Change...(aka: Where the Heck Have I Been?)

I'm sure I don't have to tell you: life changes. Even when that change is a good thing, it can be a challenge. I can't say it's a surprise that my almost-five-year old is growing up; she has been doing it since she was born, after all. Yet, somehow in the course of the last year I've gone from the "mommy" of a toddler to the "mom" of a kid- a very active, smart, inquisitive kid. At the same time, my incredibly career-driven (read: workaholic) partner Brad has been promoted at work, affording him less time at home and making the time he does have with us all the more precious.

Both of those life events mirror what has happened to this very site; it has grown continually since it's inception, and in a way, has been "promoted" from a hobby to a job. I realized this a while ago, and along with that realization came the stress of knowing that this wasn't something I was just doing for fun anymore.

Now, don't get me wrong. This site, and my work as a makeup artist and skincare enthusiast, is a passion for me. Writing is something I truly need to do to remain sane; I've been a story-teller my entire life. At age 9 I got a typewriter for Christmas and, like I'm sure any pre-teen would, immediately started writing my first novel. The time I spent on my high school newspaper was some of the most fulfilling of my school years; I even considered majoring in journalism in college. Life intervened though, and I went off in another direction (or so I thought). When it dawned on me, somewhat recently, that I actually am a writer, it was like finding a path in the woods that I'd long thought lost. As it turns out, it was just overgrown. So, yes, Out In A Pout has shifted from a pastime to a responsibility, but it's a responsibility I welcome. With that acceptance came the realization that I need to reorganize.

My lovely fiancé told me the other day that I'm like a butterfly. No, he wasn't speaking of my beauty and fragility- it was his way of pointing out that I can be a bit chaotic. I flutter around from one flower to the next, sometimes without heed to where I'm going, how long it might take, or even what I'll do when I get there. The man knows me well, and I can't say he's the only person to observe this over the years. Ask my mother how many times as a kid I was sent in to clean my room, only to be found an hour later meticulously organizing my sock drawer in an otherwise only mildly-improved room. Those of you who have been visiting for a while will have noticed this pattern in my writing. For me, the details are my adventure, and I have no problem taking my time to reach my end point.

And what is that end-point? Well, I have several that I know of already, and no doubt several more that have yet to occur to me. I created this website to share my years of experience, as a creative outlet and a mental exercise. I'm incredibly proud of what it has become over the last few years- the partnerships I've made and the trust instilled in me by you: my dear readers and friends.

Earlier, I mentioned reorganizing. This is something that I've been wanting to do on every level of my life for a long time, and over the coming months, I hope to get my brain centered to a place that lets me nurture and enjoy my family and home, while continuing to grow this site and give you all more of what you've come to expect when you stop by. The change won't happen overnight, and since most of it will be behind-the-scenes, it might not look like much at all at first, so I ask for your patience. Thanks to everyone out there reading this, for your friendship and support, and here's to change!

Product Review: Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm and Night Cream

Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm for Dry/Very Dry skin ($8.49 for 5oz) and Night Cream for Normal/Dry skin ($13.99 for 1.6oz) are relatively new additions to the Boots line, having just launched in August. I'm always looking for solutions to combat winter dryness, so when I got the chance to try them as part of Influenster's Beauty Blogger VoxBox, I was psyched.

The first thing I do when considering skin care is- you guessed it- look at the ingredient list. Proof is in the pudding, folks! Unfortunately, there was no ingredient listing included on the sample packaging or on the Influenster insert, so of course, I had to look them up!

Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm:
Aqua (Water), Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl alcohol, Myristyl myristate, Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) seed butter, Tribehenin, Butylene glycol, Cetearyl olivate, Sorbitan olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl acetate, Methylparaben, Parfum (Fragrance), Ethylparaben, Sodium PCA, Sodium lauroyl lactylate, Acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ascorbyl glucoside, Potassium hydroxide, Dipropylene glycol, Magnesium PCA, Zinc PCA, Biosaccharide gum-1, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, Ceramide 6 II, Phytosphingosine, Carbomer, Manganese PCA, Xanthan gum, Propylparaben, Potassium sorbate, Ceramide 1 

Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream Normal/Dry Skin:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter), Isostearyl isostearate, Sorbitan stearate, Cetearyl alcohol, Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) seed butter, Dimethicone, Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl acetate, Rosa moschata seed oil, Methylparaben, Sucrose cocoate, Parfum (Fragrance), Dimethiconol, Sodium PCA, Xanthan gum, Potassium cetyl phosphate, Ethylparaben, Ascorbyl glucoside, Tetrasodium EDTA, Magnesium PCA, T-butyl alcohol, Citric acid, Dipropylene glycol, Zinc PCA, Biosaccharide gum-1, Potassium hydroxide, Manganese PCA, Potassium sorbate, Ascorbyl palmitate 

So, now that we've got that out of the way, here's my analysis. Ingredient wise, these are pretty good, albeit basic, choices. The cleanser has a good amount of fragrance in it, which isn't great, but since it's not on skin for a long time, it doesn't concern me too much. On the other hand, the moisturizer also lists fragrance. While it seems much more lightly scented to me than the cleansing balm, I prefer to forgo fragrance completely in a leave-on product (fragrance is one of the most common irritants found in cosmetics).

After trying the products, I can say that both products seemed well-suited to my dry skin. The cleansing balm felt more like a lotion than a balm (the word makes me expect a greasier, more petroleum-like texture). It did a decent job removing makeup, though I do feel like it left my eyes a little "spotty" (a term, which to me, means I had to blink the residue out of my eyes a bit after rinsing). One surprise is how comfortable the cleansing balm left my skin. 99.9% of cleansers leave my skin feeling tight once I've dried, so it is truly saying something that I felt almost as if I could have skipped my moisturizer after rinsing the balm away.

The Night Cream was nice as well- rich, but not at all greasy. Though it did a good job of moistuzing, it's probably only something I'd turn to when my skin is irritated and only "basic" will do; otherwise I prefer moisturizers that boast more impressive antioxidant and wrinkle-fighting ingredients.

While Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin isn't the most technologically advanced line out there (it's not going to help to reduce fine lines, or even out skin tone) I will say I find it refreshing that Boots doesn't claim that it is. There are plenty of decent skin care lines out there that get a big fat FAIL in my book because the over-promise. Beautful Skin doesn't- it claims to treat dry skin by soothing and hydrating, and that it does.

The product featured in this review was submitted for promotional consideration by a representative of the company. What does this mean? I didn't pay for it. My commitment is to you- my readers- and to myself (it's called integrity, I like to have it). The opinions expressed on Outinapout.com are my own, based on my own research and experience; I am not paid in any way nor is the final outcome of the post influenced by any outside party.

Product Review: Bath and Body Works Mini Candlein Pumpkin Cupcake

Though it's almost a week past, I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween; sweet, spooky and everything in between! I also want to send my thoughts to everyone who was in the path of Sandy- I hope you're all safe, dry and...electrified (?) as you read this. For those of you that have the means to help, I hope you'll consider making a donation to the American Red Cross or another worthy organization. 

This review is a little different for me, but in my mind, it fits... I adore fragrance, in all forms. Though home fragrance isn't exactly beauty, it does go a long way toward creating a warm, peaceful environment- and to me, it's essential to creating a beautiful home. When I saw the Bath and Body Works mini candle in my Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox, I was psyched. I've been a fan of BBW candles (also sold under the White Barn and Slatkin labels) for a long time, and this box is giving me a good excuse to share my experience.

For those of you who haven't tried BBW candles, here are my general thoughts. I typically find the scents very vivid and realistic- you don't smell the wax burning, only a clear, realistic representation of the fragrance. The amount of fragrance is also very well balanced; it'll fill the room without giving me a headache. Now, on to the scent I received in my box: Pumpkin Cupcake. Smelling the cold wax, it smells pretty much as you'd expect: pumpkin-friendly spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice blended with a bit of a creamy accord. It's not the most unique scent, but it's well done.

I was, however, rather disappointed in the throw (how well the scent fills the room). I lit this in my kitchen, and even standing right next to it, could barely smell it. As I mentioned before, I have been buying candles from Bath and Body Works for years and have never had this issue. Though I was bummed, I decided that perhaps the candle would fare better in a small room, so I put it on my bathroom windowsill and lit it up. Sure enough, that did the trick. Within minutes, the smell had permeated my powder-room, and was even seeping out into the hall. Though the limited throw seems like a limitation, It's hard to complain when I consider the price point- these babies retail for only $3.50, though every time I've been in to the store they've been on a 2 for $5 special. I can imagine a few instances where minis would be a benefit: the smaller candles would be great for those that like to create custom scents by burning a few different fragrances in the same room, and they're also a good way to try new scents without committing to a larger version.

So, what's your favorite home fragrance type & scent? I adore the Coven scented wax tarts made by One Hand Washes the Other, but my new current favorite is another Bath & Body Works scent- French Baguette! It smells amazingly like the real thing and fills my kitchen with the scent of baking bread without all of the mixing and clean-up!

The product featured in this review was submitted for promotional consideration by a representative of the company. What does this mean? I didn't pay for it. My commitment is to you- my readers- and to myself (it's called integrity, I like to have it). The opinions expressed on Outinapout.com are my own, based on my own research and experience; I am not paid in any way nor is the final outcome of the post influenced by any outside party.

2012 Fall Beauty Blogger VoxBox

First off, if you're not feeling the "reading" thing today (or you just want to show some love) you can check out my first ever "box opening" video! Let me know what you guys think- I have to say it takes a lot less time to talking it out than it does to write this stuff here, so if you like it, maybe you'll see more of those in the future! Of course, there's always more info to be had, and anything whose performance warrants additional mention will inevitably end up here for a full review or swatch post.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Influenster, let me quickly get you up to speed. In Influentser's own words, they are "a free-to-join community of invited trendsetters who live to give opinions of products and experiences. Influenster creates links between brands and members to reward participation and influence future products".

Basically, you visit the site and request an invite, and then share your thoughts on a multitude of products. It's not just for beauty bloggers either; other categories of interest include Pop Culture, Chowhound, Gamer & more. Influester then partners with brands periodically to create themed "VoxBoxes" that they in turn send out to chosen partners, in this case, I was one. So now, here are my thoughts on the 2012 Fall Beauty Blogger VoxBox!

• EBoost: $28 for 20 packets

Not my favorite energy beverage, the taste is slightly chalky and the energy boost is pretty non-existent for me, but then, I'm used to the 120-170mg I get out of a packet of Crystal Light Energy or Monster Rehab. I'll drink this packet one night when I'm running on empty later in the day, but don't want to be up until 4am.

• Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves 1.5oz: $6 for 4oz full-size

I adore Not Your Mother's Beach Babe spray, so I'm excited to try this product. Not Your Mother's looks high-end to me, but at a really reasonable price point!

• Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin: $7.29 for 2 pins

After using these, I can confirm that they work best on longer or thicker hair. They did hold my hair in place, but since my shoulder-length hair only rolls into a golf-ball sized bun, the pins were visible sticking out on the ends. I would have adored these when my hair was longer though- they're very easy to use, don't pull or snag hair, and hold very securely.

• NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Compact in Dark Shadows: $4.99

This was my first go with NYC color. At $4.99, it's hard to go wrong. I do think it would have been nice if the compact would have included a matte black rather than the off-black glitter shade that stands as the deepest color in the palette. I also found the two deeper shades in the compact were very similar, and while I liked the pearl-white as a highlighter, the cream illuminator had too much visible sparkle for me to use it as a facial highlighter, if that's the intent. The primer was very similar to NYX's, which is to say it's a good budget option and definitely gave the shades some oomph and staying power. The shadows themselves were pretty soft (lots of fall out) and as such, applied better when pressed on with a fingertip than with a brush. 

• Bath & Body Works Mini Candle in Pumpkin Cupcake: $3.50 (also included, coupon for $10 3-Wick candle, valid only until October 28, 2012).

Like I said, the scent is a nice, creamy blend of pumpkin spice scents- vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, maybe a little clove. The mini candles themselves are best burned in smaller spaces, like a bathroom, because they don't throw much of their fragrance. I do plan on using the coupon for the 3-Wick, and had I not smelled the French Baguette scent on my last trip, I would definitely consider picking up Pumpkin Cupcake (though this was a limited edition scent, and I'm not sure it's still available in-store anyway!) 

• Kiss Ever Pro Lashes Starter Kit: $5.99

These are huge, thick caterpillar lashes, almost costume-y and definitely not something I'd wear on a daily basis. Though the shape's not for me, they do feel well put together and seem like they'd hold up well. I'm not a huge fan of any lash applicator aside from my fingers, but this one has an advantage to many in the off-set design. I'll likely stick to my fingers, but those who like applicators may enjoy the clearer view this one provides. Though I love the idea of the wand applicator in the glue, this one just didn't seem to hold as well as my current favorite, Duo.

• Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm ($8.49 for 5oz full-size) and Night Cream ($13.99 for 1.6oz full-size). 

As I mentioned in my video, there were no ingredients on the packaging or the insert, so of course, I had to look them up! If any one's curious, you can check them out, along with my full review, here.

My initial impressions are that, while basic, both products seemed well-suited to my dry skin. The cleansing balm did a decent job removing makeup, and left my skin very comfortable, which is saying something- 99.9% of cleansers leave my skin feeling tight once I've dried.

The Night Cream was nice as well- not at all greasy, though it did a good job of moistuzing. I think it would be a good choice for someone who wants a well-priced, bare bones moisturizer with a slightly more posh feel than some other drug-store options.

So, have you ever tried any of these products? Did you get an Influenster box this time around? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The product featured in this review was submitted for promotional consideration by a representative of the company. What does this mean? I didn't pay for it. My commitment is to you- my readers- and to myself (it's called integrity, I like to have it). The opinions expressed on Outinapout.com are my own, based on my own research and experience; I am not paid in any way nor is the final outcome of the post influenced by any outside party.

Care, Share & Win for Your Hair! Review and GIVEAWAY: Keranique for Breast Cancer Awareness

As I'm sure most of you know, October is breast cancer awareness month. What you may not know is that every year, 200,000 women are diagnosed with the disease, and almost 40,000 will die.

This October, Keranique is helping to spread the word, and unlike so many Facebook campaigns (how exactly does secretly posting your bra color to your status help to cure cancer?) they're putting some money where their mouth is. For every new "like" they receive on their Facebook page, they'll donate one dollar. The goal is $10,000, so here's one case where the click of a button can really help!

To help get the word out, I'm giving away a full sized Keranique Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner duo to one lucky reader- just read on past my review to enter!

Keranique is a sulfate-free hair care system designed to volumize and treat thinning hair. It's important to note that the only product in the Keranique system that will treat hair loss head-on is the Keranique Hair Regrowth Treatment with 2% Minoxidil. Minoxidil (originally only sold under the brand name Rogaine) is the only over-the-counter ingredient that's FDA approved to help regrow hair.

The truth is, shampoos and conditioners for thin or fine hair just temporarily make the hair shaft look fuller, using ingredients like salts or clay to essentially rough up the cuticle and make hair...fluffier. While this approach may do the trick for some, it's got its downfalls. First, a rough hair shaft reflects less light, so you may be trading shine for volume. Second, ingredients like this may be damaging over time. Luckily, Keranique uses a polymer (polyquaternium-7) that coats the hair shaft, giving the hair a fuller appearance. This ingredient also functions as an anti-static and conditioning additive, so it's a triple treat!

While I can't say that I noticed any permanent change from using the Keranique shampoo and conditioner, I did like how my hair felt after using it. I do feel like I noticed some increase in volume, shine and softness, and my hair never felt weighed down. I was a bit concerned about the use of menthol and peppermint oils in the system, considering both are known skin irritants, but my normally dry, itchy scalp actually seemed soothed after using Keranique. This is probably due to the inclusion of several skin-friendly ingredients like soy protein, arginine, niacinamide, and burdock root. In fact, despite my concerns, I enjoyed the scent and cooling effect the peppermint and menthol had on my scalp.

I think the Keranique system is a good choice for anyone looking to combat the appearance of fine or thin hair, but like I mentioned, it's important to realize that unless you're also using the Minoxidil treatment, you shouldn't be looking for regrowth. Because of the addition of the aforementioned skin care ingredients, I also think Keranique is a good option for those who have irritated, dry scalps (though it would be even better without the peppermint & menthol oils).

If you'd like to give Keranique a try, enter using the widget below. You must be a follower of this site to win, so make sure you click the little button to your right! Also, if you didn't already know, Outinapout is now on Facebook with exclusive content, swatches, contests & more, so you can earn quite a few bonus entries by "liking" us there! Of course, I hope you'll also give a click to support Breast Cancer awareness by helping Keranique make their $10,000 goal, so you can earn a few extra entries that way too! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The products featured in this review and contest were submitted for promotional consideration by a representative of the company. What does this mean? I didn't pay for them. My commitment is to you- my readers- and to myself (it's called integrity, I like to have it). The opinions expressed on Outinapout.com are my own, based on my own research and experience; I am not paid in any way nor is the final outcome of the post influenced by any outside party.

Contest winner will be contacted via the email submitted to Rafflecopter, and will have 48 hours to claim the prize offered. If no response is received within the specified time period, another winner will be chosen. Contest is open internationally, pursuant to the rules & regulations of your individual place of residence. 

Urban Decay 2012 Friends & Family Sale!

It's here, it's on everything (yes, even sale stuff and Naked palettes!) and it only lasts until Saturday, October 13th. Just use code FFHOLIDAY12 at checkout. I'd be lying if I said the Vice Palette wasn't tempting me, but I'm hesitant because of my history with the brand. But everyone deserves a second chance, right?

What's on your list?

This Week's Sales: Illamasqua, Korres, FACE atelier, M Lab...and More!

Illamasqua
Free UK and international shipping on ALL orders, from now until Monday 15th October 9AM BST (that's 4am EDT). No minimum order, no codes!

Beyond the Rack
Monday, October 8th: Trend Tweeze
Tuesday: Korres Beauty

Brand Alley

Tuesday: Tweezerman

If you're not a member yet, click here for an invite and we can both earn a £10 voucher!

Daily Candy
Ends Monday at 11 pm: Modicure nail wraps
Ends Wednesday: Lifetherapy fragrances and body care
Ends Friday, October 12th: Pomega 5 skincare products
Ends Monday, October 22nd: Sonya Dakar

Gilt Groupe

Tuesday: Jose Eber Hair Tools
Thursday: Mario Badescu

HauteLook

Monday: Korres
Tuesday: Conair Personal Electronics, Layla Nails, Apothederm
Wednesday: FACE atelier

Ideeli
Monday: M Lab

My Habit
Ends Wednesday:  M.A. Dermaceuticals, Philip B. Haircare
Starts Monday: Dead Sea Spa Skincare

If you're not a member yet and would like an invitation, click here.

Totsy

Tuesday: Bluum