Ruby

Blossom

I fully messed up on one side when applying the third lippy, so get ready for the awkward side shot….

Violet shine

These are the three colors I got: Ruby, a vibrant red; Blossom, barbie pink; and Violet Shine, the most neutral of the three. I loved all three colors, especially Blossom, and was surprised by how high the color payoff was. That’s not to say they were super highly pigmented – each of the swatches above took about 4-5 swipes – but I was expecting the colors to be a lot more subdued, given the price. They felt moisturizing and had a glossy finish, which was nice, and they last fairly long as well (again, relative to the price) – about 3 hours, and you will need to reapply if you eat/drink.

Overall: 4/5. Could be better, but given the price these are pretty damn awesome.

P.S. Sorry this is so short, but I’ve got a plane to catch. Headed to the warmth of California – *squeal!* I love it there… I hope you guys are all spending Christmas somewhere fun!

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. - 1st Corinthians 13:11

When you were a child, your parents took care of you. This probably included organizing your medications, making sure that you took them at the proper times, and picking up refills from the drugstore. But now that you are older, that responsibility should shift to you – and if you have any desire to be independent, you should welcome it!

But there is a flip side to the coin: These medications are confusing, difficult to obtain, and extremely important. They keep you going, and thought of taking control of your medication needs can be daunting. But don’t worry – its a little bit easier than it looks, if you have a system.

One thing you might find useful is this document: Drug Chart (.PDF file) Click the link, and a .PDF file will appear that you can use to organize your medications depending on the time of day that you need to take them.

Before you fill this chart out, make several blank copies or save it to your computer. Your doctor will change your medication, and you’ll need a fresh chart to write the new schedule on. At the top, near where it says “Medication List for” write your name – and write the date, too. If you go several months without having a medication change (lucky you!) you should still update the chart occasionally and change the date, so that everyone can tell that you keep your chart current.

Sit down and organize your meds, grouping them by when you take them. If this is your first time or the instructions on the bottles are confusing, get your parents to help. We’re not going to jump into this with no guidance at all; after all, you are learning how to take control of your health. It’s a process, and it is perfectly fine to get help until you feel comfortable.

Once you have the meds organized, have someone familiar with your routine double-check your efforts, and then fill the chart out. Now, I can take all of your pill bottles and mix them up, but as long as you have that chart, you should be able to quickly figure what you are supposed to take – and when!

A lot of CHDers organize a weeks worth of pills at a time, usually on the weekend. If this is the way your family does it, take over – but not all at once. One weekend a month, you take charge of organizing your pills for the week. As you gain confidence, work up to organizing all of your medications yourself.

Next, you need to learn how to take over getting your refills. You’ll need an index card (You can even cut it in half) and a calender. Not the family calender hanging next to the telephone, but a blank calender with enough space to write in the date blocks.

The easy part is examine every drug bottle and note how many refills that prescription has left. Write it down on your index card and keep the card in a safe place. This is easy, you’ll have a list that reads like this:

Nausea-B-Gone  8

NiceBeat  4

Blood Pressure 5

Every time you get a refill, take your list and reduce that prescription’s number by one. When you hit 0, you need a new prescription. Depending on the medication, you may be able to call the doctor’s office and ask for a new prescription. Or he/she may want you to come in for an appointment first. So as soon as you write 0, call the doctor’s office! That gives you plenty of time to see the doctor if that is what he/she wants.

Now you need your calender. Take your pill bottle and determine how many days worth of medication you have. If you have 90 pills and you take it twice a day, you have 45 days worth of medication. Count forward 45 days from today… now back up ten days. That’s the day you want to start thinking about getting your next refill of that medication from the drugstore – it gives you a ten-day “window” in case there is a problem getting the next refill.

Most drugstores don’t have an automatic refill policy, you will have to tell them that you need a refill. That can usually be done over the phone, by calling the pharmacy refill line and following the recorded directions. You usually type the prescription number (it’s on the bottle, following the letters RX) into the phone’s keypad and never speak to a person. Simple and easy!

I’ve made this explanation as simple as possible, almost to the point that readers might roll their eyes and wonder if I believe they know anything. I’m not writing for you today – I’m writing for those who realize that they will eventually have to take control of their own healthcare and may never have done any of this before. It is a lot of responsibility – don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance as you learn. Because one day, this job will be yours, no matter if you are ready or not.

And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son! – If, Rudyard Kipling (1910)

This Saturday (19th December 2009), Radio Relay is going to feature a highly innovative and refreshing progressive house set by Madrid based DJs/Producers DRUGSTORE.  This is no ordinary turntable or software produced output as the set we are featuring was recorded live at Madrid’s Taboo Club on 14th March 2009.  What makes this set so special is the live use of trumpet and drums to accompany and enhance the electronic music experience and depth of sound in the club itself.  DRUGSTORE have produced something truly stunning and emotive here which has to be heard to be believed.  Radio Relay is committed to bringing you sounds the likes you have never heard before (or rarely hear on FM radio) and we are honoured to be able to bring you this set by DRUGSTORE.  A big, big thank you to Alberto, Fran and the DRUGSTORE crew for the heads-up on this set and permission to broadcast the recording.  For more info on the collective, please visit the DRUGSTORE soundcloud and myspace pages.  During the show we also hope to bring you a sweet selection of Netlabel sounds from other electronic artists.  Definately not one to be missed!

Check out this youtube clip of DRUGSTORE in action:

Radio Relay on The Source 96.1FM 18.00-20.00 every Saturday (Listen).  Please visit our website www.radiorelayfm.com (a big thank you to Mezerik for the tech assistance with the site! Cheers m8!)

Yes, another mascara review… but it was cheap and shimmery, I couldn’t resist

What it is: Covergirl Lashblast Luxe ($8.49) in Black Platinum

What it’s supposed to do: “The blackest-black lash formula, now tinted with luxe shimmers. The giant Luxe brush helps blast lashes to their biggest, boldest, and most beautifully shimmering.” [via covergirl.com]

What it actually does: One coat didn’t do much for me, but it was already an improvement over Lashblast Length, so I kept my hopes high. After a second coat my lashes were lookin’ pretty darn good, and after I managed to apply a third coat with no clumping, I couldn’t find much to complain about!

One coat

2 coats

3 coats

So as far as volume/length/curl go, I’d say Lashblast Luxe does pretty good, especially for a drugstore mascara. However, the whole reason I bought it was because I’ve been looking for a glitter mascara. At first, in my horribly lit room at night looking back at these pictures on the display of my digital camera, I was really disappointed – there are some little specks of glitter visible, but I wanted more than about five specks! But then I went into my bathroom, which actually *gasp* has good lighting, and realized that there were tons of glitter specks once you got a good look! Enter me taking about two billion pictures to try to show them, which proved to be a challenge with my piece o’ crap camera.

...with super bright flash

With some decent lighting, the shimmer is visible up close, and there’s quite a lot of it. However, when I say “up close,” I mean “up super close,” as in “about two inches away from your face.” Now, when I was looking for a glitter mascara, I wanted something subtle enough that I could wear it to school/work, but still glam enough to wear on a night out. This mascara definitely provides the subtlety, but the glam… not so much.
The major deal breaker when it came to this mascara was smudginess. After a few hours of wear, I started to notice some flakes under my eyes – never a good sign! Sure enough, by the end of the day I was sporting some oh-so-gorgeous raccoon eyes. Damn it.

Pros: Good volume, curl & length; pretty glitter (but only up visible up close), cheap

Cons: Shimmer isn’t very visible; some flaking & smudging

Overall: 2/5. It’s cheap, and it does a good job with volume/curl/length, but for me the smudging just isn’t worth it. Not to mention that it didn’t do a very good job at the one thing I bought it for – SHIMMER!

I get a lot of questions about my eye lashes … and today I got asked on the subway ride to school, about what product I use and how I apply and what-not. So I guess I’ll share that to.

Um, people always think that I use some kind of expensive type mascara from Mac, or one of the brands from Sephora or what-not … and really, I DO NOT HAVE MONEY FOR THAT. As much as, I would typically put money into my makeup since I wear makeup EVERYDAY, I go through Mascara every 2 months or so, and to be spending 25-45 bucks on a tube of this, is NOT in my budget AT ALL. Plus, I found something I absolutely love love love. Ready for it?

…I use, good old, Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara (:

Oh yeah, your regular drugstore product that you can find at every Shoppers Drug Mart, Zellars, Walmart, Target, WHERE EVER. For consumers who are just getting use to the idea of putting on make up and stuff, this MAY seem pricey for you, but it last me way longer, doesn’t dry out as quick, works hella good, and is WAY BETTER than me spend double/triple the price. On good days, you can find this product for around $6.99 or so, and regular price its about $11.99.

So, the one I buy, is the orange tube colored one, that is WATER PROOF in VERY BLACK. There is less intense shades of black and brown, and there is a regular one that isn’t waterproof.

If you’re concerned about the waterproof product not coming off easy or you;re just to lazy to take the time to remove it with care products or what-not, here’s a trick: apply 1 layer of regular non-water proof mascara, let it dry, and then apply the water proof mascara.

How I apply; I don’t have a problem with removing it (I use Clinque’s All-Skin Type facial bar) so I don’t need to apply a first layer of non-water proof mascara. I simply, take my eye lash curler and from the closest part towards my eyelids press down for about 5-10 seconds, and then move it up slightly, holding it down for another 3-4 seconds, and repeating this process till I reach the end/top of my lashed (or until I am satisfied with the curl of my lashes), then apply a first layer; then let it dry. I re-apply my mascara about 3-4 times, depending on how intense I want my makeup to look, and I do take the time to make sure my lashes don’t stick together so it doesn’t look like huge clumps all together.

So…yeah, that’s it (:

Another product that I use SOMETIMES, is the Maybelline Lash Stiletto. I’m not as excited about this product like I am with the Cover Girl Lash Blast, but it works fine if you’re looking for a less intense eye look. It does lengthen your lashes, after re-applying a few coats. This cost me $13.99. I just though I would try out a new product that I am be struck with love, but it gets a 7/10 from me.

Deuces, Sam.

It has been a while since Radio Relay showcased some international output.  Over the past weeks our focus has been on the talent and creativity of UK based DJ/Producers. So, to mark our tenth show, Radio Relay will be bringing you a fresh mix by the DRUGSTORE collective, all the way from Madrid, Spain.  The artists state that:

After years of experience in the electronic scene, DRUGSTORE is born as an union of the artists of the Bayona Music collective. Their goal is the creation of electronic music, without any type of barriers. Techno, minimal, hard-techno and even schranz are the sounds that you can find in their releases.

This Saturday Radio relay will be playing the mix “There Are No Limits” by DRUGSTORE which, though already in the public domain as a release on LOOPZILLA, we feel is well worth bringing to the ears of our FM listeners.  Be sure to tune in between 6 and 8pm by tuning to The Source 96.1FM (in Cornwall) or streaming the show live on the web here

A big thank you to Fran and Alberto for their input and permission to play this stunning set.  We look forward to featuring future work by the DRUGSTORE collective.

Check out their Myspace page for netlabel releases, and head over to Soundcloud to check out their recent club sets.  Well worth a look!

YOUR ESHOP

MAIL: owner@drugswell.com    

phone:9613818072

What it is: Covergirl Lashblast Length mascara ($7.59)

What it’s supposed to do: “Our new Elasta-Nylon formula flexes without flaking, giving you extreme, notice-me lashes all day long. Our longest brush ever gives you an 80% longer lash look.” [via Covergirl.com]

What it actually does: Umm… in a word, more or less nothing. One coat was honestly hardly noticeable, in terms of length, volume, and curl. Here, I’ll let you judge for yourself:

Bare Nekkid Lashes

One coat

Two coats

Alright, so the mascara didn’t do nothing, but it’s a pretty darn subtle difference – too subtle if you’ve got lashes as wimpy as mine. It provided minor curl, length (but not nearly 80% – I would give it maybe 30%, and that’s being generous), and almost no volume. However, what little it did provide lasted through the day with no smudging or flaking, hooray! Lashblast definitely performed best in the “length” category, so at least Covergirl isn’t guilty of false advertisement.

Pros: Doesn’t smudge or flake, lasts all day, doesn’t clump when layered

Cons: Provides very minor length, curl, and volume.

Overall: 2/5. I would recommend this only to someone who has great lashes to begin with and just wants a little extra boost – it won’t do much for the rest of us.

As I discussed in my previous post, Michel Gondry’s work continues to fascinate me. It seems that all the work he produces are a challenge for him and, as mentioned, the music video Sugar Water and Fell In Love With a Girl are evidence of this. His work is innovative and he sets himself apart for other film makers and it is this that I admire most. For future projects, I too will need to set myself apart from any other media producer and one of the ways I see possible is to do something challenging. By doing so, Gondry’s work is unique and aesthetically pleasing and this clearly proves to be a successful trait. His advert ‘Drugstore’ for Levi’s currently holds the record for the most amount of awards won for an advert.

By creating something that I find challenging I could hopefully end up with, in future, a piece that is worthy of Gondry’s work.

I’m about to go off the deep end into the weirdo pool, but here goes. When it comes to facial moisturizer, I only use products marketed for men. Now, bear with me a second here. Have you ever tried to buy some just plain, regular facial moisturizer for women? It’s impossible. Everything is day cream, night cream, eye cream, radiance boosting serum, or age-defying salve. If you are in between acne and wrinkle age there are scant few products catering to you. Plus, as ill-advised as it is, I hate SPF in my face lotions because the smell is too disgusting. Now that I’m running out of my current pick, Kiehl’s Multi Purpose Facial Formula For Men, I thought I would search for a better option for daily use. While the Kiehl’s was good at providing alot of moisture to my dry skin, some of its more hectic ingredients like eucalyptus and caffeine (how does that help the skin exactly?) were a little too hard on my skin. It’s also more expensive, at $22.50 for 4.2 oz, than I like my daily products to be.

Initially, I tried to find a replacement by Aveeno, which I’m a big fan of, but I failed that and with other brands for women as well. So I looked one aisle over and picked up Nivea For Men Protective Lotion. It’s light and instantly makes skin feel smooth. The scent is overwhelmingly aftershave-ish, but it fades quickly and does a great job masking the smell of its SPF 15. After using it about a week, I’ve noticed my skin is less prone to pimples or blotchiness (although that could be due to a marked reduction in my stress level in the last week). At $6.50 for 1.7 oz I’m definetly going to look to this cream when I want a moisturizer with SPF, but I think I’m going to keep looking for the perfect day to day lotion. If you hate the smell of SPF, but aren’t willing to forgo it, this lotion is definetly worth a try. The smell fades quickly enough that no one’s going to ask you why you’re wearing cologne, and it is the best moisturizer I’ve ever seen at minimizing the sunscreen smell.

Ah, me and CVS. We’ve got a long history together… it started with ninety-nine cent candy bags, but quickly moved on to nail polish, eyeliners, and mascaras. Since I met Sephora, we have been spending less time together, but I still make my weekly visit every Thursday after picking up my paycheck.

However, one area where CVS has never managed to satisfy my needs is concealer. Most drugstore brands have limited shades available and aren’t the best quality, in my experience. But when my old concealer ran out, I decided I needed a cheap fix to tide me over until my next trip to Sephora. I went with Covergirl Smoothers Concealer stick, because they were on sale (for $4!), and that’s all the reason a cheapskate like me needs

The main reason I use concealer is to hide two things: under eye circles and the little spots on my chin (which NEVER go away! grrr…). I bought my CG Smoothers in “fair,” which actually matched my skin tone! (Doesn’t happen often.) I tried it on my chin first, applying directly from the stick to my skin (I also tried using a concealer brush, but the coverage wasn’t as good) and then blending with fingers. I was totally pleased with the results – the concealer had a smooth and creamy texture that blended easily and did not leave my skin looking dry or greasy, and the red spots were nowhere to be seen!

Next I tried it under my eyes. I applied one layer, again directly from the tube, and blended with my fingers. My dark circles were definitely less visible, but they weren’t fully concealed either. I kept building up layers, but it it only partly covered my dark circles before it started to get too caked up. After a few hours of wear, I noticed a little bit of creasing, but not enough to be visible from less than a few inches from my face.

Overall: 4/5. Smooth texture, good coverage for red spots/acne, decent (not full) coverage for under-eye dark circles, slight creasing. Cheap!

I’ve been using the same CVS brand eye makeup remover for a while now, and to be honest I’m not entirely sure why… it leaves the area around my eye feeling very oily and it doesn’t even do that good a job of getting rid of my makeup (especially waterproof!). So I considered it a blessing when it ran out, despite the fact that it meant having raccoon eyes for a few days (I kept forgetting to buy a replacement ). I decided to give wipes a try, which I’ve never used before. Garnier Nutritioniste Cleansing Towelettes (which I had heard quite a bit of good things about) and Lumene Sensitive Touch Cleansing Wipes (which I hadn’t heard of at all) made the cut, and I pitted them against each other in an epic fight to the death to see who came out on top. Anyways.

[So here was where I was going to make a chart on WordPress, but I couldn't figure out how. Instead I made one on Word and took a screenshot of it, because that's how tech-savvy I am. Oh snap.]

Click for full-size!

Overall Winner: Neither! Both! Tie!!!

Okay, I know, total cop-out. But they both won the same amount of rounds, so what’s a girl to do?

I’d pick Garnier out of these two, mainly because of the fact that I don’t wear waterproof makeup all that often and I don’t want to have to buy a new packet of wipes every ten days. Also, I’m poor, and Garnier is slightly cheaper. Hooray for cheaper alternatives!

Best search term ever:

You’re amazing whoever you are!

I’ve always had the kind of hair that needs to be washed every day – it gets greasy super fast, especially come winter. So you would think I’d be all over dry shampoo like sauce on ribs (or something like that)… but the idea of dry shampoo always confused me. How does it work? What does it do? HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?

In conclusion, I decided it must not work and be another evil government conspiracy to get us to buy things we don’t need. (I do that all the time anyways, but whatever.)

However, since this school year started, I’ve been crazy busy. First there was school (and our school days are hella long – 9 hours with transit time), which meant physics, which meant physics homework (boo!); then there was work, which meant bye-bye weekends; then there were various lessons (flute, guitar, and pottery) which meant 3 less hours per week of leisure time; and then of course was the time I needed for practicing flute/guitar. So in a simple equation:

School + homework + work + lessons + practicing = no shower time = greasy headed me.

A little into the school year, I was starting to look like Robert Pattinson, minus the hot. I decided it was time for me to give this strange thing called “dry shampoo” a try. Being my cheap self, I headed straight for CVS and was pleasantly surprised to find that lurking among all the generic looking shampoo products, there was one very funky looking dry shampoo spray called Psssssst! (If I had realized how annoying it would be to have to count out six “S”s every time I typed its name, I might have opted for something else  -_-).

In all it's $6 glory!

In order to test it out, I did what I do best and skipped showering that night. The next morning, true to form, my hair was already getting the Rob Pattinson look, so I grabbed my Psssssst!, gave my hair a good spray, and fluffed it up (like the directions tell you to). Sure enough, my hair actually looked clean!

Quick note: something I would’ve *loved* to know last Sunday, when I totally overslept (woke up at 8:05, I was supposed to be at work at 8 o’clock 0:) and gave my hair a pretty thorough spray (it was my third day without a shower – don’t judge!). At first I thought everything was fine and dandy, but when I took a closer look in the mirror, I realized there were white spots in my hair. Not a good look.

The moral of the story is: make sure you spray 6 to 8 inches from your head, and don’t go too overboard with the spraying. If you follow these simple rules, you’ll have a lovely, faux-cleansing experience with Psssssst! dry shampoo. (Aren’t I  lovely infomercial?)

Overall: 5/5. Cheap and effective, a potent combination.

So today I started my work experience, working in the pharmacy and medical section of the local drugstore. I was feeling rather pessimistic about it, suddenly thinking that I won’t actually learn that much about being a pharmacist as I’m not actually allowed to go ‘where the magic happens’ and handle the prescriptions.

But needless to say, I think that I’ve still learnt quite a bit, and after all the stocking of the shelves I know my way around the medicine section like the back of my hand

It sounds sad, but I didn’t thoroughly enjoy all my breaks. There was nothing to do but sit in the staff room drinking tea and reading the Argos catalogue they randomly had on the table. It was much more interesting and relaxing to be putting out the products.

There were of course some low points, like the fact that I have to also stock the condom section. And I see worried couples scurry in, grab a pregnancy test, and scurry back out. There was also a guy who (I think) told me off for having a confused look on my face when he asked for a product that I didn’t know and couldn’t fully understand because of his thick accent. But ahwell..

I’m also getting new glasses…I’ve just spent an hour in Specsavers having my eyes tested etc. My eye sight has seriously deterioated. My glasses have also got seriously bashed up which is a plus for getting a new pair.

I’m trying out a new style, which is thick black frames. But tomorow is another day…

YOUR ESHOP

A Simple Way to Relieve Hunger Pangs (visit your eshop: http://www.drugswell.com/wow/index.php )

 Is your hunger out of control? Are you spending more time snacking than working? Here are some natural ways to curb hunger pangs and avoid weight gain. Are constant hunger pangs driving you to distraction? Is your mind focused on your next snack rather than the task at hand? For some people, hunger pangs arise from stress, boredom or from restricting calories too much; but in some cases an overly demanding appetite can come from an underlying medical problem such as diabetes or thyroid disease. That’s why it’s important to see your doctor to rule out medical conditions that can cause an increased appetite. Once you have a clean bill of health, you can concentrate on getting those annoying hunger pangs under control. To Curb Hunger Pangs, Make Sure You’re Eating Enough(visit your eshop: http://www.drugswell.com/wow/index.php )

First, it’s important to make sure you’re eating enough calories and that you’re eating something substantial before heading out the door in the morning. Studies have shown that people who skimp on breakfast are more likely to gain weight because they consume more calories later in the day. Begin the day with a breakfast that’s high in fiber and protein to help keep the hunger pangs at bay until lunch time. A bowl of hot oatmeal and a hard-boiled egg is a filling and nutritious option. Read more in Weight Loss « Your Health and You Weight Loss Secrets to Counter Medicine Woes » To confirm that you’re not skimping on calories, use an online site to calculate your calorie requirements based on your height, build, and activity label – then make sure you’re getting them. Excessive calorie restriction will only backfire on you – causing you to overeat out of hunger and inevitably slowing down your metabolism. To Curb Hunger Pangs, Enjoy a Stick of Gum(visit your eshop: http://www.drugswell.com/wow/index.php ) Some people drink coffee in an attempt to curb hunger pangs, but this can quickly lead to an unhealthy caffeine addiction. A new study published on foodquality.com shows that one of the best ways to keep hunger pangs under control is to chew sugar-free gum. Subjects were given sugarless gum to chew for twenty minutes before and after eating a meal, and their blood sugar levels and resting metabolic rate were measured at regular intervals. The researchers found that the subjects who chewed gum burned five percent more calories than they normally would and reported a greater sense of satiety. According to the researchers, the jaw motion associated with chewing gum sends a message to the brain that the need for food is being met (based on the chewing motion) and that no more food is needed. Popping a stick of gum after a meal also helps to prevent boredom – another common cause of overeating. Stop the Hunger Pangs with Movement(visit your eshop: http://www.drugswell.com/wow/index.php ) Another effective way to curb hunger pangs is to take a short walk when the urge to explore the refrigerator hits. Studies show that aerobic exercise reduces appetite. Plus, it burns calories too! Keep a food diary for a few weeks and try to get a feel for what motivates you to snack. Is it stress, boredom, or real hunger? A food diary will also make you more aware of how often you’re nibbling. Don’t Stop the Hunger Pangs This Way(visit your eshop: http://www.drugswell.com/wow/index.php ) Whatever you do, don’t curb hunger pangs by taking diet pills or weight loss supplements. Pills rarely work and they can have dangerous side effects. Reach for a stick of gum and take a walk instead. (visit your eshop: http://www.drugswell.com/wow/index.php)

 (DISCOUNT 40% ON ALL DVD AND CD VISIT YOUR ESHOP : http://www.drugswell.com/wow/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=79)