I wash my hands a lot, especially when I'm at work. I'm not a germophobe, I just have kids and don't have time to be sick. The upside of that is the fact that I rarely get sick. The downside is that I can get some really dry hands, especially cuticles. I use a cuticle treatment every night, but that doesn't always counteract the dryness that accumulates during the day. So when I had the opportunity to try Gloves In A Bottle
Gloves In A Bottle is actually a shielding lotion. Instead of replacing lost moisture to your skin, a shielding lotion bonds with the skin it is applied to and keeps existing moisture from escaping from the epidermis. Shielding lotions don't wash or rub off, they exfoliate off eventually; the effects last much longer and are quite noticible.
I've been using Gloves In A Bottle consistently for two weeks. I actually carry it in my laptop bag so that I don't forget to carry it with me. While I may not bring my purse everywhere, you know my laptop bag goes all the important places.
Anyway, I'm really impressed with the state of my hands since I started using it on a consistent basis. Application is easy, it's not greasy and it absorbs quickly. There is no wait time for it to soak in, it's almost instant. So it's really easy to use, which makes me want to use it often, unlike some skin products. It's certainly helped the state of my cuticles, and I've been told that my hands are much softer than they have been in awhile.
I like to make sure that I put a coat on before I do anything that involves major "wet work" like house cleaning. Not that I do much house cleaning, but occasionally there is a mess to clean up. But I like the idea of protection when dealing with cleaning agents or chemicals.
I'd highly recommend Gloves In A Bottle to anyone who has skin concerns, not just hands. Dry skin, eczema, allergies, dermatitis, all of these would benefit from a shielding lotion as a preventative and a treatment.
You can grab Gloves in a Bottle at www.glovesinabottle.com, Drugstore.com, and Amazon
Gloves in a Bottle: Skin Protection that Works
Cover Girl's Firecracker: FOTD
I normally wouldn't even play around with an eye shadow palette that features white, medium-dark pink, and lime green. Those are not colors that I usually wear, but you know what? I need to break out of my comfort zone. Someone mentioned to me the other day that I was only wearing neutrals lately, and they are right - when you invest in that much of Chanel's summer collection, you really want to wear it all summer long. But today I was in the mood for something a bit different, and this fit the bill.
I used Cover Girl Eye Enhancers 3 Kit Shadow, in Firecracker
crease, and the green as a liner on the top lash line and the bottom. Then because I thought it was very mod looking, I took my Rimmel Liquid Eye Liner
As a side note, I'm really into matte eyeshadows and creme lipsticks and nailpolishes right now. Don't take my word for it, but I suspect that you're going to be seeing a lot more of it - shimmer has been popular for several seasons and I think the pendulum is swinging the other way. The Cover Girl Eye Palette
Thank you to the random seller on ebay who is letting me use her photo of the Cover Girl eye palette. I forgot to take one, and I will replace it with my own just asap.
The Exfoliation Obsession Continues: Dr Brandt's Microdermabrasion
Hi. My name is Meredith, and I am addicted to exfoliation. I can't help it - it makes my face feel better, look better, and keeps all my random issues under control. I am forever searching for the perfect product to help me with this, and this time I've come across Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion
This is a very easy product to use: apply it to a damp face, gently massaging in circles for one to two minutes. Wash it off and enjoy your amazingly smooth face. The crystals in it are diamond shaped and aren't irritating at all. It has a pleasant lemon scent, and I noticed a clear difference in my skin quality after using this product only once.
I think most people would do fine saving this for a once a week facial. After all, not everyone needs microdermabrasion
A Max Factor FOTD
It's casual day today. I mean, clothes-wise. It's never casual day when it comes to my makeup. Must feed the addiction, you know.
I started with MAC's Paint Pot in Groundworks. Then I broke out Max Factor's Vivid Impact Eyeshadow duo in Two Cents. The lighter shade went all over the lid and the darker shade went in the crease. I blended it with my standard shadow brush and applied Kat Von D Autograph Eyeliner
Next, I grabbed my Max Factor Vivid Impact Mascara in Blazing Black. I decided to put a coat of my Make Up For Ever Lash Fibers
Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
I'm officially declaring this the summer jam of 2008. Everyone is listening to it, and it won't get off my radio. Katy Perry is cute, though.
If you don't have it already, grab it at 
. Although, really, you should invest in the entire album - I think there are some great songs on there that aren't completely overplayed.
Random Project Runway Thoughts: Season 5, Episode 1
Nothing really coherent in my recaps, people. You can read all of that over at fourfour (which reminds me, is Rich not doing those? I haven't seen last week's recap yet), because he does it SO much better than I do. I just like to share my totally random thoughts, mostly about Tim Gunn, because I wish he would follow me around in real life and tell me what to do.
- I love the fact that Tim called all the designers "slackers." That just seriously cracked me up.
- Are you kidding me with all the tablecloths? Did they not see the original challenge back in the day? A corn husk dress won, people. Corn husk dress!
- Did you know that Michael Kors is blogging over at Bravo.tv? Here is a quote: "I also Loved LOVED Daniel's blue paper cup dress." I LOVE the fact that he uses caps. Oh, hell. I just LOVE Michael Kors. He's so crazy.
- Did anyone else catch the clip at the end when Tim said something like "holla atcha brotha"? Was I just dreaming that? Because holy crap, that's funny.
- Damn straight, Kelli won. Here is what she said: "I honestly thought, "I had better win this s*** because I am using a myriad of innovative techniques, and my dress has a closure!" Go on, girl.
Elliott Lucca 'Portia Ombr�' Pocket Shopper
Well, I finally went to the Nordstrom sale. I went for jeans. I came out with this beautiful handbag, but no jeans. So I want to talk about this instead.
It's a beautiful ombre (black to brown) in patent leather. Absolutely gorgeous. When I saw it, I didn't stop to look closely at it, but I kept thinking about it as I walked through the store. Has this ever happened? You know what that means - you'd better go back and get it, because you're officially obsessed and not going to stop thinking about it until you own it.
I love the fact that it has a removable shoulder strap. There are three magnetic closures and two zip pockets on the outside. It's a fairly large bag, which is exactly what I need, since I carry around far too much crap on a daily basis.
New from Bond No. 9: Lexington Avenue
I love Bond No. 9, without a doubt. I currently own Fire Island, Bleecker Street, Silver Factory, Broadway Nite, Chinatown, Bryant Park, and Nuits de Noho. I also have the So New York candle that I absolutely adore. I'd prefer to buy them at their shop on Bleecker Street, after having a cupcake at Magnolia Bakery, but unfortunately, I don't get to NYC on a regular basis, so you can often find me at the Saks counter at Tyson's Galleria.
It's too bad they didn't have this at the counter when I was there two weeks ago, because it surely would have gone home with me. This new scent, which is called a floral-chypre, is named after the street that Andy Warhol had his first apartment. It's the third in the Warhol series that Bond No. 9 has been working on. The listed notes are: blue cypress, fennel, cardamom, pink peony, Florentine orris, crème brûlée, pimento berry, patchouli and sandalwood.
Bond No. 9 is the only perfumery that can make a patchouli wearable on me for some reason. I never cringe when I see it listed on the notes, because they take something that I normally can't carry off at all and somehow make it work. It's probably magic, but you should see for yourself. If you're like me and patchouli makes you think of dirty hippies, you haven't experienced the goodness that is Bond.
Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Zero-Humidity Frizz Control
I have absolutely crazy frizzy hair. I mean, it frizzes whether or not it's humid, dry, or anything. While I love the frizz control that I get from this product, what I love the most about it is the tripical smell. I like my hair products to smell good! I found this hiding in the back of my beauty closet today and had completely forgotten about it. I'm glad I rediscovered it! The UV protection is so good for colored hair and the spray application is so easy.
Fall/Winter 08 Coats and Jackets
You know Nordstrom is having a sale, right? I mean, is there anyone who doesn't know that by now? I haven't gotten there yet, but it is on my to-do list for tomorrow. Meanwhile, I satisfied my retail therapy urge by checking out the offerings online (since there will only be a small percentage of them in our Norfolk store), and found some seriously wonderful coats and jackets. A great coat just really finishes off your outfit and is an absolute necessity if you're running around a city.
See more of my Fall/Winter 08 Coats and Jackets list at ThisNext.
B�rn 'Hardy' Flat Boot
If you don't have a pair of suede flat boots for winter, I highly suggest you invest in a pair. I have a pair of slouchy black boots that I wore constantly last winter, and they were perfect for work, going out, just about anything I needed them for. These are more trendy, with no slouch and the pull tabs on the sides. But they are fabulous AND comfortable - two things that don't often come together. Best of all? Right now they are on sale at Nordstrom as part of their Anniversary Sale.
Too Faced Smoky Eye Palette
One of the most popular looks is also one of the hardest to execute. I am always looking for good kits that I can recommend to people who are interested in the smoky eye - and it seems like everyone these days is interested.
The three main shadows are a black, champagne-cream, and light cream. Also included are three various shades of shadow that help you mix it up and go farther with your smoky eye than just black, gray, and cream shimmer. I think smoky eyes are much more interesting when there is a touch of unexpected color.
While this kit comes with two sponge/brush applicators, I almost wish it wouldn't. A good smoky eye really should only be attempted with a decent brush or three. I use an entire kit.
Look for the smoky eye to continue it's reign of popularity through the winter. I don't see this look going away any time soon.
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