Real-life beauty talk. Absolutely honest reviews.

Below Freezing Beauty came into being during the 2010 election, a time that was particularly stressful and difficult for me professionally. (Ever hear the one about the journalist who got handcuffed by a Senate candidate’s private security detail? Yeah, that was my boss.) I missed writing for myself. I missed writing for people who weren’t looking for a fight. So I came home one night, reorganized my eye shadows, and decided it was time to do something just for me. If other people enjoyed it, well — that would be a bonus. In 2021, Below Freezing Beauty moved here, to my personal website (because maintaining multiple blogs didn’t leave much time to paint my nails).

Fair warning: I’m not a professional makeup artist. I freely confess I didn’t know how to blow dry my hair properly until I was well into my 20s (and lately I’m more than happy to let the experts at Drybar handle it!). I like to look put together, though, and I like to keep trying new things and learning new skills. I’ve spent a lot of money on a lot of products over the years — some of it money well spent, and some of it not so much. On Below Freezing Beauty, I talk about what I’m using, how I’m using it, and whether or not I’d shell out for it again. Hopefully my honest reviews can save you from making some of the same mistakes I’ve made.