I need a new bathing suit----Please help!!!!!

I go through this every year!!! I wear a dd-ddd bra and I cannot find a bathing suit that gives me support or that will even fit. I run around to all the stores and it gets so frustrating. I do not want to spend all that money to order online if they may not fit. I have found some really promising tankini tops online but they are expensive and I am scared they will not fit. I need one that fits like an underwire bra. If it does not have an underwire it is not going to keep the puppies up ;)!!! If anyone has any ideas---PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, HELP ME!!!!

Schick Personal Touch Razor----Need a replacement!!!

I have used the Schick personal touch razor for well over 10 years. Now after apparently living under a rock where razors are concerned, I find out they no longer sell the replacement blades or razors in stores.

I recently bought a couple different types of razors and they don't even come close to replacing my personal touch. I've seen that you can buy them on ebay or amazon marketplace but they are kind of expensive in my opinion.

Does anyone know of a razor that would be as good as the personal touch razor? If you were a longtime user like me, what do you use in place of the personal touch now? I would appreciate any feedback.

I got a new straightener from Sally Beauty

This is a really great straightener. It is called ION TITANIUM PLATINUM 5/8" KOMPACT DUAL VOLTAGE STYLING IRON. It cost about 30.00.

It is a mini straightener and is great for styling side swept bangs. It is a must have for shorter hair styles like mine.

It comes with a heat resistant,insulated travel pouch. It heats up to 386 degrees. I will say that you cannot adjust the heat so that would be the only drawback to this wonderful straightener. It only has an on/off switch and it says that it heats up to 386 degrees. It does not seem to be too hard on my hair.

It really is easy to handle. It is lightweight and not cumbersome. It leaves my hair really shiny and managable. But it doesn't "smash" my hair. My hair still has body and movement but is sleek and shiny. Hope that makes sense.

This product is defintely worth a try if you are looking for a new straightener(or to add to your straightener collection if you are like me).

Wow,I got alot of blogging done today. I feel proud:) Now I gotta go make my daughters cake for her 16th birthday!!!!

CHECK OUT THE OVERFLOWING CABINETS AND CLOSETS

MY BATHROOM ORGANIZERS-SENT FROM HEAVEN

I know you will find this hard to believe. I am a neat freak!!! Even though my cabinets are overflowing and I have to constantly rearrange them, I really like things to be neat. This is always a challenge with the amount of products that I have, of course. I called it chaotic organization. I will post a picture so you get the idea.

Anyway,I found these makeup organizers at Target on clearance. I absolutely love them for keeping my daily stuff organized.

I put them on top my bathroom dresser with my mini speakers for my mp3 player. They are perfect and I do not know how I lived without them. Sorry, a little dramatic I know. You will understand if you have as much as I do and still value organization.

If you have the space in your bathroom for these, run to Target now and get your bathroom organized. Then you can breathe a sign of relief and maybe not forget what you actually have stuffed in the cabinet. The problem is I need about 20 of these.

COVERGIRL EXACT EYELIGHTS MASCARA

This is another one of my favorite mascaras. I have used this for about a year. It is by Covergirl and I have found that they make a couple of pretty good mascaras.

I have hazel eyes and I really like the black gold version of the eyelights mascara. I find that it really does make my eyes stand out more than usual. I have not had any problem with clumping and it does not irritate my eyes.

They have a few different versions. I have also tried the black pearl that is supposed to be for brown eyes. I like this one also but my favorite is the black gold.

This costs about 6.00 and you can buy it almost anywhere.

The only benzoyl peroxide product that I will use-- 2.5%

By now all of you probably know about my crazy combo skin. I use a couple acne products in my t-zone only. I already told you about the mattifying gel that I use from KOHLS. Now let me tell you about the other one that I use and really like alot.

It is called Neutrogena on-the-spot acne treatment. It contains benzoyl peroxide in a 2.5% formula. I also only use it once a day. If not my nose will peel even at this low dose. I cannot use the 3,5,or 10% formulas of benzoyl peroxide. If my nose peels after more than a daily dose of the 2.5% formula, my nose would probably fall off with a 10% formula.

This is really great because I have found that it controls oil and reduces the look of pores. I only use this in my t-zone and never on my cheeks.

Also as you will know if you have ever used benzoyl peroxide products before, this will stain hair, clothing and towels. I always make sure it has completely dried before putting on clothes,etc. I have never had a problem with it staining anything but I just wanted to add that it can stain but shouldn't be a problem if you let it dry and always wash your hands after applying.

It sounds like a real pain to use but it really isn't. I never use more than one acne product at a time. So You might want to use caution if your face cleanser or toner have acne medicine in them when combining them with another acne medicine.

This is the only formula I have found so far in the 2.5% formula. Most of the ones I have found are usually in the 10% formulas.

I have noticed a difference in the blackheads on my nose since I started using this about 3 months ago. Give it a try, it cost about 5-6 dollars. You can buy it almost anywhere in the acne product section.

Future fun topics

I am expanding my horizons,ladies!!! I want to start discussing a few other accessories in addition to my product obsession. I not only love beauty products but I love purses and bras. Now I know you are thinking "huh"??? Did she just say "bras"? Why,yes I did. Let me explain.

I have always loved purses and that is a normal girl thing, so that is nothing surprising. I will tell you about my favorite styles and such in the future. But you may think my love of bras is peculiar.

Well I have bigger breasts (DD) and finding a good bra is not easy. I have found if your bra does not fit right,you might as well forget it. Your clothes will not look or feel right either. I will tell you that I treat my bras like gold.

My main bras that I have worn for years are the Playtex t-shirt bras. I am not sure if they are still called that anymore as they have evolved a little over the years. But they are generally still the same. They give you lift and support but they are so comfortable.

But I am so scared they will eventually stop making them. That is what normally happens with alot of my favorites. So I am always on the lookout for any bras that I will deem keepers. Let me tell you, if I think they are keepers--Lookout!!! You will never be rid of me:)

So in the future I will keep you posted on any of my new favorites. If anyone needs the exact product number of the t-shirt bras, just send me an email and I will get the number on the tag to you. These bras run about 15.00 at Target and Walmart.

UPDATE ON AVON PRODUCTS

Sorry for the long absence!!! I needed to give the products a good try before I reported back to you guys. My daughters 16th birthday is today so that is another reason for the busy schedule.

So back to the update. Sadly I found no holy grail products. It's not that I found the products to be awful. I just found them to be average and I do not repurchase average:)

The first product was the ANEW ADVANCED ALL IN ONE MAX SELF-ADJUSTING PERFECTING LOTION. I actually bought two of them hoping to love it. It is simply okay. It is a little moisturizing but does not completely help my dry patches. I had bought it because of the retinol in it but I found an interesting fact after purchasing.

The product is marketed as it being good for wrinkles and fine lines because it has glycolic acid and a pro-retinol complex. I recently discovered that you should never buy a product containing both of these ingredients.

The reason being is that they cancel each other out. You are supposed to buy them seperately if you want to use them both. When mixed together they are supposedly rendered ineffective.

But like I said it is not awful and did not cause me to break out but there was just nothing that great about it. It basically is not worth 10.00 in my opinion. But remember, I have very mean angry combo skin. So most products sadly never have a chance. It is just such a pain to have combo skin. The damn dry patches and then the oily blackheads. I got the best of both worlds,right:)

Anyway, the perfume I got is called wish of luck. I cannot wear anything too flowery because it gives me an instant headache. (don't ask how many body sprays I have returned to bath and body works for this exact reason). I thought this sounded light enough I might not have that problem but sadly it is a little strong. So basically ibuprofen got a visit after trying it out.

The lip balm I got was in gingerbread and had a slight brownish color when applied. I liked it okay but it is nothing compared to my blistex deep renewal.

I also got a small tube of the moisture therapy intensive lotion. It is no better than any other lotion I own but hey it was only $.99. So it was worth a try.

The last that I got was liiv botanicals vitalizing eye cream. I really wanted to like this. I do like was it does for brightening the eye area BUT something in it did not like me. It really irritated my eyes. That does not happen too often for me with eye cream and I am a contact wearer. But I am scared to wear it again for fear of my eyelids swelling. NOT a pretty sight.

So all in all, nothing to brag about in this batch. The search continues for great products and my closets and cabinets continue to overflow.

THINNING HAIR FEEDBACK

I was wondering if you guys would like to help me out???? As I mentioned before, my hair started thinning about 3-4 years ago. Previously, my hair was super thick. I have used some homeopathic stuff to try and get new growth. I also have tried to stop drinking diet soda because I thought the aspartame was making it fall out. In the last few years I have tried many many things and nothing did much good.

I have said before in previous posts that I refuse to use rogaine and products like that. I don't see the point really. It only works while you are using it and that just bugs me. I want something that really works.

You would think that with all of the many many women with thinning hair they would have something better to offer us than what is now available. It seems like women now more than ever have problems with thinning hair and at a much younger age than ever before.

I also previously posted about how as much I as I miss how my hair used to be, I refuse to be defined by my hair. I think too much emphasis is put on womens hair. You are supposedly only "beautiful" if you have thick, long, flowing hair. That is beyond stupid.

Why is it that men can be bald and sexy but woman are supposed to have long, thick hair to be sexy. So ridiculous!!!! Woman can be bald and sexy too. I want all these stereotypes to stop about hair.

Sure I wish my hair had never started thinning and I have tried products to try to get my hair to return. But that doesn't change the fact that woman with thinning hair do not have alot of options and do not get much help from doctors.

It is accepted that as men get older that they will lose their hair and that is socially acceptable. But bald women or woman losing hair in this day and age still seems taboo.

Okay my whole point to this long rant was your feedback. Do you have thinning hair? What do you use if anything? Do you disagree with me about Rogaine and like products usage? Do you think woman should be bald and proud and ACCEPTED that way just like men?

I want to hear your opinions and it is fine to disgree. If you do disagree, please be respectful about it. I can't wait to hear from all of you.

I LOVE TARGET FOR CLEARANCE CRUISIN'

I have been a faithful shopper of Target for many years. I go there weekly if not more just to cruise the end caps for sales. It is like a sport to me. To think someone is getting one of my clearances on a day I might not be there drives me nuts. I usually go very early in the morning right after they open. The only problem with that is the aisles are usually blocked by workers.

Let me explain. I normally cruise the end caps because that is where they normally put the clearances. Sometimes you can find some on the regular part of the shelves also but the sales are normally put on the ends. The workers are usually adjusting the clearance prices or adding new sale items in the morning when I am trying to shop. Darn those Target workers for doing their jobs;)

So I guess it is all about the weaving in and out so I can get to my clearances without running over the workers that are keeping me from my sales. I am kidding...sort of.

Anyway, I have always found great sales at Target. I would be rich if they had some sort of bonus card for each dollar you spend.

I will say that I do not like their return policy one bit. You better make sure you do not lose that receipt and if it is after 90 days then they will tell you "too bad buddy"(my words not theirs but you get the idea).

Target will let you return 2 things a calendar year with your drivers license. BUT the items cannot be worth more than 25.00. I learned this the hard way. I had a gift given from relatives and they lost the receipt. I had not previously returned anything that year without a receipt but they would not give me anything because it was priced at 30.00. Their return policy just bugs me. Walmart has a much better return policy no doubt about it.

I shop alot at Target and Walmart. But I will say that I do not normally ever get the clearances at Walmart that I get at Target. I mainly do my grocery shopping at Walmart.

Now if Target would do something about their nutty return policy and start carrying groceries (my Targets around me are not Super Targets),they might never get me to leave:) Oh yeah and adding a hair salon would help too!!!

GUESS WHAT I GOT TODAY

My stuff from AVON. Woohoo!!! They always seem to ship UPS basic which means ups hands it off to the postal service for them to drop it off in your mail. This always seems to be a problem when items are shipped to me like this. For some reason, my stuff never seems to make it to the post office. It is always a big hassle so I must love AVON to keep going through this trouble.

Today, I called the post office hoping by some chance maybe it was dropped off there today. Guess what? I lucked out and it was there. I was shocked!!! I asked if we could come and pick it up instead of waiting for the mail tomorrow. So my sweet hubby went to the post office and got it for me.

I haven't tried any of it yet except for spraying a little of the perfume. It smells pretty good. The stuff that I got was on their site but a couple of the things were from the Avon outlet. I think a couple of the things might be being discontinued. I guess I set myself up for heartache if I love the stuff and can't get it anymore.

The stuff that I got was Wish of Luck perfume, Anew advanced all -in-one MAX lotion (2 of them), liiv botanicals eye cream, Moisture Therapy Intensive hand cream, and one of their lip balms in gingerbread. I love the smell of cinnamon, cloves, gingerbread and pumpkin. Guess you can't guess my favorite season of the year:)

I will let you know how I like these products. I will wait til I use them a few times so I don't say I like it after trying it once and then change my mind. My skin may reject it the second time. That has been known to happen. Wish me Luck!

I LOVE VASELINE

I have mentioned before about how I don't normally wear lipgloss or lipstick. I use vaseline or my blistex lip balm. But vaseline is good for so many other things and it is one of the cheapest beauty products you can buy.

I have combo skin that is a pain but I can still use vaseline with no problem. I use it under my eyes at night. I rotate it with my Ponds dry skin cream. My crazy skin has never had a reaction to it and that is saying something.

What I do is apply a light layer to my skin and under my eyes. Then I dab with a tissue to remove excess. That way there is still a thin layer but not enough to make a huge mess.

The next morning my skin looks glowy and feels soft. If you look at alot of your beauty products they contain petroleum in some form. I know alot of people run screaming for the hills when they think about petroleum in their beauty products. I am not one of those people. I personally love vaseline and I think it is a great inexpensive beauty product.

Vaseline gets a bad rap alot of the time. You hear it shouldn't be in beauty products because it will clog your pores and blah blah blah. Well, I have used products without petroleum and they have clogged my pores. So whatever. Everyone is different and no one can really say whether it will work for you until you try it. Vaseline only costs a couple of bucks so it is worth a try. If it doesn't work for your skin, at least you can always use it as a lipgloss.

MAYBELLINE GREAT LASH MASCARA

My mom always used this mascara and now I know why. Another oldie but a goodie. This is a really great mascara and it is about 4.00. I have 3 mascaras that I use right now. I have used tons of different brands of mascara but I always come back to great lash as one of my main mascaras.

It is really weird but some mascaras make my eyelashes fall out like crazy just after one use. I do not have many eyelashes to begin with so I can't afford to lose any. I can tell after 1-2 uses if I am going to be able to continue wearing the mascara with no problems.

Sometimes it surprises me that I even like beauty products. I have my never ending list of skin/scalp/hair problems. I have combo skin that is a constant pain in the a..:) I have thinning hair and a scalp that I fight to keep dandruff free. I have hair that starting thinning for no good reason. But all that being said, I still LOVE LOVE LOVE skin/scalp/hair and every other product known to man.

My husband took me to Sephora last year for our anniversary so I could pick out my presents that I wanted. It was like a junkies heaven. I could not decide what to get even though I had researched the products that I wanted to try out.

Sephora is about an hour and a half from my house, so it was quite a trip just for beauty products. Even though I was not to impressed with my selections, I would still go back to Sephora.

While I liked Sephora and was so excited to go, I have found products just as good in regular department/drugstores. Also they were just a little expensive for my tastes. I felt really guilty about what I spent even though it was a present.

I always look at ingredients in everything. I didn't notice any ingredient all that amazing in any of the products. I knew that before I went to the store but I still wanted to go just because I had never been to a Sephora.

Maybe the next time I go they will be having a big supersale. (I doubt it but you never know) My point was that even though I have all of these skin/hair issues-----I am a true product addict. Now if it were only free to try all these products:)

MY VALENTINES DAY PRESENTS

Could it possibly be beauty products??? Why,yes it is!!!! My hubby is getting me the Avon products that I wanted for Valentines Day. WOOHOO---- I have never used any of the stuff that I just ordered,so I will report back with an update. It may take a while because it always seems like when I order from Avon it either gets lost or is extremely slow arriving in the mail. Hopefully these products will be worth the wait.

I will tell you about one of the products that I like from Avon. It is one of their retinol products. I have always heard you can tell if there is actually retinol in it by the color. I heard that if it gets a yellow tint after sitting for a few days,then it really does have a good amount in it. I am not sure if this is really true. BUT I will tell you that after sitting for a day or so without being used it does get a yellow tint on the product closest to the cap. It seems kind of like it is settling near the cap. So I am not sure if this verifies the claim about the retinol or not.

That aside, I do like the product. It is called Avon Solutions Ageless Results Intensive-A Line Treatment. It does seem to minimize my pores. I have not had a problem with it drying out my skin at this point. But I only use it once a day to maybe every other day. I really like products with retinol as you can probably tell by my other reviews. Of course they are not a miracle in a tube or bottle but I do think they help some.

I have problem skin that is a major pain. Anything that can help somewhat is always a good thing. I will let you know how I like my new Avon products after I have give them a try.

One last random thought, you know how I said that my hair is thinning? You know what really is ironic? I lose it from my head but I have random hair that pops up in places that it shouldn't be. Does anyone know what I mean? You know, the random hairs that show up on your chin or your neck? I find this so weird. Like some sort of cosmic joke. You lose your hair on your head but gain it in UNWANTED PLACES. So Strange!!! If we could only take that neck and chin hair and attach it to our heads. Wouldn't that be cool?

RIMMEL IS STILL MY FAVORITE EYELINER AND CHECK OUT MY CHEAP SMUDGE EYE BRUSH

I have yet to find an eyeliner that I like better than my Rimmel eyeliners. My favorite are the special eyes liner and the kohl liner. They are inexpensive at about 4.00 each. I really like the smokey eye look. I usually smudge with a q-tip because smudge eye sponges always seem so expensive.

But I found one by ELF that is great. This is a cheaper makeup that Target,Kmart and Big Lots started carrying in their stores. The Targets that I shop at starting clearancing their ELF stuff around the beginning of January. I don't know if that means all Targets will clearance their ELF stock or not. So you might want to check Kmart or Big Lots.

The smudger brush came in a set with eyeliner,mascara and eye shadow. My almost 16 year old got all those things and I got the smudge eye sponge. I really love it and it works much better than a q-tip(sorry old friend).My daughter really likes the makeup that they make and I guess that is high praise coming from a teenager. If you can get your hands on one of these, hold on tight and don't let go!!!I always get the perfect smokey eye with Rimmel eyeliners and my Elf smudge eye sponge.

MY FAVORITE NAIL POLISH

I normally do not paint my fingernails.I guess because I am constantly doing dishes and I figure it would be pointless. However, I do paint my toenails pretty regularly. I have had a professional french manicure a few times but it really tears up your real nails.

The polish that I love to use on my toenails is Maybelline Express Finish. I do not have the time or patience to wait a long time for my toes to dry. This stuff really does dry quickly. I do not have to sit and worry that it will smudge after I thought it was dry. I only wish they would start coming out with new colors because it seems like I own every color they have up to this point. It lasts quite a while on my toes but I can't say how long it would last on your fingers.

Try Maybelline Express Finish if you are like me and have no patience to wait for your toes or fingers to dry.

WOW, NOW THAT'S ALOT OF SNOW!!!

Well it's official---we are snowed in. It seems like we can't get away from the snow this year. We don't normally get much so everyone is shocked by the amount that we have been getting this year.

My kids love it but it seems like they haven't gone to school since Christmas break. Actually I think they have gone about 3 days since the middle of December.This time we got slammed with over 2 feet of snow (almost 3 feet). They were predicting up to about 4 feet,so I guess we got lucky:)

I don't mind the snow but after a few days I will start to go a little stir crazy. Thought I would share a picture with you. The whole family played out in the snow today. It was alot of fun but kind of hard to walk in because there is so much. Poor hubby is so sore from clearing snow for many hours. We don't have a 4-wheeler or riding mower with a plow so it was just him and a shovel. Poor guy!! Anyway,take a look:) This was last night before we got about 15 more inches.

GOOD OLD PONDS DRY SKIN CREAM

It seems like Ponds has been around forever. I guess there is a reason this is an oldie but a goodie. I use this as a moisturizer at night alot and as an eye cream. It does not irritate my eyes and it is very moisturizing. It is cheap and it lasts a long time. My skin tends to act up with alot of products.

This has never caused any type of reaction. Maybe you will have good luck with it also. You can buy this at Walmart,Target,drugstores and Amazon.com. It costs about 5.00 for the 3.9 oz container like mine.

I LOVE MY PED-EGG, BUT.......

It is not a one time fix. I love it and it does work. My husband has always said only a sandblaster would work on my dry feet. Well haha, I proved him wrong.

I have owned this for about a year and even bought my mom one. It was amazing to see that I had soft feet under all that dry skin. BUT,it doesn't stay that way. It is constant upkeep even when using lotion afterward. It is not a big deal but I guess I was hoping for a one time fix. Lazy me!!!

I thought once I removed the dry skin it would just stay soft. I probably do the ped egg 2-3 times a week before my shower.

I recently just bought the stuff called heel-tastic. It is another product from the as seen on TV stuff. I had read it has good reviews but at this point I am not impressed . I have used it about 5 times. I admit that the skin does feel smoother. But to me it just seems like it just coats it and doesn't pentrate like it says it does. The dry skin is still there snagging my furniture. I know it says it has all these penetrating ingredients but it also has dimethicone. Which I am not against but I know it is more of a coater than a penetrator. Or maybe my husband is right and nothing will ever fully penetrate those puppies.

Oh well,I guess I will keep slaving away with my Ped-Egg.

A GOOD POWDER I FOUND BY RIMMEL

I just found this on Friday. I do not wear alot of makeup in general. I have large pores and as I have gotten older I have started using powder. Up to this point, I have never worn foundation of any type.

This powder by Rimmel is called Stay Matte Pressed powder with natural minerals. It says on the back that it controls shine for up to 5 hours. It says it helps minimize the appearance of pores. Well that is great for me because I don't miss my pores when they disappear.

I tried this out on Saturday and it really does control shine. I know alot of them say that and then you are shining away in an hour. My shine actually stayed gone for 5-6 hours and I have a really oily nose. It is not expensive and only costs about 5.00 regular price. Give your shine the boot with Rimmel. They sell this at alot of places. (Amazon.com,Walgreens,Target,Walmart)

MY FAVORITE AVON MASCARA

I discovered this mascara from Avon a few months ago. I had never bought mascara from avon before so I wasn't sure I would like them.

I decided to buy the Super Shock Mascara in black. I am very picky about my mascara. I have 3 out of the probably 50 that I own that I really like. I don't have alot of eyelashes and can't stand clumping.

So when I received this I was pleasantly surprised. It is a really great mascara in my opinion. It goes on without clumping and it really does make my eyelashes appear longer and fuller. With my wimpy eyelashes to work with, I couldn't ask for more. If you have wimpy eyelashes like me-- Shock them!!!! Give Super Shock mascara by Avon a try.

BEST LIP BALM EVER

I have so many containers of this stuff you would seriously question my sanity. It is called Blistex deep renewal with Q10. I am not sure why this stuff is so amazing. It makes your lips so smooth.

My 15 year old daughter loves it too. I don't normally wear lipstick/lipgloss. My main thing that I normally use is just plain old vaseline. It is cheap and shiny and does the job. But this is my absolute favorite. It cost around 2.00 and you can buy it just about anywhere. I usually get my at Walmart or Target. This is made by Blistex and it gets 5 stars.

OLAY TOTAL EFFECTS EYE CREAM

The eye cream that I use before going out somewhere is Olay total effects eye transforming cream. It really does brighten up your eyes and does not irritate my contacts.

It is not the cheapest eye cream. It runs between 18-20 dollars but a little goes a long way. I can really tell a difference when I use this especially if I am really tired.

I do not use it as a nighttime eye cream. I find that it is not moisturizing enough to use for nighttime for some reason. I usually use my Ponds cream for night. It is not that I find this particularly drying, I just prefer something heavier for nighttime. You can buy this almost anywhere. I have seen it at Walmart,Target, Amazon.com and many other stores.

GOOD SKIN MATTIFYING GEL FROM KOHLS.COM

I have finally found a keeper. I have a really oily t-zone and am always searching for a good mattifying gel. I have tried a few others and was not really impressed. I found this at Kohls. It is from the brand good skin. The full name is all right mattifying gel.

It does contain salicylic acid in a 0.5% strength. I have not had any problem with this drying my skin. But I only wear it under my powder before going out. I don't just apply it to wear it around the house. I guess I use it like more of a primer.

It might be drying if you use it a few times a day. I guess it just depends on how your skin reacts to salicylic acid. This cost me about 12.00 and it lasts for quite a while. It is in a .5 FL.OZ tube. If you have problems with a shiny nose, you might like this mattifying gel.

MARGARITE TINTED ZINC CREAM

This is a acne cream for drying out pimples but this one is tinted.  I discovered this one at iherb.com.

It is absorbed into the skin very well and does not cake on the skin. It blends really well with my very pale skin tone so that says alot. It has some really good ingredients like zinc,lanolin and colloidal sulfur. Yes, another cream with sulfur.

I think we have come to the conclusion it is gonna be in most acne treatments. It also has bentonite in it, which I understand is a type of clay that is supposed to be beneficial for the skin. If you are interested in this,the only place I have ever seen it is at iherb.com.

If you use this code during checkout IGA854 and you are a first time customer, you will receive 5.00 off instantly. You do not have to have a certain purchase amount but you do have to be a first time customer at iherb.com.

BYE BYE BLEMISH DRYING LOTION

This is another really good drying lotion for drying out those pimples. This one can be bought on Amazon and I have also found it at Rite Aid.

This one has 10% sulfur so it doesn't smell all that great but it is not unbearable either. I mainly smell the camphor in in more than the sulfur.

I really like drying creams and I am so glad that there is a little selection of them now. With this drying lotion, do not shake it. You are supposed to put a q-tip into the sediment that has settled on the bottom.

In a pinch use regular calamine lotion as a drying agent for pimples. This is what I have done for years and it does work. After using calamine lotion for drying out my pimples for years, I noticed it is one of the ingredients in some of the drying lotions on the market today. Guess I had the right idea all along.

FREE SAMPLES FROM MARIO BADESCU

Mario Badescu has some really great products and my favorites are the drying lotion and the drying cream. If you go to the website you can sign up to get free samples.

When you go to the website click on the consulting tab at the top of the page. You will fill out some information about your skin so that they can give you a skin analysis. Then you will receive an email about 1-2 days later about your samples.

Do not ignore the email. Then they will send you the samples of the items they have decided would work best for your skin.The drying cream and the drying lotion are great for getting zits to heal quicker. The samples are pretty generous and the products are great. But this way you have nothing to lose if you do not like the products.

LACURA SKIN CARE LINE FROM ALDI GROCERY STORES

I discovered the Lacura skin care line from Aldi grocery stores a couple of months ago after reading about them online. They are supposed to be really good products and are really cheap.

The next day I made a trip to Aldi about 30 minutes from my house. I bought the cleanser(3.49), regular toner and the one for sensitive skin(2.49),the Q10 night cream with retinol and the Q10 day cream (3.99 each).

I think the cleanser is pretty good. I have very weird combination skin.I get dry patches really easy. I also am really oily and have blackheads. I like both of the toners equally. They are as good as any of the ones I have bought before and paid more money for them. I really like the night cream . It is moisturizing but not overly greasy. I am not really impressed with the day cream and did not see anything special about it. Overall these are just as good as alot of other products but they are cheaper than most.

MY CURRENT STRAIGHTENER FROM SALLY BEAUTY SUPPLY

Believe me when I tell you that I have owned as many straighteners as I have hair dryers. I mean dozens of straighteners by many different brands.

I am currently using one from Sally's called Hot and Silky by silk elements.It gets really hot. It has a temperature dial and I use it between 2 and 3. I am losing hair and cannot afford to burn anymore off. You need to use a hot iron mat that they sell at Sally's also. This way you do not mess up you  bathroom counter because they get super HOT!! A hot iron mat is always good to have anyway with any straightener or curling iron.

I also like (surprise surprise) my many conair straighteners. Conair straighteners are really great. I love the conair you style multi-function straightener. You can straighten hair or create waves. This straightener has a curved plate on one side. It is really awesome.

I also like the conair infiniti I-series 3/4 inch straighteners. I have the one with the color green on it. It is very light to hold and is not cumbersome. It has got alot of heat settings and a screen for reading the temperature. I probably own just about every conair product ever made. Sad but true!

MY CONAIR HAIR DRYER HAS SOME COMPETITION

I have always been a fan of the Conair hair dryers. I think they are really good blow dryers for the price. I always have like the Conair ion shine line.

I have tried so many different brands of hair dryers it is not even funny.But I always come back to the ion shine hair dryers

UNTIL I found the Bedhead Rockstar hair dryer at Target. I thought I would give it a try. I have had it for about 4 months now and I really like it. The hair dryer is black with gold buttons. It is more expensive than the conair hair dryers but not ridiculously so.

If you are looking for a new hair dryer, this could be the one for you. They sell this on Amazon or in Target stores.

MY FAVORITE ROUND BRUSHES FROM SALLY'S

I always blow dry my hair with my favorite round brushes from Sally Beauty. Sometimes I just dry my bang area and other times I dry all of my hair. Just depends on my mood and amount of time that I have to get done.

I start drying after I apply my leave-in conditioners. I have 3 different round brushes and use all of them at different times. I have 2 medium and one mini round brush.

The first medium is called brush strokes #217008. The second medium is by jilbere de paris #JBEG02. The mini one is by spornette #HB-1. I have only found these particular brands at Sally Beauty Supply. They are between 3-5 dollars. If you are a fan of round brushes while drying your hair ,give these a try.

SOMETHING NEW AT WALGREENS

I really truly love Walgreens. For a product junkie like me,Walgreens has alot of little treasures. They also have great clearances. I love to go in and just look around. The problem is I cannot remember the last time I went in to "just look" and didn't end up buying something:)

I went in today to "just look" and I found something new by Tresemme. They now have dry shampoos. They have 2 different types. I wasn't sure which one would work the best with my hair. So...I bought them both.

The first one says Tresemme dry shampoo for oily/straight to normal hair. It also says waterless and oil and odor remover with mineral clay&citrus. This comes in spray form. The other one says Tresemme waterless foam shampoo for dry/curly to normal hair. It also says moisturizing cleanser with aloe vera and citrus. This one comes in pump bottle form like a mousse.

I haven't tried them yet but I will report back when I do. I have never used a dry shampoo before. I have heard good things about them but from what I understood they were a little pricey.

As I said before, I only wash my hair every other day. Sometimes wash day rolls around and I have to run out unexpectedly. What I do when that happens is use baby powder to freshen up my oily roots. I just take the baby powder(any type will do) and pour a little in my hands. Then I distribute onto my hair around the roots. Make sure that the powder gets absorbed or your hair will look white/grey. That keeps your hair looking fresh til you can get it washed later. After finding these, maybe I will retire my baby powder. We shall see..........

SURF MIST FOR BEACH HAIR

This is FX Special Effects Surf mist. I have read that alot of hairstylists use this type of product because it has sea salt in it. I tried to make my own sea salt spray to get the beachy wavy effect and it didn't turn out too well.

I found this recently at Walgreens. I have looked and I have not seen it in any other stores. It must be pretty new. It says it is "after beach look styling spray" and it is sea salt infused. It also says extra texture for wild beachy sexy loose styles. WOW-that was a mouthful. I really like this spray.It has alot of really good ingredients in it like coconut oil , kelp extract and seaweed extract. Remember to look for this at walgreens because I can't find it anywhere else.

Also,right now it has a 1.00 off coupon on the bottle. Just an added bonus for a great product.

Next ,I will be telling you about what hair dryer and straightener that I use.Then I will move on to cosmetics and skin products. I really hope you stick around and maybe you will like some of these things that I find so great.

I MESS UP MY HAIR FOR FREE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH

I started cutting my own hair about 4 years ago. I got so tired of going to salons and paying all this money for a bad hair cut. I would have to come home and try to fix it anyway.

So I figured what was the point in paying for someone to mess up my hair. About 4 years ago was the breaking point for me. I went to get a haircut when my son was 6 months old. The woman (devil) cut my hair with a razor. My hair was dry I might add and it actually, physically hurt.

By the time she was done with me my hair was shredded. I mean ruined. I was so upset and angry. What I have discovered is that wavy hair should not be cut with a razor. Us wavy haired girls are not going to get the magazine pictures. The funny thing was I didn't ask for a certain magazine style and I thought she might know what in the world she was doing.

That became the beginning of my short hair and me cutting my own hair. My husband was not too thrilled in the beginning-believe me. But I have come to feel more comfortable with short hair than with longer hair.

Now I have no training and know nothing about cutting hair. It has been trial and error. I use my family as guinea pigs and that are fine with it. I have had some big oops but at least I wasn't paying someone else for it. I cut my husbands hair,my 4 year old sons,my 12 year old sons and my 15 year old daughters hair. Nobody else cuts their hair and it has been that way for 4 years. It was the same with my kids and husband. You pay someone to cut it and it is a disaster. I am sure there are some good stylists where we live but I prefer to not seek them out anymore. I buy my scissors at trade secret and my clippers for the boys from Walmart. The only other items that I need are the capes and big brush that I buy to keep the hair from itching them while I am cutting. I buy the capes and the brush from Sally Beauty Supply. You could also just use a big makeup brush to dust the hair away if you chose.

I think I am lucky in the fact that the little waviness left in my hair conceals alot of my mistakes. I know it is weird but cutting my own hair is liberating to me. I don't stress too much about messing up. I sometimes don't care how it turns out because it is a learning experience of what not to do next time. Also my kids have always liked their cuts and my daughter get tons of compliments from her picky teenage friends:) I get more compliments on my hairstyles now than I ever did when I was going to salons and I save money. Just thought I would share this little bit of info with you.

BEDHEAD HARD TO GET TEXTURIZING PASTE

I discovered this a couple of years ago and would be lost without it. I actually got one in my stocking for Christmas this year because, heaven forbid, I would run out.

This is by bedhead and is in a little roundish blue sphere. It is a texturizing paste. It does not take alot of product and your hair will not be greasy when using the right amount for you. You just need to experiment with the amount a little bit.

I put some between my fingers to "melt the paste" a little. Then I just distribute through my hair. I can't even describe how much I love this paste. I have used alot of things described as a texturizing paste and they are more like a cream. This paste is harder but it emulsifies easily. If you don't melt it completely and see a little on a hair strand ,just rub that strand and it will mix right in. It is pretty goof-proof.

Try it and see if it works for you. You can buy it at salons that carry the bedhead line of products and it is also sold on Amazon.com. Next up,the last product that I use in my routine. I also want to mention that I only wash and style my hair every other day. Once I fix it with these items,I don't usually have to do much with it until I wash again.

BEST LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS EVER

Let me tell you ,I have tried every leave-in conditioner imaginable. I was never pleased with any of them. Then I discovered-  It's a 10 miracle leave-in product and Miracle7 leave-in  mist.

I discovered Miracle7 first and it is sold exclusively at Sally beauty supply. I was so impressed that the next day i bought a second bottle. I was so scared I might run out and that would be tragic. I absolutely fell in love.

Then I had heard about a leave-in called it's a 10 from a magazine article. Didn't think much about it. THEN I was walking past a salon and saw they had it in the display. I thought I should give it a try and if I didn't like it I would return it. I tried it and really liked it too. It looked almost the same as Miracle 7. It is a spray but is creamy. I do not spray either directly on my hair. I only need a small amount that I spray into my hand and distribute that way.

They were so similar that I checked the ingredients and ta-da!!! They were almost identical but Miracle 7 has something called Euterpe oleracea pulp oil and citric acid. Also its a 10 has something called coumarin3. Those are really the only differences between the 2 leave-ins.

What I do now is 1 spray of each in my hand and distribute through my hair. I love them both equally and like what they do together. I really don't know what I would do if they ever stop making these. You can buy it's a 10 on Amazon.com and Miracle7 from Sally beauty. Some select salons also sell it's a 10. Don't miss out on these amazing leave-ins!!! They do not make my hair greasy or weighed down. Next up,I will tell you about the styling product that I can't live without. Stay tuned:)

FAVORITE SHAMPOOS

I do not use conditioner in the shower any more. I used to never go without conditioner in the shower.Since the thinning started, I find I do not need it.

I use a shampoo that I buy from iherb.com. It is called Theraneem organix shampoo. It is all natural. I should mention that besides the thinning that I have always had another problem. Nice,right? My scalp has always been really dry and itchy. This shampoo is nice because neem is supposed to be really good for dandruff.It also has alot of other natural ingredients that are supposed to be good for your hair.

I use 2 different shampoos when I shower. I lather up with the Theraneem and leave it for about a minute. Then I rinse and I use a shampoo called Dare to Wear black by a company called Autograf. It is made with captan and collagen. It is an antifungal type shampoo and I have used it for years.Leave it on your hair for about 5-7 minutes. There is also a no questions asked refund policy if you don't like it. The owner is Dawn Mallory and she is fantastic!!If you order from Dawn,tell her Dannette sent you and I would appreciate it.

I also have a code for iherb.com. If you use this code during checkout and are a first time customer,you get 5.00 off instantly. No minimum purchase amount required. But you have to be a first time customer. The code is IGA854. Remember use this during checkout.

The people at iherb are really great.I have had packages from them get mangled during delivery from ups. If you call them and tell them that something leaked or was messed up, they send you a brand new item of whatever was messed up immediately.I only have a picture of the theraneem and I do not have one of the Autograf Dare to Wear black shampoo. The reason that I do not have a picture of that right now is because I switched bottles and poured it into a different container. I had a huge bottle of Dare to wear black and it did not fit in my shower. So I have been pouring it into a smaller bottle that would fit in the shower caddy.

I will be ordering a smaller sized bottle sometime in the near future. After I receive it in the original container I will post a picture. Next post I will tell you about the heaven sent leave in conditioners (there are 2) that I found. They do not weigh down my hair and they make it super shiny. I have tried ALOT of  leave-in conditioners and these are truly AMAZING!!!!  Stick around and I will tell you about them next.

DANNETTE'S HAIR ISSUES

I am 33 years old and I am a mother of 3. I have been married for almost 13 years. I have always had very thick,wavy hair up until about 3-4 years ago. About 3 1/2 years ago,my hair started thinning DRAMATICALLY!!!! I am not sure the reason. I had blood work done. There is nothing wrong with my thyroid and I am not anemic.They did not seem to find any reason for the thinning. Going to the doctor was very helpful as you can see:)

It can be very depressing. But I refuse to use products like rogaine that will only help until I quit using them. I would,honest to God,shave my head first. I have really short hair right now just because I find it stylish.

Back when my hair was super thick I would have looked like a chia pet if my hair was this short. Unfortunately,I no longer have that problem. Anyway,if I could go back to my younger self and kick that girl who always wished for thinner hair. Careful what you wish for,right?

I have had to adjust and I am more than my hair anyway.So the products that I buy have had to be adjusted also. Just remember,if you are like me and your hair is thinning,cheer up!!!! We are MORE THAN OUR HAIR!!!

We always notice more than anyone else anyway. I have probably burned a hole in my hair part from all the staring to see if it has widened. Confidence is key. Have thinning hair and be proud. Shave your head and be proud. It is all a state of mind. Stick around and I may just post that I shaved my head one day. Anything goes nowadays. Bald,one side longer,green,etc. My motto has become---WHO CARES IT IS JUST HAIR