Beauty Buy:
LaNatura Lip Balm September 30th, 2011 By

Have you heard of LaNatura Organic Shea Butter Lip Balm? It’s definitely on my top 5 list. I was introduced to this brand by my sister-in-law–who is an esthetician by trade–on one of our family Hawaiian vacations. She uses only the purest of products on her clients, so I knew it was going to be a good treat once she handed one over to me to sample.

The shea butter leaves your lips feeling hydrated and smooth, yet they provide a glossy shine that is not greasy or tacky. The absolute best part are all the yummy flavors (25 to be exact), that smell just like the real thing. I’ve been lucky enough to try: chai latte, cherry drop, green apple, and vanilla bean. At $8 a pop, you can stock up now and give them to your besties or co-workers as a fun stocking stuffer. Oh dear, is it that time already? Almost, so do give them a try and let me know what you think.

lip balm: LANATURA SHEA BUTTER LIP BALM: $5.93 – $8.00.

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Skin Stuff: SK-II September 28th, 2011 By

Everyone from Cate Blanchett to my best friend have unabashedly raved about SK-II. It’s touted as being one of the most expensive beauty brands out there, but dedicated followers shell out big bucks month after month because it’s just that good. The story goes that the major component in SK-II was discovered after a monk spied the unusually youthful hands of elderly ladies who hand-stirred Japanese sake. Would you spend upwards of $400 for beauty products? I don’t know if I would yet (thank you mom for the good genes), but I would love to hear if any of you have tried the stuff!

1. SK-II Skin Signature Cream4. SK-II 'Cellumination Essence' Hydrating Serum

3. SK-II 'Facial Treatment' Clear Lotion2. SK-II Skin Refining Treatment

SK-II, clockwise l-r: SK-II SKIN SIGNATURE CREAM, $205.00, available at Bloomingdale’s; SK-II CELLUMINATION ESSENCE HYDRATING SERUM, $220.00, Nordstrom; SK-II SKIN REFINING TREATMENT, $150.00 available at Bloomingdale’s; SK-II FACIAL TREATMENT CLEAR LOTION, $60.00, available at Nordstrom.

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A note about these
Carriere Freres Candles September 23rd, 2011 By

So we have a little item on Carrieres Freres Candles over on our newly redesigned home landing page (like it?), and I just wanted to give them some more context, because these are hands-down, the prettiest candles I’ve ever seen in person and I cannot believe that they’re not ubiquitous over here in the states. Get them now before they are so that you can impress all of your friends! (And if any boutique owners are reading, shove aside that basket of Hanky Panky thongs at your cash wrap and sell these instead!)

To give credit where credit is due, I saw these for the first time at the very beautifully conceived and executed Old Faithful Store in Vancouver’s Gastown, which felt a lot like London’s famed Labour & Wait. They both specialize in gorgeous renditions of everyday items. If you’re ever kicking around Vancouver, check it out: There’s a ton of excellent nearby shopping, too.

clockwise l-r: CARRIERE FRERES GARDENIA CANDLE, $45.00, Candleluxury.com; CARRIERE FRERES FIG TREE CANDLE, $45.00, Candleluxury.com; WIRE BASKET, $25.00, Old Faithful Shop; TWINE STAND WITH SCISSORS, $20.95, Old Faithful Shop.

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Having Its Moment:
Mustard September 23rd, 2011 By

Mustard Apparel and Accessories

having its moment: mustard, l – r: A.L.C. ZIPPER CREW SWEATER IN MUSTARD, $594.00, available at Forward; NICOLE BY OPI NAIL POLISH, $7.19, available at Target; BUTTER LONDON NAIL LAQUER, $14.00, available at BeautyBar; MELIE BIANCO BAG, $78.50, available at Amazon Marketplace; ANNE MICHELLE MUSTARD PUMPS, $29.99, available at amazon.com.

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Are you obsessed with paper-thin towels, too? 40% off. Never happens. September 13th, 2011 By

So generally, there seem to be two camps of people: Those who love super, super plush robes and towels, and those who prefer the Turkish variety. The latter, which are hyper-thin (but arguably just as absorbent), don’t get any prettier than the offerings at Kara Weaves, an online store that supports various hand-weaving communities in Kerala, India. Personally, I stock up on guest towels—and at 40% off, the already reasonably priced variations are suddenly even thriftier.

HAND TOWELS SET: $30.00 for 10, available at Kara Weaves.

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Fall Beauty Essential:
Jewel Tone Eye Shadow August 31st, 2011 By

Jewel tone eye shadow is one of the hottest beauty trends for fall.  With luxurious shades of green, blue, purple and bronze, you can easily glam up your day look with a light application, and layer with a metallic eye shadow for a dramatic evening look.  We suggest experimenting with different colors or try layering them for a color block effect.

jewel tone eyeshadow l-r: Sue Devitt Hydrating Marine Minerals, $37.50 at bloomingdales.com; Yves Saint Laurent OMBRES 5 Colour Harmony, $56.00 at Sephora.com; Giorgio Armani La Femme Bleue Eye Palette, $58.00 at Giorgio Armani Beauty; NARS Duo Cream Eyeshadow, $33.00 at bloomingdales.com.

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Must Have:
Best Makeup Under $20 August 22nd, 2011 By

Expensive makeup gimmicks are everywhere – makeup that promises to lengthen, tighten, cover and smooth, but are so expensive that they are not worth it. Luckily, we have our go-to items priced under $20 that prove their staying power time and time again.

best makeup under $20

clockwise l-r: L’oreal Magic Smooth Souffle, $15.99, available at Kmart; Too Faced Starry Eyed Liner, $17.30 available at Apothica;  The Color of Grace Illuminator, $16.75, available at Sephora; Elf Duo Eyeshadow Kit, $5.00, available at Target; Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain, $7.98 available at Wal-Mart; Sonia Kashuk Blush, $8.99 available at Target.

SHOP IT: For the Best Beauty Tools >

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Marbleized Makeup July 28th, 2011 By

Marbleized makeup is the next big thing in beauty. The mix of light and dark pigments give your face multiple dimensions, adding depth and luster to your complexion, and goes from day to night with ease. They are a must-try! Here are a few of our faves:

MAC 'Semi Precious' Mineralize EyeshadowMaybelline New York Marbleized Eye Studio Eyeshadow

TANtalizer Baked Bronzer Face/Body BronzerLaura Geller Eye Rimz Baked Wet Dry Eye Accents

clockwise l-r: MAC ‘Semi Precious’ Eyeshadow, $19.50 available at Nordstrom;Maybelline Marbelized Eye Studio, $7.00 available at Sears.com; Laura Geller Eye Rimz, $25.70 available at Apothica.com; TANtelizer Baked Bronzer, $32.00 available at ULTA.com;.

SHOP IT: Marbelized Makeup >

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Beauty Essential:
Fruity Lip Gloss July 26th, 2011 By

Since we’re fighting the heat and humidity, we ditched our heavy lipsticks for fruity lip gloss in pretty summer colors. We like to keep our makeup light and simple, and have chosen bright colors to help give our skin a fresh, youthful glow. The sweet and fruity scents are also a bonus!

Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss

WE LOVE:

1. Lancome Juicy Tubes, $18 at Lancome (featured)

2. ModelCo Glass Ultra Lip Gloss, $20 at Beauty Bridge

3. Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss, $14 at Clinique

4. Bare Escentuals Natural Lip Gloss, $15 at Nordstrom

5. LORAC Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss 3D, $22 at Sephora.com

SHOP IT: Fruity Lip Gloss >

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How To:
Beachy Waves July 11th, 2011 By

After spending a day on the beach, we come home with hair that’s thick, wavy, and so surfer chic.  Sadly, we can’t go to the beach everyday.  Luckily, hair mavens love the look so much, they’ve created products for us to replicate it!  Here’s how to get summertime hair at home:

Bumble and bumble Surf Spray 4 ozBed Head Tigi Hair Stick 2.7 Oz

STEP 1: Once you’ve towel dried your hair, comb out any tangles at the ends.

STEP 2: Spritz a thickening spray like Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray into your roots and muss them up until they are slightly frizzy. This will give you that thick salt spray volume at the roots of your hair.

STEP 3: use a wide barrel curling iron to create random curls around your face and at your topmost layers. Remember, curl your hair away from your face, and start the curl halfway down the length of your hair for the most natural look.

STEP 4: After you’re done creating your curls, add a little bit of wax like the Bed Head Hair Stick to the tips of your fingers, and rub them together gently to soften the wax. Then, evenly add the softened wax to the tips of your hair. This will keep everything in place and make it look like you spent the day basking in the sand.

SHOP IT: Summer Tresses >

Summer Tresses

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Summer Trend: Pastel Nails June 30th, 2011 By

Pastel nail polishes made their big debut last summer, and now they’re back again with a vengeance! Summer’s the best time of year to sport pastels, and why wouldn’t it be? Few other palettes are as reminiscent of the summer and sun as these playful shades. 

Stash your dark, cooler nail polishes for the fall and winter. These pretty shades from Essie are perfect for frolicking in the warm weather. Give pastels a try, there’s a reason they’re in this season!

WE LOVE:

1. Essie Turquoise & Caicos, the perfect seafoam green
2. Essie Lilacism, a wonderful pastel shade of purple.
3. Essie Sweet Talker, a beautiful and bright sky blue.

TREND TIP:  Take a cue from our style director and try adding a bit of sparkle to just the tips.  Check out Emily’s step-by-step process here.

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How To: Replicate Our Favorite Summer Looks! June 13th, 2011 By

Our summer makeup boutique has items to make you glow this summer. Products like loose powder to soak up extra oils, tinted moisturizer for dewy sun-kissed skin, and shimmering eyeshadows will make you look radiant this season. We’ve taken an extra step and gathered some of our favorite summer looks to try out these products on.

Summer Makeup

DEWY SKIN: The tried and true look of summer is dewy skin. There’s something so beautiful about naturally dewy, healthy skin, but even guzzling tons of water doesn’t provide the coverage we need. Start with really great skin by exfoliating twice a week with a scrub like Bobbi Brown Buffing Grains. Skip the heavy foundation and pressed powder this summer and opt for tinted moisturizer with a swipe of cream blush, instead. We like Elizabeth Arden’s Pure Finish Moisturizer because it’s tinted and has a little SPF in it, and Josie Maran Cream Blush because it’s organic.

summer makeup dewy skin

BRIGHT LIPS: Another great option this summer is Rihanna’s bright lipped look pictured below. She keeps her eyeshadow neutral with a shimmery champagne (which looks good on everyone, we swear it) while letting her lipstick do all the talkin’. Our favorite is this Napoleon Perdis Lipstick that would pair perfectly with Lorac’s Star Quality eyeshadow.

summer makeup Rihanna bright lips

SUN KISSED: And of course, summer means more outdoor play and tanned skin. Fake this bronzed beauty look by using tinted moisturizer and lots of bronzer. Look for matte bronzers like the Lancome Star Bronzer so you don’t go out into the sun looking like a disco ball. A quick dab of your favorite low-key lip treatment and you’re set for the day.

summer makeup matte bronzer

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