I thought I would take a minute to share with you how the Jr. Masala and I spent our Sunday.  I have so, so many loose pigments and polish lying around I decided to put them to good use.  So instead of running out to buy new products, we made our own new polishes and lipglosses. 

Out of all we made today, the polish above is my favorite!  This orginally started out as an old Sinful polish which was a pale pink shade.  I added a blue/black pigment to it and behold, Fiona Reigns was born! The pic above is just one coat of polish with a “french tip” of Art Deco silver glitter polish.  If you’re looking for a way to make your own polishes, head on over to Dr. Frankenpolish for tips and ideas!

Years ago, I read an article of a mother and her two daughters who had flawless, youthful skin.  The trio shared their skin care secrets and the one that I have followed through the years since, is to only wash your face once per day.  This helps to ensure you are not stripping the skin of essential oils (yes, even those with dry skin), that provide a protective barrier.  Cleansing the skin (with water and facial cleanser) at night makes the most sense; oil, pollution and makeup sit on our skin for at least 10 hours or more throughout the day.  For my morning routine, I choose to remove the oil that collects through the night with facial cleansing cloths.  Being the product-junkie I am, I rotate many different brands of cloths, but my favorite is Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes. 

Sometimes I feel like Goldilocks when using different brands of cloths!  Some are too dry, too wet, too small…!  Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes have the perfect amount of moisture and stay just wet enough to cleanse my entire face and remove heavy liner and mascara.  They are also gentle enough to not clash with my acne and anti-aging products.  Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes are available in 3 different formulas to suit any skin care need.

Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes can be found for $5 or less at select locations.

It seems every time I check the ELF website, new products have been added!  The Studio Line is expanding rapidly and every item I’ve tried so far is comparable to high-end brands.  The new Single Eyeshadows are simply amazing.  From the sleek black case (mirror included!) to the smooth, long-wear application, these shadows are worthy of a much higher price tag than $3.  There is a slight shimmer in many of the shades, but it’s subtle enough to add just a hint of glam.  The texture of these shadows is described by ELF as being like ” butter” and I do agree.  The shadow clings to your brush with no fallout and looks gorgeous wet or dry.  All 10 shades can be purchased at the ELF website and select shades can be found at The Makeup Mix Shop.

I love polishes that stand out from the norm.  The crazier the color, the more I have to have it!  After reading a review from Nouveau Cheap on the new Wet n Wild Craze Nail Polishes, I stalked my local Walgreens relentlessly.  Dark greens are in this fall, so my first pick of this new line, is the shade shown above, Morbid.  This is a stunning hunter green with a subtle shimmer.  Even if the polish was less than stellar (so not true in this case), I would have snatched these up for the awesome packaging alone.  It took just two coats for full coverage and it applies smoothly with no streaking.  Once dry, it takes on an almost black hue, but the shimmering green becomes more pronounced in direct light.  Morbid is just one of nine have-to-have shades in the new Craze Collection.

Makeup Masala is giving 3 readers the chance to win my favorite shade in this new collection, Morbid!  Just leave any comment to be entered to win.  Winners will be announced Sunday, August 30th, 10:00pm CST.  Readers from all countries are invited to participate!

Every year I look forward to the release of Shape Magazine’s Beauty Awards.  Many times I find my old favorites have made the list, while I also find new products to add to my arsenal.  I’ve listed a few items below that made the list for 2009 and you’ll be able to see the entire list of award-winning products when the September issue hits newstands on 8-24.

Facial Exfoliators
Olay Dual Action Cleanser + Pore Scrub ($7; at drugstores) For skin to look its best, you need not only to remove the day’s dirt and makeup, but also to slough off dead cells. Testers loved that this foaming daily cleanser did both. “It left my skin feeling clean and smooth, and my pores looked smaller,” said one.

Hand Care

Sally Hansen Salon Hand Care Two Step Renewal System for Hands ($8; at drugstores) This two-part regimen solves all your hand issues. An exfoliating scrub sloughs off rough skin to help erase age spots, and a moisturizer with collagen helps firm. One tester dubbed it “pretty hands in a tube.”

Hair Styling

Dove Heat Defense Therapy Heat Activated Protect & Shine Mist ($4; at drugstores) It’s a beauty catch-22: To make tresses look their best, you often have to use damaging hot tools. But if you spritz this protective product onto strands first, they can withstand high temps and not end up split and frayed. “I never used to spritz on heat styling sprays because they weighed down my hair, but this one’s light and nonsticky—and, most important, it made my mane look less strawlike after flat-ironing,” said a tester.

Lip Color

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain ($7; at drugstores) Testers repeatedly commented on this long-lasting stain’s “fabulous texture.” “It felt like it wasn’t there—even though it stayed on throughout my entire lunch,” said one. The addition of conditioners, like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, ensures that lips will stay soft and hydrated.

Best Razor

Gillette Venus Embrace Shaving System ($10; at drugstores) The latest incarnation of this crowd-pleasing shaver features five blades surrounded by a skin-protecting ribbon of moisture. “It glides so well, there were no nicks,” said one tester.

When olives and silk come together in a conditioner, it’s a beautiful thing.  Silk Elements Megasilk Olive Conditioner soothes frizzy or dry hair and leaves it with a silken shine.  I used this initially as a treatment after coloring my hair and the result was healthy, vibrantly-shiny strands.  Since coloring, I’ve been using this as a daily conditioner and my curls are noticeably more defined and bouncy.  Silk Elements Megasilk Olive Conditioner is currently on sale at Sally Beauty for $3.99.

Exfoliation is a must for healthy, balanced skin.  A good facial scrub can take away a multitude of sins, leaving skin renewed and refreshed.  Queen Helene has just introduced their newest product, Pomegranate and Raspberry Facial Scrub, which is gentle enough for all skin types.  Bursting with the juicy, ripe scents of Pomegranate and Raspberry, this scrub has very fine particles of Raspberry seeds which lift off dead skin effortlessly.  Use once a week (also great for knees and elbows) to keep skin at its beautiful best.

Queen Helene’s Pomegranate and Raspberry Facial Scrub retails for $4 or less at most locations.