review: sabon shower oil.

sabon's shower oil sounds like a clumsy girl's nightmare, but it's surprisingly non-slippery.


in fact, it's non-greasy. it provides a light hydration, while leaving no film behind. i was hesitant to try this product, but i'm so glad i did, because now i'm skipping the lotion.


available in ginger orange, fig coco, patchouli lavender vanilla, lemon basil, lavender, vanilla and musk. $18 on sabonnyc.com.

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nicki minaj teams with MAC cosmetics!

today my favorite young money rapper, nicki minaj, made a very exciting announcement.

to celebrate her new album, pink friday, she has paired with MAC cosmetics to create a lipstick by the same name. available exclusively on maccosmetics.com for four fridays only - november 26, december 3, december 10, and december 17, 2010 - the shade is not yet shown on the MAC site -- but catch a sneak peek of it below.

the shade uses minaj's signature barbz glamour twist and is described as a a bright, creamy pink satin. nicki says, “M·A·C’s pink nouveau was my favourite lipstick for years, but it’s all about pink friday!”



starting this friday the shade will be available here.

update: beauties, like you knew i would, i got my hands on my the lipstick! it's a cool, opaque pink.

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new from lush: holiday gifts.

lush's holiday gifts have arrived!


...and they're like a color explosion, including lots of bath bombs. this little matryoshka doll comes with some of lush's best selling bath bombs inside of her ($19.95), and that's just one of the many treasures to be had. they have gifts for the fizztival of lights and retro christmas gifts resurrected from seasons past (for a limited time).

make it a lush-ious holiday at lushusa.com.


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com received samples from this line for possible review.

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review: rescue beauty lounge on gansevoort in nyc.

mission: to determine if rescue beauty lounge's signature manicure is worth it's $30 price tag. to do that, it would need to be 3x better than my average neighborhood manicure (which costs $10).

• the experience: the hand massage and treatment at rescue beauty lounge were not noticeably better than my average manicure - not subpar, but nothing to right home about.

• the finished product: the coverage was meticulous - there was no polish missing from the sides of my nails (which happens in my local nail shop).

• the longitude: this manicure lasted totally chip free for 6 days, the longest of any normal (non-gel) manicure i've ever received, but only 2x longer than my usual mani (which lasts 3 days).

• x-factor: 3 different guys complimented me on my color, stormy - a steely-grey.
  

the verdict: i loved the polish (and the compliments), but i could do without the $30 manicure and just take a rescue beauty lounge polish to my local shop. if i'm gonna spend upwards of $30 on a mani, it better be gel.

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review: project art by NEST.

project art by NEST is a new division of fine candle maker - NEST fragrances - created for select bed bath & beyond and hallmark stores.

and their tulip garden fragrance has made me break my no floral candles rule. it's scent is so fresh and so clean and makes my apartment smell like a garden in the spring. even my boyfriend said the other day, "i really like that candle", and while that may seem like mild praise, it's actually a huge compliment considering he asked me stop using 3 candles in the last month.

the collection also includes reed diffusers, hand wash and body lotion, plus small and large candles in apple, juliet rose, lavender & sage, lemon verbena, orange kumquat and tulip garden. best yet, all items are under $20 a piece.

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review: clinique repairwear laser focus wrinkle & uv corrector.

it's no secret that i have a love thing with clinique skincare. but one of their newest products, clinique repairwear laser focus wrinkle & uv corrector goes beyond.


this product is clinique's "answer" to a laser treatment in a bottle. i've never had a laser treatment, but this is the most impressive age reversal topical product i've ever used.

i've been using clinique repairwear laser focus wrinkle & uv corrector an average of 4 times/week since the summer (twice a day is their recommendation), and immediately after my skin is visibly plumper, making small lines less visible, plus over time it has also helped to repair discoloration from my acne scarring.

admittedly, my signs of aging are minimal as a woman in my late-twenties, so i can't speak for how it well it works on more advanced signs of aging, but if i've enjoyed my results.

$44.50 at clinique.com and clinique counters nationwide.


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com was attended a press even and received a sample of this product for possible review.

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review: tone daily detox white clay & pink jasmine body wash.

my love affair with drugstore body wash continues - and with good reason. drugstore body washes continue to expand their fragrance and texture offerings so that they are on par with more expensive offerings.


tone's latest addition - daily detox in white clay & pink jasmine - has a refined, clean, and not overly sweet scent that makes it easy to use. and unlike most drugstore body washes which are either soapy or creamy, the white clay gives this wash a very fine grit that gently exfoliates. for $3.99 -- i'm planning on stocking up because i can tell this is going to be a cult favorite of mine for some time.

bonus - their breast cancer awareness packaging version is still in some stores, which gives the instructions on how to do the self breast exam.


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com was attended a press even and received a sample of this product for possible review.

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the art of consultation - i go brunette!

i recently saw redken's david stanko at angelo david salon for hair coloring, using the art of consultation model and what an artful consultation it was!


i came in because i was ready to shed my signature red and go back to my brunette roots. rather than just asking me to show him pictures of hair color i liked, or tell him which celeb's color i wanted, david asked me what word i would want someone to use to describe me after meeting me for half an hour at the bar. he asked me about what i want to project - then confirmed with me that i want to look "intentional and put together" at all times (that's my new thing). plus, he held cards up to the sides of my face to figure out whether warmer or cooler tones would be the best match for my skintone (it's warmer, btw).

he then used redken chemistry to whip up a semi-permanent glossy medium brown. i'm in love with my new hair. thank you, david! what do you think?


editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com was received this service for possible review.

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