At The Bodega With Mrs. Beck!

Hi love muffins. Been a long time. I shouldn’t a left you…without a dope beat to step to. Speaking of stepping…

Today’s tip won’t really involve beauty products so get okay with us venturing outside of the bodega. However, today’s tip will save you lots of money this summer.

Summertime is all about wearing flip-flops. I wear them all summer long as actual shoes and by the time summer ends, my feet are so flat and fat that when it’s time to put a high heel back on I ought to be adamnshamed of myself. But whatever, comfort is key out here in this humidity.

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Want The Hollywood Look?

Did you ever want to know what you would look like with a hairstyle like Rihanna, Beyonce, or Cameron Diaz? Well you can by just simply uploading a picture of yourself to InStyle’s Hollywood Hair Virtual Makeover. I had fun uploading pictures of my friends. So go head and give it a try. Invite your friends over to your house, make a couple of cocktails, do mani and pedi’s - just have a good time.

At The Bodega With Mrs. Beck!

So one time I fell down a flight of steps. Right after I’d gotten my braces off too. Dude, I was tripping. Cracked my tooth all off, bruised my legs all up and scabbed my knees too. My tights were stuck to my knees with blood. The worst! You can read all about it on PrincessMelissa.com. It’s buried in there somewhere. A friend of mine recommended that I buy Vitamin E capsules, break them open and apply them to my banged up knees so I wouldn’t scar. Because, as corny as I was, I was still sometimes invited to go down red carpets for movies that went straight to DVD like Dirty Dancing Havana Nights. Read more

At The Bodega With Mrs. Beck!

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey love muffins! I am busy this week getting my husband ready for life on the international road so I can’t chit chat for too long. But as I am trying to get his toiletries together in the hope that he will moisturize and protect without my supervision (doubt it), I reminded myself again about the famous cocoa butter stick. A bit ago I let you know about my obsession with Queen Helene products and packaging. The Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Stick deserves so much more praise than a mere passing remark, but I’ll give the quick breakdown on why it’s the best.

1. It’s cheap! Cheaper even than Mr. Softee ice cream cone. Cheaper than a Big Mac! And it’s for beauty purposes. Come on! That’s insanity. It’s 99 cents! I’m dead serious. These days, you can’t get much for less than a dollar unless you’re in the dollar store. But this is a dollar at the regular corner store. The miraculous cocoa butter stick is a straight up dollar? Yes. That’s what I said.

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At The Bodega With Mrs. Beck!

As you probably already know, a person’s pheromones affect how a certain scent will translate. I love to use Fresh Lemon Sugar perfume and a girlfriend of mine was always like, “I need that!” And so for a gift, I gave her a bottle. I normally do not like to just dole out what I deem to be my signature scent, but I made an exception. She reported back to me within the week and said she wasn’t a fan of it on her. So when I ventured into the store to buy my husband body wash, I had to find something that was fresh and clean that I too would be able to use in the summertime. Something that worked equally nicely on both of us. Of course, he doesn’t give a damn. That fool will wash off with Gojo if you let him. Google it. He has a tub of it in the shower as we speak. Ugh.

Back to what I was saying…

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At The Bodega With Mrs. Beck!

Love muffins, here is another fun filled read from the super duper splendiferous Melissa Beck!

Sometimes when I’m aimlessly shopping, I can make a decision based on packaging alone. My husband said that I’m every marketer’s dream because I am very much swayed by the sight and sound of a product. For example, I totally bought carpet from Empire because I believe the “eight hundred five eight eight two three hundred empiiiiire” song is, quite frankly, a well-written jingle. I like to sing along with the commercial like a freak. I’ll eat a gang of cheese just because it’s “crumb-elievable” which is so stupid, but that’s who I am. I have brand loyalty and if you can get me on the page and your product works, then I’m in for life.I’m a diehard Queen Helene fan and it all started with the packaging. There’s something really retro, power to the people, 70s about it. When I am at the CVS and I’m looking to solve all my ashy needs, I go straight to Queen Helene first. From pure cocoa butters in stick form (ooh, we have to discuss that) to the gigantic barrel of the lotion, I am so in based solely on the khaki box with the red stripe and the cursive “Queen Helene” across the top. Swear on my ovaries, I have been known to pump a black fist, all giddy, when I am purchasing. I have no idea why I associate it with ethnic pride, but it keeps me happy so whatever. I know. I should get a life, totally.

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At The Bodega With Mrs. Beck!

Love muffins, you probably noticed that I did not post Melissa’s beauty column last week. Unfortunately, I will not be able to post it again this week because of some unexpected events. However, she will be back up next week, and I can’t wait. I truly love her post, because I feel like I am actually there as she tells the story. In case you missed her last three post, please be sure to visit them below.

Mrs. Beck: Baby Powder
Mrs. Beck: Backing Soda
Mrs. Beck: Neutrogena Sesame Oil

Be in the Spotlight!

I’m about to tell you the quickest way to get that “glow” that is so coveted. It’s the look of clean polished skin that reflects light in just the right places ala Beyonce, J.Lo, and Charlize. You want to know the products, and I’m about to call them out!

If your skin is a rich olive tan to the deepest ebony, please choose a hilighter with a warm golden or bronze tone such as M.A.C. Creme Colour Base in Bronze ($16.50 at maccosmetics.com) or NARS Sparkling Pressed Powder in Gold Rush ($30 at narscosmetics.com).

If your skin is fair to medium, go pick up High Beam from Benefit Cosmetics ($24 at benefitcosmetics.com) or e.l.f. Mineral Glow in Shimmer ($8.00 at eyelipsface.com) featured above, which have more of a pink tone.

Now here are the rules to glow by Love Muffins. If your skin is naturaly oily, choose a powder based product and blend it from the apples of the cheeks to your cheekbone only. If your skin is more normal to dry, you can apply either liquid, cream or powder (preferably cream if you’re drier) to your cheeks, bridge of nose and forhead. Blending is the key for a natural look. Have fun with this Love Muffins and try mixing your highlighter with your favorite cheek color and see what you get!