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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Beauty Talk: NYE Glamour – Lashes and Lips and Teeth, Oh My! December 30th, 2009 By

megan_fox

Megan Fox knows the secret to looking great isn't a lot of makeup -- it's luscious lashes and a gleaming white smile. Photo courtesty WireImage.com.

New Year’s Eve means something different to everyone.  To some, it’s a chance to start over with a clean slate, to set goals and look future-forward.  To others, it’s a time of reflection and reminiscing about previous years and just how far one has come in life.  To me, it really is just a night to go all out and celebrate being fabulous!

I’ve always said that getting ready for a party can be just as fun as the party itself.  So this New Year’s Eve, no matter what your plans are, take some time to get ready and relish the fact that you’re a woman who is perfect just the way she is.  And if you feel like you could use a little beauty boost (because who isn’t exhausted after the holidays), here are some of my favorite tricks for instant glamour that I picked up while working as a makeup artist for Chanel.  Believe it or not, looking great is not always about loads of color, but simply enhancing what you already have naturally!  So whether you’re staying in or painting the town red, here are three of the simplest tricks to put your best face forward in 2010.

1. Boost your lashes: No tired-looking eyes this year!  One of the simplest ways to open your eyes and brighten your look is to simply lavish a little TLC on your lashes.  This New Year’s Eve, take the time to not only curl your lashes and apply mascara, but also try this eye-opening trick afterwards.  Take your favorite black eyeliner and line the inner rim of just the upper lash line.  Spend a few extra seconds dotting the liner in between your lashes for maximum effect.  If you’re feeling extra bold, try using a pair of false eyelashes.  You don’t need a lot of eye makeup if you boost your lashes, but you will be amazed by how much fuller your fringe looks.  Blake Lively and Megan Fox are fans of this trick.  Hello, Bambi!

2. Love your lips: It’s no secret that men love a kissable pout, so make sure you’re kisser is ready this New Year’s!  If you’re a chapstick girl, try my favorite Mentha Lip Balm from C.O. Bigelow.  This no-shine formula is infused with mint so it soothes, protects, and it even freshens breath!  Added bonus — SPF 15.  I even layer this over my favorite lipstick because I love the taste so much!

3. Put your best smile forward: Living in Los Angeles, it’s no surprise that I’ve been whitening my teeth for years.  However, I’m still amazed every time I leave the city limits by how few people take advantage of this beauty-boosting secret.  I remember when I first whitened my teeth, nobody could really put their finger on what was different about me — just that I looked better.  For relatively little cost, you can put your best smile forward.  I like the GoSmile Whitening System.  However, my sister swears by the budget-friendly Crest Whitening Rinse.

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Beauty Talk: ‘Tis the Season of the Gift Set December 21st, 2009 By

Stila Lipglaze Collection $25

Stila Lipglaze Collection $25

Ah, the holidays, my favorite time of year.  I start saving up as soon as the leaves start to fall in anticipation of the awesome gift sets that come out right before.

When it comes to color cosmetics, I’m fickle.  I don’t stick with one look too long, so smaller sizes work best for me.  Let’s face it, we rarely finish a lipstick or gloss before it is time to dump it (2 years max, in case you were wondering).  So, why not enjoy a collection of tiny treats on the cheap?

Here are our faves:

Sephora Favorites Lashstash $39

Sephora Favorites Lashstash $39

Sephora LashStash:

The LashStash mascara sampler, $39, offers generous mini-sizes of 10 different best-selling mascaras, including Benefit’s A Little Bit BadGAL mascara and Cargo’s Lash Activator.

NARS I Want You:

The NARS I Want You gloss set features five mini versions of their long-lasting, sexiest glosses in 4 neutral shad

For just $25, you can score 8 of Stila’s famous glosses with built-in brushes.  The twist-up style is purse-friendly and ensures you’ll never have to stick germ-y fingers into your gloss while on the go.

Too Faced Queen For A Day $45

Too Faced Queen For A Day $45

Too Faced Queen For a Day:

If full-sized products are more your style, check out the Too Faced Queen For a Day set.  For $45, you get a cute makeup bag filled with a full-size shadow primer, soft pink lipstick, neutral eyeshadow quad and a warm bronzer along with a mini mascara and flatbuki brush.

Check out some more palettes.  You just might find your own favorite!

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Top 5: Gifts for the Glamazon December 9th, 2009 By

Have a beauty addict for whom you need to find the perfect gift?

Check out our top picks:

Clarisonic

Clarisonic

Clarisonic

The Clarisonic cleansing sytem is a must-have for the skin-care fanatic.  The cleansing brush rotates to gently and effectively exfoliate and cleanse skin.  At just under $200, it’s a fabulous luxury gift. It’s especially valuable if she is already using expensive skin care products (anti-aging or acne-fighting) because the Clarisonic will help them penetrate the skin’s surface.  Check out the Clarisonic Mia, a smaller travel version, which is similarly effective and $50 less.

Too Faced Glamour To Go

Too Faced Glamour to Go

Too Faced Glamour to Go

The Too Faced Glamour to Go sets are perfect for the girl with the giant makeup bag.  Each tiny set includes 8 eyeshadows, 4 lip glosses and a blush all packaged in a cute compact with a mirror.  They’ll slip into even the teeniest of clutches.  A bargain at under $20, these sets also make a great stocking stuffer.

T3 Featherweight Hair Dryer

T3′s hair appliances are widely regarded as some of the best available.  If your glamazon is doing a daily blow-out, treat her to something special that will also keep her hair healthier.  The Bespoke Labs Featherweight Dryer uses targeted ceramic generated heat to minimize frizz and enhance shine, all without weighing down her arms.  Get it for just $108 (originally $200) from Overstock.com. T3 also makes some fab flat irons.

Kat Von D True Romance in True Love

Kat Von D True Romance in True Love

Kat Von D True Romance Palettes

Tattoo artist Kat Von D has produced a cosmetics line sold only at Sephora.  My favorite products are the True Romance eye shadow palettes.  As soon as a new one is released, I’ve got to buy it.  Each set includes 8 beautifully pigmented eyeshadows that compliment each other.  A great present for a glamazon who loves to play with eyeshadow looks, these pallettes are beautifully packaged, perfect for gift giving!  The True Romance palettes are just $34 at Sephora.

Sephora LashStash Mascara Sampler

Have a beauty addict who hasn’t found her holy-grail mascara yet?  Help her try the newest offerings on the cheap with Sephora’s LashStash set.  The deluxe sample size mascaras in this set will give her a few weeks to try each one out and see if she’s found the one that’s right for her. Ten department-store quality mascaras are included for only $39.

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Beauty Talk: Great Lengths with Tube Mascara November 11th, 2009 By

L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes

Fine, short and pale lashes are the enemy. Our secret weapon? Tube mascara.  This recent innovation is simply amazing.  Tube mascaras take more time to apply, but they are longer lasting, totally waterproof, dramatic and may help you skip eyeliner.

blinc-mascara

Blinc Mascara

Blinc Kiss Me mascara, available at Sephora, is applied in a one-step process.  L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes is a two-step process where a white primer does the lengthening and a colored mascara darkens the lashes.  Tube mascaras surround each eyelash in polymer, keeping the lashes from clumping while simultaneously thickening them.  Pair your new dramatic fringe with your favorite stand-out lipstick and a light dusting of blush for an easy look that balances and polishes your features.

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The Most Expensive Mascara in the World? September 2nd, 2009 By

At $65 a pop, is it worth it?
At $65 a pop, is it worth it?

I’ll admit it: I’m a mascara junkie.  I buy a new tube about every month, and am guilty of applying it more than once a day.  I’m also a cheater.  I never stay loyal to a brand for more than a few months at a time.  I’ve found that there’s always something newer, darker, and sexier to try out.  Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Laura Mercier’s Thickening Mascara, and love to layer it on for that ultimate wide-eyed effect.  But I got that itch today and decided it was time to move on.  While checking out the latest fall beauty at Nordstrom, I was absolutely amazed to come across Sisley’s Phyto-Mascara.  Sure, the brush looks lush and the tube is pretty standard — but the price!  At $65 a pop I’ve got to know — is it worth it?

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