One of my fondest memories growing up is collecting Caboodles to store my “makeup” in. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t always makeup, but more like hair scrunchies, slap bracelets, and whatever my mom would give me from her makeup collection, but the storage was the coolest part. Everyone I knew owned one, and they came in different colors and sizes. Every year I would ask for another one, and every year I would happily wake up on Christmas morning, shredding the wrapping paper open to find a shiny new Caboodles container! Now known as the “Classic,” they still sell Caboodles, and have expanded their brand beautifully. Caboodles is twenty-five years old, and celebrating strong with a gorgeous collection of modern, updated makeup storage and organization. In the above video, I wanted to show you in detail the two products I love, as well as how I use them, and a little bit of my makeup storage. To see photographs of two products from their collection, as well, read more…

PausePlayPlayPrev|Next

Earth Day 2012, Sensible Six Beauty Products: Hair, Skin, & Nails

This slideshow shows my top six favorite hair, skin, and nail products that are considered sensible for Earth Day. Some of them are natural and some of them are eco-friendly, but all of them are just plain smart. Click through the photographs to see each product and learn more about them!

The Safer Nail Polish: Zoya Nail Lacquer

Zoya Nail Lacquer is toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate free. Using safer nail polish allows you to paint your nails as often as you'd like without worrying about harsh chemicals or irritants, especially if you're pregnant.

The Zoya Badge of Safety

Zoya is considered a safe and healthy polish for pregnant moms and smart women worldwide. This is also great if you have children, such as teenagers, and would prefer them to use safer nail lacquer.

Zoya Beach Collection - Summer 2012

The six-piece Zoya Beach Collection for summer 2012 features bright hues for pretty fingers and toes! I love that this collection mixes brights with pastels.

Zoya Surf Collection - Summer 2012

The Zoya Surf Collection for summer 2012 features shimmering, metallic versions of the previous "Beach Collection." The colors are very similar except that these have a ton of gorgeous shimmer in them.

The Natural Cleanser: Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash

This cleanser contains no perfumes or dyes, as well as vital vitamins and nutrients that your skin needs. If your skin is sensitive or you would prefer to use a face wash with as few additives as possible, this is a great option!

Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash

I stumbled across this face wash in my local drugstore, which happens to be a skincare brand from the United Kingdom. Since this product contains no perfumes or dyes, it is super gentle on your skin.

The Natural Shampoo & Conditioner in One: L'oreal EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner

This brand new product is a shampoo and a conditioner in one. It contains no sulfate, which often only further dries out your hair. This is a low-lathering formula that you place on your scalp and hair, massage in, and then rinse out.

L'oreal EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner

This product not only saves time, but it also saves your hair. The sulfate-free product keeps your hair from dying out, especially if your hair is coarse, curly, or color-treated. I really love this new product and have noticed a huge difference in my hair!

The All-Natural Makeup Primer: Reviva Labs Makeup Primer

Makeup primer is a must-have for applying underneath foundation and/or concealer. This product will fill in lines, conceal pores, and control excess oil. Most makeup primer's break my skin out, but this all-natural formula leaves your skin prepped and primed, smooth as can be, for makeup.

Reviva Labs Makeup Primer

The ingredients in this makeup primer include Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Olive Oil, and Coenzyme Q10. There are no harsh ingredients like silicone in it which tends to cause breakouts.

The Sea Moisturizer: Gabriel Cosmetics Seaweed Nourishing Moisturizer

This moisturizer is formulated for normal to combination skin, and is super protective for your skin. With blue green algae from the sea and rose hip seed oil, it will smooth your skin and prevent aging.

Global Inspired Natural Beauty: Bella Lucce Tropical Hawaiian Fruit Peel

Bella Lucce is a globally inspired spa and beauty company that creates products from nature around the world. This company has been featured in Vegetarian Times for their cruelty-free, natural products. Every product feels so luxurious and brings the spa to your home. Also, the owner and company is from Columbia, South Carolina, where I reside!

Bella Lucce Tropical Hawaiian Fruit Peel

The beautiful packaging is only half of the luxury. This face peel comes in powder form, which you then mix with some water or warm milk. The attached spa fan brush helps you apply the product. This product can be used on the face and on the body.

Bella Lucce Tropical Hawaiian Fruit Peel

This peel has natural vitamins and enzymes harvested from tropical coconuts, mangoes, papayas, and pineapples. This will purify your skin and transport you to a tropical place. Plus, having the product in powder form means it will last you for a very long time!

Beauty Gala's Earth Day 2012 Appreciation

Questions or comments about any of the products listed here? Feel free to comment below. Stay tuned for a makeup slideshow!

[ALL PHOTOGRAPHY ON THIS SITE IS TAKEN BY REBECCA KAZIMIR. NO PHOTOGRAPHS ARE TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION.]

[This article contains a sample product sent by PR. Beauty Gala's opinions are our own, and we commit ourselves to honesty in our reviews and descriptions at all times. Sample products are not guaranteed a review. For consideration of your product, please send all PR requests to Rebecca@beautygala.com, or by using our Press Inquiry Form.]

Since I don’t believe in monthly favorites, I decided I would do a “current favorites” video, showing you the products I’ve been using and loving for the past few months. Feel free to leave a comment below!

My favorite way to wear my hair is “bombshell style.” Think Marilyn Monroe, or modern day, the Victoria’s Secret Angels. The hair is effortlessly sexy and chic, moveable, simple to achieve, yet undeniably glamorous. The Sultra Bombshell Curling Iron is the be-all-end-all curling tool for me. Clampless, you can wrap sections of your hair around the ceramic plated rod and create gorgeous waves and curls.

I decided to demonstrate this product live via a video review and tutorial above. I hope you enjoy the tutorial, and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below!

**Purchase the Sultra Bombshell Curling Iron here.**

[This article contains a sample product sent by PR. Beauty Gala's opinions are our own, and we commit ourselves to honesty in our reviews and descriptions at all times. Sample products are not guaranteed a review. For consideration of your product, please send all PR requests to Rebecca@beautygala.com, or by using our Press Inquiry Form.]

I recently took my platinum blonde hair to a rich chestnut brown with some hints of auburn in it. Along the way, I turned my hair grey! I couldn’t find very many articles or video’s online about how to properly go from blonde to brunette (especially when you are a dyed-blonde to begin with), so I decided to share my hair disaster, how I fixed it, and how to seamlessly go from blonde to any dark shade your heart desires. I hope you enjoy!

I recently dip dyed the tips of my hair a gorgeous lavender color, and it looked great against my blonde hair. It is a semi-permanent change, meaning it washes out within twelve washes (mine lasted about eight washes), so it is commitment free. Ombre hair and dip dyed ends are a huge trend right now, and it’s a really fun way to change up your look and add a little personality to your hair. Here is the video tutorial on how to get this look!

One of my all-time favorite hairstyles is Victoria’s Secret inspired hair…think sexy, loose, voluminous, windswept curls that have beautiful movement. Achieving this look is incredibly easy with a few simple tools that you probably already own, and anyone with shoulder length hair or longer can rock this bombshell look. To see photographs of everything you’ll need, as well as a tutorial and more pictures of the finished hair, read more…

Plastic surgery. Two words that can be the catalyst to strong opinions and debate and two words that can change a persons life. It can increase confidence, boost self-esteem, and even fix serious health issues, such as breathing problems from a broken nose, or excess skin from extreme weight loss. Whether you are considering plastic surgery, have gotten plastic surgery, or are looking for non-invasive at-home fixes, we have gotten the rundown from the doctors at Colen MD Plastic Surgery, based in New York City… read more…

ArganMagic Soothing Skin Salve with Orange Blossom is a versatile, multi-use product that contains a highly concentrated cocktail of Argan Oil, Safflower Oil, Almond Oil, Olive Oil, and Beeswax to help heal, protect, and nourish your skin. Anyone who suffers from dry skin, chapped lips, dry patches, or unruly cuticles will find this product to be magical. I have been using this product on my cuticles and no other product I have ever used (cuticle oils, drops, creams) even comes close to healing my cuticles like this product does. To see the full review of my new “magical wonder” product, read more…

The Sephora Hello Kitty Collection is limited edition and exclusive to Sephora online. The Hello Kitty Compact Mirror is a sparkling, reflective silver compact, with double mirrors inside…one with 1x magnification, and one with 3x magnification. Always one to stuff my purse full of “may need” items, I like to carry around a compact mirror with me. This one is a huge upgrade to the plastic Tinkerbell mirror I got at a child’s birthday party. To see photographs of this charming compact mirror, read more…