Aveda’s Limited Edition Sea Blossoms Collection for Spring and Summer

Aveda’s Sea Blossoms Collection features fresh Spring colors for eyes, cheeks and lips.  The shades are a lot softer than I have seen for the season, and I think they are extremely wearable.

Petal Essence™ Eye Color Trio ($22.00 USD) — is available in two matte color combinations:

172 Violet Coast —   Pale lavender, soft gray and vibrant purple

171 Sea Grass — Warm sand, medium beige and deep sea green

Aveda Petal Essence™ Eye Color Trio

The colors in both of the palettes are pretty, but the color is barely pigmented.  If you purchase one of these, I suggest that you use a primer and go a bit heavy-handed, especially on the very pale shades, like the lavender above.

I also tried the Nourish-mint™ Rehydrating Lip Glaze ($18 USD).  The limited edition shades are:

906 Beach Thistle — Glossy pastel violet

905 Coral Sea — Glossy peachy-pink

Nourish-mint™ Rehydrating Lip Glaze

This gloss has two features I love — fresh mint flavor and a glossy shine!  Both colors are pale and sheer and would look lovely on all skin tones.

You can purchase these at www.aveda.com.  Enjoy!

Get Glowing With Smashbox Soft Lights

I know this season is about bright pops of color on the face such as fuschia, orange and coral.  Those shades may be great for special occasions, but I am loving pale pearls and golds for everyday wear.  They remind me of soft sand beaches and shell, making me long for hot summer days on a beach…

I know, wake up Lorena!  It’s only March.  But at least I can make my skin glow with these two pretty Soft Lights powders from Smashbox.

Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights

I am in love with the Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Stardust.  It is a palette wheel of 2 of each shade — bronze,golden tan, soft pink, pale sand and soft white shimmer.

You can use this so many ways.  Mixed all together as a light bronzer, just mixing the light shades for a highlighter over the cheekbones, nose, under the eyebrows.  Using the darker colors as contour.  But, one of my favorite tricks is to use the separate shades as very soft eyeshadow.  This is a beautifully subtle day look and I love it for running to the store or to my kid’s school — so pretty!

Smashbox Soft Lights in Shimmer

The Soft Lights in Shimmer is a pretty peachy nude that is perfect for the face and body.  Brush this on your cheekbones, breast bone, shoulders…anywhere you wish to emphasize.  And it is shimmery, NOT glittery.  Perfect for spring and summer!

To purchase visit www.qvc.com, or www.sephora.com

Enjoy!

 

My New Favorite Lip Gloss — Tarte’s Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss

If you are looking for a new lip gloss that is conditioning, non-sticky, and very shiny — I know the perfect gloss for you.  I have just tried Tarte’s just released Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss. LOVE.

These glosses are infused with maracuja oil. Only one crop of this rare Brazilian fruit grows every year with the harvest occurring in late August.  Women of the Amazonian cooperative collect maracuja by hand and cold press the seeded pulp of the fruit, extracting the concentrated pure oil, to preserve the loss of any nutrient-rich essential fatty acids (EFAs) or vitamins.

This skinintuitive™ and skin smart ingredient that Amazon locals call “puro milagro” or “the pure miracle” delivers a healthy dose of vitamin C and EFAs necessary for maintaining radiant skin. EFA deficiency can result in the breakdown of essential cells causing skin to appear dry and aged.  Pure maracuja oil helps to bring dull skin back to life!

The 10 shades are:

Adored — cotton candy pink

Dollface — pink grapefruit

Charmed — pale pink

Amused — hot pink

Blissful — warm peach

Glisten — peachy nude

Tipsy — coral

Blushing Bride — plummy-rose

Flush — berry

Natural Beauty — cherry red

All of the colors are gorgeous — but I have been using Adored and Blushing Bride.  Adored appealed to me because it is a light peachy-pink.  I think this would look gorgeous on all skin tones.  It is very light, but is sheer and shiny.

Blushing Bride is more opaque.  It is a rosy-plum with brown undertones.  I thought it would be overpowering and dark, but it’s not.  It is a really pretty shade that brightens up my pale skin.  I bet it will look great with darker skin as well.

This is available at www.tartecosmetics.com, www.sephora.com and Sephora stores.

Stay tuned for a tarte giveaway…

Wella Professional Brilliance Shampoo & Conditioner

Wella Professionals Brilliance Collection is fab for imparting shine in dry, color-treated hair.

The claim from the Wella website is “Bring the brilliance of Koleston Perfect and Color Touch into a new sensorial dimension with triple-blend care technology and diamond dust. Multi-level conditioning products for all hair textures.”

I have been using the Shampoo and Conditioner from this line, and I’m enjoying them fairly well.  The scent is light and pleasant, but not very distinctive.  The shampoo is thin and lathers okay.  The conditioner was fairly thick, and seemed to condition well.

I find that this system leaves my hair shiny and soft.  And I love that it protects my hair color.

Find out where to purchase at www.wella.com.  Enjoy!

CoverGirl and Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation

I love multitasking cosmetics — anything that does double duty in one step is okay in my book!

In the Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation ($15.99 USD), CoverGirl & Olay combine foundation and hydrating serum to cover fine lines and wrinkles and helps hydrate to improve skin tone over time.

The benefits of this creamy foundation are:

  • Instantly covers discolorations and age spots
  • Hydrates to improve skin tone over time
  • Foundation + Serum
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There are 14 shade available.  I use Buff Beige, which is gorgeous.  It is a little darker than I would usually get, but since it blends in so beautifully, it looks natural on my skin.

I highly recommend this foundation/serum!

CoverGirl products are available at a mass market retailer near you.  Enjoy!

Treat Your Eyes To L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow ($7.95 USD) is a new long-lasting and highly pigmented loose shadow.  I think this is perfect for someone looking for an affordable product in shades that are on trend.  It lasts quite a long time, and the colors are gorgeous!

Available in a range of 12 irresistible and wearable shades, the luxurious, velvet-soft shadow blends easily and provides a pop of luminous color with a smooth finish that won’t settle into eyelid creases and lines.

 

Golden Sage

My favorite shade so far is the Golden Sage.  It is a gorgeous medium green with gold shimmer.  It is beautiful with my brown eyes, but I think it would look great with all eye colors and skin tones.

And the shadows really last all day.  I suggest using an eye primer underneath and the color will last even longer!

Available atwww.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers.  Enjoy!

My Review of Kate Walsh’s New Billionaire Boyfriend Fragrance

Have you tried actress Kate Walsh’s Perfume “Boyfriend” that was introduced last year? I had heard so much about it, but when I tried it, I didn’t really care for it.  The fragrance was too strong (see review below).

She has just released a new scent to the line, Billionaire Boyfriend — and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like it!

As you can see from the photo, the bottle is really cool.  It feels like stainless steel with a mirrored finish.  The neck of the bottle has sparkly crystals and the top is a clear lastic.  It was inspired by a special reserve vintage champagne bottle and is a perfect blend of masculine and feminine.

The notes of this fragrance are Bergamot, Tangerine, Green Lush Leaf, Black Jasmine, Black Velvet Orchid, Gardenia, Patchouli Flower, Amber, Cistus, Vetiver, Sandalwood. It is spicy and sweet, but not too strong.  Perfect for ladies who love a sexy scent!

I had only tried the original Boyfriend a couple of weeks before I tried Billionaire Boyfriend. It seems to me very strong and spicy without any sweet relief.

The notes are Dark Plum, Myrrh, Night Blooming Jasmine, Benzoin Tears, Skin Musk, Golden Amber, Vanilla Woods.

Actress Kate Walsh wanted to capture the scent of a guy on a girl: a man’s cologne mixed with perfume, the smell that lingers on the skin. I think Boyfriend just smells like a man’s scent — which can be very nice — but isn’t my thing.

I really do get the feel of a man’s and woman’s fragrance melding together with Billionaire Boyfriend — I think it is very successful.

1.7 oz of Billionaire Boyfriend sells for $75 and 1.7 oz of Boyfriend is $65 at www.sephora.com and Sephora stores.  You can also purchase at HSN.  Enjoy and let me know if you have tried these and which one you like better!

Acheive A Youthful Glow with Skincare from The Somme Institute

I am lucky to be able try many different cosmetics and skin care that claim that they will make me look younger.  Sometimes they work and lots of times they don’t.  Luckily this is not a case of the latter with the Somme Institute 5-Step Regimen I tried.

This has been working so well for me.  I have been using it for about a month and I see a huge difference in the clarity and texture of my skin. ALL skin types & MOST skin conditions.  Sun Damage, Fine Lines & Wrinkles, Acne, Rosacea all while improving skin discoloration, tone, texture and clarity

Somme Institute products contains a patented technology MDT5 (Molecular Dispersion Technology), a revolutionary protein/vitamin delivery system (A, B3, B5, C and E) which transforms  the skin, thus improving its tone, texture and clarity while reducing the signs of aging (for all skin types).   The products in the regimen are:

The Nourishing Cleanser ($40 USD) is a non-foaming gel that is extremely gentle on the skin.   The claim is that it helps improvefine lines and wrinkles, dryness, dehydrated and lackluster skin while preserving the skin’s youthful appearance.

I love that this (and all of the Somme Institute products I have tried) are fragrance free.  It is very mild and leaves my skin very soft after use.  It also works well with my Clarisonic face-cleansing brush.

I follow up with Transport ($58 USD), soft cotton pads with AHA to gently exfoliate dead cells on the skin’s surface.  This is one of my favorite steps.   It is recommended that if you have sensitive skin, use it just once a day, which I did at first.  But now, I am using it twice a day and love how it leaves my skin glowing after each application.

Step 3 is the Serum ($82 USD).  This claims to helps reduce the visible signs of premature aging, smoothes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and evens skin tone.

I smooth a couple of drops on my face and neck twice a day after the Transport pads.  It soaks in really quickly and does not leave my skin greasy.  The only thing I don’t care for is that my hands are very sticky after using this product.  I have to wash my hands after use and before continuing the regimen.

I immediately apply A-Bomb ($70 USD)  This powerhouse cream contains additional amounts of Vitamins A and E. A-Bomb helps soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles while targeting other problem areas, such as poor skin texture and dry skin. It calms and soothes the skin while promoting skin’s vitality and firmness.

I have been using this morning and night.  I rub it in well — I have found that it is easy to put a little too much on, so it needs to be applied well or it will sit on top of the skin.

The last step is Double Defense ($48 USD), which is a lightweight lotion.  It contains a SPF 30+ and Parsol 1789.  Double Defense protects skin from premature aging while locking in vital moisture.

Just one pump will do ya with this lotion.  I use it every morning as my last step of the system.  It is not greasy, which is wonderful.

With all of the steps this system, I was worried that my face would be greasy and it would feel heavy.  But happily, that is not true.  I even put primer, concealer, sometimes foundation and powder over the system — and my face does not fall to the ground with the product weight!  Yay!

And I did mean sometimes foundation.  My skin really looks so good that I only need a touch of concealer and a light powder (IT Cosmetices Bye Bye Undereye and Bye Bye Pores).  My skin tone is even, my redness has lessened and fine lines are almost gone.

You can purchase these products separately or as a kit for $298 at www.sommeinstitute.com.  Enjoy!

China Glaze’s Spring 2012 Collection — ElectroPop

China Glaze Electropop Spring 2012

I love spring shades of nail polish this year because they range from pastel blue and greens to bright fuchsias and oranges. So many choices!  What to choose?

Where heavy metal meets rocker chic, China Glaze® introduces the Spring 2012 collection,         ElectroPop. Inspired by all things girly,edgy and fun, the 12 shades of ElectroPop bring out the inner  rock star in all. For flash and glam this spring, China Glaze® hits the stage in style!

  •    Kinetic Candy – Touch the sky in light blue crème
  •    Electric Beat –Periwinkle nails for a wink worthy performance
  •    Aquadelic – Pool blue for nighttime gigs and daytime fun in the sun
  •    Gaga For Green – Green lacquer for the girl craving the limelight
  •    Sunshine Pop – Shine in the spotlight in bold yellow
  •    Make Some Noise – Rock the mic in tangerine
  •    Wicked Style – Party cocktail tropical punch
  •    Fuchsia Fanatic – Fuchsia pink for the rocker diva in us all
  •    Gothic Lolita – Steal the show on girls night out in seductive purple
  •    Dance Baby – Hit center stage in cotton candy pink
  •    Sweet Hook – Blow a kiss in dreamy lilac
  •    Techno – Glitter confetti polish for a dazzling topcoat finish or all over finger tip bling

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. Individual shades retail for $7; 6 piece collections retail for $42.For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

Enjoy!

The Adorable Paul & Joe Spring 2011 Meow Collection

I have been wanting to try the cool cosmetics of the hot French clothing brand Paul & Joe’s for a while now.  They are known for their beautiful packaging as well as innovative cosmetics.  Their new collection of colorful and oh-so-cute beauty is sure to be the cat’s meow for the spring season. From flirty and fun color tones to kitty-cat inspired packaging, all of Paul & Joe’s new launches will have you looking as beautiful as the packaging itself.

The creamy cheek powder in Paul & Joe’s Blusher Stick ($28 USD)  collection glides onto skin smoothly to contour the face and cheeks for a flawless complexion. Feeling feline-like? draw three “whisker lines” onto the cheek and blend evenly with finger tips. Available in 3 shades:  Glamour Puss (a pearlescent beige), Minou (a subtle pink), and Catfight (a bold tangerine).

On trend for the season, each shade in Paul & Joe’s Face & Eye Color CS ($36 USD) collection is subtle yet playful to enhance natural beauty and add depth and character to the eye area. Each package includes a trio of contrasting textures – matte, pearlescent and shiny – for an effect that looks like it was applied by a makeup artist.  The shades are: Siamese, Please…(bronzes and beiges), Kittycat (matte nude and pearly pink), and Purr-fect (ivory and moss).

Paul & Joe’s Nail Enamels($14 USD) sure to be the cat’s meow! Available in a nude beige, an elegant pink and a flirty rose, these playful shades will have your paws ready for Spring! The shades are Tigress (a pearlescent nude), Kitten Claws (soft pink), and Manekineko (hot pink).

These fun cosmetics are now available at at www.b-glowing.com and www.beautyhabit.com.  Enjoy!