Toss it, or keep it?Written by Jennifer Holder
If you are a product junkie like me then you probably have lotions, creams, tubes of lipstick etc that have been sitting in same spot untouched for several months or even years. You know items that you just had to have but then forgot about after thrill of buying it wore off. This article is intended to be used as a guide for product junkies everywhere to know when a product should be thrown away or kept around for a little while longer. Everything has a shelf life including our make-up and all other potions and lotions. But there are things you can do to lengthen life of your products. 1.Keep your products out of bathroom this includes any prescriptions or over counter medications too. Humidity can affect life of all products. 2.Keep away from extreme temperatures including direct sunlight which could change color and fragrance. 3.Do not share any products unless they come in a pump bottle or new applicator for each use. Bacteria can build up and shorten life of your product. Or worse cause you to get an infection.Lotions and Creams Separation after sitting for a while means product should be tossed. Smell is also an important factor. If products smell changes in any way that is a good indication that it has expired. Toss it! Foundations, moisturizers etc all have a shelf life of about a year after opening as long as they are stored properly. If you notice any change in consistency or fragrance it’s a pretty safe bet that it is no longer good. If you still have that cover up from when you went to prom do yourself a favor and Toss it! Fragrances If stored properly away from heat and cold your favorite scent can last 3 to 5 years. It is a good idea to store fragrances in a cool dark area such as a jewelry box or drawer. Powders All types of powders including blush and eye shadow have a pretty long shelf life as long as you use a new or cleaned applicator with each use. Have you ever seen someone’s powder compact with a dark film on top? That is an accumulation of oils from skin that have been trapped in puff and then absorbed into powder. Yuck! Avoid this by either washing your applicator regularly or buying a bag of applicators at a dollar store and use a fresh one each time you apply your powder. Powder brushes for loose powder should be cleaned at least once a week to keep your powder fresh.
| | Cut the cost of your wedding in halfWritten by Jennifer Holder
So you and hubby have set date, now what? If you are like most couples these days financial burden of planning a wedding is rested upon your shoulders and you find yourself worrying about how you will ever be able to afford this major life event. Believe it or not if done properly your big day can pack a powerful punch without spending thousands of dollars. As long as you are willing to put thought of an overpriced wedding planner aside and do some of grunt work yourself, your special day will be one to remember forever. First of all think about who you know. Do you have a friend who has really great decorating sense? A cousin who is taking photography classes? If you sit down and think about who you know and what types of things they excel at you will be surprised at how quickly your wedding bill will shrink. Forget hiring expensive caterers and photographers. All it takes is a simple phone call and I would bet money that person on other end would be more than happy to help in any way they can. While planning my wedding I knew a friend of a friend who bakes cakes out of her home for a little extra cash. I got in touch with her and I was able to get a very beautiful cake made exactly how I wanted it for under $150.00. Consider having a small intimate reception at your home or someone else’s home. The days of having a huge stuffy reception at a hall or overpriced ballroom are over. People like to be comfortable and cozy and surrounded by people that they love. The fact is, less people you invite less expensive affair is going to be. When making your guest list consider crossing off second cousin you haven’t seen in 5 years or Aunt that lives on other side of country. Your wedding day isn’t about how many people you can cram into a room. It is about being with people you love and care about most. You can shave thousands of dollars off of your bill by checking your guest list twice. Once you have decided on a theme for your big event it is time to go invitation shopping. Resist urge to order all of those thick wedding catalogs that sell invitations and accessories and head on over to E-Bay. There are some very talented people out there that earn a living on E-Bay creating custom made wedding invitations at a fraction of cost. For my wedding I was able to get my invitations, response cards, reception cards and all envelopes for just over $50.00 with shipping and handling. They were made to my specifications and turned out beautiful. Now if you are feeling creative and you have time you can also try making them yourself. There are invitation kits at craft stores that are very inexpensive. You can save hundreds of dollars by doing it this way.
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