Judicial Review: Badger Foot Balm

Back in March, I (with the help of a couple of friends) reviewed the Cocoa Butter Lip Balm from Badger. That was just one of several balms the friendly people from Badger sent me to try from their line of organic skin and body care products. One choice item in my box of goodies was their Foot Balm. The small tin reads along the edge, “Do your feet a favor. This stuff works. Rub it in.” Badger speaks the truth! My feet are totally in love with this product.

InStyle’s Best Beauty(pendence) Buys

The May issue of InStyle magazine is without question the one magazine I look forward to every year. And that’s because it’s the annual Best Beauty Buys issue. As you might tell, I do a hefty amount of research before purchasing any beauty products, and this issue has been an important resource for me for years. And to celebrate this year’s list, the first of hopefully many in the Beautypendence era, I thought it would be fun to point out all the make-up, skin, body and hair products in this year’s issue that I’ve discussed on the blog. Here goes…

Judicial Review: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Excess Mascara

When I was last at Neiman Marcus to pick up a new bottle of my favorite Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Martina, the wonderful Armani beauty sales associate, gave me some goodies. One sample in my bag was Eyes to Kill Excess Mascara. I gave it a test drive, and here’s the story.

Thanks to CultureMap, Beautypendence is Famous!

I am beyond thrilled to share that our little blog was featured in CultureMap‘s recent article about Austin’s top fashion and style bloggers. Little old me?? Really?? Well, we’re honored! And you may notice that we’re the only beauty blog on the list. So thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have read and commented on our posts, shared products and services, and told your friends about how cool we are. I promise to keep sharing all my best beauty tips with you.

GUEST POST:: Everything’s Bigger In Texas, Y’all – Part III

EDITOR’S NOTE: I am so pleased to share Beautypendence’s first ever guest post, in three parts. Debbie is a dear, longtime friend who was so generous to share her personal story with you. I hope that you enjoy!

This is the final segment of this story, but if you need to catch up, read Part I and Part II.

Fast forward a few years, I was still a 36G. Well, I hadn’t actually been measured again, and my breasts could have reached “Humongous” on the alphabet, but I was going to make them fit in my existing bras, having spent so much on them. Then, a friend had reduction surgery and had great results. Just her boobs, not the rest of her, took the Texas slogan to heart. So, at the ripe old age of 48, I decided reduction surgery was the right decision for me, too. I went for my consultation. Yes, I had back and neck pain; yes, I had bilateral grand canyons on my shoulders; and yes, with a few pictures (which would never get me a job if I were advertising my “wares” on the internet), I was approved for surgery by my insurance company.

GUEST POST:: Everything’s Bigger In Texas, Y’all – Part II

EDITOR’S NOTE: I am so pleased to share Beautypendence’s first ever guest post, in three parts. Debbie is a dear, longtime friend who was so generous to share her personal story with you. I hope that you enjoy!

If you missed Part I of Debbie’s story, you can read it here.  

Debbie with a whole lot to carry around, pre-surgery

As I grew a little older, I was happier with my boobs. I left the confines of home to start training as a nurse at a London Hospital. I had to wear a stupid hat there too, but apparently it didn’t give the same “PLEASE GROPE ME” message. But the catcalls continued. I think English workmen have a fetish about nurses in uniform.

When I entered a wet t-shirt competition during a week-long motorcycle racing event on the Isle of Man, my boobs were much admired. I had fun… and four pictures in Club International. If you’re not familiar with this publication, let’s just say the women are usually lacking more than a wet t-shirt. Also, I learned that the squadron leader for the Red Arrows (the Royal Air Force Display Team) voted for me. I think it was the red trousers I was wearing.

Judicial Review: Davines Sea Salt Primer … For Wizards!

It's for wizards! It says so on the bottle.

If you haven’t been reading Beautypendence since the beginning (Welcome! And what took you so long?!?), then let me debrief you on the current state of my hair.

• medium-long length, just past my shoulders
• very thick strands
• wavy, but not quite curly
• silky texture
• holds a curl well
• more than average amount in quantity of hair strands
• longer layers with bangs

As a true Texan, I like big hair, but due to the quantity of weighty, long strands on my head, my hair can look limp. My beloved hairstylist Mark gave me a styling product by Davines to try, their No. 14 Sea Salt Primer FOR WIZARDS. A few Davines products are already longtime staples in my hair care arsenal – Momo Conditioner and No. 10 Universal Polishing Coat (also for wizards). I think I’ve added something new to my line-up.