Brooke's Looks

I'm here to make you look (and feel) good.
Although I love to use Philosophy’s body wash on the regular, I do occasionally get blemishes on my body from working out. When that happens, it’s time to switch gears. Neutrogena’s Body Clear body wash in grapefruit is amazing for preventing and curing skin break out’s. I typically use this wash after working out or during the summer when I’m feeling particularly sweaty or sticky. It’s gentile so it doesn’t cause skin dryness and smells amazing, especially for an ‘acne’ body cleanser. However, I do avoid using it on my arms (unless they feel icky) because sometimes the soap does dry out my skin there. Overall it’s a really great purchase. It’s around $7.. truly unbeatable, and the results really show. You can pick this up at a local pharmacy, like a CVS or even target.

Although I love to use Philosophy’s body wash on the regular, I do occasionally get blemishes on my body from working out. When that happens, it’s time to switch gears. Neutrogena’s Body Clear body wash in grapefruit is amazing for preventing and curing skin break out’s.

I typically use this wash after working out or during the summer when I’m feeling particularly sweaty or sticky. It’s gentile so it doesn’t cause skin dryness and smells amazing, especially for an ‘acne’ body cleanser. However, I do avoid using it on my arms (unless they feel icky) because sometimes the soap does dry out my skin there.

Overall it’s a really great purchase. It’s around $7.. truly unbeatable, and the results really show. You can pick this up at a local pharmacy, like a CVS or even target.

How to achieve the perfect half-moon manicure: First, pick your 2 colors. I like the combination of Deborah Lippman’s polish in the color ‘Naked’ as the base coat & OPI’s shade ‘Black Cherry Chutney’ as the moon. After this, apply, as you should with every manicure, a base coat (my preference Nailtique). This protects the nail and allows you to apply your colors more evenly. Then paint two coats of the first polish, allow time to dry! After doing this, use the circle tabs for loose leaf paper and place twards the middle of the nail (or to where ever you’d like your moon shape to form). Paint the half moon color on top, around the tab, this protects the bottom coat from getting tainted by the color of the half moon! Then, wait a few minutes for drying time and take the tab off & apply a top coat on to your polish.

How to achieve the perfect half-moon manicure:

First, pick your 2 colors. I like the combination of Deborah Lippman’s polish in the color ‘Naked’ as the base coat & OPI’s shade ‘Black Cherry Chutney’ as the moon.

After this, apply, as you should with every manicure, a base coat (my preference Nailtique). This protects the nail and allows you to apply your colors more evenly.

Then paint two coats of the first polish, allow time to dry!

After doing this, use the circle tabs for loose leaf paper and place twards the middle of the nail (or to where ever you’d like your moon shape to form).

Paint the half moon color on top, around the tab, this protects the bottom coat from getting tainted by the color of the half moon!

Then, wait a few minutes for drying time and take the tab off & apply a top coat on to your polish.

I am always on the quest for the perfect mascara. One that creates volume and length, but does not look artificial. Often time’s the mascara’s marketed to create length flake off through out the day. Not a good look for anyone, especially those of us waring contacts! While ordering something completely different at Sephora, I received a free sample of Kat Von D’s Sin-Full lash mascara and it was a marvelous surprise to me! The brush isn’t too chunky and doesn’t separate the lases too much nor does it cause clumping, this is hard to find! I’m not like a huge supporter of her other products, some of them are a bit too dramatic for me, but this one does the trick. It has a thick bristle brush so it can handle wear and doesn’t flop around like some of the brushes do. It also contains rose extract which can improve lash health, not the big selling point for me but I thought it was worthy of mentioning. This can be purchased at Sephora or online at www.Sephora.com for $19 (the going rate of quality make up). It’s really worth it because mascara purchased at drug stores often clumps up or dries out and often flakes.

I am always on the quest for the perfect mascara. One that creates volume and length, but does not look artificial. Often time’s the mascara’s marketed to create length flake off through out the day. Not a good look for anyone, especially those of us waring contacts!

While ordering something completely different at Sephora, I received a free sample of Kat Von D’s Sin-Full lash mascara and it was a marvelous surprise to me! The brush isn’t too chunky and doesn’t separate the lases too much nor does it cause clumping, this is hard to find! I’m not like a huge supporter of her other products, some of them are a bit too dramatic for me, but this one does the trick.

It has a thick bristle brush so it can handle wear and doesn’t flop around like some of the brushes do. It also contains rose extract which can improve lash health, not the big selling point for me but I thought it was worthy of mentioning.

This can be purchased at Sephora or online at www.Sephora.com for $19 (the going rate of quality make up). It’s really worth it because mascara purchased at drug stores often clumps up or dries out and often flakes.

Despite my love for homemade remedies, I went out on a limb and I recently purchased Sara Happ’s The Lip Scrub. Let me say, it’s been my best buy of the month. Even though this winter has been a warmer one (at least in Long Island), I still get flaky lips. My usual remedy wasn’t doing the trick and I had read about The Lip Scrub in a magazine in the past and it popped into my head and REVOLUTIONIZED my lips. This is much better than any home made sugar/brown sugar remedy. It’s so lovely it makes your lips tingle with freshness for up to an hour after use! The Lip Scrub comes in a variety of scrumptious flavors, including: brown sugar, creme brulee. I purchased creme brulee and it’s absolutely delicious and temptingly lickable. After one use I was delighted with the results. I now have softer, flake free lips :) The directions are simple: use generous amounts and rub circularly on your lip, wipe off with a tissue and .. there ya go! I only use enough to coat my lips thinly (otherwise it get’s stuck in between your lips) and it has amazing results. Sara Happ’s The Lip Scrub can be purchased at www.sarahapp.com for $24. The bottle 1 oz and I’m assuming should last me a while!

Despite my love for homemade remedies, I went out on a limb and I recently purchased Sara Happ’s The Lip Scrub. Let me say, it’s been my best buy of the month. Even though this winter has been a warmer one (at least in Long Island), I still get flaky lips. My usual remedy wasn’t doing the trick and I had read about The Lip Scrub in a magazine in the past and it popped into my head and REVOLUTIONIZED my lips.

This is much better than any home made sugar/brown sugar remedy. It’s so lovely it makes your lips tingle with freshness for up to an hour after use! The Lip Scrub comes in a variety of scrumptious flavors, including: brown sugar, creme brulee. I purchased creme brulee and it’s absolutely delicious and temptingly lickable. After one use I was delighted with the results. I now have softer, flake free lips :)

The directions are simple: use generous amounts and rub circularly on your lip, wipe off with a tissue and .. there ya go! I only use enough to coat my lips thinly (otherwise it get’s stuck in between your lips) and it has amazing results.

Sara Happ’s The Lip Scrub can be purchased at www.sarahapp.com for $24. The bottle 1 oz and I’m assuming should last me a while!

Just like everyone in the world, I like to have pearly white shiny teeth…and just like many others as well, I have sensitive teeth. White strips make my teeth sensitive after two uses, which makes them not worth the money for me. So, I set out on a goal to find a whitening product that works for me without killing my teeth. Regular white strips remove a thin layer of enamel on your teeth, which just like for me, makes many people’s teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods after a few uses (and also they’re pretty gross). Whitening toothpaste works a lot better and has a longer lasting effect because it’s safe to use daily. I discovered, and love, Crest’s sensitivity whitening toothpaste. Works like a charm. It’s also available in extra whitening, which works wonders for those who smoke or drink excess amounts coffee. Just be careful not to swallow it by the mouthful, Just kidding (assuming you’re not an idiot). This can be purchased at your local CVS pharmacy or local drugstore. It’s around $7 in stores but can be purchased for $4.19 +shipping at www.drugstore.com (best website).

Just like everyone in the world, I like to have pearly white shiny teeth…and just like many others as well, I have sensitive teeth. White strips make my teeth sensitive after two uses, which makes them not worth the money for me. So, I set out on a goal to find a whitening product that works for me without killing my teeth.

Regular white strips remove a thin layer of enamel on your teeth, which just like for me, makes many people’s teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods after a few uses (and also they’re pretty gross). Whitening toothpaste works a lot better and has a longer lasting effect because it’s safe to use daily.

I discovered, and love, Crest’s sensitivity whitening toothpaste. Works like a charm. It’s also available in extra whitening, which works wonders for those who smoke or drink excess amounts coffee. Just be careful not to swallow it by the mouthful, Just kidding (assuming you’re not an idiot).

This can be purchased at your local CVS pharmacy or local drugstore. It’s around $7 in stores but can be purchased for $4.19 +shipping at www.drugstore.com (best website).

Every once in a while it’s fun to do really elaborate make up. Unfortunately between eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow it’s inevitable that something going to smudge and ruin your master piece! This product can save you from the turmoil of having to fix an entire eye, or what I usually do.. getting upset and ruining the whole thing! Almay’s Make up eraser sticks are perfect for fixing up smudges. They’re soft little cotton swabs filled with Almay’s make up remover formula. They’re easy to use, gentle, and inexpensive. They also travel easy, so if you have a tendency to rub your eye and smudge your eyeliner, just throw these in your bag! These can be purchased at your local CVS, Harmond, or drugstore of choice for around $8. Or they can be bought online at Drugstore.com for $5.50.

Every once in a while it’s fun to do really elaborate make up. Unfortunately between eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow it’s inevitable that something going to smudge and ruin your master piece! This product can save you from the turmoil of having to fix an entire eye, or what I usually do.. getting upset and ruining the whole thing!

Almay’s Make up eraser sticks are perfect for fixing up smudges. They’re soft little cotton swabs filled with Almay’s make up remover formula. They’re easy to use, gentle, and inexpensive. They also travel easy, so if you have a tendency to rub your eye and smudge your eyeliner, just throw these in your bag!

These can be purchased at your local CVS, Harmond, or drugstore of choice for around $8. Or they can be bought online at Drugstore.com for $5.50.

I decided it was time to do a home remedy that’s budget friendly! And what does everyone want to get rid of? Acne. Here’s a remedy I’ve used to fight break out’s that’s really worked for me. A home-made strawberry facial. Smash up 1/4 of a cup of strawberries, 1/4 a cup of sour cream or yogurt (i prefer yogurt, for textural purposes). Just let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Do this about once a week if you have troubled skin, it can really help clear things up. The best thing about strawberries is that they have a natural source of salicylic acid, which is the stuff that they use in acne creams and washes to help clear up your skin. The best part is this is natural source.

I decided it was time to do a home remedy that’s budget friendly! And what does everyone want to get rid of? Acne. Here’s a remedy I’ve used to fight break out’s that’s really worked for me. A home-made strawberry facial.

Smash up 1/4 of a cup of strawberries, 1/4 a cup of sour cream or yogurt (i prefer yogurt, for textural purposes). Just let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Do this about once a week if you have troubled skin, it can really help clear things up.

The best thing about strawberries is that they have a natural source of salicylic acid, which is the stuff that they use in acne creams and washes to help clear up your skin. The best part is this is natural source.

I don’t know about everyone else, but dry, cracked feet personally gross me out. I do whatever is in my power to avoid such nastiness and when you don’t have the time to get a pedicure it can be hard to maintain soft, touchable feet. This used to be one of my many ‘first world’ problems. Luckily, I found my solution: L’Occitane’s shea butter foot cream. This product is wonderful! It smells delicious and leaves your feet feeling silky smooth. This foot cream not only contains shea butter, but also lavender essential oils that purify skin and also provide an anti-inflammatory aid, which is lovely for the winter. Apply cream on to freshly cleaned feet. Use about a pea sized amount for each foot, a little bit goes a long way. Massage the cream into your skin for about 30 second - more heavily on areas of your feet that get cracked, such as your heels. After applying you can instantly feel your skin become softer. The lavender and shea butter also leave you feeling quite refreshed! This can be purchased at your local L’Occitane store or on their website http://usa.loccitane.com at $28 for a large tube. If you just want to give it a try I’d recommend the travel sized, which is only $10.

I don’t know about everyone else, but dry, cracked feet personally gross me out. I do whatever is in my power to avoid such nastiness and when you don’t have the time to get a pedicure it can be hard to maintain soft, touchable feet.

This used to be one of my many ‘first world’ problems. Luckily, I found my solution: L’Occitane’s shea butter foot cream. This product is wonderful! It smells delicious and leaves your feet feeling silky smooth. This foot cream not only contains shea butter, but also lavender essential oils that purify skin and also provide an anti-inflammatory aid, which is lovely for the winter.

Apply cream on to freshly cleaned feet. Use about a pea sized amount for each foot, a little bit goes a long way. Massage the cream into your skin for about 30 second - more heavily on areas of your feet that get cracked, such as your heels. After applying you can instantly feel your skin become softer. The lavender and shea butter also leave you feeling quite refreshed!

This can be purchased at your local L’Occitane store or on their website http://usa.loccitane.com at $28 for a large tube. If you just want to give it a try I’d recommend the travel sized, which is only $10.

I don’t know about all of you but for me, whenever I wear eye make up (shadow in particular) I incidentally end up wiping it off much sooner than I’d like. I feel like, if I’m going to put in all the effort of color selection and blending to perfection it should last longer than a few short hours! Luckily, I stumbled upon what I consider to be a miracle product: Too Faced Eye Shadow Primer. I use this stuff daily and for a mere $18 it’s lasted me about a year. I’ve tried other products, such as Urban Decay’s primer potion, but they just don’t work as well as too faced’s  insurance primer. Not to smash Urban Decay, they make many products I use and love, but as far as primers go - I’m 100% a too faced gal! When I use this product I find that my shadow can last me from 8am until about 8pm, a whopping 12 hours! I apply after using my bronzer and/or facial powder. It’s a nude color that blends right in, which is lovely. Then apply make up as desired. It’s simple and wonderful. This product can be purchased at Sephora, or on their website www.sephora.com. Also, it’s available at www.toofaced.com. It also comes in tints which give your make up a shimmery base, I’ve used those as well but I like to, in this case, stick with the basics!

I don’t know about all of you but for me, whenever I wear eye make up (shadow in particular) I incidentally end up wiping it off much sooner than I’d like. I feel like, if I’m going to put in all the effort of color selection and blending to perfection it should last longer than a few short hours!

Luckily, I stumbled upon what I consider to be a miracle product: Too Faced Eye Shadow Primer. I use this stuff daily and for a mere $18 it’s lasted me about a year. I’ve tried other products, such as Urban Decay’s primer potion, but they just don’t work as well as too faced’s  insurance primer. Not to smash Urban Decay, they make many products I use and love, but as far as primers go - I’m 100% a too faced gal!

When I use this product I find that my shadow can last me from 8am until about 8pm, a whopping 12 hours! I apply after using my bronzer and/or facial powder. It’s a nude color that blends right in, which is lovely. Then apply make up as desired. It’s simple and wonderful.

This product can be purchased at Sephora, or on their website www.sephora.com. Also, it’s available at www.toofaced.com. It also comes in tints which give your make up a shimmery base, I’ve used those as well but I like to, in this case, stick with the basics!

So, I’ve had my first official ‘blog request’: A conditioner. Kenra deep conditioner treatment is amazing. It does nothing for me in the scent department but does an amazing job. I was given this conditioner treatment from a friend who is a hairdresser for Christmas along with a bundle of other amazing products. The treatment is simple, shampoo hair regularly and then apply a thin coat of the nourishing masque on your hair and keep it on for the remainder of your shower (for about 5 minutes at least). Then rinse off before you step out of the shower and BOOM! Lusciously smoothed hair. You can blow dry regularly and your hair just comes out absolutely soft and straight. It’s really a miracle product if you ask me. It’s really the best conditioner/deep conditioner I’ve encountered. It can be purchased at www.sleekhair.com for $16.99 + shipping. Also, Cactus salons (i know this because this is where the fabulous hairstylist i know works).

So, I’ve had my first official ‘blog request’: A conditioner. Kenra deep conditioner treatment is amazing. It does nothing for me in the scent department but does an amazing job. I was given this conditioner treatment from a friend who is a hairdresser for Christmas along with a bundle of other amazing products.

The treatment is simple, shampoo hair regularly and then apply a thin coat of the nourishing masque on your hair and keep it on for the remainder of your shower (for about 5 minutes at least). Then rinse off before you step out of the shower and BOOM! Lusciously smoothed hair.

You can blow dry regularly and your hair just comes out absolutely soft and straight. It’s really a miracle product if you ask me. It’s really the best conditioner/deep conditioner I’ve encountered.

It can be purchased at www.sleekhair.com for $16.99 + shipping. Also, Cactus salons (i know this because this is where the fabulous hairstylist i know works).