Mom always said "Take care of your Toys!"

To blowdry or not to blowdry? Me - I have naturally corkscrew curly Irish hair so I detangle after my shower but then let it dry on its own. But that doesn't mean I don't have a hair dryer! (Some cold mornings a good towel dry just isn't enough to warm me up!) Anyways, I still have this lil cutie and by the graphics on it, I think you'll figure out how long I've had it!

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We choose our hair appliances carefully and want them to serve us well. If you spent 3 figures on a high end tool (!!) then you really want it to last. Have you ever had your hair dryer emit a burning smell while you were using it? Did you think it was about to catch fire? Or did your hair dryer ever just sort of 'shut off' while you were using it? It is probably over heating. Is it time to toss it?

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Maybe not. Ever notice all the open vents and slits on the back & sides of your little friend? Those are for air flow, which help to cool the motor inside. Those openings might be getting clogged with dust bunnies and lint, causing your appliance to overheat.

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If you notice those vents look stuffed with gunk ~ lets pull it out! Unplug the unit, then get your point-tip tweezers and pull the fluff out of each vent and air hole..

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...it might seem like you're not getting anywhere, but you'll start to see you're really plucking yourself quite a bit of fluff!

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Your hair dryer will breathe easier and this will help it to last longer, too. Keep any eye on those little vents and air holes on your hair dryer, and your trusty hair dryer will serve you well, for years to come!

Ever hear of a site called Listia?

We all know I am a self-proclaimed serial traveler and compulsive shopper! I say that like it's a bad thing! If you find yourself in strange new lands, you just have to explore! I guess living in Alaska can make us feel a bit disconnected from the rest of the world so it's nice to get away when I can. It's good to see what we might be missing out in the big world out there!

Of course when you're traveling and shopping, one of your primary considerations will be, I have to get this stuff home! Sometimes I pack a flat rate USPS box in my luggage ~ they are flat so they don't take up any room! It's not so hard to find a post office on the road, but you can't count on them always having the packing materials you want. Mailing a few things home can be a big help if you do it right!

Another thing that I've been known to do is pack a smaller duffel bag inside my luggage on the off chance that I find stuff I just can't live without! This strategy can save you money because its cheaper to check a 2nd bag than it is to pay the extra charge for an overweight bag. And no matter what your bag weighs, You've got to get it to the airport somehow!

Of course by now, you all know that I list up some of my great finds - I get so excited when I'm able to share these treasures with you! Most of my best goodies are listed @ eCrater and I still have a few items @ Blujay - until I finish moving them over! I try not to list anything @ ebay but sometimes items do better at auction.. what's a girl to do? Check out Listia!


Hate paying listing fees? Forget about it! They give you Credits when you join. You can earn credits by completing your profile and watching videos on the site. And you get credits when you list something! Listing is why you're there anyways! List items and when they sell, you get credits to spend on Listia items you see & want. How cool is that? True Trading Online, right?!

I'm giving it a whirl and I hope you'll check it out, too!

Let us know if you've tried Listia in the comments below. Let us know what you think!

Be Pretty!

Cindy @ NameBrandDealz

Some beauty tips tricks and faves!

I tend to travel a lot which means packing and unpacking and packing again! If you're like me, You have too much in your beauty stash and you might have extras of several beauty essentials.. so one thing I do is, I leave some basics 'packed' so they are always ready to grab 'n go! I bet if you really looked thru your goodies, You would find things that you like, but don't use every day in your beauty routine. So pack'em! It will make your life much easier - Trust me!

.. Yes, this really is my suitcase! Love her! By Lucas Luggage.

If you did not have any shampoo or body wash mini's and had to book it outta town quick, check the area you traveled to and see if there are any Dollar Tree or Big Lots stores nearby. Trust me on this! Best deals you'll find on things like shampoo, body wash (MANY choices for a dollar!) deodorant, even tweezers and bandaids! I swear you can get outta there for less than $10 and have about any beauty basic you'd need on the road. And the best part is, if you are tight on luggage space and don't wanna bring those big bottles home, you're only out a dollar if you leave them behind. BETTER YET - buy ONE shampoo that can double as a body wash - just splurge on a better Conditioner - surely you have room to bring that home!

If you like to use baby powder - buy the kind with Cornstarch. It can double as a dry shampoo in a pinch! Absorbs oil and makes your hair smell baby fresh until you have time to shampoo.

Speaking of how ya smell! Have you ever smelled a fragrance and liked it, bought it and took it home, but then WOOF! It smells awful on you?! Never again. If you like a fragrance, buy it! Spray it in your hair or just spray it UP into the air, and let it fall on you after you are dressed.. it will have less opportunity to react to your skin & chemistry.. Even inside something like a hoodie or sweater.. you CAN wear the fragrance you love! Some of our favorites ~ Fancy, Pink Sugar, Midnight Fantasy...

Olay daily moisturizer is a great all-around moisturizer and doubles as an effective eye makeup remover! Remember some QTips! They are great for detail work, removing traces of eyeliner and mascara that did not come off in the shower!

Be sure to share any tips n tricks you have - Beauty Secrets are better shared with a friend!

Til next time, Be Pretty!

Cindy @ NameBrandDealz

We're official! NameBrandDealz is a Dot-Com! Be Pretty!

Well this has been quite the journey for me, in all things beauty! I started out selling cosmetic items on eBay. You know, the random gifts you'd get from Estee Lauder or Lancome or Clinique, when you purchased your skin care or a new fragrance from them. They always seemed to give me a pink lipstick I could never pull off, and a perfect blush to match! What's a girl to do?

So a-listing I would go! I always had at least 10 makeup auctions active at any one time, with orders shipping out almost daily. My normal monthly seller fees were around $80 ~ and I had 100% positive feedbacks and not a single 'claim' against me. I was making money, my shoppers were happy, and eBay was getting their cut. Everyone's happy, right?

THUD. I got an email, informing me that my account has been given selling limits. I was now only allowed to list one cosmetic item at a time. After 90 days, my account would be re-evaluated, and after 90 days, it was. I was told that they were not increasing the seller limits on my account. They would not give me a reason why. When you're ebay, I guess they don't have to give you a reason.

After I got my head to stop spinning, I regrouped. They were not gonna take me down! My mom told me about a website with a cute little blue bird for a mascot, and I started listing. I never knew HTML before this, but they had a basic cheat sheet which I learned from, and back to listing I went! So liberating to just list my pretties on MY terms. No one telling me I had to sit on an item for 2 weeks, Hoping the shopper would pay for it. I had a great run of it, and I think my stats there sit around 684 sales completed. Take THAT, ebay!

The site with the cute little blue bird has gone thru some changes - growing pains, if you will. Sales have slowed down to the equivalent of tapping maple out of a tree in the middle of January in Canada! Yeah, that slow. The site owner told me - first of all - You have to sell what people are looking for. REALLY? I think I've passed your sniff test. Something changed and it wasn't me. Time to do my own kind of 'shopping..'

I decided to revisit a store I'd started on eCrater. Within a month, sales were happening. Then, I was shipping sales almost daily. Some days, 3 to 4 sales - and really nice, high end products by Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown and MAC. My confidence was validated! I'm a girl and I know what girls are gonna like - I know what we're looking for!

To celebrate my Mojo and tie it all together, I decided to make it official. NameBrandDealz is our new home. It's new and it's just being developed and I'm excited to share it to you. Its for us girls and all things beauty and I hope you'll take a look!

...Be Pretty! NameBrandDealz!

..Beauty Tips, Tricks & Secrets!

According to the calendar, it's barely a week into Summer but around here, the first whole month is already in the can! I can't tell you how bummed I am about that! I should be grateful that I've already been to Seattle and Denver, but now it's just 'Back to Business!' - What a drag!

Since it's back to the grind and I can't stray too far, I'm finding little things to do, close to home. Busy little things, going thru closets, organizing my office - we even got new furniture. One thing I still need to do is finish unpacking from my world tour.. I got the laundry out right away, but I still have to sort out what I bought for me, what I bought for gifts, and what I found to stock in my beauty store!

When I'm traveling, I try to keep it simple and take multi-taskers with me; I stick with a simple, natural color palette so those minimalist pieces will work together. When I'm home, my beauty routine is a full arsenal of serums, moisturizer, and those special pieces that may not travel so well, like single pan eyeshadows & bronzing or illuminating beads.

When I travel, there are just some things I don't want to be without. Those wet facial cleansing towelettes are a must. Olay and Ponds are great! Perfect for taking makeup off your hands when you're touching up in an airport restroom! Some visits don't require the medicinal anti-bac soap that airport restrooms provide - so use that Olay cloth to remove the makeup on your hands, then rinse well and you're off! These wipes are also nice for wiping any loose blush or eyeshadow off other product cases if they happened to crack in the bottom of your makeup bag!

Don't forget a tweezer! Trust me on this. You WILL be searching for the nearest drugstore to purchase one. Then, while you're there, you start to see other things you think you might need.. its a trap! If you have to do it, look for the store's brand.. a tweezer is pretty much a tweezer and they are often half the price of one made by the big national brand.

Bring a few quart size Zippy-Lock type plastic bags. Basically, any liquid item (fragrance, hair spray, toothpaste) that fits in that quart size bag will zip right through Security.

Speaking of moisturizers - did you know that regular old Oil of Olay makes a great eye makeup remover? Even after washing my face in the sink (or even in the shower with my Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean!) - Sometimes I just end up with raccoon eyes from the mascara & eye liner I'm trying to remove.. Just grab some Q-Tips and squeeze out a bit of Olay's daily moisturizer - dab it under your eyes and watch the yuk come off on the swab! Be sure to buy the fragrance-free!

Feel free to post any tips & suggestions you have and share them with your BFF's below!

Ladies - Is it time to update your Beauty Stash?!

Do you ever find yourself digging thru your makeup, thinking that you use the same products every day, and you Look the same, every day? Maybe it's time for a Makeup Makeover! Most days, we need products that are natural for that just-right, day time look. But that doesn't mean we have to just keep using a product we bought 3 years ago! Maybe it's time to find a great new piece that can help you revamp your entire look!

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*Beautiful neutral palette gets great reviews!*

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I've been considering a new bronzer lately ~ summer is coming and it's a great way to get a more sun-kissed look when you don't have the time to lounge in the sun.. and if you're Irish like me, You don't tan anyways! Rimmel makes this beauty ~ huge surface makes it great for bronzing All Over!

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Gorgeous HUGE Bronzer by Rimmel - Be a Sun Queen!

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This year, I'm CRUSHING on this gorgeous multi-tasker by Too Faced.. You can use this for face and eyes or even dust a little for a bit of luminosity anywhere you want to bare a little! Check out this little Sweetheart!

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Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush, 0.19 Ounce

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Don't let yourself fall into a beauty rut! Mix up your look with a new great cosmetic multi-tasking piece. It's a great way to change your outlook and face the day! If you've found a great new product you love, Feel free to share it below!

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Be pretty~!

Beauty Products we loved...

Reminiscing on a few Pretties from days gone by! Anyone remember Estee Lauder lipstick in Pink Parfait?

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If you are a day care provider or a nurse and wash your hands all the time, there was no better hand lotion than Vaseline Intensive Care water resistant lotion. Remember that big blue bottle?

Sometimes there's just that one great product we loved - ran out of and wished we could find one last time!

Tuck the kids in, grab a cup of coffee and stop by.

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Shown: Burts Bees Radiance bar soap & Tone Sugar Glow Body Wash.

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Find us on Twitter @NameBrandDealz and on Facebook too!

Shipping out your orders daily ~ 'Cuz we know you can't wait to get your goodies!

Just Google us ~ NameBrandDealz!

Spring has sprung! Time for fresh nudes & bronze colors! Here comes the sun!

Winter is a magical time ~ time to snuggle into a big blanket or your coziest sweater ~ sip on some cocoa or your favorite latte ~ the flavors of peppermint, cinnamon, pumpkin & vanilla! We wore the vampy wine nail polish and a crushed velvet matte lip to match and it was good. It felt good. We looked good! Winter has a way of pinching us on the cheek!

Fast Forward to today ~ OMG March is almost in the can! April springs with hope for longer, warmer days and ladies ~ We must get ready! Time to retool the beauty trunk! Or do you keep one for each season? Now there's an idea! I digress...

I'm ready for bronze ~ maybe not the bronze that makes people ask you if you just got back from Mexico ~ although I bet it's more affordable BEFORE the travel season amps up! Anyways, it's about time for more transitional colors.. pinky nudes, sheer shimmer washes in a light bronze tan, and an eyeliner in bronze or taupe. It's probably too early for the Sun Goddess look, but we'll get there before you know it!

http://namebranddealz.ecrater.com/p/19606464/sephora-harmony-blush-rose-shades

http://namebranddealz.ecrater.com/p/19679679/sephora-eyeshadow-duo-10-golden-pink

http://namebranddealz.ecrater.com/p/19674817/estee-lauder-pure-color-golden

And don't forget a brand new lip balm! You should toss out your old winter friend. It may have gotten you through the cough & cold season, but just like your toothbrush, it might be time to toss it and say hello to a new flavor. Be sure to check the label for the SPF!

http://namebranddealz.ecrater.com/p/19469248/softlips-chocolate-mint-gelato-lip

Feel free to leave comments about a new goody you've seen in the stores so we can all crush on it!

Feel free to browse my store ~ both @ eCrater and Blujay. I bet I've got a few beauty treats to help you shake the winter blues! Hello summer!

Cindy @ NameBrandDealz

http://namebranddealz.ecrater.com

http://namebranddealz.blujay.com

The Beauty of Entertainment ~ Where & When you want it! MoviesCapital dotcom!

Netflix was a great idea ~ especially when they moved to streaming movies ~ no more waiting for the mailman to bring you your next movie! No more scratched DVD's! No more DVD's to lose and forget to mail back! Man, what a hassle! All for the bargain of about 8 bucks a month, right? That's $96 a year.. how many double mocha latte's is that anyways?

Now there's a new game in town. How about just paying one price today and streaming & downloading as many movies, concerts and cartoons as you like? New blockbuster movies and family programming that you can either stream and watch now, or download and save for later. Burn what you download and make your own library. Make a copy for the kids so they can watch on their own laptop ~ You get your TV back! Family peace is restored!

MoviesCapital.com is the premiere entertainment site ~ with 3 different subscription levels ~ check it out!

Silver Membership - dip your toe in the water! $29.95 for 1 month ~ Unlimited use!

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Works on PC's - MAC - iPads - iPhones & more!

I rejoined Netflix a few months ago to watch the old episodes of Ghost Adventures and they were all gone! MoviesCapital lets you save & keep what you love ~ Actually, they encourage it! Don't just pay to 'borrow' the movies you love ~ when they can be yours to keep?!

 ** Click here to Subscribe! MoviesCapital.com! **