fortyflirtyfabulous

Beyonce Pulse Summer Edition

The weather is warming up, so it’s time to lighten up your fragrance for the gorgeous months ahead. Get ready to send pulses racing with the sizzling new addition to the bestselling Beyoncé Parfums collection. Fresh, airy and optimistic, Beyoncé Pulse Summer Edition captures the essence of a playful, sun-drenched summer day.

Inspired by Beyoncé’s infectious positive energy, this limited edition fragrance seduces the senses with the same invigorating sensuality as the original Pulse Eau de Parfum. A lighter and fresher rendition, Pulse Summer Edition’s orchestra of fruity and floral notes makes it the perfect scent for the warm, joyful, flirty summer months. Beyoncé Pulse Summer Edition retails for $49/50ml and $59/100ml and will be available at select perfumery chains and fine department stores.

The notes are:

Top: icy mandarin, pear and pink pepper

Heart: ginger orchid, jasmine and orange blossom

Base: sapphire woods, musk and benzoin.

What I think: This is a very light, fresh scent. I haven’t tried the original Pulse, but I do like this one and think that it is perfect for ladies who like fruity scents with a woodsy base.

The price is decent for the quality. I say, go try it to see if it is the summer fragrance for you!

Mally Ultimate Performance Brightening 2-in-1 Eye Shadow

Mally Ultimate Performance Brightening 2-in-1 Eye Shadow ($26 USD)

What is it: A 2-in-1 eye shadow, with water built right into the formula, designed to be incredibly hydrating and long lasting. It creates gorgeous luminosity on the lid and can be built for more intensity and blended together seamlessly. The rollerball end contains a soft highlighter that has many great uses. It can also be worn on top of cream shadow for that extra glow.

Who is it for: Women who want a beautiful, bulletproof eye shadow that doesn’t crease, fade, or smudge.

Why is it different: This two-step eye shadow system allows you to create a beautiful eye look. How do I use it: First, take the cream shadow and apply it all over the lid, from lash line to crease and blend gently with your finger. Or, you can run it along the upper lash line for a great pop of brightening color. The beautiful formula is going to lay smoothly on the eye, hovering over any fine lines and wrinkles. It blends seamlessly to create a fabulous wash of color. Now, take the Highlighter and just pop it right into the inner corners of the eyes to instantly make you look awakened and refreshed. You can also take a little and apply it right in the center of each eyelid to make your eyes look wider..

Includes:

0.1-fl oz cream shadow
0.02-oz highlighter

What I think: This product comes in 3 shades for the cream shadow — bronze, lilac and mint cream. I have the lilac and bronze. I like the lilac color the best, but it doesn’t have much staying power. It starts off as a bright shimmery lilac, and fades to a softer matte color in a couple of hours. Still, it’s pretty. The bronze does last longer, but it is a bit dark for me.

The highlighting powder is pretty, but very sparkly. It works well at the inner corners of the eye.

I say this may be a good product for you if you like sparkly, shimmery shadows and can reapply if needed.

Enjoy!

New John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Salon Blends

Did you know that the most common blends that you’ll see your colorist mix when at the salon are NOT the ones you’ll find on the shelf for at-home color? Well, the John Frieda® Hair Care experts have been working to fix this problem… enter the New Precision Foam Colour Salon Blends!

“When my clients come into the salon, I use colors from a professional shade palette to create exclusive blends customized to their skin tone and desired color,” explains John Frieda® Creative Colour Director Nicola Clarke. “The shades I create shades are hugely popular because you typically can’t get them in home hair color —it takes a professional to blend the basic tones expertly. I worked with John Frieda® Hair Care to share some of the most popular, flattering blends I create at the salon, transforming them into shades of Precision Foam Colour.”

The five new colors include:

Dark Caramel Blonde (Natural/Beige/Gold)

Dark Cool Pearl Blonde (Pearl/Beige/Natural)

Lightest Cool Almond Brown (Pearl/Beige/Natural)

Light Bronze Brown (Natural/Beige/Copper)

Light Amber Brown (Natural/Beige/Gold)

I have dark brown hair (my color is 4BG — Dark Chocolate Brown), but I would recommend these blends, just from the fact that this is fab home hair color. It evenly colors hair (no weird off-color patches) and leaves hair shiny and gorgeous! It covers pesky grays well, too!

Each cost $12.99 and can be found at food, drug and mass retailers nationwide. Enjoy!

Beauty.com And Erin Fetherston Gift With Purchase

Touting celebrity fans including Zooey Deschanel, Rachel Bilson and Jessica Biel,Erin Fetherston is enjoying rave reviews for her latest ERIN by Erin Fetherston collections.

Currently, Beauty.com is thrilled to announce that Erin Fetherston is the newest collaborator in the beauty retailer’s designer bag series. Available atwww.beauty.com/erinfetherston with any Beauty.com purchase of $100 or more, customers will receive a vintage-inspired train case filled with a dozen prestige beauty samples and a $10 Beauty.com gift card –an exclusive gift valued at $130.

“For my exclusive makeup bag for Beauty.com, I was inspired by the nostalgia of travel and vintage luggage,” said Fetherston. “I love the contrast of the structured shape to the whimsical and fun butterfly print lining. It adds a touch of glamour to your everyday routine.”

The covetable case opens to reveal a touch-up mirror, elasticized side pockets and butterfly print lining fresh from theERIN by Erin Fetherston Spring/Summer 2012 collection. An exterior top handle, sturdy corner hardware and magnetic flap closure allow thepetite pink trunk to double as a travel-savvy keepsake.

Kathleen McNeill, President of Beauty.com, said, “After working with Erin for her Spring 2012 presentation, we are thrilled to be able to offer our customers a collectible featuring her fun and feminine aesthetic. It’s a handy piece for keepsakes or to offer as a gift, and the collection of samples allows customers toexperiment with some great new products as they plan to refresh their beauty wardrobes for spring.”

Each train case arrives filled with samples from some of the top brands in prestige beauty:

1. bareMinerals® Pretty Amazing® Lipcolor, Bravado

2. Stila® FULL SIZE Eye Shadow Compact, Cloud

3. Supersmile® Whitening Introductory Kit

4. Murad® Acne Clarifying Mask

5. Smashbox® Photo Finish® Hydrating Foundation Primer

6. Boscia® Oil-Free Nightly Hydration

7. Jane Iredale® Tantasia® Self Tanner

8. Alterna® BAMBOO Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist

9. Traditions by Nick Chavez® Yucca Root Shampooing Cream

10. Bulgari® Refreshing Towel

11. Too Faced® Tinted Beauty Balm

12. ~H20+™ Face Oasis™ Hydrating Treatment

13. $10 Beauty.com Gift Card

Visit the Beauty.com Video Library for a backstage look at Erin Fetherston’s colorful and mod-inspired Spring/Summer 2012 collection. For more on the latest happenings from Fashion Week and beyond, theBeauty.com trends page offers shoppers an in-depth review of what’s new and exciting in the world of beauty.

About Beauty.com – The World of Beauty Online®:

Beauty.com is a leading online destination for prestige beauty products. The web store provides a highly personalized shopping experience and offers more than 350 brands from widely recognized to niche, hard-to-find products.

Site-wide gifts with purchase are just one of the many perks available to Beauty.com customers.Other Beauty.com benefits include Everyday Free Shipping, 5% back on every purchase with drugstore.com dollars™, 100% color guarantee on eligible products, and a shared online shopping cart with the Beauty.com partner site, drugstore.com. Beauty fans can also get the latest tips, trends, and promotions sent directly to their email by signing up for the free weekly Beauty Bulletin. For social media exclusives, be sure to ‘like’Beauty.com on Facebook™ and follow@beautydotcomon Twitter™.

What I think: Super-cute train case! I love the butterfly lining with the mirror and the cute little inner side pockets. Adorable! I may review some of the samples separately, but I have been using the Stila Cloud shadow for a few days and I love the shimmering neutral color. So pretty!

Enjoy!

Spring Giveaway Time Part 1 — tarte Cosmetics!

Happy first day of Spring! In celebration of Winter being over — thank goodness — I have put together 2 giveaways of fab Spring makeup. If you win Giveaway #1, you get a Tarte package of:

tarte amazonian clay waterproof cream shadow in moss — an olive-green cream eye shadow

tarte maracuja divine shine lip gloss in blissful — a creamy peach gloss

tarte maracuja blush & glow in sunlight — a bronzey-peach cream stick blush and liquid highlighter.

tarte amazonian clay 12-hour shimmering blush in frisky — a shimmery coral blush

The colors are warm, bright and perfect for Spring and Summer! I have tried all of these products and have to say that I love them! The fact that tarte has natural, good for you cosmetics doesn’t negate the fact that their products are long-lasting and gorgeous!

The powder blush is shimmery, but not in a too-young way. I think it is subtle enough for forty-somethings (and above) like myself to rock! The duo of cream blush and liquid highlighter is perfect for face and body (shimmery shoulders, anyone?). The lip gloss is my new favorite. It might look bright in the tube, but it is subtly shiny on. And the cream eye shadow in the lovely green moss would be pretty on all eye colors.

To win, please leave a comment on my blog. I will choose a winner soon — on Friday March 30th — then I will announce a new giveaway! If warm colors are not for you, the next group of Spring cosmetics will have some cooler tones in it.

This giveaway is open for residents of the United States and Canada only. Good Luck!

China Glaze Prismatic Spring 2012

Time to sparkle up your nails! This spring, get some glitter with China Glaze®’s limited edition Prismatic nail polish collection. Inspired by the colors formed by the refraction of light through a prism, Prismatic by China Glaze® combines glitter and holographic particles to create the ultimate eye-catching, 3-dimensional manicure.

Bursting with color and dimension, Prismatic shades include:

• Ray-Diant – Greenish-gold shimmer filled with specks of silver, pink, green, orange and blue.

• Polarized – Silver metallic sheen sprinkled with yellow, pink, orange and green glitters.

• Liquid Crystal – Bright blue holographic with purple tint dusted with silver, gold, green, pink and orange.

• Prism – Grape purple holographic gleams with pink shimmer and glitters with pieces of pink, blue, green, orange, silver and gold.

• Full Spectrum – Baby pink bursts into holographic magenta to party with silver, gold, blue, pink and green particles.

• Optical Illusion – Aqua green glimmers with a hint of purple filled with pink, yellow, silver, orange and green flecks.

China Glaze® Prismatic will be available April 2012. Individual shades retail for $8 USD. Enjoy!

AVON ANEW GENICS Eye Treatment

Fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes are one of the most telling signs of aging. Eye cream is one product I apply every day to keep away the wrinkles!

AVON’s new Genics’ line has just release a pretty terrific eye creme called Eye Treatment. The details are:

Genics Eye Treatment ($36 USD) contains Youthgen™ Technology is designed to help skin cells act younger.** Undo up to 10 years from the look of your eyes.* Diminishes the appearance of fine wrinkles and fine crow’s-feet. Eye area feels re-energized and restores the look of youthful brilliance, remarkable smoothness, definition and elasticity.* Use AM and PM in place of your eye cream. .5 oz. net wt. *Based on a consumer-perception study of women 45-59. **Based on testing in skin cells.

What I think: The first time I tried this cream a few weeks ago, I noticed an instant change in the skin under my eyes. It was firm and smooth, which is unusual to see so quickly after starting using a new eye product.

I use it twice a day now, and love it! It is as good as any high-end eye cream I have tried. My skin is firmer and fine lines are much less noticeable. I highly recommend this for the price and quality!

To purchase, visit http://youravon.com/brittbowman. Enjoy!

Roberto Cavalli

Reviewing fragrances is cool because even if it isn’t something that I would normally wear, I know someone will love it!

But, I still haven’t decided it I love the new Roberto Cavalli perfume or not…here are the details, what do you think?

The Roberto Cavalli ($85 USD 2.5 oz) perfume belongs to the ambery floral family. The artistic line of the Roberto Cavalli bottle recalls the voluptuous curves of a sensual woman. Crowned by a tiara-shaped cap formed by Roberto Cavalli’s golden seal, the bottle is adorned with a tiger-print necklace reminiscent of its creator’s emblematic animal prints.

TOP: Pink Peppercorn

MID: Orange Flower Absolute

BASE: Roasted Tonka Beans

The bottle is gorgeous, classic but not too plain. I love the shape of it. The scent is a lot sweeter than what I usually wear, but the notes of pink peppercorn and tonka beans give it a sultry finish.

You can check this out at a department or specialty store near you and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Brighten Up Your Spring With Blushes By Tarte, Laura Mercier and BY TERRY.

I am always afraid that I will mistakenly apply too much blush on my pale skin, so I use choose light colors, usually a pink or a light coral, for my cheeks.

But, the Spring 2012 trend is bright colors like fuchsias and peachy–corals, so I have been testing some pretty loud (at least in the pans) blushes. And you know what — applied properly, the blushes below impart a fresh, lively look to my complexion!

BYTERRY Blush Veloute ($45.50 USD) — A powder-cream blush designed to highlight the apples of the cheeks with a healthy satin glow.

The features of this blush are:

A part-cream part-powder melting blush that enhances the skin’s radiance.
A healthy glow effect with subtly colored cheeks.
A radiant, matte-satin long-lasting finish.
Gives transparent coverage.
A high-tech formula that combines skincare with color, correction-perfection.

Applied with fingertips, the texture is soft and malleable and blends in leaving a subtle veil of color. The shade I have, Apple, looks almost red in the pot, but on my cheeks, it give a natural flush. This is also available in Peach Nude and Ginger Glaze, both warmer shades.

Suitable for all skin types. www.spacenk.com

This next blush does not look intensely bright in the compact, but really wakes up my fair skin with a shimmery flush!

Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Shimmering Blush ($25 USD) is a follow-up to tarte’s best-selling Amazonian clay 12-hour blushes. tarte introduces the same award-winning formula in four, brand-new shimmering shades. Spiked with tiny, finely-milled specks of gold and silver, one swipe will add the perfect amount of sheen to your cheeks.

I have this in Glisten, a shimmering peach-pink and love it. It really give a lovely glow — no highlighter needed. It is easy to apply and to blend. It is also available in Adored, shimmering light pink, Buff, shimmering nude and Frisky, shimmering bright coral.

Available at www.tartecosmetics.com, www.qvc.com, and www.sephora.com.

Laura Mercier Crème Cheek Colour ($22.00 USD) is a long-lasting, natural cheek colour formulated to provide translucent, buildable coverage for a soft, velvety finish.

I love cream blushes, they are probably my favorite right now. I usually don’t wear peach blushes, but this color looked so fresh, I had to try it! It blends very smoothly so it is easy to make it look natural. Such a beautiful formula! And the peach is very wearable — not too orange!

Innocent Peach is part of the new, limited edition Lingerie Collection. You can also purchase this in Blaze a soft warm rose, Canyon a peachy-brown, Oleander a cool bright-pink, and Praline a neutral brown.

You can purchase these at www.lauramercier.com Enjoy your new flush!

Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream

Algenist is a fairly new brand of skincare that I was introduced to last year. I really loved the products that I have used (see my review at http://tinyurl.com/72b6eqg) so I was excited to try their new Firming & Lifting Cream ($94 USD)!

This product is an ultra-firming and restructuring cream that tightens and lifts while reinforcing skin structure. The claim is that it leverages the power of alguronic acid and ProPeptide3. Brought together in a never-before-seen antiaging complex, these ingredients boost production of skin’s key structural proteins: elastin, collagen, and proteoglycans. As it strengthens skin’s structure, this advanced formula redefines facial contours, leaving skin smooth, sculpted, and lifted.

Algenist Firming and lifting cream contains This cream also contains avocado oil, phytosterols, and olive fruit oil to moisturize and nourish the skin. It is dermatologist tested, ophthalmologist tested, for all skin types, hypoallergenic, non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and not tested on animals. It does not contain parabens, sulfates, sythetic dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates or triclosan.

What I think: The texture of this cream is very thick, like a butter or a balm. But it is not greasy once applied. I have been using it morning and night for a couple of weeks on my face and neck.

My skin looks good, but I don’t know how much firmer it is. I’m lucky not to have sagging skin (yet), but I do like the moisture this gives my skin and my neck is smooth. I will continue using this every day to prevent sagging skin.

This is available at www.algenist.com and www.sephora.com.

Enjoy!