Cost

I'm going to double-check how much I spent on cosmetics last year, but I'm pretty sure that it was less than $75.

Approximately $20 in prescription acne cream
$25 in make-up
$25 for improved shampoo (do I need to say how much I love Paula Begoun?)
$5 for Paula Begoun's suggested drugstore products.

I have a feeling this year will be much different. For one thing, I'm not pregnant so I don't have as many limitations on what I can use. I'll be keeping closer tabs on my spending as well, so I'll report at the end of the year.

Two-month evaluation

I should probably say that I hope it's obvious that this is a slow process with a baby. But my LG is getting a bit more independent, although that doesn't mean that he is good about sitting in his bouncy seat while I attend to my appearance -- he's starting to get bored.

However, I bought a lot of make-up for my birthday and discovered the following:

1. Tinted moisturizer with sun protection is my best friend. I bought this from Paula Begoun's site and it is wonderful. The coverage is as good as my foundation, but it doesn't make me break out like my other stuff. My only problem is that the tube isn't very large so I don't know how long it'll last me.

2. Lip stain. Generally, I prefer a lip balm or lipstick with SPF protection, but a quick-dry item that doesn't rub off on my baby is at the top of my list. I bought this from ELF.

The problem with buying make-up over the internet is not getting a chance to really look at the colors, but that's a problem if you're also buying at the drugstore anyway. The color I bought from ELF was a little more coral than I expected, but then I realized I was putting too much on! Now it's a nice tint to my lips that's not like any other color I own.