Reality TV week of 10/10.

Ok, here's the recaps of all the reality shows I watched this week!

The Amazing Race: A whole lot of teams missed the decoder map on the symbol challenge. The thing was big enough to cover the end of a building. I'm going to chalk it up to the heat in Ghana. The a capella singers finished first, although they annoy me so much that I wish they would go home. The team of tattooed biker-looking couple aren't very bright, but they were funny to watch, until the guy yelled at the girl because she wasn't moving fast enough. At least he changed his tune when he realized she was having an asthma attack. And my favorite team, Kevin and Michael (Team Jumba) finished in last because Michael was dehydrated, and for running around in nearly 100 degree heat at 59 years of age is no easy task. Luckily, they managed to finish together, AND! It was a non-elimination week! So Team Jumba is still in it! YEAH!

Dancing With The Stars: acoustic music and performing on a raised stage. All in all, a gimmick that didn't make a big difference. The dances weren't any better or worse, the music wasn't any better or worse, and no one fell of the the 30" high stage. I thought the contestants did better for the most part, but the judges were extra harsh. Next time they ought to take their happy pills BEFORE the show. I know The Situation isn't the best, but 4s? Even Steve-O on a unicycle at least that well. Plus, the dude has awesome abs, which made for some effortless looking lifts, I thought. Still, the fans weren't enough help him, so there will be no more "situations" on Dancing. I still like Kyle Massey, but it seems like Jennifer Grey can do no wrong in the eyes of the judges. She's good but I'm not too impressed. Audrina and Brandy seem to be doing well, but I honestly don't think Brandy is very good at all. I want whatever the judges are drinking!

Hell's Kitchen: The first hour, during the chefs' 7th service, they completed it all and did so well that nobody got sent home! They had to know it was too good to be true though. The second hour, with the restaurant's 100th dinner service, didn't go so smoothly. It ended with the blue team (guys) being kicked out and the red team (mostly girls) having to finish for both sides. You'd think by now they would finally stop sending out raw food, but apparently not. One of the guys (Rob?) got sent home, and the episode was left on a cliffhanger, with Trev being called forward to explain himself to Chef Ramsay, but we don't find out his fate until next week!

I am actually amazed that Sabrina is STILL around, but she has mellowed out a little bit because she realized that she was being ganged up on (and I don't blame everyone else, she has a mega-attitude), and that her days were numbered if she didn't at least pretend to behave. I still don't think she will win but she will be around a little while longer for ratings.

America's Next Top Model: The episode starts with the 9 models doing a Cover Girl demonstration at a tent outside a Walmart at night. No offense to Top Model, but isn't it pretty much a given that you shouldn't hang out in a Walmart parking lot in the dark? Even in my small town, BAD stuff has happened in the Walmart parking lot. Scary!

Anyway, Kacey shined in the challenge due to her bubbly personality, and Ann's awkwardness made her come in last on the challenge. This of course, worried Ann, who had been top on the last 4 photo shoots, a show record. It also worried the judges, who know models need to be personable too. The photo shoot took place on Rodeo Drive, which is totally beautiful, at least what they showed on the episode. Streets here don't look like that, that's for sure! Anyhow, Ann's nerves got to her because of the challenge, and she didn't perform well at all. And her partner (most of the girls were paired off), Chelsey, was nervous because she didn't want to look bad next to Ann in a picture. Jane looked like a beautiful living Barbie doll. Kayla looked like the illegitimate child of Ronald McDonald and Wendy, and complained of her shoes hurting her the entire time.

In the end, Tyra called Ann's picture first yet again, and no one knows how Ann does it! She looks awkward in person but the cameras tell a different story! Poor Kacey was sent home- her eyes always look dull in pictures and she didn't look happy at all. And Jane went from bottom 2 last week to second picture called this week, awesome! I'm predicting Ann to win and Esther and Jane to do very well too.

What reality shows do you watch? Do you watch any of these, and if so, what did you think of the episodes this week?
-duckyone.

Cover Girl Blast

Thanks to an awesome site called BzzAgent, I get the opportunity to test out all sorts of fun and interesting products. Currently, I'm getting to test out some cosmetics from the Cover Girl Blast collection. I tried them out today, and I have some mixed opinions.

First off, the Shineblast Lip Gloss in shade #840. It's almost a neon pink in the tube, so I was wary. But lo and behold, it goes on with just a hint of pink, which I liked a lot. It also has a touch of glitter, which feels a tiny bit gritty when you apply, but not too bad. It went on easily with the wand applicator, and it was plenty shiny. It also smells like watermelon! It's great if you just want to have shiny lips for a short trip out somewhere, or if you don't mind reapplying. Let me tell you, if they could make their all day stuff look as shiny and awesome as the Shineblast gloss, I think I might dance a jig!

The other item I tried was the Smoky Shadowblast eyeshadow in color #810, Purple Plume. It's a double ended tube, much like lipstick only for your eyes! The first step is a rounded end, and you're supposed to sweep it over your entire eyelid. The first step shade I had was a lavender, and it went on really light. I probably went over my eyes with it 10 times to get it visible. The second shade, a darker brownish-purple, has more of a pointed tip, and is supposed to line your top eyelid and right under the brow bone to create the smoky look. Again, I had to go over it several times to even get it to show. I do have to say, though, the application was easy because the eyeshadow was so creamy!

I added some brown eyeliner and a touch of black mascara to try and make it look decent, because without that it looked a little weird. To me, it did make my eyes have a very nice shape, and made me look a little more alert. Smoky eye? Maybe a little, but not really. It does look better than me just sweeping a quick pass of eyeshadow like I normally do. The shades were so light that it didn't give me that dramatic smoky eye look at all. It's probably a good thing, though- I am not really good at the whole makeup thing and if it were darker, I am sure it would make me look awful when I inevitably manage to mess it up.

I read other reviews on the ShadowBlast and they said that the eyeshadow is too creamy and tends to crease, and that some foundation or primer would prevent that from happening. I put a layer of liquid foundation and then a light powder on my eyelids, and that usually helps keep the color looking nice all day. But not with this! I looked in the mirror after less than 2 hours and I already had heavy creasing! And it took both shades into the creases and made dark clumpy lines across my eyelids. It's a good thing I am wearing my glasses so no one can see the lines!

Overall, I'm pretty well undecided on the Cover Girl Shadowblast. On the one hand, it goes on easily. On the other, it creases really badly. I suppose if I could figure out how to keep it from creasing, I would like it a whole lot better. Also, it does take a lot of passes to make it even look like there is even color there. For the $8 suggested price, I would expect it to go on more sparingly and still look good! As for the Shineblast gloss, I do like it overall- I just wish it would last a little longer!

Have any of you tried these items? What do you think about them?

-duckyone.