Loreal's Showering us with Spring goodies

Common brands that provide great results are few and far between. Loreal stands alone, always raising the bar by providing luxuriously affordable-products that everyone can afford. This spring there is a delightful array of goodies to keep you looking gorgeous.

Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfection -

The first and most likely to cause an instant grin is this little jar of preparation.

It can be worn alone or under makeup, it's a base that fills lines and minimizes the appearance of pores. Soft light weight powders within the formula provide and instant mattte look.

I've used it both alone and with make up. My forehead was the test, because lately there have been some fine lines appearing that I'm not too please about. It worked wonders and filled in with out caking and lasted all day.

As far as color discrepancies are concerned, Loreal has three moisturizing formulas to keep your face all one hue! One to combat redness, one to illuminate and add warmth to light skin tones, and one that adds glow to mediums skin tone.

Age Perfection Hydra-Nurtition

Remember that forehead I mentioned? I've been slathering this on it.  This cream penetrates deeply to hydrate and moisturize, just a couple things on the list to fight aging. I enjoyed the silkiness of the cream, definitely non-gooey.

Concentrated Lash Boosting Serum and Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara

Prior to applying mascara, the serum acts as a conditioner to protect lashes. This was my favorite. We underestimate the wear and tear caused by daily application from mascara. But who wants to by-step amazing lashes? I adore the idea of conditioning first, and the mascara went on smoother as well.

Go 360 Clean

OK, so I got a kick out of these! The cleansers feature the first ever Scrublet tool, containing 500 super soft and tiny bristles. It's reusable and there a cute storage spot for it on the cleansing bottle. It's not harsh like those disposable scrub pads and yet does a much better job cleaning out pores with out looking like your cat scratched you. I like popping the Scrublet in and out of its storage place, it's such a neat idea. And it's the perfect product for traveling too!

Colorist Secrets Shine Gloss

Sure you have colored your hair on your own at some point. But have you given yourself a shine enhancement? In ten minutes an amonia-free vibrant flow of tresses can be yours! 
The claim is that it lasts up to four weeks. It's been two weeks and my shine is still pronounced! If you don't try it now, definitely try it mid summer when your hair begins to feel the effects of sun, sand, and dryness.

If you are in the market for affordable beauty enhancing this spring (and I know you are) march down to CVS or Walgreens or Walmart or your local Supermarket or....you get the picture.

Napoleon Perdis Loves his Mom

Mothers Day is almost here. Sure, all you can really think about is Cinco De Mayo. 

After you break up with Mr. Petron once again and are done nursing your hangover, get down to Target and snatch up NP's Mum's the Word limited edition cosmetic kit 4 yO mAMa!

The kit includes cult favs from Napoleon Perdis: Eye Shadow and Blush Palette featuring an array of matte shades, a full-size Long Black Mascara, deluxe sample sizes of two DéVine Goddess Lipsticks and a deluxe sample of Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer. 

The package is imprinted with a beautiful floral watercolor, and  bundled together with a matching greeting card for mom. 

Hooray for all the Mommies!

Beauty on the Go

Since there was a plethora of goodies to try, I decided to take them on vacation with me. It was the only way to do it right! NP and Pixi cosmetics are not just super fabulous and easy to access no matter where you happen to be (available at Target for under $35). They are innovative and the hues fit perfectly into any spring wardrobe. Each item was wonderful but I had to narrow it down.

These are my favorites from each line:

NP - Napoleon Pardis

Eye Primer

Basically if you hit the floor running every morning and need to bu sure your eye shadow stays put all day and night.....this is what you need. I don't usually mind if my eye makeup wears off during the day, because I do different eyes in the evening.

However, on vacation, I wanted to keep it simple but long lasting, and was extremely surprised with the results!

......shhhh don't try this at home: not that I condone falling asleep with makeup on - I'm just saying that it happened to me after a few cocktails. My eye shadow actually looked pretty damn good when I woke up. So ya, that's how great it is. Like I said though chicas, Don't try it at home. I'm 100% obsessed.

On the Double Pen

       Transform into a cat-eyed queen with this  wand of jubilation. The other end contains a coral cream blush. It's been living in my purse ever since! The coral is perfect.

        A great tip from Napoleon is to tilt your chin up to see the contour of your eyelid, and apply your pen as close to the lashe line as possible. For a deeper cat-eye, use an eyeliner pencil to mark with small dots where you want the liquid eyeliner to start and end. Close one eye and connect the dots. Finish by lining eyes with a pencil and add a few coats of mascara.

Glamorista Mascara - A thin brush that's on point with extending lashes. Self explanatory. Pretty Awesome. 'nuff said.

Romance Set - On the go. An array of colors for eyes, lips, and cheeks. I like the way it fits perfectly into my purse pocket and the texture of the outside of the set. Sweet packaging and even sweeter hues for application. The deep lavender shadows are complimentary to everything.

Pixie 

Flawless Primer - So I didn't know a product like this was available at an affordable price. I'm ashamed to admit I pay a redic amount of dough for my primer. Pixie's primer absorbed quickly and set the tone for the rest of my transformation from me to moi. It was not oily and filled my fine lines exactly as I expected. I'm still hooked on the fact that it's only a fraction of a fraction of what I paid for my last primer and works just as well!

Lux bronze palette - The bronzer gave me a nice glow. It offers a few shades so that sometimes you can use it as a blush and other times a bronzer. I like to use all the shades together and get well rested glow.

Just for fun I took this pic the other day while shopping. In case you're curious what the aisle that you should be shopping in looks like........

Stila stay all day liquid eyeliner

It's been a while since a Flava Fav came into play around here. In fact this could be the first one of 2010! Mmhmm that's right. Stila's stay all day liquid eyeliner is where it's at. 

The hype is how it stays on aLl DaY and won't sMuDge. The tip allows  precise application void of any mistakes.

Precision is the word that came to mind as I applied it! 

Sure I adore a smudge free all night lasting liner. But the what drew me in is Stila stay all day guided my shaky hand to create some very dramatic eyes - without drawing a line in the wrong place (which I often do and usually have to re-do my eyes before leaving the house).

Apparently it's already causing a stir, completely sold out on the Stila site. 

Sephora has plenty though, so get your but down there precisely right about now to get yours.

Mascara Monday: Last minute holiday deal

Anyone who is anyone has been man handled by MOthEr NaTUre this weekend. From the Mid Atlantic to us New Englanders...the snow has been the only subject on the table. Well I got a little cabin fever during the snowfall and went out to get some essentials that I did not need and came across a nifty treat.

Maybeline created a holiday three pack of their fab Stiletto, Colossal, and Define lash Mascaras for $14.99. Please don't mind the impromptu photo that I took with my camera phone - while holding a hot coffee. It was exciting and a great gift for yourself or your like-minded beauty junkie friend!

Tis’ the season to glitter, shimmer and shine

Want to look your best for all your upcoming holiday festivities and New Years Eve?

Celebrity Makeup Artists Sandy Linter and Celebrity Hairstylists Eugene Toye, Ryan Cunningham and Eddie Ngai from the Rita Hazan Salon are sharing the latest trends of the season and how to achieve the perfect holiday look:

MAKEUP

All That Glitters:

* When using a glitter-based shadow, make sure to apply your eye makeup before applying your foundation. This way any residual glitter that falls will not ruin any previous applications. Any remaining glitter can be wiped away with a gentle eye makeup remover and Q-Tip.

* A trick to making glitter shadows stick is to apply a crème eyeshadow all over your eyelid. Than with your fingertips or a sponge applicator, pat on the glitter. The crème shadow helps the glitter adhere to your eyelids

Add A Little Length:

* To transform your eyelashes for a more dramatic look, try Shu Uemura’s False Eyelashes. When applying lashes, be sure to bend the lashes back and forth so the band is not stiff. After applying the false lashes and once the glue has dried clamp you lashes with an eyelash curler to set the look.

* When wearing fake lashes, do not use colored shadows. Instead use a neutral gold shadow on the lid, such as Lancôme Filigree and contour the crease of your eye with a brown taupe shade, such as Lancôme Chic; making the eyes look big and festive but not (cheap!)

Bright Idea:

* Brighter shades of lipstick always work for the holiday season. Check out Lancome’s new lipstick, La Laque Fever in Raze Red or Electric Pink. Designed to have a high potency of color and unprecedented shine; this full cover lipshine will offer you up to 8 hours of vibrant color.

HAIR

The Ponytail is a classic yet fun style for the holiday season. To achieve this look:

* Start by blowing out your hair using a volumizing spray.
* Once the hair has settled, slick back your hair and wrap a rubber band around the pony leaving a few chunks of strands.
* Wrap strand around rubber band to hide the band, and tuck leftover piece into the rubber band.
* To glam it up wear a jeweled headband

Finger Waves, classy just like the 40’s. This style works best on naturally wavy hair although these waves can be re-created on any hairstyle.

* To glam it up wear a jeweled headband
* In order to achieve this look you will need some gel, hairpins and some curlers.
* Once hair is curled under, you will want to pin the curls in place at the nape of the neck.
* Long straight pins are the key to securing your locks and holding this updo in place. Make sure to insert pins in opposite direction.

Classic Chignon (Messy Version), perfect for holiday rushing and party hopping. To create this look:

* To give hair just the right amount of movement and keep it from being too close to the head, use a volumizing cream and apply to freshly washed and well-towel-dried hair.
* Comb product through hair and put a deep side part in hair.
* Blow dry hair with a medium round brush for added body.
* Then, brush hair back into a low ponytail and fasten just above the nape of the neck.
* Begin winding the hair around the base of the ponytail, securing it underneath and on top with bobby pins as you go. Leaving the ends out.
* It’s more modern to have pieces out for a look that’s slightly undone. Use gold or colored bobby pins to spice it up for the holidays.

Attitude: Scope out the nearest mistletoe and drink in moderation. Who am I kidding? Drink lots of champagne and push the nearest hunk under the mistletoe....Don't let all that lip gloss go to waste!

Mascara Monday: Lancome HYPNÔSE WATERPROOF Custom Volume Mascara

This is what you need to be wearing tonight if you plan on watching It's a Wonderful Life (A Christmas MuSt SeE!).

It's Lancome's Hypnose Waterproof mascara that won't smudge as you cry each time an angel gets its wings.

Mascara Monday: Loreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara

No, Loreal is not leading a conspiracy in weapons of mass destruction. It's more like weapons of mass seduction that their after.

First of all they couldn't have picked a more beautiful woman to model for their ad. I heart Penelope Cruz.

Anyhoo, the Loreal's Telescopic Explosion Mascara is pretty fierce and def explodes your lashes into seductress ranks. What I like most is the small shape that gets those inner lashes with out poking your eye.

 
A great drug store find!!! Woot! The drug store are really carrying some great products these days!

Mascara Monday: Shu Uemura

It's only natural that the company with the most coveted eye lash curler also makes a simply elegant yet flirtatious mascara.

Shu Uemura's Mascara Basic is pretty basic. It does not add three inches to your eyes or claim to thicken them up. What it does, though, is take your natural beauty and curl it up, add just the right coat for a flirtatious day look.

I rarely wear it in the evening because that is when I want the length and thickness. The way it takes the curl to the next level after using their eye lash curler is something else!!!! It's a good idea to keep one in your office desk.

Most department stores carry Shu Uemura and you can always purchase it online here. If you are ever strolling by 130 Newbury Street in Boston, stop into the Shu Uemura and experience the beauty first hand.

Mascara Monday: Fiberwig

The claim was to falsify my lashes into something a bit more scandalous. False eye lashes in their organic state are most likely the only thing that can emulate false eye lashes. Fiberwig claims to create a look of falsies by painting it on. Little fibers adhere to the lashes creating length and volume.

Don't get me wrong. The mascara is amazing! It goes on thick, elongates and does not smudge, but I applied several coats expecting a miracle! And maybe it works well for others, but the claim made me think it had magical powers. It's been around for a long time and I just got around to trying it.

The thing is, there are a few other mascaras in my cosmetic case that are a little closer to reaching the falsies goal much quicker, and they don't make this claim.  I'll keep this one around of course, I really dig the brush and after all, it is wonderful black mascara. Get more deets by visiting their site.

Hello, Bye Bye

Well well well, saying hello to something called Bye Bye is just unheard of. On the other hand, you may have heard of It Cosmetics. One of the most aMaziNg lines around, able to transform a random torsos into bikini ready abs and create cleavage where non existed before. The latest are two products that with my amazement, am totally blown away!

One is Bye Bye Pores Micro-Finishing Powder. It contains Vitamin K that reduces discoloration, anti-aging vitamns A, C & E and also includes line smoothing Hydro-Collagen. This paraben-free translucent powder finished off my makeup session yesterday morning. It truly helped on my forehead area, where it tends to be shiner.

But the spot light is on Bye Bye Under Eye. There was no doubt in my mind that this concealer would work. However, I was weary of the claim that there would be no caked up creasing after a few hours. I applied it at 9am and did not remove my face until 10:30 pm. The entire day went by with no trace of creasing and it just looked so natural! Hooray for Bye Bye Under Eye.

Bye Bye Under Eye was developed with leading plastic surgeons and include vitamin K as well. The more you use the concealer the more K gets into your skin and slowly reduces discoloration for good, over time.

It is also clinically proven to reduce puffiness, while the Hydrolyzed Collagen smooths out lines. I don't have a ton of lines around my eyes yet, but I do usually notice creasing after a few hours with other concealers. This was not the case with Bye Bye Under Eye.....it bears repeating. Here is a video for some more information. It comes in a shade for every skin tone. Visit www.itcosmetics.com to purchase!

Mascara Monday: Too Faced Lash Injection

Planning on those botox injections for the future is costly and time consuming. Save on the dough and the adDed sTreSs, by injecting some oomph and boosting your lashes instead (at least for now, to tide you over). This is perfect for those with blond or thinning lashes. Fully lashed girls are still welcome, though; Too Faced may talk about you behind your back, but doesn't discriminate!

Too Faced Lash Injection uses a 3D technology that individually plumps and stretches each lash to luscious perfection. It has never smudged on me and lasts the whole day. Pretty much sold everywhere, but I get mine at Sephora and sometimes online at toofaced.com

Mascara Monday: Benefit Badgal Lash

BADgal Lash Mascara is the only weapon you need on a first date. It lays on the mascara thick and with out clumps to form something sexy and similar to false lashes sans the glue. BADgal comes in a violet hue as well that really widens the eyes. One of my Flava Favs and I always have a couple in my cosmetic bag. Available at good ol' Sephora of course.

The pure fact that you can get all your lashes in one swoop is amazing in itself, watch as you eyes transform from office to cocktails in a split second. Not to say that you can't have cocktail eyes at the office....that's totally up to you, if you are a BADgal.

Mascara Monday: Tarte Lights Camera Lashes!

After this weekends fiasco with my impulsive purchase of the best worst mascara ever, I thought maybe I should dedicate one day a week to my second favorite cosmetic. On second thought, mascara ties with lipgloss at #1. Anyhoo lets talk about Tarte.

It's one of my favorites because i like the purple leathery case it comes in.
It lengthens, curls, and conditions as it pumps up the volume to prepare you for some vivacious fluttering. It's made sans petro-chemicals, parabens, or sulfates. 
Paired with an eye lash curler, no one will stray from your gaze 4 sure. It's one of my staples and the one that I usually stash in my purse for evenings out. Visit Tarte Cosmetics for the deets.

Dramatic Eyes

Watch as makeup artist Kathy Jueng shows us  step by step instructions on how to get this fall's look from Vogue.TV.