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: ‘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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Beauty Talk: Get Glam October 16th, 2009 By

Christian Dior Fall/Winter 2009When I first came across this fall/winter ’09 promo photo from Christian Dior, it sent my mind racing.  Her look is, simply put, glamorous: powerful and sultry. It’s a definite nod to the ’80s with the contoured eye, but her lips just scream retro ’20s.  I thought to myself that this look is just right for the season; and since I always wear more color in the colder months, I thought I would deconstruct it and share it with you, my darling beauty lovers!

Her eyes are a mix of the limited-edition palette JazzClub and Night Butterfly, but a closer look tells me that it’s mostly the latter.  Dior shadows are world-renowned for their smooth texture and rich pigments.  Night Butterfly offers five shades: light lavender, rich violet, soft grey, eggplant purple, and black shimmer.

Eyes: blend the light lavender all over the lid, and use the grey to Dior Night Butterflycontour in the crease under the brow bone.  Line the entire eye with the black shimmer, and blend into a V at the outer corner.  Dot the eggplant purple on the outer corner of the eye and blend out and up into the crease.  Use the rich violet to add more depth in the crease and blend high onto the brow bone , if desired. For a fun night on the town, why not go bold with a pair of false eyelashes?  But remember that less is always more, unless you’re going for the Tainted Fairy look.

Artist’s Tip: line the inner rim of the eye with a white pencil to enhance the whites of the eyes and for greater contrast with the black shimmer liner.  We like the Shu Uemura Eye Light Pencil in White.  It’s dual-ended with matte and frost formulas for maximum versatility.

Lips: the model above wears Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflect in Draped Burgundy.  But this look can be achieved with any glossy red shade.  My personal favorite right now is Stila Lip Glaze in Black Cherry.  It’s a blue-red, and better suited for my skin tone.

Plans for getting glam this weekend?  Share some of your favorite products, tips, and tricks!

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