Aussie

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Good Ones

As always, I’ve been buying and trying a variety of new products in my never-ending quest to find the one: the one makeup that will perfectly match my skin tone while hydrating, keeping shine at bay and hiding every blemish; the one hair product that will turn my locks to frizzless, voluminous, shiny silk; the one lip gloss that will flatter my face, plump my pout and protect against the elements while remaining totally kissable. While I’m still searching for all of these wonder-products, I have discovered a few fabulous finds lately that I thought I’d share. Best yet, each of these costs less than $10 and can be picked up at your local drugstore. Treat yourself – you may just find your one.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle: This miracle worker has been around for ages but somehow I hadn’t tried it until a few weeks ago. One use and I’m hooked – this deep conditioning treatment really conditions hair, leaving strands detangled and super soft and my scalp flake-free. My hair was shiny and bouncy, never oily, and my hair retained its smooth, frizz-free appearance for days. Use this at least once a week to give your hair some TLC, especially while we are still dealing with cold outside temperatures and drying indoor heat.

Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Mascara: This is a quality mascara, plain and simple. It is supposed to create fuller lashes with regular use, and while the change isn’t drastic I do think I’m sporting a thicker fringe these days. This mascara stays put all day and doesn’t irritate my ultra-sensitive eyes. If you are looking for a good, inexpensive mascara, this one’s for you.

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes: You’ve probably seen the commercials touting Simple as Britain’s top skin care brand – I’ve seen them tons of times. Intrigued, I decided to give these cleansing wipes a try. They have quickly become a regular part of my skin care routine. I am frequently too lazy to properly wash my face at night, and these wipes remove all traces of makeup and grime without over-drying my skin. They are formulated for sensitive skin and are fragrance-free. I recommend stashing a pack of these in your gym bag and your bedside table, or any other place you’re likely to want to freshen up.

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Multi-taskers

It’s been far too long since I last posted. In my defense, a lot has happened in the past six weeks or so. Not only did I wrap up the holiday season with plenty of parties, but my boyfriend surprised me with a New Year’s Eve proposal. In January the thrill of being newly engaged was temporarily overshadowed by the onset of a mysterious lung infection. Said ailment caused me to miss a week of work, so the rest of the month was spent working long hours to catch up on important beginning-of-the-year projects, and my growing office task list was made longer by the loss of a co-worker (and good friend) who bravely decided to start a new adventure in a new city in the new year. Add to all of this the fact that I’ve been helping with wedding plans for my sister’s April nuptials while also trying to track down the perfect venue for my own wedding, and I clearly haven’t had a moment to spare. Which is why I’ve completely revamped my beauty routine and am now sticking to a pared-down collection of beauty multi-taskers that get me in the shower and out of the house in 30 minutes flat. If you, too, are finding yourself swamped and searching for a few more precious moments in your day, try one (or all) of these beauty MVPs:

Aussie Aussome Volume 2 in 1 Shampoo: I’ve blogged about this drugstore wonder before. In the past, I praised it for its ability to make my hair look cool-girl perfect the day after I washed with it. Now it has returned to my shower because, as far as 2 in 1 shampoos go, it’s the best at cleaning, conditioning and adding some oomph, all in one quick lather and rinse. It also has a fun essence-of-bubblegum scent that my fiance loves – he says it reminds him of when we first started dating (Aussome Volume has long been a staple on my shower shelf).

Nivea Touch of Cashmere Cream Oil Body Wash: I’ve searched high and low for a body wash that is truly moisturizing enough to nix the need for a post-shower layer of lotion; so far, this one comes the closest. The bottle boasts an orchid blossom scent, but I find the scent to be so mild it’s barely noticeable. The body wash does have a magnificent lather. It creates an abundance of silky smooth bubbles that softly caress the skin, leaving it smooth while keeping dry, itchy winter skin at bay. While I recommend using a body lotion on days when you have time, this body wash moisturizes enough so that you can skip it on days when you don’t.

Votre Vu Bebe Duette: This fun, fancy French hand cream is a beauty double whammy and is great in the morning, at work, or anytime you need a boost, day or night. The tube of rich cream smells fantastic and comes with a smooth raspberry lip balm in the cap. The cap also holds a mini mirror for on-the-go touch ups. You’ll want to keep one at home, in your purse and at work, so you can gloss your lips and smooth your cuticles while you’re running out the door, to a meeting, or before you collapse into bed. Just because we’re too busy to take a breath doesn’t mean we can’t look polished!

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Second-Day Hair

You know how some girls can just roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, and waltz down the street looking perfectly tousled and incredibly cool?

I think I might know their secret.

About a week ago my sister called to thank me for turning her on to the Aussie Aussome Volume haircare line, which has long been my favorite drugstore pick for bouncy, good-smelling hair. She told me she recently discovered they had a 2-in-1 shampoo, and that she L-O-V-E-D it. I’ve never been much of a 2-in-1 gal (I’m very careful to use shampoo on my roots and conditioner on my ends), but she raved about it so much I decided to give it a try. She said it made her hair look better than ever.

“Especially the second day,” she said.

Interesting. So over the weekend I picked up a bottle. I immediately liked the idea behind the product.

“Work this superstar of simplicity through damp hair. Rinse with warm water and go on with your day.”

Well that sounded easy. I used it in the shower and styled my hair as usual. I have to say, it did nothing all that remarkable. My hair was soft and smelled good, but I didn’t think I looked any better than I normally do. Feeling a little let down, I went about my day and forgot about it.

The next morning, having completely forgotten about my sister’s second-day hair comment, I shuffled sleepily into the bathroom and glanced in the mirror. 

WOAH!

My hair was a little messy, in that sexy bedhead kind of way. It didn’t look the least bit greasy, and was actually still bouncy. I didn’t even reach for a comb. I just strutted out of the bathroom, feeling extra sassy.

Mystery solved.