Tea Leaf Reading

Silly Bee's Beauty- Use It & Lose It

You know when your makeup has gone bad--it separates, it dries out, it changes color and it smells weird.  But, what you may not know is that your makeup has probably "gone bad" before any of those tell-tale signs.  Just like food and batteries, makeup has a shelf life and sometimes it's written right on the package.




Have you ever noticed the little picture of the jar on the bottom of your concealer? That's called the Period After Opening PAO symbol and it refers to the number of months the product is safe to use.  The main concern is airborne bacteria which gets to your product the second you open it.  A little bacteria isn't bad, but after a certain amount of time it's best not to risk it.

Expiration dates aren't exact of course, and they vary from source to source, but it's a good idea to keep your eye on them and err on the side of caution.  Let's say you have a glittery liquid eyeliner that you only use once in a while. It doesn't matter how many times you've used it, if it's a year old, you need to chunk it.



European cosmetic companies are required to print a PAO icon on their packaging, but not American companies.  So, what if your makeup doesn't have it?  Use the list below, which I gathered from several sources including the FDA and Good Housekeeping, as a reference for approximate shelf life values.  Once you've established a product's expiration date, write it on the tube with a Sharpie.  Better safe than germie!

Liquid Products:
•  Mascara & eyeliner: 3 months
•  Foundation: 6-12 months
•  Lipsticks & glosses: 1 year

Cream products:
•  foundation & blush: 6-12 months
•  eyeshadow & eyeliner: 6 months

Powder products:
•  face powder & blush: 2 years
•  eyeshadow: 6 months

Pencils:
•  lip & eyeliner:  1-2 years (away from heat & sharpened regularly)

Nail polish: 1 year


And another thing...

•  Don't add water to products, not only will it add bacteria, but it may change the composition of the formula.
•  Don't use self-serve testers at stores. If you must try out a color, put it on the back of your hand and take it off with antibacterial soap or wipes.
•  Don't pump your mascara, adding air will add bacteria and dry out your product.
•  Don't neglect your brushes. Deep clean them once a week and wipe them down every day with anti-bacterial wipes.

Tea Leaf Reading

No-Bake Orange Balls

These are the deliciously tart orange balls no proper Southern Christmas dessert table would be without!  I actually think they would be perfect for a Springtime bridal shower.  They are served best straight from the fridge-- a cool tangy treat.  Enjoy!



 

Ingredients
1 (12 oz) box vanilla wafers, finely crushed
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 c. melted margarine
1 (6 oz.)  can orange juice from concentrate
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. shredded coconut

Method
1. Mix vanilla wafers, sugar and orange juice in a food processor.
2. Add margarine and pecans.
3. Form into small balls and roll in coconut.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Instead of rolling them in powdered sugar, I like to dust them just before serving.

Click on the recipe card below to print out your very own!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

DIY Makeup Brush Holder

As promised, this is the tutorial for making your own hand-painted, monogrammed brush holder like the one above which I made for my mom's makeup gift basket. This makeup holder is inspired by the Sephora holders that they have on the Wall of Tools (as I like to call it).  I think they are super cute and a handy way to organize and keep your brushes clean.  Plus, the simple design will go with any decor.  Here's how I made mine:


Gather Your Materials




First, you'll need a glass container.  I bought this 4" cylinder vase from Michaels for $4.  I learned from EnkoreMakeup's video on youtube that the stuff Sephora uses in their containers is called Colorfill vase filler and you can find a 1 lb. bag of it at Michaels or Hobby Lobby for about $6.  There are several brands of glass paint you can use, just make sure it specifies that it is for glass.  I used Pébéo Vitrea brand paint from Michaels with a couple generic brushes that I already had on hand.  If you prefer not to mess with brushes, you can use Permenamel Accent Liners which have nozzle applicators.  I had a jar of glass conditioner which will prepare the surface for painting, but you can use rubbing alcohol to clean the glass, instead.  Lastly, you need a computer and printer (doesn't need to be color).


The How To:





Prepare it!

1) Measure your glass container and determine the size of your monogram.  My initial is about 2" tall with a 1" margin from the top and bottom of the vase.  In Word or Illustrator, create a document and place the monogram at the bottom of the page with the margin you determined.  For example, on mine there is an inch of space from the bottom edge of the paper to the bottom of the "M".  Print the document out, and trim the top of the page so it fits neatly inside the glass without sticking out.  Use a couple pieces of tape to secure the paper so it doesn't wiggle around.  Note:  Don't cut out the initial or you'll have a hard time centering it on the glass without it being crooked.

2) If you are using Delta Permenamel glass paint, you need to use their glass surface conditioner because it has some kind of super special magical ingredients that help the paint adhere.  If you use another brand like I did, you can just use rubbing alcohol to get rid of any oil or dirt on the glass' surface.  Once you've done that, don't touch that area because you will leave behind oil from your fingers.


Paint It!

3) Using paint and a brush, or a squeeze tube, trace and fill in the initial as it appears on the paper underneath.

4) Remove the paper stencil from the inside of the container and fill in any uneven spots on your initial.  If you want to add more coats just wait about 20 minutes between each one so the paint doesn't get gloppy.

Note: Read the instructions on your bottle of paint.  While some paints like Delta Air Dry Permenamel are dishwasher/microwave safe after 24 hours, others require you to bake the piece or apply some kind of glaze on top of the paint.


Fill It!




Fill your glass container with Colorfill, stick your brushes in and ta da!  You can now show off your beauty tool collection in your lovely Sephora-inspired, makeup brush holder that doesn't look like a clumsy arts & crafts project!

P.S. When I was searching for EnkoreMakeup's video, I found a bunch of diy brush holders that were very "trash to treasure".  There were votive holders, acrylic boxes, apothecary jars and Mason jars filled with everything from coffee beans (hello smell!) and fish tank gravel, to colored sand (hello mess!) and popcorn kernels.  Can you imagine?



Featured on:
One Pretty Thing's Daily DIY Roundup.

Linked up with:
Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesdays
Somewhat Simple's Strut Your Stuff ThursdayDon't Waste Your Homemaking LinkyPolly Want 2 Party MondaysLady Bug Blessings' Handmade Tuesday

As Close As I'll Ever Get to Johnny Depp

There's chocolate, and then there's chocolat.  And this, my chickadees, is chocolate of the most decadent kind.  The kind of chocolate that makes a town swoon.

Have you ever seen such beautimous gourmet delights?  While they don't come delivered by your very own Roux, I think these gifts are gorgeous in their own right.  I mean, seriously.  Hand painted.  Bejeweled.  Encased in mahogany.  What!  I say forget your Sweetheart-- order a box for yourself and dream of 21 Jump Street.



SweetBliss
Chocolate Pump and Purse14 ounces of dark Belgian chocolate, filled with a ribbon of soft caramel, hand-decorated in colored chocolate. 2 pieces - $52




Sucre
For the Love of Chocolate CollectionDark chocolate ganache blended with sweet red raspberries in a shimmery heart shell.
15 pieces - $35




Norman Love Confections
Valentine's Day BLACK Chocolate Gift BoxSingle origin chocolates from Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Bolivia and Venezuela.
15 pieces - $35




Bissinger's
Confectionista CollectionFeatures crèmes—including a maple pecan creme, caramel, a truffle, solid chocolate and molasses chips.
8 pieces - $22




Christophe Artisan
Large Chocolate HeartHand-painted and truffle chocolates in hand-painted chocolate heart box.
11 pieces - $39.95




ZChocolat
Romantic Collection- ToucheMilk chocolate Supreme with hazelnut praline, black Mystiquevanilla Bourbon caramel, white Toquade with chocolate ganacheand red Amore ganache scented with bergamot.
12 pieces - $96.61

2011 Silly Bee's Calendar

It's finally here and it's not even March! The 2011 Silly Bee's Chickadees Calendar is now ready for download. You probably all have your calendars by now, but I hope you'll download this one as it has a bunch of fun holidays and celebrity birthdays that would be fun to create kids activities around!

You can preview the entire calendar in the window below. Cool, eh? To get your very own official 2011 Silly Bee's Chickadees Calendar, click the "download" link. If the calendar preview doesn't show, just click on the highlighted text above the box. Have a great 2011, Chickadees!



2011 Silly Bees Calendar

P.S. I would love for you to share my calendar with your readers too, but please don't save the file as your own to distribute. Instead, include a link to this post. I greatly appreciate it!

Don't you just love the cute fonts that I used on the calendar? Kevin and Amanda. Check them out!