Most of the time, I look like a hag. Though I wish this was untrue, it’s hard to deny when I check myself out in the mirror. The reason? I hate makeup.

When I was eight years old, I distinctively remember sitting at the kitchen table and watching my mother put on her makeup, just like she did every other morning. It was an elaborate ritual, lasting for five or ten minutes and transforming her from my mom into some painted-up, clown-type figure with a mask.

“You know,” I told her then. “When I grow up, I’m not ever going to wear any makeup. And I’m going to save so much money because of it. Just think about how much money you spend every year on makeup.”

I don’t remember how my mom reacted, but she probably rolled her eyes at me. Read More »

Andy Rooney, a super old guy who used to make movies and now just sits in an office and lets 60 Minutes totally take advantage of his oldness, recently ranted about how Americans are carrying “more stuff than they used to”.

The Duhness factor of his rant notwithstanding (I mean, what did people carry around in his day? Keys to a car they powered with their feet?), I decided to take a cue from Jezebel and go through my own purse to see if all the crap shoved inside was stuff I actually needed.

(This is a day when my bag is not splitting at the seems from carrying my giant, heavy laptop.)

1) Burt’s Bees hand cream: Totally needed. Since I can’t ever hold onto a pair of gloves longer than a week, my hands take a beating every winter. Unless I want the skin to rip off, I gotta moisturize at least twice a day.

2) Three tubes of Chapstick: Okay. Three might be an excessive number…but sometimes I want my lips fruity, other times I want serious moisture action, and every once in a while, a little instant caffeine. Read More »

I’ve always been a lip gloss junkie, but C.O. Bigelow Ulta Menta Lip Shine has rocketed my obsession into Betty Ford status. I literally can’t get enough of this stuff. I have a tube in both of my purses, my desk at work, my make-up case, and a spare on my nightstand.

Even my boyfriend comments on how hooked I am. He doesn’t complain when I get the gloss shakes because he loves the taste (exactly like Sweet Mint Orbit Gum). I haven’t been keeping a running tally, but I have a feeling that my lips have gotten a lot more action since I’ve switched from Burt’s Bees to Bigelow…maybe 19% more action. Which isn’t half bad.

Not only does the gloss give your lips a nice shiny finish, it’s made with 100% mint flavor, and contains active levels of “therapeutic apothecary ingredients” which sounds nice…although I’m not sure what effect this has on your lips. Plus it’s not tasted on animals and contains no artificial colorants. At only $7.50 a pop, this an addiction you can afford to get hooked on.