The Mother of Product Reviews

 Firstly, let me say that it's been quite a while. And I just re-read my post about being an at home mother, and it's all still true. I *do* miss the things I knew I would. Thankfully, I'm not at Stop 'n' Shop, but like I said then, everything has it's good and bad.  Chaim is trying to get into nursing school, and the kids are registered for UPK in the fall.  :)  On to the reviews!

Ok, this is mostly a short, yes or no with pictures, thought I did explain some reasons as to why I did or didn't like certain products. Enjoy!

Mascara, my most tested subject:


*For the record, NO mascara works like the ads say. Kind of obvious, but man, it sure is a far cry.

You, I love.

You, I love even more.

You, I don't like so much. :\

I like about half of Maybelline's Mascara. I do like this one.

I DO NOT like this one. AT ALL. It makes a few lashes long and weird.

My 

sister loves it. I don't get it.

I also returned this one.

I didn't like L'Oreals Collagen Mascara, as I said, but this one is back to basics. Nice job L'Oreal! :) 

Skin, my nemesis!

This. Woman. Deserves. A Metal. Best cleanser I have EVER used. I almost don't have bad skin. She deserves that mansion. I tried this one and the detox but felt this zapped my problem areas more. This one has tea tree oil, so if you love what that does for your skin, and need it clear, I would DEFINITELY recommend this. Everything she has is amazing.This runs about $30.

This is a splurge, but worth it. Actually, I haven't even paid for it yet. I got samples from Sephora and so far I'm still using those. This is an exfoliater/peel. You leave it on for a few minutes. And it smells like cinnamon. :) This little bad boy is about $80! But she's good....she's realllllyyyy realllyyy good!

I got this as a gift and I *love* it. I don't know if the Clarisonic is any much better, but this works just fine for me.

This is one of the best creams I've tried. It's Garnier's Overnight Regenerating Cream. I don't even know if it's still sold, but I get it at Amazing Savings for about $6 instead of $12. I LOVE it. I've tried a few other creams, samples from high end Sephora, some L'Oreals and none compare.  On the plus side of creams, I liked Mario Badescu's Collagen cream and Eye Gel that I tried, but not the cleansers so much. It wasn't strong enough for me.

This is INGENIOUS.  You hook it in the shower and put it on while you are wet, then rinse off. They aren't kidding when they say "Ultra Moisture".  This, also a gift, simply amazing. Could be made of pig fat for all I know, I just know that I don't care, as long as it keeps doing what it does!

Tried and true, lasts forever. I love this as a body wash because it suds up heavenly, smells wonderful, isn't made of animal products (like the tons of Dove bars I have that I bought this to replace. I still have them.) and it doesn't dry my skin. I also use it to clean the floors! :)

I love Tea Tree Oil. My husband hates the smell (I love it). It has anti-fungal properties and I find it helps dry out pimples.  Make sure you moisturize (if you use all over, since it is drying) or dilute if you are sensitive.

Additionally, any lotion with coco butter or Shea.

Like this. Everyday. Love. Lips, even eyelashes.

Hair:

This is supposed to actually mend split ends. It has good reviews, and is supposed to be left in overnight, with the option to wash out in the am or not. I didn't, and I actually thought this ounce might be worth the $14. A few days later it seemed to be back to how it was, but I'm going to keep this around a little and see what happens.  Plus, I think I ditched the receipt and packaging....

One of my favorite things has to be Suave Professionals. I can't believe the prices on these things, because I think they are A-MAZ-ING. The packaging changes a lot though, but most of the products stay. I've tried a decent few of them, and I like them all.

This one has to be my favorite of the bunch so far. Anything Shea. My least favorite was the Brilliant Brunette Knock Off, and not because of how my hair felt. It felt amazing, but the next day needed to be washed, and I'm a twice a week kind of gal.

I'm right now post-Keratin Infusion Suave. We'll see how that goes. So far it seems pretty good. I still have frizzy hair, but its just shampoo and conditioner. I was worried it would be intense, as real Keratin treatments permanently change your hair and the way it grows and some have formaldehyde in them.  I'm not interested in doing any really crazy process, so to find a good shampoo and conditioner that's affordable is important.

Pretty decent in my deep condition search.

This is "ok".

Standard. Everyday. This is pretty much the only product I'll use post-shower and I haven't bought it since College. So that gives you an idea of how long it last!

Makeup:

As I've said way back when, I really like Body Shop's All-in-One Face Base. Since then, I've tried:

the Lightening Touch Concealer. Pretty sweet.

 

And Extra Virgin Minerals face makeup. This is supposed to be cream to powder, but I feel its a little greasy. It's ok, but not a total favorite.

I don't know HOW, but this Almay Smart Shade actually does turn from white with black spots to your shade. It's pretty neat, but I'm not a huge fan of liquid foundations. Also, it doesn't have the coverage that I look for, so I stick to concealers and my L'Oreal Bare Natural Powder Foundation, which I've blogged about before (and their blush! I now use three different shades of the True Match, the Precious Peach which is the lightest neutral, and now the first and second lightest shades of warm, Bare Honey and Barely Blushing. All of these I use for a natural/peach look instead of pink/cool look.) The funny thing about this product is, that I bought it right after my $5 coupon from Almay expired. Figures!!

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Cream Shadow. I have the bottom 3 colors (of course) and I do like how they look. They do NOT crease, I am not sure how they bribed the gods on that one... But it does take some layering to get the desired intensity, and the blending is tricky when you have more than one color.

I like Maybellline's Gel Eyeliner a lot. The brush is pretty good, and it seems to dry out less than more expensive versions I've tried. It has good control and decent staying power, though the purple one is lacking in intensity. Again, the ads always make it more than it is.

I am *not* a lipstick gal, but DAMN CoverGirl, you have this RIGHT! This stuff lasts, and I just couldn't resist the color "Divine".

I also just tried Revlons Lip Butter in Cotton Candy. As I said, I hate lipstick, but this is just the right amount of color and it does soften lips! Win!

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Bronzer. I have Miami Strip, which has a tad more pink and I like it a lot. I had gotten Vegas Strip first, which was a bit dark for me, but I can't tell you how many times I've used it as shadow. I love Physicians Formula for their versatility like that.  I also like their Powder Palette Blush in Blushing Rose when I'm feeling the need for pink.

 I think that's about it for now. Hope you guys found something useful! Keep me posted with any comments or opinions!

Natural Remedies

Probably because I always say I never wash my hair, my mother in law had mentioned a shampoo like product that doesn't actually wash out your natural oils and was supposed to be better for you. It turns out it was WEN cleansing conditioner and when I googled it, I wasn't sure how well it would work, or really, if it would work better than home remedies. I found this awesome site as well, and here are some new and old tips I wanted to list.

Hair: Plain and simple, wash it less if you can. I use vinegar with shampoo occasionally to get rid of build up, but I can't do that every time and definitely think I need shampoo, but I try to use less of it each time now. It can over dry super easily and I find it to be one of the top culprits. I'm not going to lie, its still not a super small amount, since I need to get my scalp clean, but I do use less now and just lather the top. Then I just let it run off instead of drying out my ends by shampooing them. Also try to never dye, bleach, or use heat styling. And go easy on products since they also cause drying. I used to do all of those things but now I don't do any. I sometimes blow dry my bangs with an ion dryer (I try to stick to 'warm') and use 'cool' after wards. I use Bio-silk sparingly and only sometimes, I don't dye, straighten or blow dry my hair anymore, or use any hair sprays, gels, or mousses. The worst of all those things is bleach and heat, just fyi. And occasional of anything is ok too, just be careful!

For conditioning, I like to use hair mayo sometimes and I really like suave with Shea butter as well. I have a Shea butter "leave in" made by Cantu, but its more like a light styling product because it does grease up my hair quicker than normal. But maybe that's a good thing since my hair is usually dry-ish and Shea butter is a protectant. Because of the dryness, I am able to go longer between washes, but the top gets greasy first and this causes break outs. :(

Skin: This is so weird but I swear its true - apparently vinegar is the cure for everything. Its a natural antiseptic which I knew because I clean with it. But if you dilute apple cider vinegar with 3 parts water and use it as an astringent, the results are amazing. Smelly yes. But amazing. It tightens up my pores like WOAH. I even use it under my arms and those bumps that have always plagued me are all but gone. Wow.

Another thing you can use is lemon rind, but it can burn if your skin is sensitive. Sometimes I just use the lemon when its all spent to rub the inside of my steel sink. It gets some grime out and smells nice. I think.

I also sometimes use Tea Tree Oil on stubborn pimples.

I like to follow with cucumber peels all over my face to soothe and help get rid of redness and under eye circles. It also helps wipe off some vinegar smell but I wait for it to dry. I actually let most things dry right on. So many products have cucumber in it and are so costly. I just use the real thing! It works.

This is another newer one for me personally, but I have to attribute it to one more cure. Vaseline. (I know you hate it Amanda!) I already use it for my lips and feet/hands in the winter, and even under my nose when I have a cold. But I started using it around my eyes at night to seal in moisture. I have to say, it REALLY works!! My circles have never been so diminished from any other expensive product. And I think its good for the lashes too. So far no break outs from it either. Then in the morning I wash with CeraVe foaming face wash which is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It's sort of like Cetaphil but actually gets makeup off. So far I'm just using samples but I hope to buy it soon. It seems to be very highly rated. I still use apricot scrub as well and sometimes other face washes.

I still get deep pimples that don't show, but hurt like hell. I haven't found a way to stop this. Maybe I do over cleanse, but I just hate hate hate them. I also get black heads and bumps, and I sort of have a nervous tendency to pick and them and I really can't stop. Sadly, this creates far worse skin problems than if I could leave them alone.

I also think cocoa butter lotion is the best ever. Any brand.

Edit: As far as skin and hair go, one really great tip is DON'T shower in super hot water. It totally dries out both. It's also a good idea to rinse with cool water too, to seal up the pores/follicles and prevent breakage.

Then there are a few more things that are actually products (and actually not natural) but I'll just put them here anyway.

I have to say, this stuff freaking works. Its not Latisse and I wouldn't want it to be, but I do feel like I lose less lashes and they seem more filled in. Maybe I'm just not wearing makeup as often, since that causes lash loss too.

L'oreal lash boosting serum

Another thing I really like is Maybelline's The Colossal Volum' Express mascara.


I've tried many others and I like this one so much more. I tend to like volume in my mascara and some people do not, but I like this even more than other volume ones. I also like the Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion which only comes in non-waterproof (I like waterproof) but its about the same caliber as Colossal. SO what bugs the hell out of me is why Maybelline wastes so much money on their stupid The Falsies campaign when everyone hates that mascara! >:( Just google the images to see the before and after. Even people who say they like it look like hell. For real. That's all.

Product reviews - L'Oreal and Bamboo diapers

I recently had a coupon for $1 off L'oreal Go 360° Clean from CVS, so I wanted to check it out. I never heard of it before, maybe because I live in a media-less bubble. Turns out, it is a new face wash, and WOW!

The packaging is actually more opaque than this, with the green and orange being more clear of a gel. The orange has little beads in it for exfoliating. I wasn't sure which one to try but I went with the sensitive, probably because I usually use a sensitive Oil of Olay foaming wash, even though I have no idea what kind of skin I really have. (Dry, combo, sensitive??)

It has this little scrubber that, as you can see, comes out of the bottle. I'm not usually impressed by gimmicks like this, so I was objective about trying it. It is super soft like a silicone with little raised nubs. I also noticed the back end is a suction. I don't know if its on purpose, but I keep it on my mirror instead of putting it back in the bottle for easier access.
What I don't like, is that neither it or the bottle are recyclable. Uh oh! But I will give away any if I buy another bottle. Sometimes I think these things should be separate.

All face washes promise less break outs and smoother skin, etc, but I usually feel generally apathetic about them all. Mainly I just look for one that actually REMOVES my makeup from my back-in-the-day-ton-of-makeup days without raccooning a greasy mess around my eyes. Well I am very impressed with the 360° clean. It not only removes my makeup, with help from the scrubber, but actually cleans. I had compliments on my frightening bare-naked skin within a day or two of using it, even with a few residual blemishes that were from a few days earlier. Since then, new ones have not appeared. I think the combination of great face wash and that neat little do-dad really does the trick. It also exfoliates but gently, so I can still use my apricot scrub every few days, but have brighter skin just from my nightly washing. I also liked that I chose the sensitive, since I've read a few reviews that said the normal ones were a bit drying. Even Chaim likes it, and we do notice smaller pores!

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Onto their new collagen volume mascara. I bought this a little while ago, since I'm always trying new mascaras, and often they are L'Oreal. When I finally opened it, it was sort of dry and clumpy. Of course, as with the face wash, they always promise no clumps and tons of volume. I wasn't so impressed. I returned it to CVS the same time I bought the Go 360° Clean and got a replacement. It was a little less dry than a normal new mascara, but a bit better than the old one. Sometimes, new mascara is TOO wet and it gets all over. It still clumped a little, and still felt dry on my lashes and pulled, which wasn't too nice. I always get waterproof, for some reason, so its usually tough to get off. This one is no exception. Overall I'm not too impressed with this one, which is sad because I loved Lash Architect, Voluminous, Volume Shocking, Panoramic Curl and even Telescopic was ok, though I usually like volume (can you tell?) over long and thin. I'll have to go back to a tried and true next time, or just return this one now.

On the plus side, L'Oreals website is gorgeous and wonderful for info such as creating a custom skin regiment. And on websites, so is Chiquita's! I was impressed.

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On to another item since we're on topic of reviews, Bagshot Row Bamboo diapers suck. Don't even waste your $20. I don't even fully get it. It's like an all in one diaper, since its contoured and elastic at the legs, but its not. It doesn't close on its own, so you need a pin or snappi and it doesn't have a cover, so I played it safe and put a Thirsties on it. What's the point of a cute diaper if it needs a cover? It certainly didn't look waterproof...and on that topic, what's the point of paying $20 when you still need all the other stuff!? It also has a 'snap in' doubler that is like 2 long thin sheets, and a small pad that was like a liner but the same material. What I HATE is how it goes on the outside, verses how a FuzziBunz holds the bulk of material inside a pocket. This, geniuses, is to keep it mess free, and cleaning a massive poop off of 4 different surfaces WAS NOT! It didn't even wash out well. Prefolds stain sometimes, but its not so bad and FB washes pretty cleanly because of the material they use. Overall, prefold are way cheaper, better and even *gasp!* easier to clean if you fold them right, even WITHOUT a liner. The ease-level is about the same as well. Why would any sane person pay so much?? Oh right, its "in style". F that noise.

I'm so annoyed I don't even want to take my own picture.

Old World Food Market

Yesterday as I was going to a doctors appointment, I noticed a big beautiful new store called "Old World Food Market" in Nyack. I wanted to check it out. This was sort of impromptu, but this is what I found:


This is over by the dry foods, I especially liked the decoration on that back wall.

Here is a wider shot, also towards the dry section, but you can see the gorgeous olive bar. More (but terribly lighted) pictures are found here.

So basically, this place is stunning. There is no doubt about that. The owner said in an interview (that I can no longer find) that he wanted to return to an old way of shopping, and have prices that are reasonable, despite being gourmet. I noticed first that there were organic bananas by the produce room, big and beautiful ones at that. My local stores have been seriously slacking in the organic banana department, sometimes having one "ok" looking bunch to none left! That was a big plus. The fish area smelled very much like an old world fish market...possibly unavoidable but not so pleasant. The Cheese area in the center was HUGE. I didn't actually spend much time there, but could tell they had a very wide variety that you might not find in many other stores. As far as dried foods, there were many known organic brands, some that I can find elsewhere and some that are a little trickier. I saw a few foreign items on the shelf as well that I have never seen before, but things like a dairy item from Switzerland. The kosher section, unfortunately, was stocked with the same crap every other supermarket has, that no one born after 1932 actually eats. Thankfully, much of these natural or organic foods end up being kosher as well, so that's a big plus for those concerned. I ended up buying $37 worth of mostly snack foods. I liked that the chocolate covered goodies weren't made with a ton of additives, like the generic brands are. Bear Naked granola, which rules, and Newman's cookies, which also rule, were in my bag but not rare finds. There were, however, more flavors offered here than other stores. I also found a Darrell Lea licorice, but I found more flavors at a smaller, more local natural store. The olive bar had interesting flavors offered, but I thought it was only 'ok' in taste. Lastly, I found spices that I needed, and hope they are a great quality to match the price. Our local stores also carry these spices, but there aren't too many companies offered. The same thing happened with tea. I enjoy interesting tea, especially chai, so it was an opportunity to find more brands of it, but not the most exotic item either.

Overall, the store itself felt a lot like a Whole Foods kind of deal. I think I had the impression that it would carry more 'worldly' foods, so I want to try an experiment, just in case I missed it.


HOLY HELL! They actually passed!! I just called to ask if they had an exotic spice mixture and they did! Points for that one homie. I wonder if its the Crate and Barrel version or the real deal. It seems whole foods carries it or at least uses it in their prepared foods as well. There are no Whole Foods or Trader Joe's nearby, so I think if I am in the area and need some bananas or a really nice tea, I would stop in again. But I know I won't (or can't, since they don't accept food stamps!) do my regular shopping there. In the town of Nyack, where there are a lot of wealthy trendsetters, I'm sure the store will do well.

UPDATE: I bought spices that were hard to find there, and found them much cheaper in an Indian market. They are still sealed, but because I don't have the receipt I can't return them! LAME!!!

The Liners (and Covers) that Saved me!

I've posted about cloth diapers a few times before. The first impression and a followup. Well its time for another. My awesome friend Amanda bought me the first things I needed to start as well as told me about the site she gets her stuff from, Mom's Milk Boutique. I have ordered from them before to add some more diapers to my collection. I went with those unbleached Indian prefolds that were seen in the previous diaper post. (These are great because they are actually very soft, super absorbent and extra long.) I decided it was time for a second trip to Mom's Milk, for the much awaited covers I needed and while there, I also decided to pick up some liners. After reading reviews, I went with the ImseVimse in toddler size.

(Not my pic)

I have to say, these are a LIFE SAVER!!! The few times I've used them, she's only peed in them ONCE! So I guess that's a lot of poop! But I have skipped a few times in the hopes that she just pooped and wouldn't again. It worked a few times, but I've had to clean the diaper "regularly" one time. I have also previously switched (sucked it up) to cleaning the diaper off in the actual toilet. It's not as gross as you might think (and probably better than using the sink) but its coooolllldd! These liners make that whole ordeal basically unnecessary! Also, having more covers is great and I have to do the laundry so much less! This matters since our washer situation is still a mess. I also let them air out over our shower rack if they are pee-smelling and use another one. By the next day the smell is gone and I can alternate more often. This also works if there is a little poop on the plastic part, but not on the fabric part. That can rinse right off and air dry as well, and if I do a load, I throw all the used ones in anyway!

I have only used the liners a few times because I tend to not use cloth diapers on weekends, mainly because I am away and its daunting for me. But that brings up another issue; I personally use a washcloth or rag on Shabbas for the kids faces, but you are not supposed to 'squeeze'. If someone was religious enough to not squeeze out on Shabbas (or back in the old days) what would they do!? Shake it off (doesn't really work, fyi) and put it in a bucket with poop on it? Wet or Dry? Wet doesn't really get the stain out, unless you rub the material together, and that is not allowed, and dry, well that's just gross and smelly. Feel free to let me know what you think!

My only caution is that us cloth diaperers might be used to using the diaper to wipe some of the poop off. So naturally, my instinct was to use the liner for this. DON'T! They are thinner than paper, and you WILL get pooty hands. :( They still leave a stain on the diaper when you remove them, a little thicker than my picture of them rinsed out. But some moms and dads might be ok with putting it in a wet bag or bucket from there. I still rinse mine out a bit, spray them and hang them on the bucket to dry a little like before. Its just a whole lot easier! I highly recommend it for "big kid poops", and even want to do it for Zalah to get her to POTTY TRAIN ALREADY! But, alas, she lost my small snappi so now I only have the one. :P Guess I have to go back to Mom's Milk Boutique!

Almay

My husband and I have been writing to companies for some time now, to tell them what we like and don't like. Often, we get coupons, either way we feel about the products. Some of our friends also do this, and our friend Sarah posts her correspondences on her blog. She suggested I do the same. And you know, she's right.

I don't have my exact words I left on Almay's site. They only allowed about 255 characters, so it was basically this:

Product: Almay Daily Moisturizer for Dry skin with SPF 15
Comment: I put this moisturizer into a travel container and it became solidified on the edges. The screw top was heavily gunked on and I can't get it out. What causes this!? It's a little scary that this goes on my face!

They wrote me:

Dear Mrs. M.:

We are indeed sorry to learn of the experience you attribute to Almay Daily Moisturizer - Dry, but appreciate you taking the time to give us your comments.

Please click on the link provided below to accept a coupon to be used toward your purchase of Almay products.

Enclosure:
1 $5.00 E-coupon Almay

Thank you for your loyalty to our products. Please be assured of our desire to be of service whenever possible.

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Replies sent to this email address cannot be answered. If you have additional comments about this issue, please click here:

http://www.econsumeraffairs.com/almay/contactUsFollowUp.htm?F1=002141969A&F2=EM&

If you have comments on a separate issue, please return to our corporate website: http://www.almay.com

Sincerely,
Allison Mitchel

Senior Claims Representative

Alright. That's cool that I got a coupon. But you know what? They didn't answer my question. I thought maybe it could be the SPF, but I have plenty of sunblock and that doesn't happen. I don't really care too much that the container was ruined, because I had enough to use for vacation, but I do want to know what that is. Almay seemed to be such a good brand. Maybe not totally organic, but hypoallergenic and clean. But they sort of avoided the question. Maybe they don't know, but if that's the case, they should. I started to wonder if companies give coupons not just because a bad situation happened to the consumer, but to take their minds off of it and keep them happy. That seems shady. Most companies I've written to in the past were very helpful, even if I didn't like their product. But this answer is one I'm not entirely satisfied with.

I have a container of Dove Night Essentials Cream and I love it. It feels clean and really moisturizes well. I don't know if they still sell it, but I did see the day one in the store. This also has SPF.I would like to try it, since I like Dove products already. As for the Almay, I don't want to get rid of it, but I'm not so sure I want to use it anymore either.

A few Tips and Beauty Products I like

I don't have a ton of beauty tips, but I have a few. One easy one for moms is using Johnson's baby shampoo as face wash. It is an excellent make up remover, where even some face washes don't cut it. Its also great for styes. Just mix it with water to suds it up and rub it right on in, then rinse. If you are prone to them, it prevents them if you do it daily. It tends to dry the skin a tad (which is why it works on styes) so make sure to use moisturizer or don't use it often if your skin is too dry. (I'm loving Dove's face moisturizers!) Not to mention, its great on mom hair too!

I also like to do a rinse with vinegar sometimes, which is great to get out buildup, but it can smell. If you don't want to risk it, give Johnson's a try. I want to try Loreal's kids shampoo as well because they have a ton of great smells and I imagine it would leave hair feeling really soft!

I also like using Hair Mayonnaise or cholesterol in the summer. That also has a distinct smell if you use it as a conditioner, but I coat my hair in it just when I'm laying outside. It protects it, and I think it keeps the chlorine at bay too when you jump in. And speaking of protection, ALWAYS use sunscreen! I am a big believer in that, even though I forget sometimes!

Another conditioner trick is to put some water in the bottle when it's almost empty so the last bits come out easier. My sister made a big Dove squirt bottle full of her last bits of different conditioners. We called it "the conglomerate". And it worked so well because it had everything in it!

Don't underestimate things in your fridge as beauty products! The hair mayo you buy is called that because of how similar it is to the real thing. Lots of eggs for protein. But don't eat it. Just rubbing a cucumber peel on your skin refreshes and soothes it. Thanks Oma for that one! I've also tried lemon when I was pregnant and had bad skin, but watch out for that one! It can burn sensitive skin.


We're all dead tired, but sometimes you don't want to look that way. Some of my favorite (CHEAP!) fake awake tips and beauty products are:

Wake up your face first. Face wash is great but I feel like a new person after I use St. Ives Apricot Scrub. For a cheap and easy astringent, try witch hazel.
If you have dark circles under your eyes, like I do, you to hide them to look even slightly alive. We've heard tricks about cucumber and tea bags, but for a quick fix, under eye cream and a concealer work really well. I like Loreal eye defense, but it can run high especially in NY. Also, a quick eyebrow tweezing really opens up the face.

For cover up, I've tried a ton of stuff, and I know if I splurged I'd find great stuff, but for a budget I just use any stick. But my all time favorite face makeup is The Body Shops All In One Face base. Its a pressed powder but its thicker because you can use it wet. I don't, but I love the coverage and that it doesn't look caked on.
A nice gold shadow under brow, not too dramatic or thick, but with a hint of shimmer to lighten up that area works wonders. I use NYC color Shimmer pot in champagne.
Another must have for even a "minimal make up day" is mascara. I've tried Bad Gal lash from Sephora for $20, but I'm fine with Lash Blast or whatever the newest mascara is. They tend to be a bit chunky, so one tip I always used was to use an old mascara brush that's cleaned off and use it to brush out chunks. I think it works better than a comb. It also works to brush excess powder out of your eyebrows, which opens your eyes more. I also like waterproof mascara, hence needing a good make up remover and face wash! Another mascara problem is that it can get under your eye if you do your bottom lashes, which only makes you look more tired. A q-tip solves this problem. If you know its going to be a long day, skip eyeliner as it runs and just go for light shadow and mascara.My fav blush is Loreal true match in precious peach.It may not work for everyone's skin tone, but thankfully, their line makes it easy to find one that works for you. And most stores let you return makeup if it wasn't what it looked like. Ask before you buy! For a more dramatic look, I put a darker rose color under my cheek bone and blend it with the peach on my apples. Over all, I like Loreal a lot. I also used to love Le Grand Kohl eyeliner for ages. Their bare natural mineral line is pretty good too if you don't want to spend $60 on the real thing. I love the eye colors too for a sexy smokey eye look that's subtle but still noticeable.
I strongly recommend that women switch to waxing. I know its daunting at first, and seems time consuming, but its so worth it. The easiest is armpits. You don't have to shave for weeks and it grows in thinner so it gets less and less painful. Plus its quick, just one or two tries aught to do it. I recommend a sugar wax that is water soluble because I've ruined outfits before with thick cream waxes. I also say be brave and venture south. You can always try to just do a bikini first before going all out. Yes, it sucks. But its so much cheaper and less irritating. Watch out though! It aggravates hemorrhoids and varicose veins! I use Moujan Hot and Cold wax. (But use it hot.)
I'm sure there are a lot more tips out there for moms to look good easily and cheaply. Feel free to share any you have!!