Thursday, August 21, 2008

Product of the Week: Sephora By OPI - On Stage


You asked for it. You got it! What am I absolutely obsessed with this week? My favorite nail polish color - On Stage (Grey Plum) by Sephora By OPI. I carry it everywhere. Those models even begged me for it =) I had my nails done Monday, but being the klutz that I am, 3 of my nails have chipped. I will be going in first thing tomorrow to get it fixed! I LOVE LOVE LOVE On Stage! It is perfect for fall! And I am falling hard.. in love with it!

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm Review

Not all cult products require you to bust your piggy bank to enjoy them and Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm is a perfect example. Made from natural beeswax, this lip balm is the best seller from Burt's Bee line.

I have been a huge fan since I was a little girl! I love its bright yellow colored tube. It also comes in a tin and I currently have 2 of that. I always have at least 3 tubes handy because New York winter can be harsh and I count on this lip balm to soothe my cracked and chapped lips!

Another plus about this product is that it leaves a minty feel. I always look for this in lip balms because it helps me feel fresh! I like to dab a little lipstick (using my fingers) onto my lips after using the beeswax lip balm. The beeswax lip balm is also infused with vitamin E, peppermint, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and lanolin.

Fans of this lip balm includes Denise Richards, Demi Moore, Charlize Theron, and Brooke Shields!

Buy it today at most drugstores or online: $3 for 0.15oz (tube) or 0.30 (tin).

Note: If you are allergic to lanolin, then this is not the product for you.

Links of the Day: Beauty Gifts

Bloomingdale's beauty department is having all sort of beauty offers. Check it out.

Clinique, Dior, Perricone, and La Prairie are offering free gifts with purchase at Nordstrom.

La Mer, Chanel, Jo Malone, and many other exclusive luxury brands are offering free gifts with purchase at Neiman Marcus.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Look of the Day: Hayden Panettiere

Photo: Just Jared
One thing for sure, Hayden Panettiere always has the most perfect makeup! If her makeup artist is reading this (yeah right!) please give me a call! As requested by a reader, here is the breakdown of Ms. Panettiere's (dress: Herve Leger) look when she attended The Whaleman Foundation benefit earlier this year. I heart her dress!

FACE:
Note: No products or color recommendation; please tailor to your skin type/color.
Step 1: Start with clean face.
Step 2: Apply a illuminating tinted moisturizer such as Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20-Illuminating with fingers all over face and neck for that luminous glow Hayden is known for. I would not recommend using a liquid foundation because the center piece of this look glowing skin!
Step 3: Apply concealer as needed: under eyes, conceal blemishes. Dust loose powder over to set concealer.
Step 4: Only apply loose translucent powder on T-zone since her makeup look is dewy/luminous and not matte, but we also need to control the shine.
Step 5: Highlight the bridge of your nose, forehead, chin, inner corners of eyes, slightly around the nose, and apples of cheeks with NARS, The Multiple in
Copacabana. Blend. Start with a soft application and build as needed. Over highlighting is a big faux pas!

CHEEKS:
Step 1: Apply Shu Uemura, Amber 85 (neutral beige) on the apples of your cheeks and blend outwards.

EYES:
Step 1: Apply primer all over eyelid. I recommend Urban Decay Primer Potion (see review) to help eyeshadow adhere.
Step 2: Using eye brow powder and an eye brow brush, fill in sparse spots with light feathery stokes and brush to blend with an eyebrow brush. Apply brow gel to set brows. This is like hairspray for your brows and helps your brows stay in place all day long.
Step 3: Apply an ivory color all over lid. I recommend Dior's 5-Colour Eyeshadow - Beige Massai 705. The ivory color is the top right color in this palette.
Step 4: Using a blending brush, apply the brown/beige color from Beige Massai (bottom right) from the lash line to crease. Blend. Focus the color application on the outer corners of the crease and blend the color in to achieve depth.
Step 6: Line your upper lash line and lower water line with a black eye pencil like MAC's Eye Kohl in Smolder. Using an eyeliner brush like MAC's 209 Brush, go over the upper and lower lashline with a black eye shadow (MAC's Carbon) and smudge well into lash line and blend.
Step 7: Apply false eyelashes. I like to use MAC's 30 LASH, focusing on the outer half of the eyes.
Step 8: Apply loads and loads of mascara to top and bottom lashes! I am loving Lancome's Oscillation!

LIPS:
Step 1: Using a brush, apply NARS, The Multiple in Antibes on your lips.
Step 2: Apply NARS, Orgasm Lip Gloss to the center of your lower lip and blot.

You can purchase this look online at Sephora and MAC. If you would like more celebrities look, please let me know who and if you have a picture - even better! Just paste the link in the comments section.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Beauty Gifts: Macy's

Now at Macy's. With any $29.50 Lancôme purchase. Choose Your Lancôme Signature Bag. Plus: Fall beauty begins with this fashion-forward collection of must-have beauty portables. Plus, FREE SHIPPING with your $50 Lancome purchase. Includes the following:
  • COLOR DESIGN Sensational Effects Eye Shadow Quartet in Positive, Floralesque, Moccachino and LezardNEW and alook card Showing Two Step-by-Step Eye Looks
  • COURBE VIRTUÔSE Mascara in Black
  • EFFACIL Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
  • LE ROUGE ABSOLU Reshaping & Replenishing Lipcolour (Full-Size) in Rose Petale
  • NEW! Magnifique Eau de Parfum
  • Offer good while supplies last. One gift per client, please.
  • RÉNERGIE Anti-Wrinkle and Firming Treatment
Just enter promotion code: LANCOME at checkout! Online and in-stores at all Macy's locations!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Jonathan Product Serious Volume Volumizing Shampoo/Conditioner Review

I caught onto the vegan hype a year ago and was trying out all things vegan. Living in a big city like New York made it easy, as there are many hip vegan eateries all over the city and grocery stores that sell vegan produce.

When I heard about Jonathan Product's Serious Volume Volumizing Shampoo/Conditioner, I knew it was only natural for me to get it. This line is free of sulfate and washes hair with a sugar foam base.

Although I was told that this shampoo (8.4oz for $20 at Sephora) is highly concentrated and I would only need a little ("a little goes a long way), I found myself using a significant amount of shampoo to clean my hair the way I want to. Granted, that has been the curse of having thick hair, but I never had to use this much shampoo.

The other thing I did not like about this shampoo was that my hair would tangle up into a big web of mess after I shampoo due to the sugar foam base. Maybe sulfate wasnt such a bad thing after all. Needless to say, I did not purchase the shampoo after I finished it.

As for the conditioner? I did not like it either. The conditioner (8.4oz for $22 at Sephora) had a hard time untangling the mess created by the shampoo. Sometimes, drug store brands are better as proven in this case; also, they dont break your wallet! There is one thing that I love about this line. It smells so amazing - like sugar :)

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector SPF 15 Review

I bought the Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector SPF 15 last week after reading about it as a best beauty buys in a magazine and I am loving it. Pomegranate is well-known for its high antioxidant content and this lip gloss is infused with doses of pomegranate extract.

What I like about it is that it is not sticky or too glossy, but protects my lips against chapping with a sheer tint of color. Just what I am looking for. I also like to layer it on top of my lipstick or use it alone for a natural look! Best part: it has SPF 15; something everyone should look for in a lip protector.

Buy it today at Sephora, $16.50: Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector SPF 15. 10% of the retail purchase price will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.