Random Thoughts for the Weekend.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend. I am, as it is my very first weekend without a zillion plans - and it feels so nice to be able to just sort of lazy around. It leaves me feeling exhilarated.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was sunny and warm... It was the perfect day to get the convertible out of the garage and take it for a spin. Has anyone ever noticed that convertibles and lipgloss just do not go together? Besides the fact that my hair gets all blown to pieces - the thing that bothers me most is the hair flying into and sticking onto the lips. There has to be a solution. I think I need to get a pretty Pucci silk scarf to tie around my tresses. My husband suggested I not wear lipgloss. Um - that is clearly not an option, which I made him well aware of and quick.

Now today is is dark and gray outside and I need to bring that feeling of Spring back. I think I am going to start by throwing a few highlights into my hair this morning - for that really it is almost summer even though spring just began feeling. And I need to get on with the spring makeup. I hate getting stuck in a makeup rut. I mean, I am constantly trying new products, and have posted about many of them already, but I feel I have settled into a pretty neutral looking face that can get me from morning to night. I am definitely going to clean out my cosmetic drawer in the bathroom to bring in a fresh new crop of products to start wearing today. What are some of your favorite new products for spring this year? Let me know in the comments what you are changing up already.

Finally, I cannot believe how many times I put down the new breed of mascaras that move - particularly Estee Lauder's Turbo Lash and Lancôme’s Ôscillation . These mascaras have rocked my eyelash world like no other. If you have not tried either of these beauties yet - you must! I am working up the courage to attempt another little beauty video, but in the meantime you need to get on the bandwagon with me. Seriously - my lashes have never looked so long and full - and both brands are equally amazing.

Enjoy the rest of the day and stay tuned for another great giveaway I have scheduled to start the beginning of the week.

P.S. Did you notice a bit of a new look here? I felt like Spring-ing it up a bit and making my header a little more focused for Beautiful Makeup Search. I also had quite a few readers comment on how hard it was to see the light blue and light pink font color I had, so Iswitched it up just a bit. The blue is now a gray/almost black and the pink is brighter - just like the season. Anyway, I hope you like it.

Crest’s Get Bright Challenge: Week 4.

I have used the brand new Crest White Strips Advanced Seal a total of 14 times since I first started the Get Bright Challenge. I hope you have been following along.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

My teeth are noticeably whiter, don't you think? My issues were more of a slight yellow/gray in nature, and the Advanced Seal Whitestrips certainly took care of that. My teeth are whiter and brighter!

To sum up my experience, I loved using these whitestrips and would recommend them to anyone wanting a fast and easy way to quickly whiten their teeth. As I mentioned numerous times in the past, I have tried previous versions of the whitestrips and other brands as well - none of them compare to these. As one of my problems in using whitestrips was always with gum sensitivity, the fact that these whitestrips really adhere to my teeth in a tight bond, makes this not an issue anymore.

For more information, check them out online at the official Crest Advanced Seal site. Advanced Seal Whitestrips have a suggested retail price of $44.99, but I have seen them for $37.99 at Target and $35.99 on sale at CVS.

P.S. Have you entered my contest to win your very own box of Crest Advanced Seal Whitestrips? If not, go on over to check out the giveaway details now!

Origins in an Industry First to Promote Recycling.

Starting March 29th, we can bring our empty cosmetic containers (tubes, bottles, jars, etc.) - regardless of brand - to the nearest Origins store or counter for recycling & a freebie! This is an industry first, as Origins will accept packaging from any cosmetic company. You already know about Back to MAC, right? Well, this is similar, but they will accept containers from any and every brand. This will be called, Return to Origins Recycling Program.

Origins will be collection the containers to be sent back to a central location where products will be recycled or used for energy recovery.

"We believe that the more we collect from consumers, the more we can keep cosmetic packaging out of landfills. And we hope this program will encourage other companies into following our example," said the company in a statement.

As a thank you, Origins will gift each consumer that brings in a container to be recycled, a FREE deluxe sample of their choosing from Origins' high-performance skin care products. For more information, visit the Return to Origins page on Origins.com.

What a fabulous idea and commitment. Origins, I applaud your efforts. I will definitely be one bringing in all my empties and containers I am no longer using.