know who you will see, right?

True Shimmer is great for those who don't want to spend too much on lip balm/lip color too. At only $2.79 (on drugstore.com) it is very reasonably priced. It comes in four distinct colors with awesome scents. Flavors Available: Botanical Berry, Peppermint Rush, Tropical, and Blended Fruit Sherbet

With a name like Chapstick, how can you go wrong? I am sure Grandma Vani would approve.

Great Healthy Food Site

http://www.eatliverun.com/

I have been hooked on this website. It is written by Jenna Weber, this adorable girl living in Florida who bakes and tries to live a healthy lifestyle to the fullest. She writes about food, exercise, and her life.

I have tried her smoothies or "green monsters" and have been enjoying them. Everyone can use more fruits and veggies in their diet, right?

The smoothie or "green monster" that I have been making includes some or all of the following:

Smoothie ingredients: ice, water, skim milk or unsweetened almond milk, scoop of Amazing Meal (found at Sprouts or Sunflower Foods), strawberries, banana, blueberries, non-fat vanilla yogurt, and spinach/kale. I have thrown in flax seeds too but they are pretty crunchy for the most part. If you leave out the spinach/kale and just add berry flavored Amazing Meal, it tastes like an actual smoothie. The greens really give it that extra kick of healthiness and it is an acquired taste.

*Warning: Some sources have said that spinach is healthiest when lightly steamed and that the body cannot process it uncooked. This might cause stomach issues. In addition, drinking too many of the smoothies can really pack the calories into your day so don't overdo it (use less fruit and more veggies).

Supporters of Wheat Grass powder swear that it helps with wrinkles and skin tone. So far, no results but you never know! More on this subject to come............

Check it out!

www.amazinggrass.com

Softlips Contest Winners

Congratulations to the Winners:

Monique M.

Debbie Y

Hailey'sMama

Email me at moodymaria@live.com with your shipping address.

Happy Fourth of July

Enjoy your Fourth of July weekend everyone! I will be blogging again Monday with the winner of the Softlips giveaway.

Be sure to enter here: http://moodymaria.blogspot.com/2009/06/softlips-giveaway.html

How to do a Flirty Hairstyle

Your Ultimate Flirty Hair How-To Guide

Get expert tips and tricks, plus the perfect products, for seriously sexy hair

Raise your hand if you want gorgeous, sexy hair! It's easy to achieve with these tips. No matter what your hair length or type, get ready for some seriously stunning hair. See tips

Scrub a Dub Dub

Top 21 Body Washes

See which shower gel was tops

All body washes will get you clean, but TotalBeauty.com readers expect much more when they step into the shower. They want a product that leaves skin clean, soft and smelling great, and will even put them in a better mood. Sound impossible? It's not. In fact they found 21 washes that do just that. Check them out. See washes

Need a Summer Hairdo?

Best Casual Updos for Summer

Flip flops, sundresses, self-tanner and these celebrity-inspired hairstyles -- gotta love the warm season

Summer is the perfect time to rock a sexy casual updo. It feels great to get hair up off the neck, and a casual updo says "confident" more than any other. Here are several celebrity-inspired looks to try. See hairstyles

L'Oreal HIP Color Presso Lip Gloss Review

L'Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Color Presso Lip Gloss

What a genius idea? L'Oreal has this awesome lip gloss that let's you decide what color you want! It is basically equivalent to a frozen yogurt machine. It allows you to have light, dark or mix.

When I first tried it, I thought there was no way this little tube would work or that it would be messy. It wasn't messy at all. To use on side or the other, you squeeze it very gently and to mix them just squeeze both at once. A little goes a long way!

The color that I used was #182 - Trendy. The color is perfect for me because I can use the lighter shade with my dark lipstick. If I want to use gloss alone, I can use the darker color. They have many shades available though!

L'Oreal always comes up with the most revolutionary ideas and I think this one is a hit! Who wants to carry more than one lip gloss to obtain the perfect shade? This product is the solution for simplifying your beauty products in your purse.

Softlips Review and Giveaway

CONTEST BELOW:

In the summer, I am constantly looking for an effective and protective lip balm to fulfill my needs. I want something that moisturizes and also protect my lips from the sun. I recently tried Softlips on a week long trip to Disneyland and San Diego.

I brought along one of their newest organic lip balms in Pure Honeydew. I mainly used this lip balm in the evenings before bed. The scent was pleasing but not overpowering. The balm contains shea butter, organic oils, and Vitamin E so it was the perfect moisturizer.

During the daytime, I wanted to use something with an SPF so I tried their Strawberry lip balm with SPF 20. Not only was the scent just what I needed to avoid sweet temptations, but the SPF held up to the harsh California sun. I also used this on my two boys and they loved the scent.

We were outside for over 8 hours a day so I did need to reapply after meals. One great thing about Softlips is that the tube is small and convenient for traveling and great for moms with limited room in their purse.

My husband tried the Vanilla Softlips. Let me first explain, he is a lip balm junkie. He has tried them all and is very picky! He loved Softlips, although he probably wouldn't brag to his guy friends. He liked the quality, the scent, and the SPF held up to his high standards. His only request is that the company could make a wider tube of the same product for men. Overall, he was won over and will be using it again. Softlips comes in a multitude of flavors too. I saw the stock at Target this weekend and they carry all the flavors. There is even a limited edition flavor in Sugar Cookie and Cherry that I will be buying soon. Overall, my family found a new lip balm for the summer and all year long!

Would you like to win a tube of Softlips?? Leave a comment about what lip balm you use or if you use one. Make sure to use your name or a fun user name so I can enter you in the drawing. The contest will end on July 5, 2009 at 11:59MST.

I will pick two random winners - multiple comments will not increase your chances of winning. US Residents only please.

For more information on Softlips, visit their website at : http://www.softlips.com/

John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo and Conditioner Review

For busy moms, sometimes a little luxury in the shower can wash away the stress. After reading great reviews about John Frieda's Root Awakening line, I decided to give it a try. I got mine with the great coupon in last Sunday's paper.

First off, the container is awesome. They are easy to handle and use in the shower. Secondly, The scent is great! It contains natural Eucalyptus to hydrate your scalp and nourish your roots. Each breath was invigorating and made me very relaxed!

As for the results, my hair seemed to turn out great. I am now curious how their Health Boosting Detangling Spray works. I am sure that will be next on my list to review!

L'Oreal HIP Kohl Eyeliner Review

L'Oreal's HIP line is definitely for those who want High Intensity Pigment. I tried this eyeliner in black and gold.

The eyeliner is actually a powder and is applied with a very fine spongy applicator. I think practice makes perfect with this applicator. First gather some powder, tap to remove excess and then slowly apply the powder. Don't be fooled- it is not eyeshadow and will stay in place! I used too much the first time and had to remove a bit and smudge it to look less dramatic. For a night outing, this product is perfect!

The gold color was a tad too intense for me for the daytime. I would definitely use it for evening and with turquoise shadow. It is really rich in color and vibrant!

I loved using the product but I do think practice makes perfect and it is not a good product for moms that quick to run out the door!

My Summer Makeup Solution

I recently switched to a light shade of liquid foundation. I won't mention the brand (yet). I want to give it a fair try in a different shade. It was too light and I looked like a pale ghost in my recent vacation photos.

Here is my solution for the darker shades of summer. I bought two of my favorite drugstore brand foundation compacts. It is called Revlon New Complexion One Step Makeup. It goes on smoothly and you can control how much you use. It also contains a SPF 15 but I also use an SPF in my moisturizer.

It typically lasts me a month and now it should last me all the way through mid-August. In August, we experience the monsoon season, so I won't be out in the sun much anyway.

$11.49 at drugstore.com

I labeled them with a Sharpie so I can distinguish them better at 4:30 am!

Beautiful with Brains is One!

Beautiful with Brains is celebrating one year as a beauty blog by having a giveaway. Click here to enter: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2009/06/09/first-blog-anniversary-and-giveaway/

Best Hair Removing Products

Our Readers' Least Favorite Hair Removal Products

Saving up for laser hair removal would be better than wasting cash on these shaving and waxing products

Unless you're lucky enough to have gotten laser hair removal, you're stuck in a never-ending cycle of shaving and/or waxing. Even with good hair removal products the task is no fun, but when our readers used these products, it was terrible. See which products left them hairy and annoyed. See products

No. 10: Schick Intuition, $10.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.5*

"Good idea, but you waste 3/4 of the product. The only part of the soap bar that gets used is the part right under the blades. The sides and top are wasted..."

No. 9: Gillette Venus Vibrance, $9.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.3*

"The battery does absolutely nothing to enhance this razor," one reader says. "I was looking for a closer and softer shave [and this] did neither..."

No. 8: no!no!, $250

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.6*

"I devoted so much time to using this for about 10 weeks, and the only difference it made is that it actually made MORE hair appear..."

Want to see what's the worst? Click here!

Updates to Come

Summer has been busier than I thought it would be! Updates to come and reviews too. Please be patient as Moody Maria is trying to unwind.