Mmm, Ginger Lily

Hope your Thanksgiving was as awesome as mine was!  My hubby and I played host/hostess and played games with our family and cooked tons of yummy food.  A good time was had by all (I hope!).

Speaking of family, my sister was there, and like a merchant bringing goods from faraway lands to my lonely 'cave,' she gave me something she called a "Body Oil," by Urban Outfitters.  This particular scent was called Ginger Lily.  She said they were having a sale, so she couldn't resist the urge to pick up a couple of these babies.

I opened the box and unscrewed the cap, and OMG I cannot lie to you, this thing smelled sooo good!  I don't know what the smell is or what it consists of (probably Ginger and Lily), but as far as I'm concerned, this is a must-have.  It's small, so it will be easy to carry around in your purse, and you don't need to worry about it leaking and what not.  My sister carries one in her purse.  It also offers easy application anywhere, as it is a roll-on style fragrance.

I'm at home most of the days, so there is not much need to put together a purse or makeup bag, but gosh, even when I apply it while I am sitting around at home doing nothing, it is such a pleasant scent and it makes me feel happy.  I always suggested carrying around a sample perfume in your makeup bag while you're out, but seriously, look into switching to Urban Outfitter's Ginger Lily body oil.  It is so nice, I know you will love it. 

Below is a picture of the product.  I don't know the price, nor do I know where you can get this stuff online, I am sorry.  All I know is that it is available at the Urban Outfitters store.  Good luck!

Love,

Geneys  :o)

Winner of My Small Giveaway

Hey Guys and Gals, we have a winner for my Small Giveaway!  Thanks to everyone who participated and entered.  I really appreciate all of your following and commenting, it has meant a lot to me.  I love waking up in the morning, knowing that my post will be read and somehow help somebody out or make someone feel better.  It's one of my favorite feelings.

Anyway, I bet you are dying to know who made it to the top of the list!  Congratulations to: xxNikkiDooxx!  All of your names were entered at www.Random.org, and whoever made it to the number one spot of the randomized list was the winner, (picture shown below).  Again, thanks for participating, and as soon as I accumulate more extras, I will do another Giveaway.

PS - xxNikkiDooxx, please send me your address at Geneys@live.com to redeem your prize.  I will try to get it out to you ASAP.  Thanks!

PPS - Sorry, but I am going to be busy with Thanksgiving preparations this week.  Therefore, I will not be posting again until November 30th.  Until then, I will miss you!  Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  Here's wishing you a safe and love-filled holiday.

Love,

Geneys  :o)

TBA Monday Morning

Hey, today's post is very short.  LOL, usually my posts are forever long.  I just wanted to remind you that today is absolutely the last day to enter for my small giveaway.  You have until 11:59pm tonight to enter, and then I will announce the winner on Monday morning.  Please refer to my November 5 post for the rules and to check out the prizes.  Again, thanks for visiting and following my blog, and good luck to everyone!

Love,

Geneys  :o)

Korean Scrubby Pads

When I first encountered the American washcloth, I was shocked.  It was basically a tiny towel with which people scrubbed their bodies.  I tried using it, and I thought man, this is just not very effective.  The washcloth didn't feel like it was doing very much exfoliating at all, and even when my hubby tried to show me how it worked, I was not impressed.

Well then Geneys, you don't wash your body?  LOL, I do, silly!  The reason why I found the concept of the washcloth very shocking was because I had grown up with Korean scrubby pads.  What the heck are Korean scrubby pads, you ask?

Well, they're kind of like a glove that you put over your hand, and the coarse texture of this 'glove' makes it so that you can scrub off some serious dead skin.  It's just like a loofah, you use soap and everything, but try taking a bath, once with a washcloth or loofah, and once with a Korean scrubby pad.  This is kind of gross, but when you get out of the bath you will see that the Korean scrubby pad sloughs off a lot more dead skin. 

Also, after you have washed with the Korean scrubby pad, you will notice that your skin is a lot softer and feels a lot cleaner.  Of course, you may find at first that scrubbing with the Korean scrubby pad borders on a little painful, but over time you get used to it and soon it will be just a part of your shower routine.  If you want to know real pain, if you ever go into a Korean public bath for women, a large woman with big muscles will put on a rough Korean scrubby pad and REALLY scrub you all over.  I saw ROLLS of dead skin come off of my body, but the first time I experienced this I think I almost cried.  Later, I felt really refreshed and rejuvenated, but yeah, in the first moments it was very, very painful. 

But don't worry, the kind of Korean scrubby pad you can buy yourself is not going to give you this kind of unpleasant experience.  If you haven't already, I would give this Korean scrubby pad a try.  It may be a little painful at first, but when you step out of the shower you will glow like a new person, and your skin will feel much softer, that is a guarantee!

I don't know where you can buy the Korean scrubby pads online, but I know that most Korean stores carry this product.  The Korean scrubby pads are also very cheap.  As you can see below, I got four for $1.99.  If you have any questions let me know, and good luck!

Love,

Geneys  :o)

My New Makeup Bag!

My long and arduous quest for the perfect makeup bag has finally come to an end!  I got a Hello Kitty makeup bag from online!  It fits all of my makeup perfectly and comfortably, as its size is approximately 8" x 4" x 2".  It has two cute little zipper pulls that go most of the way around the bag for convenience, and inside, it has an adorable pink lining with a little pocket. 

Also, look at the design!  I just love the pink accents on top of the black, and who isn't crazy about Hello Kitty, right?  I'm just crazy about this new makeup bag!  It's shiny and pretty, a very attractive combination for me.

The down side to this makeup bag?  It is not available from MAC anymore, it is part of the Limited Edition Hello Kitty line that has been discontinued.  So yes, unfortunately, I paid an arm and a leg for this makeup bag, almost twice its retail value (oh my gosh, $63.00!).  But do I regret having made this purchase?  Not for a split second!  In fact, I was just relieved they even had it available online at www.Ebay.com.

This was a crazy investment, I'll admit, but gosh, I cannot stop looking at it and admiring it.  For the amount of happiness it brings me, I think it was a great purchase!  It is my favorite makeup bag ever!

PS - Just a reminder, my small giveaway ends in two days (Nov. 21st at 11:59pm)!  If you haven't already, please enter.  Check out my post entitled "A Small Giveaway" (November 5th's post) for the rules.  Good luck to everyone!

Love,

Geneys  :o)

Haiku Perfume Review

If you are in the market for a perfume with a really clean smell, I would highly recommend the Haiku perfume by Avon.  In my opinion, it makes you smell as if you had just gotten out of the shower.  Truly, its beauty is found within the simplicity of the formula, which is comprised of a mixture of only three scents: jasmine, citrus and lily. 

Another aspect to this perfume that I really enjoy is its packaging, which is very interesting.  The bottle looks like an Asian building, such as a pagoda.  I know we shouldn't judge things by their appearance, but gosh, this is what first attracted me to the product.  The look of it, along with the name Haiku made me want to buy it, and whenever I reach for it to put it on, I feel happy.

Lastly, I thought this perfume was a bargain.  I mean, come on, it's hard to find good perfumes at this kind of price!  I will admit it's not a big name brand, but I really don't mind because it smells so nice.  If you are interested in giving this perfume a shot, it is available at www.Avon.com, $22.50 for 1.7fl oz., and it is shown below.

With the economy in the shape that it's in, if your money is dwindling, I would go for this perfume!  You will be able to have a simple, clean, and beautiful smell without hurting your wallet too much.  I hope this helps.

PS - If you haven't already, please enter for my small giveaway which ends Nov. 21.  Check out my post entitled "A Small Giveaway" (November 5th's post) when you have a chance.  Good luck to everyone!

Love,

Geneys  :o)

Cremestick Liner vs. Lip Pencil

Thanks to those of you who were concerned about me, I am going to be better after I come back from the doctor, which will be at 3:00.  But for now, I've got to get a post out for today!  Listen, I tried out both the Cremestick Liner and Lip Pencil from MAC, and after having made a comparison I must share my findings with you!

I think there are pros and cons to each of these, so it's not necessarily the case that one is better than the other.  The Cremestick Liner is just as the name suggests: creamy.  It is full of moisture, so it glides on your lips very easily, and this cuts the application time in half.  If your lips have the tendency to get dry, this is the lip pencil for you!  And another pro to this product is that it is retractable, so there is less mess when you are applying while on the go.

The only con to the Cremestick Liner I can think of is that because it's so full of moisture and glides onto your lips very easily, it is not as long lasting.  My lip-licking habit makes me have to reapply, and this can be a hassle at times.  But if you don't mind having to reapply every once in a while, I think this Cremestick Liner can be a handy tool to have in your purse.

The regular Lip Pencil doesn't contain as much moisture, and in fact, it is very dry.  The application is a little more difficult because of this, I have to admit, but the Lip Pencil seems a lot more pigmented than the Cremestick Liner.  And the dryness can be a positive, because once you have applied it to your lips, it is more difficult to eat off.  For me, because of my bad habit, I would go with the Lip Pencil.  

I think it's really based on your personal preference.  If you are really curious, I would just give both a try and see which works best for you.  In fact, I have yet to try lining my lips with the Lip Pencil and then filling it in with the Cremestick Liner.  There are many different ways to use these things, and both have pros and cons, so really, I can't say one is better than the other.  Below is a picture of both: I have the Cremestick Liner in Creme O' Spice ($14.50) and the Lip Pencil in Mahogany ($13.00).

I hope this helps, and good luck!

Love,

Geneys  :o)

Drink Your Water

Last night I passed a kidney stone, a result of the fact that it is drier nowadays, plus I loathe drinking water: water is tasteless and therefore I never really liked it.  It was very painful.  In fact, I have been told that the pain level is comparable to giving birth.  I don't know if this is true, but for certain I was glad to have my extra Vicodin from all of the other times I passed kidney stones. 

The thing is, I should have seen this particular kidney stone coming: recently I had a really bad breakout on my face.  Pimples showed up where they had never dared go before.  On top of this, the skin on my elbows and heels was itchy because it was so dry and flaky.  It also didn't help that I was exercising everyday in this condition, sweating and losing even more water from my body.

Why am I telling you this sad story of how I became dehydrated and formed a calcium ball that blocked the passageway from my kidney?  Well, to show you what happens if you don't drink water, silly!  If you don't drink water, it won't just hurt your skin and change your appearance.  Not drinking water affects you negatively on the inside.  Seriously, bad things happen to people who don't drink water, like me. 

So let's learn a lesson from my mistakes: Drink your water!  And since it's drier nowadays, this means that you will have to drink more water than usual.  If you are careful about your water intake, you will be beautiful and well, both on the outside and on the inside.  Good luck, and try not to make my mistakes! 

Love,

Geneys  :o)

Ped Egg FTW!

Having been a California girl for the past 26 years of my life, I still wear my flip flops everyday--even if it's 50 degrees where I live now.  It's hard on my feet because it is dry here, and this makes it so that the skin on my heels become cracked.  I know I need to start wearing socks and tennis shoes, but gosh, old habits die hard.  I love wearing flip flops because they're so fast and easy, and they show off my toenails (which still look great after all the hard work I put into them, check out October 21st's post entitled "How to French Your Toenails"). 

So what did I do about this situation?  I went to my handy dandy Ped Egg, of course!  This nifty little gadget is so awesome, because it takes off the dead skin from your feet, and without any pain.  I know this sounds disgusting, but now I have no more cracked heels, no more dead skin.  If you don't have one of these Ped Eggs yourself, I don't know exactly how to describe it to you except to maybe call it a mini cheese grater.  If you look at the picture below, you can see tiny raised grooves on the metal plate, much like a cheese grater.

The fact that these raised grooves are tiny makes it so that the amount of skin taken off your feet is very minimal, and therefore there is no pain.  I think this is the best part about the Ped Egg.  Although, I would imagine that if you have a lot of dead skin on your feet, you will be working at this for a while.  This is also probably gross, but my hubby does the Ped Egg for me, and this is sooo nice.  It feels like I am at a spa and I am being pampered, LOL.

It is getting colder and drier nowadays with it being winter and all, so I would suggest you go ahead and get yourself one of these thingymabobbers if you haven't already done so.  I think it's like ten bucks at Bed, Bath and Beyond, and trust me, it is a good deal.  It feels nice, it makes your feet look better, and it feels painless.  What more could you ask for?  Oh, I forgot to mention maybe your feet might do better if right afterward you applied some lotion, just to give your feet more of a soothing feeling.

I hope you stay nice and moisturized during these cold winter months, and that you give the Ped Egg a chance to help your feet out.  Ped Egg For The Win!  Thanks for visiting my blog!

PS - If you haven't already, please enter for my small giveaway which ends Nov. 21.  Check out my post entitled "A Small Giveaway" (November 5th's post) when you have a chance.  Good luck to everyone!

Love,

Geneys  :o)

Save on Online Orders

It's time to do some Christmas shopping, and in my opinion, nothing beats shopping online.  All I have to do is sit here on my bed and browse all the products they have to offer, click, and a few days later, the stuff ends up at my door.  I love it!  And to help you guys and girls out while you do your Christmas shopping, I did a little research and I thought I would post a few coupon codes for some online stores.  Below are the coupon codes for a few makeup websites that have promos going on right now.

1.  Benefit - For those of you who are international, I thought this coupon code might be helpful.  Benefit's website (www.BenefitCosmetics.com) is currently doing free international shipping if you spend $115.00 or more.  The coupon code for this promotion is: WORLD115.

2.  MAC - If you chat live with a MAC MA, an option available at the MAC website (www.MacCosmetics.com), then at the end of your conversation they will usually give you a coupon code, at any time during the year.  I believe their most recent coupon code is LASH119, which will allow you free shipping on your purchase and a sample of their Zoom Lash mascara.

3.  Sephora - If you're looking for a deal, always be sure to check out this link before you complete your purchase with Sephora, at any time during the year.  They don't have any store-wide discounts right now, but they are still giving away samples and such.  Sephora's website is www.Sephora.com, and here is the link for their coupon codes: www.dealtaker.com/Sephora-coupon-code-a337-c.html.

4.  Too Faced - You can get 20% off your total purchase from their website (www.TooFaced.com) through December 2nd.  The coupon code for this awesome sale is: TFGLAM. 

5.  Urban Decay - You can get 30% off your total purchase from their website (www.UrbanDecay.com) through November 20th.  The coupon code for this awesome sale is: FNFW1.

I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet, so please let me know if there are any coupon codes that didn't work out.  And at any time you're shopping online for any reason, it's best to check if your websites have any coupon codes available.  You could save quite a bit of money just by googling: XYZ Store Promo/Coupon Codes.  I hope this helps you while you are doing your Christmas shopping!

Love,

Geneys  :o)