Beauty Talk: The New Blues February 28th, 2010 By

The New Blues

Brighten up your vanity with beauty products in shades of blue.  From sultry shadows to gentle exfoliators, check out some of my favorites among the new blues.

1. MAC Deep Truth is a classic very deep blue shimmer eyeshadow that can update the classic smoky eye by standing in for stark black shadows.

2. If lighter shades are more your style, try Urban Decay Speed.  This pale blue shadow is a great way to welcome the spring.

3. Get a mix of blue shades in Maybelline’s Eye Studio Sapphire Siren Quad, the drugstore giant’s latest shadow offering.  A light and dark blue are paired with a frosty white and black shadow to give you a range of eye looks, all for less than $9!  Even if you usually avoid Maybelline’s shadows, try the new Eye Studio quads, they are way more pigmented than their regular line.  Applied wet, they rival department store brands with their rich color payoff.

4. NARS Bains Douches is a bright sky blue glitter pencil that will take your eye look from day to evening.  Wear a pale blue shadow to work and then spice it up in the evening with a darker blue shadow (like MAC’s Deep Truth) and Bains Douches in the inner and outer corners of the eye to add some sparkle.

5. Stila Black Diamond Mascara in Blue Shimmer will add just a hint of sparkle to your eyes.  The soft blue shimmer in this basic black mascara is perfect for daytime (no disco ball eyelashes here).

6. Brighten up your shower and your skin with Peter Thomas Roth’s Botanical Buffing Beads!  This scrub has tiny round beads to gently exfoliate your body and even delicate facial skin.  The bright blue color will help you to imagine a lovely tropical ocean while you uncover the bright new skin you’d show off on that beach.

7. Marc Jacobs Daisy in The Air is a limited edition reisssue of the popular Daisy fragrance in a bottle adorned with bright blue flowers.  The perfect gift for the girl who loves floral fragrances,  Daisy has notes of violet, strawberry and gardenia.  This limited edition set includes a daisy chain of blue flowers that she can spritz and hang in her room so she’ll be surrounded by her favorite scent.  It’ll also freshen and brighten up your car -  those little green trees are no competition!

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Top 5: Exfoliators January 13th, 2010 By

Philosophy The MicroDelivery Multi-Use Peel Pads

Philosophy The MicroDelivery Multi-Use Peel Pads

Is your skin feeling dull and dry?  Join the club.  This cold winter weather wreaks havoc on our skin.

Here are 5 of our favorite ways to get back the glow:

Peter Thomas Roth Botanical Buffing Beads

Peter Thomas Roth Botanical Buffing Beads

Peter Thomas Roth’s Buffing Beads are gentle and effective.  Try the Blemish Buffing Beads formula to combat bacne and other body blemishes.  The salicylic acid-infused formula will keep your skin clear and soft.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a bargain beauty must-have.  If you have Keratosis Pilaris (“chicken-skin”) or dry, ashy knees or elbows, this scrub can be a key part of a skin saving regimen.  Since it costs less than $4 a tube, you can afford to use it on large areas (arms/legs) every few days to keep skin supple.  They also offer a salicylic acid version for extra exfoliation and blemish-fighting.

Cosmedicine’s Medi-Morphosis Scrub is the perfect facial scrub.  It is gentle, the scrubbing beads are super fine and they dissolve as you scrub so you can’t overdo it.  The liquid in this formula is mostly witch hazel which means your skin is being pampered and calmed as you exfoliate.  A must-have for sensitive skin that you can even use on your lips!

Chemical exfoliators may not be what we expect when we think of scrubbing away old skin, but they can work even better than mechanical scrubs to maintain hydration and clear skin.

Try Philosophy’s Microdelivery Peel Pads on face and body.  The multi-use pads (100 pads, 8.5 oz. $55) are perfect for legs, arms and face or can be cut in half to get more uses at an affordable price.  The mini peel pads are smaller (60 pads, 2 oz. for $35) but easier to deal with if you only want to exfoliate your face.  Use in the evening and apply moisturizer immediately after.

Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads

Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads

Peter Thomas Roth’s Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads are heavy-duty clinical skin-care.  The solution contains alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy (salicylic) acid as well as Gamma (Linolenic) Hydroxy Acid (GLA) and amino acids. You apply the solution, let it sit for a few minutes (no more than three minutes), and then rinse it off.  You’ll feel tingling and you should start off slowly, once every few days to make sure your skin can tolerate it.  This peel will help to decrease the appearance of fine lines and dark spots on skin (such as acne discolation) while clearing and refining pores, making it the perfect choice for fighting both signs of aging and blemishes.

Use a good sunscreen when using any of these exfoliators (especially the chemical ones) to protect that bright, fresh new skin you’ve uncovered!

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