beauties, i would not, for one second, advise you to buy a mass brand blush unless i tried and liked it better than most of prestige ones. the 2009 spring collection from sonia kashuk beauty at target is a veritable blush bonanza, with four superior blush formulas to choose from - shimmering loose mineral blush, super sheer liquid tint, beautifying blush and creme blush.
they are all buy-worthy, but super sheer liquid tint stands above the rest. it's liquid formula provides for sheer, buildable color that lasts for hours. if you treat yourself to one new piece of makeup this summer, make it this blush. available in peony, rose and poppy for $9.99.
of note, the line also contains a velvety shine lip crayon ($7.99) that goes on smooth as butter.
while the line is in target stores, it is not yet available online. head to your local target to jump on these treats.
remember MAC's future earth collectiona la last summer (click here to reminse)? i loved using the volcanic ash exfoliator because it was like getting to play in black mud.
well, future earth is long gone (such is the way of MAC limited edition collections -- here one minute, gone the next), but i've found the collective wellbeing's detox bar in it's stead. this soap is made with charcoal, which absorbs toxins (in fact, it does it so well that it is sometimes given to people who have eaten poison). plus, like the volcanic ash exfoliator, you get to cover yourself in inky colored goodness, so it's that much better when you rinse.
off label use: it turns little hairs a very dark black, so when you run it over your legs, you can see where you missed a spot and still need to shave.
i have to say, while i may have mocked their over the top advertising, i've always admired axe on two fronts:
the commercials may push the envelope, but they are also clever and innovative. sometimes after viewing one, i've been on verge of buying their product, to test if women walking down the street really would find me irresistible (or does that only work when men use it?)
they fill a niche. men don't want to use women's bodywash/shampoo/etc, but apparently, they do want to groom themselves.
however, i never realized how much work went into their product line until just a couple weeks ago. i was invited to a givaudan, a fine fragrance house, where new axe scents are created. their latest launch, axe instinct, took two years to develop, with a top nose working out hundreds of potential formulas before getting it right. the result? axe instinct is a leather based scent with vanilla and pepper undertones.
axe instinct available in deodorant bodyspray ($4.99), antiperspirant ($4.99), deodorant stick ($4.99), and shower gel ($3.99) at most mass food and drug stores.
check out the commercial below, it's not as provocative as previous axe ad campaigns, but still captures a boyish cuteness. monday morning thoughts, beauties?
Beauty Blogging Junkie scored an interview with head makeup artist for Mad Men, Lana Horochowski! Click here to learn how to achieve a red lip a la Joan Holloway.
Beautiful Makeup Search has love for a new tinted moisturizer that actually works as it should.
i'm loving these new redken makeover videos. this one is my favorite - the beauty director of latina magazine, angelique serrano, goes blonde with redken beauty consultant, david stanko.
kim kardashian, star of “keeping up with the kardashians” and disaster movie (i'm not sure what that is, but it has an ominous name, no?), recently confessed on the cover of life & style that she has cellulite.
kim loves her curves, but admits, “cellulite is not cute". so she decided to do something about it and enrolled in the NIVEA goodbye cellulite, hello bikini challenge - a four-week, holistic program that combines fitness, nutrition, style and skincare with NIVEA good-bye cellulite gel-cream and patches to help women visibly reduce the appearance of cellulite and feel better in their bikinis.
word is, kim loves her results! kardashian says “after taking the four week challenge, i’ve noticed an improvement in the appearance of my cellulite. my energy is up and I feel more confident in my bikini than ever before. it’s been a great way to re-commit myself to my fitness and nutrition goals. i’ve also really enjoyed using the gel-cream and patches. i’m very picky about my creams and this one goes on smoothly and smells great.”
congrats, kim! i love that you keep it curvy - you are an inspiration to big butted girls everywhere. to learn more about the NIVEA goodbye cellulite, hello bikini challenge, click here.
three custom color specialists do an outstanding job with all of their ready-to-wear color cosmetics line. every time i take a few minutes to try out a new product of theirs i'm left awestruck. their lip and cheek stains remain my all-time favorite blushes - i may stray, but i always come back to them.
somehow i missed the release of the seychelles collection, but the second i started playing with it yesterday, i knew i was in love. the seychelles collection for summer 2009 may only be 3 pieces, but three custom color specialists sure do know how to pick 'em.
coco de mer eye shadow - medium brown with green shimmer in it. can be used wet as a liner or dry as a shadow. i love it each way. $22.50
fragipani sheer lipstick - fuchsia with gold sparkle. i love all of their sheer lipsticks because they are they definition of subtle beauty -- great color pay out without looking overdone. $21.50
peacock flower lip gloss - is described as a pinky, peach shade with light-catching violet opalescense, inspired by the flower of the same name. this is the one piece in the collection i haven't tried - but it sounds like a dream come true - peach? violet? opalsense?! sign me up. after my success with the other two expect to see my in peacock flower lip gloss in the near future. $21.50
lately the subject of weddings and bachelorette parties seems to be coming up a lot. i think this is a sign that:
a. it is summer, and b. i'm getting older
to start off a bachelorette party, there is no place other than dashing diva. i've given this advice to every single person who asks, and now i'm giving it to you. they have gorgeous pink pedicures lounges, they have cocktails, and now they have the slim diva pedicure. not only will your nails be ready for the big day, your legs with be looking their slenderest (or as slender as they can without you putting in any actual effort).
what DD says: saturday june 27th through august 31st, customers will be able to enjoy the slim diva pedicure or manicure at any of the 12 dashing diva nail spas in manhattan, brooklyn and long island.
the slim diva manicure or pedicure is a citrus infused service that uses a squeezing massage technique with citrus aroma oil to help break down cellulite and relieve muscle tension. first, feet or hands are soaked in warm water with lemon slices, then the slim diva massage, finished with cuticle care and a polish from the manhattan collection. customers also receive a free 3-minute cooling neck massage!
what i say: i got this pedicure on monday and it is the most refreshing treat of summer. the combination of citrus and peppermint used are cooling and calming, and it came with it's very own refreshing summer juice spritzer! the neck massage was the icing on the cake, i left with a new spring in my step. my legs do look slimmer, but about two days later, so keep that in mind when you are scheduling this around the (or any) big day.
slim diva pedicure: $48 slim diva manicure & pedicure: $68 prices may vary based on location. visit dashingdiva.com for further details.
leave it to vie luxe to help me get over my infatuation with all things smoky and get me back into summer scents.
if you don't know vie luxe, get to know them. their voyage collection is comprised of 10 different candle scents that transport you to exotic destinations, including; st. moritz, maldives, st. barth's, capri, cote d'azur, palm beach, buenos aires, tuileries, istanbul and now, sardinia.
sardinia, their latest scent, is a mix of white gardenia, karo karounde blossoms, crisp amaryllis and mediterrian cypress leaves. just when i'd sworn off flowals, sardinia has me craving it's heady, intoxicating scent. visit my latest addiction at vieluxenyc.com.
it's not every day that both the hip girl working at olive bette's and my mom compliment my manicure. but that is the universal appeal of MAC's love and friendship nail lacquer shade.
created as part of spring's rose romance collection, the MAC site says the shade is "creamy dirty mid-tone lavender (cream)". i would call it french pastel lavender - it's a pastel, but not too baby-toned (i wouldn't paint my kid's room this color). the MAC site also says its "sold out", so check your local MAC counter for this coy shade. $11.
ps - i am not in a picture taking mood. click here to see swatches - this girl has lovely hands and it's a very accurate representation of the color.
revlon's false eyelashes were the unofficial sponsor of my weekend. here are two of my best friends - liz and amy - playing connect 4 in them. notice that extra twinkle in their eye? it's revlon's intensifying lashes - trimmed to just over half of their original length.
revlon's lashes are available in several flattering varieties at drugstores nationwide for $6-8 a pair.
makeup loves me teaches you how to make an exfoliator (in 1 step!) using something you already have in your kitchen! Bonus: You're skin will look better than ever!
Amber from Beauty Blogging Junkie has your anti-frizz antidote for the 90 days of rain plaguing the eastern seaboard. Click here to find out what it is!
Beautiful Makeup Search shares her hair care routine and wonders what your routine consists of too.
i'd started to crush on a new blush (blushing blush powder blush in cupid by clinique). i'd been wearing it out, but i thought our romance was a subtle little secret.
it's described as a shy pale dusky pink. and even though i thought it was a bit more than shy (it really pops on the cheek), i didn't think anyone else noticed it's beauty.
all that changed when i met up with amber last nite. the second she saw me, she said, "what blush are you wearing?" i couldn't remember it's name, though now i know it's aptly called "cupid". amber, you can share my new blush boyfriend.
this blush is great for the fair complexed set (which both amber and i are the definition of). $18.50 at clinique.com and clinique counters.
i am crazy in love with urban decay liquid liner and have been for years, for two simple reasons:
the formula goes on smooth and neat.
the color range provides something for everyone - from neutral (blacks and browns) to the slightly more eye-catching (olive greens and golds) to the outrageous (electric blue and green).
for summer, i recommend a neutral to bronze-y shadow and a cat eye in one their more unique colors. here are some of my favorites (from left to right): honey, radium, crash and gash. $18 at urbandecay.com.
beauties, i had the most surreal evening. i attended a launch party at townhouse spa for BeautySweetSpot.com. it was somewhere between a high school party and a sex & the city episode.
why it was like a high school party: i arrived to find guests sprawled throughout every room of townhouse in varying states of soberness, none of who seemed to know where i could find the guest of honor. plus, they were offering something called a spermine facial at the party, where i have heard that before?
why it was like s&tc: everyone there was unbelievably beautiful, well-dressed, and sipping on cherry-flavored signature cocktails. the complimentary manicures were like the keg at a high school party, attracting more eager guests than could be sustained.
was it all a dream? i don't think so, because i woke up and my goodie bag from last nite, filled with samplings of beauty treasures.
ok pretty friends, normally i give you advice that also helps to stimulate the economy, but not today. instead i'm going to save you money.
story time: last week i ran out of facial exfoliator. disaster? of course.
i was debating the merits of buying various costly exfoliatants that i'd tried and loved in the past, when i remembered something from last year's trip to san francisco. one of the girls i stayed with had the most beau-ti-ful skin. and by that, i mean she is totally blemish-free and radiant. when i asked her about it she said, "i eat really healthy and i use baking soda to exfoliate my skin in the shower every other day." healthy eating?!baking soda?! i love my fried food and expensive products! what's a girl to do? i decided to dismiss the advice of this "healthy eater" and just chalk it up to good genes.
flash forward to this weekend, i found myself in need of good scrub, no expensive products in sight and baking soda galore. why not try it out? i wet my face and rubbed it with about two tablespoons of the white powder. and, it worked! my skin was extra smooth afterward with no irritation. i'm sure this doesn't mean i'll be quitting expensive exfoliators, but it does give me the option to alternate with this method and extend the life of my products.
in short: baking soda, get some - if it's not already in your spice rack.
makeup loves me finally meets an eyeliner she doesn't like. Click here to find out which one before you spend any of your precious beauty dollars on it!
avocate is a skincare line centered around avocado oil. why, you ask? because, apparently, avocado oil increases collagen. the line is also mostly organic and cruelty free. as owner stefanie morris likes to quip, she's "the brand's only guinea pig".
economic crisis bonus: 3 of the 4 products in the line are under $20! since the collagen intensive eye repair is only $18, i'm using it as a face cream.
i've been using it a week, and i have to say, my forehead lines look fantastic (read: invisible, that is how i like them to look). plus, it doesn't smell like avocados, or much of anything really.
it's my birthday! which means shopping for more makeup treats, guilt-free.
the second picture is of me with two of my best friends (who i've known since childhood!), emily and halie. they got me the cutest espresso cup sets for my birthday.
are you looking for a less effective and more annoying way of putting on eyeliner?
probably not, but if so, try l'oreal's HIP high intensity pigments kohl eyeliner. while the shades are very color-rich and last for hours, loose powder is just a bad idea for eyeliner. it's hard to get a neat line, and even harder not end up with loose powder all over your cheek.
$13, 6 unique and vibrant colors, at all major drugstores.
...is how i feel when i wear david yurman's eau de perfume spray. like all things by yurman, the fragrance communicates the elegant air of upper middle classdom. the scent itself combines exotic woods, patchouli, rose and water lily.
1 ounce bottle is $75, 1.7 ounce for $120 and 2.5 ounces for $165 at davidyurman.com.
bobbibrown.com is offering 25% off tuesday-thursday (june 9-11) and giving money to charity (dress for success). now you have no excuse not to check out their new illuminating bronze collection.
kiss' new neon everlasting french nail kits are doppelgangers of the manicures mara and i got a month ago! (see it here to believe it).
for the kitsch among you, or the die-hard neon fans, the neon everlasting french nails come in hot pink, orange and green for fingers, only hot pink for toes.
$5.99 a set from now through july 2009 at all major drugstores.
nars has re-released some vintage nail colors for summer 2009.
from left to right:
blue lagoon - iridescent powder blue
chachacha - semi-sheer tangerine with gold reflections
zizi - clear with peach and gold glitter
hunger - hot orange red
tallulah - rich grape
as a longtime fan of nars' arabesque polish, i had to give zizi a try (see below!). it gives a nice twinkle, i think in the future i'd like to layer it with a color like chachacha.
last week i met manuela testolini, who is the founder of "in a perfect world", a non-profit to empower children. she is also the creator of altru, my new favorite home fragrance line. manuela decided to create a product that people would love (and buy), without even knowing that their money was also supporting a charity. mission accomplished.
the scents used in the candles have an international flair, as do their wrappings. all of the packaging draws on patterns from textiles, art and other inspirational pieces from around world. yes, it's the sort of packaging that is impossible to throw out.
my current obsession is humanity candle - comprised of dark amber and indonesian clove infused with vanilla and smoked cedarwood. $55online, at bergdorf goodman, neiman marcus, henri bendel, abc carpet & home, and exhale spa.
on a rainy evening last nite in nyc, i decided to recreate miami in my bathroom.
how? i used my molton brown unwind atoll crystal bath soak - which turns bath water the serene turquoise of the caribbean. plus, the soak is filled with many of the minerals that make the actual caribbean so good for your skin. bonus: it dyes the water, but not your skin.
body wash can be a perfect place to pinch beauty dollars.
especially since drugstore washes are finally being offered in fragrances other than "the red fruits" (cherry, apple, raspberry, and the list goes on...) as amber would say, "like a rabbit in a hat eating a carrot, it's that cliche." but now it seems drugstore brands have discovered the rest of the fruit basket.
i didn't want to bring a razor on my trip, because i'm never sure what those FDA flight regulations are, so i decided it was time to try out the nair exfoliator - a 3-in-1 product that exfoliates, removes hair, and moisturizes.
while it did do all these things after being left on for only 3 minutes, it wasn't quite on the schedule i desired. after rinsing off the nair it took up to a day for all of the hair to brush off. however, i love that nair makes it impossible to cut yourself. i always cut myself/end up missing a patch of hair in my knee and ankle area. and so my new genius idea is to always nair these areas and shave the rest.
btw: a chimera, in greek myth, is a creature that is 3-in-1 (part goat, part lion and part snake) which also seems to be the way beauty products are headed this summer. do you have a favorite chimera?
before leaving for miami, i had to get my nails did. and luckily enough someone had gifted me a manicure gift card from luxenow.com. since my experience was so positive, i thought about how i had to share it with you for the rest of my trip.
listen up, new york beauties, because luxenow is about to become your favorite service. this card makes it really easy to gift manicures, pedicures and other everyday beauty essentials in nyc.
i often think that a manicure is the perfect gift -- not too expensive ($15 for the luxenow.com manicure card) and purely luxorious. now, rather than having to rush over to your friend's 'hood to get a gift card from her local manicurist, you can just go to luxenow.com and order it. with hundreds of nyc salons accepting luxenow giftcards there is sure to be a salon in her area where she can redeem it. be generous, beauties!
1. there is no where to eat in south beach if you are on the south beach diet - all food is fried, cuban or italian. some of it is all of the above.
2. if you've looking for a place to wear your absolute most scandalous clothes, south beach is it. i felt like my beyonce shoes were tame in this environ.
3. the thing i hate about traveling is no matter how much stuff i bring, i always find that the one lipstick i want is back in nyc.
4. trying to fit everything into a long weekend can make a vacation exhausting.
5. being away from my computer for 4 days was really relaxing, but i'm happy to be back. i missed you, pretty friends!
ps - if you are looking at that picture and wondering, "what is that?" it's my friend stefanie and i playing in the ocean. and yes, i'm aware that we look all of 6 years old in that picture.
and judging from my latest poll, you want to see more pictures, so here's me with my south beach-sized mojito. full beauty thoughts on my trip coming up tomorrow. nite nite!
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