I received a sample of Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer in one of my many beauty sample boxes and I have been using it for a couple of weeks now.

I’m a big fan of primers because they help create a better canvas if you’re going to apply more face makeup. Truthfully, I don’t wear face makeup so on occasion this would be the only product on my skin. For ME, this product was great. The primer is tinted and luckily it blended right in with my skin tone. Some other people might not be so lucky because you don’t get to choose the color of the primer, so it could easily be much darker or lighter than your own skin tone. I read on the Murad website that this isn’t a problem if you wear it underneath other makeup, but you may not be able to wear it alone like I can.

Since I haven’t been wearing it under other products, I cannot attest to how well the color blends. I can tell you that for my skin the primer helps balance out some uneven skin tone areas, and also makes my skin feel quite smooth. All told, I’d probably give this product 3.5 stars out of 5. Generally speaking, I like when my primers are a little more moisturizing. The one I have is supposed to help combat acne, so it’s a little on the drier side. I’m not using this product to combat acne, but the comments on the Murad website say it’s a great product in this regard!

If you’re interested in checking out the Primer – or anything else at Murad – now is the time because there’s a Murad Friends and Family Sale taking place through the end of the day tomorrow, May 22, 2012, and you can get 20% off your entire Murad order! You’ll also get free shipping on your order! Use code “SAVE20″ at checkout to receive the 20% discount.

The Murad Skin Perfecting Primer above costs $35 normally, but with the Murad friends and family discount the price drops to $28. Still pricey, but if you’re going to try it, best to try it with a discount!

Click here to shop the Murad Friends and Family Sale now!!!

Beauty Reviewed: Murad Skin Perfecting Primer is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

dressbarn was a fan of my post about dressbarn dresses to wear to a summer wedding, and offered to treat me to a dress that I could wear this summer to a wedding I’d be attending. I told them the only wedding I will be attending this summer is my own, so perhaps I could stop by dressbarn to find a dress to wear to my upcoming bridal shower, and they were completely game.

Mary, the store manager {I went to the store at 6193 N Lincoln in Chicago}, and her crew were so cute when I stopped by two weekends ago. I think they brought me the entire store to try on, which was definitely enlightening. They provided so much feedback that I felt like I was shopping with my best friends. They encouraged me to try a couple of dresses I never thought I’d like, which is how I ended up with the flowered dress below.

While dressbarn offered me one complimentary dress, I wound up purchasing an additional two dresses! Honestly, I just couldn’t decide which dress I loved the most out of the three dresses. I thought I would wear one to my bridal shower and one to the rehearsal dinner and have one just for fun, but now that I’ve looked at the pictures I think it’s clear that two are clearly more flattering on me.

I picked up these three dresses {please excuse the crappy iPhone photos taken in the dressing room}:

I thought this Ruffle-Hem Polka Dot Dress {$49.99} looked really flattering when I had it on and I loved the on-trend polka dot pattern, but now that I see the picture I’m not so certain. I still love the dress but I need more of a defined waist, so I might be returning this one.

I wasn’t certain about this Watercolor Rose Tank Dress and Cardigan Duet {$59.99} because it’s not something I’d normally pick up for myself. I’m not normally a pattern person and certainly not a flowers person, so I’m happy that Mary insisted I try it on. I purchased it because I really liked the way the skirt fit and flared. It almost has a 50s quality to it. While this was originally my “just because” dress, I think this is the dress I’m going to wear to the bridal shower.

This Ruffled Wrap Dress {$49.99} is by far my favorite dress I picked up. {I also recently featured this dress in an Emma Stone Steal This Look post!}I originally intended this for my bridal shower, but now that I’m looking at the pictures I think I’m going to wear it to our rehearsal dinner. My photo is abysmal so you can’t really tell just how vibrant this dress is. I absolutely love it and can’t wait to throw on some fun accessories to wear with it!

I’ll post again next week to let you all know which dress I ultimately decide to wear to my bridal shower!

While I walked into dressbarn prepared to walk out with nothing but my free dress, I was completely surprised by the quality of the dresses and doubly surprised that I walked out with not one but three dresses in hand! Sure, I’ve posted about this store before because I liked their styles, but there’s something to be said for actually getting out there and trying things on for yourself. I’ll definitely be adding dressbarn to my line-up of sites to try out on a regular basis!

Have you found any good steals at dressbarn lately?

Hunting for the Perfect Bridal Shower Dress at dressbarn is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

Frownies Gentle Lifts Lip Line Treatment

What are Frownies you ask? Well, believe me, I asked the same thing! Frownies basically work as a “splint” for your lines and wrinkles. Interesting, right?! See a how-to here. ”Frownies are the alternative to fillers, and chemical injectable products, developed Gentle Lifts to fit comfortably around the lip area.”

I despise needles, so anything that can make my wrinkles go away with me injecting myself is a ok in my book! Also, I love the fact that these products aren’t tested on animals and contain no parabens, polysorbate, or fragrances. You all know I love me some chemical free products!

I used the Frownies Gentle Lifts and placed them like so:

I had to go on the website and figure out the placements, as these little suckers are tiny! The directions basically say “peel adhesive back and apply.” I hadn’t a clue where to begin. Like, where do I stick them? Is there a method? Apparently I overanalyzed. Just stick them wherever you need them. Simple enough.

Before placing the strips on, be sure to smooth out the wrinkles. Here’s where I did a little test. I followed the directions for one side of my face and not the other. I smoothed the right side, placed them along my marrionette lines and then just stuck them on the left.

Word to the wise, make sure you wet them prior to peeling them off. Otherwise it feels like ripping off a band-aid, which I HATE. But I digress…I only tried these strips for one night, as they recommend you wear them for at least 3 hours. I totally noticed a difference this morning! And, of course, now I look crazy, as I only did one side of my face. Woops.

It’s not a 100% improvement, but granted, I’ve only worn them for one night. I’m going to continue to wear them, especially on my forehead for a week and report back to you all with a full Frownies review! So far, so good.

Frownies for lip lines cost $24.97 for an 8 to 16 week supply.

Have you ever tried Frownies? If so, what do you think?

Beauty Reviewed: Frownies is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

After two weeks, I finally recieved my CakeStyle box – a huge brown box FILLED with fun stuff! I got a little nervous when I saw an online review saying your personal stylists will send 4 to 6 outfits valued between $2,500 to $3,000! My initial budget was only $150, but thanks to a well-timed GiltCity deal, it turned into $300. I was thinking I might only be able to keep one thing!

To watch my stylist Kait talk about the pieces she picked for me, click HERE: CakeStyle.com/DoryLarrabee. Initally, I loved looks 1, 2, 5 and 6. I wasn’t a fan of looks 3 and 4.

Some of my favorite dresses I recieved:

My pile of accessories!

The list of everything I recieved with a value of over $3,200!

After you recieve the box, you have to ship back the items you don’t want within 10 days. It actually took me a couple nights to try on everything I got and really think about mixing and matching and deciding what I wanted to keep. As you can see, the prices aren’t exactly cheap, so I knew I was going to have a tough time picking my favorites.

Please read my final CakeStyle Review post on Friday to see what I kept from my box!

CakeStyle Review – Part 2 is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

I’m going to keep this review nice and short.

I received a sample of Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer in one of my recent beauty subscription boxes. I took the moisturizer on a recent trip with me and used the moisturizer twice and I was absolutely not a fan. In fact, on the second day of the trip I was sad I didn’t have another moisturizer to use instead of this one.

The reason I don’t like Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer is because it went on VERY sticky and then my face felt sticky all day long. I had the exact same results two days in a row, which tells me this product is just not for me.

A 2 fl. oz. bottle of this moisturizer costs $28 and it is Certified Organic. It just didn’t do the trick with my skin.

Do any of you use this moisturizer? If so, you probably think I’m way off so I’d love to hear how the product works for you!

Beauty Reviewed: Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

I was recently contacted by LA-Based LAMO Footwear about reviewing a pair of their summer-weight sheepskin shoes, and of course I couldn’t resist. I have a mild obsession with sheepskin and wear my sheepskin boots year round. {Yes, even during the summer. Not because I look cool – because obviously I don’t – but because they are oh-so-comfy.}

I received a pair of hot pink LAMO Moca’s, which are embellished with nailhead studs on top of the foot and also on the back.

I absolutely love the way they look. I am obsessed with bright footwear, and these fit the bill perfectly. Hot pink shoes are always eye catching, but add on some nail studs and they’re amazing. Flashy, yet comfy.

What I liked best about these shoes was the sheepskin insole. I was prepared for my foot be be warm all day, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. My feet just feel great whenever I wear these and I’m happy because I feel like I’m secretly wearing slippers around as shoes.

My only complaint about the LAMO Moca is that the suede is not very flexible. This, I know, is not necessarily a bad thing as it means the suede will hold up for quite awhile. However, I have wide feet, so it took nearly two days of wear for the suede to loosen up enough so that it wasn’t pulling tightly across my right foot. {My left foot was fine!} Truthfully, if I were to get another pair I would probably go up a full size. These feel a little small to me and I don’t think going up a size would be too much of a problem at all. They’re not likely to go flying off. As it is, I’ll just keep working in my pair to get the perfect fit.

Sheepskin shoes can be expensive, but these mocassins cost just $69, which really isn’t too bad of a deal. These are high quality shoes that I’m certain I’m going to have for years to come. In my opinion, the combination of hot pink and nail studs will never go out of style.

LAMO Footwear • $69

Review: LAMO Footwear Hot Pink Moca’s is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

My skeptism has soon gone by the wayside. Folks, this stuff is amazing. It is unscented, so that’s a huge plus. Once, I bought an eye gel and the scent was so strong that it made my eyes burn. That was a bad day… Anyways, I can’t tell you enough how much I ADORE this stuff.

A little trick that I do is put a jar of this in the fridge. It is very cool and refreshing! Also, I despise getting out of bed in the morning. By applying this cold, not only does it relieve my puffy eyes, but it wakes me up.

The jar is 0.5 oz, so it’s perfect for travel, too. Although $10 may seem like a lot for an eye gel, I assure you a little goes along way with this stuff. And you will be hooked!

What’s your go-to eye gel?

Beauty Reviewed: The Body Shop Elderflower Cooling Eye Gel is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

Since college I have been using Aveeno moisturizers. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I have extremely sensitive skin and Aveeno is the ONLY brand that has never lead to a breakout. A couple of years ago I upgraded my moisturizer to Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30, mainly for the extra SPF.

Seriously – I SWEAR by this moisturizer and I cannot recommend it enough. It goes on light and it’s not greasy feeling in the least. The two most important components of this product to me are the high SPF and the fact that it doesn’t cause my skin to breakout. I feel like my skin now mostly feels perfect. It’s never too oily or too dry. It’s also amazing how good the SPF protection is! I was in Florida in February and my face hardly picked up a bit of tan.

Over the years I have occasionally tried more expensive moisturizers – because expensive should mean better or something – but I always go back to Aveeno within a few days. Truthfully, I’m relieved that the more expensive products never work out. I can’t say I mind spending just $13.59 on a bottle of moisturizer that always lasts a few months.

If you’re looking for something that won’t cost you a fortune, Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 gets my highest seal of approval!

Beauty Reviewed: Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

Last night I posted on Instagram* this photo of my latest manicure. While I know that nail art is uber popular right now, I remain as impatient as ever and can’t fathom taking the time to paint something pretty on my nails. Thus, when I received a package of Kiss Nail Dress in my Influenster box I knew I had to give them a go. Cute nails without the fuss? Yes, please!

While it may seem that Kiss is paying Megan and I since this is our second Kiss Nails review in a week, I assure you this is not the case. We randomly got two Kiss products that we both loved at the same time. {I just don’t want you to think any funny business is going on!}

While I had previously tried Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips and loved them, I honestly love this product from Kiss more. Here’s why: Sally Hansen uses real nail polish in their strips, which means that you have to remove the polish using nail polish remover. These strips from Kiss look and feel like real polish, but they are really just stickers so whenever you’re ready for a change you can just pull them {gently} off of your nails. It SERIOUSLY doesn’t get much easier than this.

All told it took me probably 7 minutes last night to give myself a “manicure.” There are 28 strips in a package {enough for a mani and pedi!} and they come longer than your actual nails, so you just file them a bit until you’re able to rip of the part that’s longer than your nail. Easy peasy!

As for how they look, I was at the doctor this morning and had two different nurses tell me how much they loved my manicure and they were shocked when I told them they were just stickers.

While the $5 or so price tag is definitely more than just buying a bottle of nail polish, Kiss nail Dress is a super quick way to go that doesn’t involve any drying time. Frankly, I’m smitten!

*I’m on Instagram as “fantabandfrugal” if you want to be photo friends!

Beauty Reviewed: Kiss Nail Dress is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.

If I could tell you just one physically-defining fact about myself it would be that I have super curly hair. Make that super long, super curly hair. When dry {meaning when my hair is at its curliest}, my hair hangs halfway down my back. The sheer amount of thick and unruly hair on my head means that while I am generally fairly frugal, I spend a boatload of money on hair products. I’ve tried almost every hair product on the market, and without fail it’s generally the more expensive shampoos and conditioners that work the best.

I tend to favor Fekkai products, but I recently saw that Tanesha from Girl With Curves uses quite a few Kerastase products in her daily routine and decided to give the brand a go. The connection here is that Tanesha and I have nearly identical hair, of course.

I decided to pick up Kerastase Ciment Anti-Usure, which is a conditioning product.

Since the name of the product doesn’t make much sense on its own, here’s a description:

Strengthen and rebuild the hair fiber while smoothing and protecting damaged mid-lengths and ends. Ciment Anti-Usure helps provide instant detangling and lightweight conditioning. This new and improved formula contains Complex Ciment-Cylane (3) which provides the ultimate in hair fiber reconstructing technology.

I decided to use this product in place of my normal conditioner one morning and I was beyond pleased with the results. I let the product settle for about 2 minutes before rinsing it out, and it left my hair feeling SO soft and silky. I feel like a hair commercial saying that, but you have to understand that my hair is so long and thick that just looking at it wrong causes it to tangle. Normally I shampoo and condition everyday and then once I hop out of the shower I throw on some detangling spray. The detangling spray was completely unnecessary after my first use! My hair felt incredible.

While I was pleased after Day 1, I was double pleased after day 2. Once my hair was wet I could still feel the Kerastase Ciment Anti-Usure product in my hair … even after a good shampooing! I was able to go very light with my traditional conditioner, and I was still able to skip the detangler! The same was true on day 3.

Now I’ve set up a system where I use the Kerastase product every 3 days, and have eliminated detangling spray from my routine altogether. On the days I’m not using the Kerastase I’m able to get away with very little conditioner.

Truly, for me, this is a miracle product!

While I know the $38 price tag is super steep, if your hair is anything like mine it might be worth trying. Cheesy but true: I feel like it has changed my hair forever!

Beauty Reviewed: Kerastase Ciment Anti-Usure is a post from: Fantabulously Frugal.