What's Your Philosophy?

I just made an exciting discovery...Philosophy products are made in the USA!  Philosophy products made their debut at Barney's NY back in 1996. Now you can find Philosophy products in Sephora and QVC. Their brand consists of medically based skin care: bath and shower gels, moisturizers, micro-peels, fragrance, and anti-aging products.

My absolute favorite philosophy product is the shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath..that's right...it's a 3 in 1.  I love to travel with this product because I can pack lighter.  And the scent options are wonderful.  I really like Cinnamon Buns...yep it makes your hair and body smell like cinnamon buns.  They have other fun scents like Cranberry Orange Spritzer, Spiced Clementine Toddy, Mimosa, Raspberry Sorbet, and Hot Buttered Rum.

You can check out their products online at http://www.philosophy.com/.

Happy Philosophizing!

Lancome Foundation

So I have always been at war with my face: redness, acne, etc.  It is so hard for me to match a foundation to my skin tone  I wore Bare Minerals for years and loved it...but now that I am getting older I need a little more coverage...how to cover up those pesky fine lines and not look orange! :)

So my friend April gave me her Lancome Teint Idole Ultra foundation to try.  I know...it's a mouth full and french sounding...but believe it or not...it is made in the USA!!!

I absolutely love this foundation! It is a light liquid that provides medium coverage and doesn't feel like you have pancake mix plastered on your face! 

I use the 210 Buff N color and it blends with my skin tone perfectly! It is a little darker shade than what I would have normally picked for myself but it works.  You can try the different colors out at Sephora.  And an extra bonus is that it doesn't make my face break out. 

Now it is a little pricey...$44 at Sephora...but 1 bottle lasted me almost a year (that's about $3.67 per month).  It's worth it!

So if you are looking for a new foundation I highly recommend this one!

Happy Primping!

Shameless Self-Promotion

Tis the season to buy stuff!  How about some scarves made by little ol' me (in the USA)? :)
(That's the shameless self-promotion part)


Click on one of the links below to check out the items in my Etsy shop (anna bacall)

Happy Shopping!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117930215/beautiful-handmade-ruffle-scarves

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117935610/handmade-sparkle-and-shimmer-ruffle

https://www.etsy.com/listing/113530023/handmade-sparkle-shimmer-ruffle-scarf

APPLE: Made in the USA??

I read an article yesterday on CNN.com about Apple...yes Apple...planning to make one of their Mac products in the USA!  I am a huge Apple fan so I was elated when I saw this!  Although the article was vague about which product, I'm sure we'll hear about it soon enough!



Way to go Apple for creating new jobs in this sluggish economy!
*Cue the Apple soundtrack*

Happy New Year and Laser Hair Removal

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!  I had a great time with family and friends.  My husband gave me the TRIA laser hair removal system that I had been coveting for a while.  I just finished my second treatment and have already seen some results!

Laser Hair Removal in the comfort of your own home!  I won't lie...I was a little nervous about this at first because I have a low pain tolerance, but it is not bad at all.  I started out using it on my underarms and bikini areas.  It only works on certain skin types and I have fair skin and darker hair so I am the perfect candidate!  It has 5 zapping levels and I have used level 3 both times I have used it.  I haven't really felt pain, just a little warmth afterwards. Not bad at all! I'm going to try level 4 next time and see how it goes.

It is recommended that you use the TRIA twice a month for the first 3 months and then only once a month for the next 2-7 months.  Some people see results as early as 3 months and definitley by 5 months.

I am hoping that this will eliminate my need for shaving!  I'll keep you posted!

I have emailed the company to check where the TRIA laser hair removal system is manufactured, but as far as I can tell, they are manufactured in the USA.  But I will let you know if I am wrong.

Go to www.triabeauty.com to get yours!  They are offering $50 off with the coupon code TIFFANI.

The system is pricey at $395 but if you think about how much you would spend on laser removal treatments at a local office (thousands of dollars), it is worth it!

Happy Zapping!

How "American" is my bathroom??

So I thought it would be fun to see how many items in my bathroom are actually made in America.  I took pictures so you can see my lovely mess! Don't judge!

This is what is under my sink:

And this is my medicine cabinet:

So now that I have embarrassed myself, I will list each item and see where the American chips fall!

1. Gillette After Shave Skin Conditioner Sensitive Skin Gel (not mine by the way) - Made in the USA!

2. New Skin Liquid Bandage - not clear where it is manufactured, so iffy...

3. L'oreal Wrinkle De-Crease Collagen Filler - no comments please! :) L’oreal has a USA branch, but I could not find out whether or not this product was made in the USA.

4. Roc - Multi-Correxion Night Treatment - Made in France 

5. Neosporin + Pain Relief - for all my paper cuts!  Again, does not disclose where it is made, only that it is distributed by a US company.

6. Walgreens Mucus Relief Chest Congestion - Expectorant - this is a generic of Mucinex (the expectorant). Does not disclose where it is made, only that it is distributed from the US.

7. Auro-Dri Ear Drying Aid - I get swimmer’s ear every summer and this really helps! Made in the USA!

8. The Body Shop Perfume Oil (White Musk) Love this stuff! It is a part of the L’oreal Corporation so who knows where it was made.

9. Vaseline - good for chapped lips in the winter. Could have been made in 1 of 60 countries around the world.

10. Rite Aid Flexible Fabric Bandages - because I am always cutting myself accidently! Again not sure where they’re made but distributed by USA.

11. Kirkland Ibuprofen (Costco’s Advil) Made in the USA! Yay Costco!!!

12. Harris Teeter Dental Floss (Mint flavor of course) No information whatsoever for this product other than it’s on sale this week!

13. Up & Up Daily Facial Moisturizing Lotion (Target’s version of Oil of Olay moisturizer) Really love this stuff!  And it’s made in the USA!

14. Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion and Peel system with Regenerating Serum - Olay is a division of Proctor & Gamble who manufactures products all over the world.

15.  Food Lion Rubbing Alcohol - I never really use this but I’m told it’s a staple. Again, it is not clear where it is made.

16.  Harris Teeter Baby Oil - not clear where it is made

17. Band Aid Variety Pack - I told you I have a lot of boo boos! Manufacturing facilities are located in Brazil and China.

18. Desitin Diapher Rash Cream - no I don’t have a kid, but this stuff works wonders on razor bumps!  A brand of the Johnson & Johnson company meaning it could have been manufactured anywhere.

19. Healthy Choice Eye Makeup Remover - this stuff really works! I got it at Bloom which is related to Food Lion which means...who knows where it was made?

20. Aussie Catch the Wave Mousse and Leave in Conditioner - I don’t have wavy hair, but love the conditioner! You would think Aussie products would be made in Australia but not so! Aussie is a brand of Proctor & Gamble so the manufacturing possibilities are endless.

21. Victoria’s Secret Love Spell and Merry Vanilla Twirl Refreshing Body Mists - both smell super yummy and both made in the USA!

22. Dove Damage Therapy Flexible Hold Hairspray - Made in the USA!

23. Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Cream - gets rid of flyaways and made in the USA!

24. Plus White 5 minute Speed Whitening Gel - I leave it on longer hoping for better results! If only I could give up coffee! Made in the USA!

25. Suave Dry Shampoo Spray - this has never worked for me but I keep it just in case. And it’s made in the USA!

26. Zero Frizz Quick Fix - love this stuff, but am unable to find it in stores anymore. Made in the USA!

27. Nair Shower Power - for when I want to wear short shorts :) Made in the USA!

28. Harris Teeter Hydrogen Peroxide - this is a must have item in my house, a great infection killer! Too bad Harris Teeter doesn’t tell you where it’s manufactured!

29. Aquafresh Toothpaste - Made in the USA!

So out of the 29 items in my bathroom (wow that’s not counting my makeup...does that mean I’m super vain?), only 12 items were made in the USA.  That’s around 41%.  I only counted the ones that said for sure on the label.  So I am going to start paying more attention to labels when I’m shopping.

Happy Medicine Cabinets!

Get Rid of Frizz!

Frizzy hair...my nemesis!

Being outside in the sun, swimming in the pool or ocean, being out in the humidity..all of these things lead to frizzy hair.

But I found a product that helps with the frizziness...Bedhead’s Some Like it Hot Serum.

This stuff smells sooo good!  I put it on my hair after I get out of the shower and style as usual.  It also protects against damage from blow drying or flat ironing your hair.  And did I mention that it smells amazing!

This product is a little bit difficult to find.  I get it either from my salon or on Amazon.  This is a summer product so it is harder to find before summer.  

My hair is fine so I’m not sure how it works on really thick, coarse hair.  If any of you have tried this product, let me know what you think.

Happy De-Frizzing!