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!

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.

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!

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 :)

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.

Boscia Fresh Blotting Linens Review

An oily and shiny face is never in. To combat shine, I turn to Boscia Fresh Blotting Linens. I found them to be the most economical and it does an amazing job! Unlike powdered blotting paper, this blotting linen absorb oil without creating the cakey look. Boscia Blotting Linens is the size of a card holder and fits perfectly into any makeup case.

Buy it today at Sephora, $10 for 100 sheets: Boscia Fresh Blotting Linens. Comes in Original, Green Tea (pictured), and Lavender.

Clarisonic® Skincare Brush Review

My skin has never been better since I started using Clarisonic Skincare Brush. I purchased this brush at the urging of those models and have been using it for the past 3 months.

I wanted to be sure I got my money's worth because $195 for a skincare brush is no small matter. This is the experiment I did for 1 month. I cleaned half my face with Clarisonic and the other half the regular way. What I noticed after 1 month was that the half that was cleaned by Clarisonic was brighter, healthier, and more luminous. That was all the proof I needed! I started using Clarisonic religiously on my entire face. The sonic frequency moves Clarisonic's soft, gentle brush back and forth at more than 300 times per second to give you the deepest possible clean.

A word of caution, I did a trial by using the sensitive brush. Initially, I did experience slightly more breakouts (for about 2 weeks) but I continued to use it as I was told that was normal. After the 3 weeks mark, the only thing I experienced was smoother, cleaner, and more healthy looking skin. I am not sure why that is, but I think my face just was not used to such a deep clean. The amazing part of this brush is that after I cleaned my face the regular way, I would go over it again with Clarisonic and Clarisonic would pick up dirt from what I thought was a clean face. Imagine my horror!

The following benefits are listed on the website:

• 6 times more makeup removal
• Leaves skin feeling and looking younger and smoother
• Cleanses so well that products absorb better
• Gentle enough for twice daily use
• Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

What I love, love about this brush is that it feels as if I am with my facialist everytime I use it. It has something to do with the sonic frequency that moves the brush back and forth at more than 300 times per second!! I think paying $195 for the brush can actually save me money in the long run because I no longer need to go for facials every two weeks! I do it once a month now because there is just not a need. I have friends who suffer from eczema and rosacea and they love that Clarisonic is gentle enough for them!

Set includes: A Clarisonic brush and charger, one sensitive brush head, a 1 oz Refreshing Gel Cleanser, 1 oz Nourishing Care Cleanser and a 1 oz Hydrogel Cleanser. Replace your Clarisonic brush head every three months and cleanser every two months, if used daily. The gray brush can even be used to apply shaving lubricant for a closer shave. I got mine in pink because that is my favorite color. Buy one today at Sephora, $195: Clarisonic Skincare Brush.

Beauty Gifts: Neiman Marcus

The Estée Lauder Dream Event: Exclusively at Neiman Marcus

Your Free Gift with any Estée Lauder purchase of $55 or more. Enjoy a 7-day supply of Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Creme and Hydrating Creme Cleanser, the latest lip and eye colors, a 10-day supply of new Sumptuous Bold Volume™ Lifting Mascara, and a stylish black patent-trim tote and cosmetics bag. A dream gift, worth $150.00.

Your gift includes:
• Deluxe Gold Fluted Compact containing Estée Lauder Signature EyeShadow Duos in Rosenberry, Black Moon, Mocha, and Plum Sugar and Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Rubellite, Autumn, and Sugar Honey.
• Full-size Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Candy.
• New Sumptuous Bold Volume™ Lifting Mascara in Black (10-day supply).
• Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Crème, 7 milliliters.
• Re-Nutriv Intensive Hydrating Cream Cleanser, 30 milliliters.

Start shopping at Neiman Marcus.

Beauty Gifts: Bloomingdales

Get a deluxe 5-piece gift with any foundation or moisturizer purchase of $32.50 or more. Choose between Warm and Cool tones. Go to Bloomingdales today.

Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating Pressed Powder Review

The legendary Meteorites powder gave birth to a new illuminating pressed powder!!! This latest product from Guerlain comes from a line of cult favorites and is expected to be a best seller in no time. In fact, the most popular color, Beige Enlumineur, is already sold out at most stores. Lucky for me, mine is sitting pretty on my vanity table :)

Inspired from the classic Meteorites pearl, this pressed version like its predecessor leaves a faint scent as it washes over your face to give a healthy glow.

I did not think Guerlain can ever out-do the Meteorites pearl, but oops they did it again. The packaging for the pressed powder looks classier and prettier than the pearls - paper packaging never really worked for me. The best part, the pressed version makes it easier to pick up the powder with a fluffy brush. I love the subtle glow it gives to my complexion.

As noted on Sephora: Each compact contains an array of four complementary shades that create a luminous glow, the correcting color in the center can be used to conceal redness, cover blemishes, or tone down dark undereye circles. Swirl on the corresponding matte and pearlescent hues to touch up your look with a subtle iridescence.

This visually stunning pressed powder comes in three shades: Mythic Parfait (translucent glow), Rose Frais (rosy glow), and Beige Enlumineur (golden glow). Check it out at Sephora, $65: Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating Pressed Powder. I know it is on the slightly expensive end, but one compact lasts forever (1-2 years, depending on frequency of use). The hardest thing for me was using it for the first time, because it looks so pretty in the compact that all I wanted to do was to look at it!

Vogue Beauty Tips - Tipping at Salons and Spas

Ever wonder how much you should tip?

This month's InStyle Beauty Buzz visits this much debated topic for us and Shamila Zare, spa manager at Sycamore Mineral Springs in San Luis Obispo, CA, provided the following guidelines:

20% for outstanding service
15% for good service
10% not as good as expected
0% if it is unacceptable

As for the owners? Regina Viotto, spa director and co-owners of the Paul Labrecque Salon and Spa in NYC said "I don't expect tips, but I do accept them."

I independently inquired my hair stylist, colorist, facialist, and massage therapist - they acknowledge that the guidelines provided by Zare is best practice! I can always count on InStyle to set things straight.

Beauty Gifts: Nordstrom

With your $100 beauty or fragrance purchase, receive a chic tote filled with the following deluxe samples from favorite brands:

• Bare Escentuals® bareMinerals® Face Color in Pure Radiance (0.02 oz.)
• Bvlgari ‘Eau Parfumée au thé blanc’ Oshibori Refreshing Towel
• Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch (0.13 oz.)
• Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Body Lotion (0.2 oz.)
• Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier Eau de Parfum Spray (0.05 oz.)
• GoSmile Advanced Formula B1 Tooth Whitening Ampoule
• Kinerase® Intensive Eye Cream (0.1 oz.)
• NARS Potent EFA Cream (0.24 oz.)
• Pangea Organics Facial Cleanser—Egyptian Calendula & Blood Orange (0.1 oz.)
• St. John Signature Eau de Parfum Spray (0.05 oz.)
• Shiseido ‘The Makeup’ Pre-Makeup Cream SPF 15 (0.21 oz.)

Visit Nordstrom today!

Sephora by OPI Review

Nail giant OPI teamed up with Sephora this fall to launch the exclusive "Sephora by OPI" nail color line. Featuring 54 shades, this collection is affordable ($9) and bound to be a huge hit.

OPI is famous for the quality of their nail polishes and Sephora by OPI is no exception. The color slithers on perfectly and is extremely consistent. The rubber tops are perfect to prevent slippage and provide a firm grip when applying color. It is also extremely helpful when opening the bottle for the first time because they seal them so darn tight!

I am amazed at the color selection from this collection: nude to sheer to bright and bold - there is something for everyone! I bought the following from this collection: Metro Chic (must buy for fall), Never Enough Shoes, Mr. Right Now, I Need Space, Don't Go There, Beauty Junkie, Dear Diary, and Never Enough Shoes. My favorite: Metro Chic. It is already sold out so buy a few while you can.

This collection is free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde.

Check out the entire line at Sephora: Sephora by OPI.

Smith's Rosebud Salve Review

Every wonder what is the one thing our favorite gossip girl cannot live without? Leighton Meester opened up to Us Magazine in this week's issue "The thing that I cannot live without Smith's Rosebud Salve." There you have it.

Smith's Rosebud Salve was launched in the 1800s and is still wildly popular today. Celebrities and makeup artists horde it like it is soon to go out of production. And at $6, you cannot ask for a better deal.

I love the cute tin packing and the faint scent of rose. Rosebud Salve is a multi-faceted product and can be used in many ways. Here are some of my uses for this cult favorite product:

1. Lip moisturizer - sometimes I like to layer it over a lipstick or use it as a base before applying my lipgloss.
2. Cuticles cream - every wonder how to get amazingly soft cuticles? Rosebud to the rescue. While on long flight, Rosebud serves as my cuticles cream. What better way to spend time than to moisturize my cuticles.
3. Eyebrow gel - I dab a little bit of Rosebud on my fingers and use it to tame my eyebrows.
4. Pigment primer - I love my MAC pigments, but it is hard to get them on without properly priming the skin. Dab a wee bit of Rosebud all over the lid and those pigments will look as vibrant as they can be.
5. Blush - When I am going for the nude look, sometimes I dab Rosebud on the apples of my cheeks for slight color and dewy effect. If you desire more color, simply top it off with some blush.
6. Hair serum - Believe it or not, Rosebud works wonder at taming frizzy hair.
7. Foot cream - If my feet are really dry, I slather Rosebud all over them and wear socks before going to bed.

I recall I once even used it as a burnt oilment and it worked pretty well!

Buy it today at Sephora for $6: Rosebud Salve.

Vogue Beauty Tips - How to get flawless complexion

Here are a few tips to achieve that flawless complexion:

1. Never go to bed with makeup. Everyone knows this but some people still do it! Those models, see previous posts, swear by this no matter how tired they are, they never go to bed with makeup. Your skin needs to breath to regenerate itself overnight. Leaving makeup on clogs your pores and that is how those pesky pimples breed.

2. Drink water! Some say 8 glasses a day; some say half a gallon. Whatever it is, your body consists of 75% water so make sure you replenish any lost moisture. Drinking enough water also aids the body flush out waste and toxin. If you can substitute one of those glasses with green tea - even better as green tea is full of anti-oxidants.

3. Exfoliate regularly. Exfoliating helps to remove dead skin, unclog pores, reduce the appearance of pigmentation/wrinkles, and aid in the absorption of moisturizers.

4. Use a mask suitable for your skin type once a week. Exfoliating prior to mask application will allow for deeper penetration beneath the skin surface to thoroughly clean your pores and bring your skin back into balance. If you are short on cash, try out the famous aspirin mask. Crush 3-4 aspirin (uncoated) pills, mix a few drops of water to disintegrate the aspirin, then add a tablespoon of honey. Aspirin contains beta hydroxy acid. It helps dry out blemishes, decreases skin's oil production, and exfoliates the skin at the same time.

5. Get enough sleep. Sounds simple, but when I dont, I noticed my skin looked flaky and breakouts are more frequent. That is why I always shoot for at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

Hope it helps!

SK-II Facial Essence Review

SK-II is huge in Asia and loved by many Asian celebrities. I first found out about this collection 4 years ago when I was vacationing in Australia; coincidentally, Cate Blanchett the Great is now the ambassador for the brand.

Like most SK-II newbies, I started my voyage with SK-II with the Facial Essence. The Facial Essence contains more than 90% Pitera (SK-II signature ingredient) and works like a miracle to restore the skin's vitality and promote skin cells regeneration.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I used to have pretty bad pigmentation problems due to acne and have found the Facial Essence to work well at reducing those unsightly dark spots on my face. I liked it so much that before I left, I bought 2 more bottles of it to take back home. I noticed after 2-3 months that my skin was more balanced and supple.

This is a must-buy for anyone who wants to try SK-II. I used it like a toner after washing my face in lieu of my regular toner, except I skip saturating it in cotton pads since I do not want to waste any essence! The 2.6 oz retails for $85 at Saks and lasts for approximately 6 months.

Guerlain Le 2 Mascara Review

Since we are hot on the heels of the vibrating mascara debate, I decided to do a review on Guerlain's Le 2 Mascara that I tried a while back. Of all the non high-tech mascaras that have debuted this year, I am most impressed by Le 2 Mascara. I can do without the large bristles wand, but the smaller bristles wand (tilted 7 degrees) truly lives up to Le 2 Mascara's tag line of not leaving any lashes behind. If you recall, I have relatively (ok, that is an understatement) short bottom lashes and have struggled to apply mascara to them since most bristles on the market are too big. If I have a lot of spare time, I will take the small bristles wand and use that to slowly define, curl, lengthen every single lash - top and bottom!

I still like Lancome's Oscillation better, but for defining those bottom lashes, no one does a better job than Le 2 Mascara. Get one at Sephora, $35, for those special nights out when you need to make your eyes pop: Le 2 Mascara. Comes in three colors: Black, Brown, and Blue. I like black because at the price, I want it to be worth its while.

Laura Mercier Eye Basics Review

I love almost all things Laura Mercier so when I was given a sample of the Eye Basics from her collection I was elated! This eye primer is advertised as not only water-resistant but also crease-proof and is formulated with aloe vera, chamomile, and many botanical extracts to moisturize the eyelid while providing a canvas for makeup to grip onto.

Do we have a challenger to Urban Decay's Primer Potion? Sadly, it is not even close. The Eye Basics is a cream-based primer that goes on to create a matte finish. The texture is hard to work with and does not blend seamlessly onto my eyelid. It left me with an inconsistent wash of color and varying results. The verdict: stick to Urban Decay's Primer Potion and only try Eye Basics if you are given a sample, and spend the $22 on a MAC Paint.