Product Placement

Completely and totally unsolicited and un-paid-for reviews of some stuff I got recently! Yes, this is all I have to say today. I'm getting ready to have my niece spend the night with me and I need all my spare brain-cells to plan an evening of fun for an 8 yr old. She's requested chinese food. I think we're gonna be ok. Anyway, anyone who follows me on Twitter got to hear me whinge and moan last week about all the fun stuff I bought on the internet over the weekend taking SO LONG to get mailed to me (a week... a whole week!!). That shopping spree led to more shopping, and so I bore you with Tales of My Stuff!

First, the frivolous!

So, I don't paint my nails often. Not anymore. I used to, back in college. My toes and fingers were always painted some crazy color, and rarely did they match. Then I started working for a renaissance faire, and it turns out that not painting my nails for 4 months will take me from a "can't have naked fingernails!" girl to a "oh, I might throw a clear coat on" girl. So, now I only really paint my fingernails when I feel like it. On a recent trip to the drugstore, I saw a display for some of this new-fangled "crackle" nail polish. It looked interesting, but I don't often paint my nails, so I kept walking. Then, once I re-discovered the blog of the lady who was in that production of Hello Dolly, she had a post about the very same nail polish! So that was all in my brain--the un-mess-up-able qualities very much appealed to me. The cutting-edge-of-fashion appealed, but less so, because, honestly? I'm not cutting edge. I'm sharp-as-the-edge-of-town when it comes to fashion. But then... then I had a dinner date at a place near my office, but I got there WAY TOO EARLY, because sometimes my fear of being late and awkward leads me to be super early and equally awkward. However, this dinner date was in a shopping center with many places to distract me, like a Sally Beauty Supply, where I caved in and bought some of the silver glittery crackle stuff. So after dinner I came home and painted my nails "Pop the cork Purple" (a color my husband bought me on one of HIS trips to the drugstore, because he's totally awesome like that). Then I did some stuff while I waited for it to dry very well, as recommended by Sarah Lena.

I put the top coat on and, DUDE! You can watch it crackle in, like, seconds! I was totally impressed! I put a pretty thick coat on, and I don't know if I'll try to be a little less liberal next time, but so far, I like it! It feels pretty dang cool! Also, it's incredibly difficult to take a picture of my hand that I like... not cut out for modeling it seems. But, I have super-funky nails at the moment and I think it's nifty. I did have to put a topcoat on because the texture is a little weird for me.

Now for the not-so-frivolous-but-definitely-expensive category:

My Clarisonic Mia! I've been reading too much Temerity Jane, because I keep wanting to say "You guys!" but... well I don't actually say that much. Or do I? I can't remember anymore. Being a mimic is dumb sometimes. Anyway, my Clarisonic. I'd heard lots about them from, you know, everyone at every cosmetic store ever, and... well, I just wasn't interested in paying $200 for a gadget for my face. Then they came out with a little one, for only $150, and I still wasn't interested, and then 2 thing happened that tipped me over the edge and made me start saving my allowance pennies to get one. The first, and most obvious: I tried one. I got a facial at some make-up counter somewhere and I could actually feel the difference in my skin. It was really nice. Then, they showed me that I could get a purple one.

Ok, yeah, that was the clincher. I've been using it every day for a week now and I am just so happy. My skin hasn't been this clear in a year (stupid hormones) and it's nicer to touch and I don't use as much lotion because everything sees to go farther and last longer. The only thing I don't like is the smell of the cleanser that came with it, so I switched to my Devonshire liquid peppermint soap and DUDE! That's a refreshing wake-up. No coffee required! It will jump start your morning in a hurry. (Also, maybe I need to stop saying "dude" but it's that kind of day).

I also got an extra scrubber-head-thingy for the husband: deep pore cleaning. That way it's a "shared" thing, even if it is purple, and I should mention he asked me to get him one, so he wanted this too. And we both love it. Skin is clearer and softer and we are happier. Win!

So... this doo-dad was neither expensive nor frivolous. Jeremy got it on Woot.com one day, and it is the best pet-groomer thingy ever. I mean, we've never used a Furminator on our pets, but some friends have some for their beasties, but I love this because it has a little button at the bottom that pushes a... well, the bristles stick up out of this plate, and the button pushes the plate up and thus pushes all the hair that you brushed off the bristles, and that is just great. Super convenient and wonderful. 2 out of 3 cats love being brushed by it and the dog tolerates it the way he tolerates most things that aren't playing outside or belly rubs: with quiet dignity.