Review: Nivea Lip Butters...Life Changing Product!

I have been sitting on these gems for a while.  For the last several years, I've been battling extreme dryness (flakiness) and cracked lips.  I've tried almost every chap stick/lip product under the sun to battle my severe dry problem.  Some products have given me temporary relief, but only for short periods of time, and my lips would go back to their dry/flaky state.

That was until I was told about the Nivea Lip Butters.  After even my very first application, I knew this product was going to be life changing for my lips.  The balm goes on smooth and soft, but is not sticky or messy on the lips, rather it wears very comfortably (most of the time I don't even notice it's there).   I purchased the Vanilla and Macadamia for the bathroom and morning application, the Raspberry Rose for use throughout the day, and the Original formula to put by my nightstand for application before bed.  I enjoy this product so much that I find myself using it several times throughout the day, however, the I believe that the benefits would be just as significant with application two or three times a day.

Since buying this product, my lips have completely changed!  I have not once, since using this product, had a problem with dry/flaky/cracked lips.  My lips seem fuller and more plump.  My lipsticks and lip glosses wear much better than ever before.  My other lip products even seem to stay longer and wear better.  Overall, this product has had the most impact of any lip product I have ever used.  In my opinion, it's highly underrated.  For $3.99, you cannot go wrong!

Want a Great Work Wardrobe? Get Back to Basics

This past week, a woman at a convenient store that I frequent to and from work commented on my wardrobe.  She said that she had seen me in the store for a while now and how I always seem to "look so nice" whenever she sees me.  A friend recently gave me the same compliment along the same lines, but commented on how I must spend so much time shopping and putting outfits together.  The comment was funny to me, because I thought, "if only she knew how little time I spend putting outfits together" and how the typical "shopping" trip for me was usually a 15 minute dash to the mall during my lunch break (or a leisurely Friday evening post-work visit if I get really lucky...).

But the comments got me thinking, "what's the key to dressing nicely for work?"  Well, before you think I'm some conceited freak who thinks she "looks great" all the time, stop right there, that's not me at all.  There are many a Monday that I wear my hair in a messy bun, grab the first pair of black pants and cable knit sweater that I can reach, and call it a day.    But on the whole, I do care about my appearance and try to look nice and professional on a daily basis.

The key to "dressing nicely" for work (with limited time in the mornings), is to have good basics.

I once had a friend who told me that I had a body made for "work dresses" and said that it must be easy to find clothing (I'm going to talk specifically about dresses because I'm a "dress freak").  I corrected my friend and told her that while I did try to choose dresses that fit me well, that on average I have to try on 10 to 15 dresses before I find one that fits well and is worth buying.  I once heard Stacy London say "fit is everything" and over the years I've found this to be correct.  It has taken me time to build my "work wardrobe," but having a few quality work dresses (and other quality peices) that fit well has made it easier.  Once you have found a well-fitting work-appropriate dress, no matter how difficult it was for you to find it in the first place, you will forever have that dress, and every time you pull it out of your closet for work, you will feel great in it all day long.  So, I think it's worth spending a few hours of pure agony trying on many horrible dresses, to find that "one" dress that looks absolutely stunning on you. Once you do this on a few occasions, you will see that you begin to build up a true working wardrobe.

That brings me to my second point, which is "don't be afraid to invest."  When I first started down the path of building myself a career wardrobe, I went everywhere looking for the perfect dresses that I could wear to work.  I tried on countless dresses from countless stores.  I finally tried on one dress from White House Black Market that was not only professional and classy, but it fit like a glove and made me feel like $1 million dollars.  At first I had difficulty accepting the price, but finally realized that I would give up having five mediocre dresses for this one gorgeous, classy black dress (even if it meant not purchasing another dress for 6 months).  That dress ended up being an amazing investment.  Not only have I received countless compliments on the dress, but the dress has cloaked me with a healthy sense of confidence.  It has allowed me to walk into meetings with clients, and give presentations, while feeling secure in who I am and my abilities.  It is classy, elegant, and timeless, and after 2 years, it has held up well and I continue to wear it frequently.

Point blank, don't be afraid to try clothing on and don't be afraid to invest in yourself, you're worth it!

The Perfect Lip Product: Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Sticks

Alright, so I'll admit, I'm not a professional make-up artist, meaning I don't have any formal training in the subject, but I've been fascinated by make-up (and studying it) for probably the last 7 years. Over that period of time, I've probably tried thousands of products and have really developed a good sense of stand out products.

One product that I've been crazy about recently has been the Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Sticks (aka Neutrogena jumbo pencils). When it comes to lip make-up, I've very low commitment. I hate messing with lip liners and lip glosses. No matter what anyone tells you, you will have to reapply almost any lip product several times throughout a day. I do love wearing my lipsticks, but find that most of them really dry my lips out (and the ones that claim to be "moisturizing" tend to highlight the dry skin on my lips).  It usually all ends up being a mess anyway, as I have usually dry lips and need to apply a heavy chap stick several times a day.

These Neutrogena jumbo pencils are low-fuss, low-commitment, easy to apply, and loaded with the right type of moisture (so I find that I don't need to turn to my chap stick as much). But even more than that, the color of these shades are outstanding! These pencils provide some of the best color I've seen in a lip product in a long time. The shades in this collection are very flattering, particularly the Plum Perfect. I've been searching for this very plum shade in a lip product for years (I almost got it right in L'oreal's Color Riche in the shade Mica, but I found that shade a little too metallic for my taste), but was never able to get it quite right until finding this product. In my opinion, it's absolutely worth the $8.99.