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Hello my High-Heeled Harlots! (Ha ha ha!)

Penny had a moment the other day when she tried to tip out with the dolled up divas. It's no secret that I like my sexy high heels as much as the next woman...sadly I just can't wear them often. My feet get swollen and my shoes become uncomfortable. Finding comfortable shoes that are sexy, is difficult. Finding comfortable shoes that are sexy in my size...is pretty much impossible. Nonetheless, there comes a time when you take one for the vanity team. *sigh* 

I attempted to wear my modest 3" Nine West, platform, peep toe, sling backs to a soiree (not the 4" heels I considered wearing). Once I arrived I immediately realized that valet parking is essential to any night on the town. After walking for what seemed like 'The Green Mile" from the parking lot to the party, it didn't take long for Penny to find the lounge with the pretty sofas and the art on the walls. LOL!  Don't get me wrong...I was still holding it down for all the pleasingly plump Pennys out there, and keeping a smile on my face. LOL!  (read full story...)

Mascara Madness

Hello Beauties!
So Maybelline got Penny's attention with the "Volum' Express the Falsies" lash ads. Yep. You all already know Penny is a mascara maven. I can't help myself. I gotta TRY 'em. So many types...so little time (or is that...so little money?). LOL!

Well Penny was disappointed to say the least in Maybelline's latest rave. Nothing 'false lash' about Falsies....sorry. This formula made my my eyelashes stick together and gave me 'spider lashes.' Not a sexy look.  I may have gotten some length but there was no real volume. Maybelline's claim:

• 
  
  Patented Spoon brush and Kera-fiber formula instantly build 8x more volume without clumping.

• 
  
  Unique flexible wand helps to lift and separate lashes to provide the look of 300% more lashes.

Penny was not impressed.  The curved brush is okay but I was not impressed with the end result. Penny's claim: Don't believe  the hype. :-)

Another Maybelline mishap is their Collossal Volum' Express mascara (yellow tube). In Penny's opinion, this is supposed to be Maybelline's answer to L'Oreal's Extra-Volume Collagen. One of Penny's Posse members shared her experience and said that the Collossal formula did little to add volume to her already long lashes; even though it didn't clump. She felt as if she had to contiuously add coats to get volume. But you can do that with any mascara...can't you? Maybelline boasts that this mascara should give "dramatic volume with no clumps." Not! (read full story...)

Stain Pain

So being a Twilight Series fan(atic), Penny has an affinity for all things vamp & wolf these days. LOL! It only seemed right that I try Revlon's new Just Bitten Lip Stains ($8.99, drugstore). Of course I gravitated to the colors called Twlight, Lust, and Forbidden. ;-) I didn't care for the way the color Lust looked on me; sort of a rust color, so I exchanged it for Forbidden a brownish, less orangey color.  Twilight showed as a true red on me...looked nice, but Penny has to get used to it. I haven't worn red on my lips in many years, but red is an "in" color for this fall's make-up trends.

Overall Penny has found lip stains to be a pain. The first issue I have with the lip stains I've tried is that they are very drying. After only a couple of days my lips were dry and peeling from the Maybelline stain I first tried; Maybelline's Color Sensational Lip Stain ($6.49, Target) in Blushing, a nice pink/plum color. The Revlon lip stains felt better but would be drying too if it weren't for the lip balm attached to the other end. The balm is moisturizing and gives some shine, but not like a gloss. The problem I have with the balm  tip is that it breaks off easily. It does not retract into the tube so it is exposed and can get soft/melt even with the cap on. The marker applicator gives good control, but the stain dries so quickly you can't make any mistakes.  It takes practice to apply lip stains evenly. (read full story...)

Hair Happenings

Hello My Curly Cuties!

Penny here with a new hair product trial. For quite some time I had been reading about a line of products for natural hair called HAIR RULES. I read good things but wanted to wait until my Mixed Chicks products were done, before trying it myself. To my surprise the ULTA beauty store near my house just recently began selling Hair Rules and my stylist said her clients loved it. Penny's curiousity was peaked,and since this summer has turned out to be extremely hot and humid, Penny and her naturally curly hair have not been acting like BFFs. The constant humidity has made it impossible to wear a blown out (straight) style without it turning into a hair helmet within an hour of exposure to the outdoor elements. *sigh*  So Penny has decided to find a way to get along with her crazy curls. ...(read full story...)

Skintastic!

Hello Beloveds!
Penny's back. I hope you missed me. LOL! So sorry for the delay in posts...but sometimes we have to pause for a cause.

So what does Penny have to share with you today? Skincare trials. Yes...some old products, some new. Penny was recently diagnosed with melasma and had to make significant changes to her skincare regimen. Over the past year or so I noticed dark patches on my face which I thought may have been sun damage from years of being a self-proclaimed sun goddess. But none of the over-the-counter fade creams/gels worked. Melasma is a skin condition that causes hyper pigmentation usually on the face, and it is exacerbated by the sun. Here is the medical definition.

Melasma -- Pigmentation of the face, most commonly on the malar area (the upper cheek), bridge of nose, forehead, and upper lip, that occurs in half of women during pregnancy. Melasma darkens from sun or any UV exposure. Sunscreens are essential. They should be broad spectrum.

Sometimes called the 'mask of pregnancy,' melasma can also be caused by birth control pills; and women who are neither pregnant or on birth control can sometimes have melasma. In order to get rid of the frustrating dark patches on my forehead, outer corners of my eyes and upper cheeks, my dermatologist prescribed Tri-Luma. This prescription strength (4%) hydroquinone cream contains tretinoin, and fluocinolone acetonide. It did a pretty good job of fading my discoloration. I have been on the treatment for almost two months but will stop treatment by the end of August before going back to the dermatologist in September. Because the medicine is fairly strong, it is not prescribed for more than 2-3 months at a time. It is recommended that you stop treatment for about 6-8 weeks before using it again. It is an expensive medication that is often not covered by medical insurance...my sale price at the dermatologist office was $113. Ouch! It was not covered by insurance and would have been anywhere from $120-$160 if I took the prescription to the pharmacy. But the .30g tube will last more than a year for sure; it is a spot treatment. (read full story...)

Nail It!

How many of you have Penny's penchant for nail polish? Well, I couldn't be more excited when I heard about Zoya's Nail Polish Exchange program in support of Earth Day. This special progam began on April 22nd and ends on June 30th. I know...I know...Penny's a little late with the news but that's because it took some time to go through their 300 colors and pick out the ones I wanted to buy at half price!  LOL! Remember that Zoya is a toluene, camphor, and formaldehyde free polish that is also vegan friendly. Here is how the program works.

For a limited time, kicking off on Earth Day (April 22, 2010 - 12 PM EST), Zoya Nail Polish will exchange your old, out-of-style, unwanted nail color and replenish your nail polish supply with fresh Zoya fashion colors. Simply send in six or more bottles of old polish - any brand other than Zoya, Qtica or Nocti, new or used - and we'll send you the new Zoya colors of your choice in a bottle-for-bottle exchange.

The new Zoya Polish is not free but 'half price'...so for $3.50 each you get as many polishes as you send them. You have to register online and make your selection/purchase. But they don't charge your credit card or send you the new polish until they receive your old polishes to be recycled. So Penny dug up 12 bottles of old polish and went shopping! (I still have at least 40 bottles of polish in my 'active' drawer. Ssshh! Please don't call the polish police on me. LOL!) (read full story...)

Could You Please Pass the Jelly?

Penny apologizes once again for letting 'life' get in the way of her blog action. I miss you guys!

A few weeks ago a friend brought to Penny's attention that Carol's Daughter had a new product that sounded fun...Body Jelly. Now who wouldn't want to try something called 'jelly' for the body?  LOL! Penny was on it! With skin like a desert oasis Penny had nothing to lose. This natural, unscented alternative to petroleum jelly promises to moisturize the skin, remove make-up, protect against minor scrapes, soothes sunburns, and is gentle enough to prevent diaper rash on babies.

Body Jelly contains natural ingredients like sweet almond oil, soy oil and jojoba oil. Benefits as described on the company's website include:

• Sweet Almond Oil, a natural nut oil high in fatty acids, alleviates dry, irritated or itchy skin and preserves moisture
• Soy Oil, a protein-rich emollient, replenishes and improves skin’s natural texture and glow
• Jojoba Oil, an excellent moisturizing agent, leaves a rich, non-oily feel while preventing water loss and enhancing suppleness (read full story...)

Bye Bye Dry

Hello Beautifuls!
Penny has found her way back to the drawing board. I know...I know...shame on me for not blogging more regularly...I sincerely apologize but 'life' got in my damn way. LOL!
After this rough winter many of us experienced, its now time to prep your skin for the seasonal changes that will occur. For Penny that means getting rid of this dry winter skin, complete with eczema patches, and blemish marks. In addition to exfoliating (w/ brown sugar body scrubs) and and occassional spa treatment, I've been trying to find rich body creams to help maintain my skins moisture all day.

Do you suffer from severe dry skin? Eczema? Psoriasis? Well, Penny recently tested two good body creams you might want to try. Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream have both been recommended for severe dry skin by various dermatology sites. I tried them both and liked them both for different reasons. Here is my list of pros and cons: (read full story...)