Another Product Endorsement For Which I Will Not Receive Compensation - Maybelline Expert Eyes Twin Brow & Eye Pencil

I know it's been some time since I've endorsed anything...shame on me! But this product, my friends, gets one of my most enthusiastic endorsements ever.

I didn't just discover Maybelline's Twin Brow & Eye Pencils. No, this is a classic product, something I've been aware of and coveted for most of my life.

My Mom used these when I was a kid. She kept her makeup kit in the bathroom and I'd go in there and pretend to be using the bathroom, when in reality, I'd be fooling with her makeup, dreaming of a day when I could wear it outside of the bathroom. (Had I been born a boy, I am most certain I'd be a drag queen now.) Anyway, I remember seeing the red pointy capped pencils in there among all the other goodies...

So, these little gems have been around a loooooong time, and if Maybelline ever stops making them, I might die.

"How could eye pencils be so important to her?" you wonder... Well, here is a little known fact: I don't have eyebrows! It's true. Me and Whoopie Goldberg and those two from The Thompson Twins. I was born this way...my situation is not from over-plucking. I actually envy my friends who get their eyebrows waxed! I have, like, seven clear hairs above each eye. (Besides looking kinda freaky without makeup, you really miss brows when it's really hot outside...brows keep perspiration out of your eyes!)

Anyway, I don't want to look like Whoopie (no offense to her...she rocks it fine, but I can't) or the Thompson Twins (no offense there, either), but I also never wanted the big chola-type drawn on brows. I also don't want to look like the mother of the girl I went to Jr. High with...she just made one thin, red line above each eye. She may have even had them tattooed on - I don't know. But no matter how they got there, they were not human-looking and she was an absolutely lovely person, inside and out, save for those "brows."

So! Maybelline Twin Brow & Eye Pencils! You don't want to use these on your actual eyes as liner (as the name implies) unless you want to melt the tips of them on a hot lightbulb or with a match or lighter like my sister did back in the 80's with her hard liners. No, Maybelline Twin Brow & Eye Pencils are really rockin' because they are hard and waxy - perfect for brows, just not so perfect for eyes.

Hard and waxy is just what you want when you want to sketch fine, feathery, hair-looking lines on your brow. Whether you're filling in or creating the whole darn thing like I have to, these waxy pencils sharpen to a needly tip and are perfect for brow enhancing.

Stop to sharpen once or twice as you're sketching short, easy strokes across your brow. In minutes, you've got what you were meant to have - full, shapely, feminine eyebrows.

What's even better is, you get TWO (thus the "twin") pencils in every pack! AND, they are butt-cheap...a pack is less than $4, depending on where you go.

Tip - when you begin using the second pencil in the pack? Go and buy your next pack. Then, you're never without a pencil. Another tip - watch your Walgreens flyers for the B1G1 50% off Maybelline specials, and you can get two packs for under $6!!

That way, you'll never be out of your Twin Brow pencils! (Unlike me, who used the remainder of my stub this morning and will have to buy a pack on the way home, or not leave the house tomorrow!)

Let me know how you like them! I've stopped trying other brands because they are mushy/don't last/too expensive while being ineffective. These are the way to go for awesome, natural looking brows!

Another Product Endorsement For Which I Will Not Be Compensated - ULTA

Hello, Holiday Shoppers! It's been a while since I have endorsed anything - hard to believe, huh? But today, I'm going to endorse an entire company...watch me!

So, I drew Steinvic's youngest sister in the family Christmas-Gift-Drawing.* She's close to my age and she likes girly stuff, so I was happy to pop on over to the Web site of a cosmetic giant I've loyally shopped for a decade. I found the right thing, completed my transaction and then got an e-mail two days later that there was something wrong with my order. The e-mail indicated that it was a problem with my card (GULP?!), but I could call and talk to a representative. Meanwhile, they'd hold my order for five days.

When I called, the line was busy for hours. I tried again this morning and it turns out, the problem wasn't my card (of course not!) It was that they were out of the size of Prada perfume I'd ordered. But if I wanted, I could just "go ahead and order the next size up" - but I couldn't reuse my $15 discount certificate, which had expired the day I made my order.

I told her to forget it, and with heavy heart, started fretting about what to buy instead.

That is when I logged on to ULTA. And Whoa, Nelly! They have some KICK BUTT deals going on right now!

With a $35 fragrance purchase - and yes, they have lots of nice fragrances at that price and less - I could get a free luxury robe, which actually looks kind of plush and lovely. It also comes in a variety of sizes and colors, so I wasn't stuck with some ol' plain thing that doesn't fit.

THEN, I got 3 free samples...this is a staple for ULTA and it's always a nice way to dress up a package!

THEN, since I spent $35, I got to add on a free little bag with 8 more samples in it! Samples are so much fun...

THEN, since I spent $25, they offered free shipping. Now, this shipping looked to be standard ground, so if you need your gift before Christmas, it might be a good idea to upgrade. But still! If you're not in a hurry for it, free shipping!

So, for my $40 purchase, I'll receive perfume, a plushy pink robe, and a whole bunch of samples. This makes a very nice Christmas gift for my sister-in-law-to-be!

Oh, I have to add...there is an actual ULTA store about 20 minutes from me. I have been there twice, for hard-to-find items, and most recently visited to pick up my favorite LipFusion product. The cashier was extremely professional. She looked at my purchase and says, "Wait..." and turns to start going through some packages behind the counter. Seconds later, she produces a smaller version of my LipFusion. "I thought I'd seen that packaging before! Here is a smaller size for your purse!" and pops it in my bag. This stuff is kinda pricey, so I really appreciated her thoughtfulness and the free, deluxe sample. Check out ULTA and you may be pleasantly surprised, too!

*(Actually, that's not true. I didn't actually draw her name. Steinvic fixed it! He knew I'd like buying something girly for his sister, so he matched me up with her. I just had to come clean here...but thank you Steinvic!)

Another Endorsement (for which I will not be compensated) - SecureMeal

Occasionally, an infomercial catches my eye and, usually, I slap it across the face so that it will give my eye back.

But once in awhile, I'll stumble upon something that is actually worth buying. For example, I was one of the early fans of Oxy Clean and Orange Glow and bought a boat load of it for $19.99 and loved it (RIP, Billy Mays!) and I bought Stop Leak which actually kept my former basement from leaking - a problem that even a contractor hadn't been able to fix - for just $10.

And last week, I ordered the free month trial of SecureMeal. You pay $7.95 for shipping and you'll receive thirty packs of shake mix that is nutritionally balanced and just 70 calories. Use it for meal replacement once a day to help reduce your overall number of calories for the day.

If you're like me, you're going, "Yeah, right..." and:

• I'll bet I'm now on auto-ship and will get more deliveries charged to my card for $150 a month
• I'll bet it tastes like ass

But I got online and listened to the creator who basically says, 'how else will you know how good these shakes taste if you can't taste them, so here, have a month on me.'

Figuring all I had to lose is $8, I ordered them. I was pleased to see that they even had a note on the ordering portion of the site that said that auto ship wasn't available.

They arrived within four days. You get 30 packages of assorted flavors: chocolate, coffee, vanilla, mixed berry, pina colada and peanut butter. If you mix them with water, they're 70 calories. You can mix them with milk and in that case, just add the 70 calories to those in the milk and you've got your total. Even if you use reduced fat 2%, you're still looking at a meal under 200 calories, and it's pretty healthy.

Yesterday, I tried the mixed berry with 2% milk. Today, the pina colada with icy cold water. I have to say, they taste pretty good. There is still a slightly gritty quality, but if you used a real blender and ice cubes, you'd probably notice it less. I have a battery operated hand mixer thingy and it works just fine. The shakes do not have an artificial sugary taste to them, though they are sweet. I still have four flavors to try, but so far, I give SecureMeal a thumbs up. Plus, you gotta love a company that is powered by solar energy!

So, if you want to lob off some calories while making sure you're getting some good vitamins (one shake has 50% of most of the vitamins you need) and proteins, I'd say you can't go wrong with this product. Now, will I buy another box once this shipment runs out? Honestly, I think that will have to do with whether or not this becomes a habit after 30 days. I was on a big yogurt-for-breakfast kick for about a month, and now I have no interest in yogurt. So...we'll see!

Another Endorsement (for which I will not be compensated) - Incoco Dry Nail Applique

Long ago, I used to be one of these chicks who "gets her nails done." Then, I realized how much money I was spending on fingernails...FINGERNAILS. And I realized that there were many other things that I wanted to spend $80 per month on, so I stopped.

But I, like all decent, well-groomed humans of the female persuasion, like to have nice-looking hands and feet. So, I'd religiously paint and manicure my finger and toe nails at home. Steinvic even bought a homespa for my feet! (Which I love and still use...Thank you, Steinvic!)

So here is the question on the home nail painting: Who in Sally-Hansen-hell has time to wait for nail polish to dry? I mean, isn't that even an expression to describe boredom: "I'll just sit around and watch the paint dry..." Who has time for this?! I gots thangs to do!

Enter Incoco Dry Nail Applique, a.k.a. Savior to My Finger and Toe Nails. I thought, "Surely this won't work. Surely it won't stick to my nails. Surely it won't last and it will just peel off." I was so sure that this product would fail. After all, all the sixty-second-dry stuff is bogus, as well as the 10-day-no-chip stuff. I've been lied to, and friends, you know how that feels.

Guess what?! I was wrong! This product does precisely what it says it will do. And isn't the Truth a rare and glorious thing? Especially in the world of advertising? Amazing!

My favorite shade is Fairy Dust, a French manicure kit. No more screwing around with those little crescent moon strips that leave adhesive on your nails and contain gloppy white tip polish that won't dry ever!

Sized differently, you get 20 appliques in each kit. I have found that I can make use of both sets included in the package, whether or not I use the French or color appliques. If the applique looks a little too small, you just simply, carefully, gently stretch it over your nail from one side to the other. It works for me...and if I can do it, you can, too. You may need to practice. Well, Incoco has thought of that, too: inside every container is a two-applique sample of another shade in it's own little packet!

Watch the little video on Incoco's Web site, then haul your cookies over to Walgreens to pick some up, because they have exclusivity on Incoco.

By the way...no reason for your tootsies to feel left out of the Incoco game. For a minute, Incoco offered a toe version of the dry nail applique. They've apparently discontinued it. There is no stopping me: I use the finger kit on my toes! Yes, I have to shape the appliques a wee bit, but for 3+ weeks of no chip, no scuff wear and zero dry time? I am cool with shaping.

My walgreens carries the solid colors for $4.99 and the French kits for $5.99...you can often find in store coupons to make them even more affordable. Enjoy!

Buy This Shampoo (another endorsement for which I will not be compensated)

This shampoo - Loreal Absolut Repair - is AWESOME. If you know me, you know I don't like to spend moolah on myself. Steinvic occasionally says things like, "Please quit using cheap hair stuff on your hair," because my hair is sometimes a disaster and he wisely knows that the cheap stuff makes it worse. (Steinvic, however, has amazingly gorgeous, thick, wonderful hair...grrr...) It's kind of nice that he wants me to splurge on hair stuff, possibly because my hair-bitching is annoying, but probably because he thinks I'm worth it. I'll go get it cut and styled or even colored and then end up doing things to it myself to try to extend the life of that service. Just doesn't work out so well.

So...you know my true affection for bargains. To me, it's only a bargain if it's something you use regularly and find a deal. But sometimes, "bargain" extends to making a discovery of an extremely discounted, usually very pricey product you've always wanted to use, but never tried because it was too expensive.

I was at Meijer a week or so ago because I had a gift card (got TWO in the mail for some reason, just $5 off any purchase) and needed a couple things that I can only get there. I wandered past the clearance end caps in the makeup/hair aisle and saw this shampoo...had been $20, marked down to $6. I saw Loreal professional, neofibrine (which I'd read about) and reconstruct on the label and thought, gonna try it. $6 is more than I'd usually spend on a try, but what the heck.

This shampoo is amazing from the first use. After two weeks, my dry, fine, hair has body. It shines. I don't even have to use conditioner - which weighs fine hair down - because the shampoo is fixing the damage. I actually even like my hair today!

So, I'm scouring the Internet for somewhere that has the best price because I may have to start splurging on this shampoo. (They only had the one, lonely bottle at Meijer.) So, what are you waiting for? Go try it. You'll thank me! I mean, if it works on my pitiful locks, imagine what it could do for you...

Buy This Vacuum (another endorsement for which I will not be compensated)

No, the dinosaurs didn't get me! I am still alive and the dinosaurs are still extinct, just as they should be.

This week has been all about carpet.

I borrowed my parents' carpet cleaner and wow! Let's just say that I was long overdue... I'm so glad my folks loaned their cleaner to me!

So, once the carpets were all fresh and clean, I felt like I didn't want to use my old, worn out, second hand sweeper on it any more. And obviously, that sweeper was doing a craptastic job, because without grossing you out with the details, the carpets weren't just dirty, they were dusty/fuzzy, too.

I'm the queen of finding deals and saving money. I don't mind being extravagant for others, but when it comes to my needs or wants, I like to save. That way I can be lavish other places. Like, I'll religiously cut and use coupons to save money, but won't think twice about treating for a nice meal. However, if there is something I want, no! Can't pay full price! Must be a bargain!

I had $50 in Macy's gift certificates left from the $200 Steinvic gave me as part of my Christmas present. I scouted some sweepers online and saw a few that I liked. When I got to Macy's last night, they had a Bissell II Cleanview Vacuum for just $79.99. So, I got a brand spanking new vacuum that really sucks - in a good way - for $30.

I can tell that this vacuum and I are going to be spending a lot of time together.

The assembly was a BREEZE. Less than three minutes. Open the box. Snap and screw on the handle. Put the hose on. Put the attachments in place. Plug in. Vacuum. Be impressed with the suction that trumps your former "vacuum." Be horrified at the dust and funk that comes up. Thank the Cleanliness Deities that you bought this vacuum so that you and those who enter your home will not be exposed to such evil particulate matter.

I even tried the stair attachment brush hose thingy (I am sure there is a technical term for this attachment, but thingy is more fun to type) and it was very useful. (Note - the floor part of the sweeper keeps sucking even though you're using the hose. Just thought you should know. I was surprised at this. But it's 12 amps, so I think they are wise in distributing the suck by having both the floor and the hose sucking at once. Otherwise, whatever you were using the hose on would probably be eaten. )

You can also adjust for the kind of carpet you have, all the way from bare floor to high. Unlike other cleaners I've had, you can really tell the difference between settings.

So, I give this vacuum an A+. Steinvic gets an A+ for the gift certificates, which have helped me to keep Christmas going on into March! I get an A+ for being extra cleanliness-oriented this week (carpet cleaning DOES count as working out!).

Gosh, I love spring...and all the cleaning that comes with it. New beginnings, clean floors...

Buy No Line on the Horizon (aka Another endorsement for which I will not be compensated)

If you like U2, have a few extra dollars, are jonesing for some new tunes and want to buy a CD where there are no "fast forward through" songs, buy U2 - No Line on the Horizon.

What an excellent collection of music! I have to admit, while I already liked the single, "Get on Your Boots," I was not prepared for the other songs on the album. I had to listen to it several times to start to appreciate it. It has hooks, but not like those on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

These are deeper. Embedded. Little bits of lyrics have come creeping into my brain when it's vacant...

So, get out there and buy your copy. You'll be glad you did. Because when U2 tours the US this fall, you'll have the songs all memorized and you'll be able to sing along with Bono. Like I will. While my boyfriend pretends not to know me.