The Almost All New Same Deodorant

This pic may look like I'm celebrating, and I probably should be. Well, ok, I am. But there is a reason for the hesitancy. Over the past 6-8 months, I 'have had' to completely reformulate my roll-on deodorants.

That may not sound like much to you, but to me it has been a pain in the backside.

How to: Pressed Eye Shadow

This Spring, I decided to switch from using eyebrow pencils to 'eyebrow-shadow' and did a series of Vines (small 6-second films) as I was working.  Here they are, collected into a super-quick mini-how-to inspirational eyeshadow-pressing guide.

Case Study: Skin Lightening with Vitamins

We do seem to be getting somewhere with this new skin lightening product. Although my main goal from the beginning was to fade the darkest, largest spots (which is happening to some extent), the many smaller 'freckles' and miscolorations that were visible in February have all but disappeared now.

Cleansing Bar How-To's From Around the World

Waaaay back in February, I wrote about doing a cleansing bar catalog. It was all because of the fabulous feedback I have been getting from you as a result of trying my soap-free cleansing bars.

A lot of you have created your own awesome versions. I'm thrilled it has gained such popularity and that so many of you find this cleansing method beneficial for your skin - regardless of skin type!

I'm still gathering materials and recipes and pics, but the first bits and pieces are finally together and the page is fimally up. I promise to update with the rest of your recipes as fast as I can.

Meantime, please give a round of applause to stars of the worldwide cleansing bar catalog: YOU! Find the cleansing bar catalog page on the menu bar at the top (or click here).

And if you want to join the cleansing bar fun, please visit this post for details.

Haven't tried making one yet? Find an overview of my soap-free cleansing bars right here.

The Ultimate Mascara Quest: One Step Forward, 2 Steps Back

Yeegads. Look at this. This is mascara batch 2 – after 11 weeks. The product has halfway separated, and if I 'scrape' around the inside of the container with the application brush, the product readily collects itself into a huge lump on the brush, creating a 'window' in the container where the sorry state of the contents is all too clear.

Oddly, if the brush is pulled out, it looks perfectly normal and ready for application. Does this mean that other mascaras normally do this and we just don't know because the container is always opaque?

Unfortunately, no. I've (made and) used many other mascaras in these exact containers, and they have never behaved in this manner.

What we're looking at here is a texture/structural fail that needs to be fixed.

Is Your Deodorant Dangerous? Probably Not.

A lot of people worry about cosmetics ingredients. Some, maybe too much. I was recently asked to write a guest post about deodorant by Evolving Beauty and was happy to oblige.

Editor Christina Caicedo added some great info and links and Evolving Beauty's article 'The Truth About Deodorants' can be found right here.

Here's how that article started out.

Coconut Oil Pre Shampoo Treatment

This quick and easy hair treatment has crept its way into my regular routine all by itself because of 2 things:

• the phenomenal way it makes my hair feel and behave
• how ridiculously easy it is to do

There are nothing but bonuses to be had from applying virgin coconut oil to hair. It doesn't matter whether your hair is dry, greasy, or normal, kinky, curly, or straight as a board – coconut oil loves hair – all kinds.

If you want details about why it's so fab, please visit this post about the benefits of coconut oil.

Meantime, let's jump straight to this easy peasy hair treatment.

The Latest Fountain of Youth - Brought To You By Progeria

Medical research can take a bow. And another one. It is over their shoulders the beauty (and food supplements) industry is constantly peering – scouting for ideas, developments, and possible new ingredients they can capitalize on. 

Today's post is a classic example.

Deodorant FAQ

One would think I was some kind of armpit fanatic with all of the deodorant-related posts there are to be found on this blog – so many that there is an entire section on deodorant under Topics.

There is a reason for all of this deodorant talk.

It's you.

On any given day, approximately 1000 of you find your way to this post about baking soda deodorant and/or this post about why DIY baking soda deodorant can cause a skin reaction. The combination of 'baking soda',  'deodorant', and 'rash' is a disturbingly common theme in the searchwords that this blog's stats show. And the number of deodorant-information-seeking visitors just keeps growing.

So this is for you – a collection of your questions about deodorant and deodorant-related problems. I hope you find it helpful. And if after reading this you still have a question, please feel free to add it in the comments below. I promise I'll do my best to answer you and add it to this list.