Gone!

Hey dudes & dudettes, I'm off to visit my nation's capital! And also a chocolate factory. Good times! I won't be posting until next week, so have yourselves a great long weekend!!

Sloppy chocolate-covered kisses,
~Glitterati

Product Review: Labello Orange

Geeze, am I ever tired. This latte (Starbucks, 120-degree*, natch.) cannot kick in fast enough.

Speaking of addictions: Lipbalm. (You will see that this is listed as one of my interests, over in my Blogger Profile that I have finally updated, upon recommendation of the always-informative Beauty Brains, WHO, by the way, was recently mentioned in Science magazine, a feat that I can only dream of one day achieving! Go Brains!! Also, please excuse the randomness of the Profile. Yes, I know how the comma-thing works, I was just feeling theatrical last night.)

Um, so anyway: Lipbalm. It's Little Sis' birthday, the big 1-2, and although I am sending a gift of money as requested, I feel that I should include a little something else for her. For the record, I'd rather send a proper gift, but she asked for dough, and I almost remember what it was like to be 12, so... yeah. Since my mother (whom I love dearly) isn't really the "Let's sit down and talk about girl-stuff" type, I will do my best to be Girl-Stuff-Mentor, extraordinaire! (or, perhaps: esquire!) for Lil' Sis, even from a-far. This duty involves educating her on topics such as hair-styling, things to say to rude boys, how to monitor the phone line for my brother's espionatic efforts, and of course, make-up.

Lil Sis is not the particularly girly or trendy type, which is good, because I'm not sure that my parents would approve of glitter eye-shadow and fuschia lipstick. Still, a girl's gotta have something for those days when she wants to bump into her crush accidentally-on-purpose by his locker. (Gasp! She's entering Jr. High this year! My baby sister is entering Jr. High! Someone get me a tissue!) And so, I picked up this for her:


Softlips Tints in Sweet Rose. Looks like lipbalm so Mom won't get suspicious, but with some tint-y goodness so it's almost like makeup. Oh, and SPF 15, because SPF is awesome.

But, um, seeing as to how I haven't used this, and this is for her, I'm not even sure why I'm talking about it now. Maybe she will give me some feedback on it. Oooh, it could be a joint-sisterly-review effort. Right.

ANYway. While I was getting the Softlips stuff, I also saw a bunch of Labello lipbalms! I loved Labello when I was a kid... it seemed to be a staple in my super cool aunts' purses. When we moved to Canada, I didn't see it around, but I also didn't care as I was like, 8. Well, reading Chaptastic's most excellent review of the stuff made me all nostalgic for it, and it's now availabe widely in Canada, and so of course, I HAD to pick up a tube. (Chaptastic, by the way, is a fantastic read for a lipbalm fanatic like myself.)




I won't say too much about it here, as the good folks at Chaptastic have done a very thorough job of reviewing it. But I will add that the Orange flavour that I got smells just like Orange Tic-Tacs and has just a teeny tiny hint of sweetness, and so I am in happy Orangey-yumminess heaven. (I have also tried the Rose version, and that leaves you with a nice subtle flush on the lips.)

Also, this would be a good lipbalm for men, as it is not shiny, and the tube looks simple and sporty, not girly. Alternatively, gay men might like this particular flavour, because it says "For fruity, soft lips", which made me giggle**. Or is it just me that is an immature dumbass? Yeah, I thought so.

So yeah: Labello -- effective, yummy, cheap (under $2 CAD). Feeding the never-sated addiction? Priceless.


Wait, one more: my office is frickin' fuh-reeee-zing. In August. WTF?




* Don't judge me y'all, I swear that's the only demand I make. None of this "triple-foam half-caff soy" business.
** Um, just to make it clear, that was not meant to be derogatory in any way. My much-admired boss and some of my good friends are gay. I just thought it was funny is all. (See what happens when the latte doesn't work?)

Back to Basics -- Product Review: Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, Plus Bonus CD talk!

Hello internet. My name is the Glitterati, and I... I'm a cheater. I had remained faithful for months, and things were going really well -- better than ever, actually. But then summer came. Summer, with its promises of adventure, travel, and novelty. Sunny destinations called my name; beckoned me to fling and frolic and leave my old ways behind. And... well, I caved. I cheated. And now, I am full of remorse.


I am, of course, talking about my facial cleanser. That's right: cleanser. Dermalogica's Special Cleansing Gel, to be precise.




I started using the Special Cleansing Gel back in May, after being introduced to it during a facial*. This stuff kicks butt -- a tiny amount lathers up into a nice foam, and it removes all traces of makeup -- even my LashExact mascara -- easily. (For waterproof eyemakeup, you may want to follow up with an eyemakeup remover.)

It's gentle enough that I can use it around my eyes without irritation, and it has never made my skin feel too tight or dry or stingy. The mild herbal (lavendar and something else) scent is soothing, and although I've never really been one to buy into the skincare-as-aromatherapy concept, I must admit that it is very pleasant. This cleanser washes off easily, but if I want an extra-deep cleaning, I lather, rinse, and repeat, and end up with lovely fresh feeling skin.

Formulated for normal-to-oily skin, the best part about this cleanser is that it somehow got rid of my breakouts! Not that I was very prone to them before, but if I fell asleep with makeup on, blemishes would often pop up in the T-zone or the cheek are. While I was using the Special Cleansing Gel, I'd have to seriously abuse my skin before I'd see any flare-ups.

While I was on vacation though, I didn't want to carry this liquid cleanser around with me, and so I reverted back to my Oil of Olay Daily Facial cleansing cloths. Maybe it was the switch, or maybe it was the Floridian heat and mugginess combined with all the vacation-food and *cough*partying*cough* that I indulged in, but my skin kind of freaked out. Once I got back home, I ran for the Dermalogica bottle and vowed that I would never stray from it again. My skin is calming back down now, but it's still not quite as good as it was pre-vacation. That's ok. I understand that these things take time. We need to rebuild our relationship, after all, and regain all the good that I so foolishly squandered.

The only bad thing about this cleanser is the price. I managed to snag my 500mL bottle off eBay for about $40 CAD, but the going rate is probably like $50-$60 in spas. (They also offer a smaller 250mL tube -- better for travel, but it won't have the handy pump) Fortunately, a little does go a long way -- I only need a bit less than a dime-sized squirt to cleanse my whole face. I started using this mid-May, and I'm only about a third of my way through the bottle, which means that the 500mL should last me over 9 months. For all that it does, I'd say that it's a worthy purchase.

Oooh, also, Product Girl recently had nice things to say about the Murad line, which is owned by the same parent company as Dermalogica. So that's some kind of independent corroboration for ya!


Bonus Review! Because I know you care! :D

So, as some (okay, like 2) of you may know, I am a fan not only of Benji Schwimmer, but also of Christina Aguilera. I know... I know, she has made some questionable choices in the past, but I don't care about any of that: girl can SING. And she's pretty much a straight-shooter, which I can admire.



Pic courtesy of Amazon.com.

Back to Basics is Christina's first album in 4 years. I loved her last album (Stripped) to bits and pieces, despite others accusing it of being heavy on the vocal gymnastics. This accusation was not without merit, but I was so often in awe of that voice that I didn't mind.

On the new album, it seems that Christina's toned it down a bit. The pipes are still there in all their glory, but I sense a bit more restraint and refinement. The tracks all have an old-school jazz/cabaret feel to it, which I of course enjoy immensely. There is brass action, people! BRASS ACTION!! And I swear I even heard a French Horn on one track. Yipiee! I've seen it described as being an "ambitious" album, and I totally agree -- you wouldn't find many of her contemporaries straying from the standard pop-formula for even one song, never mind an entire 2-disc album.

Christina was the executive producer on this album, and penned many of the tracks herself. This high-level of involvement results in an album that feels very intimate... you're seeing a slice of the songstress' life through the music. A lot of the tunes seem to be aimed at her new husband, so... all together now: awwwwww...!

So yes, I lurrrrve Back to Basics. Don't be stupid like me though, and not realize that there is actual MUSIC on the 2nd disc, and not just filler DVD stuff as I'd assumed. I was sorely disappointed in my purchase until I realized there was a whole 2nd disc to discover and love. (The 2nd disc, IMHO, is the far superior one, the first single "Ain't No Other Man" notwithstanding.)

Oh, and of course she looks totally gorge there on the cover. Rah-rah, Xtina! The Glitterati <3 you!!


And now, back to cleaning my room like a madwoman. Hope your week has been off to a good start!


*Oh, I'm not that fancy... it was my first -- and so far, only -- facial ever, and it was performed by an esthetics student, so it was cheap. Bonus!

"New Feats of Amazing Agility Demonstrated!"

... as the Glitterati manages to kick herself in both the head AND the ass, ALL AT ONCE!!

So, due to some sort of crazy drauma (it's like drama + trauma, get it? Yay me!) that occurred over the weekend, I forgot to stalk TicketMaster like a crazy drooling person so that I could buy tickets for the Toronto SYTYCD show the very instant their little clock flicked from 09:59:999 to 10:00:00 on Saturday morning.

And now it's all sold out and tickets from other sources are selling for like eleventy-bajillion dollars, and I am sad and foolish. Sad and foolish!!!

Maybe I'll make nice to some scalpers the day of the show. Or maybe they'll add an extra date. Or move to a bigger venue. Or maybe I'll just keep watching Vixen's videos of darling Benji and simper into my soggy tissue.

Oh, also, sorry for not posting. This week looks way more promising in terms of having time to do so. Hope you're all just fine and dandy out frolicking in the blogosphere!

Love,
~G

The Greatest Day of My Life

OH HELLS YES!!!!!!!! The day we all knew would come! Benji: KING OF THE MU'F'ING WORLD!!!!!!!

Ohmigad, I'm at the boy's right now, so I can't post for real. I'll come back later for a proper rave session, but rest assured that I frightened small dogs with my screaming when they announced Benji's name.

THERE IS A GOD!!!

p-p-p-POST!

Hi gang! I feel so bad that I didn't get a chance to post more this week... I was going to talk about the SexyBack number from last week, because I loved it so. It's a bit late now, but I just thought it was so tight, and so much fun. Travis & Donyelle especially stood out for me, but all 4 were just fantastic. We can only hope tonight's show will feature an equally-awesome beginning number!

Which, brings us to tonight! EEEEEE!!!!! I wonder what they will do to fill 2 whole hours? (I didn't see last season's show, so I don't know how the format goes.) Will we get to see super-duper-secret-previously-unreleased rehearsal footage? I hope so. It'd be really great if all the contestants came on for one last kumbaya group dance, sort of like how they do on Idol. Maybe we'll see a cat fight between Dimitry and Joy! Rawr!

As circumstances dictate, I will be watching the show in the presence of A Boy tonight. I really should warn him about the inevitable squealing and thrashing. The good people living at York Residences: I appologize. Poor folks won't know what's hit them. (BENJI SCHWIMMER, BITCHES! THAT'S WHAT HIT YOU!!!! MWAH!!!)

"Prince of Swing"? How about... King of Hearts! Go Benji Go Benji Go!

Which JERKSTORE* invented time zones?!?!

I am an unhappy bunny. Tonight... the night of part one of the sure-to-be-magnificent season finale... is the night when I get in too late (thanks the the Alberta/Ontario time difference) to watch the show.

Boooo!!! That's not cool. But at least it's not the FINALE finale. And I may yet take up CW's offer of taping it for me and sending it over!

Yikes, time to go, enjoy the show!

Not just a pair of pretty pecs!

Look, I know this is staler than that naked dancing baby thing (coincidentally set to the same song), but I just NEED to put this on my blog, near to my heart. It's a bit of blue-screen mastery is what it is. It's worth watching to the end if only to see the bit with the fish.




Don't Hassle the Hoff, yo.

Somewhat inebriated ramblings

Hi hi! Okay, so I missed tonight's results show, as I was out par-tay-ing with the girls, but I did catch the show in all its glorious entirety last night. (Cowgirl Warrior was a splendiferous hostess, as always!) Loved loved LOVED Heidi and Travis... I was worried about the whole Smooth Waltz and Pop business, because they are not traditionally vote-getters. But they ripped it up, and the African Pop was so cool, so yay them!!

As for the Reunion of Benjyelle, of course it was delightful. It did kind of seem like Donyelle was losing a bit of steam (hello, injured toe, 8 weeks of intensive competition... exhaustion!), but that booty was slammin' during the Hip Hop routine. And Benji, of course, continues to be a dynamo. He'd outlast the Energizer Bunny. Some judge (Mia???) said something about... bones? All I heard was "Bone Benji! Bone Benji!!! BONE BENJI!!!" Which.... well, you know. Sorry folks, I wish that was a bit more coherent, but check it out, I'm kinda drunk. Wheee!

But back on topic. BOTTOM 2?!?! WHAT IN THE HELL, AMERICA! (Not YOU, of course, dear readers. I love you all. Mwah!) Naturally, I'm very glad that it was Ivan that got cut and not Benji, but still, that shit ain't funny. I suppose with only 3 dancers left, it's kind of a crapshoot. And Travis did perform magnificently on Wednesday, so I'm fully supportive of his being in the Final 2. He's earned it. Regardless, I think many people would agree that Natalie and Ivan were the right eliminations.

Really, I think all of the remaining dancers would be very deserving of the title of America's Favourite Dancer. My personal pick for the final contenders are Benji and Heidi (no surprise there!), with Benji taking home the gold! I wouldn't be too devastated if Heidi won though, especially because you just know that Benji would be SO happy for her.

Oh dudes, I am so hungry, but also way too sleepy to go find food. Plus, the lightbulb in my room has burnt out, and I totally don't trust myself to climb up on a chair to replace it in my current state. And so, off to bed I go! Nighty-night! I promise not to blog drunk again! (LIE! Big massive lie. Drunk Blogging is fun! And also infinity times better than Drunk Driving or Drunk Dialing. It's all about the lesser of the evils, people.)

Shopper's Roll Call: Mini Reviews

Oooh, I've had a most delicious morning. I woke up at 7:30 for some reason, and have spent the past 2 hours eating an abhorrently unhealthy breakfast* and catching up on my blog reading. I also wandered on over to the Shopper's website, as I am nearly out of my moisturizer (L'Oreal HappyDerm with SPF 15) and wanted to see if they had any sales going on. And they do! Not on HappyDerm or anything I really need, but when has necessity or pragmatics ever stopped me? The following are things I have tried and loved, and will probably buy. (Hey, there's no Provincial Sales Tax here, so really, I'm SAVING money by shopping. Right?)


Almay Smart Shade Makeup: I've raved about this lightweight foundation here, and I continue to love it. It held up relatively well even in the hot and sticky Floridian climate. Get 15% off plus 500 bonus points until Friday on this and select other Almay face products!







Rimmel Blush: Apparently, some Rimmel products are on sale for $3 this week. If you're in the market for a new blush, or if you're bored and looking to try something for minimal risk, do check out their powder blushes. They're nothing fancy, but the colours are pretty and wearable, and the formulas are very nice (ludicrously nice, if you consider the low price). I own Santa Rose (pictured) and Pink Rose, and both give a nice, natural flush, depending on whether I'm going for a warmer or cooler look, respectively.



Marcelle Facial Cleansing Cloths: These babies came free along with the Marcelle Sheer Tint tinted moisturizer that I bought a while back. These are probably the softest pre-moistened cloths I've tried. They remove makekup well and don't leave behind any filaments or residue. Marcelle hawks its products as being safe for sensitive skin, and these wipes didn't irritate at all. At $7.99 a pack, these are perfect for keeping at the office or in the car. Select other Marcelle skink care products are 25% off, plus 500 bonus points.



Urban Lines Shampoo & Conditioner: Okay, so these I didn't actually LOVE. But it seems like Shopper's is really trying to push them, so I thought I'd talk about them a bit. When first introduced, they were priced at $10 a bottle, which is a bit much in my books (they ARE 500mL though, so you're getting quite a bit of product). They were having a 2-for-1 deal, so I decided to try out the Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner.

The packaging is kind of nifty looking, but in terms of performance, it's nothing special. The shampoo is fine. It cleans my hair and doesn't do anything funky to it. The conditioner is also pretty nondescript -- it's adequate, but I prefer something a little heavier for my heat-styled and colour treated hair. The pump mechanism is a good idea, but it can be a bit hard to pump out sometimes, and the hefty bottles can be awkward if you don't have a lot of shelf space in your shower. To me, the biggest selling point would be the clean, light, and decidedly unisex scent. It's almost ... antiseptic somehow, without being unpleasant. This would be great for guys and gals who just want a functional shampoo and conditioner without any heavy floral or citrus scent. The current price of $8.99 is still a titch high in my books, but you might be enticed by the 1000 bonus points that you'll get if you purchase 2 items in the line.

Well, that's enough out of me for today, time to get some real work done! Happy shopping!


* No I won't tell.**
** Okay, fine, it involved chocolate and caramel. And only chocolate and caramel. Are you sick to your stomach yet? Hey, I'm on vacation, it's allowed!