Do You Know Who AnnaLynn McCord Is? Me Either, But Her Hair!

 Uncategorized  3 Responses »
Nov 212009
 
Apparently she’s from the new 90210, which I haven’t caught. But those curls! Love!
I’m told that her on-set stylist, Dyana Aives is using Big Curls Curl Defining Creme by Samy. It works by amplifies curls by adding volume, texture and shine and is specially formulated to define, separate and extend curls.
The good news is that it’s easy to find – you can pick yours up at Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS locations here in the US, and Canadians can grab it at Shopper’s Drug Mart stores.

Product Review: Mario Badescu’s Silver Powder

 acne treatment, Product Reviews, silver powder  1 Response »
Nov 172009
 
My skin has been in crisis lately. I’m not sure exactly what is going on, but it’s been a real mess lately. I’ve been pulling out all the stops to get it back under control.
Enter Mario Badescu’s Silver Powder. I swear, I can’t find a single product in this entire line that doesn’t do exactly what it claims and in some cases, even more. The powder works by breaking down the oil trapped in your pores. Used once or twice a week, you should notice less clogged pores.
To use, just dip a cotton ball in a touch of water, just enough to make one side damp. Then use the damp side of the cotton to pick up a good amount of the powder and press it into the oily areas on your face. Usually this is the t-zone area on most people – forehead, nose and chin. However, if you’re like me and you’re oily everywhere, then use it freely. Let it set for 10 minutes, then remove it with a toner or astringent. I personally use Special Cleansing Lotion C, but use what you have.
You can purchase the entire Mario Badescu line at MarioBadescu.com. It’s also available at Fred Segal Beauty in Los Angeles, Henri Bendel in New York City, select Nordstrom and other specialty shops nationwide. Locally, the Norfolk Nordstrom and the Virginia Beach Ulta carries the line.

Holiday Gift Ideas: Three Offerings from Benefit

 beauty  Comments Off
Nov 162009
 

How anyone will be able to pass this one up, I do not know:

Say hello to celebutante, your personal stylist makeup kit. This portable kit includes everything you could possibly need to glow: High Beam highlighterL Benetint, the rose-tinted lip and cheek stain; Dallas, an outdoorsy glow/bronzer; Lip Gloss in I’m With the Band; Full Finish Lipstick in Lady’s Choice; Full Finish Lipstick in No Competition; Velvet Eyeshadow in Leggy AND Dandy Brandy; a fluff shadow/talent brush; and a step by step guide to getting the celebutante look.
icon
celebutante, $34 at benefit.com

glitz, glam, and gloss is glam new shades in convenient double wand tubes. Shades include Friends in High Places (sparkling raspberry), Kiss You (clear fuschia), Almost Famous (copper penny), Zone Out (golden nude), I’m With the Band (golden pink shimmer), and Fresh Squeezed (pink grapefruit).
glitz, glam, and gloss, $26 at benefit.com

icon

glam idol has billed itself as a “best of” set. Inside a cute little clutch, you get “That Gal” brightening face primer, California Kissin’ smile brightening lip shine, and Posietint, the poppy-pink tinted lip and cheek stain.

glam idol, $60 at benefit.com
icon

Holiday Gift Ideas: Smashbox Wish for the Perfect Palette

 smashbox, ulta  Comments Off
Nov 152009
 
Wish for the Perfect Palette
If someone gave me this, I’d probably fall over with joy. Exclusive to Ulta, this 96 shade palette by Smashbox is at the top of my holiday wish list. The Wish for the Perfect Palette contains 64 eye shadows, eight cream eye liners, six brow tech powders, one brow wax, eight lip glosses, two blushes, one complexion brightener, one bronzer, one highlighter, and four mini brushes: shadow, liner, brow, and lip. Of course, it’s limited edition, and it also comes with a look book. The most amazing thing about it? It’s $59.

Yes, you read that right. $59.

With every Wish purchase, $1 will be donated to the Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit that grants the wish of life to sick and injured children by providing care and investing in life-saving research.

If you need another reason to grab this one, there is the fact that you get Free Shipping over $50 and Free Samples with every order!

I probably won’t wait around for Santa to bring me this one. It’s just too good of a deal.

Holiday Collections: NARS

 Nars  Comments Off
Nov 142009
 
A gorgeous, sultry look created by makeup artist Diane Kendal for NARS. Let’s take a look at the products she used.
For the face:
On the eyes:
And the lips:

Sally Hershberger Talks Tips and Trends for Fall

 sally hershberger, shagg  Comments Off
Nov 132009
 

Bored with your summer style? Sally Hershberger says that it’s time to rehab that summer hair. Here are a few trend ideas to get you thinking.

Short and layered is big for fall this year. Anything from pixie cuts to shoulder length bobs with layering around the face. It can be styled sleek, sexy and messy, or even over the top like this mohawk/pixie combination.
In case you’ve missed it, the 80s are all over the place this season. One length bobs are back in a big way, especially with modern layering. This is a versatile, sexy, and easy style to maintain and is a great transition if you’re moving from one style to another.
Need some post-summer styling secrets? No problem. Sally’s got you covered.
Pull out your blowdryers and turn loose, undone, beachy waves into sexy, textured style. Sally recommends using her SHAGG line, the first line designed specifically for layered hair, which will provide looks like the two above with lift and movement along with texture.
Bring back the shine and make dry hair look healthy and supple again and gives any style a sleek finish.
Spend a little time after the summer nourishing your hair with restorative products such as Sally’s SHAGG Rocks Liquid Gel which moisturizes damaged strands.
The SHAGG line is found at Target and HSN.com.

Holiday Collections: YSL Beauty Knocks It Out of the Park, So to Speak

 ysl, ysl beauty, yves saint laurent  Comments Off
Nov 122009
 
Smokey eyes? Check. Vibrant red lips? Check. Everything Retrodiva would love in a collection? Check.
Start with the Teint Resist Long Wear Transfer Resistant Foundation. Then use the Touche Eclat Radiant Touch highlighter that everyone raves about on the upper cheekbones, bow of the lip, and directly under the eyebrows. Then sweep on the limited edition Mini Touche Blush in Sparkling Beige.
On the eyes, line with Dessin Du Regard Haute Tenue in Intense Black. Then sweep Astral Brown from the Ombres Duolumieres #1 duo eye shadow on the lid and highlight up to the brow with Heavenly Beige. Use Volume Effet Faux Cils Luxurious Mascara in #1, High Density Black on the lashes. Personally, I use three coats.
On the lips, use the new Fard A Levres Rouge Pur Pure Lipstick in #150, Sublime Red.
Absolutely gorgeous, and perfect for that holiday party where you will drink too many cosmos.

Holiday Ideas from Flirt!

 beauty  Comments Off
Nov 112009
 
I don’t know about anyone else, but shopping for beauty around the holidays is my favorite. They always put out the most glamorous limited edition items around that time, and maybe I just like the glitz of it all. But I seem to purchase more for myself around this time of year than I do for anyone else. Although most of my girls will tell you that they can always count on makeup from me. I’m always trying to get everyone around me to try bright new colors.
Anyhoo, Kohl’s recently sent me a sampling of some things they have put out for the holidays, and I noticed that they were currently on sale at the website. I have no idea if they are on sale at the stores, but it’s worth checking out. Here are some of their recommendations for the beauty-lover on your gift list:
Flirt! Lip Wishes Gift Set, $14.99, on sale for $13.99. Includes the top three best selling Squeeze Me Shiny Lip Glosses: Radical Raspberry, Pink Champagne, and Zippy Ginger in a keepsake ornament.



Limited Edition Flirt! Essential Brush Set, $14.99 on sale for $13.99. Four essential cheek, face, and eye brushes for a really great price.



Flirt! Nail Wishes Nail Polish Gift Set, $14.99, on sale for $13.99. Six shades that make a great stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift.


Flirt! Fragrance Gift Set, $35.00, on sale for $29.75. A fun fragrance collection that includes mini versions of Flirtatious, Glamourazzi, and Flowerrific.

Estee Lauder Signs World Renowned Makeup Artist Tom Pecheux

 tom pecheux  Comments Off
Nov 112009
 
This is very exciting news for the Estee Lauder brand! They have signed Tom Pecheux as Creative Makeup Director. He will be creating the vision of future makeup collections and showcasing his point of view.
“We are incredibly excited to partner with Tom Pecheux,” said Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Global Brand President, Estée Lauder. “Tom will add a new energy, style and fashion edge to Estée Lauder makeup. His intuitive sense of color and expertise in global beauty trends will help us redefine modern color in a bold new way.”
You will see collections with Tom Pecheux’s distinctive mark beginning in Spring, 2010.
You can see a fantastic collection of his work at models.com.

What I’m Wearing Lately: Limited Edition MAC Asphalt Flower

 Fragrance, NYFW  Comments Off
Nov 062009
 
This fragrance was part of MAC’s F/W Trend/Fashion Week. I’d love to say that it reminds me of New York during Fashion Week, but I was so sick that I wasn’t smelling much of anything. Besides, my New York fragrance will always be Tom Ford’s Black Orchid.
But we’re not discussing Black Orchid, we’re discussing Asphalt Flower, which is a very unique fragrance on it’s own. MAC describes it as containing glossy violet and iris petals, vanilla, and patchouli with top notes of violet, ylang-ylang, mid notes of iris, heliotrope and a finale of olibanium, patchouli, and MAC signature vanilla.
The top is sweet and floral, there isn’t any denying it. The violets reach out and slap you in the face. But it doesn’t last, and it morphs into a very sultry fragrance, with the ylang-ylang making an appearance. The lasting power is fairly good, although the bottle is so small that carrying it with you isn’t a problem.
Asphalt Flower is still available on MAC’s website for $20.

For the Men Fridays: Billy Jealousy’s Ultimate Travel Kit

 Billy Jealousy, shampoo, skin care  1 Response »
Nov 062009
 
Introductory Travel Kit ($36 value)
My husband travels a lot – both professionally and as a vagabond motocross racer. One thing he always has is a full travel bag full of things that I’ve picked up for him specifically for travel. I’m always replacing them and making him report back on how much he liked something, or what product he’s using now. Believe me, he’s never owned so many skin care products until he met me. Of course, he’s never had such great skin, either. I take full credit.
So I was excited to see a complete travel set from Billy Jealousy: Introductory Travel Kit ($36 value) exclusively at one of my favorite stores, Ulta. You’ve got a nice little assortment of goodies in this kit, including:

  • White Knight Gentle Daily Facial Cleanser: contains essential moisturizing agents to provide necessary hydration while cleansing skin. The white, foaming formula cleanses without stripping the skin of essential oils. SLS-free, Paraben free, no fragrance added. 
  • LiquidSand Exfoliating Facial Cleanser: Less penetrating than a scrub and more powerful than a face wash, this gentle cleanser removes dead skin cells, dirt and all round grime. Colorant –free, SLS-free.
  • Hydroplane Super-Slick Shave Cream: A rich, technologically advanced cream that keeps you looking sharp and feeling cool. This shaving cream cools, heals and conditions the skin with its micro-silicon beads, while natural citrus oils condition, moisturize and purify skin.
  • Fuzzy Logic Hair Strengthening Shampoo:  This shampoo contains two DHT blockers (DHT causes hair loss) Menthyl Lactate and Peppermint Oil creating strong, healthy and thick hair. The powerful shampoo also contains Cocamide MEA, which is a coconut-derived cleanser and moisturizer as well as Panthenol, a provitamin conditioner.
  • Cashmere Coat Hair Strengthening Conditioner: This hair strengthening conditioner is infused with peppermint as well as DHT blockers to restore strength, volume and hydration to keep your hair lookin’ healthy.
  • ILLICIT Pearlized Body Wash: Created after the huge success of the ILLICIT Eau de Parfum, this body wash is infused with citrus bergamot, tea, ivy, ginger and sandalwood. The hemp seed oil softens and sooths the skin while Cocamide MEA, a natural derivative of coconut oil cleans and moisturizes and Vitamin E conditions.

Grab this if you’ve got a wandering man in your life. Wrap it up and throw it under the tree, or stuff in a stocking. He’ll be impressed that there is something else out there for dudes that isn’t Axe or Ivory soap.

Available at ULTA Beauty for $24.00

Live the Life of a Parisenne: A New Fragrance by YSL

 Fragrance, Product Reviews, womens fragrance, ysl  Comments Off
Nov 062009
 
I was sent the new YSL Parisenne by Total Beauty for a review, but you know, it’s darn near impossible to review a fragrance. What works on my skin may not work on yours, and I may declare something “unwearable” but love it on you. So take anything I say about any fragrance with a grain of salt.
The first thing I noticed about Parisenne was the floral notes. Not surprising, since in the commercial you see Kate Moss rolling around with a bunch of roses looking far sexier than I ever will in my lifetime! But let’s get to the description provided by YSL: the top notes include a vinyl accord, cranberry, and blackberry. The heart notes are damask rose and violet, and the base notes are patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, and musk. YSL describes it like this: “A grand floral with a woody structure, luminous even in its mystery, Parisenne is the perfume of ultra femininity, warmed by the touch of the man who embraced her.”
Nice.
What keeps me going back to it is the hidden temptation of the violet. I’ve always loved violet fragrances, although I find most of them unwearable. While I’ve never been a fan of large florals myself, this one is intriguing. I find myself searching for that violet. Occasionally I get a sniff of it, and it keeps me coming back for more.
It’s not my typical fragrance – I prefer more complicated and esoteric fragrances. But I’ve enjoyed my time with Parisenne.
The eau de parfum is $39 for 1 oz/1.6 oz. for $65/$85 for 3.0 oz. Be sure to visit the ExperienceParisienne.com website by YSL Beaute for cool pictures and more information about the scent.

My New Addiction: John Frieda’s Luxurious Volume All Out Hold Hairspray

 John Frieda  Comments Off
Nov 042009
 
Luxurious Volume All Out Hold Hairspray
Remember when I talked about how much I loved my Elnett? Well, I’ve pushed Elnett to the side for my
Luxurious Volume All Out Hold Hairspray. If you like big hair as much as I do, then you are going to want to give this a try.
First of all, it’s honest-to-goodness aerosol spray, which I think is most important for a good hairspray. I grew up in the age of Aqua Net in the white and pink can, so I’m down with the aerosol spray hold.
Luxurious Volume All Out Hold Hairspray does all that Aqua Net used to do while not being Aqua Net. You can still run your fingers through your hair, but on my hair, it holds that root lift that seems to be so elusive. I like to tease the crown of my hair, and if you don’t give it a good spray, it will fall throughout the day. This hairspray does a good job of lifting at the root and holding it there without the constant touchups throughout the day.

Not everyone is going to love it, but if you have big hair that needs a lift, give it a whirl.  I’m sure you’ll be impressed.

Too Faced Shines the Light on the Lash Situation

 too faced  1 Response »
Nov 042009
 
You might think that this is just another mascara like all the others packaged in a super cute bottle that has a light on it. But you’d be wrong – this does have super awesome packaging that includes two blue LED’s to illuminate all your lashes, but that’s not what makes this mascara so unique.
Too Faced has added liquid crystalline particles to Too Faced LashLight mascara that act like microscopic mirrors. These actually help bounce light off and around lashes, which can make the eyes look brighter. It also delivers thickness, length, and conditioning with ingredients like Helicone, red algae, pantheol, and vitamins C and E.

Too Faced LashLight mascara retails for $25.

 Older Entries  Newer Entries