Dealing with Oily Skin

Hi Readers!

PHEW! Just made my 2 post a month deadline!  Today I'm going to talk about something suggested by one of my favorite readers: Zelna Smith!  Zelna wanted to know about products to help deal with oily skin and I have quite a few suggestions to share with all my readers.

Squiggles apologizes for not making and appearance.  This stock photo will just have to do.  I'm sorry about that one.  Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit.

Step 1: Cleanser--

Yep you need to get that oil off of your face since it likes to harbor bacteria and impurities that can lead to break outs.  One of the latest (and definitely greatest) new cleaner ingredients to combat oil and impurities is....CHARCOAL! I know it sounds crazy, but remember when someone said if you eat poison, eating charcoal could help save your life?  I don't know if this old wives tale is actually true, but I do know it works miracles for your skin.  Lots of companies are getting on this trend, but Michael Todd's Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub*- $18 for 3.4oz is a really amazing version if you are looking at fairly high end.  In contrast, my absolutely affordable and most favorite (which will be in my cabinet until my skin stops being oily *prays*) Is Shisheido Ultra Black Wash -$11 for 8oz!  You only need a pea sized amount, and it forms a rich lather than tingles nicely as it detoxifies your face, yet does not overly dry it out.  I'm in love with Shissheido's drug store line.  You have to buy online from the US, since we only carry the pricy stuff, but it's amazing. One other charcoal product to try if you are feeling adventurous is Origins Clear Improvement Mask -$25 for 3.4oz  I'm sure there are lots more charcoal products out there, so feel free to let me know in the comments if you recommend any others!

Now if you are thinking charcoal is too out there for you, I suggest really any basic and gentle cleanser to remove oil from your face will be sufficient.  Why not one of the MILLIONS of "oil control" cleansers you ask? Because I think that these are overly stripping.  As you will find out later, the trick to oil control, is actually proper moisture/oil balance. As for gentle cleansers I recommend e Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser-$7-10 for 16oz! Really affordable and effective.

Step 2: Tone Gently (if at all)

Honestly, this isn't really a necessary step, but I like to cooling feeling of a toner.  If you use a toner, make sure that it is alcohol free!  This is because alcohol will dry out your skin, leading to more oil (yes, I'm getting to that whole balance point in Step 3. Hold your horses).  If you feel the need to use a toner, there are many alcohol free ones out there.  My favorite is on the affordable end: Simple Soothing Facial Toner- $6-7 for 6.7oz.

Step 3- Moisuize-with oil!

This is the big tip which sounds super crazy.  But your face becomes a big grease ball....when it thinks your skin needs it.  So by putting other moisturizers containing good oils, you actually reduce your skins over production of oil.  A good moisturizer has oils such as jojoba, argan, or some other oil that replaces the oil you have lost from cleansing and toning, and keeps your skin from producing lots of excess oil!  Crazy.  So when you have been searching for oil free moisturizers to avoid oil, you have actually be making your skin produce more of it.  I like to pick a moisturizer I like (such as Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF15 - Sensitive) and add 1-2 drops of pure jojoba, argan, or teatree (for really bad break outs) oil.  This honestly keeps my skin nice all day.

Mini-Tip:  Let all steps dry and absorb before going on to the next step! It makes a huge difference!

S+SR Reporting Bonus?!  You guys are so lucky!:

Tips to Mitigate Oil When Wearing Make-up

Oil is make-up's worst enemy.  If you ever want to remove really heavy/water-proof make-up fast, take some oil (coconut or olive are my favorites) and rub it all over your face-- the make-up will simply melt into the oil.  Then wash your face.  Forget crazy expensive make-up removers. That being said, your natural face oils try to make your carefully applied make-up look terrible halfway through the day.  I imagine the little oil particles with a monocle, handle bar mustache, and a bowler hat going, "Bwahahaha!".   Lucky for us, there are some great products and steps that can really help reduce oily-ness and extend the wear of your make-up:

Primers:

• Face: While finding a primer you like before foundation is very personal, but they do have ones aimed at reducing oil.  
• Eye:  I find that Urban Decay Primer Potion-$10-20 is the worlds best eyeshadow primer, no matter what your skin type! Makes all your eye make-up last all day!

Set your make-up:

• Powder Setting: After applying any liquid or cream based make-up products (which last longer in general) top it off by setting it with a powder version.  This applies to liquid foundation (set with a powder), liquid/cream eyeliners/shadows (set with a similar shade powder eyeshadow), and cream/stain blush (set with similar powder blush).
• Setting Sprays:  The final step to long-wearing make-up is setting sprays.  If you were ever in dance or theater, an inside tip to long wearing make-up was spraying your face with hair-spray from afar.  We have come a long way since then and there are setting sprays that work much better and are healthier for your skin.  I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay Setting Sprays, which include ones for oily skin.

Blot:  

• Worst comes to worst, blotting papers are your best anti-shine friend.  You can see my review of my favorite E.L.F blotting papers here! 

 Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Updated Healthy Asian Hair Care Routine

Howdy-doody Shine and Sparkle Report Lovers!

Thank you for your continued and devoted readership!  A while back I wrote a post about “Ventures into Sulfate Free Shampoos”  I also gave you a glimpse into my hair care routine and some must-read tips with my “Healthy Hair Care” post.  Being  a beauty blogger (plus over a year later), I have been experimenting and have some updates to my hair care product routine.  While some items are the same, many have changed.  So fasten your seat belts, we are diving into my current hair care routine.  
Quick Note:  While it looks crazy to  read, it actually does not take nearly as long as it sounds.  Also, I DO shower every day (otherwise…ew..)  I just don’t wash my hair every day.  If I get sweaty at the gym I’ll rinse the sweat out (if you cant do that, use a small amount of watered down sulfate free shampoo then condition the ends.  Otherwise, I utilize that amazing thing your mom/grandma used called a “shower cap”.  Crazy right?  
 

Big picture:  The current condition and texture of my haid is mostly un-dyed (still a little black dye at the tips) classic straight black Asian hair.  Each strand is not super wiry like some Asian hair, but each strand is a bit thicker than the average Caucasian hair.  The top layer of my hair has some strangely kinky strands that need some extra help to not make my head look frizzy.  Because my hair is mostly straight, it loses moisture pretty quickly, so I'm always trying to keep it hydrated.  Methodology wise, I still use a wide tooth comb or my tangle teezer to detangle my hair when it is wet (hair stretches 40% when wet and is really prone to breakage).  I blot or turban my hair with a microfiber towel (rubbing or scrunching vigorously will break it) to reduce air dry time.

Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit.

Day 1- Wash hair with my Paul Mitchell Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo* or Selson Blue (depending on my scalp condition.)  These have sulfates but work well to really clarify my hair.  Using sulfate shampoo once a week is good to get rid of silicone build up (found in a lot of conditioners and almost all serums).  If you avoid silicone or never get dandruff, there is no need for this. Then I condition with a deep conditioner.  While I have loved my Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deeeep Conditioner ($3-6), it has been rising in price at a lot of drug stores.  This means that I have been trying new ones in the $5-7 range (breaking the bank I know).  I have been really loving Loreal's Advanced Haircare Power Moisture-- Moisture Rush Mask (say that 10 times fast).  Out of the shower I detangle, then apply either a leave-in conditioner or a serum to the ends of my hair, working up to just below my ears.  I'm still using the ones listed in my “Healthy Hair Care” post.  However, I have added options of Macadamia Natural Oil-Nourishing Leave-In Cream for leave-in and Organix Moroccan Argan Penetrating Oil Serum or Suave Professionals: Moroccan Infusion Moroccan Argan Styling Oil for Serums (note that these are silicone serums, they are not advertised that way, but don't confuse it with pure aran oil!).  Then I let my hair air dry.

Day 2- Dry Shampoo! Oh how I love not having to repeat Monday’s routine on Tuesday.  I get a bit of dry  shampoo in the front and crown of my head, brush out and go. While you can totally use corn starch or baby powder for economic options, I find that they have large powder molecules that can make my black shiny Asian hair look pretty dull.  After much searching and failures I have 2 dry shampoos to suggest to you.  For a spray can application, I suggest Not Your Mother's "Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo".  For a traditional powder application with a wonderful citrus smell that always gets my BF asking what smells so good, Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo has a small targeted application and brushes out cleanly without leaving my hair dull.

Day 3-  What is this about a bit more dry shampoo?   Good day for a pony tail, bun, or curling (with my TRESemme Heat Tamer Spray of course!).  I seem to find day 3 hair to be the most interesting some times.

Day 4- Can I stretch my wash out four days?  Sometimes.  Since it’s a cycle not by day of the week,  if I’m teleworking or not seeing anyone but strangers as I do errands, I might stretch out my hair.  More dry shampoo will look funny, and things are a little greasy looking, but a super messy  bun and nobody will know. 

If I’m going out or seeing people who matter, I will shampoo and condition with my sulfate free shampoo and conditioner.  I have been IN LOVE with The Balm’s En Root- Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner line.  I will probably do an actual review of these product at some point.  In a nutshell, the shampoo foams like no other truly sulfate free shampoo I have ever used, cleanses great, and smells like a newly opened bag of gummy bears.  The conditioner is so good I don't even use a leave in afterwards and smells exactly like pineapples. The fruity smell does not really last after you rinse but in the shower it is totally yummy!   I finish with air drying.

Day 5- Dry Shampoooooooooooooo is aaaamaaaaaaazzzzing.

Day 6- Dry shampoo with some kind of style are happppppyyyy times.

Day 7-  I might stretch it out.  I might do a quick repeat of Day 4. 

"WAIT WHAT?!" you might be thinking.  This means that Ms. Sparkles might actually wash twice in a row?!  The truth of the matter is, while I try to maintain some kind of guideline for my hair, the schedule not set in stone.  It depends a lot on what I’m doing.  For instance, if I’m going on a nice date, meeting with important people at work, or have any occasion when I want my hair to look freshly washed…I do.  I also will *gasp* wash, heat protect, blow dry, and curl all in one day for other special occasions…or because I want to.  The key is to be as kind to your hair as possible…while still enjoying it and feeling ready to shine and sparkle in life!  Having healthy hair means nothing if you don’t feel great about yourself right?

I really hope you found this helpful.  I know I like seeing what products and routines other people have, so I thought I would throw mine out into the inter-web-universe as well.

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Shine & Sparkle!

Suave Professionals-Moroccan Infusion Moroccan Argan Styling Oil Review

3 Posts in a month! Lucky S+SR readers!

Today I just wanted to shoot you a quick review of Suave Professionals: Moroccan Infusion Moroccan Argan Styling Oil.*  I got a sample in the mail when I bought a unnecessary  pair of shoes. I have to admit I was skeptical.  Silicone was a yes, and almond and coconut oil were more present than argan oil, but it was free...

Where is Squiggles?!  Can't you see him?  He is dyed white and in a snow storm in the back.  Haha, no, he's actually hiding in his pigloo (igloo for guinea pigs) and does not look like he wants to be bothered for a photo.  Hopefully, he will be in a better mood for next month's post.  Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit.

I loved it!  I was really surprised!  While I don't know if it really compares as closely to the expensive Moroccanoil Salon brand, as Suave would like you to think, but this is by far the best hair serum for sealing moisture into your hair (for the price) on the market. 3 Oz of product is between $4-7 in drug stores, but on Amazon, the oil is only $3.50!!! That is such a great deal considering you will only use a drop or two because it is so good.  Forget the instructions to use a few pumps.  You will be asking for grease city.  A few drops was all I needed for my almost waist length hair, medium thickness hair.  If you have shorter or fine hair you'll need even less.

Because of it's affordability and effectiveness, I highly recommend this as an entry hair serum for those who are interested in trying one, but not entirely sure if hair serum is for them.  For those who have way too many serums (like me), for $3.50, why not add it to your collection?  Win-win situation here! 

Before I go, it wouldn't be and S+SR report if I didn't give you some background of hair serum:

What does hair serum do?  
It contains silicone and oils that you put onto your hair when it is damp.  The silicone essentially saran-wraps each strand of hair to seal in the moisture, add shine, and protect the ends from splitting. The oils help restore moisture and shine while the silicone seals.  Side benefits include faster drying time and less tangles throughout the day.  Hooray!  It can also be used on dry hair to add a bit of shine (best used on straight hair for this function). Simply put a super small amount on your hand and rub your hands together then apply on your hair starting and the ends up to your ears. What is left can be applied to your root area if your hair is not prone to being weighted down, or you are going for a super sleek look.

Serum Warnings:
While I love serum for my hair, there are a few things you should really keep in mind.

• Using too much serum can weigh your hair down and make it greasy.  Different formulas are heavier than others so adjust your amount for your hair type/condition and serum formula (you seriously might only need a drop). 
• Silicone cam build up on your hair.  This means day 1 you use it it could work great, but over time you can find your hair looking weighted down or dull.  In order to strip the silicone off so that new moisture can get into your hair shaft and you can start anew, you need to use a sulfate-shampoo.  That's right, sulfate free shampoo is great, but to avoid build-up, use a sulfate containing shampoo at least once a week.  Try to find ones with "coco-sulfate" or more gentle sulfates if possible. 

Shine & Sparkle!

* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.  

Meeting Founder and CEO of O.P.I!!!

Hi Shine and Sparkles Readers!

I just quickly wanted to chat with you about this super exiting beauty event I just went to! I'm so excited I'm even going to break my "one picture" rule... and my "try and pace out your posts" unofficial rule.  Heck, I might break all the rules and give you readers 3 posts this month.  Getting totally crazy up in here! So the inside scoop is that O.P.I* has launched a new nail color collection called "San Francisco Collection by OPI".  There was a super cool event and it was easy for me to get to Peninsula Beauty, where the event was!  I am bubbling over with excitement because being from the Bay Area, I love all the cute name references (the names are one of the most awesome parts of OPI polishes) and colors inspired by my city!  I will try to give you an inside look into the collection and my experience at the event.

Side Note: You might wonder about why I'm so excited since I have often talked about some cheaper nail polishes that are as good, some times better in lasting power than O.P.I (like in this post).  While I always stand behind my posts and reviews, the sheer "coolness" factor of O.P.I can never be denied.  They hands down have the best quality for the color selection.  O.P.I runs like a clothing line with different collections by season. Which for the beauty junkie like me is equivalent to putting a "limited time only quadurple artisan bacon wagyu burger with locally sourced cheese on a hand ground wheat bun" in front of a foodie..wait...I'm a foodie too...I digress...

The pretty flyer for the event!

At the event, George Shaeffer (Founder and CEO of O.P.I) was there in person.  I think it is wonderful that he decided to hold the opening at Peninsula Beauty, which has 12 locations but has been family owned for three generations and is very much the epitome of successful small business. FYI, I adore Peninsula Beauty Stores.  It's so nice to support local businesses. There was a cute table set up with all the new polishes and a raffle to win 2 polishes per month for a year.  I was kind of uncomfortable snapping a lot pictures at the event, but this is a picture of him taken at another event by another blogger with more guts than me:

This picture was taken by "Nail Magazine Blog" if they want me to remove the picture at any time, I'm more than willing.  I think this also demonstrates how personable and down to earth Mr. Shaeffer is.

With purchase of any one nail polish, you got a little mini sampling of the new collection nail polishes.  I didn't see the point of buying a polish that wasn't from the featured collection, so I picked up the pretty color you see on the far left below.

From left to right: "First Date at the Golden Gate", "Muir Muir on the Wall", "In the Cable Car-Pool Lane", "Peace & Love & OPI" and "Embarca-Dare Ya!".

The color is called "Embarca-Dare-Ya!"  It's a gorgeous metalic orchid/magenta color with a rose gold shimmer.  It was my favorite when I tried the swatch in-store.   Both "Embarca-Dare-Ya!" and "Muir Muir on the Wall" (a metallic rich dark purple) were inspired by "the flower gardens at Golden Gate park." Below is "Embarca-Dare Ya!" on my nails.

Yes, I was too excited to wait and do a proper manicure, so I threw it on top of my existing nail polish.  Not too bad a job considering the circumstances.

 Want know how to get salon perfect nails at home? Follow that hyperlink!

Continuing on, "First Date at the Golden Gate" is a red-orange that somewhat approximates the bridge's International Orange, but is less orange in my opinion.  "In the Cable Car-Pool Lane" is a matte burgundy.  These two colors along with "Lost on Lombard" (a matte red) were inspired by the "East meets west coast reds of China town".

The last shade I have is "Peace & Love & OPI" which is definitely a bit out there and psychedelic.  It is a holographic sage and eggplant which looks a bit silver from afar.  Remember those oily stickers as a kid?  It looks like those.  This polish is inspired by "Sky and Sea Shades" along with "Dining al Frisco" (a muted sky blue), "Haven't the Foggiest" (misty metallic grey), "Keeping Suzi at Bay" (a true hyperlink/ #0000FF colored blue--like my geeky reference?), and "Incognito in Sausalito" (an almost black blue).

The San Francisco Collection by O.P.I also has some "chocolatey hues of brown" in "A-Piers to be Tan" (chocolatey latte brown) and "I Knead a Sour-Dough" (warm brown with an almost pink hue).


Note: A lot of this information came with the hand out that explained how the Urban Inspired, Street Chic Style of the polishes were created by Suzi Weiss-Fischmann-- O.P.I Executive Vice President & Artistic Director.  She seems very inspired by strong, intelligent, creative, and highly capable women as well as the city of San Francisco.  I was quite impressed by the thought behind the line.  You know what's even more impressive?  Having a good 5 minute conversation with CEO George Shaeffer!  He was very nice and actually interested in what people thought about his product (not that anyone would say they hated it if they bothered to go to an event like this...)  Needless to say, below is the back of the promotional box of polishes where he was signing them with surprisingly personal messages. 

I was a bit more excited about this signature than a normal person should be....

Shine & Sparkle!

* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. 

CreaClip (or the Knock off Version) Review

Welcome to August Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

Is it me or is Squiggles getting even cuter?  I'm increasingly thinking he is much better at modeling than I am at cartooning... Anyway, like my last image, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit.

August means back to school time and perhaps you are thinking that you could save some money this year by cutting your own (or your kids) hair.  If you search the inter-webz on how to do so, you are bound to come across the "helpful" Crea-Clip.  

Back in my Review of Tangle Teezer Brush*, I talked about reviewing my knock-off CreaClip*.  It is a do-it-yourself hair cutting tool which can only really be explained through visuals:

 

CreaClip Claims That:

Cut your own hair at home with professional results. For easy and precise cuts every time! Great for cutting children's hair, trimming bangs, creating layers, or just maintaining a hairstyle between cuts-anytime, any place! 

In a Nutshell:
Effectiveness: 4 of 10
Smell/Taste: N/A
Packaging: N/A
Economic: 5 of 10
Good for Sensitive Skin: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.5 of 10


Full Report
 
Effectiveness is meh.  You might be thinking "But Ms. Sparkles, ."  My answer is that regardless of how "easy" the video and many youtube videos show, it is actually not that easy to get a good hair cut on yourself.

What does it work well for?  I have to say, it works really well in lieu of a comb for novice at home hair cutters (who watch tons of professional precision hair cutting classes online) to practice their skills on their friends--*ahem* like me .  It also is good for anyone to cut long hair in a straight line of someone other than yourself.  I'd even venture to say that the small clip is good for cutting your own bangs, at your own risk.  But easy to cut one's own hair in layers? Bob hair cuts? Short hair cuts? No.  I know it looks ok in a lot of the videos, but I simply do not find it precise enough for a complex cut.

Why?  Because even with a level, hair has a full range of motion. A level doesnt take into consideration pulling too far forward, backward, diagonally...so yeah, not too precise.  The oh so simple flipping your hair over, sliding the clip down, then cut?  Not so simple. Hair falls to the sides, you don't know if you should put the side pieces front or back, you dont know if you should angle it at the ground or the sky...just...no.  Also, simply using it as a straight edge to cut one's own hair straight across the bottom in the back would involve some sort of yoga epiphany that I have yet to see, even by the most skilled yogis. 

Now, if you looked down and the price, watched a lot of videos, and figured it might be worth trying the the cheaper knock off version here are a few things to consider:

• The plastic hinge is a bit stiff, and not going to last in the long run.
• The level is a joke.  The bubble doesn't come close to reflecting "level".
• The teeth inside the clip are subject to breaking off under pressure. Comb/detangle your hair very well before use.  If you have very thick or curly hair, don't even bother.

Packaging: N/A since I bought the knock off version, the packaging sucked.  But I'm ok with that for less money than a super carnitas burrito in a spinach tortilla with no cheese or sour cream.

Price: I purchased the knock off version for $2.73 + $3.88 shipping The original CreaClip which retails for between $19.99 and $44.00 (if you get it with a DVD and shears)


Overall, the knock off version is a classic case of "you get what you pay for".  The actually CreaClip is a good idea but inaccurate and clumsy in practice.  That being said, I have used it to do some really nice cuts using my actually knowledge of hair cutting and sectioning instead of a comb.  If you have a lot of people around you with long hair that need straight across hair cuts or have very low hair cut standards, I would definately invest in the REAL version of this product.  If you estimate $10 for a simple straight across cut or bad layers (which is what you will get with this product or a cheapo pro cut) you will probably save money with the CreaClip if you have enough demand for the results.

Shine & Sparkle!

* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. 

Pita Pizza Recipe

What?!  Another food post?  Well in case you didn't know, I LOVE food.  Actually, I was into the food scene on the internet (via Yelp) even before I started being involved with the beauty community.

That being said, we can't always spend the time and money to go out to eat, so I have learned over the years how to make a lot of my favorite foods.  After joining the Office Drone Society, I would come home too tired to bust out all of my cook ware and make some fancy 3 part meal.  So, like much of America, I started looking into fast but yummy recipes that would keep me from packing on the pounds.  I decided to share one food that is a staple in many diets.  PIZZA!

I know you are tempted to just pick up your phone and dial your nearest pizza delivery, but I promise that this recipe is fool proof! It is also very economical.  I will give you tips on freezing pizzas so you can make a bunch at once and have them later (and not waste any ingredients by not using them up).

Heck yeah KidPix!  It was definitely my first training for these AMAZING images you have been seeing on my blog lately.  Who needs awesome photography skills for blogging?  "Not I!" Says the guinea pig.  As usual, like my last image, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit.

Super Sparkles Pita Pizza!

Ingredients-
-1 package of pita bread (whole wheat if you are feeling uber healthy)
-Olive Oil
-Pizza Sauce (or some form of tomato sauce--no, ketchup doesn't count)
-Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (lite cheese if you are like "Hell yeah it tastes the same!")
-Toppings (I'm sure you know what toppings are healthy or not, but I like to stick to veggies and chicken breast personally.  But you can do what you want.  Just make sure to slice ingredients small and thin.  I just recently did fresh tomato and pineapple. Mmmmm.)

Steps-
1. Set oven to 400 degrees.

2. Lay pitas on a baking sheet.

3. Pour some olive oil in your hand and coat each pita in olive oil  
Mini-Tip: Thin layer, like you were putting on moisturizer...like that beauty reference?)

4. Put about 2-3 tablespoons of pizza sauce on the pita and spread around. 
Mini-Tip: Leave around 1/2"-1/4" un-sauced, depending on how much you like crust.

5. Sprinkle a layer of cheese on the pizza. Don't over-do the cheese.  Be able to see some sauce through the cheese.
Mini-Tip: I know it is tempting to create a mountain of it because cheese is awesome, but the pizza will not cook right or crisp up if it is drowning in cheese.  Also, cheese melts, so the spaces will fill in nicely, don't worry.

6. Add your toppings.
Mini-Tip: Once again, don't over do it.  It is important to let the crust breathe.  Think about the spacing of toppings on a delivered pizza.  Go for that.

5. Bake the whole thing on the top rack for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is just melted.  If you are serving right away, cook a little longer--I like to wait until the cheese is just starting to turn brown.
Mini-Tip: If you are freezing the pizzas, take them out when the cheese is melted, but still completely white.

6. EAT!
Mini-Tip: Or freeze them.

To freeze Super Sparkles Pita Pizzas: Transfer the only just melted cheese pizzas onto a freezer safe plate or tray.  Put them in the freezer uncovered for about 15 minutes.  This will allow the excess moisture to evaporate and not get frozen to the pizzas and make them soggy.  After the 15 minutes take them out and wrap each pizza in tinfoil.  Store all the pizzas together in a freezer bag.

To reheat frozen Super Sparkles Pita Pizza:  

• Microwave: Unwrap a pizza from the tin foil and place on a microwave safe plate.  Microwave on high for about 3 minutes (until the cheese is bubbly not only on the edges but the middle too.  The pizza sit for about 1-2 minutes, then cut and EAT!  
• Toaster/Regular Oven: This is the most awesome way to reheat Super Sparkles Pita Pizza.  Set the oven to 450 degrees and bake (on the rack) for about 15-20 minutes (when the cheese is sufficiently bubbly.  EAT!

This is a slightly more complex recipe than my Island Oatmeal and Greek Yogurt recipes.  Let me know if this was a good level of complexity.  Too hard? Too easy?  Let me know.

Also, since this is a chat post, I want to mention that I kind of love how my blog images are glorified versions of clip art and skills honed through KidPix. Man I loved KidPix....does it annoy you?  Too bad.  I'm never going to be an amazing photographer.  So you are stuck with my kick butt KidPix skills.  Could I use my iPhone and at least take some original pictures? I have at times.  I do when I think it would be helpful.  But I mean really, isn't image making more fun?

Shine & Sparkle!

Beauty For Any Budget Quick Tip

Hey There Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

Whether you are trying to stay on a budget, naturally frugal, or diving into your vault full of gold coins (I didn't know how Scrooge McDuck did it without cracking open his cartoon head, but we will pretend it is possible for the sake of my metaphor), everyone enjoys saving a bit of money.  Maybe you are just jumping into the beauty world and are looking for a good place to start without investing too much money.  In this post I give you some of my tips to get great deals on quality beauty products you can read from your 3rd mansion in Beverly Hills or your cardboard box camped outside of a Starbucks with free wi-fi (do Starbucks actually have free wi-fi anymore?)

As usual, like my last image, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit. 

Tips #1: Shop The Cheapest Drug Store Brands for Make-Up-
While most people know that the drug store is cheaper than Sephora or department stores, there are brands that are even more affordable than those that are readily recognizable to the average shopper.  My favorites of these very low priced brands include: Wet n' Wild*, E.L.F, and NYX.  I find that more often than not, these brands have better than average products on the most frequent basis.  That being said, each of these brands really shines in specific areas.  I have provided a guide to help you save money by increasing your chances that you do not waste your money based on my experiences:

Where Discount Brands Excel:
Wet n' Wild: Eye Shadow, Mascara, Nail Polish
E.L.F: Eye liner, Primers, Face Products (powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter etc), and brushes.
NYX: Lip Products (Gloss, Lipstick, Lip liner)
Physician's Formula**: Foundation
**While Physician's Formula isn't a super discounted brand, I feel that it is worth it to spend a bit extra on the base products that are going to soak into your skin the most.  I have also never gotten a good foundation from any of the very cheap brands.  Physician's formula has great quality products to choose from and is mid-range drug store pricing.

People also may see Jordana and NYC as equivalent brands in price.  However, I find them to be very hit or miss.  I think if you stick to the discount brand guidelines above, you stand the best chance of actually loving what you get.

Also shop with coupons or online to see/get the best deals.  There are many blogs about couponing or finding the best deals online, so I will let you look that up somewhere else.

Tips #2: Prioritize Make-Up Spending-
This is surprisingly hard for some people.  Much like wardrobe shopping, when you have limited resources, you want to get the essentials and then pieces that can be combined and reworked in different ways to achieve many different looks.  This way it appears to the world that you have way more than you do.  So using the low priced brands above, I have created a list of essential products you need.  I have also included mini-tips to created multiple looks with less products (seriously, they are very mini, get your reading glasses).

List of Essential Make-Up Products:
1. Face primer (1)
Mini-Tip: Use your face primer as an eye primer. It works.

2. Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer (1) and Matching Powder (1)
Mini-Tip: You can mix a bit of your powder into your foundation and use as concealer if you are really trying to scale back on makeup.

3. Blush (2) and Bronzer (1)
Mini-Tip: You want one light blush for day time, and one darker blush for night.  I suggest one be shimmer and one be matte.  Which is shimmer depends on your preference.  I suggest that your bronzer be matte to fit any occasion.  Also, skip the highlighter when you are on a budget.  That peachy/pearly eyeshadow color?  Same thing.

4. Eyeshadow Pallets (2-3).
Mini-Tip: You need a mix of neutral shades and bright shades.  You should have some matte and some shimmer shades to play with.  You can definitely meet these criteria with just two pallets, but you can splurge on a third (especially if you are using a light color as a highlight!) Different eyeshadow looks is the easiest way to make you look dramatically different while your base products stay the same.

5. Eyeliner (1) and Lip Liner (1)
Mini-Tip: If you stick with a soft black eyeliner and a lipliner similar to your lip color, you will be set no matter what.  You can just put some dark black eyeshadow over the liner to make it more bold and the softness will make it ok for day time.  The lipliner will serve it's purpose as a base without changing the color of your lip products.

6. Mascara (2)
Mini-Tip: One water-proof, one not water proof.  I would also suggest the water proof one to be more day time level of lash intensity (for being active during the day) and have the non-water proof one be more dramatic since it is unlikely you are going to need to be protected from water at night (unless you are more of an active person at night or cry a lot at night because you are a drama queen heehee).

7. Lipsticks (3) and Glosses (3)
Mini-Tip: You should aim for one nude, one "my lip color but better" (usually berry or pink), and one red of each.  By mixing and matching these lipsticks and glosses, your possibilities are endless.  You can wear the lipsticks and glosses in combination together, or each by themselves.

Tip #3: Shop Generic Beauty-
Shop generic for your moistuizers, cleaners, shampoos and conditioners.  Sally's Beauty Supply has generics of even high end beauty products! How cool is that!  Again, coupons, bargain/sales shelves, and buying online can help a lot with buying other beauty products, not just make-up.

Tip #4: DON'T BECOME A BEAUTY BLOGGER!
....but use them as a resource.  People who blog, YouTube, review online, or generally provide details on good or bad products are great resources for you.  I know that I find the world of beauty to be a really fun hobby.  While others might allot resources else where this is one of the things I prioritize.  Thus, we are both winners!  I can help you focus your money where you want it though my trial and error.  My product reviews are very helpful for that. 

Tip #5: Embrace Your Natural Beauty-
While make-up can be a great confidence booster and a fun way to express yourself, I find that sometimes the best thing to wear is a smile.  Some days I don't wear make-up or I just wear some eyeliner. Nobody acts differently towards me as long as I am projecting my usual demeanor.  Just give it a try!  For example, you are doing hot yoga.  You could bust out the water proof mascara, or you could accept that everyone is concentrating on not passing out in the 105 degree heat.  In full on boat pose, I know I'm not noticing if you have Kim Kardashian lashes right now.  People will probably be more impressed with the fact you kick ass at tree pose.


Thanks for reading my tips for beauty on any budget!  Also, did you notice that I got approved to have ads on my blog?  No? Good.  I find ads pretty annoying but hopefully these aren't too annoying.  You might even have a hard time finding it.  I did try and customize them so you might actually be interested in them though! If you feel like clicking on them so I might someday be able to buy a new lipstick with the money, I'd be down.

Shine & Sparkle!

* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.