Hard Earned Appreciation

There are some things in life that you can never fully appreciate until you get a chance to experience life without them.

Living rent free in your parent’s house.

A job that may not necessarily be be your dream gig but it gets the bills paid and you don't fantasize about committing felonies against your coworkers.

The ability to eat a tray of macaroni and cheese, half of an apple pie and jug of red juice (brands don’t matter as long as it’s red) and not have to pray that you can still slip into your jeans and not a diabetic coma.

I just developed a deep appreciation for a good eye cream. My eyes were never a problem area so for years I was using whatever crossed my path. It is said that using an eye cream will delay visible signs of aging. Let’s be real… Most eye creams don’t come cheap. An ounce of prevention may indeed be worth a pound of cure but to me it was worth a few new eye shadows at the very least.

That all changed when I got the chance to try Wei East’s Golden Root All-In-One Eye Serum

I am an impatient lady. I need to see results pretty quickly into the game or else the product will ride the bench. The first time I used Golden Root eye serum I noticed that the foundation around my eyes looked smoother and more creamy. This alone enough for me to keep it in play. I didn’t fully appreciate until I foolishly took another eye cream when I went on vacation because it was in a much smaller package. I missed my beloved Golden Root AIO Eye Serum immediately. My foundation looked creepy and kind of just sat on top of the skin instead of blending in. The skin around my eyes became dryer and tight after a few days. Ugh.

My peepers where so happy to get home! I could almost feel them saying “Ahhhhhh” when I used Golden Root Eye Serum for the first time in weeks. The skin around my eyes became brighter and more supple within 3 days.

The packaging is divine even though I thinks it’s a little large to hold such small amount of product. I have been using it twice a day for 3 months (minus to 2 weeks that I was on vacay) and I should be able to get another 2 months out of it. The serum retails for 37.50 for 0.52 ounces. Yeah… A little on the pricey side. But don’t panic! Good ole’ Home Shopping Network has some fantastic great deals on the Golden Root Renewal line. I will definitely be going the HSN route when it’s time to re-up… Gotta grab a deal where ever you can. Times is hard! Lol!

B.B.

Moving Epiphanies

Just a little over two weeks until the big Florida move. My apartment is on it's ear. Boxes fill the rooms. The trashcan runneth over.

It's amazing how much the "Ooh. I can't wait to try it!" product quickly becomes the "That ain't gonna do nothin' but take up space and add wieght." product. Can someone please tell me why I have 3 different mayonnaise conditioners? Better yet... can some one tell me why I have the 3 different mayonnaise conditioners and still look like I got swung around by my feet 'round 'bout the head area? WTH? Where did all of this crap come from? Why do they even let me in CVS and Walgreen's still? Gah!

If something stank 6 months ago... It will probably stink now. There are about 4 bottles of perfume that were given to trashcan gods. Why was I holding on to it? I can't for the life of me tell you why.

If you have to keep the empty bottle to remember to repurchase something, then it probably didn't leave the lasting of an impression. Case in point... As soon as I use up the shower gels that are in current rotation I am going to buy Yes To Carrots Carrot Rich Shower Gel. The empty bottle hit the trash ages ago. I have been walking around with an empty Lush shower gel bottle in the bottom of my ding dang purse since Methuselah was a tadpole. The empty bottle has made from purse to purse when I change them. How many times have I been to the mall with this empty bottle? Eleventy billion. How many times have I actually remembered that the stinking bottle was in my bag *while* in said mall? ZERO! So guess which shower gel will not be bought with my funds in the future.

I have learned that I am fiercely loyal to some products. The idea of having to find replacements is not appealing to me. Since I will be moving to a part of the country that I am not familiar with, I worried that I may not find some items that have become staples. So I have created a folder with bookmarks to all of the web sites that sell the items that I love. Or I have just bought an embarrassing amount of the products. This explains why I am now the proud owner of 5 bottles of NK Satin Silver np. I wasn't able to find the brand here in Connecticut so I planned on picking one up when I visited Philly. Then I realized that I may not be able to buy it in Florida either and since Florida to Philly is waaaaay longer drive than CT to Philly I picked up enough to last me through a nuclear winter. Problems... I haz em.

If you pack boxes in a pair of moisturizing gloves, be prepared to get strange looks. Mr. Brown looked at me like I grew a 2nd head when he saw me wearing my mani gloves. I told him that moving was hard work and I wanted to protect my nails. Yeah... he gave me that same look. Lol.

Overall... The packing process has been going smoothly. I ended up getting rid of a lot more makeup then I expected to. I still have a metric ton but I can gift someone with a nice starter stash with what I purged. I haven't bought any new makeup or skin care products. I have used up a few. I am proud of myself! I had empty containers for the first time in ages! I found some long forgotten head bands so that was a definite plus! It was like Christmas in March.

B.B.

*Walks in and opens the blinds to get some light up in here*

Daaaaang! It's dustier than mug up in here! Where ya'll been?

Oh... That's a question that I need to answer huh? Lol.

Things have been a little hectic on my end. Apparently homes don't move themselves and have the nerve to require packing and what not?!?! *Gives the boxes in the corner the side eye and sucks teeth*

I am trying to get back to a regular posting schedule but it may be a little while before I can make any promises. But luvs ya'll though! Ya'll mah peoples!

But seriously... I do have a gang of reviews and a bunch of NOTDs to post. Besides... You all know that I am never at a loss for words so I have quite a few opinions on some things that are happening in the beauty world.

Here are a few of recent NOTD that I just had to share:

OPI's Green-Wich Village is one of my all time favorite greens. I can shoo away the winters doldrums in no time.

I used OPI Call My Cell-ery to give it a little sparkle. CMC is a light green micro glitter from the Brights collection. I know that a lot of folks where disappointed when the glitters turned out to hellaciously sheer but glitters hold a special place in my heart. I just use them for layering.





This is Color Club Magic Attraction from the Glitter Vixen Collection


It is holographic silver glitter bomb! It's LOADED with multisized glitter. I'm not talking glitterery like a hefty glitter topcoat... I'm talking pull out your shades and don't drive a car glitter. Pimpalicious, Antonio Fargas as "Huggy Bear" glitter.

Do you see the colors coming out of this polish?

Opaque in 2 coats and wears like iron.

Just ig'nant I tells ya!

See ya soon!
B.B.

It's Official... We Are In a Recession!

How do I know this you ask?

Because MAC is having a sale! That's right! A sale at MAC!

I know that I wasn't the only one flat out flabbergasted when I saw the email. I had to get up and look out the window t see if pigs were flying. I would have checked to see if Hell froze over but if it's in Connecticut it's been frozen for a hot second now.

MAC has a Friends & Family Sale every year but it's usually towards the end of the year. Didn't they just have one around September? I dunno... I can't keep up. They also put the holiday collection on sale recently. Though this was less of a sale than it was prices returning to the 2oo7 price range. I'm not complaining though... I'll take what I can get.

Times are really hard. Next thing you know MAC will offer GWP.

Mmm.... Maybe not.

So are you getting anything? Going to stock up on some staples? Let me know.

B.B.

New Year, New Blessing, New Challenges

Happy New Year everyone! Doesn't the arrival of a new year always feel like a chance to start fresh and new? A way to start with a clean slate? Let's just shake off the heeby jeebies of last year and kick start the new year five pounds lighter shall we?

A few phone calls and unforeseen blessings has given my family a chance to relocate to Florida. *looks out of window at the fresh snow that blankets my yard... Suck it Connecticut!* Three moves in as many years have taught Mr. Brown and I a thing or two about moving. You'd be surprised a how many things fall into the "I don't really need that after all" category when space in the moving truck becomes scarce or you just simply don't want to be bothered with taking down or up a flight of stairs.

Since we have a few months before the actual move takes place, I figured this would be a great time to get into that "use it or lose it" mind frame. It's time to use up the fifty-leven bottles of half used shower gel and conditioner that takes up valuable moving truck real estate. I won't open or purchase any new skincare products. I won't purchase any new cosmetics. My entire makeup and nail polish stash must fit in my Helmers. All of my random beauty items (brushes, sponges, etc), perfumes, skincare and haircare products must fit in one modest sized plastic tote. I will adopt the "If you haven't used it in a year then toss it" mentality with somethings like lotions. That rule in general has always been hard for me. I always end up looking for it two month later. I will toss all of my mascara before the move. By that time it will all be at least three months old so theoretically I should be tossing it anyway. When I finish something or get rid of an item, I will post pics to track my progress. Wish me luck!

Any tips on moving and purging? How did your last move go?

B.B.

Hey bellas! I hope every one's holiday was super. Did you make through them relatively unscathed? The holidays can be crazy stressful. I make it through them buy humming and surrounding myself with polish fumes! Lol.

Here are few of my recent NOTDs.

This is China Glaze VIII. It's a wonderful dark eggplant creme. Very chic. The lilac glitter is Pure Ice Busted. Don't sleep on Pure Ice ladies! There are quite a few winners in their selection. For a $1.97 @ Walmart they are a wonderful little pick me up. I am wearing China Glaze Spontaneous on my ring finger. The design is from Konad plate M37 using ChG VIII. The colors in the first pic are truer. It's kind of tricky capturing purples in photos.




This is OPI Designer Series Original. Sick, right? This is one of favorite polishes. It's one of the few that I have worn several times. Even Mr. Brown notices when I wear this... Now that's impressive. The entire DS line is holographic. Some more than others. The more recent additions don't give the complete holo rainbow effect. They just have a ton of holo shimmer added. They are still divine.

The polish that I am holding the above pic is Finger Paints Shiny Red Apple. It's an awesome red creme. FPs apply like a dream! Full review on the FP line to come!

This is a dark grey chrome franken that I made a little while back. I just added some black polish (Wet N Wild Black Creme 424 is one of the best black cremes in the world! Opaque in one coat and .99 cents!) to a silver chrome polish that I had laying around. I was surprised by how much black I ended up adding. Chrome polishes are heavily pigmented and don't readily take on other colors. There is actually more black than chrome in this one. The the gold shade is Orly Glam. A nice warm orangey gold. Orly doesn't get enough love if you ask me. I love the rubber handles! I wish they would get more exciting colors though. I have to admit... China Glaze has the market locked when it comes to shade selection. Every collection has at least one "I need that in my life" color.


B.B.

Oh by the way... The winner of Say Yes to Carrots giveaway was Julisa from Trenton NJ. She said that Yes Man is funny and everyone should check it out. I wasn't able to post on Friday because my laptop power cord broke. No juice, no post. I can email from my cell but mobile blogging is for them high fallootin bloggers and I'm just not there yet! lol!

My $30 Alternative to the Clarisonic

Mr. Brown has pretty much put the kibosh on my plans to get a Clarisonic facial brush. When I called him in to watch the HSN presentation he said "We have a Sonicare toothbrush in the bathroom right now. I can go and grab you some extra brush heads and you can have a ball."

Then he laughed.

Hard.

And went into the kitchen.

Boo.

With my hopes dashed and my spirit broken (yes, I am that dramatic), I picked up the i-Skin Pore Perfecting System from Sally Beauty Supply to fill the void in my Clarisonic-less world. I have to say... I am impressed!



After just one use my pores look smaller and my skin is as smooth as Baby Brown's bottom! I didn't use the Foaming Deep Pore Cleanser that came in the kit though. I used Wei East China Herbal Foaming Cleanser* because it's really gentle. I didn't want to take a chance and dry my skin out. I will try the cleanser at nght when I can add plenty of moisturizer and not worry about looking like a greased pig by the afternoon.

I am psyched at the results after just one use! I think I smell an HG brewing ladies! -

The i-Skin Pore Perfecting System is $29.99. A 2 oz. Foaming Deep Pore Cleanser is included. The tool has 2 speeds and requires 2 AA batteries (not included).

Has anyone tried this yet? Love it? Hate it? Were you lucky enough to get a Clarisonic so you are pointing and laughing at me? :-)

B.B.

*Keep your eyes peeled for my full review of Wei East products.

Yes to Carrots Wants Send You to the Movies!

I love Yes to Carrots' C Me Smile Lip Butter!

It became an instant HG because it kept my lips from peeling when I used lipstick. I knew it was a winner when Mr. Brown inquired "Where's that carrot stuff? This other stuff is crap."

There ya go people. That other stuff is crap. Lol! I was excited to find Frosty Loves C lip butter set at my local Walgreens for $9.99. It is a the perfect stocking stuffer with mint, berry and carrot scented butters packed in a cute, holiday box.



To celebrate the holidays, Yes To Carrots wants to send one of you to see the new movie Yes Man starring the wickedly funny Jim Carrey! All you have to do is subscribe to Betty Brown's B&B to enter win 2 free tickets. If you are already a subscriber, then sit back and cross your fingers, you are already entered! The winner will be randomly picked and announced this Thursday. Yep, Christmas! So be sure to subscribe. Good luck!

B.B.

Another Letter to Ms. Sally Hansen,

You're going to stop playing with my emotions Sally. First this. Now your latest breakdown in communication. Just when I think I can actually start to love you for something other than your Megashine, Insta-Dri and Quencher you fall back right into your foul ways.

Can you even imagine my delight when I stumble upon a gleaming, virginal display of your new Insta-Dries? Only a desperate seasoned lover of lacquer would have noticed it perched high above their head on top of the pantyhose aisle in Walgreens. Do you know how friggin retarderated amusing I must have looked jumping up and down snatching at bottles of polish? Anyway... I gleefully skipped to the register with my pretties. I was so elated to finally get my hands on one of your new collections. I tucked my wee babes (and they are wee... WTH is up with that?) into my purse and rode my new polish high all the way home. As I prepared for my mani, the excitement built. I couldn't wait to bless my tips with your Uptown Plum. I removed cuticles, applied my Nailtek and opened the Uptown Plum. And I only had one question...



WHAT. THE. HOT. STINKY. MESS. SALLY?

Can you please tell me what am I supposed to do with that mamma creepin brush? It's the size of a flippin boat oar! And it's stiff... And not in a good way! What do you think I'm polishing, elephant's backsides? I felt like a 5 thumbed monkey trying to polish my nails. I searched hi and lo for this? It's like waiting for a "commitment" before you have sexy time just to find out he can't sexy time his way outta a wet paper bag with a map and a knife! OOOH!

Watch your back Sally. If I see you in the streets we're gonna tussle.

Oh... And between you and I... the colors aren't even that original. Pretty... just done before. And with a better brush might I add. But I was fine with the lack of originality... I just needed to have something from one of your recent collections. I'm an addict. Don't judge me.

Oh... And I'm taking these sons of stinky messes back (well... maybe I'll keep one. I already told you not to judge me). I want my money back Sally.

Looking for a reason to love you again,
B.B.

Free Misa Nail Polish!

Holy sheep!

I don't know if you all know this yet but Scrangie is the woman! And to celebrate her awesomeness Misa is giving her readers a FREE bottle of polish! Any color! All you have to do is pay $3 for shipping and it's yours!

But who can choose only one color right? Well you can order up to 11 bottles for $1.50 each for additional shipping. Shucks.... How about just make it a smooth dozen for $23.50! GAH!

Go ahead... Run on over to Misa and check out their shades. I'll wait....

Sick, right!?!?!

Check out Scrangie's post for all the contact info. Tell her Betty sent you!

B.B.