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Palladio — Natural Cosmetics at an Affordable Price

Palladio Beauty creates affordable makeup that is actually good for you. The products are enriched with herbs and vitamins and come in quite a variety of products and shades.

Some of the products I have tried are:

Herbal Lipstick ($6.00) — This vanilla-scented lipstick’s formula contains “diamond clusters” that are touted to create an irresistible look of frost and glimmer on the lips. Out of the 40 shades, I tried Precious, a rosy pink. It is shimmery, but not glittery and the color was subtle and was moisturizing too.

Mosaic ($10.00) — is five harmonizing hues of pinks, tans and browns combined in one powder kit. They can be used individually or blended together to create a single shade to match your skin type. They can be used as an overall bronzer, blush, eye shadow or an overall face highlight. I tried Sun Kissed, a light bronzer. It is very soft and pretty, and is available in 8 kits of blush or bronzer.

One of may favorite Palladio products are the Baked Eye Shadows ($7.00 for single colors; $8.00 for trios). These are highly pigmented, shimmery and last longer than regular shadows. They are available in 12 single shades and 8 trios. I love the glimmer and choices of colors that these shadows offer. Fun!

Visit www.palladiobeauty.com to learn more about these great products and to find a store that carries them.

Everyday Minerals Fall Collection

Everyday Minerals has release new color makeup that matches the color trends seen at Fall 2009 Fashion Week. The colors are crisp and pretty, just like a lovely fall day.

I love the Everyday Palettes ($10.00), portable eyeshadow palettes that contains 4 loose mineral shadows and a tiny bamboo brush that is used to dip into the sifter holes that contain the shadows. Two new collections are:

Lavender Collection (light lavenders to deep purples) – complete with Ballet Slippers, Love Letters, Romance Novel, and Wine Tasting Eye Shadows
Jane Austen Collection (peaches, browns and greens) – complete with Dreaming Dandy, Anna Karenina, Southern Belle, Jane Eyre.

The Blush, ($8.00) is very pigmented and a little goes a long way. The large amount of product that you get for the price is amazing. New colors for fall are:

Time Share — Soft muted earthy pink matte shade, to love and to kiss!
New Mom — A deep, reddish matte pink with earthy undertones.
Sand Cherry –A gorgeous deep peach with cherry undertones and tons of sparkle!

The fall collection also includes lip glosses, lip balms and single eye shadows. You can purchase these products at www.EverydayMinerals.com.

DevaCurl MirrorCurls

DevaCurl hair care is an exclusively designed hair care system for curly, wavy and chemically processed hair. They have removed all unnecessary chemicals that can be harsh on curly and wavy hair and have added extra botanical and moisturizing ingredients that cleanse, condition and re-hydrate the hair.

MirrorCurls ($25.00 1.7 oz) is newest addition to the DevaCurl product line. This shine serum is silicone-free, water-soluble, botanically infused, and 99% natural. It is touted to bring moisture, maximum curl reflection and a bright shine to curls and waves.

I love the scent of this product; it is fresh and lemony. Although this isn’t a heavy product, a little goes a long way. And like it claims, MirrorCurls leaves you with very shiny curls!

Visit www.devachansalon.com to purchase MirrorCurls or to find a salon near you.

It Cosmetics Nail Love

It Cosmetics Nail Love Cuticle and Nail Oil Pen ($12.50) is a cool and affordable way to make your nails and cuticals look and feel fantastic.

The product description from IT Cosmetics is that Nail Love, “treats and conditions cuticles and strengthens nails with hydrolyzed collagen, plus this exclusive formula has an anti-yellowing complex! Combine that with the healing eucalyptus leaf oil and you’ll see this pen packs a whole lot of Nail Love!The beneficial ingredients including a Pro-Collagen blend plus Vitamins A, C, E and Pro-Vitamin B5 work to strengthen and protect your nails over time!? The Healing Eucalyptus Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba seed Oil work to heal hangnails and torn cuticles giving a soothing effect you can feel immediately. Now that’s something your nails and cuticles will love!”

To use this product I first apply the oil by twisting the base of the pen to release it, and then brush the product on the nails and cuticles. Then I used the rubber cuticle pusher and push back my cuticles. The last step is to rub the excess oil on my nails and cuticles.

I think this is a great product to help keep cuticles healthy and it gives the nails a nice shine, too! The cuticle tool cap is also really convenient.

Visit www.itcosmetics.com to learn more and to purchase the Nail Love pen. Enjoy!

Aestelance Hair Care

Aestelance Dry Scalp and Hair Collection

Aestelance is a hair care company that believes that the fusion of “aesthetics” and “balance” is based on individualized care for your hair and scalp. The website claims:

“The key word for this is “your” because each person’s hair and scalp is unique. This “made to measure” hair and scalp care method sets itself apart from the one size fits all approach commonly found in mass-marketed products. Instead of developing products that arbitrarily focus on only one characteristic of hair, Aestelance takes into account the various scalp & hair conditions, textures and styling requirements. It’s all about balance: well-balanced hair on a well-balanced scalp.”

I tried the Dry Hair and Scalp System from Aestelance. This system is to help tight and itchy scalps and dry hair with a lot of static. The products I tried that are made to care for these symptoms are:

DF Shampoo for dry hair (fine) and scalp ($18.00 8 oz) contains silk proteins and amino acids to volumize and strengthen chemically-processed and color-treated hair. It also contains extract of hops, avocado and basil to add shine and condition hair without weighing it down. It is mild and balances a dry, flaky scalp.

Hydrate Leave-In Conditioner for fine to medium hair ( $17.00 4 oz/$29.00 8 oz) gives fine hair greater elasticity, bounce & sheen. Aloe and herb extracts bring essential moisture to the hair and scalp. Silk proteins and color protection have been added to prevent color fade.

Mud Mask moisturizes all types of hair and scalp ($17.00 4 oz/$29.00 8 oz) This instant moisturizing treatment is a combination of Dead Sea mud and minerals, and natural herb extracts. Mud mask leaves your hair feeling silky smooth. It supplies vital elements, prevents flaking, makes hair more manageable and adds sheen.

I really like the look I get from this system. My hair is fuller and softer. I haven’t seen much difference in my scalp, because I haven’t had much trouble with it being dry in the past. Also, the longer I leave the Mud Mask on for the softer and shinier my hair is.

Visit www.aestelance.com to learn more about these products and to find a salon near you to purchase them.

La Mer The Hydrating Facial

The luxury skincare line La Mer has released a new skin treatment called The Hydrating Facial ($250.00 for 6 applications.) This is a 100% cotton two-zoned mask that is claims to hydrate, nourish, smooth and condition skin and leave it with a healthy glow.

La Mer’s Hydrating Facial contains a trio of transformative benefits that are touted to make this new product so effective. They are:

Super Hydrators – The Sea Moist Ferment, a special blend of dark green algae gathered from all over the world in countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Brittany and the US, infuses the skin with intense hydration.

Super Anti-Agers – Marine plant algae such as Ascophyllum Nodosum and Aparagopsis Armata help to diminish visible signs of aging. Dark spots and discoloration begin to fade in appearance, revealing a clearer, more even complexion. The Hydrating Facial also contains cellular lipids and plant extracts derived from melon and avocado to provide a smoother skin texture.

Super Energizers – Ultra soft to the touch, the spun-lace cotton mask is embedded with tourmaline and Mariponic Ferments that energize and set molecules into motion. The Hydrating Facial mask drives the formula into the skin, boosting hydration.

When making The Hydrating Facial, a high energy inversion process is used to blend the formula together creating a liquid crystal structure. This gives the formula the properties of both a solid and a liquid. As a solid, the formula suspends and protects the ingredients while still on the mask. When applied to the skin, the formula has the properties of a liquid as it delivers activity to the skin.

Two use the facial, you place the top mask that goes over the eyes and nose first, then the second half that goes over the bottom half of your face. You leave on for 8 minutes, remove then smooth on the rest of the product.

I enjoyed this a lot. As the weather grows colder, my skin gets flakier and I need extra hydration. This is super hydrating and is a great evening treatment. I was also happy that I didn’t break out after the treatment. I used it a couple of days ago and my skin is still soft. Nice!

The Hydrating Facial will be available in October 2009 at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and www.lamer.com

JESSICA Cosmetics Burlesque Beauty Collection

JESSICA has come out with a sultry collection of nail polishes for the fall called Burlesque Beauty. The collection is described in the website as:

Take yourself back to the decadent days of the Moulin Rouge and add a bit of drama and glamour to your look this fall. JESSICA, manicurist to the stars introduces the fall 2009 collection, Burlesque Beauty. While not everyone aspires to be a full-on Burlesque Girl, adding a sexy shade to your nails is a subtle way to make a bold statement and bring out your inner vixen. The Burlesque Beauty collection presents six new rich colors that add femininity and allure to your style. With shades of purples, berries and greens the new collection helps any woman embrace her dark, playful or sexy side on a whim.

The shades of Burlesque Beauty are:

636: Gorgeous Garter Belt – Magenta

637: Ruffled Bottoms –Violet

638: Fishnets and Fringe – Hunter Green

639: For Your Eyes Only – Grape

640: Feather Boa – Mauve

641: Sexy Siren – Plum

I have Gorgeous Garter Belt and For Your Eyes Only — the latter is my favorite. It is a super dark purple that is really cool for the fall. I have been wearing it all week and it hasn’t chipped much which is surprising since I work (and play) on the computer all day.

All JESSICA Custom Colors are formulated with Vitamin A for maximum conditioning, contain UVA/UVB protection from sun’s damaging rays, eco-friendly: Toluene-, Formaldehyde-and Phalate-Free and are quick-drying.

Visit www.jessicacosmetics.com to learn more about these products and where to purchase them.

NIA24 Niacin-Powered Skin Therapy

Looking for a different type of skincare skincare “>regiminethat will work from the inside out? NIA24 is a Niacin Powered skincare line that claims to bring a continuous-release form of Niacin to restore skin’s barrier and reverse signs of skin damage.

The collection includes Gentle Cleansing Cream ($30.00), Physical Cleansing Scrub ($35.00), Skin Strengthening Complex ($85.00), Intensive Recovery Complex ($110.00), Eye Repair Complex ($65.00), Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen ($45.00), and Sun Damage Repair for Decolletage and Hands ($55.00).

I tried samples of these products and liked them. Although the claim is that your skin can get red and patchy the first 7-10 days and then clear up. I used the products for 4-5 days and never saw any redness.

One of my favorite products is the Gentle Cleansing Cream which offers 24-hour prevention, repair, and protection and is physician recommended, fragrance, color & dye free, allergy tested and non-comedogenic. It is very gentle and feels great going on. I feel like I’m cleaning, but not stripping, my skin.

I also loved the Eye Repair Complex. Along with Pro-Niacin™, this lovely product contains Matrixyl™ to reinforce collagen and elastin to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles; Vitamin C, licorice and white birch to visibly brighten and illuminate under eye discoloration and Caffeine to reduce the appearance of puffiness. I could see a difference after a few days with my dark circles. Very nice.

Visit www.nia24.com to learn more and to purchase these products.

PureOlogy SuperSmooth Collection

PureOlogy has released a new collection to smooth frizzy hair, like mine! It is “professional colour care for unmanageable colour-treated hair in need of intense smoothing and discipline as a result of multiple chemical processes. Our SuperStraight System has been reborn as SuperSmooth and includes reformulated favorites plus new smoothing essentials to transform hair.”

This is a fantastic system that really smooths my hair! Here are the products with descriptions from the website:

SuperSmooth Shampoo ($27.00) Gently cleanse and smooth unruly hair without stripping away moisture, and intensify natural shine while protecting colour vibrancy. This ZeroSulfate® shampoo delivers smoothing oils of camellia, sesame and organic shea butter for multi-layer balancing and conditions hair with an organic botanical of geranium. Our exclusive ThermalAntiFadeComplex® helps provide heat-styling protection and maximizes colour retention.

SuperSmooth HairCondition ($27.00) Smooth and replenish unruly hair, and intensify natural shine while protecting colour vibrancy. This daily detangling conditioner delivers smoothing oils of camellia, sesame and organic shea butter for multi-layer balancing and conditions hair with an organic botanical of geranium. Our exclusive ThermalAntiFadeComplex® helps provide heat-styling protection and maximizes colour retention.

SuperSmooth SmoothingElixir ($24.00) Fortify and smooth highly sensitized, chemically-treated hair, and intensify natural shine while protecting colour vibrancy. This repairing treatment silkens and delivers smoothing oils of camellia, sesame and organic shea butter for multi-layer balancing and conditions hair with an organic botanical of geranium.

SuperSmooth RelaxingHairMasque ($50.00) Dramatically subdue frizz and dry, unruly volume, and intensify natural shine while protecting colour vibrancy. This concentrated, nourishing masque delivers smoothing oils of camellia, sesame and organic shea butter for multi-layer balancing and conditions hair with an organic botanical of geranium. Our exclusive ThermalAntiFadeComplex® helps provide heat-styling protection and maximizes colour retention.

I find that my hairs is the smoothest if I wash with the shampoo, and then use the masque for about 5 minutes. Once my hair is towel-dried, I apply a generous amount of the elixir. I usually let my hair air dry wavy or dry it completely straight. I then add a little more elixir for final smoothing.

Visit www.pureology-usa.com to learn more about the products and to find a retailer near you.

FlowerbyKenzo Essentielle

Kenzo’s newest take on its classic FLOWERBYKENZO is the sensual and powdery FLOWERBYKENZO ESSENTIELLE (.8 oz $58.00, 1.5 oz $75.00, 2.5 oz 92.00).

This sexy scent is classified as a sensual floral and is perfect for the colder weather of the fall. The scent is described as:

“A tribute to FLOWERBYKENZO, streamlined and presented through its most emblematic notes. Beginning with a floral accord, essence and absolute of rosa damascena and absolute of jasmine unfold into a powdery accord made up of a unique combination of sensual musks and absolute of vanilla. Finally, incense of the purest distinction, black pepper and pink berries complete FLOWERBYKENZO ESSENTIELLE with a vibrant finish.”

I enjoy the bright rose and jasmine top notes and the sultry musk, incense and black pepper that give the powdery finish a kick. This is an unusual fragrance that would be nice for a night out, or in with the right person!

Visit www.kenzousa.comto learn more about this and other Kenzo scents. Enjoy!