Don’t you sometimes wonder about those celebrity interview articles asking the big time Hollywood actresses about their favorite beauty products to which that fabulously well known and wealthy waif expounds on her “I can’t live without it, darling” facial moisturizer crafted from some extraordinarily rare mud from the bottom of a lake in Timbuktu, the toe nails of an endangered breed of armadillo that can only be found in one tiny section of South American jungle, the placenta of a manatee, and the bark of a thousand year old redwood which costs $671 per ounce? Okay, I may be exaggerating a wee bit, but let’s face it, divas: most of us can’t afford a face cream that costs several hundreds of dollars. For that price, that jar better drive me around, do my laundry, and give me a massage.

Are there products for which you SHOULD be willing to shell out more money? Certainly! For example, foundation is one beauty product which I contend is the most important item in your cosmetic arsenal. Sure, you can tint lard with some spray paint pretty cheaply, but who wants that on their skin besides a mannequin that has been left out in the sun a little too long? That being said, you can spend a small fortune on base; if that color does not match, you might as well have bought a flesh toned marker and scribbled on your face.

There are other products, diva readers that I will argue that it does not make a hill of beans whether you spend $1, $10, or $100 (or $617).

1. Nail polish remover: I have tried the expensive stuff, but I think the cheapie brand works just as well at taking the paint off your piggies. If you have fakes (see my “Know When to ‘Just Say NO!’” post on false nails) you need to be certain you have a formula that is acetone free; if not, your nails will start to melt.

2. Bobby Pins: The goal is to grip and hold up your ‘do. The goal is not to see them, right? So does it matter if they are made out of diamond dust or platinum?

3. Alcohol: Premium vodka is better that the store brand, but that’s not what I am talking about. Don’t use rubbing alcohol on your face, but I have found that it works great as “toner” on other parts of the body. I know that blemishes could never be found on any part of your person, but tell your less fortunate friend to swab “backne” (pimples on the back) or “chestne” (zits on the bosom area) with isopropyl alcohol.

4. Nail files: I have spent some serious bucks on fancy nail files made out of all sorts of materials. I am not going to knock the “everlasting” files, but I have found that the cheap emery boards that come 10 to a pack work pretty darn well. If you have those falsies (see #1), you may need a more aggressive, or lower grit, file.

As I think of items that don’t require a less wealthy diva empty out her bank account, I will continue this series “The Thrifty Diva”. If you can think of any such items, please share, but note that I don’t refer to specific brands. Please don’t refer to individual brands in order to apply to the widest possible diva audience. So save those dollars for more important diva worthy items, such as Jimmy Choos and Chanel sunglasses.

There are few beauty trends I refuse to try (or re-try now that I have reached my status as a fully cooked diva).  I also advise other ladies to be similarly adventurous and take new looks for a test drive.  There, however, are exceptions; for example, I would recommend that you avoid attempting to curl your eyelashes with an actual heated curling iron, regardless of how in style exceptionally curled lashes happen to be at the moment. 

One item I will avoid is press on nail kits which use as adhesive small double sided tape-like tabs to affix the false nail to the real nail.  They range in price from around $5-$10, bepending on the particular brand and variety. This is not to say that I have never worn false nails (call them what you want: tips, overlays, wraps, extensions: get over it with the euphemisms—they are fake nails). Sometimes a diva does not have time to recover from a nasty nail mishap; those chariot doors can be heavy if they slam back on a goddess’ finger. I am simply NOT convinced that double sided tape cuts it. After all, a rural diva sometimes is called on to do more than just stand around and be worshipped and, horror of horrors, sometimes even a living deity must get in there and get her hands dirty in that muck which fouls up the mortal world. I just don’t think a piece of plastic is going to stay stuck to my nail with a quarter inch square of scotch tape, double sided or not, while I dig in the dirt or clear out a (take a gulp of fresh air) barn drain with my bare and ungloved hands—oh, the sacrifices we are called on to make.

I remember when Lee Press Ons were first advertised on television in the 1980s (was that so long ago, gentle reader?), featuring a woman (at least I assume) opening a canned beverage with a deliciously polished crimson talon. Now, the implication was clear: this nail is actually a Lee Press On. But, even when my age was still in the single digit (even divas are children once), I found myself thinking: I don’t think so. That is correct; I started my diva training and research early.

It is pretty darn traumatic breaking a nail as it is. Even the most meticulous, professionally applied fake nails do detach themselves every now and again, but imagine the embarrassment you would suffer from running your fingers through your hair and half of your finger nails remain behind.

Word to the wise: if you are going to go with false nails, go see a nail tech. If you must save a few bucks, go to the store and pick up the nails (not the tips that you have to fill—doing those on yourself is VERY tricky, even for those with professional training, especially when you have to use your non-dominant hand—go with the full nails) you must glue on. Yes, they will damage your real nail more than using tape, but that is the price one must pay for instant beauty.

 Also, be very careful to maintain a close inspection on your nails. Nails done at home are at a higher risk of developing nail fungus. Having seen some cases, nothing could be further away from sexy than a fungus growing on your body.

If you are wary of becoming a human Petri dish by growing fungus on your nails, spend the money for a professional job or invest in some nail growth polish and have a little patience. If you drum those stubby nails on a hard surface, you will get the blood flowing to the nails and will, in fact, encourage growth.

So, ladies, even when the pressure is on to look fabulous from tip to toes, don’t cut too many corners and end up using tape to hold on your fake nails. And if you know a friend who is contemplating such an act, remind them that it, plain and simple, is a bad idea and just plain wrong. Remember, friends don’t let friends look bad.

In examining the various (and many) flyers displaying the cosmetic wares for the Holiday season of such beauty focus havens such as Sephora and Ulta, I am always blown away at some of the looks then put forth. Surely some are meant for the pure WOW factor.

For example, in the most recent receipt of Sephora’s catalog, I could not help but notice that one model was  wearing extraordinarily long gold lashes, or at least what I assume was a set of false  lashes and not some pinched of sections of gold tree trimming tinsel. Not that I am not all for daring looks, but this one may be tad much to wear any place but Studio 54 circa 1979. Sadly, since I have not yet obtained that much lusted after time machine, I can’t go back to the New York hot spot to hang out with Andy Warhol and dance the away this Liza Minnelli (or at least with the sane version of Liza around the time she starred in “Cabaret), I don’t think even this diva will be slapping on gold tinsel like false eyelashes, except maybe on Halloween (now I am thinking on the perfect costume because I MUST don such outrageous lashes sometime while I am alive (once again, I think it might disturb those attending my funeral to see the drag queen gold disco ball version of Diva Janet going to her last party).

On the other hand, some of the looks were a little more toned down, although still perhaps too daring to the average woman on the street. One of the common features was the use of bold eye color, either via shadow, mascara, liner, or a combination of the three.  Certainly, I think it is rather easy to see that coating one’s entire eyelid, from lashes to brow in electric blue is going to see you noticed, I contend there is something the discriminating diva can do that is a bit more unique: the use of bold and unusually colored eyeliner. This being said, some of these looks and colors are not for the faint of heart and moreover nor are some of the tones meant for all venues.

There are a wide variety of eyeliners, brands, prices, forms, and so on. One can purchase liquid, crème, cake, automatic pencil and the list goes on. The prices vary from $1 to over $30 (for the pricier boutique brands). In concern to be frugal (especially when it comes to trends), ease of application, and product availability, I have chosen to examine the Dual Ended Eye Liner Pencil offered by the brand “Love My Eyes .  Each of the varieties contains two colors of kohl eyeliner, one of each end.  Nicely, each comes with one of the colors being black; after all, a real diva will always need black eyeliner, not just to rim one’s lids, but also in placing those all important beauty marks. After all Cindy Crawford does not have a monopoly on them.  On the opposite side, the colors range from the tame dark brown (an another color all make wearers should own) to daring bright purple. 

Another reason to choose kohl pencil eyeliner is due to its ease of application.  Kohl is rather forgiving and easily allows for the line, once applied, to be smudged as close to, and in between the lashes. While  liquid can provide that sharp, retro look at is very chic, one needs a desperately steady hand or else the wearer comes off a allowing the eyeliner to be applied in the back of a jeep while off-roading in the mountains.  Sure, you will get a lot of looks, but not the ones you want; instead of the envying “she looks like she just stepped out of an ad for vintage Chanel” instead, people will lean closer to the closest person and say in a semi-whisper “out of which school for circus clowning makeup do you think that woman just summarily flunked?” Second, this brand is rather inexpensive, about $2 at Wal-Mart, and does double duty, in coming with two colors, so when jade green is listed in “People Magazine” is in the “out” list, you won’t feel as though you fool heartedly thrown away a fortune, plus the black eyeliner will still be completely useful.

The following lists some of the color combos available from Dual Ended Eye Liner Pencil by Love My Eyes:

·         Desire: Silver/Black

·         Diva: White/Black

·         Flirt: Brown/Black

·         Freefall: Jade/Black

·         Outspoken: Bright Purple/Black

·         Passion: Electric Blue/Black

·         Seduction: Mauve/Black

·         Tease: Light Blue/Black

·         Temptation: Bronze/Black

Words of caution when wearing bold colors: the Dual Ended Eye Liner Pencil by Love My Eyes in Temptation has its time and place; when you are dancing the night away at the club, you will look like the bronze goddess of the night you are. But, showing up to teach a pack of fourth graders with your eyes ringed in Passion’s bright blue, sure you will look like a lady of the night, but it won’t  be of the goddess variety.

 Also, just a pet peeve, but white eyeliner as offered in Diva is really meant to help highlight white of your eyes, so rim the inner rim of your lower eye and perhaps even the rim of your upper eye is you are really daring and can stand it (some people can barely take putting mascara on, so this advanced technique may not be doable), the whites of your eyes will look gleaming and HUGE! So, use some color, but in the appropriate places and occasions and don’t break the bank for the trend because the favorite color for the day, I have seen a good deal of purple hued colors lately, could be the anathema of tomorrow. Also, just because it looks good on pages of “People” magazine looks and trend specials, does not mean it will look good on all. Let’s face it, the singer Rihanna looks good in anything and with any hair trend and makeup, including silver eyeliner (after all, she is dating the delectable Chris Brown), but it could make up look like a cross between a cheesy Halloween costume of the Tin Man and an dead silver tinged fish. Even a diva should know her own limits. Love My Eyes $2.

By now, reader diva, you may be thinking, “another review on mascara; that’s just what I needed!” But, I felt that I owed it to you, and I did not want Heather’s old standby mascara to get all of the glory. As Heather so astutely pointed out in her “Maybelline Mascara Showdown” post “some people want longer lashes, some people want thicker lashes, some people want both, and some want all of the above in waterproof with sparkles.”

So, I don’t know what YOU personally want out of your mascara, but I know that I want fantastic, old Hollywood worthy lashes. And, as a diva, I am very demanding; I don’t just want goddess lashes on special occasions, such as Oscar night, parties held in my honor, or the odd midnight sacrificial ritual in honor to the makeup deities (I don’t know who they are, but they’re out there, just ask the X Files), I want mile long lashes that look just this side of fake each time I step outside of my home, and sometimes when I just hang out in my house. Hey, my divalicious dogs deserve their mistress to look her best at all moments. L’Oreal’s Voluminous waterproof mascara, $7, delivers on my many requirements.

But, there’s a wrinkle. No, not on your timeless, unlined faces, or mine (I coat mine in shellac each morning; divas cannot show weakness). I wear contacts and occasionally my eyes water, not from watching “Love Story” or any such human emotions, but sometimes even divas get a little allergy attack. My eyes can be a little on the tender side. Basically, I want my mascara, and therefore my lashes, to remain perfect, untouchable, with absolutely no signs of streaking even if I am being blasted, full in the face, with a fire hose. Even if my hair is on fire (yes, hairdryers can be too hot, sometimes) and the fire department must douse the flames, I still want my face to look pretty.

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I know we’d all like to pretend that our skin is perfect all the time, but occasionally mother nature brings that particular game of make believe to a grinding halt. Luckily, preventing and fixing skin issues doesn’t have to be expensive, and you don’t need to spend hours on a daily skin-scrubbing routine. Here are some inexpensive, low-maintenance products that can help keep your skin looking fantastic.

One note: if you’ve not used medicated products before, start small. Try one, not all of them at once. Otherwise you’ll need an industrial-strength exfoliator to pry off the flaky skin that results. For fairly normal skin, just one medicated product a day is probably enough, but you may want to add a spot treatment for breakouts.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Foaming Acne Wash with Pink Grapefruit
Some skin-clearing products seem like they sacrifice any luxury for the effectiveness. Neutrogena’s new twist on their normally effective Oil-Free Acne Wash adds pink grapefruit and vitamin C to the salicylic acid treatment to help keep skin clear. The grapefruit scent is fresh and invigorating, and makes the product a bit less utilitarian. $7.

Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips
Biore’s pore strips work incredibly well and are disgustingly fascinating at the same time. The Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips have tea tree oil, witch hazel and menthol in them, so they smell nice, which is good since you’re about to stick one on your nose. Just wet your skin, press the strip on, let it dry, and slowly peel it off. Check out the back of the strip if you dare, and see just how many blackheads your poor little nose was harboring. Then rejoice, because they’re gone. $7.

Clearasil Daily Blackhead Control Pads with Natural Sea Salt
Skin-clearing medicated pads are available in tons of formulations. I like these from Clearasil because the pads have little scrubbers on them, which, along with the sea salt, helps treat and prevent blackheads. Like other medicated pads, this brand has salicylic acid to keep breakouts at bay, too. Clearasil Daily Blackhead Control Pads don’t have a super-strong scent, and they don’t sting like some medicated products. $6.

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel
This is the product you need on your side when you get a PMS-induced breakout before an event where you’d really prefer to look your best. Hot date? Job interview? Grab this spot gel at the first sign of a breakout. It works faster than average to minimize your potential humiliation. If you have trouble with your skin often, you could use this gel every day. It’s not too harsh and drying, despite it’s effectiveness. $7.

Looking for a way to look fresh-faced and dewy despite drearier winter weather? Check out L’Oreal Bare Naturale All-Over Mineral Glow, an all-over face color that can be used any day, whether you’re going all out with makeup or staying fairly natural. This sheer, very slightly shimmery mineral powder brightens up my whole face but doesn’t look too sparkly or obvious.

I like that this powder adds a bit of rosiness and some highlighting without adding a made-up look. I think you would have to work at it to make this stuff look bad on you, unless you chose a really bad shade for your skin right off the bat. I don’t spend a lot of time putting this on, just 30 seconds or so, and it gives me a kind of fresh-faced, just-in-from-crisp-fall-air look.

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Initially, I thought I’d be all alone in this great big blog. Stop laughing. It has a big heart. When I emailed a couple of friends to let them know it was reasonably safe to stop by and peek, though, my dear friend Janet emailed me back with a response that had ALL CAPS in the subject line. I knew it was serious, then.

I’ve known Janet since the very first day of 9th grade. I was a shy little thing. She was not. She sat by me in English class. The rest was history. We’ve been friends, roommates, maids of honor and partners in crime over the years, so, when Janet, one of the most fabulously glamorous people I know, said she wanted IN, because this was AWESOME, I knew we had to add “bloggers” to our list of shared roles.

Janet is not at all afraid to give opinions, especially regarding all things beauty. This is a woman who does full-on makeup on days she doesn’t have to leave the house, just so she can try out new tricks and trends and products. Please welcome Janet to Little Diva on the Prairie. She’s a perfect fit here, and I know she’ll not only provide great tips and reviews, she’ll make us all laugh in the process.

A fantastic red lipstick is nearly always in style, especially around the holidays. This year, true red is the must-have shade. Matte reds are the hottest look, but a little shine (not shimmer) works, too. If you haven’t tried a really red lipstick before, it can be a bit daunting. If you’re willing to give it a whirl, though, the results are usually sexy and well worth it. Here are three gorgeous red lip colors to try for your holiday party look.

Max Factor Colour Perfection Lipstick in Rouge. $7. This slightly cool true red should look good on most skin tones. The gel-based lipstick is smooth and doesn’t feather as much as some. I love that it’s matte without being drying, which can be a problem in the winter.

Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor in Flame. $8. If you plan to party all night, this vivid red should party right along with you. The two-step lipcolor has a long-lasting pigment that goes on first. Once it’s dry, you add the balm-type topcoat, which is incredibly moisturizing. The fade-resistant color won’t come off if you spend a little time underneath the mistletoe.

Cover Girl Continuous Color Lipstick in Classic Red. $5.50. A slightly warmer true red, this rich lipcolor from Cover Girl will look good on almost anyone. It goes on smooth and lasts a reasonably long time. Best of all, this classic lipstick is available at nearly any discount store.

But what about those of you who are afraid of going for all-out red lips?

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Sometimes I stand in the makeup aisle and wonder why every company needs so many types of mascara. I know that some people want longer lashes, some people want thicker lashes, some people want both, and some want all of the above in waterproof with sparkles. But if you’ve taken a good look at the vast array of mascara in any Walmart lately, you’ll see that the big cosmetics companies have three or four or more mascara formulas to address each lash issue you might have. It’s confusing! I get confused when picking out mascara! OK, I’m going to stop yelling now.

For many years, I stayed true to Maybelline’s classic Great Lash mascara. It’s cheap. It’s not terribly prone to clumping, and you can find it anywhere. Recently, though, I was lured in by the promise of bigger, better eyelashes. You know how that goes. The glossy ads. The models with rows of lashes not unlike shark teeth in their seemingly endless pointy perfection. All told, I tried four more Maybelline mascaras. Here’s my take on Maybelline Intense XXL Volume + Length Microfiber Waterproof Mascara, Maybelline Volum’ Express Turbo Boost Waterproof Mascara, Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara, Maybelline Define-A-Lash Lengthening Washable Mascara and my standard Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara.

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I’m a big fan of mineral foundations, for several reasons. For one thing, mineral makeup doesn’t usually contain oil or other irritants that make my sensitive skin go crazy. Minerals feel more natural on my skin, too, and I was all too happy to escape that cakey liquid makeup feeling. I also think mineral makeup looks more natural, something I value in a foundation.

When I started using minerals on my face, the usual advice was to spend quite a bit of money on the well-known brands, because the cheap ones weren’t worth the little plastic containers they came in. Soon, mineral makeup was everywhere, and not all of it could be terrible, right? I decided to test out one of the cheapest mineral foundations available - New York Color Smooth Mineral Loose Foundation Powder. This foundation costs about $5 at Walmart, but is available at a few other stores, as well as on NewYorkColor.com.

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